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• Feb 17, 2008 2:04 pm US/Central
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Viewer Comments On Gun Control

We wanted to know your thoughts on gun control and Second Amendment rights following the shooting at Northern Illinois University that left five people and the gunman dead. Here are your responses.


What?!! More gun controls and more anti-gun Laws. Not a good idea. How about letting honest citizens have the choice to carry a firearm for personal protection. Cops are for law enforcement, not our protection. So who is going to stop the bad guys when they (cops) are not around?
--Ron Ford, Desplaines


I really can't comment on gun control, except to say it is only one part of the problem. Let's look at more serious problem. Mental health care and HIPAA. What are the common factors with the Virginia Tech and NIU shootings? Age, away from home, adults (18+), protected by privacy laws (HIPAA). Are there more common areas? Doctors who treat mental illness need more freedom when treating their patents. Example: The patient starts canceling appointments.The doctor should be allowed to contact the family to enquire about the patients' well being. The patient should not be able to invoke HIPAA rules to prevent doctor/family communication. When communication is blocked the end results are the patient, and society in general are the ones who suffer.
Our leaders, and the media need to address both parts of the problem, gun control, and even more importantly the issue of providing
better mental health care. As a point of interest, I have e-mailed Obama and Durbin on a few occasions covering mental health but without any response. So, we're are reaching out to you for help with this issue.
--Anonymous


Our founding fathers gave us the right to bear arms. At the time the constitution was written, there was not an organized militia, no police and we had to hunt for food. Our society is much changed yet our gun laws are comparatively unchanged. Consider the murders and acts of violence with guns in countries where guns are prohibited. It's amazing how low the murder rates are in countries that have strict firearms regulation.
--Michael P


As I've grown to expect the "Ban the gun NUTS" emerge once again from under their security blankets apparently still clueless to the fact that there are even greater dangers than firearms in private hands. You'd probably think that human history might have repeatedly taught them something. Never to be influenced by events repeated over and over again these lemmings are convinced that it is of little value to have at hand the means of your own self-defense. Law enforcement has never been able to defend anyone against a spontaneous outburst of bloodletting by the mentally derranged. In fact sometimes the bloodletting is at the hands of the authorities ie: Gestapo, KGB and the entire Gov. of Somalia etc.
The founders had it about right, and for all the right reasons so I say, quit trying to infringe on my(essential) rights that were not to be infringed upon. People who have studied the human mind for years are obviously incapable of predicting who will or won't be the next mass killer let alone his/her weapon of choice ie: a gun, a knife, a bomb, a match, a poison or whatever. In God We Trust, not big government.
--Orrin K.


The state of Illinois should allow law abiding citizens the option to have a CCW permit. (To carry and conceal). They need to focus more energy on making sure people like the NIU/Virginia Tech shooters don't get their weapons versus taking guns away from law abiding people that have a clean criminal history and no mental illness. Both cases the people had reported mental problems and the Illinois state police still issued them a FOID card. There lies the problem.
--Larry, Rolling Meadows


To the people that advocate Canadian Style Gun Laws, did you forget what happened at Dawson College in Montreal last year? That idiot followed all the laws and still committed an atrocity. In case you don't know, Canada also has a ten-round magazine limit and that didn't stop him either. Did you also know that Canada allows assault weapons that aren't allowed in the United States since Bush 1 was in office? Furthermore, Canada allows short-barrel shotgun and short-barrel rifles just like any other firearm while the US has heavily regulated both since 1934! To those that want an assault weapons ban renewal, do you know it didn't work? They still made those firearms that were banned but without the features. After the ban ended in 2004 you just had to swap two parts to convert it to its "pre-ban" configuration. Also, these are NOT machine guns! Those have been heavily restricted since 1934, banned from importation for civilian buyers since 1968, and banned from domestic production for the civilian market since 1986! To idiots in the media like Keith Obermann, the high capacity magazine ban did not affect those magazines that were already imported or those that were manufactured prior to the "cutoff date". Quite blaming Bush 2! To the "hunters and sportsman", after they get our handguns and "assault weapons" your non-offensive guns are next. To my fellow Illinois residents did you know that the FOID card law (gun license) has been around since 1968? Did you also know that we do not use NICS system (produced by the Brady Bill) for all firearms transactions? Did anyone know that all shoot shooting deal with people on medication? From Columbine to NIU the story is the same. Are we as a nation become overly dependant on medications for problems that aren't there in the first place? Watch TV for any hour and see how many drug commercials come on. The pharmaceutical companies come up with crap for the stupidest symptoms!
--Francisco Vazquez


Yes, what happened at NIU is a tradegy. I do not believe more gun control laws are the answer, there are already a ton of them on the books, what has been lacking in a large way, is the enforcement of the laws.
This is the United States of America, a country which affords many rights to its citizens in a document called the constitution. One of these rights, which the founding fathers of this document thought to be important is the second amendment, which is the right to keep and bear arms. Many of this countries people have served and taken an oath to defend and protect that document, those people are those who serve now and have served in the military and yes I am one of those people. Unfortunately, In a situation like what occurred at NIU, no matter how many laws are on the books, no matter how many security procedures there are, you still will not be able to stop a determined individual from doing something like this.
--James


There are 270,000,000 guns in this country. This is why we have so many murders. No other country allows so many guns and no other country has such murders. Get the guns off the street. Close down the gun dealers whose guns turn up used in crimes. Background checks should be required and should include all felons and mentally ill. Why was this boy allowed to legally buy these guns when he spent a year in a mental institute and was known to be violent when off medication? Bush is part of the problem. His government was about to announce that people could carry concealed weapons in national parks. Then we would have a new place for people to kill each other. Instead of being part of the solution, they just postponed the announcement for next week. Others want students on campuses to carry weapons. Can you imagine a student party where there were drinking and guns together? The guns are the problem.
--Anonymous


I am amazed that this issue keeps coming up again and again whenever a shooting occurs. No matter what laws are instituted against one owning a gun, you can always find ways to get one illegally! I don't know how this nutcase responsible for the NIU shootings passed his background check to owning a gun, so clearly that process is not 100% effective. If anything, perhaps more people who are truly responsible should be allowed to carry guns. You can bet the NIU gunman would have thought twice before attemping to kill innocent people who would have be armed to defend themselves. Police can't be at all places at all times. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline" - Proverbs 1:7. The day that any government takes away my right to defend myself by any reasonable means is the day we're all in trouble. Why do you think the 2nd amendment was constructed by our forefathers!? Because of Jesus.
--Ron Stellman


I believe that the gun laws that are on the books now are enough, they need to be enforced.I also believe that a concealed carry law would be a great deterrent to crime in our state of Illinois. It has become very obvious that over the years that stricter gun laws do not work. I live in Mt Prospect and in the City of Chicago where gun laws are the strictest in the state still have a very high crime rate. In states were a concealed carry law is in effect the crime rate has gone down so, with that being the case, a concealed carry law here in Illinois would be the correct course of action.
--Steve Asmussen, Mt Prospect


I am not a hunter...have shot at a range...but my solution is twofold.
Hunters can obtain rifles, shotguns for hunting. ONLY POLICE, MILITARY et al. can carry handguns. All holders of guns must obtain a license like a driver's license. Taking tests, a specific length of time before it's renewed and paying fees to keep a clear line of ownership obvious.
In other words.....I would rather that all guns be banned, but am a realist so let's make this as tough as possible for someone to own them.
--Chris Foutris


We need more gun control laws! We need the laws on the books enforced better. There is absolutely no need to have assault weapons in this country. Canada has passed stricter gun laws and they had 222 gun deaths last year as opposed to our 10,000 plus gun deaths last year!! It's absolutely ludicrous that we have such loose gun laws. I blame it on the power of the NRA and our inept politicians who don't have the back bone to say no to money given to them by the NRA.
--Ann Marie Ellis


It is past time for our country to stop allowing its citizens to so easily purchase guns that are used to kill innocent people. What will it take to finally stop the easy access, especially to hand guns. We should be ashamed to call ourselves civilized! This madness must end. The right to bear arms does not mean that guns should be so readily available. We have to reevaluate our outlook on firearms; they DO kill people.
--Cynthia Kehoe, Elk Grove Village


Someone with recorded mental illness should not be allowed a FOID card to purchase a gun. I thought there are already laws for this. I guess we cannot enforce the laws we already have. So what good would new laws be? Criminals are always going to get guns illegally - let's just be smart about our laws and make sure normal law abiding citizens always have the right to protect their families in their homes with legal guns.
--Anthony


How about we try enforcing the gun laws we have now before putting more uneffective laws into place. As they say, guns don't kill people. People kill people.
--Desirae


This tragedy isn't surprising in an area where the mayor touts the fact that guns aren't allowed in the Chicago area. However, he should say guns aren't allowed in the hands of honest, law-abiding citizens in Chicago. He tells of all the gun related deaths, but doesn't bother to state the guns used were in the hands of people who allegedly can't have guns. Guns are just tools that are controlled by people, some of whom are without conscience. Keep taking God out of society, controlling our every move, etc. and we'll see more and more of these situations arise.
--Anonymous


We don't need more gun control laws, what we need to do is enforce those we have. How many guns are confiscated by the Chicago Police, and how many gun toters are put in jail, it is a felony to carry a gun in Chicago. Thousands more people are killed in auto accidents, in fact it is the leading killer of teens, and there is no outcry for stricter driving laws, or worse for elimination of cars. Finally there should be a system that can identify people with mental problems that is kept from the time a person is committed until they die. That system should be available at the gun store as an immediate check.--Al

Guns should not be in the hands of the mentally unstable or criminal elements. Unfortunately the good intentions of lawmakers and the failure of law enforcement officials to take the guns out of the hands of those likely to harm others has been ineffective in protecting law abiding citizens. As a long time gun owner and sportsman, I have strong concerns about the effects of additional laws on gun owners who are sportsmen like me. I very much regret the incidents wherein criminals, mentally unstable, or children of irresponsible gun owners cause harm to others through the misuse of these guns. However, I believe that additional laws will have little if any effect on those intent to do harm and will further take way my ability to pursue sporting activities that I enjoy and do so in compliance with the law. On the other side of the gun control issue is the claim that where responsible persons are permitted to carry concealed weapons, the gun related violence has actually been reduced. If that is fact, one might infer that the possibility of a potential victim having the ability to defend one's self is in its own way a deterrent. Indeed, if the security force personnel at NIU had been able to carry firearms, the gunman may have been subdued before he injured and killed so many. I am against additional ineffective laws and deplore the politically expedient rhetoric of those using events such as the NIU shooting to justify their position........illogical as many of these positions are.
--Bill Schultz


In my opinion there is no reason for any person outside of law enforcement personnel to own or have in their possession either a handgun or any weapon that fires a solid bullet. I understand that certain organizations say that to outlaw these weapons is a violation of our constitution. The constitution was written over two hundred years ago before the invention of weapons that fire multiple rounds. If they say it is their right, then another solution would be to license all guns similiar to an automobile. Anyone who owns a gun would be required to obtain a state and municipal license costing say $1000 and it would also have to be renewed yearly at the same cost. Also each weapon should be registered with the state and municipal governments and each gun would require a license similiar to a car also costing $1000 or more per gun. Also each gun seller would have to report the sale of a gun to the local and state police which would include the serial number of the gun and who they sold it to. The buyer of the gun could not take possession of the gun until a written approval is received from the appropriate law enforcement organization. If we make it so expensive and so combersome to own a gun maybe people would stop buying them. Finally if the above is put into law it should be a felony if someone is caught selling or owning a gun without an upto date license. If we can pass laws governing the operation of an automobile or owning a pet then we should also pass laws governing the possession of a gun.
--Charles Hartley


It's a sad day when kids aren't safe on campus. I'm a husband and father of two young boys, a gun owner, & hunter. It's easy to jump on the anti-gun bandwagon when a terrible event like this takes place. Why not ban cars and semi-trucks, they kill people every day in Illinois. Somehow I see a patterns between people either taking medication or not taking their medication, causing these attacks. Why not look at some of these Psych Doctors and drug companies that peddle these chemical cocktails. Maybe the news media should not give these people their 15 minutes of fame when they make these cowardly acts. But that won't happen.
We'll just go after the law abiding gun owners. Narcotics, crack, meth & heroin are illegal in Illinois. Hmmm, I bet if I set my mind to it, I could buy some in about 15 minutes. Why should law abiding citizens suffer from
the actions of a few. Stricter laws will not solve this problem, though politicians like to tell you they will. If an armed professor or student of legal age were there I'm sure the situation would have been different. Someone with murder on their mind is a dangerous person and as we find out a coward taking their own life in the end.
--Ray, Joliet


Guns were not responsible party at the NIU massacre, it was the person behind the trigger. Why aren't mental health officials making it on your newscast asking for tougher laws to make sure that the people who should be taking their medication are actually taking it? Now that is an actual newsworthy issue that could have made a difference in this tragedy, rather than allowing the Gun Contol lobby to call a shotgun a "weapon of mass destruction." Again, it comes down to the person behind the massacre and their condition. If guns were not available he could just as easily used an explosive of some sort or any other "weapon of mass destruction" to cause as much or more harm.
--Zack, Bolingbrook


Any person who is a U.S. citizen should be able to buy and own a gun in the United States provided that they meet the following requirements:
- They must be mentally sound
- They must be crime-free for a specific amount of time (the period of time should depend upon the type of crime)
- They should be required to attend a certified course on gun safety
- They should be certified and trained for each gun they want to acquire
- They should be licensed for conceal and carry.
- They should have their license revoked and gun confiscated (or ownership transferred) if they are convicted of a felony

This will reasonably assure that law abiding citizens can own and carry guns in a responsible manner and that criminals are not the only ones that have guns.
--Skip, Evanston


Most importantly I am incredibly saddened by the thoughtless murders that were commited at NIU and my family's heartfelt condolences go out to all of the families. What I don't seem to understand is why when a tragedy like this happens the attention is turned to gun control. While I agree that it needs to be added to law that people with mental health deficits should not be allowed to own guns the people who cry out for gun control always blame the guns. I am a gun owner and was raised to respect firearms and how to use firearms. I still have yet to hear of a gun with out someone pulling the trigger kill someone. I think it has become all too easy to point the blame at the gun and not blame the person pulling the trigger. It was Kazmierczak who killed the innocent not the guns.
--Joseph Hollerbach


Though, I believe, there should be more stringent measures with respect to the control of guns and ammunition, I feel that the American culture of violence is a major contributing factor with respect to killings in our society. Beginning with the highest echelons of government that spreads fear and announces its intention to kill terrorists and feels comfortable in torturing prisoners (also known as detainees), to states' attorneys and the citizenry that supports and often insists upon the death penalty, or the outrageous attacks on citizens by police officers... I feel this state of affairs tends to cheapen our respect for life and contributes to the continuum of violence.
--S.M., Chicago


Calls for stronger or additional gun control legislation are a knee-jerk, emotional, simplistic and ultimately misguided response to this weeks tragedy. Gun control laws only affect law-abiding citizens. Gang bangers, criminals and others intent on causing us harm do not obey such laws. They obtain guns illegally. Guns in the hands of qualified, law abiding citizens have been shown to thwart criminals time after time. Further restricting the possession of guns by law-abiding citizens only ensures that criminals will be the only ones with guns. Sufficient laws exist today to protect the public. Unfortunately, in this case, yet again it was implementation of existing laws that failed. Our resources need to be focused on making sure existing laws, designed to keep guns out of the hands of mentally unstable people, are properly administered.
--Kevin Mullen


Guns have been around forever . Why did these shootings not happen 50 years ago ? What has changed in our society ? Why are there so many young people so unhappy with their lives that they randomly want to cause harm to people they don't even know ? Are parents not spending enough time with their kids or do they use this as a way of saying help me . I don't know but all this is a terrible tradgedy . I grew up with firearms in my home .I started shooting when I was 8 (bb gun) . By the time I was 10 and my dad was sure I knew proper gun safety and I was able to use a small caliber rifle. By the time I was 16 I saved enough money from working to buy a pistol. My dad ran his own business and he was always at work. I used to have to beg him on his day off to go shooting . It is one of the best memories I will have with him . All my friends had rifles and we would go shooting together when we were around 14 . There was never a problem or an accident . We all had respect for each other and knew what our fathers would have done to us if we had violated their trust that we were going to be safe. I am now 45 and after many years of not being involved in the shooting sports am involved again. I have met great people from all walks of life . I belong to a gun club and there are members who had kids at NIU. People forget that gun owners are just like you, they have families , friends and feelings also. The media and politicians use gun control to draw attention away from other issues they don't have answers for. It's easy to blame a gun when social issues and a breakdown of family values are the real problem . I have read many of the e-mails and people seem to not understand what concealed carry is all about. These people are trained when to and not to use their firearm , it is not the wild west scenario that people think . They are still held responsable for any mistakes they could make. So far this has not been an issue in the 48 states that have passed concealed carry. Just remember one thing about concealed carry and that is the concealed carry holder is willing to put his/her life on the line in order to stop this sort of tragedy from happening again. They are willing to risk their life to save yours or someone you love. Trying to reason with a psychopath on a rampage is not going to be a good option . Sorry about the long e-mail. My prayers go out to all the NIU students and family that were involved in this tradgey.
--N.S.

  I thought that current gun control laws prevent mental patients from purchasing firearms.  How did someone who is on medication for mental instability and spent a year in a psych facility buy guns?--Charlie Scott, Deerfield


When is the US going to wake up and institute some reasonable policy on gun control? Compared to other "civilized" countries our rate of gun violence and murders is deplorable. I lived in Canada for 5 years and found their citizens totally bewildered by our country's embrace of handguns and semi-automatic weapons that have no purpose but to kill other humans.
--Pam, Naperville


Most gun control laws haven't worked.  They've mainly resulted in disarming the innocent law-abiding victims. I would like to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and people with mental problems.  But, not out of the hands of people who want to protect their family and home. States that have allowed conceal carry have not had an increase in violence, as is always predicted.--Richard Butler, Des Plaines


We need more guns on the streets in the hands of law abiding citizens. Pass the conceal carry law. The people of Illinois are defenseless against these murders.
--Ken Jeffries, Wilmington


Something needs to be done to keep guns away from anyone with any type of mental health history. In addition, the law mentioned in your story that begins in June-what's wrong with today???We need tough laws now!
--Dori


I am totally in favor of a concealed carry law in Illinois. The simple fact is that a law abiding citizen is not going to shoot a police officer or anyone else. I know it should be regulated and people should have a backround check, mental exam, and training in both firearm safety and self defense. If one legally armed student would have had a gun, maybe nobody would have been killed. There's an old saying,"When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns". This seems very true to me. The bad guys wouldn't be so bold if they weren't sure if their victim wasn't armed. I am an Army veteran. Maybe the government shouldn't be so paranoid about honest, law abiding citizens.
--John, Glendale Heights


We have who knows how many unenforceable laws on the books now relating to gun control. Does anyone really think that they matter? Anyone who wants a gun will get one. Gang bangers will get them. Drug dealers will get them. And so on. You might as well just make mental illness and stupidity illegal because you'll get the same results, unfortunately.
Maybe a conceal and carry permit isn't such a bad idea after all.
--Anonymous


In July my wife and I moved to Illinois from a state that allows CCW permits. Growing up in a state that allows guns for leisure target practice get extensive knowledge of guns and have a CCW for my home state. Illinois allows people to target shoot at ranges, which is a wonderful safe hobby. For those that have thought that gun control laws work are on another planet! For me to obtain my CCW permit here is what I went through:
1. I had a 3 hour class on laws and hand gun use.
2. I then had to complete a test on the information presented in the class.
3. I had to hit a target 12" by 12" at 15 feet with at least 90% accuracy.
3. I had a city back ground check.
4. I had a county background check.
5. I had a state/FBI background check.
6. I was finger printed and this was sent to the state capital that issued my permit.
The training is there and with experience a person can carry, and provide some additional safety for people around them. To add safety for a place that is as populated as this state having this along with a visit or two with a psychologist could make for a very secure CCW for the state! I think that it is time for Illinois to catch up with the times. --Anonymous


Stricter gun control will not keep our students in schools completely safe. The mental wackos who are determined to enter schools and gun down innocent people will always figure out a way to find guns.
It is time for the Federal and State governments to step up and invest in the safety and security for all of our nations schools. Billions of American tax dollars are being spent every week on the hopeless war in Iraq. Yet our children aren't able to go to school feeling safe and secure? This makes no sense to me.
What does make sense is to start installing metal detectors, and increasing security teams for all of our nation's schools. The big argument here has been that idea is cost prohibitive. Well, if this country can support a war overseas, then I believe this country can afford to keep our schools in this nation safe from maniacal massacres. I am sure there are thousands of unemployed people in this country that are willing and would be happy to be trained and given jobs to help keep our nation's schools safe.
The tragic event at Columbine was our warning. Action should have been taken then to implement a nationwide plan for heightened security with metal detectors, and increased security teams for all schools.
I, as an American taxpayer and mother of a daughter who is a student at NIU would rather see tax dollars funding school security than funding a hopeless war overseas.
If America if "The Land OF The Free", then let's stand behind what we believe and say, and show our children they will be safe, secure and free in their schools.
If installing metal detectors and hiring security teams for all of the nation's schools prevents our children from feeling like "Sitting Ducks" in a classroom, and gives them back their feelings of freedom security, Then I would have to believe it is well worth the cost.
--Pamela Halm, Ottawa, Illinois



The criminals are already armed. Gun control does not effect them. I would like to see a conceal and carry law passed in Illinois. They (the criminals) would then not know if they had an "easy" victim or not.
--John in Park Forest


There seems to be a lot of concern with the sale of hand guns and assault weapons, but these guns are no more or less deadly than the shotgun. The simple fact is that law abiding citizens are not the problem, and the handgun is a good choice for personal protection. As a gun owner, parent of two boys, member of the NRA, recreational shooter, and occasional hunter, I too am concerned for the safety of my family. The bold and aggressive behavior of a what seems to be a large part of our population concerns me every single day. I make an effort to take all reasonable steps, including keeping two German Shepherds, to protect my home from these felons that continue to be released back into society. None of that prohibits the convicted child molester from moving down the street, or the thieves from breaking into my home. I support the IL law that requires a FOID card, and multiple background checks for law abiding citizens. However, ask yourself this question. What law effectively prohibits criminals from causing our families harm? The protection of our individual homes and families is our responsibility first, with the police as the backup and deterrent. We all know that the eradication of firearms is not possible, and criminals are not going to give up their guns. With this knowledge, how could you ask that I give up my self defense against this criminal element that is intent on causing harm? I have no problem with a concealed weapon permit that requires a background check and proof of competence with regards to the ability to handle a firearm. Law abiding citizens carrying a concealed weapon is no more dangerous than a policeman carrying a weapon. As for the NIU tragedy, my prayers go out to all of the families, including the shooters. We as parents must work harder to understand our children and protect them, sometimes, even from themselves. --Garry Rooks, Grayslake, IL


Dear Sir or Madam,
The idea that there might have been some sort of additional gun controls that would have stopped the shootings at NIU is false logic at best. I do not know all the details of the situation but it appears to me that this person should not have had a gun in the first place having been treated for mental instability. We already have laws that prohibit people with psychiatric problems from purchasing guns in the first place. Perhaps more enforcement of the existing laws would be a better course of action.
Blaming an inanimate object such as a gun for the homicidal actions of a human being is just simply wrong. Based on this logic then beer should be blamed for drunk drivers and should be banned. Matches should be blamed for forest fires and should be regulated and controlled. Cars should be blamed for speeding, not the drivers. The best way to reduce gun violence is to teach our children about the sanctity of life and how dangerous firearms can be when used improperly. I have lived around guns all my life and I can tell you I have never had any issues whatsoever. Why? Because I was raised by good conservative parents who believed in personal responsibility and didn't raise their children to blame the world for their problems.
The bottom line is do not blame guns for the misguided actions of mentally unstable people. --Cheers, TC


Gun control is just a knee jerk reaction. I am not a pro-gun lobbyist, and I am not trying to be un-PC but I believe Mental Health control is the true issue here. The shooter was not taking his medications. I have no idea how to instigate this but if someone is in need of medications, there should be some sort of method to insure people are taking them. If there was any way of determining that Mr. Kazmierczak was not taking his medications, then maybe this would not of happened. --Chris Palm, Elgin


Interesting that you asked people to share their thoughts on Gun Control.... You are using a negative approach. Why not pose the question as "what could be done?" and use a positive approach.
World-wide statistics show gun control does not work in any country that it is instituted. Violent crime goes DOWN anywhere concealed carry is allowed. Those are undeniable facts/statistics.
IF.. if the faculty or salaried staff had been allowed to carry a concealed weapon this would have ended much more quickly with less lose of life ...
or possibly never have occurred because of the knowledge that he would have been stopped quickly.
Nut cases are doing copy-cat killings at schools because they know they are perfectly safe from any possibility of being stopped.
--Best regards, Barry


I believe that allowing trained and law abiding citizens to carry a concealed handgun would serve as a deterrent to those who would commit random acts of violence such as the tragedies at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech. This includes the right to carry on college campuses. As the law stands right now in Illinois, just about any place becomes a "free fire" zone and puts us all at the mercy of those who are intent on harming or killing others. Many states that allow citizens to carry concealed weapons allow colleges to ban them from the campus. This also puts law abiding citizens at the mercy of those intent on murder.
--Anonymous


A citizen should be able to conceal carry. States where conceal carry is allowed have LESS CRIME. I say when seconds count, the cops are just minutes away and the armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity! --Glenn Olson, Harvard


The right to carry a gun has been proven to prevent violent crime. This statement is supported by United States FBI facts and findings. All States and Cities which have passed laws providing right to carry a gun have seen a decrease in viloent crime. Again supported by FBI records. Facts are facts and numbers are numbers, anti gun laws do not work!! They only make it easier for criminals to commit crimes aganist law abiding citizens without a gun to protect them self. And the police can not protect you until a crime is committed. --Mike Desider


Dear CBS:
You asked for opinions on gun control. Here are mine.
May I suggest a hypothetical situation?
You are at home (whether sleeping or awake) and you hear a strange noise.
You investigate, and find someone has broken into your home.
What would you rather have, a gun in your hand, or a cop on the phone?
I personally would prefer the gun in my hand.

Now, imagine a real situation.
A gunman has come into your classroom and starts shooting. Because the State of Illinois in its infinite wisdom has denied me the right to carry a firearm to protect myself, I might be killed. Not a situation I would wish on ANYONE.
Thank you for asking for opinions on gun control.
Sincerely,
Jeff Clauss, Chicago



How many more wake up calls do we need until law makers realize that some new, strict gun control laws need to be passed? How about a much longer waiting period? One, two, maybe even three months? How about a limit on the number of guns a person can have, say, two? How about more detailed background checks? If you've ever been admitted into a mental hospital, suffer from depression, ever been charged with assault, etc. then no guns for you, period. How about anybody found with a gun that isn't registered to them automatically serves a day or two or a week in jail along with a massive fine? Maybe make them as expensive as a car? Make certain guns cost $10,000 dollars and the bullets cost a premium as well. Ban all assault rifles, period. These ideas may seem unfair or extreme to some, but the bottom line is guns are instruments of death, it's their only function, and to own them should be a privilege, not a right. We're not living in the colonial times circa 1776, we live in a densely populated, well protected country and it's time to get over this mentality that "If I have a gun then I can protect my self from someone else with a gun". The truth is, if someone is going to shoot you, you're probably not going to see it coming anyway, and in attempting to shoot someone that just shot at you, you stand a good chance of shooting someone other than the person you're aiming for. Imagine if half the students had been armed at NIU, can you imagine in all the chaos and pandemonium how much collateral damage there could've/would've been?! You would've had kids shooting randomly out of shear panic! Anyway, that's how I see it. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims of the NIU shooting. --Jeff Hughes, Chicago


We need more people carrying guns legally to make it harder for the ones using them for crime or murder.Gun control doesn't help any more than narcotic control.As long as the dollar bill is around,you'l never stop the bank robber, drug dealer,and gang banger from getting either and I'm sure any level headed person knows that.Some like the college shooting can't be avoided,just like the 40,000 killed each year by cars,but if someone had a gun and knew how to use it,they just might have cut down on the damage he did.Gun laws will never stop someone with a dollar bill in his pocket from getting a gun and I'll bet ALL my marbles on that.
--Anonymous


I have owned guns for 35 years and wont even take one out of the safe without making sure everyone in the house knows first, to prevent an accident. The law should read that anyone who would even consider pointing a firearm at another should be the first to look down the barrel not the last!! Maybe psychiatric testing should be included in the foid application. Control the people not the guns. --Anonymous


Illinois is one of the most behind and restrictive states in the U.S., in all aspects of government and laws. Many other states allow their citizens the right to carry, Chicago and the State of Illinois want it to be like the old days when only the gangsters had guns. I will state it this way. YOU WOULD BE LESS LIKELY TO WALK INTO A ROOM OF 200 PEOPLE AND START SHOOTING IF THERE WERE 100 GUNS POINTED BACK AT YOU. Kind of like that movie where two guys tried to rob a bar that all the cops drank at. WHEN IS EVERYONE GOING TO LEARN THERE WILL ALWAY BE BAD PEOPLE AND THEY WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO OBTAIN GUNS. WHY NOT LET THE PEOPLE HAVE PROTECTION. TAKE THE GUNS AND YOU GO BACK TO KNIVES, SPEARS, BOWS AND ARROWS, CLUBS, AND BATS. You get my drift. --M. A. W.



I think every American that passes a background check and mental health check should be able to carry a gun. The reason people keep getting killed is because the killers know their victims are unarmed. START ALLOW PEOPLE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES!
--Anonymous


Some gun control laws are necessary. The type of firearm that an individual can own, such as assault weapons should be limited. However the real problem is human behavior. People that decide to kill innocent people are the source of the problem. The NIU killer had a history of needing supervsion & counseling in high school & he was discharged early from the Army. If he had been engaged in counseling there is a good chance that he could have been helped to resolve his personal confusion without coming to the point of hurting anyone. Instead of spending more money on making more gun control laws & trying to enforce something that can't be enforced, resources should be put into mental health services. More comprehensive & focused counseling in all schools would be a much more effective effort. Also, our culture glorifies violence. Much of the entertainment in movies & TV involves violence as exciting behavior. People are programmed to be violent. A higher value should be placed on respect for individuals & the sanctity of life. --Anonymous


As everyone realizes, we are no longer the pioneer society we were when gun laws were first instituted in this country. I don't understand why legislators don't get it - gun control laws are extremely out of date. Who needs the right to own assault weapons? Are they not weapons of mass destruction? I don't think hunters use AK47's and 9mm weapons to hunt. I'm just dumbfounded by this gun shop owner who "was so surprised" to hear about the shooter - who had purchased his gun just a short time prior to killing students at Northern. Come on! Is he as ignorant as his comments sounded? What the hell else is there to do with these weapons? Hunt rabbits? It's shameful how some people think its some big infringement on their constitutional rights - the right to bear arms. Bear them where? On the farm or in the neighborhood? There is no place for them in our society anymore. And shame on the creators of the violent video games that encourage the normalization of the violence behind guns - and shame on the parents who buy these games for their kids. Does anyone else recognize the fall out in the young generation of high school and college mass murderers - who get-off on killing randomly at their learning institutions? I'm no right winger - I'm just sick of the ignorance in this society - how many innocent children and adults need to find this out the hard way?
It's sad and discouraging what goes on in the minds of those opposed to stricter gun laws - what are they so afraid of? --M. McKenna


I think the people of Illinois should be allowed to have concealed firearms. If it was allowed the senseless murders at Lane Bryant and the recent murders at Niu could have been avoided had someone been armed. If these perpetrators had known someone in those crowds might have been armed they probably would of thought twice about killing innocent people. Going back to the founding days of our country if we weren't allowed to have firearms this country wouldn't exist today. I think there is enough gun control laws on the book.They just need to be enforced. --Anonymoous


I believe this is not a problem we can solve. We've tried every way possible and we as a people can do nothing, but if we go to God in prayer, live our lives the way He wants us to, we will beat any and all things!!! What does God want us to do? Treat people nice, love them, help them, and use the love He gave us!!! What's so wrong with that? If all these people would stop making up religion and follow truth we wouldn't have so many lost people living just to take lives, one way or another!!!! The Bible says, If you forget Me, I will forget your children. And another scripture says God so loved us He gave His only Son that we may live. And look at what's happening to us,,, The scripture says every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is God.... And another says we will all face the judgment seat of God when it's our time.....We need prayer like never before and God won't listen to those who don't listen to Him...Would you keep telling your child the same thing for there entire life, watching them self destruct or would you make them do better!!! That's what God is doing, trying to get our attention...Not to say God is making man evil, we know who controls that, but the devil needs permission from God and the devil can only use those of us who let him...But God will use our own decisions to open our eyes to truth!!!! I'll be praying for all of the families and the people of the world and you all.May God bless you all to never be in these situations like these families....Love always, --Sis Sheri Martin


It is outrageous that there are so many gun incidents and tragedies in this country! Heartbreaking, maddening and indecent. Our country stands alone as being the one country with more guns in private hands and is, consequently, the country with the highest homicide rate in the world (more than 30,000 people killed annually). A simple quote: Actually, guns DO kill people. --Sara


Mayor Daley is more concerned about gun control then the drugs that we pump into our children for ADHD & ADD etc. Instead of working with our youth. It is easy to blame the guns and gun manufacturers after a tragedy occurs instead of the pharmaceutical manufacturers that authorize the drugs for our children's suppose mental balance. It wasn't the firearms that killed the innocent victims, yet the mentally unbalanced suspect.
--Anonymous


The fact is that no amount of gun laws will stop criminals. All they do is prevent law abiding citizens from the necessary means to protect themselves.
If the people were not denied their right to carry firearms things like this would not happen as often (most people would fear the armed citizens response). On that same note, when these types of things did happen they would almost be guaranteed to be controlled faster with less casualties. --Dave Matovich, Waukegan


gun control to me means being able to hit your target. if illinois had a right to carry a concealed gun law maybe a student at NIU might have able to shoot this guy before he was able to kill anyone. --Anonymous


We have a plethora of laws to control who gets guns. Illicit drugs too. Supply always meets demand though. Had Illinois been a concealed carry state and had NIU policy allowed control carry perhaps this massacre could have been thwarted the moment the mentally ill gunman opened fire. I have been a member of the Chicago Policeman for over twenty years. The police cannot stop this type of incident alone, unless by chance we happen to be there off duty taking a class or shopping. It takes us (the police) several minutes at best to respond to any incident. That is critical time to person(s) in crisis. I carry a handgun concealed on my person at all times as my experience has shown me that I can only count on myself to defend my family and I. It all boils down to fundamental rights - does a person have the right to defend his life? The best gun control is allowing mature, trained, sane, non-criminal individuals concealed carry. My views are my own and do not represent the Chicago Police Department.
--Jeffrey A. Sacks, Rogers Park, Chicago, IL, Sergeant of Police, 20th District, CPD


It was sad to watch the news of another school shooting. It was absolutely horrifying to hear the gentlemen in your news interview who suggested that students and faculties should be allowed to carry guns on campus to "defend" themselves. Hasn't he realized that the root cause of these shooting is the easy access of guns? If everyone on campus is carrying a gun instead of a book, then we can be sure the next headline will be Gun Battles in Classroom of Multiple Gunmen and Many Casualties. The police have to go through target training with firing restrictions to have the privilege to carry a weapon. Can you imagine what would be like to have bunch of students with no training and rules to walk around campus with guns in their backpacks?
Unless it's a country at war, you wouldn't see students carrying firearms going to school to shoot teachers or fellow students in other countries then ours. It's not because they don't have angry, depressed, or mentally ill students. It's because other countries don't allow regular citizens to carry firearms. Although there are black markets for weapons in those countries, it's almost impossible for a kid or a student to easily obtain a gun let alone four. If no one is allowed to own firearms and no store to sell firearms, then there is really no need to carry a gun to "defend" yourself, is there? --Anonymous


It is a statistical fact that where concealed carry is legal, crime is reduced. Cook county has the most stringent gun controls in the state and has the highest violent crime rate. Look at the District of Columbia where owning guns is ilegal. It has the highest murder by firearms per capita in the country. You don't see that in states that issue concealed carry permits.
I have a right to protect myself from gun toting thugs and crazies who decide they want to do me harm. Mayor Daley and all the police there are can not protect me from someone who meets me on the street or in a lecture hall with a gun. If I am armed and lucky, I might be able to defend myself or others. Unarmed, we are sheep depending on the shepard: one shepard for every 100.000 sheep. While the shepard is tending to a sick sheep, the rest of us are at risk.
Julie Gehant lived within sight of my house. There are only a dozen houses in this town. At least three households around here target practice in the back yard. We leave the keys in our cars. Children can play safely. Julie had a little boy whose father was killed two or three years ago. Now, he's an orphan. If two or three people in the front row had been armed, the incident would have been over in a minute. The shooter would not be standing around reloading so that he could continue shooting.
It is an outrage that those who cannot defend us insist that we should not defend ourselves. It flies in the face of all reason and all instinct. Let gun control begin with the criminals. As soon as all of the ilegal guns have been rounded up, let me know. As far as the NIU shooter, it is not likely that this type of person can be stopped. It's like traffic: I have to trust people to stay on their side of the line, but every once in awhile someone crosses over. It is my job to get out of their way, not the police's job. Police are for clean-up. --Terry I.



My opinion is that they should change " its are right to bear arms" amendment and stop making guns and bullets. Sounds impossible to me
--Eileen P.


In 1911, Turkey established gun control. Subsequently, from 1915 to 1917, 1.5-million Armenians, deprived of the means to defend themselves, were rounded up and killed.

In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. Then, from 1929 to 1953, approximately 20- million dissidents were rounded up and killed.

In 1938 Germany established gun control. From 1939 to 1945 over 13-million Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, mentally ill, union leaders, Catholics and others, unable to fire a shot in protest, were rounded up and killed.

In 1935, China established gun control. Subsequently, between 1948 and 1952, over 20-million dissidents were rounded up and killed.

In 1956, Cambodia enshrined gun control. In just two years (1975-1977) over one million "educated" people were rounded up and killed.

In 1964, Guatemala locked in gun control. From 1964 to 1981, over 100,000 Mayan Indians were rounded up and killed as a result of their inability to defend themselves.

In 1970, Uganda got gun control. Over the next nine years over 300,000 Christians were rounded up and killed.

Over 56-million people have died because of gun control in the last century --Philip Huff


Thr proposed law to monitor the availability of guns to people with a history of mental disorders is a good idea, the total banning of firearms to the general public is not and is against our 2nd amendment rights. People who follow the rules and regulations and who use firearms for hunting and recreational target shooting should not be punished by unreasonible regulation. --Anonymous

Laws regulating gun possession and control cannot prevent the massacres that we are all painfully experiencing through todayʼs headlines. Even if we as a society were able to destroy all guns, people would find other ways to carry out their destructive intentions. For example, due to terrorism, people in the United States, members of a free and democratic society, cannot carry sharp metal objects or suspicious gels or liquids on to airplanes because of the potential harm that might result from their use by terrorists.
The true underlying cause of our problems lies in proper parenting and formal education dedicated to introducing children and young adults to a sensitivity appropriate in dealing compassionately with others. Factors that prevent this from happening in today's society include vicarious violence or "violence for violence's sake" which is glorified through movies, TV shows, the new sport of cage fighting, books, and most of all, violent video games. The factors mentioned above are not all inclusive, but they are the main ones that we as a society must address. Laws must be enacted to remove these violent stimuli.
Humans learn "proper behavior" through their perception of the resultant outcomes in various situations. In a world that accepts violence, justifies the use of violence and in some instances, glorifies the outcome of violence, a mixed message is sent to young people regarding what is right and what is wrong.
Parents are traditionally responsible for teaching their children right from wrong; but the child's learning of this morality goes far beyond the family alone. Peers and other adults play equally important roles. Parents often pass on the value structure that they learned from their parents. Sometimes this structure is adequate but in many instances it is not. Offering free educational courses aimed a teaching a socially acceptable behaviors should be developed to remedy deficiencies.
Outside of the family, children learn other values from teachers and their peers. As a general rule, schools are held responsible for instruction of young people in a variety of academic areas. Teachers are also aware of an "affective" curriculum and are admonished by their administrators to model socially acceptable behavior. This invisible curriculum is implied and not formally presented. Typically many gaps develop in such a haphazard presentation. However, if a formal curriculum for acceptable behavior through elementary, middle, and high school could be developed, it certainly could be the impetus for change. It could be strong enough to foster the principle of "do the right thing" even among peers.
Steven Kazmierczak was able to purchase weapons legally. He was able to pass the scrutiny given to those who apply for a FOID card. How could this happen? Current laws protect the records of students. When students transition from one school to another, their records are purged. Any evidence relating to behavior problems or other sensitive situations are expunged from the record. This right of privacy is also true in the case of medical and pharmacy records. Perhaps the laws relating to privacy in these situations should be modified so that background checks could be more accurate. --Anonymous

None of the existing gun control laws nor any of those currently proposed before our legislature would have prevented the NIU tragedy.
The simple truth is those that seek to commit such crimes aren't going to balk at violating gun control laws.
Gun control laws don't "get guns off of the streets" they remove guns from the homes of law-abiding citizens.
Just as alcohol prohibition failed and just as drug prohibition is failing, so will gun prohibition.
More than just useless, such laws cause harm in that they mandate helplessness. --David Lawson, Chicago



Had any of the students been armed, so many of them might not have been shot.
It would seem that gun control only denies victims the right to defend themselves. --Anonymous


Myth: CCWs will lead to mass public shootings
Fact: Multiple victim public shootings drop in states that pass shall-issue CCW legislation.
Source: Lott J, Landes W; "Multiple Victim Public Shootings, Bombings, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handgun Laws:
Contrasting Private and Public Law Enforcement"; University of Chicago – covers years 1977 to 1995
Myth: Concealed carry laws increase crime
Fact: States that disallow concealed carry (Illinois) have violent crime rates 11% higher than national averages.
Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports, 2004 - excludes Hawaii and Rhode Island --Philip Huff


Our Second Ammendment gives the citizens of the United States the right to bear arms. It is unfortunate that the situation at NIU occured but that cannot change what is our right. Gun control is not for a few powerful politians to decide but up to the people. Guns in hands of law abiding citizens are no danger. The danger is guns in the criminal and unstable hands that cause harm. Bad people do not follow the rules. They will obtain guns anyway if they become completely illegal. Drugs are illegal and are plentiful. If law abiding citizens can no longer protect themselfs, what are they to do. Calling 911 is a gamble. Didn't 911 dispatcher let a women burn in her bed recently? A person can run at you 20 feet in 2.5 seconds. How long do you think it would take for a bad guy to get you in your home.
The Lane Bryant shooting could have possibly been interupted of we had Conceal and Carry in Illinois. None of the women that were killed were bad people yet they did not have the right to protect themselves against the bad guy. What a shame. How unfortunate that Mayor Daley is so dilusional to think the bad guys cannot get guns if they become totally banned. What planet is he on? --Anonymous


In most cases we should talk about criminal control. Chicago's own police study shows that 88% of violent crime is by repeat offenders. And guns and gun sales are illegal in Chicago. So gun bans don't work. Loop holes in the system should be closed with mandatory sentencing for gun violence. Put the criminal away. More laws that infringe on law-abiding citizen don't deter criminals.
There should be back ground checks for both criminal and mental history. And there is nothing wrong with waiting periods.
In the case of VT shooting, right to privacy laws kept authorities from notifying one another to prevent the shooter from legally buying guns. With his unstable history he shouldn't have been allowed to purchase a firearm.
In the case of the NIU shooting there may be nothing to completely prevent such a thing. There was apparently no warning of this guy going off. Possibly if Illinois had a right to carry law, and there was one person half as good with a firearm as most are with a cell phone the casualties could have been much fewer. This proved to be the case at the Colorado church last year when a volunteer security guard shot an attacker in the process of an attack. He did kill two people in the parking lot and was headed for a packed congregation. --Anonymous


If you take away the law-abiding citizens guns, then it is open season for criminals. The criminals will ALWAYS find a way to buy guns illegally.
--Dorothy


Hog Wash!
Gun control will never work. Last federal attempt to control or ban something, was the prohibition. It failed at it got out of control.
If the gun control is implemented, it will be harder to legally obtain a gun, but what will stop gang-bangers from obtaining a gun? Gas prices, to drive out of state, and get a gun from someone else. Bangers will have their guns anyway (or a knife, bat, or anything else to use as a weapon), while citizens will be defesles.
Let's pretend for a second, if you were about to rob someone, would you choose a sheeple person that is defensles and counting on cops to be everywhere 24/7, or a guy that you know that has a gun on his side?
I am pushing for Concealled Weapon Permit in Illinois. 48 states can't be wrong, and yet Illinois is too stuipd to notice that 96% of states allow citizens to carry weapons on their side. I understand that not everyone should be allowed, but that's why there are classes, background checks, and various other things that person must pass. I have served in U.S. Military for 7 years, protected this country from terrorists, and yet, the Illinois Government does not trusts me with a measely gun? I fired weapons that civilians don't even know they exist, yet I cannot stop a mugger with 9mm.
Bottom line, any gun control laws that pass, should and must apply to body guards of Mayor Daley and Governor Blagojevich. I cannot have a gun for self-defense, I'm moving to Florida, so that they can have my taxes, instead of Illinois. --Adam W.


My thought on gun control is that peace officer are the only one that should be able to carry guns. I'm a mother that is sick a tired of hearing about our children being killed. If it isn't a school shooting it a gang shooting or a small child getting caught in the cross fire. When is enough enough. I live in pilsen and that all I hear at night is gun shooting and I pray every time I hear a shot that somebody child is not taken away from there parent. I feel so sad for these parents, because some of us don't have a choice , I know because I can't afford to just pick up and move some where else, and it was hard to raise my children here. I was bless, but at the same time I'm sad because my boys move out of Chicago just so they can have a better life for there family, but at the same time I worry every time my grandson come over. The law should really be hard on guns control because so many kids are being killed and this shouldn't be happening. Guns shop should not be able to sell guns to any Tom, Dick or Harry just because he haves a clean record. The only person to carry a gun should be a Peace Officer, then may-be and only may-be we will be able to control all this violence. It sad that I have a grandson who will be starting school for the first time this fall and I am really scare to send him because nobody is safe anymore not even in school.
My heart and prayers go out to all the family's. --Anonymous


I believe any citizen that follows the law should be able to carry a weapon. Now a days it is the only way to defend yourself if you are in a position like those that have taken place in the last two weeks. These killers may have thought twice about doing what they did if there was a chance that the table would be turned on them. We need to join the other 48 states.
--Anonymous, Evergreen Park


I think some people should be allowed to carry guns. As long as the gun is properly registeded , and a throrough background check is done, it should be alright. Maybe if some students, and professors of some of these colleges had had a weapon with them, they would still be alive.Something has to be done now! What school is next?
--Sincerely, Diana Cruz


I can't believe that it is even possible that ANYONE be allowed to purchase/own a semi-automatic gun. (hunting guns are different) Why can't we change our constitution? The 2nd Amendment was written at a time when the people needed to be able to protect themselves. It is a ridiculous excuse to say one needs a gun for "protection" in 2008. Have we no faith in our police and military forces? I find it very unsettling the number of Americans who still feel they shouldn't be denied the "right" to bear arms. No wonder we have so many lunatics going off on shooting sprees, when we have so many lunatics making obviously useless "gun control laws". More attention needs to be paid to "why" so many of our youth are flipping out- and for God sakes- can't we regulate "who" gets their hands on these weapons? I'm embarrassed of my fellow Americans who do nothing but perpetuate the image of gun-slinging ignorant cowboys. Doesn't anyone care about the message we send to the rest of the world? Much more importantly, how many more innocent Americans will die from such carelessness? This my friends is a much greater and real fear than terrorism. --Anonymous


Would like teachers and staff to carry firearms
Some people would be still alive if this were the case
--Anonymous


There should be more gun control. However, we talk about gun control when white people are being killed. When black kids are being shot there is a parade and a few flyers and it is over until the next time that it happens.
Who controls the guns getting in and out? Who controls where the guns are being distributed? Even though this young man bought his guns legally, there should have been some psychological screening done with a wait period. That's not to say that it still would not have happened. The question is, What can be done so that this does not happen again?
Should there be more security on campus or in classroom? Should there be metal detectors on the campus building entrances or classroom doors? There should be some dialog.
In addition, the guns are where they want them; in neighborhoods where they are easily assessable just like drugs. Black folks use cocaine, white people use meth; there are more programs and interventions for meth users than cocaine users. Not only that, caught with cocaine you get 10 to life, caught with meth you get year or probation. None of this is a coincidence either. --Anonymous


this is another situation where the person who did the shooting was a mental health person with a history of mental health issues and under medication. no authority had knowledge and neither did the IL State Police for the issuance of the card giving ability to have a gun. not an easy issue, it also appears that while he was on his medications, he was a stand up citizen and well respected. unfortunately, when he was not on his medications, he acted badly, not just this time, but, earlier....enough to have him committed to a mental health facility, should he not be able to have access to a firearm....not an easy decision, but, probably better to stop access than take a chance. there are existing laws that will prohibit some of this, but, there seems to be a hole for this type of mental health situation. From the news sources, it is not the people in favor of the 2nd amendment that keep that hole open. there are also laws that prohibit criminals from having firearms, but, they obtain them. it appears that if someone wants to violate the law, they can and will find a way and do not care. it seems difficult to penalize good citizens who have firearms because of the holes in the system.
Next, some people had knowledge that he had mental health issues, but, not the authorities nor the schools. some people had knowledge he was off his medications and acting unusual, but, again, no one appears to have acted. that is also an issue....even if one of those persons had acted, could the authorities have acted without worry of infringing on the shooter's rights and facing law suits for that action?
we have to be careful about individual rights in general, but, also the 2nd amendment. americans seem to have a history of firearm ownership going back to our start as a nation. again, it seems that we should not infringe on good citizens rights to have firearms, and perhaps, plug the hole for mental health people having access. --Anonymous


There are not enough laws with TEETH in them to stem the flow, legal or illegal, of guns in general and handguns in particular. It makes me sick to constantly hear about people being shot to death or disabled with the use of guns.
I look forward to politicians, locally and nationally, to pass and fund laws that would put ALL guns in to the junk pile. --Thomas Adams, Rolling Meadows, Illinois


Good evening,
Did you know that an Illinois resident that meets the background requirements and is employed at a full time occupation in Indiana may apply for, and receive a personal protection weapons permit? Only two states do not issue law-abiding citizens a personal protection permit. Wisconsin and Illinois. In other words, I can apply for a permit and legally defend myself and my family in a state I don't even live in, but cannot do that in my state of residence!
So how does Illinois allow its citizens to protect themselves? For women, the Illinois State Police suggests they carry a nail file, rat-tailed comb or use car keys to ward off an attacker. (I'm sure that method would work equally well for disabled persons or the aged.) Ask yourself, what chance of physical protection does any woman or the elderly with a nail file have against a 200 pound male attacker?
Not to be outdone, the Park District Police in the state capital are handing out free whistles people can use to call for help if they're attacked. The plastic whistles come in bright yellow, red, blue or green. Park District Police Chief George Judd says he hopes potential attackers "see the whistles and are scared off." The Tinley Park Mall shooting was preventable. Governor Blagojevich and the Gerneral Assembly are directly to blame for those deaths by playing partisan politics with people's lives. They have no plan for our safety, other than lay down and die. There are over 22,000 gun laws in affect in this country today. With that many laws and 40 years of maikng them, it should be obvious to anyone that this is the wrong approach. Every day, Illinois citizens are raped, murdered, mugged, stabbed, robbed, shot and beaten with no realistic means to protect themselves or their loved ones from criminals. Illinois needs to get its head out of 1960's utopia-land. Criminals do not care about laws that come out of Springfield and anyone that thinks they do is living in Camelot. It is time to do away with 40 years of failed anti-gun nonsense and pass a personal protection weapon "shall issue" permit process in Illinois. --Michael Hadfield, Elizabethtown, Ill.


I feel concealed carry should be legal in Illinois, as it is in 48 states. States which see a reduction in violent crime when potential victoms are able to defend themselves. I feel great sadness and sympathy for the victims who had no way to defend themselves, as mandated by the State of Illinois.
The campus PD at NIU evidently reacted very quickly yet 5 victims died and more than a dozen more were wounded. If it had been more like the situation at Virginia Tech or Columbine many more could have been shot before the attacker took his own life. Nothing the police can do can defend us against someone who wishes to commit evil acts. The only way for us to have a prayer of surviving such an attack is to be able to exercise our God-given right of self defense! Even a single person in that room with a weapon and the willingness to use it could have prevented most of the damage that was done there.
But, of course, many are calling for more controls on private ownership of firearms. When this latest incident proves, AGAIN, that criminals and evil persons will break laws whenever they choose. So what good will more laws do? As always, they will only affect and punish the law abiding citizens. Better to ease laws that make it harder for law abiding citizens to own weapons. Better to let people defend themselves, no one else can do it for us! --Rick Cox



It is factual that states allowed to carry have less crimes involving guns. Illinois, one of the few states requires F.O.I.D. cards; if a gun accidently discharges and one does not have a F.O.I.D. card, the charges are as serious if there were criminal intent - it is not the gun it's the person. The Second Amendment states we have a right to bear arms. Educating those who have guns and the differences in bullets would be of benefit.
--Anonymous


Guns should only be sold to mentally competent people with no criminal record.
The Illinois Department of Health, by law is supposed to share records with the Illinois State Police, who approved the sale to the shooter. If the shooter had a history of mental illness, as did Laurie Dann, the shooter in the Winnetka elementary school, the sale could not be made to the individual.
If "gun control" means denying the mentally competent and honest citizen the right to keep a firearm, we are in for a huge increase in crimes against persons and home invasions.
States that have enacted right to carry concealed laws have, with one minor exception, have seen a huge decrease in violent crimes and home break-ins. The cities and states with the most stringent guns laws have the highest murder rates.
A problem we have in this country is that people who commit crimes with firearms and are caught and tried, frequently are given light sentences and are back on the street in a seemingly short period of time. Strict sentencing without early release for non-capital crimes and life sentences without parole for capital crimes would keep repeat offenders off the streets.
Our judicial system is too soft on criminals and in some cases will actually prosecute a victim from protecting herself against a violent act.
Buy the time the police arrive on the scene, it is already too late in the majority of cases.
Responsible gun ownership is a constitutional right in the United States and should stay that way. --Anonymous


Gun advocates say guns don't kill people, but that is like saying that sarin or mustard gas doesn't kill either.
Guns seems to be the weapons of first choice for people who want to impose their will upon others, make a statement, or to settle a score.
Of course there are other weapons that can kill and maim a lot of people in a short period of time, but none of them are as cheap or as readily available as guns. --Anonymous


Gun control in Illinois meets Einsteins definition of insanity........to keep repeating the same actions and expecting different results......Illinois and Wisconsin are the only 2 states in the country that do not allow ANY concealed carry of weapons by honest citizens..........only criminals can carry a firearm and any honest citizen who wishes to carry a firearm for self defense is made into a criminal by definition of Illinois law. ITS JUST NOT LOGICAL to unarm the honest and arm the criminals........... period.
--Jerry Lee Alfano, Gages Lake

Illinois needs to pass conceal & carry.
States that have shows that crime has gone down….reason being the criminals do not know who is armed and who is not.
The shooting at the Church found reduced victims because of the off duty security had her gun with her. --SC, Vernon Hills



I no longer believe it's possible to stop people from getting guns if they intend to do something wrong. The statistics I seen show States that have relaxed gun carry laws have shown reduction in violent gun crimes. It's sad that this may be our best solution. --J. Knight


The student you interviewed was absolutely correct; those that wish to carry guns should be permitted to, if they meet the legal and mental requirements. Chicago Mayor Daley's comments that are too many guns is stupid, because his gun control ideas disarm law-abiding citizens. Criminals do not give up their guns! They are criminals! They don't care what is legal or not!!
Gather the facts and do the math; gun bans increase violent crime. This happened in Washington DC, Chicago and throughout England. States with civilian concealed carry permits and "Castle doctrine" laws have much lower crime rates. Criminals like easy prey! And Mayor Daley is intent on suppling an entire city or state of victims to be preyed upon.
--Anonymous

I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE FIELD WOULD BE LEVEL IF THE STATE HAD A CARRY, CONCEALED LAW. STATES THAT DO HAVE CARRY CONCEALED LAWS HAVE FEWER MURDERS AND FEWER VIOLENT CRIMES.
LISTENING TO THE POLITICIANS WHO HAVE BODY GUARDS ETC. TO PROTECT THEM, THEIR FAMILY AND PROPERTY COMPLAIN OF "TOO MANY GUNS" ON THE STREET CONSISTENTLY PROVES THAT THEY HAVE NO CONTACT WITH REALITY OR THE HARD WORKING HONEST PEOPLE.
DO THESE POLITICIANS REALIZE THAT A CRIMINAL IS GOING TO BREAK INTO STORES, AND RESIDENCES STEALING WEAPONS AND SELLING THEM OR USING THEM AGAINST OTHERS?
HOW MUCH DID VIOLENT CRIME JUMP AFTER AUSTRALIA DID AWAY WITH GUNS FOR THE PUBLIC?
TIME FOR CHANGE? LETS ARM THE HONEST, LAW ABIDING CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY (STATE,COUNTY,CITY). --Anonymous


I feel that gun control is right were it should be. You already have to obtain a FOID (firearm owner identification) which you have to fill out a federal application which has multiple questions about being committed to a mental institution and also go through a federal background check to get to get a card. Gun control doesn't stop there, when you go to buy a gun they also do a background check there too. If you stiffen up gun control, it will not do anything. If criminals want to get a gun they are going to get a gun. All gun control would do is stop law abiding citizens from having guns for recreational purposes. --Anonymous



I think that strict gun control is a great thing. If it were much more difficult to buy guns, people could not cause tragedies by shooting others. Allowing everyone to have guns would not help the problem; it would make it worse because the owners would not necessarily know how to use their gun properly and could easily hurt innocent bystanders. Those in the room during the shooting would not have had time to react-even if they had used guns of their own, that would have only increased the number of people dead. This terrible circumstance is an opportunity for all of us to realize what can happen when guns are misused. I only hope that in the future, everyone involved in gun control-gun owners and sellers, lawmakers, and voters-can be wiser in their choices of to whom we will give dangerous weapons. --Anonymous


It is not the GUNS!
Stop psychiatrists from continuing to prescribe these DEADLY psyche DRUGS.
Anybody that goes on these DRUGS should be prevented from purchasing any firearms and/or should turn any firearms over for safekeeping until a future time when they are declared safe. The state police need to keep these records updated within 7-10 days after a person fills a prescription for these DEADLY DRUGS.
In almost every terrible incident like this the youthful shooters were on PSYCHE DRUGS! What part of this do you not understand? The insert in the drug containers warn against prescribing these psych drugs to youngsters.
Why do the psychiatrist continue to do this without notifying the authorities to this. The psychiatrists need to be brought up on charges.
--Lawrence C Pyzik



Allow licensed people to carry a fire arm and this kind of thing would not last nearly as long. Only one or two people would have been killed and one would be the shooter. Same thing goes for the slow and useless TSA. Let trained and licensed people carry concealed fire arms, The right to arm yourself is also the right to defend yourself. 
--Thanks, Jr




As the saying goes,"Fear a government that fears your gun." I rather have a psycho with a gun than a bomb. The person with a gun might kill one to ten people. A person with a bomb one to a hundred. I come from Kentucky. Almost everyone has a gun. We also had a lot less crime, they still do not have much. Grant it, there will always be people with mental problems, which are not suppose to be able to get a F.O.I.D. card anyways. I would look into that. People unfortunely have been killing each other since to begining of time, even before guns. There is just a lot more people now. Thank you. --Tammy


I am an Illinois gun owner. I think gun control in Illinois is too stringent. Illinois and Wisconsin are the only two states in America without a "right to carry". I agree with the NIU student you talked to, if we had a right to carry it would level the playing field. Criminals, murderers, robbers, car thieves, etc. would think twice if they thought their potential victims were carrying guns. --Jeff Dobbin, Big Rock, IL


I think handgun control needs to be the law of the land. I would also include a more inclusive assault weapons ban as part of this initiative. Think about it. All of the most recent mass murder shootings have been committed with guns that were legally acquired. We need to take gun control seriously in this country, just like most western civilized nations (most of these countries, by the way, have far, far lower rates of death by gunshot wounds). I know that I will never convince stalwart gun rights advocates to agree to my position, but I wish that I were able to appeal to the intelligent individuals who represent us in Congress to show some common sense instead of bowing down to the gun lobbies. Please help make our nation a safer place for all of our citizens. --Ann M. Stolte


I believe gun control is control of society. We have a basic right to defend ourselves, even from the government. No person in their right mind can say otherwise. It's our constitutional right. Anyone who wants to take this right away, is not a true American.
Remember what Ben Franklin said, "If you sacrifice essential liberty for the sake of temporary safety, you deserve neither."
Oh, by the way, it takes 2 responsible parents; not a village.
--Sincerely, Dan Gabor, Crest Hill, IL.



I have been for many years and continue to be very passionate about strengthening our laws to keep guns out of the hands of ordinary citizens. There is no good reason for people to carry guns. The vast majority of our society no longer lives in danger of wild animals. It seems to me that American society has for too long a history of violence. Iit is high time that we work together to reverse that cultural trait. --Joan Bentley Hoffman



There are many States that allow people to carry guns. With the proper training and proper checks and balance everyone over 21 should be able to protect themselves. Chicago is worried because of so many bad cops. They think the cops will be shot. Other place have this law even Tenn. & Texas. the President home State. --Russell from Chicago


Despite the NIU tragety, I still think that the more gun control laws we have, the higher the crime rate for that particular area.
Because its not the GUN itself that kills, its the person SHOOTING the gun that kills, maims and injures! --Anonymous


I feel that no matter what kind of law banning guns, hand guns in particular, is implemented . . . a criminal is going to find a way to obtain one. Taking the right of John Q. Public to have a registered gun is taking away law abiding citizens the right to defend their home, family and themselves. It's just another way for big government to force THEIR will on the people. Ridiculous!~!~!
Take the violence and access to violent games and websites away and get back to the basic golden rule that we lived by for 100 years!!! Respect and honor one another. --Phyllis, Steger, IL


I feel that if you ban guns from your average citizen, then the true criminals will definitly have the advantage. A criminal has contacts for obtaining illegal guns which your average person would not have. I truly believe in the right to own arms and the right to defend myself. It is NOT the guns that kill people, but the person pulling the trigger! If a person is determined to kill someone, then they will find a way. --Anonymous


Restricting the law abiding citizens from having a gun means only the criminals will have the guns and we are denied our own defense. Britain is a prime example of this problem. --Anonymous


STOP SELLING BULLETS --Anonymous


I find no reason for people to have or be able to buy hand guns. I think any crime committed with a gun should have mandatory extra-harsh penalties. --Anonymous


What gun control? Apparently there is none. --Anonymous


Have you ever wondered why these nuts don't attack police stations? Of course they don't, they know there are armed people there. Schools are "gun free" zones, the people there are sitting ducks, unable to effectively defend themselves. --Anonymous


In terms of allowing concealed carry on campuses to retaliate against a shooter ... it makes no sense. If a shooter opens fire in a crowded lecture hall, and 10 students pull out guns, with the other 90 students running and diving at the same time, how can those 10 extra guns not cause even more harm? Too many people would be caught in the crossfire.
--Madeline Weiland


We learned a good lesson when we banned alcohol. It doesnt work to ban things. Then all the criminals have them and make money on them. It early hurts the innocent. --Anonymous


My family and I think that guns should be banned in schools and you shouldn't be able to carry them for self defense. --Anonymous

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