Concealed carry would do harm

Following the recent “flash mob” attacks in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood, the Illinois State Rifle Association came out and blamed the attacks on the Illinois General Assembly’s rejection of a bill that would allow for the carrying of concealed loaded handguns in public. This is simply untrue; instead it is the latest attack by the organization on common-sense gun laws in Illinois. The concealed carry legislation failed to pass because legislators realize that more guns in our communities is not the answer to violence — not now, not ever.

Studies by the Journal of Trauma and Stanford Law Review have shown there is no statistical evidence that concealed carry laws reduce crime; in fact, they found that these laws generally increase crime. The Violence Policy Center has tracked more than 300 people killed, including 11 police officers, by so-called law-abiding concealed carry permit holders. Last year, Chicago police officer Thor Soderberg was killed with his own weapon outside a police building. Soderberg trained cadets in gun safety.

Concealed carry laws wouldn’t have helped him or the two other officers gunned down last year, nor would it have helped the victims of these attacks. Nor did it help Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords or the 18 others shot in Arizona, which a concealed carry law.

The common response from the victims and witnesses of the flash mob attacks was that there was no time to react. In fact, a gun in the mix may have led to even more tragedy. We need to reduce the number of guns on our streets and in our communities not increase them.

Colleen Daley

Executive director

Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence

Chicago