On Tuesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Senate Majority Whip and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) responded to a question on the crime surge in Washington, D.C. and what can be done for crimes committed without a gun by stating that “it’s hard to put your finger on it for any given city.” And “Some of this is going to take addressing issues that are really deep-seated in terms of poverty and the way children are being raised,” Durbin also stated that he knows that lack of gun control is a part of the crime issue in Chicago.
Co-host Joe Scarborough asked, “You represent Chicago. Obviously, you understand about crime and the challenges of runaway crime rates. Chicago’s been fighting it for decades. We now see, of course, cities on the West Coast, cities on the East Coast, and, as I’ve said before, not just blue cities, but cities like Jacksonville, Monroe, Louisiana; Birmingham, Alabama; some of the highest crime rates in America. Now, Washington, D.C. … You’ve got power over Washington. Your colleagues have power over Washington. How do you make it safe for even your own staffers to be able to work without having to worry about getting robbed or having their car stolen or getting killed?”
Durbin answered, “Joe, that’s a perfectly legitimate question to ask every member of Congress. And I’m doing my best in Chicago and in Illinois to try to reduce gun violence. But let’s accept one reality: We live in a nation of some 320 million people and 400 million guns. The guns that are coming into Illinois and being used in crime are brought in from a lot of state’s gun shows nearby, and that is part of the problem. Some of the firearms that are being used, the Fourth of July at Highland Park a year ago, that was a situation where a fellow on the roof of a business, in 60 seconds, fired off 83 rounds into a crowd, killing seven people and injuring dozens of others. What in the world does anybody need a weapon that can discharge 83 rounds in 60 seconds [for]? So, let’s get real about gun safety too.”
Scarborough then asked, “Let’s get real about gun safety. The question is, what’s done for the crimes committed without a gun? Carjackings up 110% over the past year in Washington, D.C., assaults up double digits in Washington, D.C., crime skyrocketing in Washington, D.C. And it’s actually going against — … and of course, homelessness is skyrocketing everywhere. But it’s going against national trends. What’s happening in Washington, D.C.?”
Durbin responded, “Well, it’s hard to put your finger on it for any given city. I’ve done my best to analyze Chicago and the challenges we face there. And there are crime intervention operations that are being successful. Some of this is going to take addressing issues that are really deep-seated in terms of poverty and the way children are being raised, to be very blunt with you. That’s part of the situation. You can’t pass a law that’s going to change that overnight, but we’ve got to do everything within our power to make our streets safe. That’s the first thing Americans ask, give me a safe neighborhood, a safe town to live in, and then show me the schools and I’ll make my decision on where I want to live. But what you’ve raised, every single point is valid.”
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