Proposed ‘Right-to-Carry’ legislation disastrous for urban areas
Statement of Alderman Cavalier Johnson - September 20, 2017
Gun
A dangerous and reckless piece of legislation was passed out of the state’s Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee yesterday without regard for the impact on residents living in Wisconsin’s urban areas. The proposed “right to carry” legislation allows concealed weapons to be carried without obtaining a permit. Plus, it legalizes the carrying of concealed firearms in — or within five feet of — a vehicle on school property. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it also removes the prohibition on possession of electric weapons like Tasers, which currently requires a concealed license permit.
For far too long, state lawmakers in rural districts have had on blinders, creating laws that only work for their region of the state, without considering the impacts of these laws on urban areas. Our police force is already struggling to keep illegal guns off the street. This legislation, which could be voted on by the full State Senate as early as next month, only adds gasoline to a fire here in Milwaukee.
If you need proof of what I’m talking about, look up a video of a shooting this past weekend near N. 23rd and W. State showing a man spraying bullets from an AK-47—it ended with a deceased male victim. It’s time for responsible legislation from Madison. I ask lawmakers in our state’s capitol to consider that 2,419 guns were seized from criminals in Milwaukee last year alone. That’s a rate of 406 guns for every 100,000 residents in our city according to Milwaukee’s Police Department. Consider that, per capita, the number of firearms seized off of Milwaukee’s streets was more than New York City.
While rural state lawmakers may have been elected by their district, the laws they create affect everyone. I ask the state senate to vote against this proposal for the sake of Milwaukee residents who are already struggling with gun violence.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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PSSST, Alderman, bad guys carry guns in those areas already. People that aren’t supposed to possess guns, don’t care what they do in Madison.
“Americans are 10 times more likely to be killed by guns than people in other developed countries, a new study finds. Compared to 22 other high-income nations, the United States’ gun-related murder rate is 25 times higher. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-u-s-gun-deaths-compare-to-other-countries/
So we own a ton of guns and we have an enormous gun violence problem (coincidence?). How in the hell is the solution more guns?
The State of Missouri passed this same mindless law and Kansas City has one of the highest homicide rates in the country. This is a law perpetrated by the NRA and the gun industry, and will come home to roost in every urban area that allows it.
So I guess our representatives are not confident in the public safety solutions and funding they are responsible for. Their answer is to put more guns on the streets.
JPKMKE, The state legislature is not responsible for funding public safety. The Milwaukee Common Council and the Mayor hold that responsibility. Law abiding citizens carrying guns legally, having the ability to protect themselves, is what this legislation addresses. SP, Baltimore and Chicago have strict gun laws and both cities have record breaking gun violence. So you can put as many laws in the books as you want, thugs kill thugs and innocent people too. Do you know why, because they are thugs and have no respect for human life and they have less respect for law and order. Vincent, are you saying a person that lives in the Alderman’s district doesn’t have the right to defend themselves from thugs?
Of course that isn’t what I said. Nor did I imply it. Please don’t put words in my mouth. Or work on your reading comprehension skills. One or the other.
Chicago’s problems is guns bought at gun shows out-of-state, no background check required. The Tribune has done tons of reporting on this.
It is also misleading and short-sighted to focus on a few urban areas when talking about gun violence (a favorite right-wikng talking point). It’s a problem all over the country. “The most violent states in the US are those with the most lax gun laws.” http://www.thedailybeast.com/surprise-surprise-gun-violence-in-red-states
Sorry GPS, I don’t buy that state level government is not responsible for crime problems affecting Milwaukee. Need funding and leadership. Start with Chapter 51 which describes the ways in which we do not care for the mentally ill and deal with the resulting public safety issues. Look at moving the needle on poverty which is likely the biggest contributing factor for crime. If our state representatives think they are not responsible, they are passing the buck.
I would expect that we are capable of protecting our homes and family without permitting guns on the street by anyone other than the police. I grew up with those ideas and they worked fine. Other Countries have adopted different types of gun controls and the data speaks for itself. Nothing is fool-proof, but America has become a more dangerous place to live since we legitimized fear mongering.
Vincent, no need for the personal attacks. I was just asking a question. But since all of your response’s go negative, I guess it is in your nature. Or you are a crack baby who cant control himself. I read the article from the Center for American Progress. However, the Alderman’s PR is about urban areas. And last time I checked guns don’t have legs or shoot themselves. So it really doesn’t matter where the gun is from, people killing people in urban areas is the point. As far as a “few urban area’s” hardly, name a urban city that does not have gun violence. JPKMKE, I would agree with you that poverty is the biggest contributing factor, if there weren’t so many random shootings where robbery is not the motive. Milwaukee’s Mayor is choosing to cut the police department man power not the governor. Milwaukee’s mayor chooses to put other priorities before crime fighting not the state legislature. I agree Milwaukee does need leadership.
Ever wonder why all of a sudden we have cops drawing weapons on people and many times shooting and killing people for minor traffic offenses and the like? It’s because they now have to assume that EVERYBODY is carrying a weapon and EVERYBODY in EVERY situation is a threat to their life. There are so many guns on the street, they’ve been forced to become hyper sensitive.
At the risk of reducing this discussion to a level of a battle of bumper stickers, I remember a bumper sticker that responded to
“If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns” with something like this: ” If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will accidentally shoot their children.” The notion that gun ownership makes one safe has been debunked by numerous studies. One study cited in the ATLANTIC magazine noted that gun owners were more likely to be shot with their own guns by intruders than they were to use them to shoot intruders. Then there is the fact that when bad guys learn that you have a gun that you are targeted for a break-in because the theft of guns is high on the scale of desirable thefts . Gun theft ranks 3rd to money and jewelry.
GPS writes “bad guys carry guns in those areas already”, but—until now—cops could usually distinguish “good guys” (those with permits) from bad (no permits).
This measure handicaps cops and makes us less safe.
GPS says “Baltimore and Chicago have strict gun laws and both cities have record breaking gun violence.” So what? Both cities are within an hour’s drive from states (Virginia and Indiana, respectively) with lax gun laws. All Baltimore’s and Chicago’s experience proves is that strict gun laws fail if surrounded by weak laws.
Strict gun laws cut gun violence. New York City proves this—super-strict gun laws and record-low gun violence and homicides.
How does NYC differ from Baltimore and Chicago? Every state in the Northeast has at least moderately strong gun laws. Most illegal guns recovered in NYC had their last “legal” retail sale outside the Northeast—most commonly 5 states away in Virginia.