Illinois is set to become the last state in the union to enact a concealed-carry gun law. It’s not that they wanted to pass the law, particularly, but they were ordered to by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a court with seven Republican nominees, three Democratic nominees, and one vacancy. This is how the nation reacts to the tragedies in Aurora and Newtown. We don’t make it harder to have a gun; we make it easier.
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BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
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Tribune link.
My understanding is that if the legislature did not pass a concealed carry law by the court imposed deadline, EVERYONE, felon, mental patient, Zimmerman clone, EVERYONE would have the right to carry concealed weapons as the existing law was overturned as unconstitutionally prohibitive as there were no exceptions. So complain about the specifics if you want, but passing nothing or another complete ban was not an option.
True. I don’t blame the legislature, although the bill should be stronger.
That’s a legitimate complaint. I’ll get back to you later about the politics of this dysfunctional legislature.
As promised:
The Assembly is controlled (with an iron fist) by Mike Madigan (D), the Senate by John Cullerton (D). And, of course, the Governor is Pat Quinn (D). So all are working together harmoniously, right? Normally true, but next year is a gubernatorial election. The primary candidates for Governor are Quinn (for re-election), AG Lisa Madigan (Mike’s adopted daughter) and Bill Daley (of the Daley clan). The Cullerton family has deep roots with the Daley family, so does Madigan but not as deep and Madigan is ambitious (think Tessio against Cullerton’s Clemenza). So the three-way gubernatorial power fight sets all three branches against each other. This is also the reason for the gridlock on pension reform. Government workers are a strong Dem voting block. They are already upset with Quinn over COLA’s and furloughs. He doesn’t want to anger them further so he just wants to bless whatever can be hung on Madigan and Cullerton. Cullerton doesn’t want to agree with Madigan because he can make the Madigan’s look bad to the workers (tending to help Daley) and make Quinn look weak at the same time. His (Cullerton’s) own draconian proposals won’t reflect on Daley and his own seat is totally safe even if he is found in bed with a live boy and and a dead girl (who would vote in the primary for him anyway).
Finally, someone tackles the real problem.
Meanwhile democrats are preemptively scuttling any chance of passing through judicial appointments. Thanks guys, the judiciary is THE best way to ensure your side wins since they don’t face election.
And then the folks in the suburbs and downstate who wanted this will tut-tut about the 34 people shot in Chicago during one summer weekend.
We have a political system that is still going in exactly the wrong direction. With a bunch of highly armed angry little scared rabbits driving the conversation.
Sheltered suburbanites watching crime shows on TV and play-acting their childhood cops ‘n robbers fantasies…I’m surrounded by them here in Bachmann-land.
One of the ironies in this situation is that by carrying around dangerous weapons they are, on average, putting themselves and their families at more risk, not less. Like carrying around a running chainsaw. Yeah, that’ll be useful in about .0001% of the situations you find yourself in; the rest of the time you’re just gonna cut your own hand off.
There is a rather elegant solution to the gun nut problem: Require every legislative body, every administration, every court from SCOTASS down, to follow their own dictates. Concealed carry in congress, the White House, every courtroom, every city hall, county board that failed to ban concealed (or open) carry. No more metal detectors or scanners, no more security, no nothing. Just the wonderland of Concealed Carry Liberty. And of course no personal security for any of the above. It’s called Equal Justice Under Law. The IL Supremes would make for a great practice run, and cause many welcome vacancies.