Who was Otis McDonald?

 

 McDonald v. City of Chicago

Who was Otis McDonald?


Otis McDonald was born in 1933 to Louisiana sharecroppers. After serving time in the army, McDonald moved to Chicago when he was 17 as part of the Great Migration of Blacks (a relocation of over six million Black Americans from Southern states to Northern, Midwestern, and Western states). As time passed, McDonald began working as a janitor at the University of Chicago. Having left school at 14, McDonald never earned his high school diploma, but after working his way from a janitor, he eventually became the maintenance engineer at the University of Chicago, where he retired in 1996 at age 63. McDonald returned to school while working at the University and earned his associate degree from Kennedy-King College. McDonald soon had a wife, Laura, and family, and he would eventually become a grandfather.

Why did McDonald believe in gun rights?
Being an army veteran and hunter, McDonald was quite familiar with firearms. McDonald lived in the Southern Side of Chicago, where crime was frequent. He even went on by saying that his house had been broken into on three occasions, and with the handgun ban, he felt that he could not defend himself nor could he defend his family. While he did advocate for the right to bear arms, McDonald’s primary concern was to keep his family. He believed that by keeping the ban intact, it was bringing back “slave codes” and “black codes” (laws that kept guns out of the hands of slaves and freed slaves alike).

“If you have not found something you will die for, you have not yet lived.”
A quote that, Otis’s nephew said, was one of Otis’s favorites. Otis McDonald fought for his case and won, inspiring many citizens who believed in the movement to step forward and offer support. He was said to be very “kind” and “humble” when spoken to in person, and even those who did not believe in his cause, believe him to be a courageous citizen. Sadly, after fighting a long illness, Otis McDonald passed away April 4, 2014 at the age of 80. While he may be gone, his legacy will not be forgotten.          

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