Dear editor,

This is in response to Kurt Wolter’s letter to the editor in the Jan. 25 issue of the News-Leader which offered the opinion that Sheriff VanVickle should enforce the new restrictive gun law and it was not his purview to not enforce the law. In Illinois, non-enforcement of laws is standard practice. For instance the speed limit in Chicago is 55 miles per hour, but the average speed is approximately 68 miles per hour (not enforced). If one travels at 55 miles per hour in Chicago there is the strong possibility of being rear ended. The practice of adultery is illegal in Illinois ((720 ILCS 5/11-35) Sec. 11-35. Adultery) but is rarely enforced. Chicago declared itself a sanctuary city which means they will not allow federal officers to arrest illegal aliens, thereby preventing enforcement of federal law. There are many other instances. The problem in Illinois is that there is a one-party system. The party in power represents about half the people (according to voting counts) and the rest are left out in the cold. This results in poorly-developed legislation that serves about half the people in Illinois and not the rest. The blame should be placed at the foot of the legislature and governor for passing laws that are poorly conceived, poorly vetted and have components that are probably unconstitutional.

-Chuck Roberts, Rochelle