Illinois House votes to let campus cops carry guns

In an attempt to boost campus safety, the Illinois House voted Wednesday to let all university police officers carry guns while on duty.

Though state Rep. Linda Chapa-LaVia's plan was filed last fall, she said the topic gained new attention after the Northern Illinois University shootings in February. ...

Read the whole story in the Daily Herald. 

Posted Thu May 8 06:43:52 CDT 2008

Winnebago County considers their own CCW (!)

Illinois and Wisconsin are the only two states in the country that do not allow citizens to carry concealed firearms.

At least two Winnebago County Board members would like to see that changed in Illinois, starting in Winnebago County.

Randy Olson, R-1, and Doug Aurand, D-3, plan to present a resolution to the County Board this month authorizing concealed carry within the boundaries of the county.

“I put it together a couple years ago,” Olson said of the resolution. “I had a few members ask me if I would revive it, and I just tweaked it.” ...

Read the whole story in the Rockford Register Star. 

Posted Wed May 7 21:50:54 CDT 2008

County Resolutions on the Move:
Getting a foothold in Kendall, support growing in LaSalle County, DeKalb sends a mixed message

excerpt:
DeKalb County Board Chairman Ruth Anne Tobias said she, too, has received information about the resolution and plans to turn it over to a board committee for consideration. But she has some reservations about supporting it herself.

"Not that I'm against the Second Amendment," she said. "But I'm an anti-gun advocate so I would have a little bit of difficulty with this." ...

Read the whole story in the Beacon News. 

Posted Wed May 7 21:47:22 CDT 2008

Special Offer
ISRA Patriot Provides Gun, Gear, and Training for You

I recently attended a Four Day Defensive Handgun class at the world renowned Front Sight Firearms Training Institute and was amazed at the experience. As you are probably aware, I m no novice to firearms training having taken over 400 hours of handgun training since my first gun training course way back in 1970.

I must say, the Front Sight Four Day Defensive Handgun was the very best training I have ever received. Front Sight’s professionalism is second to none, the amount of instructors to students is ideal. What you will experience at Front Sight is so great that not only do I highly recommend Front Sight training to any shooter— from the student who has never fired a gun before to the advanced shooter who is trying to hone his skills-- that I have arranged an unbelievable opportunity for you to get Front Sight’s Four Day Defensive Handgun Course and One Day 30 State Concealed Weapon Permit Course at a substantial savings PLUS if you can act quickly, you will also get a brand new, Springfield Armory XD Pistol and a bunch of great tactical gear AT NO CHARGE. ...

Get all the details on this special offer. 

Posted Sun May 4 08:40:55 CDT 2008

Fake Pro-Gun Group Endorses Fake Pro-Gun Candidate

excerpt:
Obama’s true beliefs about gun owners were exposed for more Americans recently when he described small town Midwesterners as “bitter”. “They cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations,” Obama snidely told a group of San Francisco donors.

It is clear to gun owners who are paying attention that this man cannot be trusted to uphold the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But for those who are less involved in the political process, Obama’s “pro-gun” charade is likely working, just as a certain “hunters and shooters” group has succeeded in convincing some gun owners that they support the Second Amendment.

But when the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA) endorsed Barack Obama for President, they finally took a step that should expose both the organization and Obama to even the most disconnected gun owner. ...

Read the whole story at Buckeye Firearms Association. 

Posted Sat May 3 15:27:21 CDT 2008

Philly vs The People & NRA

City Solicitor Shelley Smith today challenged in court the standing of the National Rifle Association to sue Philadelphia for a package of five gun-control laws passed by City Council on April 10 and signed immediately into law by Mayor Nutter. Smith told PhillyClout her preliminary objections, filed with Common Pleas Court Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan, note that the NRA challenges the legality of the gun control laws but doesn't "allege an actual injury." The NRA sued on behalf of its members in the city, two firearm organizations, two gun shops and four firearm owners. ...

Read the whole story in Philly.com  

Posted Thu May 1 06:16:13 CDT 2008

CCRKBA BLASTS DALEY FOR GIVING COPS MACHINE GUNS BUT KEEPING CITIZENS DISARMED

BELLEVUE, WA – Anti-gun Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has taken one more step toward turning his city into a police state by planning to give police fully automatic M4 carbines, while still fighting to block the gun rights of citizens not only in Chicago but throughout Illinois, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

“Here’s one of the most anti-gun mayors in the nation, who has been trying to ban common semiautomatic rifles for years, but now he’s rushing to turn his police into a paramilitary force doing battle against street gangs and other criminals,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, co-author of America Fights Back: Armed Self-Defense in a Violent Age. “Yet this guy works overtime to make it impossible for average citizens to protect themselves against the same criminal element.

“If Daley thinks turning Chicago neighborhoods into gulags, where only police have guns, is going to keep people safe,” he asked, “he is horribly mistaken. They tried it in Washington, D.C. and it’s been a disaster! ...

Read the whole press release at CCRKBA.  

Posted Thu May 1 06:14:37 CDT 2008

3 rnd bursts in the Windy City?
Chicago cops to get M4 carbines to "compete with gangs"

Chicago Police officers will soon be equipped with M4 carbines to match the firepower of the street gangs they're up against, under a policy change in the works to stop the bloodshed on the city's streets.

Police Supt. Jody Weis' decision to arm and train his 13,500 officers with more powerful weapons was disclosed as Mayor Daley emerged from a City Hall summit meeting with a plea to every Chicagoan who cares about children. ...

Read the whole story in the SunTimes.

Posted Sat Apr 26 12:42:55 CDT 2008

Fran Eaton Commentary in the SouthtownStar
Strict gun control laws do nothing to prevent violent crimes

excerpt:
After shooting all six, the killer escaped through the store's back door, just as the 911 operator alerted a Tinley Park police officer in an adjoining parking lot. Before the officer could respond, the devastation had taken place. Just yards away from him, five women were killed, and one, shot in the neck instead of the head, lay critically wounded.

To this day, a dangerous man with nothing to lose from killing again remains on the loose.

And south suburban women remain defenseless. ...

Read the whole piece in the SouthtownStar.

Posted Sat Apr 26 07:35:59 CDT 2008

Empty Holster Event at DePaul
"Students for Concealed Carry on Campus" holds events across the country

With the number of school shootings across the country, gun advocates are pushing for more weapons on campus.

"Students for Concealed Carry on Campus" is a group pushing for at least a broader discussion of the idea, and they're being heard right here in Chicago.

You can walk into a student union building hangout on the DePaul campus and you won't be far away from a raging debate about safety, deterrence and the Second Amendment. It's typical of what's happening elsewhere, as scared students grapple with how to best protect themselves. And they're willing to listen to those who propose something that would seem to be anathema to most -- more guns in classrooms.

"We should shoot for things, we should shoot for a violence free society, but at the same time we must totally let go of reason," said Mick Paskiewicz, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. ...

Read the whole story & watch the video at ABC News.

Posted Sat Apr 26 07:15:53 CDT 2008

McLean County:
Residents sign petition supporting the 2nd Amendment

A group armed with 2,850 signatures from McLean County residents on a petition supporting the Second Amendment are asking the County Board to stand up for the constitutional right of gun ownership.

A legislative subcommittee voted 3-1 to endorse a modified form of the Pro Second Amendment (Pro2A) Resolution, sending it to the full committee. It could go to the full board on May 20.

The resolution was proposed as part of a county-by-county effort across Illinois.

“Seventy-seven counties have passed the resolution -- (about) 50 counties passed it without changing the wording,” John Weaver, Bloomington, one of the organizers, told the committee. ...

Read the whole story and the comments in the Pantagraph.

Posted Fri Apr 25 07:45:48 CDT 2008

Daley calls meeting to find new ways to blame guns

Excerpt:
Now, the mayor is holding a City Hall summit. That’s what he did in 1992 after the sniper shooting of 7- year-old Dantrell Davis outside Cabrini Green.

“We’ve got to get to the bottom of what’s going on here. We need as many voices, as many experiences, as much input as we can possibly get to try and reach that goal,” said mayoral press secretary Jacquelyn Heard.

“Obviously, we have no expectation we’re gonna solve this problem in this meeting. But, at the very least, perhaps we can come out with a new approach to add to all the ones we’ve tried—something that might be more effective.” ...

Read the whole story in the SunTimes.

Posted Fri Apr 25 07:04:05 CDT 2008

County Resolutions on the March:
Count now at 77, LaSalle could be next!

At its May meeting, the La Salle County Board may be firing a shot to be heard in Springfield.

The proposed message: La Salle County does not need Chicago gun laws.

Monday, the County Board's Legislation and Rules committee voted unanimously to forward to the full County Board a resolution that says gun ownership is guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It also opposes proposed state legislation that "would infringe the right to keep and bear arms and would ban the possession and use of firearms now employed by individual citizens of La Salle County." ...

Read the whole story in The Times.

Posted Thu Apr 24 12:45:37 CDT 2008

Trib Columnist Steve Chapman:
"What makes anyone think the answer is more gun control?"

When a rash of gun murders takes place, it makes sense for the police to do one of two things: renew tactics that have been effective in the past at curbing homicides, or embrace ideas that have not been tried before. But those options don't appeal to Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis. What he proposes instead is a crackdown on assault weapons.

I'm tempted to say this is the moral equivalent of a placebo—a sugar pill that is irrelevant to the malady at hand. But that would be unfair. Placebos, after all, sometimes have a positive effect. Assault weapons bans, not so much ...

Read the whole story and the comments at the Chicago Tribune.

Posted Thu Apr 24 11:44:40 CDT 2008

Maybe we need a tax on letters to the editor?
"No Problem, just tax the ammo."

The ongoing gun violence is a deep concern of the residents of the city of Chicago and people across the country. Each time a young person is the victim of a shooting, community leaders organize marches and memorials that seem to produce little more than speeches and promises.

I have a more practical suggestion that usually produces effects: Fight gun violence with the pocketbook as well as the prayer book.

As you are aware, constitutional issues complicate gun-control legislation, not to mention organizations such as the NRA. Guns have no power without bullets. I suggest that a very hefty, even prohibitive tax be imposed upon ammunition ...

Read the whole story and the comments at the Chicago Tribune.

Posted Thu Apr 24 11:48:28 CDT 2008

Iowa State Senator calls for Pizza Hut boycott
Fast food chain fires driver held at gun point

A Republican state lawmaker called on Iowans Friday to boycott Pizza Hut restaurants after the company fired a Des Moines delivery driver who shot an armed robber last month.

"You tell me any Iowan that was in his situation, that had a gun put to his head, how they would've reacted differently," state Sen. Brad Zaun of Urbandale said. "I think it's the wrong decision by Pizza Hut and I will not be buying any more Pizza Hut products."

James William Spiers III, 38, fired multiple shots at a man who accosted him March 27 and demanded money at the Sutton Hill Apartments, 2100 S.E. King Ave. ...

Read the whole story in the Des Moines Register.

Posted Tue Apr 22 10:12:10 CDT 2008

Daley urges that his ineffective, unconstitutional handgun ban become more futile.

Mayor Richard Daley announced Wednesday he would introduce an ordinance to guarantee jail time for anyone convicted of carrying an unregistered weapon within 1,000 feet of a school, park, courthouse or public housing development.

Under the proposal, anyone convicted would face between 90 days and six months in jail and a fine between $1,000 and $1,500.

"This ordinance is one more tool," Daley said. "I believe it sends a very strong message that we will not tolerate guns in all of our communities." ...

Read the whole story and the comments at the Tribune's Blogs.

Posted Thu Apr 17 22:50:10 CDT 2008

Daley gun bill defeated in House

SPRINGFIELD—Despite a series of shooting deaths of Chicago public school students, a key piece of Mayor Richard Daley’s gun package failed Wednesday in a House largely influenced by pro-gun lawmakers.

The high-profile proposal, aimed at closing what Daley sees as a loophole on private handgun sales, fell only two votes short. The measure would have required people who sell guns privately to first get background checks of potential buyers through licensed dealers ...

Read the whole story and the comments at the Tribune's Blogs.

Posted Thu Apr 17 22:47:16 CDT 2008

Mr. Kopel in the WSJ:
The Democrats and Gun Control

Imagine an election race of Pat Robertson versus James Dobson, each of them appearing at organic grocery stores and Starbucks throughout Massachusetts, with each candidate insisting that he alone deserves the vote of gay-marriage advocates. An equally silly spectacle is taking place these days in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Indiana, West Virginia and Kentucky, as Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama compete for the pro-gun vote ...

Read the whole story in the Wall Street Journal Online. This is a good one.

Posted Thu Apr 17 17:18:53 CDT 2008

URGENT ALERT – MASSIVE GUN GRAB ON THE MOVE IN THE HOUSE

As many of you may already know, HB 4357, the 2008 version of the Daley “assault weapons ban” will probably be voted on this week in the Illinois House. This bill would ban most, if not all of the guns you own. Banned guns would include most semiautomatic rifles, pistols and shotguns. If this bill passes, you would be forced to suffer the indignity of registering with the State Police just like a sex offender. If you choose to preserve your dignity, then you would have to move either yourself or your guns out of state. A second bill, HB758 would ban private sales of firearms. That means that you would have to find an FFL to complete private sales from your collection. Both bills are clear infringements on your 2nd Amendment rights. Only you can protect your rights. You must take action, NOW!

Here’s what you must do to preserve your rights…

1. Call your legislator and POLITELY tell him or her that you oppose HB4357, and HB758

2. If you do not know who your legislator is, or how to reach them, visit the following link and follow the instructions: here.

3. Pass this alert along to all your gun owning friends. Also, please post this alert to any and all Intranet bulletin boards to which you belong.

Posted Tue Apr 15 22:42:59 CDT 2008

Fear and loathing in Naperville

Organizers of a Naperville gun control rally were treated to a healthy dose of unintended consequences Monday night when firearm owners packed the rally by a better than ten to one ratio. Billed by organizers as an “educational forum,” the rally was actually nothing more than an airing of well-worn lies and dubious public opinion polls aimed at supporting gun control legislation now pending in the state capitol. During a Q&A session, attendees soundly rebuked the organizers for their divisive perpetuation of half-truths about the role of firearms in the hands of law abiding citizens.

Held at the Naperville campus of Northern Illinois University, the gun control rally was sponsored by the Illinois chapter of California-based gun control group, Legal Community Against Violence (LCAV). Moderating the forum was gun control movement veteran Steve Young. Young is the former Illinois chapter organizer of the now-defunct Bell Campaign. Young also served as the Illinois chapter head of the now-defunct Million Mom March. Of the approximately 175 attendees, all but a handful were gun rights supporters.

“It was gratifying to see such a large turnout by law-abiding gun owners,” said ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. “It was probably the first time that many of them have come face to face with the people who want to take their guns away. This was an opportunity for them to hear first hand the deception and outright lies that are the underpinnings of the gun control movement. For nearly an hour, gun owners in the audience sat through presentations that assailed their sensibilities. When it came time for attendees to speak out, gun owners made it clear that they were not buying the gun control song and dance. I actually think the event organizers thought they’d win some converts last night. I’m sure they’re sorely disappointed this morning.”

“The LCAV claims to have not only broad, but active support for their gun control policies,” continued Pearson. “Yet, despite plenty of publicity, they were not able to generate much in the way of support for last night’s forum. Everywhere I looked, I saw IGOLD hats and NRA hats and ISRA sweatshirts. Our people packed the forum just like our people are lighting up the general assembly’s phone lines to express opposition to gun control bills now under consideration.”

“Probably the biggest blow to the LCAV’s credibility came when Young rolled out polling data that supposedly shows that better than 80% of Illinois gun owners support LCAV gun control policies,” said Pearson. “After the snickers died down, I asked gun-owning members of the audience who support LCAV gun control policy to please stand. Not a single person stood.”

“If the state’s gun owners support gun control as strongly as claimed by the LCAV, then why aren’t gun owners marching on Springfield to demand passage of gun control laws?” asked Pearson. “If 75-plus percent of gun owners want so-called ‘assault weapons’ banned, then why are they buying them up like hotcakes? If Illinois gun owners are as ‘anti-gun’ as the LCAV polling data suggests, then why do they even own guns in the first place? It just doesn’t make sense. But, then again, the ‘facts’ presented by the gun control movement rarely make much sense.”

Thanks to all of you who came out to protect freedom in Naperville on Monday night!

Remember, gun control is a disease – YOU are the cure.

Posted Tue Apr 15 22:41:07 CDT 2008

ISRA Alert:
YOUR HELP URGENTLY NEEDED – CALIFORNIA GUN CONTROL GROUP TO HOLD ANTI-GUN RALLY IN NAPERVILLE

The San Francisco-based “Legal Community Against Gun Violence” (LCAV) will be holding a gun control rally in Naperville on Monday, April 14, 2008.

The LCAV plays a crucial supporting role in Chicago Mayor Daley’s attempts to take your guns away from you. California lawyers write the actual legislation designed to ban and confiscate your guns, tax your ammunition, ration your ammo purchases and register you like a sex offender.

It’s time for Illinois gun owners to tell these Californians, “MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!”

Here is what you need to do:

1. Gather up all your firearm owning friends and assemble at the Naperville Campus of NIU, 1120 East Diehl Road, Room 101C, Naperville, IL. The campus is on the south side of Diehl Road, approximately 1/8 mile west of Naper Boulevard. Plan on arriving no later than 6:45 PM.

2. If you still have your IGOLD t-shirts or hats, wear them. If you have NRA or ISRA hats, wear them. DO NOT bring signs or other items that might get you kicked out before this thing gets under way.

3. Be advised that you will be in close proximity to people that hate your guts because you own guns. They will attempt to insult you and provoke you. Stand your ground, challenge their every assertion. Freedom is at stake here.

4. Please distribute this alert to all your gun owning friends and post it to every Internet bulletin board to which you belong.

STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS IN HONOR OF CHARLTON HESTON’S MEMORY!

Posted Sat Apr 12 10:44:03 CDT 2008

County Resolutions on the move:
Kankakee makes 74

A resolution supporting a person's right to "keep and bear arms" was approved by the Kankakee County Board, but not by a wide margin.

The resolution, supplied by the Illinois State Rifle Association in retaliation of anti-gun legislation coming out of Cook County, passed the county board by a 14-9 vote on Tuesday.

For some county board members, the rub lies in the fact that the resolution indirectly opposes a legislative bill that would ban the possession and sale of assault weapons, among other things. ...

Read the whole story in the Daily Journal.

Posted Sat Apr 12 14:50:20 CDT 2008

One gun a month fails in Illinois House

SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois House shot down an attempt to limit handgun purchases Wednesday.

The measure, designed to address gun violence in Chicago, fell seven votes short of the 60 votes needed for passage after opponents argued that handgun ownership already is banned in Illinois’ largest city.

The proposal, which was supported by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, would limit handgun sales and purchases to one person per month. It is aimed at preventing traffickers from buying guns in bulk to resell to criminals. ...

Read the whole story in the Bloomington Pantagraph.

Posted Thu Apr 10 07:15:39 CDT 2008

Workers in FL to be protected by new law allowing them to keep their guns in their locked cars

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Most Florida residents would be allowed to take guns to work under a measure passed by Florida lawmakers on Wednesday.

The bill, allowing workers to keep guns in their cars for self-protection, was approved by the Florida Senate by a vote of 26-13. It now goes to Republican Gov. Charlie Crist to sign into law.

Backed by the National Rifle Association and some labor unions, the so-called "take-your-guns-to-work" measure would prohibit business owners from banning guns kept locked in motor vehicles on their private property. ...

Read the whole story at MSNBC.

Posted Thu Apr 10 06:52:58 CDT 2008

Renegade Chicago Priest Set to Face Off With Legislators He Wants 'Snuffed'

CHICAGO, April 7, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

In May of 2007, Rev. Michael Pfleger, Pastor of Chicago's St. Sabina's Catholic Church, shocked the nation when he called for the "snuffing" of legislators who vote against gun control bills.

Late last week, Pfleger raised the bar on this issue by publishing a list of members of the Illinois General Assembly who oppose his extremist position on gun control. In light of his May 2007 diatribe, it must be presumed that the list identifies those legislators that Pfleger wants his followers to "snuff."

The list of legislators appeared on the back side of a flyer being faxed by "Faith Community of Saint Sabina" to various legislators' offices in the Illinois Capitol. The front side of the flyer exhorts readers to "Stop the Gun Flow." The flyer also features a message from Fr. Pfleger and announces a $5,000 "bounty" on suspected triggermen in crimes.

"Fr. Pfleger apparently didn't learn his lesson last May when he embarrassed himself and the Dioceses by calling for the 'snuffing' of gun shop owners and pro-gun legislators," said ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. "Now he's at it again -- trying to spread an atmosphere of fear and divisiveness among the good people of Illinois."

"Violent crime is a matter of great concern to all Illinoisans," continued Pearson. "Yet, Pfleger uses the issue as a wedge to split the citizenry for the sole purpose of keeping himself in front of the TV cameras. Pfleger's desire to become a gun control rock star has blinded him to the fact that he is supposed to serve as a healer, not a divider."

"I'm not sure whether the 69 legislators who appear on 'Pfleger's List' should be apprehensive about their personal safety," said Pearson. "But, then again, Pfleger is a pretty irresponsible guy and he does run with a pretty rough crowd. It's time for his superiors to rein him in yet again."

According to an e-mail alert put out by the "Friends of St. Sabina," Pfleger plans a march on the Illinois Capitol on Wednesday, April 9th. The purpose of the march is supposedly to put pressure on legislators to pass legislation cracking down on hunters and sportsmen.

"It'll be interesting to see how brave Pfleger is when he has to come face to face with the lawmakers he's marked for murder," said Pearson.

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

This press release is posted at PRnewswire.

Posted Tue Apr 8 08:28:56 CDT 2008

Supreme Court case could open the door to many 2nd Amendment suits

excerpt:
It’s all speculative until the Supreme Court rules.

But one outcome of its take on the Second Amendment is almost a given, said Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America: Doors will swing open to “a kazillion court cases,” just as they did for First Amendment cases in the last century.

“If I were a young man today, I’d be smart to go to law school and become a Second Amendment lawyer,” said Pratt. “I’d be able send my grandkids to college.” ...

Read the whole story at Kansascity.com

Posted Tue Apr 8 07:24:19 CDT 2008

Rest In Peace, Charlton Heston
There are some articles in the media that are less than gracious about his NRA Presidency. This one is different.

Excerpt:
Later in his life, he took that stance into politics, becoming president of the National Rifle Association just when anti-gun attitudes were reaching their peak. Pilloried and parodied, lampooned and bullied, he never relented, he never backed down, and in time it came to seem less an old star's trick of vanity than an act of political heroism. He endured, like Moses. He aged, like Moses. And the stone tablet he carried only had one commandment: Thou shalt be armed. It can even be said that if the Supreme Court in June finds a meaning in the Second Amendment consistent with NRA policy, that he will have died just short of the Promised Land -- like Moses. ...

Read the whole obituary in the Washington Post.

Posted Mon Apr 7 07:32:50 CDT 2008

Obama Misfires On Concealed Carry

Gun Control: Barack Obama says he won't take folks' guns away as long as they're hunters. But when the hunted are his constituents, well, that's different: He opposes concealed carry and the right to self-defense.

There's something about an election that brings out the sportsman in a Democratic presidential candidate. Recall John Kerry's sudden fondness for hunting four years ago.

And speaking in Idaho earlier this year, Barack Obama told the crowd, "We got a lot of hunters in the state of Illinois, and I have no intention of taking away folks' guns."

Except he does...

Read the whole piece at Investor's Business Daily.

Posted Mon Apr 7 07:54:22 CDT 2008

Obama a 2nd Amendment advocate in Pennsylvania?
How many coats of paint will it take?

Excerpt:
“He will protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport, and use guns for the purposes of hunting and target shooting,” the paper states. “He also believes that the right is subject to reasonable and common sense regulation.”

Melody Zullinger, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs who received the Obama campaign e-mail on his gun record, said Obama sounds like he is “speaking out of both sides of his mouth.”

“I was at one of our county meetings last night and I mentioned this to [federation members],” Zullinger said Friday of the Obama outreach. “Everyone basically blew it off and weren’t buying it.” ...

Read the whole story at Politico.com.

Posted Mon Apr 7 07:52:02 CDT 2008

ISRA Press Release:
ISRA Statement on Chicago Schools CEO Arne Duncan

On Tuesday, April 1, 2008, Chicago Schools CEO Arne Duncan stood at a lectern in the Thompson Center Plaza and essentially blamed the state's hunters and sportsmen for the murders of 20 Chicago school children. Duncan made his appearance during a gun control rally sponsored by Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina's Catholic Church. Pfleger is best remembered for his speech at an earlier gun control rally during which he called for the murder of gun shop owners and state legislators who oppose gun control laws.

Interestingly enough, at about the same time that Duncan was delivering his rant against the state's law abiding firearm owners, a report was released in "Catalyst Magazine" that indicates that just 51% of freshmen enrolled in Chicago public high schools stick it out to graduate.

"Studies by the Chicago Police Department indicate that 88% of murders are committed by people with previous criminal records," commented ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson. "Likewise, those same reports show that about 76% of murder victims had records as well. Nonetheless, opportunists like Pfleger and Duncan persist in shifting the blame away from failed public policies and towards law-abiding hunters and sportsmen. The gun control measures these people advocate will never succeed in thwarting crime because they totally ignore the criminal element."

"It's ironic that the truth about Duncan's administration was being released just as he was damning the state's law-abiding gun owners," continued Pearson. "Maybe if Duncan did a better job keeping his charges in school, they wouldn't be out on the streets beating, knifing and shooting one another to death. If Duncan had any sense of responsibility at all, he would have been at the microphone apologizing to the people of Illinois for wasting their time and tax dollars. By all rights, Arne Duncan should be returning 49% of his $200,000 annual salary to the Chicago treasury. He's doing half a job -- so he deserves half his pay."

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. Since 1903, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

The press release was posted on April 2 at PRnewswire.

Posted Thu Apr 3 07:02:31 CST 2008

Chicago buses students to anti-gun rally

Twenty desks -- enough to fill a classroom -- sat empty in a downtown plaza Tuesday, each bearing a pair of sneakers and representing a Chicago Public Schools student killed by gunfire this school year.

Several hundred more sat empty in city schools, as busloads of teens skipped classes to attend a gun-control rally -- their absences sanctioned by the district, whose CEO says he's angry that too many students talk about "if" they grow up, instead of "when."

"This doesn't happen in other countries," Arne Duncan said. "We just value our right to bear arms more than we value our children, and our priorities are fundamentally backwards." ...

Read the whole story at CNN.

Posted Wed Apr 2 07:20:38 CST 2008

Cranking up the anti-gun rhetoric in Chicago
Blaming the guns instead of the problem

These are links to videos at NBC5, taken at yesterday's rally.

Gov demands gun legislation

Daley calls for gun laws

Pfleger shouts ...

Posted Wed Apr 2 07:28:43 CST 2008

Take Senator Rutherford's Survey!

Our friend Dan Rutherford has a survey on his governmental website at www.danrutherford.com. On it are questions on important issues, including gun control and CCW.

Please take a few minutes to fill in the survey and tell Senator Rutherford how you feel.

If you have trouble finding the link to the survey, it's right here.

Posted Tue Apr 1 07:01:24 CST 2008

Gallup Poll:
Public Believes Americans Have Right to Own Guns

Read the whole story at Gallup.com

Posted Sat Mar 29 10:51:33 CST 2008

From bystander to champion:
One woman's journey

Doris Bush of Carbondale is the first to admit she was no Annie Oakley in 2005.

It's not that guns were totally foreign to her.

"I'd gone turkey hunting with Clark (her husband), but didn't shoot anything," she said. "If carrying a gun counts ?"

However, after watching her husband set a 20-gauge world record at the World Still Target Shooting Championships sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation in 2005, she thought she'd give the sport a try. ...

Read the whole story in the Southern Illinoisan.

Posted Sat Mar 29 10:41:57 CST 2008

State lawmaker robbed at gunpoint in her home in E. St. Louis

Police are searching for a man who robbed state Rep. Wyvetter Younge at gunpoint of $7 in her North 46th Street home Friday.

Younge, a Democrat who represents the 114th District, was not injured in the robbery, which occurred about noon. She was sitting on a couch in her living room when she heard a knock on the door, she said.

"I looked through the peep hole in the door and thought it was my son. I opened the door," she said. "The young man had a gun. He pushed the door open and demanded that I get on my hands and knees."

Younge said the gunman demanded, "Where's the money?" ...

Read the whole story in the Belleville News-Democrat.

Posted Sat Mar 29 07:49:39 CST 2008

70 year old South Side woman killed answering door
Gang Related?

Neighbors called her "Mama Browder."

From the window of her white vinyl-sided bungalow, Maggie Browder, 70, watched out for neighborhood children, quick to call a parent on the telephone if she saw a child acting out.

She watched over the adults, too, bringing potato salad to a neighbor who lost his mother-in-law, or collecting money for a card when someone was sick. ...

Read the whole story in the Chicago Tribune.

Posted Tue Mar 25 06:53:56 CST 2008

Daley gives warning if 2nd Amendment Rights are upheld

—Michael Martinez
March 19, 2008
LOS ANGELES — If the Supreme Court strikes down the ability of municipalities like the District of Columbia to regulate guns, Chicago and other cities with handgun bans would see a return of gun stores and an upswing in crime, Mayor Richard Daley said Tuesday.

"That would open a Pandora's box," he said following a news conference with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to promote federal legislation requiring microstamped identifiers on cartridges fired from semiautomatic handguns.

We found this very short article in the Chicago Tribune.

Posted Wed Mar 19 06:48:46 CST 2008

Justices agree on right to own guns

Americans have a right to own guns, Supreme Court justices declared Tuesday in a historic and lively debate that could lead to the most significant interpretation of the Second Amendment since its ratification two centuries ago.

Governments have a right to regulate those firearms, a majority of justices seemed to agree. But there was less apparent agreement on the case they were arguing: whether Washington's ban on handguns goes too far.

The justices dug deeply into arguments on one of the Constitution's most hotly debated provisions as demonstrators shouted slogans outside. Guns are an American right, argued one side. "Guns kill," responded the other. ...

Read the whole story in the Bloomington Pantagraph.

Posted Wed Mar 19 06:45:29 CST 2008

US Vs Heller:
Transcript of Oral Arguments Now Available for Download.

Read the oral arguments from this most important case to come before the Supreme Court in decades.

Download it from the Supreme Court of the United States website, (PDF, 400 KB)

Posted Tue Mar 18 13:08:24 CST 2008

IGOLD Photo Albums @ ISRA!

We've got two albums put together for your viewing pleasure:

Photos from several participants

A large number of photos from Mike Rowe

Posted Tue Mar 18 07:19:10 CST 2008

IGOLD on YouTube!

Here's two videos made by ISRA members who were volunteers at IGOLD!

The Women of IGOLD 2008

IGOLD 2008

Posted Mon Mar 17 20:43:08 CST 2008

From NRA-ILA:
DNR Controlled Pheasant Hunts Under Attack in Illinois!

One of the efforts promoted by the anti-hunting “animal rights” extremists at The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is calling for an end to state-run Pheasant Stocking Programs. These programs provide game birds for hunting opportunities, but in Illinois, the program is under attack! NRA has been told that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has been instructed by Governor Rod Blagojevich's (D) Administration, that due to budget cuts, it will have to close down pheasant propagation sites, thus putting an end to IDNR's Controlled Pheasant Hunts. This, in spite of the fact that the program is heavily funded by fees paid by hunters, themselves. These Hunts are often the only opportunity for hunters in Illinois to take part in harvesting pheasant. Governor Blagojevich masquerades as a supporter of hunters and law-abiding gun owners, while consistently promoting anti-hunting and anti-gun efforts. It is no wonder he is highly regarded by HSUS. NRA has always held that anti-gun zealots first target certain guns, then target hunters, and this effort is more confirmation of such tactics.

While the Illinois General Assembly continues what seems to be a never-ending struggle over the Illinois budget, several Town Hall Meetings have been scheduled throughout the state to allow citizens to offer their input on budget-related issues. Below, you will find a listing of the dates, times, and locations of events we encourage hunters to attend, to make sure their opposition to ending these Controlled Pheasant Hunts is understood. Please make plans to attend one near you, and bring your fellow hunters and supporters of hunting along.

Northwest Suburbs: 3/17/2008 at 6:30pm
State Representatives Crespo, Froehlich (Hosts)
Prairie Center for the Arts – Theatre
201 Schaumburg Ct.
Schaumburg, IL

Tazewell County: 3/17/2008 at 6:00pm
State Representative Smith (Host)
The Festival Building
2200 E. Washington
East Peoria, IL ...

Many more locations around the state are listed at NRA-ILA. Check the list and attend a town meeting near you.

Posted Mon Mar 17 06:45:27 CST 2008

Trib's take on the DC Vs Heller case
Note the media bias in Oliphant's "conventional wisdom" remark

WASHINGTON - It's a shooting war, for certain.

Democrats versus Republicans, cities versus states, cops versus cops, scholars versus scholars, and most bizarrely, the Bush administration against itself.

The root of the conflict lies in a case that will be argued before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, one as dramatic as any in recent memory.

For the first time in almost 70 years, the court will consider whether the 2nd Amendment grants an individual the right to own a gun. It's a day long awaited by gun-rights activists, and long feared by those who favor gun control. ...

Read the whole story in the Chicago Tribune.

Posted Sun Mar 16 09:14:14 CST 2008

DC vs Heller: Oral Arguments on Tuesday at 10:00 am EDT, Audio Released Shortly Thereafter.

The Supreme Court announced that it will take the special step of releasing audiotapes of oral arguments on the same day that it hears a case challenging the District's gun law.

Every argument before the justices is recorded, but the tapes normally are not available until well after the court's term has ended. But beginning in 2000, with the arguments in Bush v. Gore, the court has released same-day audiotapes in high-profile cases when there is substantial media interest.

Because the court is not open to cameras, the audiotapes are the only recordings of the proceedings. ...

Read the whole story in the Washington Post.

Posted Sat Mar 15 13:29:47 CST 2008

The Heritage Foundation on the DC Case

The United States Supreme Court has decided only one significant case involving the Second Amendment, and that was almost 70 years ago. Next week, the Court will return to the issue when it hears arguments in District of Columbia v. Heller. This is a test case brought by a D.C. special police officer who carries a gun while on duty. Under D.C.'s extremely restrictive gun control laws, he is forbidden to keep a handgun, or an operable rifle or shotgun, in his home.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit held that these laws violate the Second Amendment. The court concluded that handguns are lineal descendants of founding-era weapons and are still in common use today, so they may not be banned; the court also held that D.C.'s requirement that guns be stored in a mechanically disabled condition is unconstitutional because it prevents them from being used for self-defense.1 The Supreme Court is now reviewing that decision.

The parties presenting arguments next week offer three different interpretations of the meaning of the Second Amendment. D.C.'s argument--that the Second Amendment protects a right to arms only in service of a government-organized militia--does not stand up to historical analysis or textual scrutiny. ...

Read the whole story at the Heritage Foundation.

Posted Sat Mar 15 13:24:07 CST 2008

Safety in Defenselessness
The District of Columbia tries to save its gun law by misreading it

In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed piece, Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the District of Columbia's gun restrictions, the subject of a case the Court will hear next Tuesday. Conceding that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to possess firearms, Tribe said that right does not rule out a decision to ban handguns while allowing "rifles, shotguns and other weapons less likely to augment urban violence."

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit disagreed, concluding that the District cannot constitutionally ban the type of gun most commonly used for self-defense. But even if Tribe is right that the Second Amendment allows D.C. to ban handguns, he is wrong to assume D.C. residents are free to use long guns instead.

D.C. requires that all firearms in the home, including rifles and shotguns, be kept "unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock or similar device." That "safe storage" requirement makes it pretty hard to use any gun for self-defense, except maybe as a club. It makes D.C.'s gun laws look extreme even compared to those of other cities that ban handguns. If D.C.-style gun control does not violate the Second Amendment, it's hard to imagine what sort of gun control would. ...

Read the whole story in Reason Online.

Posted Sat Mar 15 13:15:28 CST 2008

Novak comments on the DC case

In preparation for oral arguments Tuesday on the extent of gun rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment, the U.S. Supreme Court has before it a brief signed by Vice President Cheney opposing the Bush administration's stance. Even more remarkably, Cheney is faithfully reflecting the views of President Bush. ...

Read the whole story at the Washington Post.

Posted Sat Mar 15 13:09:53 CST 2008

Send your IGOLD photos to ISRA!

Send your best pics to photos@isra.org, in hi-res if possible. If you have a whole slew of really good photographs, you can send a CD to the ISRA home office in Chatsworth at PO Box 637, Chatsworth 60921, or contact the ISRA Webmaster (webmaster@isra.org) for arrangements to upload them in bulk, right from your computer.

Posted Sat Mar 15 13:08:51 CST 2008

ISRA URGENT ALERT – YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION REQUIRED 03/15/08

Larry Suffredin and his cohorts on the Cook County Board are up to their old tricks again.

In order to justify passage of gun control ordinances designed to close all gun shops and ban and confiscate most guns owned by citizens of the county, the Cook County Board is conducting a telephone poll where callers can vote for or against the gun control ordinances.

Like everything else in Cook County, this poll is probably rigged. So, it’s very important that you do the following:

1. Call 1-312 -603-6400 and select Option #1 when prompted. At the next prompt, select Option #1 again. Then, when prompted to vote on the gun control ordinance, press #2. Update: Listen to the prompts for changes.

2. You should also forward this alert on to all your gun owning friends and have them vote too.

3. You should also post this alert to any and all Internet bulletin boards or blogs to which you belong.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A RESIDENT OF COOK COUNTY TO VOTE!

Let’s beat Suffredin at his own game! And, save your guns.

Posted Sat Mar 15 12:22:38 CST 2008

Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day in the News
Media links for you

Thousands of gun rights activists march on state hill
- Bloomington Pantagraph

Gun Rights activists descend on state Capitol
- Kankakee Daily Journal

Gun-rights advocates lobby for concealed-carry bill
- State Journal Register

Firearm owners rally against new gun law legislation
- Kankakee Daily Journal

Thousands march for gun rights in Springfield
- WAND TV

Central Illinois Proud
- Fox 43

Teeny-Tiny acknowledgement by the Trib - using AP feed

2000 marchers mentioned in one breath in Tribune story on gun control

The Southern Illinoisan

WSIL-TV - with video

Daily Herald

Fox News - Across America

WEEK - Gun Owners Rally Against Weapon Legislation (with video)

Posted Thu Mar 13 07:38:22 CST 2008

ISRA Press Release on IGOLD 2008:
Massive Gun Rights Rally Sends Clear Message to Illinois General Assembly

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., March 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

The Illinois Capitol was awash in a sea of gold hats and t-shirts Tuesday as thousands of law-abiding firearm owners rallied to express opposition to a gun control package sponsored by Chicago area legislators.

Declaring that "enough is enough," participants in the 2008 edition of Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day (IGOLD) spent the better part of Tuesday afternoon lobbying legislators to vote against measures that would ban popular sporting firearms; impose costly new regulations on ammunition manufacturers; ration firearm purchases; and impose unattainable training requirements for persons wishing to own firearms.

The day's events began with an information and education session in the Grand Ballroom of the Springfield Hilton followed by an enthusiastic march down Capitol Drive which ended with a rally on the Capitol's Lincoln Steps. From there, participants fanned out to begin their individual lobbying efforts. Organizers place Tuesday's attendance figures at over 2,500 -- better than double the 2007 numbers.

"What we saw Tuesday was a giant push back," commented ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. "The thousands who attended IGOLD represent millions of Illinoisans who are fed up with the gun control bloc's capricious efforts to destroy the shooting sports and deny the law-abiding citizen's right to self defense."

"The gun control movement has sought to divide our country -- a tactic that is not working to their advantage," continued Pearson. "I'm seeing a growing level of political sophistication in our supporters. They're taking a more holistic view of the legislative process. As we progress, our people will begin linking gun control to other issues facing the General Assembly. Thus, it shouldn't be surprising to find gun owners mounting organized efforts to defeat pet projects of Chicago area legislators. Daley and his friends are trying to destroy our most deeply honored traditions, so it's more than reasonable for us to strike back."

"It would be wise for legislators to do the math," concluded Pearson. "Recent national poll results show that better than 75% of Americans believe that gun ownership is an individual right. On Tuesday, we put 2,500 people at the front door to the Capitol calling for change. I've never seen the gun control movement accomplish anything near that."

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding firearm owners.

This press release is posted at PRnewswire.

Posted Thu Mar 13 07:06:39 CST 2008

Things to do this weekend!
Some events in the heartland for you, courtesy of GunEnews

Saturday – Hunting Heritage Banquet, Two Rivers Gobblers Chapter of NWTF, Caddyshack Restaurant, Rantoul, IL, 5:30 p.m. Scott Sprague, 217-493-5622 or 217-595-5628.

Saturday – Ham Shoot, Lake Fork Sportsman’s Club, Atwood. 9 a.m., $5 per entry. bibby.appleby@netcare-il.com

Saturday - East Central Illinois Archers 3D shoot, Perkins Road Range, Urbana. Registration 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Bob Schell, 217- 359-4538.

Saturday – Ducks Unlimited Dinner, Arcola. Dave McGhee, 217- 832-2305.

Saturday & Sunday – Sullivan Gun Show, American Legion Hall, Sullivan, IL; Arcola Guns, 217-268-5000.

Sunday – Monthly shoot, Tawaskote Longrifles Blackpowder Club, Oakland, IL; Terry Wilson, 217-687-4500.

Sunday – Large Gun Auction, Bauer Auction, Mattoon, 9 a.m. Hank Bauer, 217-459-2806, www.bauerauc­tion.com

Posted Thu Mar 13 06:48:30 CST 2008

Student group promotes CCW on campus
Article has on-line poll

Along with books, laptop and cell phone, there is something else that Jeremy Clark thinks is essential to bring to class: his gun.

The Villanova University law student said the sickening spate of campus shootings, from Virginia Tech to Northern Illinois University, left him feeling vulnerable without his Glock 9mm semiautomatic handgun.

"If I'm in a classroom where a shooting is taking place, I'd like a chance to be able to defend myself," said the 29-year-old Army veteran from Bethlehem, Pa., who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. ...

Read the article, take the poll, at Philly.com

Posted Mon Mar 3 16:58:59 CST 2008

ISRA Alert:
VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION TO TWO GUN CONTROL BILLS

A pair of gun control bills passed out of the Executive Committee today:

The first bill, HB4357, would prohibit the ownership most of the rifles, shotguns and pistols now on the market.

The second bill, HB4393 would prohibit the purchasing of more than one firearm per month.

HERE IS WHAT YOU MUST DO TO SAVE YOUR GUNS

1. Contact your State Representative and politely tell him/her that you are opposed to HB4357 and HB4393 and that you would like for him/her to vote against the bill when it comes up. If you do not know who your State Representative is, then go to www.ilga.gov and follow the “Legislator Lookup” link.

2. Pass this alert along to all your gun-owning friends and ask them to follow the instructions above.

3. Please post this alert to any and all Internet bulletin boards to which you belong.

Posted Thu Feb 28 08:15:10 CST 2008

Cabela's campaigns against proposed county gun ban

The Cabela's Outdoor Superstore in Hoffman Estates is warning that a proposed Cook County gun-control measure threatens its very existence and the 300 jobs it provides.

It's unclear how -- or even if -- the ordinance would affect the outdoor gear superstore, or whether the measure will ever gain enough support to pass.

But Cabela's officials aren't taking any chances. ...

Read the whole story in the Daily Herald.

Posted Sun Feb 10 10:05:19 CST 2008

ISRA Press Release:
Cook County Board Poised to Shut Down Cabela's Superstore

CHICAGO, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

Just weeks after its gala grand opening, the Cabela's superstore in Hoffman Estates, IL is facing closure by the Cook County (IL) Board. This impending action stems from a pair of proposed county ordinances prohibiting the retail sale of firearms at a location 15 miles or less from any other federally licensed firearm dealer. The proposals further prohibit retail sale of firearms within one mile of any school, church, place of worship, nursing home, homeless shelter, public housing, or military installation. With respect to these restrictions, Cabela's Hoffman Estates store loses on all counts - as does every other federally-licensed gun dealer in Cook County.

"This proposal is an election year stunt instigated by Cook County Commissioner, Larry Suffredin," said ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. "Although this is something that we'd expect to see from a gun-control extremist like Suffredin, I'm surprised to see astute politicians like Commissioners Claypool, Quigley, and Murphy signing on as co-sponsors to this farce."

"Cabela's Hoffman Estates store employs hundreds of Cook County residents and brings in millions of sales tax dollars for the County," continued Pearson. "If Cabela's cannot sell firearms, then there is no Cabela's. If there is no Cabela's, then those retail dollars flee to DuPage, Kane or Will counties. The cash-strapped Cook County treasury really can't afford such a huge hit just because Larry Suffredin doesn't like people who own guns."

"From a practical standpoint, Suffredin's proposal is a non-starter," commented Pearson. "It bears repeating that the Chicago Police Department has determined that 88% of murderers have previous criminal records as do 76% of murder victims. Federally-licensed firearm dealers are not the problem - career criminals are."

"Furthermore", continued Pearson. "When was the last known case where someone walks out the door of a gun shop, in the door of a nursing home, and then proceeds to shoot the place up? The same Chicago Police Department report lists alleyways as being popular places to get murdered. Why then, did Suffredin not specify that no gun shop could be within one mile of an alley? The reason is simple - shock value. Suffredin prefers to play on the plight of our most vulnerable citizens in order to advance his quixotic campaign to disarm hunters and sportsmen. Commonsense is not part of the Suffredin lexicon."

"One insidious side-effect of the Suffredin proposal is that it deeply erodes the home-rule authority of many of the larger communities in Cook County," noted Pearson.

"The Suffredin proposal is expensive, ineffective, divisive and impractical," said Pearson. "I hope that Board President Stroger has the wisdom to immediately reject Suffredin's showboating."

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. Since 1903, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 Million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

This press release is posted at US Newswire.

Posted Sun Dec 9 19:45:54 CST 2007

ISRA PVF Press Release:
Proposed Cook County Gun Control Ordinance a Case Study in Politically Motivated Deceit

CHICAGO, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the ISRA Political Victory Fund (ISRA-PVF):

The ISRA-PVF is labeling a proposed Cook County gun control ordinance a, "deceitful exercise in election year politics." Introduced by County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, the ordinance would force federally licensed gun shops in Cook County to adhere to a new set of restrictions that would make conducting business impossible.

"Commissioner Suffredin is making gun control the centerpiece of his campaign for Cook County State's Attorney," said ISRA-PVF spokesman, Richard Pearson. "His deceitful justification for advancing his gun shop ordinance demonstrates that his campaign is rotten to the core."

"Suffredin claims that federally licensed firearm dealers in Cook County are illegally supplying criminals with weapons," continued Pearson. "If that were true, one would have expected to see federal authorities shut these shops down and arrest their owners. Well, none of the shops targeted by Suffredin have been shut down by the feds and their owners have not been arrested. The reason for no arrests or shutdowns is that Suffredin's allegations are nothing but lies."

"By focusing on the non-issue of gun shops, Suffredin is conveniently ignoring the factor that has the greatest impact on violent crime rates," commented Pearson. "According to the Chicago Police Department, 88% of murderers and 76% of murder victims have previous criminal records. A reasonable person would likely ask why criminals are so likely to be either a perpetrator or a victim in a murder case. The answer is quite simple - the justice system is either unwilling or unable to rehabilitate these dangerous people. Federally-licensed gun shops are not the problem, the revolving door justice system is clearly at fault."

"Suffredin's long standing hatred of guns and the people who own them has clouded his ability to address the issues important to the citizens of Cook County," said Pearson. "Thus, he is unqualified to serve as the State's Attorney for Cook County. The ISRA-PVF will work vigorously against Suffredin's candidacy this election season."

The ISRA-PVF is a political action committee affiliated with the Illinois State Rifle Association. A copy of our report is available for a fee from the Illinois State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois.

This press release is posted on USNewswire. (external link)

Posted Mon Dec 3 12:38:52 CST 2007

Suffredin Unveils Ordinance to Reign [sic] in Gun Shops

Chuck's Gun Shop on List of Shops Affected by Legislation
CHICAGO, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Citing the senseless loss of liferesulting from random gun violence, Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredintook a giant step today toward reducing the number of handguns on the streetsof Chicago and Cook County by introducing an ordinance that would restrict thelocation where gun shops in suburban Cook County can operate.

"I am tired of business as usual. I am tired of picking up the paper orturning on the news to see reports about innocent children gunned down in coldblood, because some gang member bought a gun at their local gun shop,"Suffredin said. "For nearly thirty years, I have fought for sensible gunlaws. Whether it was against the NRA or legislative leaders, I fought to passlaws to keep guns off our streets."

"The documentation is clear that Chuck's Gun Shop and similar stores insuburban Cook County are the source of guns that are used in violent crimethroughout Cook County," Suffredin said. "As a home rule unit, Cook Countyhas the legal right to regulate where these establishments are allowed tooperate. Chuck's Gun Shop is within one mile of a school which will not beallowed once this ordinance passes."

A 2004 study by the group, Americans for Gun Safety, reported that, basedon statistics provided by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms,between 1996 and 2000, 2,370 guns sold at Chuck's Gun Shop had been used in acrime, one of which resulted in the death of a Chicago Police Officer. OtherCook County gun shops were cited in the report as being peddlers ofcrime-linked firearms including, Suburban Sporting Goods, in Melrose Park.

Suffredin was joined at the press conference by Rev. Michael Pfleger,pastor of St. Sabina's Parish, Jennifer Bishop of the Brady Campaign AgainstGun Violence, Barbara McKee, President of the Illinois Million Mom March,Annette Holt, Ronald Holt, Gloria Padron, Serita Villareal, and Steve Young,all relatives of gun victims, Garrett Evans, Virginia Tech shooting survivor,and Jamie Barnett and Jason Daniels, of UCAN's Visible Man Project.

"Finding a way to stop the flow of guns is critical to reducing the tragicloss of life in our communities," Bishop said. "How many children have to diebefore our leaders take the steps necessary to get guns off our streets?Commissioner Suffredin's ordinance is long overdue."

The proposed ordinance would amend the Cook County Deadly Weapons DealerControl Ordinance and would:

-- Remove the exemptions for municipalities, like Riverdale, that passed less restrictive ordinances in order to avoid the provisions of the existing Weapons Ordinance;
-- Extend the restriction on gun shops within one mile of a school or park to all municipalities within Cook County.
-- Increase the distance required between licensed weapons dealers from five to ten miles.
-- Ban gun shows completely in Cook County.
SOURCE Commissioner Larry SuffredinLarry Suffredin, +1-312-603-6383

Suffredin's press release is posted here.

Posted Mon Dec 3 12:36:21 CST 2007

Please continue to send in comments regarding the ISP's proposed age restriction for FOID cards

Please continue to contact the Illinois State Police regarding the State Police's unauthorized action restricting issuing FOID cards to those under 10. There has been no second notice posted so we are still in the first notice period.

Please send comments on your opposition to this change, in writing, to:

Mr. John M. Hosteny
Interim Chief Legal Counsel
Illinois State Police
801 South 7th Street, Suite 1000-S
Post Office Box 19461
Springfield, Illinois 62794-9461


Webmaster's note: You can review our earlier alert (10/03/2007), where we provided details on sending in your comments, in a printer-friendly version, right here.

Posted Thu Nov 8 07:52:46 CST 2007

Sample letter for sending in comments on the proposed FOID age restriction

We've posted a sample letter here.

Posted Wed Oct 24 16:59:18 CDT 2007

ISRA Press Release:
ILLINOIS STATE POLICE OVERSTEPPING AUTHORITY BY REFUSING TO ISSUE FOID CARDS TO YOUTHFUL APPLICANTS

SPRINGFIELD, IL - - The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

Controversy has been raging for several weeks over a proposal promulgated by the Illinois State Police that would set the minimum age of issuance for Illinois Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) cards at 10 years of age.

Outdoor sporting organizations, including the ISRA, oppose the adoption of the provision as it would have an adverse impact on gun safety training and youth shooting programs. On the other hand, gun control groups support the new restriction and see it as yet another means of discouraging participation in the shooting sports.

Approval or denial of the proposed regulation is the responsibility of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR). As of the issuance of this press release, only a few days remain in the period during which the public may submit comments to JCAR regarding the proposal. Once the comment period expires, JCAR will consider all comments and will issue a ruling on the proposed age limit some time in the next several months.

Although adoption of such regulations is strictly within the purview of JCAR, an investigation conducted by the ISRA has revealed that Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent unilaterally established a minimum age for FOID applicants and began denying FOID cards to citizens less than 10 years of age as early as May 2007.

“Director Trent has taken it upon himself to nullify the authority of JCAR,” commented ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. “Last May, he issued a declaration to the FOID division staff that directed the denial of FOID cards to applicants less than 10 years of age. Since that time, the State Police have used this bogus age limit as justification to deny over 200 applications. Of course, Trent’s edict has not stopped the State Police from cashing application fee checks.”

“The ISRA is presently consulting with its legal advisors to identify a means of relief from Trent’s illegal actions,” continued Pearson. “Without a foundation in law, Trent’s age restriction places the State Police in violation of Section 5 of the FOID act which requires that FOID cards be issued within 30 days.”

- - -

The ISRA is the state’s leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearm ownership. For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

Please post this information to any and all Internet bulletin boards or blogs to which you belong.

For a printer-friendly version of this alert click here. (PDF, 21kb):

Webmaster's note: You can review our earlier alert (10/03/2007), where we provided details on sending in your comments, in a printer-friendly version, right here.

Posted Wed Oct 24 15:27:17 CDT 2007