Why Gun Laws Often Have Little Impact

In his book  "Restoring the Lost Constitution", Professor Gary Barnett of Georgetown University refers to the concept of the  "moral duty" to obey the law.  Isn't that what is missing in Chicago?  The 'moral duty' to obey the gun laws....which essentially prohibit the ownership, much less the discharging, of hand guns within the city?

Professor Barnett speaks of the 'legitimacy' of the law....that the law be must be just and palatable to be good law.  He cites Thomas Aquinas ....that only just laws ' have the power of binding in conscience."  Strangely, Illinois is the only State in the Union to prohibit a licensed concealed carry arrangement.  Are the gun laws in Chicago 'unjust' and illegitimate?  That would seem a poor excuse for the actual discharging of the gun, but it might apply to the ownership and self defense use prohibitions.


Maybe conscience and moral duty are the missing elements in Chicago's gun slinging neighborhoods.


So, where does one...where does a community acquire the 'moral duty' and the 'binding conscience' to obey the law?  Maybe here......finally....is a good place for a 'community organizer'. Rather than spend efforts on teaching people how to 'game' the system....or even promote gun running across borders to prove a point, communities must construct measures to develop duty and conscience.  Perhaps this begins in the home.  It certainly CAN begin in the homeChicago is a failed experiment.  The city's problem areas have much deeper issues than non compliance with gun law.  The non compliance is merely a manifestation of the lack of moral duty and  binding conscience necessary in a law abiding community.  But, as noted, good and just law improves compliance as well.  Illinois and Chicago must do what to the liberal mind is counter intuitive.  They must allow LEGAL gun ownership and concealed carry.  There are 49 examples of States doing just that...with empirical data to support such an action.

If you experience technical problems, please write to helpdesk@americanthinker.com