There is good reason that it is called Reason Magazine

A few days ago Steve Chapman, columnist and editorialist over at the Chicago Tribune, penned a well-reasoned rebuttal of the Cook County Board's latest nonsensical and misdirected efforts in the gun control realm.

"The levy was dubbed a 'violence tax,' which is exactly what it isn't. It would not target criminals who have malice in mind, but would fall entirely on the law-abiding."

As Chapman points out, these efforts are futile because the burden they impose never falls on the intended target and is instead borne by the population segment the tax purports to want to protect. And neither will it stop the flow of firearms and ammunition into the Cook County area. Nobody with any sense will pay the price within the county when a short drive to some neighboring county with politicians sensible enough to understand that Cook County has just handed their sporting goods shops a plum will provide the savvy shopper whatever firearm or ammunition desired... further shipping sales tax monies out of Cook county to the detriment of the citizens.

All of this is smoke and mirrors. Gun ownership and possession is all but illegal in Mexico, yet which group in Mexico is it that is unarmed (and unprotected) and which is armed to the teeth? Pot (do they still call it that?) is illegal in this country yet I’d wager I could find some and get it bought within the next 24 hours if I was of a mind. 

Prohibition doesn't make anything unavailable... it just makes it inconvenient and expensive and it protects nobody. The bad guys don't mind because if it disarms anybody it will be to their benefit. 

Prohibition by any name and under any guise does not work and history has taught us that it never will. The politicians and bleeding hearts of Cook County would do well to learn this and refocus their efforts on other issues. Education comes to mind.

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