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The last time the city of Indianapolis saw fewer than 100 homicides for the year, Barack Obama was president, and Mitch Daniels was wrapping up his second term as governor. It was 2012.
I miss the days when we got worked up over 150 murders annually. Now, with murder rates for the past few years over 200, a lot of us wish for a return to the “good old days.”
And it’s not going to get any better under the latest moves by the city of Indianapolis.
The City-County Council just passed a series of anti-gun-violence measures proposed by Mayor Joe Hogsett. He and his supporters ultimately hope this will reduce crime and gun-related violence.
The measures are as follows:
◗ Ban the sale of military-style guns.
◗ Raise the minimum age to purchase guns from 18 to 21.
◗ Prohibit permitless carry and concealed carry of handguns in Marion County.
◗ Hire three city attorneys who will work full time with the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana on gun crimes.
(The mayor has also pledged to help create designated gun-free zones when requested by private event holders on public property, and to create a targeted strategy aimed at “problem properties” that are magnets for violent crime.)
The first three measures passed by the council require a change in state law in order to be binding, and let’s be honest, that ain’t gonna happen. I’ve covered the Indiana General Assembly for nearly 20 years. So trust me when I say it ain’t gonna happen.
I like the part about hiring more attorneys to work with the feds; it makes sense. The same goes for problem properties, which are definitely a concern in Indianapolis. I can live with the gun-free zones on public property for private events, as that is voluntary and a matter of choice.
But the gun part of this? Give me a break.
As I stated earlier, none of these gun ordinances are enforceable without changes to state law, and with a Republican supermajority in the Legislature, it’s not going to happen. The administration knows this, and even the city attorney made this abundantly clear. So why even put a proposal into action that won’t do a darn thing to prevent gun violence?
Do you really have to ask?
It’s an election year! Duh!
Anyone who has paid attention this campaign season knows crime is the number one issue for a lot of voters, and illegally possessed guns are a big part of the problem. So city leaders are counting on most of the electorate to be so relieved that the city is doing something, or at least making the appearance of doing something, that it will work in the incumbents’ favor.
This isn’t rocket science. The administration can blame Indiana lawmakers for the increased gun violence because “those lawmakers who aren’t from our city don’t care about us, so don’t blame the folks who’ve overseen the rise in violent crime and gun violence for the past eight years.”
Tell that to the people who will be murdered this weekend. Based on my math, 170 days/100 murders=1.79 average murders per day. That means about five people, give or take, will have their lives snuffed out by gun-related violence over a weekend. And the city’s answer is to pass ordinances that run contrary to state law and can’t be enforced.
I honestly don’t know who comes up with these ideas.•
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Shabazz is an attorney, radio talk show host and political commentator, college professor and stand-up comedian. Send comments to ibjedit@ibj.com.
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When Shreve proposed the same thing (and they are good common sense measures), the comments from a GOP legislator was “this is DOA”, so who cares who proposed it. The current GOP believes that my right to safely go out in public is more important than some else’s right to carry a weapon. The increasing violence even helps the GOP win votes as they whip up fear about high crime rates. So, it seems to be a self serving cause.
I suspect a strong majority of Hoosier believe in these common sense measures, but the increasingly radical GOP and the NRA are strongly vocal against rules like these. I wonder when Hoosiers are going to wake up a enough to know they are being duped, and vote for somebody that might have their best interests at heart.
Really Dan!? It’s time maybe you were awakened with the facts and quit regurgitating the national Dem and liberal media narratives that continue to spread misinformation and frequently lies.
Radical GOP? Try developing your own opinions on real information and facts, not someone else’s. Right now there are millions of law abiding folks with guns in Indiana and only the bad guys seem shoot each other, usually young guys, usually with illegal guns. Some day you may be glad a person near you had the ability to carry a weapon when the young one near you starts shooting your way.
Really Kevin! I suggest you take up residence at Winthrop and Broad Ripple Ave over the weekend ….and bring your side arm
The state and this GOP is an embarrassment.