I strongly support the 2nd Amendment too, but knowing some of the folks in my area who have been the most vocal about Illinois' reluctance to pass the concealed carry law, I find myself a bit more nervous knowing they may be carrying as opposed to not knowing if a stranger might be carrying illegally. Not to be argumentative, but is there is a bit of a difference between the federal constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and the state granted license to carry concealed weapons?
Here's another, slightly different notion. We have the right to freedom of movement, but does that mean that everyone should be entitled a driver's license and that a company shouldn't be allowed to place restrictions on where I park my car when I visit a retailer?
But I'll tell you that I pose these question to people I know who question why folks own guns to try to get them to open their minds just a bit. The question they ask is why do people feel the need to own guns and why own more than one? These same folks will gladly sit down to a dinner of Porky or Elsie, but draw the line at Bambie. The question I pose to them, though pretty simplistic, is "what's the speed limit on the street out front of your house? When they say 30 mph, I then ask, what's the highest speed speedometer on your car read? When they say 120 or so, I ask why they need a car that can go 120 when the legal speed limit is 30? I usually end with, if I legally own and responsibly use a firearm of any kind, why should you care? Stay out of my business and I'll stay out of yours as long as you do drive responsibly.
I'll admit up front that I don't know all of the particulars, but the State of Michigan has, or is wresting with the issue as it pertains to carrying otherwise legally owned weapons onto school properties.
One thing that got me riled up was when Ruger got their shorts into a knot a few years ago when they put restrictions on health insurance for employees who rode motorcycles. We're all aware of liability issues and how they raise their ugly head in our litigious society these days, and companies believe it necessary to put into force policies that run against the grain of some, and this is most likely Echo's response to the right to carry law.