Chicago Sun-Times - Durbin on Senate Floor: 'Need to Shut Down Pipeline of Guns'

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By: Chad Merda

After an extremely violent Fourth of July weekend in Chicago, Sen. Dick Durbin, D.-Ill., is in full assault mode when it comes to gun control.

A day after he urged the Senate to try again and bring to the floor a background check legislation he co-sponsored for tougher background checks and a crackdown on trafficking and straw purchase of guns, he took to the Senate floor again Wednesday morning to press the issue.

"14 dead, 82 wounded. That grim statistic was reported this weekend," Durbin said. "It was not from Baghdad. It was not from Damascus, it was not from Gaza. No, it was not from the Middle East. It was from the middle west. It was from Chicago."

Durbin went on to talk about specific murders, one by one and touched on the amount of grief that is being felt across Chicago.

"These numbers cloak the grief that families are now going through, as someone that they love is either gone or seriously injured," Durbin said. "When you listen to their voices, you understand what life is like on the mean streets on the south and west sides of Chicago."

"This type of violence is absolutely unacceptable. ... There are still too many deaths from gun violence," Durbin said.

He also praised responsible gun owners, who agree with him that no convicted felon or mentally unstable people should be allowed to buy a gun.

"We considered that on the floor of the Senate," Durbin said. "Close the gun show loophole. Ask the question, 'have you been convicted of a felony,' 'is there soething in your background that suggests a mental instability that should prohibit you from owning a gun?' We couldn't pass that measure."

He goes on:

"If we want to keep the guns out of the hands of those who would misuse them, if we want to protect the rights of law-abiding respectful citizens who own firearms and follow the law, then we should take care and make sure we do everything in our power to keep guns out of the hands of folks who will use them to hurt and kill innocent people."

Toward the end of his speech, Durbin gets fired up, showing just how passionate he is about the issue.

"I want to an opportunity to raise important issues about gun violence and gun safety in America," he said. "I'm going to offer an amendment ... which stiffens the penalties for those who purchase guns to give them to another person or sell them to another person to commit a crime."

"Girlfriends, wake up," Durbin said. "When that thug sends you in to buy a gun, under this amendment, you run the risk of spending 15 years of your life in a federal prison. So think about it. Is he really worth it?"

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