MORE GUNS

As the nation chews on new ways to take guns out the hands of crazy people and murderers, Chicago, which has a law against selling guns, is up to its broad shoulders in gun violence.

Gang members in Chicago can get a gun in five minutes or less. They simply make a phone call, get the money, and go purchase the weapon. The gun of choice in Chicago is a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. The reason for that is that unlike revolvers, a 9mm semi-automatic can hold 17 rounds of ammunition. Revolvers only hold six.

The guns they buy are usually purchased in the suburbs of Chicago by people with no criminal backgrounds. These people then bring them into the city and let it be known that they have guns for sale. If a gang member needs a gun, he calls their number and in minutes he can lay his hands on a weapon.

While all this is going on, Vice President Joe Biden is heading up a gun advisory group. What good is an advisory group when gang members can get guns in minutes? That’s the problem. The advisory group is made up of legitimate gun owners who abide by the law and don't go around shooting people. Gun rights activists are also having their say in the debate.

Biden has invited religious leaders to participate in the discussion in hopes they can influence their communities to work together to stop gun violence. When was the last time a gang banger ever went to church to hang around with priests and pastors? In fact, some gang members will tell you that in order to get from their neighborhood to another they've got to carry a gun because if a rival gang member sees them on their turf they'll open fire.

Chicago police do what they can but they're outnumbered by the availability of guns in the city. An advisory committee isn't going to have any effect upon illegal gun sales or gang members who need the guns to survive. Guns sold legitimately in the suburbs of Chicago end up in the hands of gangs in the city. Serial numbers on the guns are scraped off with a screwdriver so the weapon can't be traced. Many gang members have their girlfriends carry the guns in their purses so if they're stopped and frisked police won't find the weapon.

If they do, it's just a matter of time before the gang member gets another gun.

Advisory committees don't prevent guns from getting into the hands of people who want to use them to harm others. Gun dealers have no way of knowing whether a legitimate buyer might be nuts. There's no way to test the mental stability of a customer unless the individual acts up or appears to be unstable.

An advisory committee sounds good but in truth, there’s not much they can do. The problem is supply and demand. Bad guys need the guns and they know where to get them. If their source dries up, another takes its place.

This is an armed nation and we've had guns long before the ink was dry on the Bill of Rights. Until we evolve into a more civil society, guns will be the only way to protect law abiding citizens from those to whom gun laws are just another way to get more guns.