This
past week, everywhere I turned while walking the streets of Chicago I saw signs
in the windows and on the doors stating that there were no firearms allowed. It
was a rather disturbing sight as I felt a little uncomfortable knowing that the
only people that would be carrying in those buildings are law enforcement and
those who consciously decided to break the law. While I certainly have no
problem with the former, it is the latter group that bothered me. After all,
law abiding gun owners are not the problem facing this country, illegal
firearms ownership is the issue and I seriously doubt that a sign would prevent
them from walking through the door especially when they know that no one inside
is armed.
Further,
those residents in the state of Illinois have to deal with a myriad of other
restrictions. Wikipedia actually does a pretty good job summarizing the hoops
that law abiding gun owners must jump through both to purchase and to carry a
firearm in the state (keep in mind that the city of Chicago is a whole different
beast altogether):
To legally possess
firearms or ammunition, Illinois residents must have a Firearm Owners Identification
(FOID) card,
which is issued by the Illinois
State Police to any qualified
applicant. Non-residents who may legally possess firearms in their home state
are exempt from this requirement.
The state police
issue permits for the concealed
carry of handguns to qualified
applicants age 21 or older who pass a 16-hour training course. However, any law
enforcement agency can object to an individual being granted a permit
"based upon a reasonable suspicion that the applicant is a danger to
himself or herself or others, or a threat to public safety". Objections
are considered by a Concealed Carry Licensing Review Board, which decides
whether or not the permit will be issued, based on "a preponderance of the
evidence". Permits issued by other states are not recognized. Open carry is prohibited in
most areas. Without a concealed carry permit, a firearm must be unloaded and
enclosed in a case when it is being transported.
There is a waiting
period to take possession after purchasing a firearm — 72 hours for a handgun,
or 24 hours for a rifle or shotgun. For private sales, the seller
must verify the buyer's FOID card, and keep a record of the sale for at least
10 years. Lost or stolen guns must be reported to the police. Possession of automatic firearms, short-barreled shotguns, or suppressors is prohibited.
Possession of short-barreled
rifles is permitted only
for those who have an ATF Curios and Relics
license or are a member of a military reenactment group.
Illinois has state
preemption only for certain areas of gun law, and some local governments have
enacted ordinances that are more restrictive than those of the state.
It is
no wonder why Chicago has such a low crime rate! Oh wait, that doesn’t quite
add up now does it. Thankfully I am back in Pennsylvania where the laws remain
reasonable (for the most part) and I don’t have to worry walking into many of
the buildings that are around me. It is amazing what happens to the crime rate
once you travel beyond the iron curtain of urban sprawl and the oppressive states
that make up a shrinking portion of this country.
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