Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Illinois Gun Owner ID Publication Exemption Approved


Governor Pat Quinn today quietly signed legislation that exempts Illinois Firearm Owner’s Identification Card holders from the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, easing the fears in armed households around Illinois.

“As Governor, I have made increasing openness and transparency in government one of my top priorities,” said Quinn, who released the news Saturday afternoon. “…[H]owever, it should not come at the expense of the public’s safety.”
It's a fascinating discussion. Gun owners have long claimed that having a gun is a deterrent to crime. They ridicule gun control folks for their attempts to establish gun-free zones, claiming that criminals flock to such places to do their thing.

But, in Illinois, they mounted a tremendous and successful opposition to Attorney General Lisa Madigan's attempt to make public the list of FOID cardholders. Does that make sense? Wouldn't burglars and home invaders avoid the addresses where gun owners live in favor of those unarmed sitting ducks?

What could be the reason behind this? I would think if the reason for having guns in the first place is for personal protection, there'd be no better way than to advertise the fact.

One interesting result, I'm sure it's not their chief motivation, is that when those burglars and home invaders do come in, gun owners can have the element of surprise, all the easier to blow the bad guys away in the dark.

What do you think? Please leave a comment.

9 comments:

  1. What could be the reason behind this?

    Right to privacy.

    As a side note, its fairly easy whenever these ideas come up to cross data lists to do the reverse. Release a list online of the homes where non-gunowners live. I'm sure people like yourself don't mind (for the sake of saving criminal lives) if such people know who isn't armed.

    ..... gun owners can have the element of surprise, all the easier to blow the bad guys away in the dark.

    Because it should be fair fight?

    Out here in the boonies where it takes the police an hour to get here I like to think we practice the policy of shoot, shovel, and shut up. Burglars are vermin and will be treated as such.

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  2. "Out here in the boonies where it takes the police an hour to get here I like to think we practice the policy of shoot, shovel, and shut up. Burglars are vermin and will be treated as such."

    Awesome, just awesome. :) You inbreeding, child-molesting dumb fuck hillbillies are truly hilarious...

    ...and luckily you none of you redneck scum can come even close to any of our bigger, decent cities with your stupid fuck face armed, hah.

    Stay in your sticks, you worthless village idiot, nobody misses you and your redneck family.

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  3. Awesome, just awesome. :) You inbreeding, child-molesting dumb fuck hillbillies are truly hilarious...

    Second home. I will match my bank account statements, 3 ivy league college degrees against whatever pompous junior college you're proud of graduating from.

    Burying some dumb crack/meth user in the back of my yard is a whole less expensive then the 150k i'd spend in civil court.

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  4. Once again, your argument makes no f***ing sense at all, a burglar would just wait for the home owner to leave and then break in and steal the firearms. What fucking right do you or anyone else have know what firearms I possess? I'll answer for you, ABSOLUTLY FUCKING NONE. And your silly dribble about us gun owners wanting to blow someone away that comes in our house, you are just full of excrement, I served in Vietnam and I don't ever want to shoot someone again if I don't have to. Once again, your bullshit anti 2nd amend bias is showing through

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  5. I wish the two Anonymous commenters would quit beating around the bush and speak their minds.

    cowman, I think your next door neighbor and the guys who live across the street, have every right to know what guns you own.

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  6. mikeb302000 said...

    I wish the two Anonymous commenters would quit beating around the bush and speak their minds.

    cowman, I think your next door neighbor and the guys who live across the street, have every right to know what guns you own.



    And I have the right to know every anti-gun bloggers full name and address?

    You first.

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  7. MikeB: “I think your next door neighbor and the guys who live across the street, have every right to know what guns you own.”

    You know, I have always been indifferent towards registration. I don’t think it does much good, but don’t think it hurts me much either. You are changing all that.

    The thief is 100% responsible for stealing the gun, but you are 100% responsible for making it too easy by giving them a shopping list. But you think putting a steel box around them and requiring them to be stored unloaded in said steel box will solve all that, right?. Because you think safes are so awesome- so foolproof that once guns are locked in a safe you can advertize the entire contents of the safe to anyone and everyone without repercussions. Tell me, what is your solution for the thief putting a gun to a child’s head and telling the parent to open the safe? 911?

    Aside from the thieves, you need to drop all talk of people having the right to know the contents of other people’s homes if you are going to plead that licensing and registration is “reasonable”. In fact you need to confirm that it is and will always be protected private information if you want to lure those moderate gunowners to the side of “common sense”.

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  8. MikeB, show me where in the constitution it says that my neighbors have a right to know what I own, I'll wait and wait and wait because there is no right for them to know. You are just another anti gunloon who is pissed off because the gun rights movement is kicking you and your ilk's ass when it comes to restoring americans RKBA

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  9. "A right to know" is probably a bit strong. But, as a parent, I'd certainly like to know.

    Your having a right to privacy is a bit strong too, in my opinion. I'm really not sure which should take precedence.

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