October 20th 2012
Toni Preckwinkle's Feckless "Innocent Civilian Tax"
by Rabbi Judah Freeman, JPFO Staff Writer.
© Copyright JPFO. Inc 2012
According to Fox News, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle thinks she can reduce crime in Chicago by imposing a tax on guns and ammunition. We've seen this scheme before; it has nothing to do with reducing crime and even nothing to do with raising revenues. Rather, it's a thinly-veiled attempt to take guns and ammunition out of the hands of ordinary citizens.
Consider: at whom is this proposal aimed? Does anyone really expect to reduce crime with a bullet tax? Is Preckwinkle foolish enough to think that a murderer purchases his ammunition legally – and thus will incur this tax? Does she think that paying an extra few dollars for a box of ammo will stop such a murderer? Make him reconsider? Is she naive enough not to recognize that criminals get their ammunition the same way they get their guns? They steal them or buy (and sell) them in an uncontrollable network of illegal sales.
Or perhaps Ms. Preckwinkle's tax is aimed at further disarming and penalizing Chicago's law-abiding citizens. An honest, law-abiding, patriotic American parent who wants to prevent the violence of the crime-ridden Chicago street from entering his or her home has a variety of choices for personal defense. One of the least expensive and most effective options is the purchase of a firearm. Otis MacDonald – G-d bless him! – taught this lesson to the City of Chicago, and the Supreme Court agreed with him. It is the honest citizens of Chicago, the Otis MacDonalds who seek to defend their homes, who will be penalized by Ms. Preckwinkle's tax, not the criminals who seek to violate their sanctity.
We've seen ideas like this tax before. In the post-Civil War South, one way of preventing freed slaves from owning firearms was to make guns too expensive. This was done by imposing taxes or permit fees and by outlawing so-called "Saturday night specials" – the only inexpensive handguns that the impoverished freed slaves could afford to purchase and use in self-defense. (See: "History of regulation attempts")
In fact, "gun control" in America has its roots in the racist climate of the post-Civil War South. In many states, it was simply illegal for freed black slaves to own firearms. Is that the real incentive behind Ms. Preckwinkle's tax?
Besides, there are far more effective solutions to Chicago's crime problem. First, impose severe punishments for those convicted of violent crime. Eliminate the murderers, rapists, and muggers from the city's streets. Slap-on-the-wrist law enforcement and revolving-door prison sentences have been a failure for decades.
Even better, place guns -- many more guns -- in the hands of honest and law abiding Chicago residents. According to the National Institute of Justice, 58% of convicted felons stated that they feared an armed (intended) victim more than they feared the police. Empower good and decent citizens of Chicago to protect themselves. Want to reduce crime in Chicago? Encourage law-abiding citizens to arm themselves and watch the criminals flee in search of easier prey.
Ms. Preckwinkle, you could even advocate unlicensed Constitutional Carry in Chicago. Encourage the good, law-abiding citizens of the city to carry firearms, whether openly or discreetly. This is already permitted by law in four States in America – Wyoming, Alaska, Vermont, and Arizona. All of them have significantly lower crime rates than Chicago, and in not one of them has a "Wild West" environment of vigilantism emerged – despite the hysterical cries from the Violence Policy Center and other deceitful advocates of citizen disarmament.
Further, encourage Chicago residents to know how to use their defensive arms safely. That means practice, and practice means they need bullets – and imposing a tax on each round will discourage them from this self-empowerment.
Firearms safety training can be added to the curriculum in Chicago's schools in place of hysterical, politically-correct gun phobia. Teach kids the sport of marksmanship and they will both gain a deep respect for the seriousness of firearms and understand the honorable and pragmatic reasons for an armed citizenry. They will recognize the world of difference between a murderer and a righteous defender.
No doubt the children can recognize that distinction already. Can Ms. Preckwinkle?
Editor's note: A little over a year ago a certain Baltimore Mayoral candidate prompted an open letter on this very subject - you can read it here.
Yours in Freedom, The Liberty Crew at JPFO
Protecting you by creating solutions to destroy "gun control"
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