A crowd filled the Town and Country Lions Club building Tuesday to listen to proponents of a concealed carry law in Illinois.

Speakers said only Illinois and Wisconsin have no provision for the concealed carrying of firearms, leaving residents of those states vulnerable and reliant on law enforcement for protection.

Meeting organizer and Illinois Rifle Association member Wade Fulbright explained on the Saline County November ballot there will be a non-binding referendum concerning concealed carry intended to send a message to legislators.

Fulbright said the wording of the referendum will be "Shall the general assembly inact legislation to allow carrying a concealed firearm? Yes or no."

Most of the speakers at the meeting said they have concealed carry permits for Florida, Utah or other states.

"I can carry in 28 states, but not my home state," Fulbright said.

Valinda Rowe of Carmi, spokeswoman of the IllinoisCarry.com lobby group and organizer of Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day in Springfield said she feels safer in other states than her own.

"My license is recognized in 27 different states. What I don't understand is when I come back to my home state of Illinois I have to stop my car, unload my firearm and case it up. If I don't then I commit a felony in the state of Illinois and am a potential victim in the safest place I'm supposed to be," Rowe said.

"(People) commit a felony for doing something completely legal and completely normal in the rest of the country."

Rowe cited a case in Norris City a few years ago in which a woman called 911 as she was being attacked. She said the dispatcher said the police were three minutes away, but the officers did not get there in time to save the woman and her daughter.

"This is not to take the place of the police, its just to save our lives until the police get there," Rowe said.

She said when Florida allowed residents to obtain concealed carry permits criminals preyed on out of state residents because locals were no longer easy targets. After a rash of crime against visitors the state allowed licenses for those outside the state.

Rowe said states that allow concealed carry show a reduced crime rate and there is no evidence of guns being used out of anger or pettiness. Those who obtain the permit make up the smallest segment of the population to ever commit a crime of any kind, Rowe said.

"My question is are Illinois citizens somehow less capable, less intelligent, less trustworthy, less responsible than citizens in the rest of the country? No," Rowe said.

Speakers said concealed carry licenses are overseen by different agencies in different states. In Florida they are issued by the state's Department of Agriculture and in Utah they are issued by the state's Bureau of Criminal Investigations. In Illinois the Illinois State Police already oversee the Firearm Owners Identification Card system so that agency could most easily adapt to a concealed carry system.

Speakers pointed out they do not believe Chicago will approve of any lessening of gun control laws. However, though no concealed weapons are permitted New York City, they are permitted in New York State. The speakers said it is not fair the entire state should be penalized because Chicago is a city in it. The Chicago area legislators make up 68 percent of the general assembly, State Rep. Brandon Phelps said.

Rowe said she would like to see a concealed carry law that requires applicants having passed a basic National Rifle Association handgun class or possessing a military record DD-214 discharge. She would like to see anyone who qualifies for the license be issued one regardless of their job. Some states' licenses require a statement of need for the license.

She would also like to see the law recognize licenses from other states.

"If Florida will go for our license, we should allow theirs," Rowe said.

Fulbright pointed out 30 percent of the concealed carry licenses are issued to out of state residents.

"This would be a good source of income if they would just trust their law abiding citizens a little bit," Fulbright said.

Phelps said Chicago legislators are the primary obstacle to a concealed carry law in Illinois.

"They are going to do everything they can to see nobody has a gun," Phelps said.

He said he has posed the question to anti-gun legislators, "Why, if you take guns away, does crime keep going up? They could not answer."

Phelps said he probably will sponsor concealed carry legislation himself.

He also wants to see the FOID card system abolished and said he is prepared to sponsor that piece of legislation.

The recent Supreme Court ruling allowing handgun possession in Washington, D.C. works in favor for Illinois, Phelps said, and he said the NRA is pursuing similar action for other cities.

Phelps also wants to see a uniform law regarding transportation of guns across the state.

Fourteen counties in the state will have the referendum on the ballot and Phelps said he hopes all 14 vote yes.

"Only eight of the 14 will not help our case. We need all 14," he said.

He said a version of a concealed carry law will be introduced and legislators are in talks with NRA attorneys to figure out how to craft the legislation.

"We are going to sponsor concealed carry. We have done it before and we need to figure out how to carve out Cook County. Sixty-eight percent of the votes can see the Sears Tower," Phelps said.

He said he finds it "embarassing" Illinois is only one of two states without concealed carry.

"California's got it," a man in the crowd pointed out.

"Yeah, and look how liberal they are," Phelps said.

Retired Illinois State Trooper Mike Corkran spoke on the reliability of police protection.

"When seconds count, police are only minutes away," he said.

He said examining the population of the state and the availability of state police, one trooper is expected to protect 2,000 people.

Corkran said presidential candidate and Illinois U.S. Senator Barack Obama has said he believes a concealed carry law carries too strong a chance of harming innocent citizens.

"We need to organize. We need concealed carry. We need to pass this referendum," Corkran said.

Several speakers mentioned the website for the Illinois State Police recommends people use a comb, car keys or nail file to ward off attackers. Potential rape victims may gag themselves to keep attackers from getting close, Rowe said.

Vietnam veteran and concealed carry supporter Michael Hadfield said these types of defenses are absurd when a firearm is the best protection.

"This is not a push and shove contest when someone is trying to take your life," Hadfield said.

"This is not a Kumbaya world. This is a violent world we live in. By the time you figure out you're in an ambush, it's over."

Hadfield characterised any legislators opposed to concealed carry as "domestic enemies" because the U.S. Bill of Rights guarantees citizens be allowed to keep guns for self-protection.

"There are domestic enemies in the legislature. They are domestic enemies of the Constitution," Hadfield said.

Hadfield said Cook County Commissioners and Chicago Aldermen are permitted to carry concealed weapons.

"What makes their lives more valuable? What happens if I'm out there at Glen O. Jones and can't legally protect myself?" he said.

Hadfield believes people should vote on the referendum whether they intend to pursue a license or not for the safety of everyone.

"You are on a battlefield out there and you better be ready. I'm not a doomsayer, but this is serious business and remember that when you vote in November," Hadfield said.

Saline County Judge Walden Morris encourages concealed carry saying it has worked to lower crime rates in every state it has passed.

Morris said there are four or five guards at the Saline County Courthouse paid to protect him, but when he leaves the courthouse he is vulnerable.

"Right now there are two credible threats against my and the State's Attorney's life," Morris said.

"What I'm urging is we send a small signal demanding we be allowed to carry. It is our right to keep and bear arms to defend ourselves. Brandon Phelps is the single best friend we have in this room if we want to keep and bear arms," Morris said.

Saline County Board member Bruce Tolley introduced the motion to place the referendum on the November ballot. He said Saline County Circuit Clerk Willie McCluskey asked him to do it.

"I said, 'Willie, I'd be proud to make the motion,'" Tolley said.

He said there was a race among board members to second the motion.

"And I am in possession of a Utah and Florida concealed permit," Tolley said.

Speakers also spoke on the need for responsibility should a concealed carry law pass. The speakers rallied the crowd and then tempered a violent statement from one man who maintained U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy and Obama, if elected president, seek expand gun control in Washington, D.C.

"I'm ready to go get my gun and go shoot them," the man said loudly, before leaving the building.
"No, you don't want to do that," Fulbright said.

-- DeNeal receives e-mail at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.