This is great news. Illinois is the ONLY state in the country that has banned concealed carry. It is also the murder capital of the country. Apparently only allowing criminals to carry guns isn't working.

The average citizen doesn't have 24 hour police protection like the people who oppose it like Quinn, Emanuel, and Periwinkle.

I know I'll feel a lot more secure with my Smith&Wesson in my pocket when I go out at night.

Maybe we need a mandatory gun law
Like Kennesaw....whats their crime rate?
I would hope the criminals would think twice or not bother to consider a crime
Because nice polite civil citizens would now have a weapon to defend their home & selves with. Nothing else has worked.

LB---Best thing that could ever happen in the state of Illinois!!!! About time!!

This is Very good news indeed! Law abiding citizens must have the ability to protect themselves outside of the home.

It's proven you are not safer just because you're carrying a gun. How many times have any of you been robbed, beaten, etc? Most likely the answer is zero.

It's about time. Now we will begin to see the crime rate drop. Its a proven fact in carry conceal states. And to Emily hopefully none of us will be beaten or robbed but in the long run it will hopefully deter the criminal from attempting and he /she may think twice. I will feel safer and I go to the range on a regular basis to keep my skills up.

I really won't feel safer knowing every idiot with road rage could be carrying a gun legally. The violence you speak of will not drop due to conceal and carry.

The sad truth is it just does not make much difference either way, every study no matter if it found it helps or hurts, only does so by a small margin (http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x1526463189/Concealed-carry-laws-Experts-debate-impact). I do not have the answers, but I am with Ed that I feel better if I have the right to carry. Happy safe holidays all, Georgina

Emily, You don't have to participate in carry conceal if you wish not to. that is what is so wonderful about our United States........ We have the right to do so if we wish. it is a personal choice. No one is telling you you have to run out and buy a gun. I am a woman and I have owned my own gun since i was 18. I am now 66 and my children also own their own guns. We do not run around with them or commit road rage. We are law-abiding citizens who would like some extra protection for ourselves. The police can not be everywhere 24/7.

Emily,
Sorry to say I did have to use my gun. I never discharged it but I was very glad I had it in my hand until the County Sheriff arrived. I do not live in the city limits proper but in an unincorporated area, and if you read the newspaer you would have read the article where ever the Co. sheriff made a statement that we did the proper act when we were approached by 3 men/ kids/ losers trying to break in . So I do feel safer. This is an argument that no one is going to win. As I said before I feel safer as does my husband and my son and daughter in their respective homes.As to Orland Park it isn't safe there either . Times are a changing Emily get with the times. Robert has a valid point.

Am I conversing with a 5 year old? What part of I don't live in Orland did you not understand? And I didn't say unincorporated Orland either. I guess we can read into these paragraphs whatever we want to . And Emily I didn't say I was going to carry a gun strapped on me while doing errands. I wouldn't live in Orland if you paid me but as a citizen I can read whatever paper I wish and comment be it in Orland , Chicago or Timbuktoo.

Emily,

My final comment to you then is... if the opportunity to carry a weapon presents itself then I will whenever and where ever I feel the need too.

Signing off,
Have a nice day....

Emily,
Your point that Orland Park is already safe and would never necessitate carrying a gun is probably somewhat true. Although I'm sure the robbery victim who was shot in the JC Penney parking lot last year may beg to differ. However, I think it's naive to assume that because you are in Orland Park you are completely safe from any possibility of being involved in a violent crime situation. The whole point of someone carrying a weapon on them is to protect from the "what ifs."Any rational sane person would be carrying their weapon hoping they never have to use it.
Clearly you don't like the idea of people carrying guns on them. But perhaps you can open your mind just a little bit to the idea that the average law abiding citizen isn't going to be pulling their gun out for every disagreement. I'd rather be surrounded by 100 good people carrying guns legally than to be in a crowd of 100 people where only one psycho criminal has a gun.

Without a doubt you have to analyze the pros & cons of this debatable issue. The biggest problem is criminals DO NOT CARE about you or your family, and 99% of gun violence is commited in the inner-city realm. The fact that your silly unprotected ass is without a firearm is better for all of us!! A superheros biggest fear is that the evil-doers can, and WILL go after those who present the biggest threat...i.e. The ease of procuring that weapon from your un-qualified ass...and use it against you. If you have looked at the statistics the majority of fatal crimes committed by these scumbags comes from the theft of these weapons from those who have them, or from idiots who believe a little practice will help them protect themselves, and loved ones from criminals who are determined to not go down!! Just watch the news...knowledge is power, & ignorance is bliss!! Your more likely to get hit by a Roman Chariot...then have to worry about this crap!! Less guns, Less oppertunity for trouble!! Weas taxpayers are provided with fine upstanding trained individules who RISK THERE LIFES to protect us...thats good enough for me!! Oh, by the way, i am proficiant in the use of all sorts of weapons from military sized Abrahams Tanks to Bows & Arrows...all my life i've been allowed to use, and master these "Tools" , however, the ability to have it just means innevatably it will be used, then you will regret the outcome im sure.

I think we'll be OK with it or without it. Orland Park has crime that sometimes is violent. Look no further than the Police link under the news tab. But it's not unique to a village of this size, especially when people come from far and wide to shop here. Our size and attractions are bigger factors to what crime we have, and this law will affect neither.

I still feel safe here any time of day. I used to live near Foster and Broadway, often hearing gun shots from my balcony. Yes, we've had armed robberies, but I have yet to hear a gun go off while on my back porch.

Lastly, it would be awesome if people could disagree without going right to insults. Odds of changing someone's mind by naming calling are pretty low all around. And do we have to change each other's minds? The world will keep spinning if we disagree, won't it?

I'm glad this has been reviewed and Illinois will have to give in, I think the bigger question is how much time and money was wasted by Daley and the others! I'm sure Chicago will come up with some rule that will allow the chosen few to be protected, like Trotter and others.

What a great decision by the Federal Court. I appsolutely will be carrying my weapon in Orland Park and everywhere else I go in Illinois once the ban is officially lifted. I have a concealed carry permit for the state of Florida where my family has a 2nd home and I have carried down there for many years without a single incident. I was finger printed by the Police and had a complete back round check by the FBI before I was issued my carry permit. I also attended and passed the required training classes. I hope I never have to use my weapon but if there is ever a situation where it comes down to a member of my family being threatened by some scumbag to be injured or killed I will revert to my training and do what I have to too protect their lifes. People who oppose what the Judges ruled do not have to have carry a weapon but the US Constitution says I have a right to bear arms and I fully will exercise my right.

The anti gun people see the world as they wish it could be. A world without guns, violence. The pro gun people see reality. A world where people have free will and live in a country that allows them to use that free will, most do good things but some do bad. This will never change. Every other state allows their law abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families from those that chose to do harm. The anti gun folks claim that the streets will run red with blood and everyone will be shooting each other. The fact is that this has not happened anywhere in the U.S. even in states where gun carry laws are completely unrestricted.

The argument for guns should not be concentrated on public safety or how comfortable people [have been trained to] feel when they are around one. “Murder rates consistently rise when guns are banned. This is not just a US phenomenon in places such as Washington, D.C. and Chicago, but has been observed worldwide. When guns are banned, even in island nations such as the UK, Ireland, and Jamaica, the pattern has been the same. The problem is that gun bans disarm law-abiding good people, not criminals. With disarmed victims, crime is easier to commit.” [Tom Lott; http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/12/03/truth-about-costas-belcher-and-guns/]. Back when the Constitution was written, both the government AND the people were in possession of the best arms technologies of their time. The real reasons the Second Amendment is in the Constitution are for Americans to protect themselves from criminals, from a criminal government, and from invading forces. Now I don’t want to have to act on any of these in my lifetime, but if citizens are disarmed or even not allowed to carry assault weapons, the people are at a huge disadvantage they encounter any of these types of criminals.

Unlike the majority of anti-firearm people, I have sources, academic, historical, and otherwise.