By Ray Hanania

I agree that there needs to be some tougher requirements to owning a gun, and that we should ban the sale of automatic weapons or owning an operable automatic weapon in a collection.

But despite the high-profile killings that the news media showcases, such as the tragic massacre of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, most gun violence involves handguns.

Even if you tighten the requirements and ban the automatic weapons, hundreds if not thousands of young people will be killed in Chicago and suburban Cook County each year, and thousands more will be injured by guns.

Without addressing the lax policies of people like Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, changing gun laws are meaningless. Those who only call for banning guns, like the many big-shot Democratic politicians who are using the issue for selfish political purposes, we won’t eliminate the real threat of violence that plagues many neighborhoods–not just in Chicago but across the country.

It’s not a race issue, either. It’s an economic and poverty issue. Many people who “need” use guns to “get.” Politicians like Foxx, who coddle criminals, and hypocrites like Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who tie the hands of police and blame ethnic minorities like Arabs for their gun violence problems, need to be removed from office.

Before you change gun laws, police need to be empowered even more, not weakened. They need to be tougher. They need to be protected from political lawsuits filed by parents and activists who refuse to accept responsibility for the criminal actions of their children that they enable.

We need to pass laws to punish parents and hold them accountable for the actions of their children, when those parents, for whatever excuse or reason, fail to be parents. If a child under 16 is on the streets at 2 in the morning with a gangbanger and a gun, those parents should be locked up.

Lower the age of imprisonment for anyone 12 years of age or older involved in gun violence. Take them off the streets and impose mandatory jail sentences of at least 10 years without parole.

I’m tired of trying to save the criminals when we do nothing to save the innocent victims of their violence. Law abiding citizens should be protected first.

So, when you hear politicians scream about the need for “gun control” but say nothing about parental responsibility or empowering the police, you know that all they are doing is exploiting politics with tragedy.

Don’t vote for any politician who only screams about needing gun control. Vote for the other candidate for your own protection.

THE POLITICAL GRAPEVINE: Starting with the Democrats. A lot of people are blaming Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi for the delay in collecting property taxes, which is putting strains on local governments to provide services. They blame his failure to implement a new system in his office. That’s why you should vote for Kari Steele instead. … Tammy Wendt is the only woman on the Cook County Board of Review and yet she has been targeted by the male-dominated Democratic Party that claims to care about gender rights. Wendt is being attacked for doing things that every other politician has done. It’s all political BS. Your first priority this election is to ensure Wendt returns to the Board of Review to protect your properties.

We need good judges, and none are better than Nick Kantas and ShawnTe Raines-Welch, who are running for two seats on the 4th subcircuit in Cook County. … And are you not tired of the lies and failed policies of Gov. JB Pritzker, who has done nothing to speak out in support of reasonable policies on gun laws and safety, taxes, healthcare or controlling state spending? The state is in the worst disrepair we have ever seen. … State Rep. Fran Hurley and Cyril Nichols, who work hard, also deserve your vote. So do State Senators Bill Cunningham and Michael Hastings.

On the Republican Side, you’ve noticed I write in support of Liz Gorman for both returning to the Cook County Board in the 17th District and as Republican Committeewoman in beleaguered Orland Park. She deserves your vote over Sean Morrison, who ranks as the top mudslinger in Cook County’s elections. No one lies more than Morrison, who defended one of his top employees who was accused of sexual harassment of two 14-year-old girls, one an undercover agent … Either Mike Grasso or Scott Kaspar are better choices than empowering Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau in the 6th Congressional District. Pekau is a Morrison enabler … and the better candidate for governor is Jesse Sullivan.

Check out Ray Hanania’s columns and political podcasts at hanania.com.