As law enforcement has broken down in many parts of the United States, gun sales and concealed handgun permits increased so that people can go and protect themselves. The problem is that many of those who have supported District Attorneys who won’t prosecute violent criminals or cut police budgets are the same people who support stricter gun control that makes it more difficult for citizens to defend themselves.
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The incident is one of dozens that have played out in the Windy City in recent years. Legally armed citizens are taking matters into their own hands, thwarting attacks and other crimes.
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“It’s the reason why you’ve seen the increase in gun sales,” said John Lott, president and founder of the Crime Prevention Research Center. “Because people realize that the police and law enforcement broadly isn’t being allowed — the criminal justice system isn’t being allowed — to go and do its job.
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“And the people know that they ultimately have to be responsible for protecting themselves and their families,” Lott told Fox News Digital in a recent phone interview.
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Fox News Digital analyzed local media reports going back to 2020 and found that there have been at least 44 incidents in which people with a gun, who had concealed carry permits (CCW) or an FOID, an Illinois identification card used for gun possession and purchase, have thwarted an attack or other crime. . . .
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In Illinois, obtaining a concealed carry permit is “difficult,” but still “possible,” according to crime and gun expert Lott.
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He compared Illinois to its neighboring state of Indiana, highlighting that a little over 4% of the adult population has concealed carry permits, while in Indiana, that number sits at about 22%. He said the difference comes down to money. It costs nothing to get a concealed carry permit in Indiana, while it’s at least $400 in Illinois.
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Lott said the heavy costs placed on Illinois citizens often prevent those who would most benefit from firearms for self-defense — those most likely to be victims of crimes — from going through the required permitting steps, because they don’t have the money.
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“The sad thing is Illinois makes it so difficult for law-abiding citizens to be able to go and protect themselves,” Lott said. “They basically have set it up so that primarily the wealthy, well-to-do were able to go and protect themselves.
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“The problem is, is that the people who are most likely victims of violent crime are poor Blacks who live in high-crime parts of Chicago and other places,” Lott added.
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“And yet, you make them have to pay over $400 to get the permit, get … the state-required training that they have. We’re not even talking about the cost of the gun or anything else. That’s a real cost.”
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Emma Colton, “Fox News Extensively Quotes the CPRC: 2nd Amendment steps in after cops step back in wake of defund movement in Chicago,” Fox News, February 16, 2023.
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