Kickin’ Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Can Down the Road

The radical progressive Chicago mayor is an opponent of Second Amendment rights. The citizens of Chicago are under as much live fire as are any in America. The statistics are truly frightening. Yet Emanuel sees no reason his constituents should be able to protect themselves. Here you learn that James Craig, Detroit’s Chief of Police, is a big fan of concealed weapons permits. He believes well-trained and armed citizens can support the effort of the Detroit police force to make Detroit a safer city for all. Debbie and I long ago trained (thanks to the NRA) for and obtained our Florida concealed weapons permit. Florida is a Castle Doctrine/stand your ground state and every Florida resident is safer for this position. Charles C.W. Cooke tells the story of recent gun owner victories in the Midwest here.

Conservatives in the frigid Midwest could be forgiven for wondering whether the last week’s cold has been a sign that hell has finally frozen over, for, within a single week they have won big in a pair of cities that had all but been written off. Last Thursday, Detroit’s chief of police, James Craig, discussed openly his conversion on the question of concealed carry, contending happily that “good Americans with CPLs translates into crime reduction” and expressing his hope that private gun owners would help to stem the tide of violence. Monday, across Lake Michigan, a judge struck down Chicago’s ban on gun sales, slamming progressive lawmakers into the bargain. Is Christmas really over?

“When we look at the good community members who have concealed-weapons permits,” Craig explained, “the likelihood they’ll shoot is based on a lack of confidence in this police department.” As a convert, Craig gave testimony that was of particular interest. “Coming from California, where it takes an act of Congress to get a concealed-weapon permit, I got to Maine, where they give out lots of CCWs,” he admitted, “and I had a stack of CCW permits I was denying; that was my orientation. I changed my orientation real quick. Maine is one of the safest places in America. Clearly, suspects knew that good Americans were armed.” To hear this from the police chief of the third most murderous city in the country is progress indeed.