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Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day – Huge Success

Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day - Huge Success

IllinoisCarry.com

Springfield, Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)-  Thousands of Illinois Second Amendment supporters marched to the State Capitol in Springfield last week to demand a Right to Carry law in Illinois.

An estimated 7,000 turned out for the largest Second Amendment march in Illinois history.

The crowd enthusiastically called for “Concealed Carry, NOW”. The huge turnout signals a real surge in public support for a carry law similar to laws in 49 other states. Illinois is the last and only state that still denies its law-abiding citizens the right to carry a firearm for personal protection.

Attendees were treated to a surprise address by Mr. Otis McDonald, key plaintiff in the McDonald vs Chicago lawsuit

The big event began with a rally at the Prairie Capitol Convention Center. Attendees were treated to a surprise address by Mr. Otis McDonald, key plaintiff in the McDonald vs Chicago lawsuit challenging the Chicago handgun ban. Oral arguments in that case were heard recently in the U.S. Supreme Court. A final ruling by the SCOTUS will have far reaching effects on firearm restrictions all across the nation.

Mr. McDonald’s soft spoken and heartfelt address to the crowd was met with thunderous applause and numerous standing ovations – a fitting tribute to Mr. Donald’s patriotic stand to regain a Constitutional right for us all.

The march to the Capitol, led by the women of IGOLD, was punctuated by choruses of “Hey, Governor, leave our guns alone”, a response to Gov. Quinn’s vow to veto a Right to Carry bill if it made it to his desk. After another brief rally on the Lincoln Steps attendees entered the Capitol Complex to lobby their legislators, Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, and President of the Senate John Cullerton in person.

After the lobbying was over, the huge crowd returned to the PCCC to meet with legislators and a special address by Sen. Bill Brady, gubernatorial candidate and strong Second Amendment supporter .

Photos and videos of the event are available at IllinoisCarry.com.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

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Bill Would Require Firearm Retailers To Discriminate Against Blacks & Hispanics
This Bill That Would Effectively Prohibit African Americans and Hispanics From Buying Guns, is advancing in the Illinois General Assembly.

Illinois State Rifle Association

CHICAGO, IL – -(AmmoLand.com)-  Law-abiding African Americans and Hispanics would take it on the chin under a bill now moving through the Illinois General Assembly.

Sponsored by Rep. Harry Osterman (D-14), HB6123 would prohibit any person or entity from selling a firearm to a so-called “street gang member.” This prohibition applies even if the individual has passed a Brady Law FBI background check. Making a prohibited sale would result in Class 1 felony charges and possible jail time for the seller. Although the ISRA supports genuine efforts to curb criminal violence, the organization is strongly opposed to HB6123 as the bill’s provisions are arbitrary and pose an unreasonable intrusion on the rights of law-abiding Illinois citizens.

“HB6123 promotes racial profiling at its worst,” commented ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. “Popular culture has branded urban minorities with the ‘gangsta’ stereotype that is pervasive well beyond the confines of actual criminal enterprises. Today’s fashion, music, slang and lifestyle are all heavily influenced by the urban experience. Given that the provisions of HB6123 establish no test for determining ’street gang’ membership, and given the harsh penalties for violating the proposed law, it is understandable that retailers would shy away from selling firearms to persons whose speech, dress, mannerisms, or taste in music reflect the urban lifestyle.”

“Several Chicago nightclubs stirred considerable controversy recently when they denied entry to young men wearing baggy pants and cornrows in their hair,” continued Pearson. “The nightclub owners justified these actions by claiming that baggy pants and certain hair styles are indicative of gang membership – despite the fact that the young men had done nothing improper.

While the popular press bristled over the nightclubs’ actions, the press has ignored HB6123 although the bill would bless, and even require firearm retailers to discriminate against individuals based on their appearance. This sort of cultural profiling is vile enough when persons are denied entry into a private club, but denying one’s constitutional rights based solely on their appearance flies in the face of the principles under which our nation was founded. Of course, if a gang member wished to purchase a firearm, all he would have to do is don a Brooks Brothers’ suit and speak the King’s English and he’d be good to go.”

“The bottom line is this,” said Pearson. “If HB6123 is passed into law, the calendar on race-relations will be turned back 70 years and there will not be a gun shop in the state that will sell a firearm to an African American or Hispanic person. If that’s Rep. Osterman’s intent, then he has a lot of explaining to do.”

The ISRA is the state’s leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of millions of law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

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