May 20, 2008 10:37 pm US/Central
Have Law-Abiding Citizens Become Outgunned?
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Gun violence on the streets of Chicago continues to take lives with nearly every day that passes. In a recent town hall meeting on violence, the issue of guns dominated the discussion. The question arose: How does Chicago, with one of the most restrictive laws on handgun ownership, have such a problem with the mayhem their users cause?
CBS 2's Rob Johnson the gun debate continues, and some wonder if law-abiding citizens have become outgunned.
In April of this year there were 47 murders in Chicago, the highest monthly total in 10 years, and 80 percent of the murders this year involved guns.
For those who lost loved ones, like Emma Daviston, whose grandson Cardell was killed four years ago at the corner of 16th and Komensky, gun violence is difficult to discuss.
"Pain, a lot of pain...that's what goes through my mind when I think about guns," Daviston said.
Tom Ahern of the Chicago office of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) thinks about guns all the time. He has to.
"Remember all guns start out legally. Somewhere down the road they become illegal," Ahern said.
He's talking about straw purchases, which is where someone buys a gun legally and then either sells it or gives it to someone not authorized to purchase a gun.
"Firearms trafficking is a priority or ours, and we're trying to stem the flow of illegal guns into Illinois," Ahern said.
One of the places from which guns enter the state is Mississippi. The flow from there led to 14 people being prosecuted for running a straw purchase ring in 2007. Another source is Indiana, and many come from nearby gun shops outside the city limits.
Chuck's Gun Shop in Riverdale has been the frequent site of anti-gun protests.
In fact, statistics from an anti-gun advocacy group showed that from 1996-2000 Chuck's sold at least 2,000 weapons that were recovered in crimes, but that gun shop and its owner haven't faced prosecution because of the difficulty of figuring out who is a straw purchaser and who is legitimate.
"If all of the records, books and records and acquisitions are in place, we're limited to what we could do other than to educate them as far as the sale of weapons to maybe a straw purchaser," Ahern said.
"So what can you do, read their minds? Short of being a clairvoyant palm reader you can't know you can only surmise," argued gun proponent Marc Albertario. "And should you deny the purchase to a person who has otherwise met all of the proper conditions for a gun purchase?"
Albertario is a member of the Nation Rifle Association. He says the focus of law enforcement shouldn't be on the gun dealers, but the people getting the legal guns into the hands of those with illegal intentions.
"Who's buying the guns legally and getting them into the hands of criminals, because criminals by definition can't buy the guns," Albertario said.
For the ATF, their mission of stopping gun violence is made more difficult by laws that aren't on the books.
Thomas Mannard, of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, said he would like to see changes including licensing of all gun sellers and criminal background checks on all gun purchasers.
"The reality is that legislators are scared of often times gun issues because of the backlash they get from the gun lobby," Mannard said.
As for Daviston, she just hopes others don't have to live her personal hell.
"Let there be fewer guns and then we will have less heartaches," she said.
CBS 2 contacted the owner of Chuck's Gun Shop for an interview, but he declined the request.
Gun rights activists are frustrated because they feel that law-abiding gun owners are facing the wrath of gun opponents because the actions of drug dealers and gang members who have no respect for the law at all, and that their criminal enterprise will thrive no matter how many gun laws are enacted.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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