Daley Lashes Out At SCOTUS Over Handgun Ban

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Mar 4, 2010 3:00PM

With all signs pointing to an eventual 5-4 ruling in favor of overturning the City's handgun ban, Mayor Daley lashed out at the Supreme Court with his typical sarcastic furor. According to the Sun-Times, Daley ranted:

“Why can’t I go to the Supreme Court and sit there with a gun and listen to the arguments? If a gun is so important to us on the street or someone’s home, why can’t I go to the Supreme Court and sit there with a gun? I’m not gonna shoot anyone. But, I have a right to that gun,” Daley said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Why can’t I go see my congressman who doesn’t believe in gun laws? Why can’t I carry my gun into congressmen’s offices or go to his home and knock on his door and say, ‘Don’t be worried. I have a gun. You want me to have a gun.’ Why is it they want to be protected by all the federal money ... to protect all the federal bureaucrats, but when it comes to us in the city” there’s no protection?

The Supreme Court heard arguments in the case, McDonald v City of Chicago, on Tuesday and indications were that Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Scalia, Alito, Kennedy, and Thomas would favor overturning the ban, enough for a 5-4 majority. All five justices also voted to overturn a similar ban for Washington D.C. in 2008. After the ban, D.C. instituted new, tougher regulations and requirements for gun owners but Mayor Daley hasn't yet spoken as to any new potential regulations should Chicago's ban be overturned. The case also involves Oak Park's similar handgun ban.