Like many instructors, I felt a little gut-kicked when I logged on and saw the status of my concealed carry application transition from that really nifty "Approved" status, back to that foreboding (and far less cool) "Under Review" status.
I felt like the kid at Christmas who saved that biggest present under the tree with his name on it to open last, only to find out it was meant for the younger brother, or the kid next door.
Much like a disappointed kid on Christmas, some instructors have been quick to lash out about this unfortunate and unexpected turn of events. (Myself, included, at first).
But, let's put it in to a logical context.
First - we were allowed to apply early (to everyone's collective amazement and satisfaction), on December 18th, more than two full weeks before early enrollment opened to the general population. We were guinea pigs, of course, to help shake down the system. Having already passed our background checks to get approved as instructors, submitted digital fingerprints, signed our names on notarized documents, they already had all of the material on hand to run us through and debug their systems before everyone else could get in.
I certainly don't mind that - beta testing is a good thing. I expected hiccups, and overall the process went remarkably smooth, considering it was a new IT project (after I ironed out my browser issues..)
Second - we are all eagerly anticipating carrying. I'll admit - it feels strikingly odd teaching concealed carry to people when you, yourself, aren't yet allowed to carry. But this alone isn't an excuse to act irrationally about being delayed, or give us grounds to demand more responsiveness; there should not now, or ever be, "first class citizens". (The fact that we finally have carry coming means that the existing walls of "first class citizen" attributed to off duty and retired LEO are finally being torn down).
Third - this is an incredibly large undertaking for any organization. We all know the Illinois State Police does not have a stellar history in the eyes of gun owners; with the constant FOID renewal/app delays, the years it took to get their background check process brought up to speed with modern tools (E-Mailing FTIP approval numbers for FFL's?!! They didn't have such a thing in 2009 when I closed my gun shop.)
However, every "sign post" along the way so far with the Illinois State Police indicates they have learned from their past mistakes, and are determined to "do right" to gun owners with the new system. They didn't wait until the very last minute and unleash a broken electronic web system on citizens, like certain other government organizations (AHEM.. healthcare.gov). They have been *incredibly* proactive in pushing out information on their website in the form of FAQ's, and status updates. And it appears as though (with this first hiccup, or delay) that they are making absolutely sure that all Law Enforcement officers in the State of Illinois are well-educated and know how to respect people's right to carry, in a UNIFORM fashion, and not taking the easy way out; relying solely on top LEO's of each organization to train their troops on their particular, personal interpretation of the law.
With the Tom Dart's of the world out there in positions of power, that's not a bad thing, folks.
On a personal note, I've gone a couple of decades as an adult, with no right to carry. Assuming I don't get assaulted and killed in an act of random violence in the next few weeks, I don't really think that waiting just a little bit longer is going to hurt me.
As the president of a well established technology company, with 20 years of professional success in large project management behind me, I have to say that the State Police and their IT vendors, have so far impressed me with the timeliness of putting together such a complicated system. It's not a trivial task, or a minor undertaking. They've had to invent the wheel for a large scale project in a short period of time; everything from management, creating and implementing workflow processes, screening/hiring/training staff, payment processing, and hosting and security (although there was a bit of a hiccup with the security aspect, which leaves me somewhat uneasy, having all of my critical information floating out there somewhere.)
And they've had to do it for a system which will take on an undetermined workload, which has to have the capability of scaling to meet demand; while also preparing for the downsizing when that initial peak demand tapers off to the consistent level they'll see year after year. That's not particularly easy to do, either.
So take a step back, take a deep breath, relax, and wait.
If and when the time comes to get angry, by all means, get angry. But until then, retain your composure and dignity.
Yes, we're all frustrated; but we've been frustrated for decades, and the end is near!
