Parents: Ready, Set, Action!

OK, parents. School starts Monday.

What are you doing to protect your children when off they go to Woodstock District 200 schools on Monday?

Our schools are in Gun-Free Zones (GFZ). This means that law-abiding citizens will not take guns (or other weapons) within 1,000 feet of a school. Any school. Until recently I think you were breaking the law to even drive by a school, if you had a gun in the trunk of your car; I think the law changed on that one. But I'm not positive.

And the criminal? Think he'll stop at the 1,000-foot line?

What will be different about security on Monday? Same locked doors. Same buzzer access. Same resource officer in some of the schools. Same "Report To The Office" rules.

Let's say that some kook goes for a copycat crime. Have the schools ramped up security? Intensified refresher training or reminders over the holidays? What defense is that against an armed madman?

Even if armed citizens with FOID cards and the smarts to use guns to defend others wanted to and were available, Illinois criminal law won't let them.

Call your State Legislators now (today would be a good day) and ask them to pass a concealed carry law immediately. There is a good one on the shelf right now. HB 0148. Read it at www.ilga.gov (use the little box on the left sidebar). They can tinker with it later, although they won't need to.

And then reduce or eliminate the GFZs. Create volunteer teams of protectors who will help keep our kids safe.

Since Rep. Jack Franks became a co-sponsor on May 5, 2011, on the same day as the vote on HB0148, nine additional State Representatives have become co-sponsors. This bill now has 52 co-sponsors. It needs 70 or 71 Yea votes to pass in the House, because it will be jammed down the throats of home-rule cities and be veto-proof by anti-gun Gov. Quinn and anti-gun Speaker Mike Madigan.

Can these 52 gain the support of 20 of their colleagues to pass a good concealed carry bill?