The murder rate in Illinois climbed 10 percent from last year, as Chicago moved up on the list of U.S. cities with the most homicides.

Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Cal Skinner has a plan that he hopes will change that. He is proposing that Illinois enact a Personal Security Act that would allow law-abiding citizens to carry firearms.

“It is all too obvious that the Chicago Police Department cannot protect all the people all the time,” Skinner said in a recent press release.

He proposes that law-abiding residents – after proper training – should be allowed to protect themselves with firearms the way citizens in over 30 other states can.

Despite Skinner’s high hopes, many NIU students think the security act would cause more harm than good.

“I think it’s a bad idea, because then some psycho with a gun can go around killing people,” said Ruku Hasan, a junior computer science major at NIU.

In 1999, there were 28,874 gun-related deaths in the United States – that’s more than 80 deaths every day – according to www.gun-control-network.org/facts.html.

Some people are concerned the presence of everyday people carrying guns could heighten the risk of crime.

“Just because you’re a law-abiding citizen, you still are capable of committing a crime,” said Cherlonda Hall, a senior community health major. “Many people in jail were law-abiding citizens at one time. A crime depends on the situation. A lot of people do things in the heat of the moment.”

Skinner believes that it’s time for Illinois citizens to be allowed to protect themselves from armed aggressors. He thinks that changing the state law should allow citizens to lessen their risk of becoming the victim of a crime.

“If it’s done right, it will have the desired affect,” said George Guajardo, a graduate student in psychology. “People will feel more comfortable.”

However, proper training needs to be available to the citizens who want to carry a gun, Skinner indicated.

“It makes me uncomfortable to think that people who don’t know about firearms will be using them,” said Heather Hardy, chair of the English department.

The level of gun ownership worldwide is directly related to murder and suicide rates, and specifically, to the level of death by gunfire, according to a gun control Web site, http://www.gun-control-network.org/facts.htm.

“Studies have shown that the presence of a gun in a home with a child may lead to increases in child accidental death and suicide risk,” said Melanie Hetzel, a graduate student in psychology. “This may not be the right first step.”

Some think guns are not the answer to today’s crime problems, and perhaps other steps should be taken to avoid a harmful situation.

“If people have weapons they’ll use them,” said Jan VanderMeer, administrative secretary for the English department. “If I were scared and I had a gun, I’m afraid I would use it whether it is warranted or not. Too often we do things when we’re frightened that we regret later. I think it would be better to learn life skills, such as self-defense.”

Through recent research of crime statistics, Skinner found that over time there’s a permanent reduction in crimes committed with weapons as more people secure gun permits and educate themselves about using weapons.

However, many people still disagree.

“It could be dangerous, and innocent people can die,” junior OMIS major Shoeb Khan said. “How do you know what crime is punishable? People may kill themselves.”