FoxNews.com
Saturday, May 25, 2002

Handgun Giveaway Angering Chicago Law Enforcement
By Jeff Goldblatt

http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,53677,00.html

CHICAGO — The nation's murder capital has a Second Amendment vigilante in its midst and he's got the city of Chicago up in arms over handgun control.

John Birch heads Concealed Carry, Inc., a gun rights group that is awarding one handgun per month to a resident of Chicago, a city that bans handguns.

"I would feel terrible if someone needed a gun and I didn't give him one, and they ended up dead," Birch said.

The "winner" of the handgun lottery must make a compelling case in a written essay. Awards only go to people who are at least 21-years-old, have had a background check, and have completed a firearms training course.

Birch — no relation to the namesake of the anti-Communist organization — considers his campaign a lifesaving fight against what he calls an unconstitutional law.

"This is a moral battle, and I am willing to use every tool available," he said.

City of Chicago Attorney Mara Georges said this is not the first time Birch has flouted Chicago's handgun ban and the city is considering civil and criminal action against him.

"The laws are stated very clearly and so, if he's going to violate the law, we are going to have to very, very fiercely protect our laws," Georges said.

A ban on handguns in Chicago has been in place since 1982. Last year, Chicago suffered 676 homicides, three-quarters of which were gun-related. Georges said the numbers of murders would go down if the number of people with arms decreased, a goal Birch is working against.

"I think he is encouraging violence.  I think he is encouraging civil disobedience.  I think he's encouraging people to break the law," she said.

But Birch says Chicagoans are dying because they are not armed, and a recent recipient of the Concealed Carry, Inc. giveaway said he's willing to risk arrest in order to be safe.

"I'm entitled to defend myself.  I think this law is a life or death matter," said the man, who asked not to be identified.  

Penalties for breaking Chicago's handgun ban are severe, with offenders facing up to six months in jail.  But the man with the new gift from Birch said that risk is a price worth paying.

"I would rather survive and have to go up against a court case than be buried and not have any chance whatsoever."

Lets Face it -- it's not the rank and file cops but rather the antipersonel safety mayor daily.  The police brass follow his lead or they get fired.

Put the blame on the person to whom it belongs.

If giving a gun a month away makes gives his honor a wedge then so much the better.
[beer]

GOD Bless John Birch and more power to him.
CAPITALIST   [USA]

How about the bitch fiercely prosecute the violent felons who are the problem instead of worrying about otherwise law abiding citizens being fed up and deciding to protect themselves.

She's afraid he's encouraging violence?  What, she doesn't want her pet thugs injured or killed?

The old tired and proven to be false crap about less guns means less violence.  Really???  Tell that to the people of NYC and the people of England and Italy.

The Italian Defense Minister, Antonio Martino, just had a real awakening about gun control:



See the whole article here:
[url]http://www.nationalreview.com/kopel/kopel050702.asp[/url]

Yeah, John's a good guy.

You will be able to meet him at the BRC--"Concealed Carry, Inc" has a table at the convention, and may be doing some of the transfers for the attendees.

"The number of murders would go down if the number of people with arms decreased".  Yeah....right, that's why Washington D.C. has such a LOW crime rate...not!



For those of you who would like to give Ms. Georges your .02 cents worth, she can be reached at
[email protected]

Do I understand this correctly:  it's against a city of Chicago ordinance for me to own a pistol in my own house?

Thats the way I understand it

ChuckT--

Actually, the law doesn't say you CANNOT have a handgun in your house.  It says you CANNOT have an UNREGISTERED firearm in your house.  

There is no problem registering pump shotguns, etc (as long as they don't have a pistol grip, the way I understand it), or hunting rifles (must NOT be able to accept mags that can take over 10 rounds--which means my Rem. 572 pump (more than 10 .22 shorts) and Ruger 10/22 are not registerable.

However, you cannot register handguns.  The only registered handguns are the ones that were previously registered and are grandfathered.  I have been told by two separate RKIs that I could pay about $10,000 in Legal fees and force the city to register the handgun, and when I went back the next day to register another one, I would have to go through the same thing.

That sounds like a serious [b]infringement.[/b]  I wonder how many 'criminals' they created with that ordinance?

BTW, thanks for the info.

I don't know what they can do to John Birch.  He doesn't live or do business in Chicago.  The Chicago resident that he donates the gun to travels outside the Chicago city limits to pick up the gun.

Still, this is Mayor Daley's People's Republik, so anything can be made to happen... ja?

LARRYG "How about the bitch fiercely prosecute the violent felons who are the problem instead of worrying about otherwise law abiding citizens being fed up and deciding to protect themselves."
Becouse the LAW ABIDING ones usually do not shoot back at LEO's