Sunday Comic: Will Concealed Carry Be Good for Illinois?

Residents of our state will soon have the right to carry concealed weapons in public, but that doesn't mean safety is guaranteed.

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William

12:15 pm on Sunday, May 12, 2013

Wow...change your name to delusional. So you think the guy on the right should say..."whoa buddy...I'm calling the police...you better be worried" Even the police don't agree with you. I'm calling you out, ignorance is not an excuse despite what the liberals are telling you.   more ›

Schakowsky, Schneider Laud State of the Union

Freshman Brad Schneider and Veteran Jan Schakowsky come away with different impressions of the same message. Sen. Mark Kirk joins the chorus on gun control.

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Deerfield) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) saw President Barack Obama’s State of the Union through different eyes but came away with the same message Tuesday. Both north suburban lawmakers praised and ratified the President’s proposals to raise the minimum wage, stimulate job growth, implement gun control and more. They heard the same message but saw it differently. Earlier: Schneider, Schakowsky Give Back to Honor King Schakowsky, a seven-term veteran, was excited by the challenge the President laid at the feet of Congress while Schneider was awed by the full experience of his first State of the Union address on the floor of the House of Representatives.  “It was a pretty incredible experience,” Schneider said…

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J.Lyn

12:53 pm on Sunday, February 17, 2013

What are you taking about?   more ›

Patch Chatter

Readers: Guns Are Not the Issue, It’s the People

Some Patch readers say concealed carry laws work to stop crimes. Other readers disagree.

Following the Atlanta school shooting on Jan. 31, where a student opened fire at Price Middle School, shooting a 14-year-old in the neck before armed officer at the school stopped the shooter, Patch asked readers Do you believe Obama’s gun proposal will help prevent school shootings?  Patch received more than 10 comments; here are some of the responses, which have been edited for length, grammar and clarity.  “Hard to say guns are the issue, seems who is in possession of the gun is the issue,” Patch reader b garrett wrote.  Some readers say a strong defense is vital to stopping shooting sprees.  “If all civilians were licensed to carry guns, it would make for a very polite society,” Patch reader Harry Gio wrote. “These ‘shooting spree’ …

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Patch Chatter

One Injured in Atlanta School Shooting: How to Stop the Violence?

Do you believe Obama's gun control proposals will help prevent school shootings?

Another school shooting took place in Atlanta Thursday, the Huffington Post reports. A student opened fire at Price Middle School, shooting a 14-year-old in the neck before being stopped by an armed officer at the school. The wounded boy was taken to a nearby hospital and later discharged, the website reports. The school does have metal detectors, and it’s unclear how the weapon got inside, Fox Atlanta reports. This incident is the latest school shooting in recent months. Most notably, 26 people, mostly elementary school children, were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. in December. The Newtown shooting sparked a nationwide debate over gun control. President Obama made several proposals regarding the topic in mid…

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Patch Chatter

Groupon Cancels Gun-Related Deals

Patch wants to know what you think of companies distancing themselves from gun-related business? Join our discussion in the comment section below.

Groupon Inc. has canceled all its firearm-related offers a month after the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., the LA Times reported.  “All scheduled and current gun-related deals featured on Groupon North America, including shooting ranges, conceal-and-carry and clay shooting, have been placed on hiatus while we review internal standards that shape the deal inventory we feature, “ Groupon spokeswoman Julie Mossler in a statement issued to various media outlets.  The Chicago-based daily deals company is not the first business to distance themselves from gun-related businesses. Dick’s Sporting Goods pulled some firearms off its stores’ shelves, while private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management sold its stake in the firearm conglomerate …

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Gun Ownership Advocates Intentionally Pack Panel

Boisterous members of the Illinois State Rifle Association filled the auditorium at the New Trier Democrats panel Sunday, often yelling at speakers. A mass email urged them to show up early so that their supports dominated the crowd.

Gun ownership advocates intentionally packed Sunday’s gun control panel by the New Trier Democrats, as pro-gun advocates — who were encouraged to come from across the state in a mass email from the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) — argued and yelled at panelists throughout the program.  “Remember, this is our Lexington, this is our Concord,” the email read. “Be prepared to teach the gun controllers a lesson in liberty.” The email also encouraged attendees to arrive between an hour and half an hour early, to “ensure that there are more of OUR people there than THEIR people,” according to the email. That resulted in venue at the Glenview Police Station auditorium filling up, with many would-be attendees turned away at the door. The …

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Deadcatbounce

5:19 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The problem with Amy and people of her ilk is that they see guns and gun owners as the real enemies, not the criminals and sociopaths.   more ›

Poll: Do You Agree With President Obama's Gun Control Proposals?

President Obama presented several proposals for increased gun control this week.

President Obama made several proposals for increased gun control this week. Among the president's proposals were background checks for all gun sales, even those by private sellers, reinstating and strengtening the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 and limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, the New York Times reported. The White House's entire 15-page proposal can be downloaded here. We also attached video of the president discussing the plan to this post. Other aspects of the plan include putting 1,000 more school resource officers and counselors in schools and improving mental health services. "We are going to need to work on making access to mental health care as as easy as access to a gun," Obama said. The proposals come …

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Bruce Harvey

10:39 am on Thursday, January 24, 2013

RB, excellent point---these gun fans keep bring up totally unrelated facts to try to equal gun deaths---very lame. But even if they had a good point it still doesn't excuse the use of guns as they are in the US today. Why do we even remotely let kids get their hands on guns---maybe cause we have too damn many to begin with??   more ›

Patch Chatter

Readers: Curb Gun Violence By Controlling Criminals

We asked, you chimed in. Patch readers suggested various ways of fighting gun violence, from handing out tougher sentences to criminals who use guns to looking at the side-effects of psychiatric drugs.

Nearly a month after the horrific Newtown shootings, many people, regardless of their politics, are trying to figure out what they can each do to prevent similar tragedies in the future.  We invited readers to join our discussion on How Can We Each Fight Gun Violence? And many readers said curbing gun violence isn’t about getting rid of guns instead it starts with controlling criminals and handing out tougher sentences.  “Get rid of guns and you still have a crime problem. Get rid of criminals, and you won't have to worry about guns,” Patch reader Carl Castrogiovanni wrote. Patch reader Jim says most people are not violent, “If you want to change the violence for the better, the culture will have to change and the [police] don't have the …

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Patch Chatter

Readers Say Media Shouldn’t Publish Maps of Gun Owners

The majority of Patch readers said publishing gun owner information could do more harm than good.

We asked Patch readers this week, in response to a New York paper's decision to publish names and addresses of gun owners, if they thought media should publish such lists. As of Friday afternoon, the majority of Patch readers said no. While gun owner license information is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act in Illinois, similar information is publicly available in other states such as New York, where the Journal News created a map listing names and addresses of handgun permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties.  Our article, Should Maps of Local Gun Owners Be Public? generated more than 100 comments. Close to 80 percent of users voted no when asked if the media should be publishing these sorts of maps. Patch user Holly …

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