Chicago’s known for many things, but pro-2A politicians isn’t one of them.  And to be fair, State Rep. La Shawn Ford has come out in favor of more federal gun laws in the past. Surprisingly, though, Ford is also in favor of residents obtaining their concealed carry license.

“I think about it all the time,” Ford said of the shootings that plague his community. “That’s why I’m working with a concealed carry instructor and we’re going to go through the neighborhood and we’re going to encourage people to get their concealed carry license because it makes no sense for people not to have the protections that they need.”

Ford’s comments to Chicago radio host Mancow Muller came after a shooting on Chicago’s west side that left a 22-year old dead and bullet holes in Ford’s car.  In fact, Ford told Muller that there were eight shootings on his block in just one weekend.  The representative says he spoken to Chicago police about the violence on his block, but to no avail.

After Mancow noted that cops are routinely arresting individuals for crimes like this, only to see the court system put them back on the streets a short time later, Ford made his surprising comments about helping residents obtain their concealed carry licenses.

“You’re right, you’re right”, replied Mancow.  “If the good guys have guns and fight back, the gang members are looking for victims.  They don’t want to die.  And when the good guys start shooting these a-holes back, that’s when things will change.”

It’s only been five years since the Illinois State Police began issuing concealed carry licenses in the state.  Before that, Illinois had an outright ban on bearing arms.  After the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the ban and ruled it a violation of the 2nd Amendment, anti-gun activists urged politicians in the state not to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.  It’s not that the gun control activists had a change of heart; they were worried that SCOTUS might agree with the 7th Circuit and establish a nationwide precedent recognizing the 2nd Amendment includes a right to bear arms, not just to keep them.

Over the past five years tens of thousands of Chicago residents (and hundreds of thousands of folks across Illinois) have obtained their concealed carry license.  Don’t be surprised if that number grows, especially if more Chicago-area politicians begin to recognize that self defense is a human right.