Concealed-Carry Course Taught at Illinois College

Through its "Carry-Safe Training Inc." class being offered as part of the Carl Sandburg College Community Education program, participants will be able to qualify for a Utah concealed-carry permit, presently valid in more states than any other state CCW permit.

For Illinois residents who frequently travel outside the Land of Lincoln, the Utah permit won't allow them to carry in their home state, but makes it much more convenient for those who regularly carry a handgun in their business, like long-haul truck drivers and others.

We find it indeed ironic that the course will take place on June 16 at a college named in honor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who is famous for bestowing flattering accolades and focusing on the strength and resiliency of the citizens of Chicago, where today residents must live under the most restrictive firearms-ownership laws in the country, unable to legally protect themselves and their families.

We wonder what Sandburg would write about the "City of Big Shoulders" today.

The cost of this weekend's course is $100, and those following through with a Utah permit will be required to pay a $51 registration fee to the state of Utah. The 4-hour course is offered in two separate sessions: 8 a.m. to noon and 1-5 p.m. this Saturday at the college's main Galesburg campus, 2400 Tom L. Wilson Blvd.

The course includes firearms familiarization, dealing specifically with pistols, varying calibers, practical handling and carrying of firearms for protection.

The Utah non-resident permit is valid for five years and is recognized in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington state, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.