Moms Campaign for 'No Guns Allowed' Signs in Local Businesses

Will businesses in LaGrange, Western Springs and other west suburban communities display "No Guns Allowed" signs in their windows?

A group of local moms is asking now that Illinois allows residents with permits to carry concealed weapons.

Nicole Chen, of Western Springs, gathered other moms at her home after the Sandy Hook school shooting in December 2012 and they decided to join the Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America campaign. 

Chen's anti-gun efforts were first profiled on Patch in February 2013.

Throughout Illinois, they've passed out 2,000 postcards carrying the "No Guns Allowed" message, Chen said.

“I prefer to shop in places where I feel safe,” said Katherine Mudd, of Western Springs, who's been distributing the cards. “My safety and comfort level are compromised by concealed weapons in private businesses."

The group's national Facebook page has 114,000 followers.

Chen told Sun-Times Media that one business in Countryside posted a sign. The reaction has been supportive but business owners seem reluctant to post a sign, Chen said, which surprises her.

“Maybe they don’t want to offend anyone; it’s a political issue, and it evokes feelings," she said.

In 2013, the group successfully pushed Starbucks to ask customers not to bring guns to its stores. 

For the moms undertaking the local effort, they see this as a matter of safety.

"If I see someone carrying a gun in public, in a store, how do I know if they have a permit or not?” Chen asked. “Unless they paste their permit on their sleeve, it’s hard to tell a criminal from a law-abiding ‘good guy’ with a gun.”

Clarification: Article revised to clarify the nature of the anti-gun violence meeting profiled in February 2013.