H-F Residents React to Concealed Carry Passage

On Tuesday afternoon, Illinois became the last state to legalize the private, licensed carry of concealed firearms with the General Assembly overriding Gov. Pat Quinn's veto before a court-ordered deadline.

From shouts of hallelujah to screams of disbelief, reactions from our readers could not be more polarized. 

Here's a sample of what we've seen on the H-F Patch Facebook page so far:

• Lester S: The conceal carry law in the other 49 states has proven to reduce the number of "guns on the streets" so be happy IL finally wised up and joined the ranks with the rest of the country.

• Caitrín B: you can bring a gun to a place where they serve alcohol • no limit on number of guns or amount of ammo, pre-empting home rule for assault weapons bans • doesn't give law enforcement enough discretion to deny a permit (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-illinois-concealed-carry,0,4356935.story) No, this does not make me "happy." It's horrifying.

• Kat B: Scares the hell out of me.

• Pat F: If I see a gun peeking out of someone's purse or pants and I don't know that person to be a responsible, sane individual, I'm walking in the other direction. This isn't the wild west, folks. Keep your gun at home, please, or stay the hell away from me.

• Tom G: Best news ever. I see some ridiculous comments here.

• Megan F: As a late-night commuter in the city, I'm glad! Mace doesn't cut it nowadays.

• Clare F: What a sad pathetic society we live in.

• Jerry L: Think maybe the legislature will ever address the root causes of violent crime like; poverty, unemployment, and staggering income inequality? No, me either.

• Debbie H: Will the criminals still carry their guns concealed? If so, then I'm glad we've leveled the field. When seconds count, the police are just minutes away.

• Jesse H: Just what we need, armed vigilantes. More guns doesn't solve the problem.

• Angie N: IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!! People of Illinois no longer need to sit back and be victims!!!

• Sean D: there is typically a few more incidents to start, but what I've read from places like Florida, it's helped to decrease crime. Here's the thing, criminals are going to do what they're going to do. They obviously don't care about the law. But now people have the right to give themselves a level playing field.

• Andrew S: don't like guns, don't get one

• Jerry L: If its good enough for a criminal, it's good enough for me.

• Clare F: Does anyone really believe that those that agreed upon the constitution back in the 1780's would agree upon the right to bear arms in this day and age with all the "advances" in weaponry that have been made? It seems ridiculous that technology has advanced and intelligence had perhaps slipped backwards.

• Michelle H: Guns are made for killing. They serve no other purpose. Either you believe in killing, or you don't.

• Ruth A: I am enrage, horrified, terrified. So now our temper tantrums can go full blown.

• Michael M: Definitely glad, now my children will have the same security in public that they have in my home.

How do you fell about the legalization of concealed carry? Take our poll above or let us know in the comments.