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Evidently the Illinois State Police didn't find too much fault with how I attached my photograph to that paperwork I filled out back in November of 2006. If you haven't already guessed, the form I was wrestling with was my FOID application. For those who aren't familiar with the state's somewhat draconian laws, Illinois requires that you have to have a Firearm Owner ID card to own or hold firearms/ammunition in this state -- something most other states consider you eligible for assuming you are above the age of 18, are not a felon, have not been convicted of a violent/domestic assault crime, have not been convicted of a drug offense and are not mentally ill. Oh yeah, did I mention that Illinois classifies stun guns ("Tasers") and Mace as firearms? Good times.

For the record, I'm fine with background checks. Hell, I endorse them and think that the NICS check is a Good Thing. I do not believe that something which carries as much responsibility as a firearm should just be given out to any random idiot without a bit of "due diligence" being performed first. If Illinois required a safety training course I'd be perfectly okay with that too, despite having passed such a course 13 years ago in Minnesota. Heck, I'm fine with Chicago banning citizen-owned firearms entirely; while I think it's ridiculous despite its good intentions I don't have to live there. What I do not believe is useful or at all reasonable is a state-wide "ID" program that's nothing but smoke and mirrors, paired with overzealous classifications of non-lethal defense mechanisms in some sort of bid by the state government to assure the constituents that they're "safe." However, despite my objections to the system I am a law-abiding citizen and as such I have followed the rules. Everything I own of a firearm nature (including my compound bow) has been waiting at the farm until I got all the various ducks in a row and had the state and city's blessing.

With that said I've been waiting impatiently since mid-December for any response from the folks down in Springfield as the paperwork claims a response is due "thirty days from the day the application fee is cashed." I had a not-inconsiderable sense of dread that led me to wonder if I had somehow mistakenly thrown the response out as "junk mail", but that was alleviated today when I received an envelope in my mailbox that showed a return address of interest. I admit that seeing ILLINOIS STATE POLICE - ATTN: FOID APPS emblazoned in all caps in the upper left hand window immediately caught my attention. I brought the envelope inside, popped the cap off a beer and sat down at my desk as I prepared to open the envelope. The contents would either be a reason to drink in celebration, or drink in defeat. I cut open the top and pulled out the enclosed letter...

... and drank in celebration. That is to say, my FOID arrived today. The State Police have smiled upon me and approved me to lawfully own firearms in Illinois can finally move my collection of revolvers, pistols, shotguns and rifles down from the farm to Z'ha'dum and Like I said, it's a few days late (two weeks and change) to be considered my Christmas present from the state but I'll take it.

Everything is nothing like it was