Imagine walking down a Chicago street at 10:30 a.m. in broad daylight and being approached by two strangers with obvious ill intent.
The odds are not in your favor on the surface, but you are a law-abiding citizen who also has a valid CCL (concealed carry license) and a FOID (Firearm Owner’s Identification) card, as required of Illinois residents. Now the situation is flipping.
Criminals count on defenseless victims, not armed defenders
That’s the lesson two suspects on foot learned Sunday morning when they allegedly approached a 23-year-old man out walking. Details of what exactly came next are unclear, but a physical fight broke out and the outnumbered male produced a lawful handgun.
He fired multiple shots, striking a suspect in the torso. That man was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital suffering critical injuries, while the individual who was with him was not hurt.
A person of interest is being questioned, but police so far have not said if robbery was the motive or something else was at play. The situation, however, says a lot for itself.
Survival instincts are as fundamental as water and air
Two strangers approach a third man who is out walking, and they clearly have bad intentions. He only has a few options, and two of them are running away as fast as he can or complying with whatever demands the strangers make.
If he is armed, there is a third choice.
Our survival instincts are as important now as they were when our ancestors huddled around fires and watched the darkness for threats. In 2026 Chicago, a man minding his own business is accosted by those who almost certainly do him harm.
Because of his foresight and courage, he had a firearm ready and did not hesitate to utilize it against the obvious danger.
That’s the option that anti-gun forces wanted removed despite the Second Amendment’s clear intent: The ability for law-abiding citizens to stand their ground and confront violent criminals instead of running and hiding.
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