My hometown of Columbia, SC was listed as “one of the most dangerous cities in America” with 10 murders. Local ABC affiliate WLTX television reported that Columbia was on the list in December 2018. They cited a story by work+money where FBI crime statistics for 2018 revealed a murder rate of 7.1 per 100,000, thus gaining Columbia the reputation.
But, Columbia pales in comparison to Chicago, and Chi-town was not even listed in the top 25 Most Dangerous places in America. Just this this week the Chicago Tribune newspaper reported that 357 people have been killed thus far in 2019, that’s 51 fewer than same time last year. In 2018, there were 564 murders by December 31st in Chicago. FBI statistics show that was the lowest murder count for Chicago in three years which has a rate of 21 murders per 100,000 people.
The Chicago Tribune reported September 9th that the bad news for Chicagoan’s is that 1,920 Chicago residents have been shot to date in 2019. The good news for Chicago residents is that the 2019 figure, as high as it is, represents a reduction over shootings since 2016. The recent high of violent crime in that time period being one shy of 2,800 in 2016.
FBI statistics show that Chicago has one of the highest crime and murder rates in the United States yet is often heralded by left leaning sycophants as a model for the rest of the US regarding gun control. With that idea in mind many people might think that gun restrictions or prohibition might be the answer, but they would be in for a surprise.
Fact is, Chicago prohibited gun ownership long ago and had total “gun control” from 1982 when Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne got their city council to pass an ordinance banning the sale and registration of all hand guns in Chicago until just a few years ago. This was a time when citizens were forbidden from exercising a Constitutionally secured and guaranteed right, and prohibited from keeping and bearing arms to protect themselves and their family.
Chicago thus became the first major U.S. city to ban handgun ownership. The Chicago suburbs then began passing similar gun control laws.
The Trib reported last year that during the past 60 year time period over 39,000 murders were reported in Chicago alone. The homicide figures used for this article citing murders in Chicago were reported in and obtained by The Chicago Tribune via Freedom of Information Act requests with the latest being returned Feb. 9, 2019. Interestingly, the Tribune reports that the total number of murders reported in Police Department statistics do not include “slayings on area expressways, police-involved shootings or other homicides in which a person was killed in self-defense or their deaths were still being investigated.”
Although crime and murder were steadily increasing when the gun control measures were passed in Chicago, that is when the crime and murder rate increased substantially. Murder increased several hundred deaths per year following gun control measures and stayed that way for over 20 years.
In 2010, Chicago crime took a dip when the US Supreme Court struck down Chicago’s 1982 gun ownership ban (McDonald v. Chicago) when a man sought protection for himself and his family. The Court ruled that the Constitution gives individuals greater or equal power with states on the issue of possession of firearms for protection.
In July 2013, murder took another dip when Illinois passed concealed carry after the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state’s ban on concealed carry was unconstitutional. Chicago followed suit in September 2013.
Since 2016, crime is creeping up again as new thugs, drug activity, gangs and illegals have increased. The murder rate in Chicago has not been less than 400 murders in a single year since the mid 1960’s. With less restrictive gun laws, citizens now have a chance to fight back instead of being sitting ducks.
Columbia can be as dangerous as any place in the world at times, but that’s not the norm. Statistics prove that restrictive gun control laws have compromised citizen safety for at least 60 years in Chicago, and elsewhere too. The figures cited here do not even consider the gangsters and mobsters that controlled the Windy city less than a hundred years ago.
Michael Reed is Editor of The Standard newspaper. He has served as a pastor and speaks regularly on Liberty issues across the Southeast. You may follow him on Twitter @1MichaelReed.
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