MORE THAN 10? Bob Morgan dodged question about his own gun ownership at Highland Park Town Hall

Bob Morgan is likely a gun owner.  That is the takeaway from the town hall meeting in Highland Park that Morgan appeared at Monday.  At the same time, Bob Morgan is all about making it difficult for everyone else to buy and keep the most effective guns for self-defense.  Nice guy, huh?

The hand-wringing panel tossed up a lot of slides that showed that gun control doesn’t work, but of course, that’s not what they claimed the numbers meant.  They mislabeled “GANG VIOLENCE” as the mythical “gun violence.”

Organizers manipulated (and bastardized) the language to craft a make-believe narrative that fifty years of gun control and other failed public policy hasn’t made America’s streets safer.  And these new policies like “Restorative Justice?”  What a joke.

Instead of fixing our schools so they educate our kids instead of indoctrinate them, and working to foster and support nuclear families (as opposed to single-parent households), they want to blame gun owners for the crime problem their failed public policies have created.

We’re the enemy and they would be perfectly happy incarcerating or even killing us if we don’t snap off a crisp salute to obey their latest gun control schemes. 

From a great summary at Reddit, here’s how it went down:

Location: Highland Park Public Library, Auditorium.

• Paul Frank from Lake County Board member begins speaking.

• Format and rules are spoken. Notecards are used to ask questions to public officials.

Because they don’t want someone asking an uncomfortable question from a microphone.  You’re going to see this was a carefully controlled propaganda event, not a town hall forum…

• 6:06 – Paras Parekh speaks and asks a moment of silence. “This is a uniquely American issue. Highland Park in particular has been suffering, but want a moment of silence for all gun violence victims.”

Highland Park in particular has been suffering? Oh, I’m sure they have over what, seven people killed.

There were six people killed in Chicago this past weekend.  Is Paras Parekh suffering over the dead black and brown folks in Chicago.  After all, 95% of homicide vics in Chicago are either black or brown.  

Those racist scumbags only care when it’s a bunch of rich white folks that get killed.  When was the last time Paras Parekh called for a town hall meeting over dead black and brown folks in Murder City USA?

• 6:09 – Representative Bob Morgan begins speaking. “This community suffered a tragedy that if you weren’t there, you won’t really understand. Unless you live in a community that that lived through a shooting a day after, or a day after…” then begins listing cities where shootings took place.

If you weren’t there, you wouldn’t understand?  He Bozo, I bet there’s a whole lot of folks in Chicago that understand.  He lists a bunch of towns where mass murder took place, but fails to mention Chicago.

• “My job after 4th of July, was to look at gun violence and the things we can do. Assault weapons and high capacity bans were some of the things we could do. When we began, we saw things we can do such as funding for gun violence prevention and trauma response. We know we have to increase funding of mental health. We reinforced the FOID process. Expand red flag laws. We decided ‘there is more we could do’.

Nowhere does he mention holding criminals accountable.

• Bob Morgan says “We changed the system for gun trafficking. So we made sure ISP, which decades after decades of the failed war on drugs, now tackle ghost guns and gun trafficking”“We changed the law to be flexible to change the definition of assault weapon. By allowed rule making to define the definition of assault weapon, we can be adaptive to changing guns and trends”

• “What was important is that we banned weapons of war that create mass shooting events”

The guns don’t create those, Bob.  

• 6:15PM – Bob Morgan states “[There are] challenges with sheriffs saying they won’t enforce. Challenges with state and federal lawsuits. We are continuing to work on safe storage laws, domestic violence situations. We have a lot more to do with training. A legislation requiring insurance for firearm ownership.”

• “Things that are difficult to handle are what we are working on. Passing the AWB is a huge event for helping solve a piece as part of our tragedy”

• 6:17 PM – Lake County Board member Paul Frank begins to speak.

• Paul Frank speaks of Gun Violence Task Force that got approved by County Board before July 4th, 2022

• Eric Reinhart – Lake County State Attorney speaks.

• “Begins by saying he began day speaking to Sandy Hook victims. Assistant Principle. “Speaking on this is very powerful, for me, today”

• “To think about the trauma of individuals at shootings, but also to think about how so many people that don’t look like me go through trauma on a daily basis”

• “I thought about my own children when hearing about school shootings”

And like most parents, Eric probably has not done a damn thing to help ensure his kids’ school is as safe as possible.  

Want to know how to do it:

https://www.gunssavelife.com/dont-wait-for-someone-else-to-do-it-talk-with-your-kids-school-about-safety-and-security/

https://www.gunssavelife.com/how-to-become-more-proactive-about-safety-and-security-at-your-kids-or-grandkids-schools/

• 6:21 PM – “We have to talk about impacts of gun violence of black and brown individuals”

• See link for photo for details for reference of slideshow.

• 50% of violence victims in Lake county are black. Lake county has 7% of black population.

I’d just about bet a dozen donuts he didn’t say “black-on-black crime.”

• 6:26 PM – “With a judge approving a search warrant, we can now get into 90% of bad guys cellphone”

• See link attached for reference to restorative justice.

• “Restorative Justice. One thing about racial instability is causing negative effects. Its causing ‘the social imagination’ of so many people.

• “When I tell you 7% of population is black, yet 40% of jail is black.”

• “Chief of Police of Florida, he and I spoke together talking. At the end of all of talking about Parkland, one of his biggest takeaways was investment of mental health services”

What?  It wasn’t about putting bad guys like the Parkland killer in jail despite dozens of police contacts?  Or a cowardly school security officer who hid under a stairwell while kids in his school were massacred by a social misfit loser?  “Investment in mental health services.”

How about letting good guys carry guns in schools, dipstick?  That wouldn’t cost a fortune and might actually give the good guys a fighting chance.  Especially when a school resource officer is a coward.

• 6:35 PM – See link to reference of Gun Violence Prevention Initiative 3

• 6:38 PM – Executive Directive Mark Phister begins speaking

• See photo related to firearm fatilities.

• Goes through years of potential life loss. “That is 1340 years of life lost due to one….gun”

Here, let me pull some numbers out of my butt…

• 2020 is 1709 life loss for Lake County.

• “This list also includes those that commit suicide by gun”

• “It is typically middle age white men committing suicide by firearm”

That’s in part a personal choice for some reference health issues.  As in they kill themselves rather than deal with terminal cancer or other degenerative disease.  Others might benefit from mental health treatment.  But as a gun owner, you lose your gun rights if you seek the mental health treatment you need.  So many don’t seek out that help.

• 6:46 PM – See photo for details of firearm fatalities that occurred in Lake County in 2018.

• 6:47 PM – Mentions that 1/4 hospitalized victims are women in 2018. Women most affected.

“Giant asteroid set to crash into earth.  Woman and minorities most affected.”

• “Due to workforce crisis, our 24/7 mobile crisis support team is at 24/5.”

• 6:49 PM – “Most of us here are lucky to have commercial health insurance.”

• 6:51 PM – Q&A begins

• A man named Carl begins the question. He was at the parade. His question was on mental health. “President Roosevelt made weed illegal.” Saying It can affect mental health of somebody. “We are having mental health risks and the man involved did take marijuana. This is a concern, and my comment. Thank you.”

• Q: “Can the new law be used to make cost of ammunition go up to prevent sales?”

  • Bob Morgan answers: There are bill that have been introduced to tax ammunition. The legislation of PICA does not cover that”

Can you say unconstitutional?  It’s akin to “Can we reinstitute a poll tax to keep stupid poor people from voting?”

• Veteran FUDD who asked question: “It doesn’t do anything on the assault weapons already in place. I am a veteran. They are all the same no matter if semi or full auto. It is very high power, and very high power does some damage. Anything that can be done to cut down on availability like tobacco tax can make anyone safer.”

  • Bob Morgan: “Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA) does not do that. There are bills in session that affects taxes and fees to firearms”

Love the FUDDs.  

• 6:56 PM – Q: “I was reading that Virginia that have tax credit for firearm storage, and have that cost reduced for owners. Is that something to think about?”

  • Bob Morgan answers: There are conversations on safe storage. We should have safe storage. Tax credit has come up. Deerfield had a specific storage locker giveaway to have different steps on storage”

• 6:58 PM – “What plans are there for programs after funding sunsets in 2024 of Reimagine of Public Safety Act?”

  • “Pfister answers: “Our plan at gun violence prevent initiative is to seek funding from legislature, congress, and other avenues. We do have some interest in private funders. If we are successful with government funds, we can go far. If we save one life its worth it.”

  • 7:00 PM – Bob Morgan states, “As long as I am representative, that community is going to have violence prevention program”

Gun violence prevention initiative.  That sure worked for Chicago last year.  737 homicides in Chicago.  The 11th year in a row Chicago has been #1 at homicide.

• 7:01 – Q: “Is there a middle ground on the gun laws and not upsetting conservatives?”

• Person who asked the question: “I don’t know much about guns, but my friends do and they feel their voice is being unheard. So, I am wondering if anyone here supports a middle ground”

  • Bob Morgan replies: “I would argue this bill was a lot of middle ground. People can still have their assault weapons. Some grandfathered, some had to turn them in. We met in the middle with registration. It is a change in culture in Illinois, which I think is significant. I think we have to acknowledge that not everyone will be on-board.”

Middle ground?  What part of “shall not be infringed” don’t they understand?

• 7:04 PM – Q: “Gun violence prevention research are finger printing for FOID card applications are one of the most effective way to reduce gun violence. But the version of FOID act removed this. Will this ever come back for requiring FOID card?”

  • Bob Morgan answers: “IL House of Reps passed twice for FOID fingerprints. Senate killed it twice. There are still not enough votes for Senate for this. But what are the requirements for guns? CCL have to go through training (lmao). Should there be a written exam for FOID cards? Driving is not a constitutional right, like firearms. 13 million state population, and 2.5 have FOIDs.”

Gun violence prevention research?  LOL.  Using these junk science studies to support claims that gun control actually prevents criminal misuse of guns is less scientifically accurate than claiming drinking milk causes car accidents. 

From Reason Magazine . . .

There has been a massive research effort going back decades to determine whether gun control measures work. A 2020 analysis by the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, parsed the results of 27,900 research publications on the effectiveness of gun control laws. From this vast body of work, the RAND authors found only 123 studies, or 0.4 percent, that tested the effects rigorously. Some of the other 27,777 studies may have been useful for non-empirical discussions, but many others were deeply flawed. 

Back to the Highland Park make-believe:

• 7:08 PM – Q: “Can we connect the Highland Park shooting to more common gun violence that happens in Lake County in general?”

  • A: Rinehart replies: “Gun violence goes up with more guns available. That’s how it goes. We are doing FRO training for LEO. There are too many weapons around, from irresponsible gun owners, people who shouldn’t have them, from gun trafficking, etc. Parkland shooter bought the gun, as mother drove her to the store. I think the last 5 or 6 mass shootings were AR-15’s. So I think they shouldn’t be legal anymore.”

Gun violence goes up with more guns available?  Please cite.  Because until recently, America has had decreasing violent crime despite tens of millions of additional guns in the hands of Americans.

• 7:12 PM – Q: “Is there a way to have a voluntary do not sell list for those that are bi-polar and depressed? A way for them that they themselves to restrict gun access.”

  • Eric Rinehart answers: “Lake county does not have jurisdiction to do that.”

  • Mark Pfister says “There are different ways to get a judge to get an order that a gun should be confiscated”

I believe the feds have just such a self-identifying database for misfits to report themselves.

• 7:16 PM – “What is Lake County’s rate of identifying at-risk individuals?”

  • Mark Pfister replies: “We currently have 150-200 of those identified of at-risk. A lot of our probation officers are white. Another way to identify at risk-people, is to identify people who come in from a gun case.

• 7:18 PM – Q: “Is there a correlation to social media usage and mass shooters?”

  • Pfister: We are in an attention economy. When we say someone is a bipolar schizo, are they going to take meds to be in a state of normal. We have to look into root causes of behavioral mental health issues?”

• 7:21 PM – Q: “Will there be more laws so long as Republicans won’t speak?”

  • Bob Morgan: “Biden helped pass Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Which helps push for more common sense gun laws. Illinois has really strong gun laws. Prior to Protect Illinois Community Act, gun trafficking was a petty offense.”

  • Some random attendee: “Bipartisanship is difficult but is happening”

Bipartisanship?  You mean like the mealy-mouthed Jim Durkin, the only (R) to vote for Pritzker gun control bill who quit the General Assembly the next day?

• Q: “How many people are killed or affected by assault weapons?

  • Answered by Paul Frank: A few.

• Question asker: Yeah, but how many?

  • Paul Frank: There are many factors that are looked at for deaths.

Less than a couple hundred a year.  Many more people are killed with hammers, clubs, and toilet bowl lids.  Or fists, if that’s your thing.  In other words, not many.

• Eric Rinehart: “If Highland Park shooter got into the original better position at the courtyard, he would have killed 1500 people” (Note: He never corrected himself after saying this). This is an American problem. It doesn’t happen in Iceland. (Note: Sweden and Mexico lmao)

Really?  Well, if you can’t tell the truth and your cause isn’t so righteous, then make up stuff.

• Eric Rinehart: “One of the things about SAFE-T act is you will know if someone recommends detention of someone. Every gun offense in the SAFE-T Act makes them detainable.”

A lot of stuff is “detainable” but the No Cash Bail Act makes it rather difficult to hold them.

• 7:29 PM: Q: “Do you own a gun, and how many do you own?”

  • Bob Morgan: “That is a very personal question. I won’t answer this”

Bob, he didn’t ask how many men you’ve watched your wife have sex with.  He asked if you have a gun.  It’s a pretty safe bet that Bob would have proudly said “NONE!” if he truly believed the Kool-Aid he offers to everyone who will listen.

• 7:30 meeting concludes.

A huge disappointment for scores of people in the audience who would have liked to have asked questions.