 Thousands showed up to voice their support for two measures working
through the Legislature.Mark Palmisano, from Collinsville, is an
associate pastor who said churches need to seriously consider
security more than in years past.
"So what this does -- and what we're really looking forward to --
is after the concealed carry passes in Illinois in some form or
another, like 48 or 49 other states currently have, the people that
qualify will be able to take that a step further and be able to
protect themselves outside of their homes," he said.
House Bill 148 would allow local sheriffs to issue people
permits to carry a pistol. Illinois and Wisconsin are the only
states that do not have a right-to-carry law.
Senate Bill 27 would provide gun owners privacy by prohibiting
law enforcers from making the Firearm Owner's Identification Card
list public.
Donald Moran, president of the Illinois State Rifle Association,
said he is against making the FOID list public.
"We don't think it's a good idea to release the location of all
the firearms in the state of Illinois to any potential burglars,
criminals," Moran said. "All of the former state police directors
and the current state police directors, I understand, are on our
side of this issue. They think it's a poor law enforcement choice to
let that information out. We think it's an invasion of privacy. And
just because someone is executing their constitutional rights, it
shouldn't be a reason to put them on a list and publicize their
names."
Gun store owner Justin Frakes of Eliza said gun owners go through
a lengthy process to obtain permits.
"The criminals are the people that aren't going to go through the
law process to get a gun," Frakes said. "So if they keep making
these rules to make it stricter for us to get a gun, we're not going
to have any at all. And the criminals are still going to have (guns)
because they don't have to go through -- they don't have a FOID
card; they don't wait the waiting period; they don't do any of that
stuff. So why are you punishing us law-abiding citizens that have
the right to carry a federal right?"
[to top of second column] |
Roger McCreight of Aledo, also a gun store owner, said
Illinoisans need to carry concealed weapons for protection.
"Well, I fought Vietnam for my constitutional rights. I'd sure
like to be able to carry a concealed weapon legally," McCreight.
"The bad guys do it. Why can't the good guys do it?"
A private investigator, Catherine Stone of Jonesboro, said she is
concerned that women do not have enough protection.
"There's a lot of violent crime against women, and women have the
right to defend themselves," Stone said. "Nail files, fingernails
are just sometimes not enough, especially against men who are more
physically strong."
Supporter Chad Nordstrom of the small town of Wyoming said gun
owners do not use their guns to harm others, but rather to protect
themselves.
"I'm here to stand up for my rights that I should have regardless
of what the state of Illinois says," Nordstrom said. "It's a
God-given right for me to have, to be able to defend myself and my
loved ones."
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By MARY J. CRISTOBAL]
 |
