I live in Chicagoland. Guns are a way of life here. An ugly way of life. Since Friday, two people were shot dead within five miles of my home. Here are the headlines:
10/1: Teen killed when a vehicle pulled up beside his and opened fire (4 miles from my home)
10/2: 21-year-old man shot by police after he opened fire on a house (2.5 miles from my home)
Those are the just the gun-related deaths within 5 miles. In two days.
Since September 27, there have been 17 gun fatalities within the City of Chicago. That's in one week, folks. It's so bloody here that, to be very honest, I don't even remember most of the gun violence I hear on the local news anymore. I'm inured to the carnage, the way people who work in a slaughterhouse must be.
Yes, Illinois has very strict gun laws. But they are ineffective because of the flow of money and weapons through porous state borders. Most of the guns used in crimes here been resold, and came in illegally from Indiana and Kentucky. (Gee, thanks neighbors!)
This is what I live with, every day. So please don't expect me to relate when you tell me that a riot that took place near you, more than a year ago, changed your mind about owning a handgun. I'm sorry you were frightened more than a year ago, but people are being shot and killed every day here. (Remember, I'm only talking about fatalities here, not shootings. The number of shootings is, obviously, much higher.)
By the way, a man was killed in the summer 2020 riot, 3 miles from here. I had to look it up. I didn't even recall it specifically. There are too many gun deaths around here for it to stand out.
 |
| Wouldn't it be nice? |
But in my heart, I believe the world would be a better place if we could melt every fucking handgun down and make carousel horses with the metal.
I completely agree with you. Chicago is a great city and an urban war zone and it is not the only American city where this is happening. There are simply way too many guns - and sadly, life has become so cheap. I am pretty sure the Founders did not have in mind what is going on in our country today. Sad and troubling.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, and I'm a gun owner (well, my husband is). I'd gladly give it up. I learned how to use it because it is here in my home (and I grew up with guns in my parents home) and it would be irresponsible not to know how to use it if it is going to be here. We also keep it locked up in a gun safe. We do not have it to shoot people or because we are fearful. We have it to protect livestock and because my husband likes to eat deer meat. I don't know that those are viable excuses for owning a weapon, to be honest. My nearest city has multiple shootings all the time, as well, and my husband saw it when he was a firefighter/EMT. Those incidents generally involve handguns or other weapons that are made for shooting people. That is not what we have. We have a rifle that is specifically for hunting, although any gun will kill a person. I saw the comment that brought about this post and was appalled by it, but I was relieved that the person said she'd learned how to use the gun. At least there's that. At least.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Gal. Even though hunting is a major industry here in Northern Maine there is a definite difference between hunting and handguns.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you but our illegal guns come up from the Carolinas.
ReplyDelete