Chicago, IL —The laws that were in place here for decades made carrying a concealed weapon by anyone other that a sworn peace officer, and few others a felony ( UUW Unlawful Use of a Weapon ). It was after police encountered mass killer Richard Speck with a concealed gun in 1966 that attitudes significantly changed.  Speck had just  slaughtered  eight student nurses and was not yet identified as the killer.  Just days later he was at the old Raleigh Hotel on the near North side,   where he got into a fee dispute with a local prostitute and threatened her with a gun. Mass Murderer Richard Benjamin Speck The police were called and it was not handled as an emergency.  Cops responded, confronted and frisked Speck.  They found his .38 snub-nosed revolver.   Rather than arrest Speck the simply did what cops did in those days.  Since nobody was injured they just confiscated Speck’s gun and sent him on his way.  Rathe...

Chicago, IL —Despite rabid political resistance to the law of the land on Gun Rights law-abiding citizens will be finally be allowed to carry concealed firearms for self-defense outside of their homes. Now the Illinois State Police must establish a procedure to administer the program that will verify training and issue the permits.  The background investigations have already been accomplished since every CCW license applicant must first have a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification Card .   Firearm trainers will be very busy providing the proscribed 16-hour program . Those carrying guns will be getting a lot of information on safety, marksmanship and the justifiable use of deadly force.  Conflict avoidance still will be your very best choice rather than looking for or inviting trouble.  Some of you will run out of options especially in the violent areas of the state such as Chicago.   Most conflicts with attackers will end without firing a s...