First it was a handful. Then a dozen. Then a couple dozen. Then, not two full days after Illinois’ ban on semiautomatic weapons became law, word was that somewhere in the range of 80 to 90 of Illinois’ 102 county sheriffs publicly objected to the legislation on the grounds that it violated citizens’ Second Amendment rights.

Further, the sheriffs stated, they would not be checking to ensure that residents with grandfathered-in weapons were registering them, as is now required by law, or housing those who didn’t comply in their jails.

Just when it seemed we couldn’t be any more divided, among comes House Bill 5471.

To illustrate the gap, Editor Jeff D’Alessio asked a range of community members for THE ONE WORD THEY’D USE TO DESCRIBE HOW THEY FELT WHEN THEY HEARD ABOUT THE SHERIFFS’ STANCE.

ENRAGED

Helen A. Neville, UI professor of educational psychology and African American studies

JUSTIFIED

Joan Dykstra, former Savoy mayor

APPALLED

Dr. Suzanne Trupin, Champaign physician

WOOT!

Rev. Jason Braaten, pastor, Tuscola Immanuel Lutheran

DERELICTION

Mike Jones, retired Champaign County judge

HOOAH

Brad Gould, superintendent, Veterans Assistance Commission of Champaign County

GRANDSTANDING

Eliza Brooks, Danville middle school principal

RESPECTED

Susie Tongate, Gibson City council member

REALLY?

Barb Linder, CU One-to-One Mentoring founder

ELATED

Bill Oliger, Mahomet village trustee

CONFLICTED

Von Young Jr., former Parkland police chief

LAWLESSNESS

Emma Dorantes, Champaign attorney

DISAPPOINTMENT

Sybil Mervis, Danville community leader

AMERICAN

Brandon Taylor, Monticello business owner

STALEMATE

Brent Budd, Arcola city council member

FRUSTRATION

Jennifer Gunji-Ballsrud, Japan House director

UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Jeff Van Buskirk, St. Joseph village board member

AMBIVALENT

Michael Schlosser, director, UI Police Training Institute

BAN

Giraldo Rosales, former Champaign County board chair

INCONGRUITY

Cliff Hastings, Parkland volleyball coach

DYSFUNCTION

Bob Fitzgerald, retired Urbana police deputy chief

ANGRY

Barbara Suggs-Mason, retired schools superintendent

TYRANNY

Mike Dilley, former Urbana fire chief

PERFORMATIVE

Rebecca Ginsburg, director, Education Justice Project

LOSS

Rev. Shanae Dowell, co-pastor, 21st Century Christian Worship Center of Danville

EXPECTED

Chase McCall, Ford County board member

UNSCRUPULOUS

Lamont Holden, music producer, DJ, podcast host, videographer and UI professor

REGULATION

Ruth Wyman, Urbana attorney

DIALECTIC

Peter Buckley, retired FBI special agent

DISGUSTED

Alan Cook, rabbi, Sinai Temple

CHAOS

Rev. Robert Freeman, pastor, First United Methodist of Urbana

CONCUR

Angela Slates-Swoope, UI project manager

INAPPROPRIATE

Dave Hood, founding partner, Martin Hood LLC

DISAPPOINTED

Julie Pryde, administrator, C-U Public Health District

SYNTAX

Dean Hazen, former Urbana police officer and city council member

UNCERTAINTY

Adam Rosendahl, Gibson City police chief

ELATED

Rick Noble, Farmer City firearms instructor

BACKWARDS

Ricardo Diaz, CU Immigration Forum

DISSENSION

Betty Brennan, founder/ambassador, Taylor Studios, Inc.