The Case For Guns - A Second Look at Education: Understanding, and the Chicago Reality
- Hootey Cline
- Feb 1
- 6 min read
From the Bench: Why facts matter more than feelings in the firearms debate
By Hootey Cline, Blue Coat Arms Company
Originally published June 24, 2019 | Updated July 1, 2025
When I started Blue Coat Arms Company, I thought I'd be fixing guns and sharing my passion for craftsmanship. I never expected that defending the Second Amendment would become part of my daily routine. But here we are, and if we're going to have this conversation, we need to have it honestly.
The Foundation: Education Over Emotion
The biggest obstacle to meaningful dialogue about firearms isn't political party affiliation – it's ignorance. And I don't mean that as an insult. I mean it literally: the absence of knowledge about the subject we're debating.
Organizations like the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, and Operation Blazing Sword represent Americans from every demographic you can imagine – white, black, Latino, Asian, young, old, male, female, LGBTQ+, and everything in between. The Second Amendment doesn't discriminate, and neither should our understanding of it.
The Problem with Outsourcing Our Thinking
Too many people assume politicians are experts on firearms simply because it's "their job" to make laws about them. Politicians exploit this assumption, counting on public ignorance to advance agendas that often have little to do with public safety.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: most people who advocate for gun control know very little about guns. They've never fired one, never purchased one, many have never even seen a real firearm up close. Yet they're absolutely certain about what laws we need.
It's like having someone who's never changed a tire tell you how to fix your transmission.
Hollywood's Dangerous Influence
Most Americans get their "firearms education" from movies and TV shows, where guns are portrayed as magical death machines that never miss and always explode cars. This creates unrealistic expectations and irrational fears that make productive conversation nearly impossible.
The Inconsistency Problem
If all guns are inherently evil, then police and military weapons are evil too. But somehow, the same people who want to disarm citizens trust these same "dangerous" tools in the hands of government agents.
This reveals a fundamental disconnect: the belief that some people are more trustworthy with firearms than others, based solely on their employment status.
The Victim Mentality
Our society has conditioned people to see themselves only as potential victims, never as potential defenders. This mindset is so ingrained that many people literally cannot imagine successfully defending themselves or their families.
The cruel irony: The people who most need the ability to defend themselves – inner-city families, LGBTQ+ individuals, single parents (especially mothers) – are the ones most harmed by gun control laws.
Chicago: The Case Study That Proves the Point
Let's talk about Chicago, because it perfectly illustrates why gun control is, as Colion Noir put it, "like trying to cure cancer with Tylenol."
The Current Reality (2024-2025 Data)
Recent data from the Chicago Police Department and University of Chicago Crime Lab shows some encouraging trends, but the fundamental problems remain:
2024 saw continued high levels of gun violence, though with some improvement from previous years
Handguns remain the weapon of choice in 97% of firearm deaths in Chicago
Most violence is concentrated in specific neighborhoods plagued by poverty, unemployment, and gang activity
The majority of firearms used in crimes are obtained illegally
The Failed Experiment
Chicago's handgun ban, implemented in 1982 and strengthened over the years, coincided with some of the worst violence in the city's history. In 2009, when Chicago had some of the strictest gun laws in the nation, it also had the highest gun violence rate.
After the Supreme Court struck down the handgun ban in 2010, violent crime began to decline. If strict gun laws were the solution, this shouldn't have happened.
The Real Causes
Gun violence in Chicago isn't random. It's concentrated in areas characterized by:
Extreme poverty with limited economic opportunity
Failing schools that don't prepare students for legitimate careers
Broken family structures with absent fathers and overwhelmed mothers
Gang recruitment that offers belonging and income to desperate youth
Drug trade that creates territorial disputes and violence
The Blame Game
Politicians love to blame neighboring states with "weak" gun laws for Chicago's problems. But this argument falls apart under scrutiny:
Why don't these neighboring states have Chicago's murder rates?
Every FFL dealer in every state must follow all federal, state, and local laws
Illinois has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation – how are they ineffective against guns from other states?
Cities like Indianapolis, with supposedly "weak" laws, have significantly lower violence rates
The Handgun Reality
Here's the statistic that destroys the "assault weapons ban" argument: 97% of firearm deaths in Chicago involve handguns.
So tell me – how exactly would banning AR-15s solve Chicago's violence problem?
The People Who Need Protection Most
The tragic irony of gun control is that it most affects the people who most need protection:
Inner-city residents who can't afford to move to safer neighborhoods
LGBTQ+ individuals who face targeted violence
Single mothers who are alone with their children
Elderly people who are physically vulnerable
Small business owners in high-crime areas
These people often tell me they'd rather risk arrest for illegal gun possession than risk being defenseless in a dangerous situation. As one customer put it: "Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six."
Gun Control as Political Theater
Gun control has become what I call a "political placebo" – something that makes people feel like they're doing something without actually addressing the problem.
The pattern is predictable:
Mass shooting occurs
Politicians demand "action"
Laws are passed that wouldn't have prevented the shooting
Violence continues
Politicians blame "loopholes" and demand more laws
Meanwhile, the daily violence in places like Chicago – which claims far more lives than mass shootings – only gets attention during election cycles.
The Path Forward: Real Solutions
If we're serious about reducing violence, we need to address root causes:
Economic Opportunity
Job training programs
Small business development in underserved areas
Educational reform that prepares students for real careers
Family Structure
Programs that support two-parent households
Mentorship programs for fatherless children
Community-based support systems
Criminal Justice Reform
Swift, certain punishment for violent criminals
Rehabilitation programs that actually work
Community policing that builds trust
Mental Health
Accessible mental health services
Early intervention programs
Addressing the stigma around seeking help
The Professional Perspective
As someone who works with firearms daily, I can tell you that the tools aren't the problem. A gun is an inanimate object that reflects the intentions of the person holding it.
We don't blame cars for drunk driving deaths. We don't blame knives for stabbings. We don't blame hammers for assault. But somehow, we're supposed to believe that guns are uniquely evil.
Moving Beyond the Talking Points
Every week, I have conversations with people who've been told that gun owners are dangerous extremists. Most of the time, once we get past the rhetoric and talk about facts, they leave with a different perspective.
They might not buy a gun the next day, but they understand:
How current laws actually work
Why law-abiding gun owners feel the way they do
That the issue is more complex than politicians pretend
The Bottom Line
Education is the key to everything. You can't have a rational conversation when one side knows nothing about the subject and doesn't care to learn.
The Chicago example proves that gun control doesn't work. The data is clear, the results are measurable, and the human cost is tragic.
If we want to reduce violence, we need to address its root causes: poverty, broken families, failed schools, and lack of opportunity. Passing feel-good laws that restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens while doing nothing to stop criminals isn't just ineffective – it's counterproductive.
The people who most need protection are the ones most harmed by gun control.
Until we acknowledge this reality, we'll continue to see the same tragic results.
No matter your era, we got your six – and that includes standing up for the constitutional rights that protect all Americans, especially those who need protection most.
Questions about firearms, the Second Amendment, or the realities of gun ownership? Contact Blue Coat Arms Company at 217-416-5962 or BlueCoatArms@gmail.com. Let's have an honest conversation based on facts, not fear.
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