Did you know Illinois is the only state that does not allow concealed carry? Did you know Illinois is the only state in the nation that has FOID cards? (firearm owners identification cards) Did you know Chicago is like the wild west with extremely strict gun laws? (I know you did)
Consider this, if your spouse has a FOID card and has a gun in your home, if he or she were to die you would automatically become a felon if for some reason the police saw it. If you are a felon you will never be allowed to own a gun legally and can face prison time.
Many public places like parks will off limits for concealed carry as the bill stands. In other words, where do you think those wishing to do harm will prey on people. Why not go for the easy pickins'? The bad guys will know where honest folks are and they don't worry about FOID cards or any of the paperwork. Buy a gun on the street and you are in business.
The state police are currently about six months behind in issuing FOID cards. They are receiving 40,000 FOID applications per month. If the bill is signed soon it may go into effect in December if things go well. You will need I believe 16 hours of training even if you have owned a gun for years. If you are retired police or military you will still need eight hours of training. How ridiculous can this get?
Our governor Quinn said he doesn't want to see people shot in arguments over grocery carts. Come on, governor, this has happened nowhere else in the country. Are Illinois residents that much crazier than the rest of the country? Sign the darn thing and let the amendments start to fix it.
Disagree? Drop me an email and I will publish it.
Ken