First and last name; check. Address; check. Are you a US citizen? Yes and check. Date of birth, social security number, signature; check, check and check! Height, weight, gender, hair color. Whew, this application is getting pretty detailed! Thank you for the checklist, Illinois. I nearly forgot to include my photo and $10 fee. And voila, I am now registered for my Illinois Voter ID Card.
Just kidding! It’s actually an application for a “firearms owner’s identification card.” All Illinoisans must apply for said card before they can legally own a firearm. ANY firearm, not just the oft (and erroneously) feared handgun or “assault rifle.” About 1.4 million people in Illinois have an FOID card. 1.4 million times 10 … Let’s just assume the state of Illinois had about 14,000,000 to start the FOID program in 1968.
The full version of this column is now only available in Doug Giles’ book, “Sandy Hook Massacre: When Seconds Count, The Police Are Minutes Away”.
