NEWS: Chief Defender of Chicago calls on Supreme Court to end NY's racist gun laws: "While I support policies to stem flow of guns, prevent violence & heal harm, Black men aren't protected by criminalization. We're arrested, prosecuted, & imprisoned." More:thenation.com/article/politi…
First hand: "Ive been close to gun violence my entire life. Growing up on South Side of Chicago, I’ve seen classmates carry firearms to keep themselves & families safe. I later represented those same individuals in court—for possession—when I started work as a public defender."
"The people I knew growing up, & now the people I fight for in court, are also victims of gun violence themselves. I see those same people get arrested, prosecuted, & caged for the simple act of possessing a firearm—something protected & even exalted elsewhere in our country."
Context: "Last week, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the first major Second Amendment case in over a decade." Familiar divide. NRA on one side. ACLU & NAACP on the other. But then Black public defenders filed an amicus brief. Many surprised. scotusblog.com/2021/10/we-are…
"NYC defenders rightfully argued on behalf of hundreds of thousands of people they represent that NYs gun laws should be struck down bc of their disproportionate & devastating impact on Black & brown communities." I stand w/ those defender offices. Brief: supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/20/2… 
The truth: "Despite the 2nd Amendment’s claimed protections—only expanded in last 60 years—Black & brown men in NY, Chicago, & other localities around the country aren’t protected like white gun owners: We’re arrested, prosecuted, & warehoused in prisons."thenation.com/article/politi…
Questions by Supreme Court in oral arguments underscored a flawed perception: "Guns in the hands of Black & brown people are a threat to public safety, while in the hands of white owners they're an essential means of self-defense—a constitutional right." oyez.org/cases/2021/20-…
The Supreme Court’s inquiries were full of racially coded myths re: “high-crime areas” & “muggings" & a dangerous distinction btwn “these people w/ illegal guns” (read: Black people in cities) & “ordinary hardworking people” (read: white people in suburbs).thenation.com/article/politi…
Sharone Mitchell is a Black man from the Southside of Chicago. A lifelong organizer. An advocate for gun control. Now Chief Defender of Chicago. He wants Supreme Court to end criminalization of gun possession. "I am tired of seeing my community broken." thenation.com/article/politi…
"We see how, far from ending gun violence, criminalizing possession undermines public health & safety. People face a dual threat: harm from a community awash in violence—& harm from a system awash in incarceration. Guns don’t disappear. Shootings continue."thenation.com/article/politi…
"Laws criminalizing gun possession not only devastate Black & brown communities; they also fail to reduce the supply of guns on our streets. As police seizes 1000s of guns on the street, 1000s more exist on the market & access to them remains far too easy."thenation.com/article/politi…
"I want my community rid of the tools that make conflicts more deadly, suicide attempts more lethal, & domestic violence more fatal. At the same time, I want to see an end to the mass incarceration of people whom I sat next to in kindergarten."thenation.com/article/politi…
"There are ways to achieve gun safety that dont create more victims in process: Reduce flow & use of guns in communities, repeal gun industry immunity, educate on safe use & storage, implement targeted buybacks, & prohibit assault weapons, silencers, & high-capacity magazines."
"We need to invest in gun violence prevention & restorative justice. Not only effective. Designed to repair harm in communities while avoiding permanent punishment of a criminal record, which inhibits ability to get a job, educate, or find housing."thenation.com/article/politi…
"Until we pursue gun safety measures that serve every community and protect civil liberties, we will not be safer. The criminalization of gun possession across the country—from New York to Chicago—is unconstitutional and results in irreversible harm." thenation.com/article/politi…
Follow the author, the incredible @SharoneMitchJr and his office @CookCoDefender. A movement for justice and for truth. A movement to change what it means to be a public defender. Zealous advocacy inside and outside of court.
https://twitter.com/SharoneMitchJr/status/1459219893350383619?s=20
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