Illinois gun laws don't keep you safe

In "Missteps in an unnerving commute," the Daily Herald writes: " ... now that two days have passed shouldn't we all be more concerned?" and: "What are all our law enforcement agencies learning from it and doing about it now?" and finally; "For all our sakes, we urge them not to dismiss this disturbing and important teaching moment."

What could have generated this level of post hoc concern? The fiasco of a police state response to a simple incident of lawful concealed carry on the Chicago transit system.

Honest citizens found "assault weapons" (actually only semi-automatic rifles) confronting them on their normal commute brandished by local police alerted to a possible violation of Nanny State anti-Second Amendment legislation. Since the right to bear arms and the privilege of licensed concealed carry of said arms are both denied in the great state of Illinois and especially so in the county of Cook and the city of Chicago; then by definition, anyone in possession of a firearm in public "must" be a criminal! Potential mayhem and tragedy must surely follow. To avert disaster, local law enforcement coordinated a government sanctioned hijacking of a train full of people thereby violating the civil rights of and endangering the lives of the very citizens they seek to "protect and serve."

I agree that this is an "important teaching moment." The core of the lesson to be learned from this incident may be revealed by asking the question: "What would have been the likely outcome of the exact same initiating incident in the great states of Indiana, Florida, Utah, Missouri, Tennessee, or any of the 48 states of the union (only Illinois and Wisconsin are excepted) where private citizens, after training and certification to various degrees, are licensed to carry firearms concealed?" The answer is that almost certainly little or nothing would have transpired.

The ticket agent would have simply answered the question concerning the metal detectors, thanked the patron for asking first before boarding, possibly asked to see the license for lawful carry, and advised the patron of the locally specific legal conditions currently applicable. In the unlikely scenario that some doubt remained in the agent's mind, the patron bearing the firearm would be referred to higher authority. End of incident before it even started. This reasonable, polite and orderly outcome is made possible by licensed concealed carry law.

Because Illinois and (especially) Cook County distrusts its citizens and denies their right to bear arms, an armed person is immediately suspect of criminal activity and the ordinary public live in a state of paranoia in the presence of firearms. Many Illinois citizens are shocked to learn that throughout the United States lawful concealed carry is the rule and not the exception. These same citizens would no doubt be surprised to learn that some of their fellow Illinois citizens are licensed to carry in as many as 30 other states. Only in their home state are they deemed unworthy of trust.

Probably the public is also ignorant of the fact that they frequently ride the trains, shop in stores, and otherwise go about their daily business in the presence of lawfully armed or carry-licensed persons in Illinois! Besides the obvious armed persons like secret service, FBI, active duty plain clothes police, trained security guards on duty and so on; add to that number all the off duty law enforcement officers and in recent times, the retired law enforcement officers licensed to carry in the state.

Finally, you ride with the unlawfully armed persons on the train as well. These people aren't trained or certified and they don't need licenses. They are the criminals in the population and they do as they please regardless of any "reasonable" gun laws and prohibitions. Nobody knows how many of them are carrying and they already know there are no metal detectors on public transit.

Paul Boardman

Lake Villa