GoRon
Member
http://www.illinoisleader.com/
IL: We should talk about some other issues of interest to our readers. Let’s clarify your views on the Second Amendment.
RYAN: I am a supporter of the Second Amendment, I think it is an individual right. And where I teach on the south side, we have gun control on almost every single kind of weapon you can have. But we have more people die from Chicago from violence than in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. So gun control has been a failed policy.
So my view is to reduce crime and to reduce crime there are two things you need to do: One is make sure there is hope for these children and families on the south side of Chicago, west side of Chicago, where all these murders are happening. We need to give them hope. That goes back to education.
And unless in this new information economy, unless you have hope, you’ll turn to crime. You give them hope through having them understand they can compete in this free and open economy. And the second thing is to return to a values curriculum in the schools.
A lot of good things, as I said before, came out of the sixties. One of the bad things that came out of the sixties was the elimination of the values curriculum in the schools. I don’t mean necessarily Christian or Jewish values, but those values which transcend any religion - honesty, fair play, be good to your family, be kind to your neighbors, working hard, being dependable, all those things. We need to reassert those in class where the children are for most of their waking day. So I think the way to reduce crime is not new gun laws, we’ve proven that now, but by having values curriculum in the schools.
IL: What is your position on the conceal and carry law?
RYAN: There is no federal legislation on right to carry or license to carry. Missouri is the 38th state that has passed those laws. It seems that they’ve been effective in those 38 states, they seem to have done very, very well. We don’t see lots of crime in those states, as a matter of fact, crime has come down. And so, it seems to be effective.
It is a state issue, not a federal issue, but it seems to have worked in the states where the legislation has passed.
IL: You say it seems to have worked . . . would you vote in support if you were given the opportunity to support a federal conceal and carry law?
RYAN: I’d have to look at it the legislation and see how it was written and all that . . .
IL: Are you seeking the endorsement of the National Rifle Association?
RYAN: I’d like to have it, yeah. I’d like the endorsement of every group I can get.
IL: That’s the best I can get on this issue?
RYAN: It would really depend on how the bill was written.
IL: Well, what if you could write the legislation?
RYAN: If I could write it the way I wanted to, I suppose I would sponsor, but I don’t know what language I would use. I don’t have the answer for that.
IL: So you’re supportive of the concept, but you’re tentative about what the content would be. . .
RYAN: (No answer)
IL: We should talk about some other issues of interest to our readers. Let’s clarify your views on the Second Amendment.
RYAN: I am a supporter of the Second Amendment, I think it is an individual right. And where I teach on the south side, we have gun control on almost every single kind of weapon you can have. But we have more people die from Chicago from violence than in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. So gun control has been a failed policy.
So my view is to reduce crime and to reduce crime there are two things you need to do: One is make sure there is hope for these children and families on the south side of Chicago, west side of Chicago, where all these murders are happening. We need to give them hope. That goes back to education.
And unless in this new information economy, unless you have hope, you’ll turn to crime. You give them hope through having them understand they can compete in this free and open economy. And the second thing is to return to a values curriculum in the schools.
A lot of good things, as I said before, came out of the sixties. One of the bad things that came out of the sixties was the elimination of the values curriculum in the schools. I don’t mean necessarily Christian or Jewish values, but those values which transcend any religion - honesty, fair play, be good to your family, be kind to your neighbors, working hard, being dependable, all those things. We need to reassert those in class where the children are for most of their waking day. So I think the way to reduce crime is not new gun laws, we’ve proven that now, but by having values curriculum in the schools.
IL: What is your position on the conceal and carry law?
RYAN: There is no federal legislation on right to carry or license to carry. Missouri is the 38th state that has passed those laws. It seems that they’ve been effective in those 38 states, they seem to have done very, very well. We don’t see lots of crime in those states, as a matter of fact, crime has come down. And so, it seems to be effective.
It is a state issue, not a federal issue, but it seems to have worked in the states where the legislation has passed.
IL: You say it seems to have worked . . . would you vote in support if you were given the opportunity to support a federal conceal and carry law?
RYAN: I’d have to look at it the legislation and see how it was written and all that . . .
IL: Are you seeking the endorsement of the National Rifle Association?
RYAN: I’d like to have it, yeah. I’d like the endorsement of every group I can get.
IL: That’s the best I can get on this issue?
RYAN: It would really depend on how the bill was written.
IL: Well, what if you could write the legislation?
RYAN: If I could write it the way I wanted to, I suppose I would sponsor, but I don’t know what language I would use. I don’t have the answer for that.
IL: So you’re supportive of the concept, but you’re tentative about what the content would be. . .
RYAN: (No answer)
