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Evil abounds in this world; it always has and always will. The great question for those who oppose evil has ever been the method of that opposition. Is it gun control, or no?

On Friday, April 25, 2014, the rampant evil of out-of-control gang violence took the life of Leonore Draper in the West Pullman area of Chicago, Illinois. In a city that measures bloodshed by the barrel, the names of the dead rarely receive any national attention.

The Draper killing has garnered interest outside of “Chicagoland” due to the extreme irony of her murder. Draper, a community activist, had heavy involvement in the “anti-violence/anti-gun” groups CeaseFire and Project Orange Tree. CeaseFire Illinois closed its doors after the leader of the organization was arrested and charged with domestic violence and they expended the $1 million grant given to them by the city of Chicago. That group has since reemerged under a new name; CureViolence.org.

Draper was just returning home from a fundraiser to fight gun violence. That is when she was apparently caught in the crossfire of a gang dispute. She was shot while sitting in her car and pronounced dead at the hospital soon after. Family and friends are devastated.

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Chicago Police Superintendent, Garry McCarthy, stated that the police were still searching for suspects in the killing. McCarthy is an outspoken proponent of strict gun control. He has spoken out against Illinois’ recently enacted concealed carry permit law. After yet another rash of violence in Chicago on Easter weekend, McCarthy took to the local airwaves and called for increased gun control measures in addition to those already in place.

More Guns, Less Crime

There are numerous stories on the newswire detailing the Draper murder. What is missing in each and every one is the cold, hard truth that despite the fact that Cook County, Illinois and by extension Chicago already have the strictest gun control laws in the United States (the only city to come close is Washington D.C.) last year Chicago took the crown for Murder Capital of the United States.

Gun control proponents like Garry McCarthy and Michael Bloomberg bolster their arguments with unsupported affirmations that the answer to violent behavior is gun prohibition and then more gun prohibition. The inconvenient truth is that gun control does indeed have a definite effect on violence; it ensures that it will increase.

In his book “More Guns, Less Crime” economist John R. Lott, Jr. conducted exhaustive research that showed a definitive link between the number of lawful concealed carry permit holders and the reduction of violent crime in the areas studied. Lott’s book has been available to the public, which includes McCarthy and Bloomberg, since 1998.

What Is “Illegal”

Superintendent McCarthy has made much of the fact that Chicago PD has taken more “illegal guns” off the streets than any other city. One might wonder what makes a gun “illegal?” Does the gun have a predisposition toward malice or bad behavior? Can we follow on this type of thinking and make the case that drunk driving could be reduced if we could just remove more “illegal automobiles” or “illegal alcohol” from the streets?

Anti-Gun Failures

If we accept that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result, we can clearly see that the Chicago is held in a death grip of insanity.

Anti-Gun/Anti-Violence groups have fallen for the progressive liberal trap of exempting human beings from their own actions. It is as if “violence” is some abstract concept not at all the responsibility of human criminals. For many, the term “violence” offered as you would “cancer” or “virus”. It is as if the host has been infected through no fault of their own.

Anti-violence groups are quick to point out that socio-economic factors are to blame for out-of-control violence in their communities. Oddly enough, those responsible for the economy, progressive liberal politicians, are given a free pass.
Consider Detroit, Michigan, a city that makes Beirut, Lebanon seem tame by comparison. For four decades the voters in Detroit went to the polls and elected progressive liberal Democrats. Though the Motor City had been in steady decline since the late 1970s, losing manufacturing jobs by the thousands, a steady rise in crime and rampant drug use, voters would continue to do the same thing expecting a different result. Kwame Kilpatrick, mayor from 2002 to 2008 is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence on multiple corruption charges.

Arm Yourself

Apparently, forty years was enough for the remaining good people of Detroit. The voters of Detroit elected Mike Duggan, a successful businessman, as a write-in candidate in 2013. Detroit’s citizens have also stood firmly behind their new Chief of Police, James Craig. Craig, in a departure from most every other large city police chief, has come out in favor of the armed citizen. Craig publicly recommended that the best solution to violent crime in Detroit was for the people to arm themselves.

When it comes to dealing with the reality of evil in our world we have two examples of how to deal with it. The Chicago model for dealing with evil seems to be to demonize an inanimate object. Followed by issuing a public grant to community organizers. Lastly, to disassociate “violence” from the criminal vermin responsible for it.

Detroit has altered its previous path by embracing a pro-business mayor who is seeking to return the city to some semblance of normalcy. The Motor City, once the murder capital of America, has no intention of retaking the crown. Members of the Detroit Police Department, rather than make excuses for the criminal element have boldly stated to them that “your time is up.”

Do you think gun control works? Tell us why and support your stance with facts in the comments below!

*Editors Note: This article was originally published on The Blaze.

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Professor Paul Markel

Founder & CEO at Student of the Gun

Paul G. Markel has worn many hats during his lifetime. He has been a U.S. Marine, Police Officer, Professional Bodyguard, and Small Arms and Tactics Instructor. Mr. Markel has been writing professionally for law enforcement and firearms periodicals for nearly twenty years with hundreds and hundreds of articles in print. Paul is a regular guest on nationally syndicated radio talk shows and subject matter expert in firearms training and use of force. Mr. Markel has been teaching safe and effective firearms handling to students young and old for decades and has worked actively with the 4-H Shooting Sports program. Paul holds numerous instructor certifications in multiple disciplines and a Bachelor’s degree in conflict resolution; nonetheless, he is and will remain a dedicated Student of the Gun.

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