“…Michael Moore
believed he should be allowed to carry a concealed gun after his job no longer
required him to do so. A retired corrections officer and former sheriff’s
deputy in Illinois, Moore said he wanted to have his gun with him should he
cross paths with convicted criminals who spent time in jail under his watch.
“But he
couldn’t in Illinois, which at the time was the last state in the country to
ban carrying concealed guns in public. So Moore reached out to Alan Gura, the
Virginia-based attorney who represented Alan Kachalsky. Gura filed a lawsuit on
Moore’s behalf against the state’s attorney general.
“Like the
Kachalsky case in the 2nd Circuit before it, lawyers for Illinois Attorney General
Lisa Madigan presented studies in court to demonstrate a connection between
laws limiting access to guns and decreased rates of violent crime. Judges found
this evidence to be unclear, ruling that the state failed to justify its ban on
concealed weapons.
“The Supreme
Court has decided that the amendment confers a right to bear arms for
self-defense, which is as important outside the home as inside,’ Judge Richard
Posner wrote in a 2-1 majority decision. ‘The theoretical and empirical
evidence (which overall is inconclusive) is consistent with concluding that a
right to carry firearms in public may promote self-defense.’
“The court
ordered the Illinois Legislature to ‘impose reasonable limitations, consistent
with the public safety and the Second Amendment as interpreted in this opinion,
on the carrying of guns in public.’ It did in 2013, making the Illinois the
final state to allow carrying a concealed gun…”
For the
complete article, click here: The
right to bear arms in public: How courts have ruled so far by Matt
Drange & Abbie VanSickle
Commentary:
Law-abiding citizens who are properly trained* in the use of firearms can help deter a potential crime in their homes and perhaps in their communities; moreover, general public safety might in fact improve with a well-trained armed citizenry. The right to bear arms is a pre-emption for crime. Gun control laws do not reduce crimes. Instead, they deprive law-abiding citizens of a means for contingent crucial protection until the police arrive too late.
Law-abiding citizens who are properly trained* in the use of firearms can help deter a potential crime in their homes and perhaps in their communities; moreover, general public safety might in fact improve with a well-trained armed citizenry. The right to bear arms is a pre-emption for crime. Gun control laws do not reduce crimes. Instead, they deprive law-abiding citizens of a means for contingent crucial protection until the police arrive too late.
*Proper firearms
training should include the following: Firearm Safety, Understanding Pistol
Components and Operation, Loading & Firing a Pistol, Loading and firing a
Pistol under Stress, Unloading/Reloading a Pistol, Fundamentals of
Aiming & Firing, Proper Breathing, Pistol Maintenance, Firearm Storage,
Clearing Common Pistol Stoppages, Role-playing stressful Self-Defense
Scenarios, Dry-Fire & Live-Fire Practice, Home Self-Defense Strategies,
Self-Defense Strategies Outside of the Home, Understanding the Defensive Use
& Consequences of Deadly Force, Confronting an Intruder or Attacker,
Emotional & Legal After Effects of Shooting an Assailant, Understanding
State & Federal Laws Governing the Carry & Use of Firearms.
Illinois Concealed Carry License as of June 30, 2015:
- Total ICCL holders in Illinois: 120,047
- Total FOID card holders: 1,891,078
- Women make up 16.5% of the ICCL holders (Illinois State Rifle Association).
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