Replies

OPINION: Gun Owners Beware: It's Not Your Right

Thursday, January 02, 2003

By Cal Skinner (cal@illinoisleader.com)

Chicago Police Superintendent Terry Hillard holds a U.S. flag during the singing of "God Bless America" on Sept 14, 2001. A year later, he questions the meaning of the Constitution's Second Amendment.
OPINION --“When politicians and elected officials really grasp the problem and make a commitment to say it’s not your right to have a gun, that’s the only time we’re going to be able to cut the homicide rate down,” said Chicago Police Superintendent Terry Hillard is quoted as saying in the Chicago Tribune on January 1st.

That’s a statement that even the Chicago Tribune editorial board dared not make in its 9-part series of editorials on murder in Chicago. The closest the Tribune dared come to advocating repeal of the Second Amendment was this December 18th statement: “We choose our murder rate . . . when we weigh gun control bills…” (That statement may inadvertently hold some truth, but not in the way the Tribune meant!)

A society where just the police and, presumably, the military have guns. Isn’t that a dictator’s dream? Isn’t that the Tribune’s goal?

Editorials to Influence News Coverage
At least three times the Tribune has closely coordinated its front-page news coverage with its editorial policy. The most obvious has been the paper’s campaign against the death penalty. As with its campaign against the Second Amendment, the editorials have only hinted at the paper’s final goal. Perhaps management fears whatever lingering reputation it has for being a “conservative” paper would go right down the drain if it openly supported the abolition of both the death penalty and the Second Amendment.

The third example is its mini-campaign against legislative pork - or was it against the four legislative leaders? It was more half-hearted, but it was certainly coordinated, starting with the lead story in early February featuring pictures of Governor George Ryan, House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President Pate Philip and their respective Minority Leaders, Lee Daniels and Emil Jones. A string of editorials and stories on legislative pork followed.

(Understand that a weaker legislative branch, which would occur without strong legislative leaders, means a stronger Chicago Tribune.)

On New Year’s Day, the Tribune continued its coordination between editorial board policy on lowering Chicago’s murder rate and its supposedly independent news coverage. (One could more accurately call it “editorial-tainted news coverage.”) The Tribune ran a front-page article comparing Chicago’s murder rate to that of New York and Los Angeles.

Chicago was not first in total murders, as it was last year, but its murder rate (killings per 100,000 people) was three times that of New York City and 30% higher than the rate in Los Angeles. The Tribune story included Police Superintendent Hillard’s quote, part of which was: ". . . [I]t’s not your right to have a gun…”

Why Hillard Is Dead Wrong
Does this sound like the worst nightmare of Second Amendment supporters?

Daley’s police department has failed to lower the murder rate, but, instead of admitting incompetence, Daley’s police chief trots out the old canard that no guns means fewer murders.

Hillard is dead wrong on so many levels.

First, New York City, under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, cut the crime rate with good police work. It is one-third of Chicago’s. A Tribune editorial even points this out.

Secondly, all three cities ban handgun ownership. (Guns registered by 1982 in Chicago were made legal.) Obviously, Hillard is calling for a more widespread ban on guns. Equally obviously, an Illinois ban would not eliminate guns being brought into Chicago from Indiana, Michigan or Wisconsin, so he must be advocating a national ban.

Thirdly, Dr. John Lott, author of More Guns, Less Crime, found the murder rate decreased an average 1.5% in counties after the adoption of the right-to-carry law. That was the result between 1995 and 1996.

Dr. Lott examined crime statistics in all 3,000 United States counties. His fascinating book gives new meaning to the phrase “comprehensive research.” (Those interested in more information, should buy the paperback version and read Chapter 9, which summarizes his work.)

The Chicago Tribune’s recently completed editorial series on murder in Chicago in the longest I have ever seen. It purported to burrow into every nook and cranny of the subject, but somehow could not find Dr. Lott’s research, even though the first edition of his book was written while he was at the University of Chicago and quickly became quite celebrated among those who follow public policy. I think the Tribune committed a deliberate refusal to look at the most extensive research available on the effects of the passage of gun legislation, simply because it did not lead to the conclusions the Tribune sought.

My own conclusion: Gun control advocates in Chicago are just gearing up, despite the sharply deepened voter concern for personal security in the wake of “9/11.” The national Democrats learned in the last Presidential election to anger gun-owning voters at their own risk. Chicago Democrats and their friends at the media giant Tribune don’t have the same fear.

___________

Editor's Note: During the 2002 gubernatorial campaign, Libertarian candidate Cal Skinner actively promoted enactment of a Personal Security Act, which would allow law-abiding citizens to defend themselves after passing a short-course in the self-defensive use of a gun.

What are your thoughts on this issue? Is Hillard right -- do we not have the right to keep and bear arms? Should only the military and the government have that right? Write us your thoughts at letters@illinoisleader.com.

Former State Rep. Cal Skinner
After being a state representative for 16 years, Cal Skinner most recently ran for Governor on the Libertarian Party ballot in November 2002.

http://illinoisleader.com/opinion/opinionview.asp?c=3599