Misdirection in the Use of Power: Of Mayors, Gun Control and Crime in Large US Cities.
By Joe Ficalora
We regularly refer to our mayors as “The Honorable Mayor … ” or “Your Honor …” . However, when that honor misdirects or misinforms the populace, through either ignorance or willful deception, it can be substantially damaging for every city dweller. This paper will review and explore a particular use of power, the portrayal by large US city mayors of the need for increased gun control as a public safety measure. Mayors Bloomberg, Nutter, Booker, Daly and Fenty seem to bang this drum regularly, proclaiming a message of ‘more gun control needed’ at every heinous shooting committed in their cities.
Are these city mayors correct about how to solve their violent crime problems? Is more “Gun Control” needed? Would more restrictive laws really solve the so-called gun-violence problem? At no point do we disagree with firearms laws aimed at keeping firearms from violent felons or the mentally ill. Rather we disagree that “controlling all guns” is an appropriate method for improving public safety, instead the reverse occurs and we will show that in this paper.
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