Darn it. I see that I am out of milk and therefore must drive to the grocery store. Better grab the proper accouterments for my trek: cellphone (check), wallet, keys (check, check) and gun (check).

Wait, what?

Advocates of the National Rifle Association everywhere must have been cheering Tuesday. The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided on a 2-1 vote that the Illinois ban on carrying concealed weapons was unconstitutional: Citizens in the state of Illinois should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon. When I heard the news, I can promise you cheering for the appeal was the furthest thing from my mind. Up until Tuesday, I was proud that Illinois was the only state to ban concealed weapons. But it seems the court and I are at an impasse.

The citing of course was based on the second amendment, the “right to bear arms.” The judges stated Illinois needed to show the ban increased public safety, and it failed to do so.

They also wrote the “amendment confers a right to bear arms for self-defense, which is as important outside the home as inside.”

However, it seems to me guns can cause a lot of damage outside the home both on purpose and accidently. Look at what just happened this past Saturday in Pennsylvania. A father accidently shot his seven year old son outside of a gun store and killed him. He had failed to realize there were still bullets in the chamber. Had he not been able to possess a handgun that never would have happened. I know it was an accident, but it was a fatal one. Up until this week, it would have been illegal for him to even have that gun outside had he been in Illinois. 

Even more recently, a gunman shot and killed two people in Portland, Ore. the same day our no gun law was struck down. 

Here on campus, guns have been an issue as well. In my three and a half years here, I have received countless amounts of crime alerts. Many of them included warnings that the person-in-question has a gun like the frat party last year or the supposed “hostage situation” earlier this semester.

And what about that shooting in Aurora, Colo. over the summer? James Holmes legally purchased the guns he used to shoot his victims at “The Dark Night Rises” premiere. Having worked ticket sales at a theater back home, I had all sorts of questions from customers about the shooting. And anytime somebody seemed to reach for anything in their pockets, customers and police alike would eye them closely. People were scared to enter a movie theater. Being allowed to walk around with a gun in tow is going to kick that fear back up for people. Why? Because guns kill.

As a Suburbanite, I firmly believe we do not need gun. No, not everyone is from the suburbs of Chicago. I know some people in the city are thrilled the ban was lifted, as are many people outside of the city and its suburbs. But allowing people to own and possess a concealed weapon is just asking for trouble. You want to protect yourself, I understand that. But guns do kill people. Accidents or not, they still lead to death.

While it may be in the Constitution that we have the right to bear arms, does anyone really believe the founding fathers wanted everyone walking around major cities with guns in hand? Probably not. Keep in mind, the entire text reads “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” Militia — not every citizen in the country.

Unfortunately for me, it was decided in District of Columbia v. Heller that the “Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia.” But let us not forget the at the U.S. has the astute honor as the country with the highest gun ownership rate as well as the highest homicide rate. Seems like a winning combination to me.

However, while the initial law was struck down, lawmakers are being given 180 days to create their own version of a pro-gun law. There are states like New York and California that, while allowing guns, have laws on issuing permits. They could make it almost impossible to be allowed a gun permit thereby limiting who can and cannot own a gun. The law might force gun owners to take a class, which may help limit accidents like the unfortunate father-son shooting. So while 2012 is ending on a sour note for me, here’s to hoping for a harsh new gun law in 2013.

Joanna is a senior in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].