This guy is good. His emails is: mailto:jskass@tribune.com
Democrats aren't telling whole story on gun control
John Klass
Politicians have discovered that one of the best ways to appeal to mothers who vote is to frighten them about their children.
And one of the best ways to do that is to use the hyper-emotional issue of gun control.
That's why supporters of Democrat Al Gore were on the steps of Holy Name Cathedral on Monday, to beat up on Republican George W. Bush, who has received the endorsement of Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police.
To counter that endorsement, Gore operatives pushed the idea that Bush is weak on crime because he opposes their brand of gun control.
Unfortunately, the gun controllers forgot to mention Tumor. How strange.
Tumor is the nickname of a fascinating guy whose story explains the criminal justice system and the pitiful enforcement of existing laws for gun crimes.
He's been arrested seven times on gun-related charges and about a dozen additional times for other crimes. In most of those cases, the charges have been dropped.
Witnesses don't show up. Or cops don't show up. Or the local prosecutors refuse to proceed if they have a chance of losing.
So the charges disappear. It's easier that way, especially when authorities don't make the effort to drag those witnesses into court.
Raising the gun issue is smart politics for Democrats. Emotion always trumps logic, especially on radio broadcasts and TV news, where slogans and pictures matter more than reason.
In this rigid framework, gun control advocates are portrayed, magically, as nonpartisan. And there is only one appropriate response to their rhetoric:
If you oppose politically inspired gun control laws, then by extension you want children to be killed.
So where does Tumor fit in?
"Tumor" is his nickname. But don't call him Tumor. He might get angry.
"I guess he had a brain tumor removed when he was a kid," said Ald. Ted Matlak (32nd), who has been fighting with Tumor and his pals for years in the yuppifying Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods.
"He's got a big, misshapen head. And a scar from the tumor. That's the problem with the guy," Matlak said. "He doesn't like you mentioning it. He gets angry."
His real name is Edwin Casiano Jr. He's 21.
According to court records, files, police reports and interviews with police and Cook County State's Atty. Richard Devine's office, Tumor has been an extremely busy boy since he turned 17.
In February 1996, a week after his 17th birthday, Tumor was arrested on disorderly conduct charges when he allegedly yelled obscenities at Shakespeare District cops who had the gall to arrest two of his pals on gun charges. The charges were later dropped by prosecutors.
About a month later, in March 1996, Tumor turned himself in to police after he was sought for the attempted shooting of a 24-year-old man near Wicker Park.
He was charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault. Again, the state's attorney dropped the charges.
Over the next three years, he was arrested about 15 times on various charges, including mob action and disorderly conduct. Once, he got angry and allegedly used his car to smash another guy's Cadillac. That was dropped too.
Few of the charges required a bond. And all were dropped, except for one drug charge last year. That ended up in a guilty plea in exchange for probation.
In May of 1997, Tumor was arrested on a mob action charge, when he was caught in a car with three other pals, one of whom was carrying a rifle.
And in March last year, Tumor was arrested after he allegedly flashed a pistol at another neighborhood sport, then rudely informed the man that "you better get steppin'."
That case was dropped by prosecutors too.
While Tumor was out on bond on the drug charge, he was arrested and charged with shooting at a man and woman on the street. Prosecutors dropped the charges.
Then the other day, Tumor was arrested and charged with murder. Authorities say he was in a grocery store when some other guys called him "Tumor."
So he allegedly followed them into a parking lot and shot Jesus Vega, 18, in the back as Vega tried to run away, police said.
Finally, Tumor is off the streets.
Sorry, I forgot one arrest you should know about.
Last year, on Sept. 5, Tumor was allegedly driving a black Oldsmobile SUV, with his pal, Alvaro Acosta, 21, riding shotgun.
They were following another car of rival punks. Police say that shots were being exchanged. Acosta allegedly was the shooter and Tumor was the wheel man.
One bullet from Tumor's black SUV missed. It pierced the plate glass window of the Coast Restaurant at 2143 N. Damen Ave.
A bartender, Hee Suk Oh, was talking to a customer. The bullet bounced off a beam and entered her spine.
Now she's paralyzed for life.
There were enough laws on the books long before that bullet crippled Hee Suk Oh. The only problem was that prosecutors and police didn't do enough to enforce them.
Because he had never been convicted of a crime before the drug charge, Tumor got probation and was out on the street.
And because he was never convicted of a violent crime before, he paid out $25,000 and walked on the attempted murder charge.
So Hee Suk Oh is paralyzed. Jesus Vega is dead.
And the speeches continue.
Democrats aren't telling whole story on gun control
John Klass
Politicians have discovered that one of the best ways to appeal to mothers who vote is to frighten them about their children.
And one of the best ways to do that is to use the hyper-emotional issue of gun control.
That's why supporters of Democrat Al Gore were on the steps of Holy Name Cathedral on Monday, to beat up on Republican George W. Bush, who has received the endorsement of Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police.
To counter that endorsement, Gore operatives pushed the idea that Bush is weak on crime because he opposes their brand of gun control.
Unfortunately, the gun controllers forgot to mention Tumor. How strange.
Tumor is the nickname of a fascinating guy whose story explains the criminal justice system and the pitiful enforcement of existing laws for gun crimes.
He's been arrested seven times on gun-related charges and about a dozen additional times for other crimes. In most of those cases, the charges have been dropped.
Witnesses don't show up. Or cops don't show up. Or the local prosecutors refuse to proceed if they have a chance of losing.
So the charges disappear. It's easier that way, especially when authorities don't make the effort to drag those witnesses into court.
Raising the gun issue is smart politics for Democrats. Emotion always trumps logic, especially on radio broadcasts and TV news, where slogans and pictures matter more than reason.
In this rigid framework, gun control advocates are portrayed, magically, as nonpartisan. And there is only one appropriate response to their rhetoric:
If you oppose politically inspired gun control laws, then by extension you want children to be killed.
So where does Tumor fit in?
"Tumor" is his nickname. But don't call him Tumor. He might get angry.
"I guess he had a brain tumor removed when he was a kid," said Ald. Ted Matlak (32nd), who has been fighting with Tumor and his pals for years in the yuppifying Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods.
"He's got a big, misshapen head. And a scar from the tumor. That's the problem with the guy," Matlak said. "He doesn't like you mentioning it. He gets angry."
His real name is Edwin Casiano Jr. He's 21.
According to court records, files, police reports and interviews with police and Cook County State's Atty. Richard Devine's office, Tumor has been an extremely busy boy since he turned 17.
In February 1996, a week after his 17th birthday, Tumor was arrested on disorderly conduct charges when he allegedly yelled obscenities at Shakespeare District cops who had the gall to arrest two of his pals on gun charges. The charges were later dropped by prosecutors.
About a month later, in March 1996, Tumor turned himself in to police after he was sought for the attempted shooting of a 24-year-old man near Wicker Park.
He was charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault. Again, the state's attorney dropped the charges.
Over the next three years, he was arrested about 15 times on various charges, including mob action and disorderly conduct. Once, he got angry and allegedly used his car to smash another guy's Cadillac. That was dropped too.
Few of the charges required a bond. And all were dropped, except for one drug charge last year. That ended up in a guilty plea in exchange for probation.
In May of 1997, Tumor was arrested on a mob action charge, when he was caught in a car with three other pals, one of whom was carrying a rifle.
And in March last year, Tumor was arrested after he allegedly flashed a pistol at another neighborhood sport, then rudely informed the man that "you better get steppin'."
That case was dropped by prosecutors too.
While Tumor was out on bond on the drug charge, he was arrested and charged with shooting at a man and woman on the street. Prosecutors dropped the charges.
Then the other day, Tumor was arrested and charged with murder. Authorities say he was in a grocery store when some other guys called him "Tumor."
So he allegedly followed them into a parking lot and shot Jesus Vega, 18, in the back as Vega tried to run away, police said.
Finally, Tumor is off the streets.
Sorry, I forgot one arrest you should know about.
Last year, on Sept. 5, Tumor was allegedly driving a black Oldsmobile SUV, with his pal, Alvaro Acosta, 21, riding shotgun.
They were following another car of rival punks. Police say that shots were being exchanged. Acosta allegedly was the shooter and Tumor was the wheel man.
One bullet from Tumor's black SUV missed. It pierced the plate glass window of the Coast Restaurant at 2143 N. Damen Ave.
A bartender, Hee Suk Oh, was talking to a customer. The bullet bounced off a beam and entered her spine.
Now she's paralyzed for life.
There were enough laws on the books long before that bullet crippled Hee Suk Oh. The only problem was that prosecutors and police didn't do enough to enforce them.
Because he had never been convicted of a crime before the drug charge, Tumor got probation and was out on the street.
And because he was never convicted of a violent crime before, he paid out $25,000 and walked on the attempted murder charge.
So Hee Suk Oh is paralyzed. Jesus Vega is dead.
And the speeches continue.