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Media Credit: Jennifer Johnson Rick French, a Marion, resident tries out a rifle Monday at Pro Pawn Shop in Marion. A recent Supreme Court ruling stated that everyone has the right, under the Second Amendment, to own a gun in their home for self-defense.

In the wake of Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down a Washington, D.C., ban on handguns, some state officials and gun shop owners have said the outcome was a necessary one.

Kate Williamson thinks it is another step toward increased gun-related violence.

Williamson, community affairs director of Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, said some cities in Illinois have chosen to stand firm on their plans to keep handguns out of their neighborhoods.

"It could be harmful if anyone who wants a gun gets one because guns can be purchase lawfully, but sold illegally to criminals," Williamson said.

Paul Stacy, owner of Pro Pawn and Gun in Marion, said cities in Illinois that have the highest crime rates are the ones that have gun control laws. These statistics show that criminals cannot be stopped, he said.

The court's decision will benefit the community more than harm it, he said.

"I think it's a freedom and everyone should be able to own a gun," Stacy said.

Stacy said no matter how much lawmakers try to prevent handgun violence; it is never going to disappear.

The Second Amendment, which was ratified in 1791, states, "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." Five justices agreed in the District of Columbia v. Heller ruling that the right to own handguns is included in the amendment.

The Illinois council has never wanted to completely ban the use of handguns, Williamson said. She said the council's goal is to have sensible laws that would keep guns safe for consumers and keep people educated.

U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., has been an avid supporter of Second Amendment rights since he joined Congress 10 years ago, said Costello's chief of staff David Gillies.

Gillies said Costello believes if a law is in the body of the constitution each individual has his or her own rights to uphold that law.

Bob Ramsey, a member of the Williamson County Gun Club, said he and his fellow members were pleased when they heard about the Supreme Court's decision.

"Now the good guy can protect himself if necessary without a problem," Ramsey said.

The club began in the early 1970s and has grown to more than 300 members. After experiencing decades of changing gun laws and going through the tedious procedures of being able to own a firearm, he can finally breathe a sigh of relief after the ruling.

According to the ICAHV, there were 1,019 handgun deaths in 2005, which was up three percent from the previous year.

Ramsey said he does not believe that the court's decision will increase the firearm crime rate.

If criminals want to obtain a gun, they will do it by any means necessary because they are just not the kind of people that would follow laws in the first place, Ramsey said.

Jenn Lofton can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 273 or jlofton@siu.edu.

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