Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Lori Lightfoot Either Doesn’t Understand Federal Law, or Hopes Nobody Else Does

Monday, July 13, 2020

Lori Lightfoot Either Doesn’t Understand Federal Law, or Hopes Nobody Else Does

It has become commonly accepted among anti-gun extremists to ignore the mountains of evidence that exposes the abject failure of gun control to prevent violent criminals from acting like violent criminals.  They reject the fact that criminals already violate myriad laws at the local, state, and federal level in furtherance of their illicit activities, and insist that the only way to prevent criminals from committing crimes with firearms is to add more laws.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has learned that lesson well.

As the Windy City experiences dramatic increases in violent crimes involving firearms, the Washington Examiner reports that Lightfoot was “told that the police union blames her for a lack of moral (sic) among the citys law enforcement officials.”  In an attempt to deflect criticism of her administration, the mayor decided to blame, you guessed it, gun laws.

Rather than look at what she and her city could do better, in an interview on MSNBCs Live With Stephanie Ruhle, Lightfoot claimed, “We have to have a federal policy on background checks and making sure people are not able to go across the border to states like Indiana and get military-grade weapons in quantities and then bring them back to the streets and shoot people up.  Thats whats happening.

The only problem with her response is…well…everything.

First, we have a federal policy; several, in fact.  The “N” in NICS stands for “National,” as in, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.  It is the law of the land, and requires all sales at gun dealers, no matter what state they take place in, be subject to a NICS check to ensure the purchaser is not prohibited from making such a purchase.

Second, federal law generally prohibits private citizens—who are not licensed gun dealers—from lawfully transferring a firearm to anyone who is not a resident of the state in which they reside.

Third, if her reference to “military-grade weapons” is her way of referring to semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15, such firearms represent a small fraction of the guns used in firearm-related crimes nationally.  It is unlikely that Chicago is any different than the rest of the country in this regard.

And finally, while Lightfoot appears to be looking at adding new restrictions to the current lawful transfer of firearms, she ignores the fact that violent criminals primarily acquire firearms through already illegal channels.

Thats not even taking into account the gun laws in Chicago and Illinois, which are, arguably, some of the most restrictive in the country.

So, rather than looking at what she can do better to stem the rising tide of violence in her city, Mayor Lightfoot has decided to misrepresent federal law, malign her neighboring states, and suggest we need more laws that will further infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens; more laws that violent criminals will regard with as much disdain as the current mountain of laws they violate. 

President Trump has even offered federal assistance to help improve police efforts.  It seems Lightfoot, however, is more interested in scoring political points by promoting anti-gun policies embraced by the far left, rather than considering strategies that will actually help the citizens of her city.

TRENDING NOW
Germany Strips “Extremist” AfD Members, Supporters of Gun Licenses, Guns

News  

Monday, April 14, 2025

Germany Strips “Extremist” AfD Members, Supporters of Gun Licenses, Guns

It’s been only a few years since the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution calling the NRA a “domestic terrorist organization.” 

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

News  

Friday, March 21, 2025

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

On March 20, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published an interim final rule entitled, Withdrawing the Attorney General’s Delegation of Authority. That bland title belies the historic nature of the measure, which is aimed at reviving ...

Colorado: "Polis Permission Slip" Signed Into Law in a Secret Ceremony

Thursday, April 10, 2025

Colorado: "Polis Permission Slip" Signed Into Law in a Secret Ceremony

Ignoring months of advocacy and correspondence from tens of thousands of Coloradans, Governor Jared Polis has signed Senate Bill 25-003 into law.

The Unkindest Cut: British Crackdown on “Ninja Swords” Suggests Bias, Futility

News  

Monday, April 14, 2025

The Unkindest Cut: British Crackdown on “Ninja Swords” Suggests Bias, Futility

The United Kingdom (UK) has a long history of exerting control over its subjects, especially when it comes to depriving them of arms.  It also has a weird history, albeit a shorter one, of an apparent ...

No Fooling: Trump Administration Pares Back Anti-Gun CDC Center

News  

Monday, April 7, 2025

No Fooling: Trump Administration Pares Back Anti-Gun CDC Center

On April 1, the Trump administration announced wide-ranging reforms to the embattled U.S. public health bureaucracy. According to an article from Politico, part of the reform effort is a “reduction in force that aims to cut 10,000” ...

Legislation Introduced to Prevent States from Taxing Guns and Ammunition

News  

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Legislation Introduced to Prevent States from Taxing Guns and Ammunition

Last week, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) and U.S. Representatives Darrell Issa (R-CA-48) and Richard Hudson (R-NC-9) reintroduced the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act (S.1169 and H.R.2442 respectively). This legislation would prohibit states from ...

Zeroed Out: Trump Administration Formally Ends Biden-Era War on Gun Dealers

News  

Second Amendment  

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Zeroed Out: Trump Administration Formally Ends Biden-Era War on Gun Dealers

On April 7, the Trump Administration formally revoked the Biden-Harris Administration’s “zero tolerance” policy for inspections of federal firearm licensees (FFLs). The edict ended a bureaucratic reign of terror that was costing small business people their livelihoods over harmless ...

Washington: Permit to Purchase Bill Passes Senate

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Washington: Permit to Purchase Bill Passes Senate

On Monday, April 14th, the Senate passed House Bill 1163, the permit-to-purchase scheme, along party lines. It will now return to the House for concurrence with amendments made in the Senate.

Rep. Hinson and Sen. Cotton Reintroduce Bill to Repeal Firearm Transfer Tax

News  

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Rep. Hinson and Sen. Cotton Reintroduce Bill to Repeal Firearm Transfer Tax

On April 1, 2025, Representative Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) reintroduced the Repealing Illegal Freedom and Liberty Excises Act, or the RIFLE Act. These bills (H.R. 2552 and S.1224 respectively) would remove a $200 excise tax that is imposed ...

Trump DOJ Creates Second Amendment Task Force to Undo Damage of Biden Era

News  

Monday, April 14, 2025

Trump DOJ Creates Second Amendment Task Force to Undo Damage of Biden Era

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) formally announced the creation of a Second Amendment Task Force with Attorney General Pam Bondi declaring, “It is the policy of the Department of Justice to use its full ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.