During the legislative battle to implement concealed carry in Illinois – the battle being between Conservatives who wanted easy and wide CCW vs. liberals who wanted restricted CCW – the City of Chicago managed to have CCW banned on public transportation.  A person with an Illinois CCW permit can carry in Chicago, but not on a bus or train.  As you can imagine, this has created some problems.

A woman was attacked, beaten, and robbed on Thursday on the Blue Line.

In January the Orange Line was shut down after a fight that resulted in a man having he ear bitten off.

In February three men attacked a women outside of a Green Line station.

Just as was predicted during the legislative debate, criminals would use the CTA as a “safe haven” where they could attack and rob people, knowing that if they were getting on or off the trains, they would be unarmed.

Good job, Chicago!

Fortunately, not all hope is lost.  State legislators are trying to update the law to allow carry on the Metra, and it is receiving bipartisan support.

“There are many individuals throughout the state of Illinois who rely on public transit as their primary mode of transportation,” [Democratic state Rep. Jerry Costello of Smithton] said. “I do not believe their Second Amendment rights should be infringed upon simply because they take a train or bus rather than driving their own vehicle.”

DAMN STRAIGHT, JERRY!!!  Well said.

Hopefully this law will get passed, and for readers in Illinois, I urge you to contact your state reps and encourage them to pass this bill.

If it does, I predict that the criminal element won’t know about it until some punk tries to rob a CCW permit holder on a Metra platform and takes one to the chest.  Then watch the muggings on the CTA promptly end.