Domestic Abuse / The Concealed Carry Law in Illinois.

Starting on January 5, 2014, the Illinois State Police will finally have the applications for residents of Illinois to fill out and apply for a CCW License. A person wanting to obtain one of these very coveted CCW License's will have to first obtain a State of Illinois FOID Card. That can take month's, so apply for one now, if you want to be ready for the January date of CCW Application availibility. Next, you will need to have completed a 16 Hr. Concealed Carry Training Course and have passed the live fire portion of the course. The Course taught at Bass Pro-Shop, cost me $255.00 and you have to buy your own ammo for the thirty shot test. In the shooting compentency test, you will fire 10 rounds at a black silouette target that is the size and shape of the upper body of an average sized male, from head to waist, at 15 Ft. then 10 Rounds at 21 Ft. and another 10 Rounds at 30 Ft. The target must have at least 21 of the 30 shots, somewhere in the black sillouette of the target. Then you will have to pay $150.00 in the Application Fee to the ISP and an optional Fingerprinting Fee if you want your License faster by 30 days. So, in all, you could spend Aprox. $450.00 in the overall cost to obtain your Illinois CCW License. It will be Valid for five years and then you will need to take a 3 Hr. Refresher Course and pay the ISP $150.00 more, is your life and safety worth it? Some people are simply using the Container Carry Method of "Transporting a Firearm", on your person. A FOID Card, is all that is required for this method of transporting an "UNLOADED FIREARM" in a Case, Package or Container. A fully loaded Magazine(s) of ammo can be in the same Case, Package or Container,  but remember... not in the firearm. This method is not as good as CCW, but it is legal Statewide... right NOW! Too many Women in Illinois are victims of Domestic Abuse and do not see a way out. I am the Son of an Abused Wife, I have experienced the the traumatic experiences of that kind of life and have a deep understanding of why, sometimes Women stay with their abusive Spouse... it is out of fear and helplessness. A Woman needs to be able to defend herself and her Family, a man needs to be able to defend his Wife and Family, sometimes from a former abusive Spouse, that is hell bent on destroying them. To all of those reading this out there, that are in that situation, some of us understand and care. Semper Paratus