- In the only state that doesn’t let its residents walk around with concealed firearms, a northwest Illinois county could become the testing ground for gun enthusiasts who want a clean sweep for their Second Amendment rights.
A grass-roots movement in Winnebago County is taking aim at Illinois’ long-held position, setting up a possible showdown between gun-rights advocates and a sympathetic state’s attorney who believes the effort won’t pass legal muster.
The county has scheduled a pair of hearings this month to determine whether it should allow people to carry guns within Winnebago borders. The proposed ordinance – which was written after officials received a petition with more than 11,000 signatures this year – would contradict state law.
And why would Winnebago county be fighting for this?
- “Illinois is now a magnet for every bad guy in the country,” Sonnenberg said. “If you were a bad guy, where would you go, where your victim won’t be able to shoot back at you? That’s why our crime rate is going through the roof."
Evidently, Rockford is where all of Chicago's crime went when it left town, so they need guns to protect themselves, unlike this Utopia we reside in, where unicorns and rainbows populate every corner on the south and west sides with a smattering a fairy dust on the north.