Anti-gun extremists continue their assault on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Springfield! This week saw the House take up an amendment to HB 2414, which seeks to ban certain semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, as well as .50 cal. rifles, and the amendment narrowly failed. This was a victory for the pro-gun community, and a clear sign that your calls in opposition to banning firearms from the law-abiding citizens of Illinois are working.
In addition, the Senate sent to Governor Blagojevich (D) SB 57, the gun show bill that requires the destruction of the database on lawful firearm purchases maintained by the Illinois State Police. Governor Blagojevich has threatened to use his amendatory veto power to strip the database destruction language from the bill and send it back to the General Assembly. Meanwhile, to support Governor Blagojevich, the editorial pages of the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times have launched a full-scale assault on SB 57, NRA, law-abiding gun owners, and their supporters in the General Assembly.
It is imperative that the pro-gun community redouble its efforts to counter this coordinated assault by the gun-banners in the legislature and the Governor's Mansion, and their collaborators in the media. Be sure to contact your State Representative and ask him/her to oppose HB 2414, the semi-auto and .50 cal. rifle ban, as well as HB 1098, which also seeks to ban .50 cal. rifles. Also ask your Representative to oppose SB 1333, a bill that goes after gun shows, should it be brought up for consideration. You can call your Representative at (217) 782-2000 (your District number is required). It is important to remind lawmakers that they represent you, and not the anti-gun extremists on the editorial boards of Chicago's major media outlets that are spearheading this anti-Second Amendment campaign.
Finally, please take the time to write a letter to the editor of the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, stating your opposition to the anti-gun crusade of these newspapers. For contact information for the Tribune and Sun-Times, as well as tips on writing effective Letters to the Editor, please click on the "Write the Media" link.