A Democrat State Rep From Chicago Wants Residents To Arm Themselves
Jose Nino
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Democrat State Representative La Shawn Ford wants people in his neighborhood in Chicago to acquire more concealed carry licenses.
In 2019, Ford ran for mayor. Ammoland notes that Ford “favors more tax money going to Chicago from the State of Illinois, and from the Federal government. He thinks there are plenty of police in Chicago, and they should have more controls on what they do.”
However, the state rep is having a change of heart on the gun issue. On WLS-AM 890, Ford told the Mancow Show that he is encouraging his constituents to arm themselves in the face of Chicago’s growing violence. Ford specifically said:
I think about it all the time. That’s why I’m working with a concealed carry instructor and we’re going to go through the neighborhood and we’re going to encourage people to get their concealed carry license because it makes no sense for people not to have the protections that they need.
Urban centers may be witnessing a cultural shift on gun control. Information from gun researcher John Lott and activism from groups such as Black Guns Matter are changing the discussion on gun policy. Historically, blacks have been prevented from exercising their right to bear arms through laws such as the Black Codes and Jim Crow in the South.
Now, thanks to increased gun liberalization at the state level, blacks are now applying for and obtaining concealed carry permits in record numbers.
Illinois has played a special role in the battle to restore gun rights in America. After all, it was in McDonald v. City of Chicago, where the Second Amendment was incorporated at the state and local level. From there, all levels of government—federal, state, and local—had to respect this right. The plaintiff involved in this case was Otis McDonald, a black resident of Chicago.
This call by Ford represents a small, yet important step in changing the conversation in urban centers across America. For too long, gun control policies have rendered countless law-abiding minorities defenseless against crimes. It’s promising that a Democratic politician and former mayoral candidate recognizes the value of concealed carry.
Let’s hope this leads to a reform of Illinois’s gun laws.
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