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Chicago is not the “Murder Capitol” of the country.

The Pew Research Center reported in November that when adjusting for population, Chicago has recorded fewer murders per capita than many other smaller U.S. cities. Chicago ranked 14th among cities with at least 100,000 people in 2017. FBI statistics released this fall found St. Louis had the highest murder rate in 2017 — 66.1 homicides per 100,000 people. The Pew report said Chicago did have the highest actual number of homicides in the past few years. In 2016, there were 762 homicides. Last year, homicides dropped to 650. As of Dec. 6, there were 534. Pointing to Chicago to suggest that gun laws don't work is not a new talking point — Trump claimed Chicago had "the toughest gun laws in the United States" in a 2016 presidential debate, which is when this myth gained traction. He was, of course, wrong.

Chicago does not have the “toughest gun laws in the country.”

There hasn’t been a ban on handguns in the city limits for more than a decade, despite Trump’s assertions. Illinois is considered to have fairly tight gun laws. The state requires gun owners to obtain licenses and face background checks. It also imposes waiting periods on purchases. But unlike New York and California, Illinois, among other things, does not ban assault weapons or large-capacity magazines and does not require a state license for firearms dealers or one to sell ammunition. Many guns used within Chicago are actually purchased in states with weaker gun laws.

In fact:

60% of firearms recovered in crimes came from states with less regulation over firearms. Indiana accounted for about 1 in 5 of these weapons, followed by Mississippi and Wisconsin. The report says these trends have been consistent over the past decade.
(https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-news-violence-laws-in-state-wire-64e34cffb7db4dc7bf9bcda2ea201ea7
Pew Research Foundation
NPR)

Incidentally: The twenty cities in the United States with the highest murder rates (murders per 100,000 people) are:
1. St. Louis, MO (69.4)
2. Baltimore, MD (51.1)
3. New Orleans, LA (40.6)
4. Detroit, MI (39.7)
5. Cleveland, OH (33.7)
6. Las Vegas, NV (31.4)
7. Kansas City, MO (31.2)
8. Memphis, TN (27.1)
9. Newark, NJ (25.6)
10. Chicago, IL (24)
11. Cincinnati, OH (23.8)
12. Philadelphia, PA (20.2)
13. Milwaukee, WI (20.0)
14. Tulsa, OK (18.6)
15. Pittsburgh, PA (18.4)
16. Indianapolis, IN (17.7)
17. Louisville, KY (17.5)
18. Oakland, CA (17.1)
19. Washington D.C. (17.0)
20. Atlanta, GA (16.7)
(https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-city-rankings/)

And for an interesting read on the efficacy of firearm accessibility (conservatives, you won’t be happy), check out:
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.jhsph.edu/sebin/u/c/myths.pdf
Montanaman · M
There's not a city in Montana on that list, and we have the least restrictive gun laws in the country.
Billings Crime rate including guns has drastically risen this year. Why? Drugs.
President Biden said again today...

There’s simply no rational basis for it in terms of self-protection, hunting," Biden claimed on Monday while comparing the difference in damage caused between a 9mm round and a .22-caliber
What an idiot!

***From my cold dead hands!***

Ban Ar-15's . President Clinton did it.
Okay. But what about the hundreds of thousands already out there? Mandatory buy back? Never gonna happen.
Waiting period and background check? Okay.

I could go on and on. I'm not going to change your mind, but I agree, something has to be done.😞



Meanwhile, gas hits above $8 a gallon in California, Inflation is killing the families in America. And...we're edging closer to the brink of War with Russia, China and North Korea!

Thank you Mr. President!😳
windinhishair · 61-69, M
@Graylight Guns kill, and more guns means more gun deaths, as increased rates of gun deaths in states with high gun ownership attest.
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windinhishair · 61-69, M
@LvChris That's true. We know that fear is a powerful force driving the actions of many people. Republicans have historically done a great job exploiting that fear for political gain. It clearly drives many people to own guns.
Exactly why I moved out of St. Louis. In St. Louis for the last 5 years the CITY murder rate per capita exceeded the number of those killed in any of the highest murder rate countries in drug riddled Latin America. If you live in St. Louis.....handle money......and do not carry a gun.........you're insane.
Okay, California’s represented with Oakland, but barely. Which is cool. Trump was talking smack about Oakland being "dangerous" simply because no one wanted him there. 🙄
@bijouxbroussard "Trumple Thin Skin".
windinhishair · 61-69, M
Interesting on many levels. Thank you for this.
hunkalove · 61-69, M
If you want gun control, put together a few billion dollars and bribe politicians better than the NRA and the gun lobby does. Politicians don't care about people. All that matters is money and power. That's why they become politicians. Democrats and Republicans.
@hunkalove It takes 60 votes to do "anything about it". Who is the other 10 that is so well bribed they refuse to do anything bi-partisan to pass this???

EVERY gun bill passes the Dem controlled House in a breeze...............but the Repubes in the Senate kill it. Do some research.
hunkalove · 61-69, M
@anythingoes477 I know all of that. You aren't listening. Done.
@hunkalove If you know all about that......"it takes 60 votes"........why did you say, "But what have they done about it? Absolutely nothing. All talk! I am a lifelong Democrat. And so ashamed!" ??

Ashamed that Republicans won't support anything common sense???? We all are.
Changeisgonnacome · 61-69, F
Obviously some people wanted to target the weak laws that made people go to the next state to get armed.
AbbySvenz · F
Pfft. You and your facts🙄
Zonuss · 41-45, M
I think most people are aware of this. But it definitely is not a friendly place to be especially at night there in Southside. Overall its an ok city.
Graylight · 51-55, F
@Zonuss Neither is my town, and we've got 7200 residents. Violence happens anywhere and shootings absolutely happen in concentrated neighborhoods in Chicago. No arguing that.

But this post is for those who spew phrases and rhetoric they don't even understand.
Right, I'm not sure why Chicago is always mentioned when St. Louis and New Orleans are just as bad. I wonder what would happen if you divided the city districts and compared the murder rates. There's obviously a higher concentration of crime in Southern districts, like Riverdale and West Garfield Park, compared to Northern districts like Lincoln Park.
Carla · 61-69, F
@Graylight conservatives mention it because obama spent much of his time there, and michelle Obama is from there.
Graylight · 51-55, F
@Carla That is exactly right. The same time Obama began to rise to his current popularity, theories of the "most violent city in America" began being circulated.
Carla · 61-69, F
@Graylight those people are incredibly transparent.

 
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