Legislators prepare for potential concealed carry vote (Illinois)

[DonP]

Illinois may finally join the rest of the country sooner, rather than later.

Worth noting that all legislators involved in these discussions are all from Chicago Democrats and previously were reliable votes for anything Daley wanted. Maybe not so much anymore, based on what they are hearing from their voters. They only missed a shall issue law that would over ride Quinn's veto and pre-empt local laws by only 6 votes.

Chatham is not very far from Morgan Park, where Otis McDonald lives, and suffers from many of the same gang related issues they have in MP, Pilsen and Englewood.


From the Chicago Defender, September 21, 2011

<snip>

Next month, the Illinois House could revisit House Bill 148, seeking to bring the state in line with all 49 others with a law giving citizens some form of concealed possession of a handgun.
The idea of being able to legally carry a handgun is OK with William Bradley – on the one hand.

The 68-year-old retiree wants to be able to walk out of the Chatham home where he and his wife reside, without fear for his personal safety. Right now, he said he doesn’t have that comfort.
“When I walk out of my front door right now, I poke my head out my door looking for somebody standing around, and that’s not the way you should live,” he told the Defender following a community forum Aug. 31 at WVON-AM headquarters. The forum was hosted by groups who were outspoken in their support for concealed carry legislation as a Constitutional right.
Bradley, like most at the meeting, wants to be able to protect himself against criminals. “If I had a way of protecting myself ... these criminal types would be less inclined to be stalking around and just walking up on you,” he said. But on the other hand, he doesn’t want to see more armed - legally or illegally - citizens. State Rep. Marlow Colvin, D-33rd Dist., heard from Bradley and others who expressed fear of being out-gunned by criminals and feel that they aren’t protected by police they called over-worked on a forced stretched thin.

Colvin voted against HB 148 earlier this year, but in case it comes up again during the House veto session next month, he said he is dropping in on meetings like the one at WVON, talking to his constituents and doing his own research. It could change his vote. At the end of October, state Rep. Brandon Phelps could bring the measure for a vote again, and is reportedly working to garner veto-proof majority support.
Gov. Pat Quinn previously put lawmakers on notice that he would veto concealed carry legislation.

The bill, also known as the Family and Personal Protection Act, would allow 21 and older Illinoisans who have a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card to pay a $100 fee to obtain a license issued by the state police that allows them to carry a handgun on them or in their car that is completely or “mostly” concealed from view. Felons, people with some misdemeanor drug convictions, those with some driving under the influence convictions, people declared to have mental illness and others would not qualify for a license, according to the current version of the bill.

<snip>

Full article here: http://www.chicagodefender.com/article-11779-legislators-prepare-for-potential-concealed-carry-vote.html

[TheWraith]

1. Sounds like the downstate Dems are finally hammering it home to their Chicago brethren.

Or maybe they finally figured out that with more gang members in Chicago than there are US troops in Iraq, the current policy wasn't fucking working.

[SteveM]

2. If you know off hand, has the Defender been pro-control? Is that changing? nt

[DonP]

5. Historically the Defender has been pro gun control

That's what makes this particularly interesting.

The Defender, a historically African American paper and WVON, Chicago's largest and oldest African American radio station have both been surprised at the response from their communities. It's not coming from the usual downstate Dems, the NRA or the ISRA, it's from their own back yards.

This is the third article I've seen in the last 6 weeks or so about community meetings and Town Hall events with legislators with basically the same story. One was from the West Side and another was a South side representative.

I don't know if they were paying closer attention to the McDonald case than anyone thought, or if the 2000 cops that still haven't been hired is making a more tangible difference in how safe they feel their neighborhoods are.

Now Rahm is talking about closing some of the police stations altogether and guess which neighborhoods he's looking at first?

[friendly_iconoclast]

14. Where is our non-African American poster that regularly claimed that AAs support gun control?

I note that line of argument went away after some actual African Americans here voiced their dissent with that position.

[Tejas]

15. The one that claims the GOP wants guns in every kitchen drawer?

:rofl:

[friendly_iconoclast]

16. The one that portrayed Otis McDonald as a dupe of the racist misogynist right-wing.

They didn't actually come out and call him an U***** T**, but it was most certainly inferred. Their references to Roy Innes were
even less complementary.

[DonP]

17. Mr. McDonald is one of the nicest people, that's in the public eye, that I have ever met

And having spoken with him publicly and privately several times I'm pretty sure neither he, nor the other African Americans on the South Side of Chicago need a pasty white, self-appointed spokesperson for their beliefs on what someone thinks they should be supporting or not supporting "for their own good".

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

3. First comes Concealed Carry, then Preemtion, then Castle Doctrine...

Then Chicagoan anti-rights heads explode. :rofl:

[rl6214]

4. Oh, the backlash, the backlash

the backlash

:rofl:

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DWC]

7. Insanity is

trusting your life to the whims of criminals and crazies.

Semper Fi,

[DonP]

8. Yeah, how dare those citizens and voters disagree with you!

I guess they just have a hard time recognizing your sheer brilliance and insight about what's best for them.

Or ... maybe all 49 states are just better judges about what they want for themselves than some self appointed know it all guardian that can't seem to change the laws in their own state.

If it's so sane, why don't you live here, safe from gun violence on the South Side of Chicago? You could be an example to all these foolish residents that actually want to protect themselves and their homes.

But good news, the Ambassador Bridge is open and will take you right to Windsor if you really want that gun free experience all the time. We'll even take up a collection for the toll ... at least the one way fare.

[SteveM]

9. Has an insane crime wave hit you? Hasn't hit me. Nice sunny day. nt

[RSillsbee]

12. Once,

However, since Colorado recognizes my right to self defense I was able to protect myself w/ a gun

[kelly1mm]

10. Finally joining the remainder of the union. About time! nt

[ileus]

11. Freedom is on the march...if only the FOIC would die also.

[Lurks Often]

13. Look forward to Illinois being reasonable and showing common

sense be extending the same rights shared by the rest of the country to it's own residents.