Conceal and carry a bad recipe for Illinois
Allan Lewis
Issue date: 3/17/09 Section: Opinion
Yes, it is unconstitutional to say you cannot own a gun.
It is also illegal to use a gun to harm people in churches and college campuses, and no, it should not be your right to be packing heat in these kinds of places, but that is exactly what one new piece of legislation is trying to accomplish.
The Family and Personal Protection Act is making its way through the Illinois legislature, a state with some of the stiffest laws for gun owners in the country. Illinois and Wisconsin are the only two states without a conceal and carry policy.
Even with laws prohibiting the public use of a firearm, guns have found their way into the wrong hands of people in Illinois and into national headlines on two major instances over the past 14 months, and while protection and good intentions lead the way, nothing good can come from giving more people more guns.
Honestly, would a student at Northern Illinois University have courageously pulled out a gun and saved five innocent lives? Would a member of the congregation at First Baptist Church in Maryville have done the same to save the pastor?
These are two sad, unfortunate events resulting from gun violence, and if you believe for a second that "guns don't kill, people do," you are wrong. Adding more firepower into the fray can do nothing more than make a bad situation worse, especially when quick and heroic thinking is necessary to stop a hectic situation.
If guns don't kill people, bullets sure as hell do.
Adding more guns will not make streets any safer. While the entire state is not going to flock to their area gun shop to take advantage of a new conceal and carry law, some will. Most will have good intentions, but it's not the majority of that group we have to worry about. It's the irresponsible salesmen putting guns in the wrong hands. It's the people who want to show off their new toy with the safety off.
The law would prohibit permit holders from having weapons in places like school districts, alcohol and gambling establishments and churches, which makes perfect sense, but what difference does it make.
Gun violence has found its way into all these venues for one reason or another, whether it is a random act of violence at a church or an alcoholic rage when tempers flare at a bar.
So these places are excluded for fear of another tragedy, but people are prevented from protecting themselves in the event of an emergency, which is the whole point of the law.
Sounds a little contradictive.
Public universities are not excluded from the law, and after a summer scare and a former student threatening a "murderous rampage" against SIUE, this type of law is exactly what we don't need.
Keep the guns at home, and let the police do their job, Illinois.
It is also illegal to use a gun to harm people in churches and college campuses, and no, it should not be your right to be packing heat in these kinds of places, but that is exactly what one new piece of legislation is trying to accomplish.
The Family and Personal Protection Act is making its way through the Illinois legislature, a state with some of the stiffest laws for gun owners in the country. Illinois and Wisconsin are the only two states without a conceal and carry policy.
Even with laws prohibiting the public use of a firearm, guns have found their way into the wrong hands of people in Illinois and into national headlines on two major instances over the past 14 months, and while protection and good intentions lead the way, nothing good can come from giving more people more guns.
Honestly, would a student at Northern Illinois University have courageously pulled out a gun and saved five innocent lives? Would a member of the congregation at First Baptist Church in Maryville have done the same to save the pastor?
These are two sad, unfortunate events resulting from gun violence, and if you believe for a second that "guns don't kill, people do," you are wrong. Adding more firepower into the fray can do nothing more than make a bad situation worse, especially when quick and heroic thinking is necessary to stop a hectic situation.
If guns don't kill people, bullets sure as hell do.
Adding more guns will not make streets any safer. While the entire state is not going to flock to their area gun shop to take advantage of a new conceal and carry law, some will. Most will have good intentions, but it's not the majority of that group we have to worry about. It's the irresponsible salesmen putting guns in the wrong hands. It's the people who want to show off their new toy with the safety off.
The law would prohibit permit holders from having weapons in places like school districts, alcohol and gambling establishments and churches, which makes perfect sense, but what difference does it make.
Gun violence has found its way into all these venues for one reason or another, whether it is a random act of violence at a church or an alcoholic rage when tempers flare at a bar.
So these places are excluded for fear of another tragedy, but people are prevented from protecting themselves in the event of an emergency, which is the whole point of the law.
Sounds a little contradictive.
Public universities are not excluded from the law, and after a summer scare and a former student threatening a "murderous rampage" against SIUE, this type of law is exactly what we don't need.
Keep the guns at home, and let the police do their job, Illinois.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 28
James McCoy
posted 3/16/09 @ 6:54 PM CST
First of all you are sadly mistaken. Illinois has one of the highest rates of gun violence and it is proven that the stricter the laws against legal gun ownership, the higher the violent crime rate. (Continued…)
Brent
posted 3/16/09 @ 7:15 PM CST
Wow. I understand that some people really believe that guns are the problem, not irresponsible, illegal human beings, but this op-ed is almost to the point of burying your head in the sand. (Continued…)
Brent
posted 3/16/09 @ 7:34 PM CST
Wow. I understand that some people really believe that guns are the problem, not irresponsible, illegal human beings, but this op-ed is almost to the point of burying your head in the sand. (Continued…)
Chris
posted 3/17/09 @ 10:59 AM CST
Wow...Allan you really are a misguided youth, who is obviously getting too much influence from some left wing professors. Guns DON'T kill people, PEOPLE kill people. (Continued…)
Jeff
posted 3/17/09 @ 11:38 AM CST
Allan,
While your intentions are appreciated, I think that perhaps you are not looking at the whole picture?
Let's assume that a "crazy" law allowing people to carry concealed weapons gets passed in IL. (Continued…)
Matt
posted 3/17/09 @ 11:41 AM CST
I agree with Chris, people do kill people. The person committing a crime should be held accountable not the instrument used to carry out the violent act. (Continued…)
Jason
posted 3/17/09 @ 12:17 PM CST
This is ignorance at it's highest level. How about we disband our army? Then, only let our enemies have armies. Fewer armies must mean less war, right? Brilliant!
Oh, and as a member of FBCM of Maryville I will answer your rhetorical question in paragraph #5: YES!
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
posted 3/17/09 @ 12:26 PM CST
Allen, how did you actually get into college?
Alicia
posted 3/17/09 @ 12:52 PM CST
Allan
You are extremely misinformed! As a police officer, I am a strong proponent of conceal and carry laws. If you did some research, you would find that conceal carry laws have deterred crime. (Continued…)
Jack the Ripper
posted 3/17/09 @ 1:19 PM CST
Knifes are more dangerous then any gun on campus. You can't hear them, they're easier to conceal, and they are easy to get. If someone decides to go Crocodile Dundee on another person I'd hope the intended victim were carrying an "Anti-Darwin Device" (Gun for short. (Continued…)
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