On Sunday, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) triggered a reaction out of Chicago’s Mayor Lori Lightfoot when he used Chicago’s extreme gun laws as an example for why gun control does not work.
Cruz said in a tweet: “Gun control doesn’t work. Look at Chicago. Disarming law-abiding citizens isn’t the answer. Stopping violent criminals—prosecuting & getting them off the street—BEFORE they commit more violent crimes is the most effective way to reduce murder rates. Let’s protect our citizens.”
In response to Cruz’s tweet, Mayor Lightfoot replied, “60% of illegal firearms recovered in Chicago come from outside IL—mostly from states dominated by coward Republicans like you who refuse to enact commonsense gun legislation. Keep our name out of your mouth.”
“When Ted Cruz and the GOP dismiss common sense gun policies, they disrespect victims and their families, who deserve to live without pain and fear,” she added.
Related Article: Alyssa Milano Asks If The Bible Supports Gun Rights, Ted Cruz Teaches Her A Lesson: ‘The Right To Self-Defense Is Recognized In The Bible’
Upon reading Mayor Lightfoot’s tweets directed at him and his fellow GOP colleagues, Cruz unleashed an fact-filled response that completely shattered Lightfoot’s argument to pieces.
In a 5-part tweet, Cruz replied as follows:
Mayor, your anger is misplaced. Virtually every year, Chicago has the most murders of any city in America. In 2017, the top five were: Chicago (650 murders), Baltimore (343), Philadelphia (317), New York (290), and Los Angeles (286).
All five of those cities have had Democratic mayors for decades and aggressive gun control policies—none seems to be working. Your explanation (“blame Indiana!”) doesn’t hold water. There are 27 states with GOP governors. Chicago is not alone in having neighboring red states.
But Chicago’s murder totals are often DOUBLE the next closest city. So how do you explain the big cities in red states, without aggressive gun control laws, where murder rates are MUCH lower than Chicago?
Maybe, rather than getting angry when others point out the tragically high murder rate in Chicago, you put aside the partisan talking points & the failed gun-control policies Chicago has pursued for decades.
Instead, lock up the violent criminals who are committing murder, PREVENT felons & fugitives from illegally buying firearms, and ALLOW law-abiding citizens (who are right now obeying Chicago’s prohibition) to exercise their constitutional right to protect their own lives and their families.
See Below
Ted Cruz Schools Chicago’s Mayor Lightfoot
1/x Mayor, your anger is misplaced. Virtually every year, Chicago has the most murders of any city in America. In 2017, the top five were: Chicago (650 murders), Baltimore (343), Philadelphia (317), New York (290), and Los Angeles (286). https://t.co/JYsaYcxgSF https://t.co/wcFc4MflzV
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 3, 2019
3/x But Chicago’s murder totals are often DOUBLE the next closest city. So how do you explain the big cities in red states, without aggressive gun control laws, where murder rates are MUCH lower than Chicago?
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 3, 2019
5/x …PREVENT felons & fugitives from illegally buying firearms, and ALLOW law-abiding citizens (who are right now obeying Chicago’s prohibition) to exercise their constitutional right to protect their own lives and their families.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 3, 2019
