this was posted on freerepublic.com.  i thought our illinois members might like it.


A nice place to live
As your neighbor, I strongly encourage Illinois not to allow residents to carry concealed handguns. You see, for several years Indiana has allowed law-abiding residents to carry them, and criminals know it is a bad idea to attack a Hoosier: They might wind up looking into the barrel of a gun.
But by your refusal to pass a similar law, Hoosier criminals are aware that it is much safer to do their evil deeds in Illinois. This encourages rapists, muggers, mass killers, white-sheeted bigots, gay bashers and anti-Semites to leave Indiana and move to your state. The mass exodus of our criminals helps ensure the continued well-being of Indiana residents--even those who choose not to carry a handgun.
We will certainly do our best to spread the news to Hoosier criminals that, while Indiana residents might shoot them dead, Illinois residents prefer to be defenseless lambs. This might not be of much comfort to folks who will be victimized by these transplanted predators, but Illinois residents can find solace in knowing that we appreciate their willingness to make themselves available as easier targets of opportunity. If it saves just one Hoosier life, it is worth it.
Rick Schwartz, Crown Point, Ind.

Even a Californian gets a chuckle out of that. Doubt that the LA Times would run it, of course. [;)]