Another feel-good but do-nothing law bit the dust Thursday as the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a gun ban in the nation's capital.

Predictably, in Chicago, where a similar draconian ban has been in effect since 1982, Mayor Richard Daley reacted by calling the decision "frightening" and predicting a challenge to the city's ordinance.

"Why don't we do away with the court system and go back to the days of the Wild West?" the mayor challenged sarcastically.

Outside of your occasional Billy the Kid, the American West was a rather peaceful place compared to the urban streets of Chicago, where Police Superintendent Jody Weis said there have been 15,000 "man with gun" calls and 27,000 "shots fired" calls reported in 2008.

Yep, that handgun ban has been really successful.

Unlike some other gun owners, though, I don't see Richard Daley as the Great Satan.

I see him as a man who is frustrated at rising gun crime in his city, impotent to do anything about it and willing to support a charade of a law as a symbolic measure to lash out at a criminal element who kills even children without compunction.

And that would be fine if it were not itself a choice that carries a deadly potential.

Dropping the blood-alcohol concentration limit from 0.10 to 0.08 was symbolic. Virtually all problem people who drink and drive are above the 0.10 level, and the new law did little but create work for defense lawyers and overload already jammed courts.

But as feel-good useless as that is, it won't kill anyone.

But barring law-abiding Chicagoans from having handguns in their homes and businesses means they have to hope and pray for police protection to arrive in time when an armed intruder breaks into their home or robs their store.

Experience shows police will arrive in time to collect the body.

Striking down the handgun ban will likely have little effect on Chicago's crime rate. Criminals will still take the bet that citizens will choose to remain unarmed, or will be untrained and useless when confronted with a gunman.

Daley's right about something, though. Too many gun owners are careless about keeping their weapons where children can find them, children who will take them to school to show their friends or play cops-and-robbers with a real firearm.

Gun owners got back what they wanted, the right to keep and bear arms. Show us all, Mayor Daley included, that you are worthy and responsible enough to retain that right.

The opinions are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at markk@nwitimes.com or (219) 933-4170.