The Cook County Sheriff is interested enough to find out, or so it would seem from the fact that he proposed an ordinance for the county.
Howdy!
I know this is the Illinois forum, but I grew up in Illinois, still have a house there, and dread going back because of the situation that exists in Illinois.
The Cook County Sheriff made the statement about having a "Wild West" environment in Illinois over the firearm issue, and I would suggest he check out Wyoming, Arizona, Alaska and other states where Constitutional carry is the rule. Are they the "Wild West"? That particular argument doesn't hold much water, considering that other states that have far greater liberty show less crime, crime on the decline, and none of those lurid depictions of shoot-outs on the streets of our cities they love to relate as an excuse to infringe on the liberties of free citizens.
The idea of having individual jurisdictions, and having a patchwork of laws across a state is not simply a bad idea, but apt to create an atmosphere that is contrary to the rights of free people. In order to illustrate my point, I'd like to quote from Colorado State law because the language of this law, active in Colorado today, is pretty clear that there should be one source of such a law in any given state and the right of the citizen to be protected from being prosecuted in one jurisdiction for conduct entirely lawful in another:
CRS 29-11.7-101. Legislative declaration.
(1) The general assembly hereby finds that:
...
(b) Section 13 of article II of the state constitution protects the fundamental right of a person to keep and bear arms and implements section 3 of article II of the state constitution;
...
(d) There exists a widespread inconsistency among jurisdictions within the state with regard to firearms regulations;
(e) This inconsistency among local government laws regulating lawful firearm possession and ownership has extraterritorial impact on state citizens and the general public by subjecting them to criminal and civil penalties in some jurisdictions for conduct wholly lawful in other jurisdictions;
(f) Inconsistency among local governments of laws regulating the possession and ownership of firearms results in persons being treated differently under the law solely on the basis of where they reside, and a person's residence in a particular county or city or city and county is not a rational classification when it is the basis for denial of equal treatment under the law;
...
(2) Based on the findings specified in subsection (1) of this section, the general assembly concludes that:
(a) The regulation of firearms is a matter of statewide concern;
(b) It is necessary to provide statewide laws concerning the possession and ownership of a firearm to ensure that law-abiding persons are not unfairly placed in the position of unknowingly committing crimes involving firearms.
(Bold or underlined text added by me for emphasis as to relevance to the present discussion)
With the foregoing in mind, the worst thing I can figure for Illinois to do is create a checkerboard of ordinances, laws, municipal codes, and scattershot regulations is a bad approach. It also provides an atmosphere for local jurisdictions to fatten their coffers by imposing fines and fees for conduct that would perhaps be entirely lawful in their home jurisdiction. Worse, where you live, you may be in complete compliance within your own jurisdiction, but brought up on criminal charges when in another. It would require you to know the borders of every jurisdiction in the state, and limit your freedom to travel with confidence from place to place.
You might feel that I'm butting into your business here, but I was born and raised in Illinois. The home I grew up in still in our possession. I'd just like to feel free to come to my home and enjoy the peace and security of knowing I can do so as a free citizen of the land of liberty... without fear and intimidation that I might inadvertantly cross some boundary or another that lands me in jail. Until then, guess I'll stay clear of my own home, an exile from my place of birth!
Blessings,
M-Taliesin
