Illinois State Rifle Association Gathers to Protect against "Chicago-Style" Gun Bans
"Chicago-style" gun control includes aspects of legislation such as Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's plan to establish 100-mile "gun free" zone around Chicago.
Illinois Democratic senator Dan Kotowski of Park Ridge and gun control activist Thom Mannard were labeled "Enemies of Freedom" for being identified as the leaders of the state-wide effort to confiscate and ban privately owned firearms.
The members of the ISRA who were present maintain that they as law-abiding citizens are being made into scapegoats for a government that cannot do a good enough job of preventing violent crimes.
"Although the proposed Tinley Park gun ban has been watered down considerably, local gun owners are acutely aware that the same people who penned the original ban are still in office. The activities of Tinley Park village officials will be closely monitored by this new grassroots organization. Likewise, the Cook County board and members of the General Assembly will be under the microscope. Gun owners in this area are hopping mad and they will hold elected officials accountable for any infringements on their rights," stated ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson.
Defenders of strict gun control contend that the Second Amendment's "right to bear arms" was written in the 18th century when guns took several minutes to reload after every shot and even then they typically didn't shoot straight; and, thus, the Founding Fathers were unable to envision automatic weapons and the rain of death that they can bring down upon people. Many of them cite April's Virginia Tech catastrophe as one prime example of a good reason to repeal the Amendment or amend it to strictly ban most modern guns from all but police and military use.
However, gun ownership advocates maintain that state and federal government should focus their efforts on crime control instead of on gun control. They point out that no matter how strict any gun laws are, criminals always find the way to acquire any guns they want, and it is unconscionable that law-abiding, private citizens should be at the mercy of criminals who will arm themselves without any regard for any laws.
Some advocates point out that although guns in the hands of private citizens are banned Washington, D.C., it is a city with one of the highest firearm murder rates in the nation.
Advocates also point to the strong evidence that Thomas Jefferson was all in favor of private citizens always having the right to keep and bear firearms to protect themselves in the event that government became overwhelmingly oppressive and draconian.
Since an oppressive government or an armed criminal will certainly have the most advanced firearms available, it makes no sense to argue that the Second Amendment is or ever will be out of date due to advances in technology, their reasoning goes.
Source:
http://prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-17-2007/0004684189&EDATE=
Published by Brant McLaughlin
I am a Writer with a broad background and a vast vision. View profile
- South Suburban Skate Sessions in Chicago Despite being a mid-sized suburban town in Chicago's south suburbs, skateboarding has remained as popular as ever thanks to a bevy of skateboarding options.
-
Independence Day Fireworks in Suburbs of Chicago
Following is a list, compiled from different sources, of fireworks displays in the Chicago area
- Why the Second Amendment is so Complicated This article will address some of the challenges that arise in reading and intepreting the Second Amendment, and explain why it is so hard to apply an Amendment that seems so simple to so many.
-
Gun Laws, the Second Amendment, and Murder in the Streets
See what the Viewpoints panel members think the Second Amendment really means, and their opinion on gun laws. Do you agree with them?
-
Second Amendment Issues
With such strong arguments on both sides of the Second Amendment issue, it again begins to increase as one of the top discussions as the run for a new president gets underway.
- New Pizzeria Opens in Tinley Park
- Gun Control in the Near Future
- Barak Obama's Gun Control Positions
- Gun Control: Law vs Rights
- Gun Control is Necessary
- Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centers in Chicago, Illinois
- Hotel Guide: Chicago, Illinois
- 10 things you need to know today: February 11, 2012 (The Week)
- Grammy Awards preview: Top 5 reasons to watch (The Week)
- No Fun Allowed: L.A. Beaches Ban Footballs, Frisbees, and Sand Digging (ContributorNetwork)
- Good day, bad day: February 10, 2012 (The Week)
- Obama's birth control compromise: 'Still unacceptable'? (The Week)
5 Comments
Post a CommentI like your style, Norm.
... the Founding Fathers were unable to envision automatic weapons and the rain of death that they can bring down upon people.
They also were unable to envision TV and the Internet as a first amendment right. By the anti-gun activist reasoning these should also be banned.
Excellent points, Joe B. and Undocument.
When one reads the United States Constitution, one would be hard pressed to find where the authority comes from for government to ban anything. In that Constitution, Article 4 Section 4 it states that the Federal Government shall guarantee each state a Republican form of government.
When one researches exactly what a Republican form of government is, we see that it boils down to who holds sovereignty, and in a Republic the each individual is sovereign with inalienable rights. The primary job of government is to protect each sovereign individual's rights.
Each sovereign individual has the God given right to protect themselves, their family and their property. The government does not have the authority to deny or hinder that right.
One might conclude that Mayor Daley, the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois is a bit confused as to what exactly their jobs are. Perhaps these folks should spend a little less time trying to "nanny" we the people as well as tending to their pol
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." - Thomas Jefferson