a conceal carry pledge for Illinois

There have been a variety of responses to the "not guilty" verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman for killing Trayvon Martin. The comfortable middle ground is that verdict was a correct rendering of Florida law. Zimmerman and Martin both made regrettable decisions in hindsight.

I think there are things that the State of Illinois could do to prevent bad outcomes. I want to propose an idea that should not be controversial.

If you are going to carry a firearm in public, you have to live up to higher expectations than the basic person on the street.

Getting a conceal carry permit should require the individual to sign a statement with provisions enforceable in the law. (continued below)

I represent that I am mentally and emotionally capable of exercising sound judgment.

I have read and understand the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The purpose of the Second Amendment is to provide a state government and local community that is free and secure. I will not use my firearm in a way that diminishes freedom or reduces security.

I do not harbor animosity toward any group of people that would cause me to draw my firearm prematurely against members of this group.

I am not a law enforcement officer by virtue of the fact that I am carrying a firearm. Carrying a firearm does not convey any authority or legal powers upon me that a normal citizen does not already have.

When I am carrying my firearm, I will also carry a mobile phone. I will call law enforcement before drawing or discharging my firearm in public unless making the phone call is impossible. Having a depleted battery is not an acceptable excuse for not making the call.

If I am told to desist from a course of action by law enforcement, I will desist from that course of action. If I violate this rule, I will be held criminally liable for the harm that results.

I will report any incident where I discharge, draw, brandish or expose my firearm to communicate a threat.

I will neither initiate or escalate a physical or verbal conflict while armed.

If someone gets kills with my firearm I am responsible. I will keep control of my firearm unless required to surrender it to law enforcement.

I accept that accidental discharge of my firearm will result in loss of my conceal carry permit. If I accidentally discharge my firearm in a public place I will lose the right to own or possess firearms in Illinois.

I will promptly report any stolen or lost firearms. If the firearm(s) in question were not properly secured, I will lose my conceal carry permit.

If I find myself in a conflict, I will announce that I am armed and make every effort to disengage. If I fail to make a reasonable effort to disengage, I will be liable for the outcome of the conflict.

I will not become intoxicated while carrying a weapon in public. (It is allowed to go drinking if the weapons are locked in the trunk of the car. Obviously I will respect prohibitions against driving under the influence.)

I will not use violence or the threat of violence to attempt to change the government or influence public policy. I understand that simply advocating violence or making people feel threatened in this way is enough to cause me to lose my conceal carry permit.

I understand that my right to own and carry a firearm is a less important right than the rights of all to be physical safe and secure and to continue living. I accept that in cases of conflict freedoms, the right to carry a firearm in public is less important than the rights of the citizenry, including the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

If I know of someone who either violated her/his conceal carry oath or lied in signing it, I will report him to competent authorities.

I understand that if people who have conceal carry permits become a problem the annual fees for conceal carry permits will increase significantly.

What drives me nuts about Democrats and gun control advocates is that they fight over stuff that doesn't make a difference. I saw in my Facebook feed that Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-burbs) is advocating that churches be able to ban firearms. This is probably halfway decent politics, but it's pointless public policy.