Risk - 3 years in the pen

A new proposed law in Illinois could further jam prisons and raise the State's costs substantially. Rahm Emanuel and his buddies want to make you a felon and put you away for three years - minimum! And not just in Chicago, but anywhere in Illinois.

Be sure to read Crystal Lake Attorney Henry Sugden's Letter to the Editor in this morning's Northwest Herald.

There are still some people in Illinois who think that more anti-gun laws are the answer. They are impotent (that's you, Rahm) in enforcing existing laws, so "Let's make some new laws."

Sure, "technicalities" are violations of laws. One is either obeying the law or violating it. But let's say you are carrying your loaded, concealed firearm and have been issued the required Illinois license to do so. As you leave your residence, you grab the wrong wallet and leave your License at home.

You get stopped for a burned-out taillight, tell the cop you are carrying, reach for your wallet, and say, "Oh, (expletive deleted)."

Or when you are parking and planning to leave your firearm in the trunk, you step around to the trunk to unload it. There is a "safe haven" provision in the law that requires you to unload your firearm before you step out of the vehicle. Have you just committed a felony, if you don't have a concealed carry license?

See you in three years, if Rahm's idea of a good law (minimum sentencing) passes.

Have you ever left home without your driver's license? Ever? I have. If I was close, I went back for it. If not, I just crossed my fingers. A cop would, of course, be able to tell that I had a valid driver's license, but he might ticket me, anyway. Then I'd have to show up at the courthouse with my driver's license, whereupon the charge would be dismissed. An inconvenience? Yes. But not three years in the pen.