The most foolish thing any school, business or home could do is put up a no-guns sign, the circle-slash handgun poster (“Police chief urges ‘no guns’ signs at schools, zoo,” News, Jan. 8).
Advertising gun-free zones tells the criminal with a gun that he is safe there to commit a crime. Can you imagine a criminal seeing the no-guns sign and thinking, “Oh no, I can’t bring my gun in there!” Ridiculous.
In recent years, terrible tragedies have occurred at schools where if someone on school staff was trained with and had a weapon, the killings could have been stopped or at least minimized. I agree that concealed carry would cause undue anxiety, tension, concern and fear, but for the criminal, while everyone else feels safer.
No criminal is going to comply with the statement, “Deadly weapons have no place at educational facilities and family parks.”
This is just more progressive liberal thinking that keeps guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens while criminals will still use guns illegally. Illinois is rife with this kind of thinking. We were the last state in the union to pass concealed carry, and it only happened because the state was forced to pass it.
It is the most restrictive of bills, making it difficult to get the license and once obtained, restricting areas in which one can carry. Furthermore, it is outrageous to charge a person with a crime who lawfully carries but is found in a restrictive zone, the violation of which includes a fine and jail time. Why not instead put the criminals with the illegal guns behind bars?
Because of its gun laws, Texas is the safest state in the union. Their common sense gun ownership ideas keep crime at bay. Illinois has a lot to learn with its harsh gun laws that merely embolden criminals to prey on its citizens whom they know are defenseless.
Dr. Gary S. Karwoski
Stickney
