Rep. La Shawn Ford leans toward allowing concealed weapons in Illinois

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Updated: November 26, 2011 12:28AM

AWest Side state legislator with a predominately African-American constituency says he is leaning toward breaking ranks with his fellow Chicago lawmakers to support allowing individuals to carry concealed weapons in Illinois.

Rep. La Shawn Ford, a third-term Democrat, told me he is prepared to become the first black legislator from the city to vote for a concealed carry law — if sponsors of the bill will add a provision requiring the National Rifle Association to pay for sensitivity training for police officers.

Ford, who hosted a spirited town hall meeting last week at which supporters and opponents debated the advisability of a such a law, said he believes a majority of his constituents want the right to own a gun.

“Black people want guns, and I know that sounds bad,” Ford said.

“They’re saying we’re making criminals out of law-abiding citizens,” he said. “They’re saying you’re only siding with the criminals because the criminals could care less about the law.”

Some of them are saying that, and some are saying what I saw one woman tell him in a YouTube video of the meeting: “We put more guns on the street, we’re going to have a bigger problem.”

I had spotted the notice for Ford’s meeting but couldn’t get there, so I called him afterward to see how it went and figure out where he stood.

Earlier this year, Chicago legislators led the way in defeating the first concealed carry proposal to come to a vote in the General Assembly in many years. Both outgoing Mayor Richard M. Daley and incoming Mayor Rahm Emanuel put on the pressure to hold Chicago area legislators in line. At the time, Ford shocked gun control advocates by voting “present.”

If you’ve read this space over time, then you know I’m not in favor of anything that puts more guns into the hands of more people.

But I recognize there is another point of view, and it intrigues me to see that other perspective being expressed in minority communities that bear the brunt of the impact of gun violence.

You also may recall it was an African American from Morgan Park who was the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit that struck down Chicago’s handgun ban.

“The city of Chicago is standing in the way of concealed carry,” Ford complained.

Obviously, many of us prefer it that way.

NRA lobbyist Todd Vandermyde, who participated in Ford’s town hall meeting, said he believes “the tide has turned” in regard to public opinion among African Americans on a concealed carry law.

“I’m seeing a wholesale change,” said Vandermyde, who expressed interest in “reaching an accommodation” with Ford about his ideas.

Vandermyde said he understands the concerns of some African Americans “about what happens when you have a black man with a gun” stopped by police, assuming that individual was legally permitted to carry a gun under the proposed law.

For now, though, the NRA may be content to await the outcome of two federal lawsuits filed Downstate challenging Illinois’ status as the only state without a permitting process to allow private citizens to carry firearms.

Colleen Daley, executive director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, said she believes the NRA stacked the audience at Ford’s town hall meeting (Vandermyde denies it), and that Ford is mistaken if he thinks a majority of his constituents support legalizing concealed carry.

“At the end of the day, more guns is not the answer,” Daley said.

Ford encouraged me to publicize his position.

“You’re not going to get another black official to say he’s leaning ‘yes,’ ” Ford said. “It is a big deal to say I would vote for it.”

I don’t know if it’s such a big deal. Ford just has one vote, after all. But it could become a big deal if he gave cover to other African-American lawmakers inclined to follow suit.

Vandermyde said he believes he has other supporters in the legislature’s black caucus. Sen. Annazette Collins, another West Side Democrat who attended Ford’s forum, said in the past she would support a concealed carry law but didn’t join in the discussion that night.

Among those who did was a retired Oak Park police officer who got big applause by telling the crowd: “God created man, and Smith & Wesson created all men equal.”

I can pretty much assure you that is not a widely held point of view in Oak Park, a portion of which is in Ford’s legislative district.