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There are a few things that we all can count on after the New Year. These
include cold weather, snow, the Superbowl, and the yearly proposal from
Chicago’s Mayor Richard Daley's attack on Illinois’ gun owners. 2007 is no
exception. On January 4th, 2007, my phone rang and a reporter on the other end
of the line asked me what I thought of the latest plan. I hadn’t heard the
Mayor’s interview but it didn’t matter; it’s always the same thing. The Mayor
and his anti-gun buddies want gun ownership to be difficult, expensive, and
socially unacceptable. The proposals try to split gun owners into segments which
include bans on various kinds of firearms, special licenses, and special license
requirements designed to run dealers out of business. Remember the Mayor has
said if it were up to him, no one would be able to own a gun! The Mayor’s latest
proposal is a quantum leap toward his goal; literally 80% - 90% of legal gun
owners would be turned into criminals.
Don’t buy the thread-worn argument that these proposals are to fight crime. This
is a “soccer mom” argument - don’t be misled. The Mayor’s gun control proposal
has nothing to do with crime control. His proposals are aimed right at the
legitimate gun owner. It’s part of Mayor Daley’s, Mayor Bloomberg’s, and a few
other big city mayors’ efforts to try to spread their extra territorial
influence. His proposals will only increase crime and make us all more
vulnerable. Criminals love “Chicago-style” gun control because it allows them
free rein. Look at Chicago; people are defenseless because of “Chicago-style”
gun control. Crime is rampant and the Mayor’s answer – more gun control. This is
the very thing that has caused the problem.
We are going to battle Mayor Daley and his anti-gun minions in the 95th General
Assembly. The anti-gun forces are aligned and ready to attack. Gun owners must
fight back. One of the best ways gun owners can fight back is take part in
Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day (IGOLD). IGOLD is sponsored by the Illinois State
Rifle Association. It is important to let the state legislators know that
Illinois gun owners will not be minimized. The IGOLD details are below:
You are invited to join in IGOLD in Springfield on March 14th, 2007. This is an
annual event where the members directly lobby their representatives in the
Illinois House and Senate. This year, the ISRA is partnering with local and
internet gun owners groups in Illinois to increase participation and make a
bigger and better impression in Springfield.
We will meet in the cafeteria in the auditorium of the Howlett Building at 12:30
pm for registration. We will have a legislative briefing, then we will all
proceed to the Capitol Building to locate and talk with our representatives. We
will have a reception at the Illinois State Library Auditorium from 5:30 pm
until 7:30 pm. We are urging all participants to stay until the end of the
reception. This is a very important part of the day, as the state’s legislators
have been invited to attend. IGOLD will have buses going to Springfield from
strategic locations throughout Illinois. The ISRA, other gun rights
organizations, and several manufacturers will be sponsoring the buses to offset
your cost.
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Richard A. Pearson
Executive Director, ISRA
Webmaster's note: Up-to-the-minute IGOLD info, including bus routes and bus
reservation information, is located at
igold.isra.org, and is updated frequently.
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