I am not sure whether I should laugh or cry. Actually, laughter is winning out right now since I am also a believer in the adage that a people get the government they deserve. The City of Chicago, with its entrenched and horribly corrupt Democrat Machine, controls most of Illinois politics these days. So, while I do feel sorry for the Down-staters who can’t seem to free themselves from Chicago’s death grip, those in Chicago who dutifully and mindlessly vote for continued Democrat control deserve what they get in terms of taxes, crime, corruption, and violence.
Since the reign of Jane Byrne back in the 1980s, Chicago developed an increasing—and increasingly irrational—hatred of guns, gun owners, gun dealers, and the like. She instituted the City’s famous handgun ban, which was struck down by the Supreme Court in their McDonald decision. When Richard M. Daley later took over as Mayor, he ran the gun shops out of town and shut down the Lincoln Park Gun Club, which had offered skeet shooting on the shore of Lake Michigan since about 1900. During the same period, Chicago democrats spread into State government, bringing with them their corruption, Machiavellian attitudes, and hatred for guns and gun owners. Now, in addition to Illinois’ gun owner licensing and registration schemes, the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action reports that Illinois gun owners will now have to contend with this:
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn
This past summer, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn (D) vetoed the NRA-backed ammunition purchase reform bill, Senate Bill 681, after this common sense legislation had passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the Illinois General Assembly (previously reported on here). In a crass attempt to exploit the tragedy in Colorado and seek media attention, Quinn used his Amendatory Veto powers in a brazen attempt to impose more draconian gun control in Illinois. Quinn rewrote the entire bill as an amendment to the Illinois Criminal Code that includes an onerous ban on the manufacture, possession, delivery or sale of commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms (inaccurately referred to as “assault weapons”), .50 caliber rifles and cartridges and “high capacity” magazines in Illinois. Quinn’s amendment additionally tramples on the rights of Illinois citizens by creating a de facto statewide registration scheme for firearms and magazines currently owned.
If this amendment is accepted by the state legislature, law-abiding citizens in Illinois will be subjected to restrictions far beyond the scope of even the misguided Clinton “Assault Weapons“ Ban that expired in 2004 and any other similar gun ban in existence today. The repercussions of such a gun ban would be disastrous. As demonstrated by the failure of the federal “assault weapons” ban of 1994-2004 to produce the crime reduction that its proponents claimed it would, Quinn’s ban would do nothing to increase safety in Illinois and would only further restrict the rights of already law-abiding citizens throughout the state.
Using the favorite anti-gun tactic of confusion, by conflating certain popular semi-automatic firearms with machine guns by using the term “assault weapon,” this legislation would now target many of the most popular guns used for hunting and competition, as well as many models and magazines (those that hold more than ten rounds) used for self-defense. If enacted, banned items would include many familiar and popular firearms, such as:
· Turkey hunting shotguns with pistol grips, like the Benelli Super Black Eagle II;
· Plinking and target rifles with thumbhole stocks, as often seen on customized Ruger 10/22s;
· High-power target rifles — even including the 1994-2004 versions of rifles like the M1A and AR-15 that were made to comply with the now-expired federal ban — because all of those rifles had handguards that “encircle” the barrel;
· Any detachable-magazine semi-automatic rifle with even a partial handguard, potentially including common hunting rifles like the popular Remington 740/7400 series, Browning BAR, and many more like them.
The Quinn gun ban would even apply to the individual parts themselves (stocks, pistol grips, handguards, folding or telescoping stocks, etc.). Possession, manufacture, delivery or sale of any of these items would be a felony.
This amended bill would impose a massive statewide gun registration scheme. Anyone who already possesses one of the banned guns or parts would have to provide proof of ownership and register each one with the State Police within ninety days of the effective date after enactment. This registration requirement spans from the firearm itself to individual parts and magazines that fall under the ban.
Governor Quinn and his band of anti-gun Chicago politicians would like to see their vicious attack on the Second Amendment play out across Illinois, even as Chicago—with the state’s most restrictive gun laws—is on track to tally more than 500 murders this year.
The repercussions of such a gun ban would actually be just the opposite of what proponents claim and the results would be disastrous. Firearms manufacturing is estimated to be a $250 million dollar industry in Illinois. Not only would this gun ban be devastating to law-abiding citizens in Illinois, it also would wreak havoc on an entire industry, killing jobs and driving a healthy contributor to the Illinois economy out of state. This legislation in no way promotes the safety or well-being of Illinois citizens, but is merely another attempt by gun-hating Chicago politicians to use misinformation to push draconian gun bans that will only affect gun owners, sportsmen and law-abiding citizens concerned about self-defense.
If you live in Illinois, or you have family there, then I join the NRA is calling you to action. Contact your state Senator TODAY and demand that he or she vote to override the Governor’s amendatory veto and put a stop to this anti-gun madness! Contact information for all state legislators can be found by clicking here.
Good News! The Illinois Senate today voted to override Quinn’s amendatory veto. Now it goes to the Illinois House, which will, hopefully, kill it once and for all. We’ll keep you posted.
Michigan Concealed Carry Blog 