Illinois gun owners and rights activists are fired up. Protests are being organized against proposed gun control legislation that would outlaw so-called “assault weapons,” according to one of the state’s leading Second Amendment advocates, who says it’s part of the “sanctuary” movement, and it’s gathering momentum.
According to the Belleville News-Democrat, there are currently 26 counties in the state that consider themselves “Second Amendment sanctuaries.”
Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, said the focus of current concern is Senate Bill 107. A public meeting on that measure drew hundreds of citizens to a meeting Monday in Enfield’s Family Life Center. It was, according to WEHT News, “standing room only” at the meeting, where Republican State Sen. Dale Righter warned the audience, “We should be alarmed.”
Critics argue that the measure would outlaw virtually every semiautomatic firearm now in private ownership. If the bill becomes law, gun owners would have 300 days to register their affected guns with the state police or face criminal prosecution.
Pearson said the bill is “locked up and not moving but we don’t know for how long.”
It may be one of the reasons he is expecting thousands of gun activists to descend on the state capitol in Springfield March 27 for the annual IGOLD pro-rights demonstration.
According to WFIE News, SB 107 was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and State Rep. Darren Bailey encouraged citizens to call their legislators to oppose the measure. White County Sheriff Doug Meier reportedly told the crowd that the Illinois Sheriff’s Association is opposed to the legislation.
However, that’s not a guarantee it will be defeated. Sheriffs in Washington state opposed gun control Initiative 1639 last fall and it passed. Sheriffs in New Mexico are lined up against gun control legislation there, but with Democrats controlling the Legislature, they are definitely in a fight.
On the other hand, lawmen in all three states have declared they will not enforce gun control laws they think are unconstitutional. In Washington state, that has prompted anti-gun State Attorney General Bob Ferguson to send an open letter to the sheriffs in his state they must enforce the law or face possible consequences.
In Illinois, according to Pearson, increasing numbers of people have decided “they don’t want to be ruled by Chicago.” As in other states, politics in Illinois is frequently dominated by the largest city, which typically is dominated by Democrat politicians. Washington is the same way with Seattle and Oregon likewise with Portland.
Pearson will be speaking at a rally this weekend in Effingham, where he expects upwards of 1,500 people to attend.
Under Article 1, Section 22 of the Illinois State Constitution, “Subject only to the police power, the right of the individual citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
Illinois was the last state in the nation to hold out against allowing concealed carry. Lawsuits filed by the Second Amendment Foundation and National Rifle Association forced the state to adopt a concealed carry statute.
How do you think gun owners in Illinois can prevent this new legislation from becoming law? Will protests be enough? Will sanctuary counties be the answer? Share your answers in the comment section.
Dave Workman is the Senior Editor at the Liberty Park Press.
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Article 1 section 22 of the Illinois Constitution violates the 2nd and 14th amendments of the US Constitution and should be challenged.
Besides, the decision in US vs Miller states this type of firearm (semi auto rifle) is the exact weapon a modern militia member would carry and is protected.
These people have no standing to make these laws, the US Constitution supersedes all these bogus laws. The right of self defense is natural law, a God given right and what God has given no man can take away.
Just shows how much contempt for the Constitution the “New Generation” of lawmakers have! The Constitution gets in the way of their grandiose plans, ignore it and pass infringing bills anyway! And, as in the case of Washington State, threatening Sheriffs who are doing their proper jobs of defending our Constitution and the rights guaranteed by it! Every state’s 2A supporters should initiate lawsuits charging their state’s lawmakers with Dereliction of Duty re: Failure to Uphold the Constitution as they are sworn to do upon taking office, or again as in the case of WA, allowing an Unconstitutional law to be added to the ballot for citizens to vote on. ( Considering the extent of fraud allegedly being conducted in today’s elections, I wonder if the majority actually voted for these bills or were the votes being “enhanced” by the anti gun faction? )
IT MAKES ME SICK TO THINK THAT WE ARE AT THE POINT OF MAKING LAW ABIDING CITIZENS CRIMINALS. THAT LEGISLATORS ARE REMOVING A PERSONS RIGHT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES. THAT POLITICIANS WHO DON’T KNOW THE DEFERENCE BETWEEN A SPORTS RIFLE AND AN ASSAULT WEAPON ARE MAKING THE LAWS.
One simple way to change the anti-gun laws is to ensure that all state legislators actually have their primary residence in the district they represent. And building a wall around Chicago would help by forcing those inside to cope with the consequences of their votes. But since a wall isn’t practical, citizens will have to start knocking on doors in the Chicago area to advocate for voters to make gun rights into a drop-dead election issue. (Pun intended) EVERYBODY should be armed – then the killing will stop.
As the saying goes, “Fight Crime, Shoot Back!”
Maybe the only way the the socialists left democratics will understand the importance of the constitution will be when those rights are exercised to their fullest extent of their intentions. Like against a tyrannical government. Might be a short lesson if they understand the consequences of pursuing this adgenda further.
We can not expect the Democratic left that has demonized are government in Illinois to point out anything good about having the right to own any type of fire arms for personal protection and for
recreational use. I guess they have grown up completely without the sense of how are nation advanced with wars that we have experienced and being able to protect are families when required.
Just before Christmas 1995, myself and 10,000 other citizens stood ready, as a militia, to fight Illinois as the undertook an “experiment” to take all of the guns from Mt. Prospect, using “paramilitaries’ and a dump truck. They were dressed like Nazis and controlled by Terry Gainer, State police Chief. When faced with the militia and a demand that they go to my house first, they lost their bowels and ran, with no law being passed in our town. Gainer went to Washington, D.C., and our local Police Chief quit on the spot! THAT is how you thwart gun control! Get some Constitutional guts!
That must have been a sight to see.
I have never heard of that event. I s there a link to any news articles for that?
Might it turn out that the old saying about Letting Sleeping Dogs Sleep might turn out to be to true, for it turns out that the dog has teeth? One wonders. One also wonders as to whether it is possible that those so well meaning, so concerned, so we know best types have overplayed things to the point where ordinary law abiding types have had enough of their never ending crap? One would so hope, but one does tend to wonder. By the way, for myself, as I do not reside in Illinois, it’s academic, though it is interesting