Crime: June 2008 Archives

If there's one rainbow at the end of the Supreme Court's ruling this week on overturning the Washington, D.C., ban on firearms, it is it may keep the Rev. Jesse Jackson out of Lake County. The reverend said Friday he will fight to keep any new gun stores in Chicago from opening in residential neighborhoods.

That must mean he won't be picketing D.S. Arms, the gun maker and distributor located in Lake Barrington, a favorite target of Chicago gun control supporters. Instead, Jackson said he would work with other ministers and city officials to win legislation that would keep gun stores away from churches, schools and playgrounds in Chicago.

Because of the city's ban on handguns, there are no gun stores currently operating in Chicago. It didn't take long for gun supporters to file suit to overturn the Chicago ordinance. The National Rifle Association, the Second Amendment Foundation and the Illinois State Rifle Association all filed federal lawsuits Friday challenging Chicago's 26-year handgun ban. Said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb: "Chicago's handgun ban has failed to stop violent crime. It's time to give the Constitution a chance."

While protesting in Lake County, it seemed Chicago criminals certainly showed they can get their hands on guns without buying them legally, and without Rev. Jackson marching in the big city.

The Hound always gets a kick out of people from the big city coming into Lake County, telling us how to do things and protesting law-abiding businesses. Such was the case June 14 when the Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow Push Coalition, along with his followers marched into Lake Barrington for a prayer vigil to appeal to residents to vote the village "gun dry." Fat chance, reverend.

Perhaps Jackson was taking target practice for bigger game, like marching in the neighborhoods of Chicago, where the Coalition's national headquarters is located on East 50th Street. That's where most of the gun deaths are happening among young people and not in Lake Barrington. Odd that gun deaths occur in Chicago when guns are banned in the city, as are gun shops, and gun makers.

Until Jackson's protest, The Hound didn't even know Lake County had a weapons merchant --- D.S. Arms --- making and selling military-style assault rifles, along with handguns. With Rainbow Push on hand, Lake County sheriff's deputies had to protect the D.S. Arms facility.

That, in turn, ticked off Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran who pointed out the obvious to Rev. Jackson: There surely are a lot more alternatives to curbing random acts of violence involving guns than marching on a legitimate business. In fact, Curran pointed out it costs Lake County taxpayers about $5,000 each time Rev. Jackson decides to pray at the altar of the gun maker in Lake Barrington.

The Hound thinks that's $5,000 too much. The sheriff should pull the trigger and send Rainbow Push the bill for bringing out deputies to patrol the area. That might keep gun protests where they belong: Where people are getting shot.

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Despite sensitive (and large) ears, The Hound actually likes fireworks. But apparently not as much as Lake Zurich resident Adrian Phillips who was stopped on Monoville Road near Fairfield Road in Lake Villa the other night and found with 28 pounds of homemade fireworks in the trunk of his vehicle.

These weren't your normal, run-of-the-mill Ladyfingers or Black Cats one can buy in Tennessee at a Nervous Charlie's fireworks store. Nope, not even M-80s or cherry bombs.

Phillips, 32, driving on a revoked license, had 379 handmade pieces which authorities said were equal to a quarter to a half stick of dynamite. Yikes, that could blow off more than a pinky finger in your back yard on the Fourth of July!

Cops were so nervous about the volatility of the homemade cargo they blew them in place on village property near Lehmann Park. Some residents were shaken from a sound sleep after they were exploded.

Philllips was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and could face federal charges because agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were called into the case.

The Hound wants to know where you can buy that much gun powder? And, why someone would want to make his own fireworks when you can buy them through the mail and on the Internet. Perhaps too much time on one's hands?

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