On behalf of the members of Illinois Latino Agenda 2.0 and our respective organizations, we are once again grief-stricken and outraged by the gun violence epidemic shattering the lives of families and crippling our communities with fear.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and survivors of the awful Fourth of July mass shooting in Highland Park.
Celebrating Independence Day is a welcomed tradition of time spent making memories with family enjoying music, cookouts, fireworks, parades, and other festivities. It is also a day of reflection to contemplate what freedom means to us as members of this beautiful quilt of blended cultures united by the American flag, embracing American values.
Now the images of young and old smiling faces lining the streets of Highland Park to cheer floats and marching bands that quickly turned to looks of horror and screams of terror are unfortunately part of July Fourth memories.
The downrush of gun violence that has become frighteningly commonplace in America continues to deny us freedom of assembly, freedom to enjoy and have productive lives in our society, and freedom to live.
This weekend in Chicago, where living in violence is sadly commonplace, eight people were killed and 68 wounded, a reduction of 18 dead and 92 shot in 2021. But the Summer has just started, and we are bracing for the number of victims to soar.
As Highland Park joins Buffalo, Uvalde, and other communities forever broken by mass shootings and national attention again focuses on our country’s unique gun problem, we demand better.
We demand a special legislative session in Springfield for lawmakers to immediately address:
● Ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines.
● Create an assault weapons registry.
● Demand mandatory fingerprinting on FOID cards.
It is time to bring about policies to keep all our communities safe from gun violence. Once again, we have proved that guns and assault weapons in the wrong hands are lethal and have no geographical boundaries, and do not discriminate
While Congress tried to develop a landmark bipartisan bill addressing gun violence after 26 years, our concerns were barely met.
The killing of seven people and 37 wounded in Highland Park are sadly part of the prevalent gun violence culture in the U.S. We are disheartened to learn that among the victims are the grandfather and the boyfriend of health volunteers at the non-profit Mano a Mano.
After 2 1/2 years of Covid19, the isolation, violence, and gun violence have increased, and it is also cause for immediate action in our cities and state’s mental health services.
ILA 2.0 is compelled to DEMAND better self-monitoring of platforms that, while enjoying their success, should fully embrace the responsibility that comes with their growth and how it affects vulnerable minds and people searching for a place and ideology to fit in. It can not only be about profits…it’s about lives.
We once again urge our local governments and philanthropy to increase resources for mental health services so that no person who needs it goes without. A number of our organizations provide mental health services– with language and cultural competence– to victims of crime and potential perpetrators. The evidence overwhelmingly supports the value of reducing crime through trauma-informed services.
The members of the ILA 2.0 are dedicated to making impactful change. By supporting common-sense gun measures, greater access to mental health services, and holistic youth programming, we aim to ensure that all recently lost are remembered through collective action.
- Constitutional Watcher - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 8:56 am:
The Latino Caucus 2.0 agenda on firearms will run afoul of the recent New York Case that SCOTUS just ruled on. That doesn’t mean they can’t have a symbolic vote but any law to address these three items will be declared unconstitutional. Plus there have been a bunch of these type of cases remanded back to lower courts already. I applaud more mental health funding.
- vern - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 9:08 am:
This special session is starting to feel like and overburdened Christmas tree. There’s clearly some consensus missing on abortion stuff despite months of warning that this was coming. Hard to see comprehensive gun legislation come together in parallel.
It’s getting to the point where Pritzker and the GA are in danger of overpromising and under-delivering on the way to November. Very… congressional behavior from folks who pride themselves on functioning better than DC.
- Scott Cross for President - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 9:12 am:
From the FOID sponsorship form:
“I hereby give my consent for this minor applicant to possess and acquire firearms and firearm ammunition and understand I shall be liable for any damages resulting from the minor applicant’s use of firearms or firearm ammunition.”
Since they’re liabile, make the signer show proof of liability insurance.
Have the actuaries set the numbers and sell the policies.
A 22 yo can’t leave the lot with his cherry red Mustang until he has insurance - and he’ll pay through the nose to get it. Because the data shows he’s a higher risk and greater danger and we don’t want him on the street without protection for the rest of us.
And the insurance lobby versus the gun lobby ?
Please. Every dollar I can get my hands on goes on the insurance lobby in that fight.
- H-W - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 9:22 am:
If my college students are required to submit fingerprints for FBI analysis before they are allowed to participate in service-learning projects with schools, then fingerprint analysis before purchasing a weapon does not seem overly burdensome on a person’s rights to privacy.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 9:27 am:
I was told in comments that only mass shooting of some significance brings about changing things.
Considering mass shootings are occurring at such rates that some are seemingly numb to actual victims of the violence, any changes, including more mental health funding, are needed and not because “of significance” is the measure to do so.
- Socially DIstant watcher - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 9:31 am:
The state has massive needs in the area of mental health, and spending to keep guns away from people who’ve had run in with the cops is very far down on the list of needs.
- Elmer Keith - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 9:50 am:
“Ban assault weapons…” Illinois gun owners will support this measure when assault weapon possession is eliminated for police and retired police, not just citizens. The leftist/Democrats who march in the streets for police accountability never seem to mention disarming police with military style weapons.
“Create an assault weapons registry.” I agree, we as citizens need a transparent registry of all fully automatic firearms owned by police departments in Illinois. After seeing the armored cop vehicle roaming around Highland Park, let’s have a public registry for tanks and APCs owned by police too, so us “civilians” can see where our money is being spent.
- Pundent - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 9:53 am:
Whether it’s DCFS, care for our veterans, mental health, or crime prevention there’s a whole host of needed services that we simply do not want to adequately fund. Remember this the next time somebody comes along bemoaning all the waste, fraud, and abuse.
- Thomas Paine - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 9:56 am:
@Constitutional Watcher -
I don’t think so. There is nothing in the proposal that restricts anyone from owning a gun, accept assault weapons, and the court has upheld assault weapons bans.
But hey let’s find out.
- SOIL M - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 10:03 am:
Start with defining “Assault Weapons”
- 1st Ward - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 10:08 am:
How does more mental health funding help this situation? The family recanted their own allegations when the officers and mental health people showed up. The officers then said there was no probable cause…. Also, this list of ideas are virtual non-starters in an election year and would be found unconstitutional.
- SKI - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 10:29 am:
Highland Park banned “assault weapons” on June 24, 2013 and it didn’t stop this from happening. Also of note, the police have not referred to the rifle used as an “assault rifle”. They keep referring to it as high powered & similar to an AR-15.
The ISP is doing a great job of showing where there may be a crack in the system. Illinois should work to shore that up and find ways to identify threats to society earlier while still respecting constitutional rights.
- Frumpy White Guy - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 10:34 am:
It would be wonderful if the anti assault weapon initiative became law. Also, please consider supporting a law enforcement database of individuals with known gang affiliations.
- The Dude Abides - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 10:39 am:
Our politicians are either ignorant or intentionally lying to the public when they suggest that passing these bills into law will significantly reduce the gun violence we are experiencing. For the record I don’t think civilians need military type weapons with high capacity magazines to protect their homes. If Illinois bans them there’s nothing preventing a person with a FOID card from traveling to a nearly state and buying one. No law will fix this problem. The mental health of this country has definitely regressed since the start of the Covid Pandemic.
- cermak_rd - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 11:03 am:
Mental health funding won’t help if people won’t use it. This family knew their kid had a problem. They withdrew their kid from school when the school told them the kid has an issue. They refused to do anything after his knives were taken away. I mean, other than get him a gun. I don’t think the family was hurting for $$, they simply refused to get him help.
- froganon - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 11:15 am:
The family, especially the father, bear a significant part of responsibility for this disaster. The Father should be held criminally liable for signing off on the FOID card and the family should be both criminally and civilly liable for the damage they have inflicted on their community and the rest of us. Maybe some new legislation holding families and friends criminally and civilly liable for supplying mentally fragile members/friends with weapons and access to weapons.
- P. - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 11:18 am:
Good. JB said he would do everything in his power so lfg. Suspend the broken FOID program until it gets a complete review as well - they cleared out 100k backlog in a matter of months and that info needs to be vetted again the clear and present danger database and any others that are appropriate. It’s the last line of defense in keeping guns away from people who should not ever have them and it’s not effective enough right now.
- froganon - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 11:19 am:
An assault weapon should be defined as any weapon that holds more than 6 bullets that can be fired in less than 30 seconds apart. The weapon would also be banned if it could be be modified to accept any type of magazine or clip. Let’s take a page from the pro-fetus movement adjust keep pushing at it until we get what the majority of voters and citizens want.
- Todd - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 11:42 am:
Have at it froggy and in the mean time well rack up injunctions and fees and you’ll have less than you began with
6 shots in 30 seconds — try this
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WzHG-ibZaKM
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 11:45 am:
What is your issue with limits on magazine capacity? It seems like a no brainer to me. Why does anyone need the ability to have a magazine that can hold 100 rounds? What is unconstitutional about limitations on size?
- Huh? - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 11:48 am:
“any weapon that holds more than 6 bullets that can be fired in less than 30 seconds apart”
That covers a whole lot more firearms than the AR and AK style rifles.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 11:57 am:
==holds more than 6 bullets that can be fired in less than 30 seconds apart==
Not realistic. That would essentially be a ban on guns.
- Todd - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 12:10 pm:
Demoralized -
Modern guns include the mags in 94 your side didn’t accept standard glock mags at 15 or 17 rounds. You didn’t accept standard rifle mags at 30 or 20. Nope you went to 10 so since the original law was drawn so low on here is no give today
Had that 94 law been say 20 it might have been met with a different view but it not only limited modern rifles it affected whole classes of handguns and had an implication on shotguns
Your side overreached and 10 is now their number and we say no we’ve seen your intentions and refuse to give an inch. Blame your side for it
- RNUG - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 12:26 pm:
== that info needs to be vetted again the clear and present danger database and any others that are appropriate ==
1) The FOID database is scanned every night against the inputted data they are comparing against
2) as this case so clearly indicates, the needed information is not getting put into the scanned databases.
The main questions that need to be answered are:
1) why was the information about this shooters previous interaction with LE not in the databases being scanned by the nightly FOID verification process?
2) If the information was there, why was it not used to trigger a more in-depth review process for the kids application?
3) If it was not there due to privacy or other legal impediments, what changes does the Legislature need to make for said data to be entered and retained?
3a) Does the Legislature need to enact sovereign immunity for the reporting agency(s)?
3b) Does the Legislature need to alter the reporting criteria?
3c) Does the Legislature need to alter the retention period for such (possibly unsubstantiated) reports?
The existing system is clearly broken. It’s time to fix it … and properly fund the fixes.
- RNUG - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 12:34 pm:
== An assault weapon should be defined as any weapon that holds more than 6 bullets that can be fired in less than 30 seconds apart. ==
That is, literally, every automatic rifle and pistol ever made. In addition, a lot of people could accomplish the same thing with a magazine fed bolt action rifle. It would even cover some .22 revolvers.
You are effectively calling for a ban on almost all firearms. That won’t happen.
- Amalia - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 1:06 pm:
the killer’s gun held lots and lots of bullets at one time. and he used them. did you listen to the sound? this is horrific. we are getting close to showing the damage that this kind of weapon can inflict….Lynn Sweet’s photo that the Sun Times printed with just one part cropped out, bodies covered, blood streaming down a staircase. some parent of a kid will show the pulverized body a la the Till family and then get ready, shock. but there should be shock now. Ban those guns.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 1:26 pm:
==and refuse to give an inch==
And so I go back to my thank you for your support of mass shootings.
- Todd - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 1:36 pm:
D — you asked for an explanation. I gave you one you may not like it but it the truth
Your aspersions sound like the one note b flat organ they are just as empty as your arguments
- Jocko - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 2:39 pm:
==You are effectively calling for a ban on almost all firearms.==
Unless you’re in active combat, why does anyone need a weapon that can…unmodified…accurately fire one round per second?
- Amalia - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 2:49 pm:
today the parents of an 8 year old child apparently consented to give his name and medical information to the public as it is breaking news in the Sun Times. he was shot in the chest by the July 4 monster and the bullet severed his spine. the child is in Comer Children’s Hospital at U. of C. Assault Weapons ban in Illinois now.
- Shytown - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 4:17 pm:
Hey gun lobby. I think I speak for most when I say it would be nice if you valued human life over your guns and admitted that the data show we have a gun problem in this country.
Yes, it’s the guns.
- Nagidam - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 4:38 pm:
@Thomas Paine
===I don’t think so. There is nothing in the proposal that restricts anyone from owning a gun, accept assault weapons, and the court has upheld assault weapons bans.
But hey let’s find out.===
You can go read the New York Case that SCOTUS just ruled on and find out for yourself. No need to take my word for it. Cases all around the country are being remanded back based on the New York case.
- Big Rocker - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 6:58 pm:
RNUG. I always look for your comments in the seas of wild emotions. Thanks
- Todd - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 9:32 pm:
Jocko –
try this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzHG-ibZaKM
or this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAOPp_4QHFo
- Amalia - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 11:17 pm:
@ Jocko “Unless you’re in active combat, why does anyone need a weapon that can…unmodified…accurately fire one round per second?” Apparently so one can get videos winning shooting contests. In other words ego boosting. and not necessary.