The point is to decrease or even prevent gun violence -- BEFORE -- they occur. No better way to do that, other than increase the difficulty in attaining weapons. By the time an irresponsible gun owner becomes a criminal, it is already too late: someone is dead.

I agree with you there Red, and also I am not a gun owner. Kyuu, do you really think that this new tax is going to 'prevent' violence before they occur? I think this will do as much justice as the "gun laws" of corrupted Chicago. We have the highest murder rate, and I don't think making a tax on this will solve the issue. They will find it if they want to. Which is sad but true.

"The point is to decrease or even prevent gun violence -- BEFORE -- they occur. No better way to do that, other than increase the difficulty in attaining weapons."

This is precisely backwards.

Why do they want to tax the lawful gun owners? Because they can.

Why not tax those who carry illegally and those who commit crimes? Because they can't.

@ Kyuu.

Not a gun owner and agree with Red, and your logic is sort of weak, i.e. someone compelled to kill is stopped by a fee, and you should read the second amendment.

@Kyuu - by your logic, most drive byes involve cars, so Chicago should have a violence tax on vehicles. Also, most bank robbers wear masks or pantyhose over their heads, so we should have a bank robbery tax on masks and pantyhose to cover that too...did you go to CPS?

How many times did someone purchase a car with the sole intent of using it to murder someone? With the internet, i'm sure you can find a case or two...but it will probably be tough. How many guns were purchased with the sole intent of murdering someone? Hmm. You are trying to compare two completely unrelated items. You want a sword tax? Fine...switchblade? Sounds good.

Ah, but that does not follow the logic - most of the cars involved in accidents are probably not the +$45,000 (by sheer numbers, more cars are in the lower brackets), therefore it should be higher on lower cost vehicles if you wanted to be fair...

Here we go again---nothing like suggesting you pay a little tax before you shoot someone that brings out the NRA guys & the usual babble---guns don't kill--autos kill---hammers kill---etc. It's stupid & illogical but it will be here soon---watch!! How about the retired cop who shot & killed his son last nite??? Gun did him a lot of good. AND HE WAS A COP!!! How are all you John Wayne wannabees going to do in a real situation---not in your dreams???

Fine. How about Gun Insurance?

Who pays for the injured person? The public in the form of taxes, used for emergency rooms?

@Kyuu.

why should anyone pay in part for the misdeeds of someone who shots another?

The simple truth is that most of the gun's the Police have found are from Indiana! There is no 3 day wait to Purchase a Hand Gun, no FOID Card and they cost less. So is Chicago going to Tax Indiana? Periwinkle is so out of touch, what she should be supporting is Concealed Carry in Illinois. The Children of Illinois could really benefit from The Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program too. It Teaches Pre-K thru 2nd Grade Kid's to know how to handle a situation where a Child find's a Gun. It is a simple format, they are taught to : STOP, DON'T TOUCH, LEAVE THE AREA, TELL AN ADULT. This Lesson can save live's if taught to our Children. Also Teenagers should be taught the consequences of being in possession of a Gun. A Felony Conviction on their Record, will ruin their life! Why do we refuse to teach our children how to survive in this world? Why do we pretend that Gun's do not exist, even though we know they do? 250 Million are in the USA and they are not going to go away. Educate your Children and DEMAND that your school's teach them too!

Guitarman is correct. Kyuu is typical lib. How can the governmnet TAX an organization that doesnt sell guns????????? And double? Double what? How would a emt clock his work so that it is seperated from his regular salary so it could come from the Kyuukyuu fund? More useless paperwork that solves nil.

Suddenly, I'm motivated to buy a whole arsenal. LoL

Well, Chicago did not have legal gun owners (unless you were politically connected) until recently, but they were sure tops in gun crime. SOMEHOW the criminals did not obey the gun laws - can you believe it? (note, that was sarcasm for the humor impaired).

The El Rucans would agree with you.

El Rukns, the gang you mean? Sure. Maybe they will be able to get less guns because the cost is higher in the supply chain. This is not by any means a sole solution but a step along the way to potentially safer streets.

Sure, once the cost of guns goes up, the El Rucans will need to wait for the coupons in the weekly shopper before they purchase their guns, good thinking.

I would suggest that you visit Cabellas on a Friday night or Saturday, standing room only around the Gun Counter. Gun's sell faster, the more YOU try to control them. Besides we will just buy in Indiana, Lake County and elsewhere. It is our 2nd Amendment Constitutional Right!

Grady has not yet discussed the specific amount of the possible tax, she'll need to check with tiny dancer.

Grrr...everyone that doesn't have my opinion is wrong. Just like I feel a lot of the Nugent types have odd ideas on how to stop firearm deaths, I also think that there are a lot of control people who take it too far. The problem is that many people die by guns, legally or illegally acquired. Any work people try and do to stop illegal firearms is immediately undermined by gun lobbies screaming about stealing their guns. Conceal Carry may work to keep you from getting mugged or shot, but it will do nothing to stop inner city gun violence, drive bys, and the occasional kid shooting himself or his friend on accident. There are a lot of people out there who are uneducated about their weapon and there are states that just let them buy and carry without any tests. You have people who leave guns in unlocked cars.
"A guest of residents living in the 900 block of Burridge Ct. reported a Colt 380 semi-automatic gun with a black grip was stolen from the console of an unlocked vehicle during the evening of Oct. 5. The gun is valued at $800 and nothing else was stolen from the vehicle (patch blotter.)" There are ways to help curb some of these problems. All these guns leave the factory legally.....

It's not illegal to own a gun in the city of Chicago. Not since 2010. The Supreme Court struck down the 28-year long ban in the city. There are, of course, a bunch of hoops to jump through, including training, permit, fees, etc. -- including driving to the suburbs for your training, since ranges are banned.

If anyone actually believes that the gang bangers murdering each other bought guns in stores, have FOID cards, pass background checks, or would pay an ammo tax, let me know so I can pass on info about a multi-million fortune you may have inherited overseas.

Of course they didn't. They stole the guns. Or bought them from a friend who stole them.

@Vortex.

I agree with most of your comment, with one exception. I believe organized gangs get straw buyers to get guns for them. I'm sure there are some stolen guns, but buying a gun is fairly easy in many states, i.e. money talks.

There is also already an ammunition and firearms excise tax collected by the federal government on certain imported items, which are mostly utilized by law-abiding sportsmen, and that is in addition to the taxes imposed by the Pittman Robertson Act and state and local taxes. Add in fees for FOID, hunting licenses,etc. I'd say the average firearms owner is paying quite a bit to exercise hir or her second amendment right.

Name one other right guaranteed under the Bill of Rights for which the government requires so much of its citizens. No fee, tax or penalty is required to worship, peacably assemble, to have a trial by your peers, to be afforded counsel, etc.

I understand that completely. And although I would like an all out ban or greater restrictions, I am also not living in a fantasy world. I know that won't happen. So you declined when approached. Did you turn them in? Call the police? anything? As a country so many of us turn a blind eye on the street violence and gun crimes. Well, not a total blind eye. We watch it on the news every night and still have some people saying that conceal carry will help prevent this from happening. Gang members don't care if you are armed. They will shoot you if they so desire. One of the main things conceal carry does is ensure that at least one person will get shot when guns are drawn.

Something isn't right when the only concern gun advocates have is that they receive less restrictions to own a deadly weapon. They ignore or write off incidents as minutia. When little jimmy accidentally shoots his sister, when Loughner buys and carries his gun legally to commit a mass killing, when inner city kids get shot up in the cross fire. We are one of the most advanced countries in the world and over half of us think it's ok or a right to make sure procuring a weapon intended to kill is as easy as possible.

So can I Tax your Right's? It is a slippery slope you wish to tread!

You have a very good point and the proof is in the latest Murder of the 14 year old Boy that was Killed by a Gang Banger that had been Arrested for possession of a Loaded Handgun, while not old enough to possess a Foid Card or Buy a Hand Gun or be in possession of Ammunition or to carry a Gun in a Car or Concealed on the Street. In other words, if he had been locked up for the half dozen AUUW/UUw Laws, HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MURDER THE BOY! Enforce the Law's you have now, do not create more that you do not enforce.