This day has been a long time coming. Illinois is the last state in the union to recognize the right of its citizens to keep and bear arms. And rather than face a judicial mandate that would have made the Land of Lincoln a no-permit, shall-issue 2A heaven, legislators instead conjured a permitting process that’s about as painful and tedious as possible. Even so, around 46,000 people have applied and been approved for a concealed carry permit so far. And now word comes that the first 5,000 concealed carry licenses have arrived in the mailboxes of applicants . . .
