Let People Defend Themselves, Second Amendment Group Says

By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com
Dec. 11, 2006

The Illinois State Rifle Association says it will draft legislation allowing law-abiding citizens to carry firearms for their own defense.

The concealed carry legislation -- a response to Friday's deadly shooting in a downtown Chicago law office -- will be introduced in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly early next year, ISRA said.

"One has to wonder how the outcome may have differed had any of the law office staff been trained and licensed to carry a defensive firearm," said ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson.

"Unfortunately, the answer to that question will remain unknown as Illinois is one of only 2 states in the nation that prohibit law abiding citizens from carrying firearms as a means of self defense."

Pearson said the people in the law office at least would have had a "fighting chance to survive," if any of them had been carrying guns themselves on Friday when an armed man with a grudge burst into the office.

The suspect, 59-year-old Joe Jackson, allegedly shot and killed two attorneys and another employee on the 38th floor of the downtown high-rise. He apparently believed that one of the attorneys he shot was trying to steal his invention - a toilet designed for truck drivers.

Jackson's family was quoted as saying he had sought help from the law office in getting his invention patented. One of the attorneys he killed reportedly told Jackson that his invention already had been patented.

Aside from questions of building security (Jackson reportedly threatened building guards with his gun), the shooting is expected to pit Second Amendment supporters against gun control activists who have a strong presence in Chicago. ISRA's Pearson called it "regrettable that we even have to talk about people carrying guns to defend themselves." But we do, he said, because - as the nation saw on Friday - "good people too often find themselves the victims of the evil intentions of others."

Pearson said the very least the Illinois Legislature could do is recognize that the people of Illinois "have a right to defend themselves, and allow these good people to exercise that right with the most effective means available -- the defensive firearm."

ISRA noted that the Citigroup Center - the building the gunman stormed - is home to some of the nation's leading financial security companies and uses state-of-the-art security hardware and security procedures to protect its tenants.

"Nonetheless, Friday's gunman was able to muscle his way through a security checkpoint, travel to the 38th floor of the building, chain the doors to the law office shut, and methodically execute 3 people -- all for the sake of a disagreement over, of all things, a toilet seat."

Describing law office employees as "fish in a barrel," Pearson said it's time for the Illinois General Assembly to recognize that citizens can be trusted with the "awesome responsibility of defending themselves, their homes, and their families."

Previous concealed carry bills introduced in the Illinois Legislature have been buried in committee.

But Pearson is now urging the House and Senate leaders "to allow open debate of the merits of these upcoming bills...It is high time for an open and honest discussion of the rights and responsibilities of both the government, and individual citizens, when it comes to the matter of self defense," he said.

The Illinois State Rifle Association describes itself as the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership.












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