http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/03/supreme-court-hears-chicago-gun-ban-case-today.html

Egads, if they end the gun ban in Chicago, the streets will be alive with gunfire.

Oh, wait, that's already happened.  :-[

So it was just hand guns?  What's everybody griping about?  Get an Uzi!  If you're gonna hang out on the South Side, it's essential hardware!
:o

So it was just hand guns?  What's everybody griping about?  Get an Uzi!  If you're gonna hang out on the South Side, it's essential hardware!
:o


Chicago is a physical kinda town.  Plenty of murder stories clogged the Tribune back in my Chicago days.

Pistols, Uzis, AK-47's, run over by car, throw 'em out a 12th story window, poisonings, cement overcoat, baseball bat, bombings, hot shots.  Oh yeah, almost forgot... stabbings too.  Read about darn near everything but somebody being drawn-and-quartered.

A pistol ban certainly reduces "accidental deaths" but does little to curb criminal murders in the city.  The citizens are resourseful and will always find a weapon.  Besides, any crook whho wants a pistol can simply get one outside the city limits anyway.

The SCOTUS is gonna strike down that law.

Chicago is a physical kinda town.  Plenty of murder stories clogged the Tribune back in my Chicago days.

Pistols, Uzis, AK-47's, run over by car, throw 'em out a 12th story window, poisonings, cement overcoat, baseball bat, bombings, hot shots.  Oh yeah, almost forgot... stabbings too.  Read about darn near everything but somebody being drawn-and-quartered.

A pistol ban certainly reduces "accidental deaths" but does little to curb criminal murders in the city.  The citizens are resourseful and will always find a weapon.  Besides, any crook whho wants a pistol can simply get one outside the city limits anyway.

The SCOTUS is gonna strike down that law.


Or you could just buy one from a crook selling them within city limits.  The guy you buy it from might be a cop though...not an undercover cop, just a crooked cop selling hand guns and dope!
::)

One way to get street cred in Chi-town is to be from East St. Louis.  Then they'll leave your ass alone!
:o

One way to get street cred in Chi-town is to be from East St. Louis.  Then they'll leave your ass alone!
:o


Business used to take me to East St Louis too. Best way to reduce crime in ESL would be for Uncle Sam to hand out free tickets to PT's Show Bar in nearby Venice IL.  ;)

Gary-ESL-Detroit-Chicago... I used to work in all those murder capitals. Tis a miracle that I made it out alive. I guess clean living paid off.  ;D

Normally, I support states' rights, but the 2nd Amendment should apply to all states.  No local government should have the ability to ban guns outright.

Normally, I support states' rights, but the 2nd Amendment should apply to all states.  No local government should have the ability to ban guns outright.


Somehow after reading the second amendment, I cannot see how the constitution could be interpreted any other way.  It basically says "... shall not be abridged" and it does not say "... shall not be abridged by the Federal government".

Therefore the amendment applies to all governments, not just Federal.

This is good.  Now the people of Chicago will be able to defend themselves against the cops of Chicago.

This is good.  Now the people of Chicago will be able to defend themselves against the cops of Chicago.


That's what I was saying, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the Chicago cops running illegal guns and drugs in the poor neighborhoods to start with!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/13/icon_porc.gif

That's what I was saying, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the Chicago cops running illegal guns and drugs in the poor neighborhoods to start with!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/13/icon_porc.gif


They're not going to like the Constitution cutting their profit margin, but then again, when has the Constitution ever been an impediment to the business of running Chicago?

This is good.  Now the people of Chicago will be able to defend themselves against the cops of Chicago.


Hmm...

Maybe we'll have a repeat of that famous gunbattle with the cops that was recounted in the song "The Night Chicago Died". 

I think the cops won that one though.  ;D

Anyone want to see a reenactment of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre?  Stick around it'll happen soon.

Anyone want to see a reenactment of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre?  Stick around it'll happen soon.


They used shotguns (already available and legal in Chicago) and Thompson sub machine guns in that attack.  Machine guns are already regulated by the Federal government and the SCOTUS decision will not affect it.

Besides, the victims of the Valentines Day attack were all hoods anyway.  Al Helped to clean up the streets a bit with that deal.

Anyone want to see a reenactment of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre?  Stick around it'll happen soon.


Given Chicago's already high murder numbers, they don't have holiday specific massacres -- they seem to have weekly ones.

They used shotguns (already available and legal in Chicago) and Thompson sub machine guns in that attack.  Machine guns are already regulated by the Federal government and the SCOTUS decision will not affect it.

Besides, the victims of the Valentines Day attack were all hoods anyway.  Al Helped to clean up the streets a bit with that deal.


My complaint with the movie "The Untouchables" is Robert DeNiro considerably older than Al Capone, who was about 25 years old at the height of his power.  They also didn't show what Al did to win the people over.  It was the Depression.  He set up soup kitchens, he paid peoples' bills, and he bought off cops, aldermen, legislators, and whoever else wanted a piece of the action to stay quiet.  "Hey, Officer Reilly, your mother still in the hospital?  You owe how much?  Aw jeez, don't worry about it.  It's taken care of.  Okay, see you around!"  And Officer Reilly never bothered Al Capone again, not even when Jimmy the Squirrel got his head bashed in right outside precinct headquarters!

All brought to you by puritanical temperance do-gooders and the brightest idea the U.S. Congress ever had -- the 18th Amendment!

The thugs that ran the heroin and crack empires in later decades did a little bit of philanthropy and bribery, but they never understood the King of Chicago's PR.  Booze, dames, and cash if you play the game.  A bullet in the back of the head if you wanna be a snitch.
8)

My complaint with the movie "The Untouchables" is Robert DeNiro considerably older than Al Capone, who was about 25 years old at the height of his power.  They also didn't show what Al did to win the people over.  It was the Depression.  He set up soup kitchens, he paid peoples' bills, and he bought off cops, aldermen, legislators, and whoever else wanted a piece of the action to stay quiet.  "Hey, Officer Reilly, your mother still in the hospital?  You owe how much?  Aw jeez, don't worry about it.  It's taken care of.  Okay, see you around!"  And Officer Reilly never bothered Al Capone again, not even when Jimmy the Squirrel got his head bashed in right outside precinct headquarters!

All brought to you by puritanical temperance do-gooders and the brightest idea the U.S. Congress ever had -- the 18th Amendment!

The thugs that ran the heroin and crack empires in later decades did a little bit of philanthropy and bribery, but they never understood the King of Chicago's PR.  Booze, dames, and cash if you play the game.  A bullet in the back of the head if you wanna be a snitch.
8)


True, true.

On the other hand, Al Capone never got to attend the annual Chicago Player's Ball...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Players_Ball

My complaint with the movie "The Untouchables" is Robert DeNiro considerably older than Al Capone, who was about 25 years old at the height of his power.  They also didn't show what Al did to win the people over.  It was the Depression.  He set up soup kitchens, he paid peoples' bills, and he bought off cops, aldermen, legislators, and whoever else wanted a piece of the action to stay quiet.  "Hey, Officer Reilly, your mother still in the hospital?  You owe how much?  Aw jeez, don't worry about it.  It's taken care of.  Okay, see you around!"  And Officer Reilly never bothered Al Capone again, not even when Jimmy the Squirrel got his head bashed in right outside precinct headquarters!

All brought to you by puritanical temperance do-gooders and the brightest idea the U.S. Congress ever had -- the 18th Amendment!

The thugs that ran the heroin and crack empires in later decades did a little bit of philanthropy and bribery, but they never understood the King of Chicago's PR.  Booze, dames, and cash if you play the game.  A bullet in the back of the head if you wanna be a snitch.
8)


I'm all for women's suffrage and gender equality, but female voters were a large part of why Prohibition passed in the first place -- whether they were religious women or not.

I'm all for women's suffrage and gender equality, but female voters were a large part of why Prohibition passed in the first place -- whether they were religious women or not.



Ah, now you're getting racy! Just like "Adam's Rib"!
:P

You're probably right...and I don't think it was the Carry Nation Bible-thumper church ladies, it was the Peg Bundys of the country:  If I take his booze away, maybe he'll get off his ass and DO something around this dump!
8)

Ah, now you're getting racy! Just like "Adam's Rib"!
:P

You're probably right...and I don't think it was the Carry Nation Bible-thumper church ladies, it was the Peg Bundys of the country:  If I take his booze away, maybe he'll get off his ass and DO something around this dump!
8)


Yes, unfortunately, many of the women's rights reformers were a bit too optimistic in their expectations.

The thugs that ran the heroin and crack empires in later decades did a little bit of philanthropy and bribery, but they never understood the King of Chicago's PR.  Booze, dames, and cash if you play the game.  A bullet in the back of the head if you wanna be a snitch. 8)


"As a matter of fact, there is a very active Young Mafia group on a certain block in Compton that has just succeeded in driving away all of the Narcolombians and turning the whole area into a Mafia Watch neighborhood. Old ladies are walking the streets again. Children are waiting for schoolbuses and playing hopscotch on sidewalks that recently were stained with blood. It's a fine example; if it can be done on this block, it can be done anywhere.

...

"Uncle Enzo reckons that with the Mafia's emphasis on loyalty and traditional family values, they can sign up a lot of these entrepreneurs before they become Narcolombian citizens.

And that explains the billboards that Jason sees with growing frequency as he drives into Compton. The smiling face of Uncle Enzo seems to beam down from every corner. Typically, he's got his arm around the shoulders of a young wholesome-looking black kid, and there's a catch phrase above: THE MAFIA -- YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN THE FAMILY! and RELAX -- YOU ARE ENTERING A MAFIA WATCH NEIGHBORHOOD! and UNCLE ENZO FORGIVES AND FORGETS.  This last one usually accompanies a picture of Uncle Enzo with his arm around some teenager's shoulders, giving him a stern avuncular talking-to. It is an allusion to the fact that the Colombians and Jamaicans kill just about everyone.

No WAY, JOSE! Uncle Enzo holding up one hand to stop an Uzi-toting Hispanic scumbag; behind him stands a pan-ethnic phalanx of kids and grannies, resolutely gripping baseball bats and frying pans.

Oh, sure, the Narcolombians still have a lock on coca leaves, but now that Nippon Pharmaceuticals has its big cocaine-synthesis facility in Mexicali nearly complete, that will cease to be a factor. The Mafia is betting that any smart youngster going into the business these days will take note of these billboards and think twice. Why end up suffocating on your own entrails out in back of some Buy 'n' Fly when you can put on a crisp terracotta blazer instead and become part of a jovial familia? Especially now that they have black, Hispanic, and Asian capos who will respect your cultural identity? In the long term, Jason is bullish on the Mob."

    -- Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, Chapter 18.

I'd rather deliver pizza for Uncle Enzo than work in Fedland.

Twenty years ago I lived in a Mafia neighborhood in East Boston.  No street crime.  None.  If you were an ordinary Joe Schmoe living there, you had no worries in Orient Heights.  If you ran a business there, then you had to pay some extra insurance, 'cos, you know, fires happen.  I remember the day they burned that restaurant down.  Nobody saw nothing.  The old man across the street sat on his porch and read the paper like any day.  Whatever went down was between the restaurateur and the underbosses.  The cops didn't even bother asking.  Heck, the laundromat was money laundering gig and the doughnut shop fronted a bookie joint.  That's just the way it was.

Now, mobsters lived in the neighborhood, and they sold the guns and drugs that made Day Square and Roxbury living hell....

::)