Gun owners: Under assault...again or still yet?

The Rights of law abiding gun owners are under assault, whether the assault ever stopped or not is really irrelevant I suppose. There does seem to be an upswing from the left on gun control lately though and frankly, it's tiring.

Former Justice John Paul Stevens had a lot to say earlier this week, continuing to spread his dislike of firearms and insisting that the Presidential candidates should be more focused on the issue. Well, he's "former" so he can talk all he likes...thankfully he can't continue to dissent on things like Heller and McDonald like he did when on the bench. If you aren't familiar with what I'm going on about check here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/16/4916739/stevens-push-on-guns-underscores.html

Of course, during the debate last night, President Obama finally said out loud, what many of us had been saying for a long time: He is in favor of another AWB. Never mind that every study conducted has shown that the original AWB did nothing (see also: zero, zip, zilch) to curb crime. I'd like to think that simply stating that will close the door on a second term for him, but sadly he still has supporters with plenty of money so it ain't over yet.

IL continues to be the worst state in (at least) the Midwest for gun owners and the pols up in Cook county and Chicago are constantly trying to invent new ways of punishing us for exercising our Rights.

There are a few bright points though. In previous posts I've mentioned that a couple of State's Attorneys had announced that they won't prosecute otherwise law abiding citizens for carrying firearms. They have been joined by some others and I encourage the remaining SAs to jump on that wagon to send the State Legislature a message.

Even though it's tiring, we still have to stand up for our Rights and educate those that have been indoctrinated with radical anti-gun messages all of their lives. Valinda Rowe of Illinoiscarry.com and many others are taking it to the people as often as they can, maybe you can help some way? If you think you can (or have no idea how to do so) please contact Valinda and ask how to help.

If you can, donate to your favorite Pro-2A group. If you don't have a favorite, allow me to suggest the ISRA, NRA or SAF (links to the right).

Most importantly, we MUST get out there and vote, no excuses. If you need a ride, give me a shout and I'll do what I can to help.

State's Attorneys are turning heads in IL

A couple of Illinois State's Attorneys are shaking things up this week!

Edwards County SA Valentine has gone on record as saying that he won't prosecute certain firearms related charges based on the un-Constitutionality of some IL laws. This follows McLean County SA Dozier who addressed his fellow SAs earlier this year with his take on IL laws and firearms.

I'm certain this is going to be a kick to the hornet's nest if nothing else, as it's sure to bring up some serious legal questions. However, I applaud these two for taking the stance that they have and hope that it proves to the ILGA that the time for RTC has come.

What really struck me though, was the response from IL AG Madigan's office: "We are not the boss of state's attorneys. They're independently elected. And they have discretion over the charges they prosecute."

Here's a video and story from Fox News Chicago: http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/19325546/-exclusive

SA Valentine: My hat is off to you Sir!

The waiting...

"They" say it's always the hardest part and I'll have to agree.

Although only a month has passed since the 7th Court of Appeals heard the orals in Moore/Shepard, it seems like time is dragging on.

Since it was one of the last arguments heard, I really don't expect an opinion until August, but it doesn't seem to help. I know plenty of other folks are in the same boat though, so I don't feel alone in that regard.

In the meantime, let's support those like minded folks in Chicago. It sure seems like the city is rife with violence already this summer. Next week is Taste of Chicago and lots of folks will be attending that event. Good thoughts of safety to all of them.

Personally, I'm thinking of skipping IMTS (International Manufacturing Technologies Show) this year. It's held at McCormick Place in Chicago and reports are that even that area is getting pretty rough lately. I haven't missed it since 2006, but that may have to change since Chicago is starting to look more and more like Detroit.

For more on Right to Carry news, visit Illinoiscarry and visit awhile.

For no-BS updates on violence in the windy city, check out Second City Cop.


Edit: Repaired links.

Moore/Shepard v Madigan orals are now available

Orals for the court cases were this morning and by all accounts, the state took a beating. 

Hear it and decide for yourself here: http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/fdocs/docs.fwx

You'll need to input "12" under the year and "1269" in the other box, this brings up a new page with the link to the audio file. 

Enjoy. 

Next step

Well, now that the Spring session is over in the IL legislature and we still haven't had our RTC recognized, it's time for the next step.

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments tomorrow (June 8) on both the Shepard and Moore cases. This is the same court that gave us Ezell so there is some hope. I encourage everyone to stay tuned to IllinoisCarry tomorrow, some of the members will be present for the arguments and will (hopefully) inform us of their impressions afterwards. No electronic equipment is allowed in the court so we'll have to wait until they finish.

8 years of RTC in Ohio, still no blood in the streets.

I was linked to a great editorial from a Columbus, OH paper that IL legislators should read. Seems that some folks in OH had the same arguments that some of our IL legislators have been using for years and the concerns turned out not to be concerns at all.

I'm short on time this morning so here's the link, thanks to IllinoisCarry forum member "mauserme":
"Concealed carry, why the uproar?" 

Chicago Murder rate increases 60% in 3 months

How much longer will they continue to deny basic rights in Illinois? Since we KNOW that disarming the law abiding outside the home isn't working, let's try the other option and see what happens.

Yes, some folks will still die, but it will be the thugs who were previously doing all the killing. When a handful go down, it tends to take some of the fire out of the rest of them.

Try this link on for size and check out the last 2 lines in particular. Great to see a news outlet saying this!

http://www.irnnews.com/2012/04/12/chicago’s-murder-rate-has-risen-60-in-just-the-last-three-months/

Mayor Emanuel wants folks to stand up to gangs? That's great news! When will he understand that the citizens need tools to do so? He's made the statement, now let's see if he can follow through!

Is it too much to hope that change is in the air?