I was recently in Chicago for a conference. While in a taxi, I read on a sign Mayor Rahm Emanuel. I did a double-take  That’s right. Rham is mayor. And like his former boss, Mayor Emanuel has no problem criticizing courts.

“This ruling runs counter to not only common sense but what every police chief in the country thinks, which is we should not allow more guns on the street. It’s wrong-headed. They need to start spending a little more time in the real world and understand that their opinions have consequences to the people of Chicago,” the mayor said.

Well this isn’t true. Illinois was the only state in the Union that did not allow concealed carry permits under any circumstances. Even New York and Massachusetts have more liberal gun laws. The vast majority of police chiefs do not operate under such a regime.

“I do not think you should be undermining our law enforcement community and our residents with a ruling that creates more potential for violence and makes the job of keeping our communities safer all that much harder.”

Emanuel calls out Posner for a comment he made about rough neighborhoods in Chicago:

In his majority opinion, federal appeals judge Richard Posner wrote that “a Chicagoan is a good deal more likely to be attacked on sidewalk in a rough neighborhood than in his apartment on the 35th floor of the Park Tower.”

The comment obviously angered Emanuel.

“Well, I’ve got something for you — especially when a judge talks about being up on the 35th floor. We have taken more guns off the streets of Chicago. We have arrested more gangs. Come down from the 35th floor onto the streets and help us protect our kids, our residents and law-abiding” people, Emanuel said.

But that was the point of Posner’s opinion. Law-abiding people should be able to protect themselves, because the city certainly is not helping on that front.

“Illinois has stood out correctly as it relates to concealed carry. And what goes on in the city of Chicago is clearly different than what goes on in parts of our Downstate. I respect that. But, I want people to also respect the city of Chicago, respect our children, respect our residents,” the mayor said.

“We have issues that are different. While our police are pulling more guns off the street, they’re taking gangs off the street.”

Yes, this is Justice Breyer’s argument.

 

Rahm may still be sore after signing this check for $400,000 to the Second Amendment Foundation for McDonald v. Chicago.