Chicago Gun Laws Don’t Stop Homicides
Handguns have been outlawed in Chicago for may years, until 2010, when the Supreme Court decided that the ban was in violation the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.There are still no legal gun shops in the city of Chicago. This led the city leaders to have to settle for higher restrictions that were as close to actually banning the guns. Even with these high restrictions, Chicago is still one of the top cities for gun violence. In 2012, there were over 500 homicides, and in January alone, there were 40 killings.
To many citizens who want a full gun-ban in the US, Chicago proves to be a city of reference. Even with such strict gun control laws, there is still a vast amount of shootings. But for citizens who are pro-guns, they believe that the city proves that there needs to be more nationwide gun laws, rather than state-to-state or city-to-city. According to Rev. Ira J. Acree, a pastor who marched and got signatures to end shootings, said, “Chicago is like a house with two parents that may try to have good rules, but it’s like you’ve got this single house sitting on a whole block where there’s anarchy.”
Because of the different sets of laws varying from states and cities, it makes it difficult for police to find the gun violations. Not only are the laws different in each state, but also the punishments vary from jail-time to fines. Some punishments are seen as not as severe as others so many citizens do not take them seriously.
If you or anyone you know has been affected by any sort of gun violation be sure to contact a lawyer immediately. Contact an experienced Illinois Criminal Attorney to help you out.