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Op-Ed on Concealed Carry in Chicago Sun Times


chip

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I hope I represented our cause in a positive and responsible manner.

 

- chip

 

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http://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/7/71/754675/counterpoint-carry-gun

 

I am 49 years old, Black, a native of Chicago and a law-abiding citizen. I also have a state permit to carry a concealed weapon.
I grew up in Chatham on Chicago’s South Side. I’ve seen the neighborhood, as well as the entire city, change as drug problems and gang violence have escalated.
A lot of people ask me why I carry a gun. Many accuse me of wanting to shoot or kill someone, and that’s the furthest from the truth. The fact that I was able to pass the background check is evidence that I don’t have a violent or criminal mind. I was vetted by the FBI, the Illinois State Police and my local police department.
I don’t want to use my handgun anymore than I want to use the airbag in my car. But I’ve been mugged and I’ve been the victim of burglary. I know what crime looks like up close and personal.
I have many close friends who are police officers, and I know they can’t be everywhere all the time. The average police response time to a 911 call is seven minutes, and I’ve heard of people who live right across the street from a police station who still had to wait 4 minutes. Even if you cut that response time to a minute or two, a person can be a victim of crippling, disfiguring, permanent and possible deadly violence before an officer is even assigned to the call.
I don’t carry a gun because I want to take a life; I carry because I value my life, and the lives of those in my family. I need it everywhere I go because violent crime can happen anywhere.
When I was a teenager, I was mugged on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology. Back then, I was able to run away. Now, at my age, I can’t run as fast or as far.
I carry because the thugs don’t obey gun-free-zone signs. Heck, I was recently at place with a gum-free-zone sign, and I still saw people chewing and blowing bubbles. The idea of a sign stopping violent criminals is as crazy as a soup sandwich.
Ultimately, I carry because protecting my life is my responsibility. We keep fire extinguishers in our homes because waiting for the fire department while we inhale smoke is plain stupid. Sure, I’ll call the police, but I know that when seconds count, they’re seven minutes away.
Chip Eberhart, who lives in the northwest suburbs, is Senior Firearms Instructor at Top Shot Academy.

 

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