AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File
The American people aren’t interested in defunding our police departments, but nor are we in favor of living in an actual police state. The happy medium, at least when it comes to addressing violent crime, seems to me to involve a strategy of prioritizing arrest and prosecutions of violent offenders. From both a constitutional and a practical standpoint, I can’t get on board with the gun control philosophy of banning and regulating our way to safety.
A new study from Loyola University Chicago’s Center for Criminal Justice Research, Policy, and Practice suggests that my practical concerns, at least, are well-founded (the paper doesn’t really address the constitutional issues involved). The project examined the effects of Illinois’ very tough gun laws, which make it a felony to carry a firearm without a license. According to the study’s authors, their research has caused them serious concern.