By Gerard Valentino

The organization Mayors Against Illegal Guns is in the news again for announcing an ad campaign to raise awareness of how illegal guns are often used in crimes. While everyone agrees that stopping the flow of guns to criminals is of vital public interest, the organizations stated goals are worthy of a “Captain of the Obvious” award.

Led by the rabidly anti-gun Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, the group’s stated goal is to keep guns out of the hands of criminals or the mentally ill. As if anyone in America is saying they are for putting more guns in the hands of criminals.

By Steve Chapman

When a rash of gun murders takes place, it makes sense for the police to do one of two things: renew tactics that have been effective in the past at curbing homicides, or embrace ideas that have not been tried before. But those options don't appeal to Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis. What he proposes instead is a crackdown on assault weapons.

I'm tempted to say this is the moral equivalent of a placebo—a sugar pill that is irrelevant to the malady at hand. But that would be unfair. Placebos, after all, sometimes have a positive effect. Assault weapons bans, not so much.

If there are too many guns in Chicago, it's not because of any statutory oversight. The city has long outlawed the sale and possession of handguns. It also forbids assault weapons. If prohibition were the answer, no one would be asking the question.

Click here for the entire op-ed in the Chicago Tribune.