So, Im a firearms owner, more long guns than hand guns, but agree with the bans. I live outside of DC and have for a little over a decade. I can remember when you did not want to be anywhere outside the mall past 3 or 4 in the afternoon. The handgun ban took hold, the law was enforced and the violence and homicide rate dropped precipitously. It was fantastic. Since the repeal, the official ban no longer exists but DC has tailored their law to make it such a complete hassle to buy a handgun that many wont even bother.
Im not a strict constructionist nor do I completely agree with judicial activism but there has to be some leeway given for public safety but I know that this is impossible. The Constitution is a yes or no document. DC was terrible and the hand gun ban made a dent. Chicago IS the wild west. The homicide rate is second only to the likes of Detroit and Baltimore. Sometimes, public safety has to be looked at. I guarantee that Chicago will make it incredibly hard to buy a gun. As long as they dont say 'NO,' they can do whatever they want and I truly hope that they do. You should search through some of the news bureaus about Chicagos culture of violence. It really is shocking. The latest case of a flag being flown upside down (if you dont know what that means, google it) I can think of was in Chicago in front of a church, I believe.
On a related note, there are 900 laws that will be going into effect in Va this year and one of them is a change to the concealed law. You can now have your gun with you in certain public venues, including those that sell alcohol. Sweet decision
