Concealed Carry Arguement

Carry Citizens of Illinois, is it so wrong to carry a concealed weapon for personal protection? There are multiple citizens of the United States believe that it is their constitutional right to carry. Statistics show that the crime rates have dropped in states with concealed carry and the death rates have not really grown. There are multiple figures of authority that are for and then there are those that still believe that concealed carry is unhealthy for a community. I for one am for the concealed carry laws in the state of Illinois.

There are many Citizens of the state and other states that agree with me and the numerous law makers that concealed carry in Illinois is a constitutional right passed down from our fore fathers. One Illinois citizen in particular, Mrs. Sue Darnall, teaches a gun safety class in Bloomington, IL. Her students upon passing the course are eligible to apply for a Florida concealed carry permit that is valid in 32 other states, excluding Illinois.

Mrs. Darnall says “You have to answer the question: do I have it in me to take someone else’s life?

We don’t know. We can train for that possibility but we never know until we have the experience. Firearms should always be considered a tool of last resort,” she is an advocate for the concealed carry law in Illinois [Brady]. There are multiple lawmakers in the state of Illinois that are for concealed carry and yet there are equally as many that disagree and believe that it is a bad idea.

“We look kind of silly being the only state not to have it. It works very well, the 49 other states prove it every day,” said state Rep.

Donald Moffitt, R-Galesburg. Under the legislation, anyone 21 years of age or older who has a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card would be eligible to apply for a concealed carry permit. Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, the sponsor, estimated the permit would cost around $100. Phelps pointed to Wisconsin, which passed a concealed carry law last summer. “They sold 67,000 permits the first week,” Phelps said [Ehley]. Phelps also says, “Right now we’re at the mercy of criminals [Brady]. Yet there are still law makers such as, Governor Pat Quinn, who says, “The concept of concealed, loaded handguns in possession of private citizens does not enhance public safety, on the contrary, it increases danger for everyday people [Ehley]. ” Each side in the intense debate has its own interpretation of what the framers of the Constitution meant when they penned the Second Amendment. The right of citizens “to keep and bear arms” is the bedrock upon which concealed carry support has been built across the country. “It’s a constitutional guarantee.

I think people should have the right to protect themselves because law enforcement is not equipped to totally protect them. The only people carrying guns now are cops and crooks,” said Madison County Sheriff Robert Hertz, president of Illinois Sheriff’s Association that in 2009 dropped its neutral position and approved a resolution endorsing concealed carry [Brady]. The arguments are endless on the topic, whether it is a constitutional right or not. Some people say it is because we should be able to carry when and where we feel that we are in danger and need the extra personal protection.

Looking at states such as Missouri where the city of St. Louis was voted the most dangerous city in America, the crimes against individuals has slowed and dropped in numbers since the passing of concealed carry there. Now if a criminal is uncertain that you have a gun or not, it makes him less likely to attack. Not forgetting to mention if criminals are already breaking these laws and carrying, what makes it so difficult to make it legal for others to “pack heat? ” I personally believe that if a law was passed for concealed carry the crime rates would drop in the state of Illinois.

The current votes against concealed carry on based on the majority of ruling over Chicago. What about the southern part of the state, we have crime too. 90% of Illinois state laws are passed because of the happenings in Chicago. If a law were to be passed I believe that a registration and screening process would and should be put in place to weed out “unfit” candidates. The Illinois laws already state that felons cannot posses firearms, cannot purchase ammunition, and aren’t eligible to receive a F. O. I. D card.

We could even be like the state of Wisconsin who just passed a carrying law; theirs is not concealed but open carry. Illinois is the only state in the entire union that doesn’t have a legal concealed carry law. There are multiple precautions that could be taken to prevent increased crime. In example, there are states that have local ordinances that make it illegal to carry a concealed weapon around such as Washington D. C. made it illegal to carry a handgun around, the rest of the state has a concealed carry law.

I say in conclusion I believe that concealed carry is a smart and safe bet, besides it is a constitutional right to carry. “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.