Ed Rutledge for Lieutenant Governor

By Ed Rutledge

Libertarian for Lt Governor of Illinois

07/28/2010

As a candidate, I am frequently asked where I stand on gun control. The problem with answering this question directly is that my support of the Constitution is considered by some to be an approval of kids getting shot. Obviously, while I fully support the Constitution, I am horrified by the nearly constant reports of kids getting killed in our inner cities. But what horrifies me even more than the shootings is the lack of real action to stop the violence.

The problem with gun control laws is that they address a symptom while ignoring the root of the problem. The real issue here is not guns, but endemic inner city violence. But this is a more complex issue than most politicians want to handle, so they continue to pass feel-good, do-nothing gun laws. And kids keep getting shot. Frankly, this is unacceptable. Unfortunately for those kids, while there is a solution to this problem, its implementation will take political courage that our elected officials apparently do not have.

The solution to this problem can be found by looking at the problem, itself. When we consider the disbursement of shootings, and other violent crimes, they are concentrated in areas of high gang activity. This would suggest that our problem with endemic violence is really a problem with gangs. In other words, we don’t have a gun problem, we have a gang problem. So how do we address the gang problem? With a three pronged approach.

First, we need to get kids into performing schools. Whether through vouchers, tax credits, private scholarships, or charter schools, it does not matter. What matters is that our society, through political influence, is condemning a significant portion of our youth to dangerous, non-performing schools. Without a decent education, these kids see a bleak and limited life path ahead of them. Our kids deserve a brighter future than what we are currently offering. We need to start living up to our Constitutional obligation, and make sure that all kids in Illinois have access to a quality education. Unless we start giving these kids a decent education, a life in gangs will remain a very real alternative.

Second, we need to make sure that there are jobs available for kids coming out of high school, understanding that not all Illinoisans will go on to college. There is no reason why Illinois high school graduates should not have opportunities to pick up work experience and start their climb up the ladder of success. Current policy, however, consistently takes away ladders by taxing and regulating jobs out of Illinois. And by imposing a minimum wage even higher than what the federal government requires, our politicians have raised the first rung of those ladders which to a height that few high school graduates can reach. A kid cannot start down the path to success without being able to take the first step. We need to eliminate the government created barriers that limit job availability for these kids. Unless there are real entry level jobs awaiting these kids upon graduation from high school, a life in gangs will remain a very real alternative.

Finally, we need to cut off gang finances. It is well known that gangs generate enormous amounts of money through the illicit drug trade. But since the “merchants” in this market have been forced outside of the legitimate legal system, they also have been forced to protect their business through violence. In other words, government policies have given gangs a highly lucrative reason to exist, while forcing these same gangs to rely on guns, rather than lawyers, to settle disputes. And who gets to carry those guns? The very kids that society left uneducated, without a job, and without hope. Unless we take the government induced profits out of this black market, gangs will remain a very real alternative. 

It is time to demand that our politicians address the root causes of the endemic violence plaguing our state. Gun control laws have not worked, because guns are not the problem. Instead, we need to refocus our energies on giving kids the best possible opportunity to succeed, while reducing the attractiveness of street gangs as a viable option. If we give kids hope for the future, and if we destroy the financial foundation supporting gang activity, then we will see a reduction in violence. We just need the political courage to make it happen.

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