When politicians and activists invoke "common sense" when it comes to gun laws, they frequently mean proposals that would only impact law-abiding citizens while doing little to address actual criminal activity. Real common sense starts with acknowledging some important realities about firearms and crime in Illinois.
Common Sense Starts with Facts
There are over 2 million FOID cardholders in Illinois — representing a large, law-abiding constituency of gun owners. These are people who have been vetted by the state, who follow the law, and who deserve to have their constitutional rights respected without unnecessary burden.
The FOID system, while well-intentioned, has become plagued with backlogs that can stretch into months. Law-abiding citizens who want to exercise their Second Amendment rights are being denied timely access due to bureaucratic delays. That is not common sense — it is a de facto infringement on constitutional rights.
What Common Sense Actually Looks Like
Common sense gun policy in Illinois would include:
- Fixing the FOID card backlog so law-abiding citizens can exercise their rights in a timely manner
- Ensuring that concealed carry licenses are processed efficiently and without undue delays
- Prosecuting gun crimes to the fullest extent of the law instead of plea-bargaining them away
- Addressing the root causes of violence — poverty, lack of opportunity, mental health — rather than restricting constitutional rights
- Respecting the rights of rural Illinois gun owners who may have different needs than urban residents
The Real Issue
Chicago, despite having some of the strictest gun laws in the country, continues to face serious crime problems. This demonstrates that restricting legal gun ownership does not reduce crime among those who are already willing to break the law.
Common sense means following the evidence. The evidence shows that legal gun ownership is not the cause of crime, and that law-abiding gun owners should not be punished for the actions of criminals.
Gun Rights 4 Illinois will continue to advocate for policies that are both constitutional and effective — not just the appearance of action that burdens the law-abiding while leaving criminals unaffected.