Key concerns about banning ‘assault’ guns

My first question is what exactly is an “assault weapon”? Most would immediately conjure up an image of the AR black style rifle platform used in the Newtown shootings. What others may not know is that many commonly used small caliber semiautomatic (these do require the depressing of the trigger, by the way and are not full auto) pistols that many will seek to use as part of their right to carry concealed under the new state law, will be of this type. Adding to the confusion (by purposeful design) by allowing individual communities to dictate Second Amendment laws, how does one possibly know from traveling from one community to another as to what each municipality allows in their own definition of an “assault weapon”?

Secondly, it is reasonable to assume that the gangbangers and other criminals within the state of Illinois, that seek to do evil, will certainly not apply for either the required FOID card, undergo the newly proposed 16 hours of training (the most of any state in the union — also not by coincidence to serve as a deterrent to law-abiding citizens who wish to protect themselves and family from society’s ills) or conduct a demographic study to see which surrounding areas allow “assault weapons.”

The real travesty is that the area that is probably the most in need of a concealed-carry environment for its citizens, Chicago, will likely never see this due to the social politics, and the criminals know this well.

Steven Deering

Mount Prospect