Local Residents React to Concealed Carry Passage

On Tuesday afternoon, Illinois became the last state to legalize the private, licensed carry of concealed firearms with the General Assembly overriding Gov. Pat Quinn's veto before a court-ordered deadline.

From shouts of hallelujah to screams of disbelief, reactions from our readers could not be more polarized. 

Here's a sample of what we've seen on our local Patch Facebook pages so far:

• Hana T. on Chicago Heights Patch Facebook: Great now we'll have more idiots walking around with guns.. Just "legally"
• Michael M. on Homewood-Flossmoor Patch Facebook: Definitely glad, now my children will have the same security in public that they have in my home.
• Ryan O. on Evergreen Park Patch Facebook: 1 simple question. ...if you do not allow ANY citizen to carry a firearm...will the criminals obey? If u can assure me that I will be content.
• Megan F. on Homewood-Flossmoor Patch Facebook: As a late-night commuter in the city, I'm glad! Mace doesn't cut it nowadays.
• Jenni K. on Evergreen Park Patch Facebook: If there were less guns on the streets then the scared, law-abiding citizens wouldn't feel the need to conceal for their own protection. This scares me just as much as any gun, legal or not, scares me.
• Michelle H. on Homewood-Flossmoor Patch Facebook: Guns are made for killing. They serve no other purpose. Either you believe in killing, or you don't.

How do you fell about the legalization of concealed carry? Take our poll above or let us know in the comments.