Gun 'forum' had an obvious agenda

On April 21, the Wheaton League of Women Voters sponsored a so-called "forum" on "gun violence" which euphemistically was anything but a public forum. Instead, the meeting was designed to provide the League with a platform for their preordained advocacy/agenda of gun control. It turns out that the moderator, Michelle Jordan, is both an attorney for the League of Women Voters as well as counsel for the anti-gun group known as the "Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence." Ms. Jordan made it clear from the start of the meeting that there would be no public input or dialogue permitted and that if anyone dared express an opinion to the contrary they would be removed from the room with a police escort.

The scripted one-sided presentation skewed crime statistics to support their predetermined agenda of gun control and was delivered in the usual condescending liberal manner of "We know what's best for you - just listen." Their inescapable conclusion being that passage of stricter gun control laws will prevent gun violence. The argument totally ignored the fact that the huge majority of gun violence occurs at the hands of convicted felons and/or those who cannot legally possess a firearm.

Said another way, those who cannot legally own a gun will be the last to conform to any gun laws - they secure their weapons on the black market or through illegal means. In short, the League's position totally ignores the fact that this group of outlaws will never abide by any gun control measures. The League naively assumes that the passage of stricter gun laws will equate to less violence. When Great Britain and Australia recently passed gun confiscation measures, violent crimes committed by the use of a gun actually increased, the reason being that lawful citizens surrendered their guns while the criminals kept theirs - allowing them to prey upon the law-abiding citizenry who became defenseless.

Ronald A. DaRosa

Wheaton