Editorial Roundup: Illinois
Arlington Heights Daily Herald. July 22, 2022.
Editorial: Rule change will make it harder for people who shouldn't have weapons to get them
When the man whom authorities have charged with the murder of seven people and the wounding of more than two dozen others at Highland Park's Fourth of July parade applied for a Firearm Owner's Identification card in late 2019, there was 'œinsufficient'ť evidence that he was a danger to himself or others to deny his request, the head of the Illinois State Police said days after the mass shooting.
The Highland Park police were called by a family member twice that year -- once claiming the man threatened suicide and later that he threatened to 'œkill everyone'ť -- but both he and his mother denied he'd done so. Police did confiscate 17 knives and a sword, until his father told police they were his and reclaimed them.
That all of this is alleged to have happened within months of his application for a FOID card (because he wasn't yet 21, his father sponsored him) tells us there is a problem with the type of information state police can use to determine whether a FOID applicant can handle the responsibility of owning a gun.
This week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a change in procedure that would give state police the ability to look at a broader range of information to determine whether an applicant poses a 'œclear and present danger'ť of suicide or violence toward others that could result in denial of a FOID card or even revocation of an existing one.
Pritzker said the change will allow state police to 'œsee a fuller picture of an applicant's history and keep the people of Illinois safe from those who should not be in possession of firearms.'ť
It's a bit of a semantic issue, but in the past the rule, was that a clear and present danger was defined by an 'œimpending,'ť 'œimminent,'ť 'œsubstantial'ť or 'œsignificant'ť threat. Modifying that definition gives authorities more latitude in deciding whether to issue a firearms permit.
We've had to go through some uncomfortable and often unpopular restrictions over two years to try to halt a worldwide pandemic, so it follows that we might have to deal with some uncomfortable measures to get the issue of gun violence under control. And, out of control the issue is. We have an epidemic of gun violence from young men in this country.
We'll restate here our long-held belief that the type of high-capacity rapid-fire rifle the suspect is alleged to have used to fire more than 80 rounds onto a festive crowd has no business being in the hands of civilians. We've advocated that in the absence of a federal or state law banning such laws that municipalities take it upon themselves to do so through local legislation.
Highland Park did just that. The town where the suspect had been living -- Highwood -- has not. The safety net is extraordinarily leaky.
Until we as a nation or state wise up and put an end to the legal purchase of such unnecessary killing machines, we will have disenfranchised young men who will use them to wreak carnage.
Giving the state police more leeway to stop people likely to abuse guns from buying one legally is a small but important step.
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Chicago Sun-Times. July 21, 2022.
Editorial: The time to take monkeypox outbreak seriously is now
The demand for the Monkeypox vaccine means people are willing to take the precautions necessary to avoid the virus, but that cannot be done with a slow vaccine rollout.
Monkeypox cases - a majority of them reported among gay and bisexual men - reached 208 in Illinois and more than 2,323 nationwide this week. Public health experts are now struggling to mitigate the spread of the virus and are frustrated with managing supply and demand for the vaccine.
In Chicago, cases increased from 105 last week to more than 180 on Thursday. Worry among the affected community is clear: A line at the Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN) service center in Edgewater stretched for nearly a block on Monday. Dozens lined up hours before the 2 p.m. start time for vaccination, but with only 100 doses available at that location and priority going to high-risk individuals, many were turned away.
'œI could not believe the line outside, which shows how urgent this is and how afraid people are, and it makes me sick that we have so few doses of the vaccine to offer people,'ť TPAN CEO Kara Eastman told ABC-7 Chicago.
The demand for the monkeypox (MPV) vaccine shows that people are willing to take precautions to avoid the virus. That's encouraging, after so much hesitancy from some regarding the COVID-19 vaccines. Once more vaccines are available, a swift and efficient rollout is imperative.
The time to take the outbreak seriously is now, as Gov. J.B. Pritzker made clear on Thursday when he called on the federal government to be more aggressive in taking action against the virus and to put more priority on areas with the most significant outbreaks, like Chicago, when it comes to allocating vaccine doses. Illinois now has the third-highest total of monkeypox cases in the country.
'œWe know that a swift response is essential when confronting outbreaks of disease,'ť said Pritzker. 'œAnd we've learned in the last few years that most people are eager to protect themselves and their communities when given the tools to do so.'ť
High demand, low supply
The federal government has ordered 7 million doses of the vaccine, but a majority of the doses won't be available until mid-2023. Only 156,000 have shipped nationally, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Chicago has received over 5,400 doses of vaccine, according to an update from the Chicago Department of Public Health, and the city expects to receive an additional 15,000 doses in the coming days.
Because vaccine supply is limited, CDPH says it will take some time before health care providers are able to provide vaccines to the general public. For now, in order to effectively slow down community transmission, the focus is to vaccinate those who are at high risk of being exposed.
Those at high risk include men who have sex with other men, transgender women who have sex with men, sex professionals and people who have multiple sex partners. Similar to COVID-19, MPV vaccination requires two shots, so individuals must return for a second injection four weeks after the first.
As the government speeds up vaccine supply, another way to mitigate the spread of the virus is through aggressive educational outreach at the local and federal level. Although the virus has been around for decades, most people aren't knowledgeable about its symptoms or how it spreads from person to person.
The monkeypox disease can last between two to four weeks. Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes and blister-like rashes that look like chickenpox. The rashes may begin to appear on the face and later spread to other parts of the body. If the virus is acquired through intimate or sexual contact, the rashes may begin in the genital or anal areas.
Health experts have stressed that MPV is not a sexually transmitted disease, though the most reported form of transmission occurs through skin-to-skin contact. A majority of reported cases have been among men who are intimate with other men - but anyone can contract the virus, regardless of sex or gender.
CDPH said it has engaged diverse partners to bring vaccines to those who are eligible through health care providers. The city plans to continue to raise awareness through weekly engagement with LGBTQ partners, businesses and at summer events.
As MPV cases go up, vaccines will be needed sooner rather than later. In the meantime, the public should take advantage of a current line of defense that's readily available - getting tested. It's the best way to keep safe and stop this virus, now.
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Champaign News-Gazette. July 20, 2022.
Editorial: State moving quickly on gun loopholes
Although piecemeal changes are being made to Illinois laws, and others are being considered, no one is calling for a comprehensive review of regulations.
Following up on a loophole exposed by the horrific July 4 parade shootings in Highland Park, the Illinois State Police has proclaimed an emergency rule permitting it to expand the use of 'œclear and present danger'ť reports.
Under the welcome rule that went into effect Friday, 'œclear and present danger'ť reports filed by local police now will be retained and used by state police in evaluating whether a person can obtain a state-issued Firearm Owner's Identification Card.
In the Highland Park massacre where seven people were killed and dozens more were injured, accused murderer Robert Crimo was able to procure a FOID card even though local police in 2019 had made a 'œclear and present danger'ť report. The report was reviewed by a trooper, but at the time, Crimo had no pending FOID card application. Shortly thereafter, his clear-and-present-danger designation apparently was deleted from the state police system.
The clear-and-present-danger report is not enough to deny an applicant a FOID card, but it now can be used by authorities to flag potential problems.
The new rule still must be approved by the Legislature's 11-member Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.
Lawmakers separately are building support for individual pieces of legislation in response to the Highland Park shootings. Two bills have been introduced in the House since the incident. One would prohibit a minor who attempts self-harm or harm to another from obtaining or maintaining a FOID card until the age of 24. The other would hold a parent or legal guardian who consents to a minor's application for a FOID card criminally liable in cases like Crimo's.
Another bill, introduced last winter, would ban assault weapons, .50-caliber rifles or .50-caliber cartridges in Illinois. That legislation has picked up 54 co-sponsors since the July 4 shootings.
Still, no state officials or law-enforcement authorities are calling for a comprehensive review of the kind of regulations and laws that could help avoid future mass shootings in Illinois. That kind of evaluation by a wide range of experts in law enforcement, the judicial system and the mental-health community undoubtedly would be valuable.
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