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SAF SUES IN MARYLAND OVER HANDGUN PERMIT DENIAL
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BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation and a Baltimore County, MD man today sued Maryland authorities in federal court because the man’s handgun permit renewal was turned down on the grounds that he could not demonstrate “a reasonable precaution against apprehended danger.”
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
Joining SAF in the lawsuit is Raymond Woollard, who was originally issued a carry permit after a man broke into his home during a family gathering in 2002. Woollard’s permit was renewed in 2005, after the man was released from prison. That man now lives about three miles from Woollard. Defendants in the case are Terrence B. Sheridan is the Secretary and Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, and three members of the Maryland Handgun Permit Review Board, Denis Gallagher, Seymour Goldstein and Charles M. Thomas, Jr.
SAF and Woollard are represented by attorneys Alan Gura of Virginia and Cary J. Hansel of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake of Greenbelt, MD. ...
Read the rest of the the article from the Second Amendment Foundation. Partners with the ISRA in McDonald v Chicago.
Posted Thu Jul 29 16:19:24 CDT 2010
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ISRA's McDonald decision repaints 2nd Amendment litigation nationwide!
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One month ago, the Supreme Court held in McDonald v. City of Chicago that states, not just the federal government, are prevented from violating Americans’ Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. The Supreme Court did not, however, define the full scope of the right, nor the standard of review by which challenged statutes will be judged.
In other words: It ain’t over yet. A number of pending lawsuits across the country will further shape how the Second Amendment will be applied. The first lawsuit of note comes from Chicago. As soon as the Supreme Court struck down the city’s handgun ban in McDonald, Mayor Richard Daley worked with the city council to pass a very restrictive gun-control regime to take the ban’s place. The National Rifle Association promptly filed suit, challenging, among other things: a ban on having more than one “assembled and operable” firearm in the home at any time; a rule forbidding gun owners to carry their firearms in their own garages, porches, and places of business; and a policy outlawing gun shops and shooting ranges in the city in spite of the training and range time the city requires for obtaining a permit. ...
Read the whole story @ NationalReviewOnline.
Posted Thu Jul 29 13:08:51 CDT 2010
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Mayor calls new Chicago gun law "reasonable"
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excerpted:
Two lawsuits have already been filed in an attempt to shoot down the ordinance rushed through by the City Council after the U.S. Supreme Court rendered Chicago’s strictest-in-the-nation handgun ban unenforcible.
One took aim at Daley’s decision to ban gun sales within the city limits.
The other targeted the mayor’s decision to allow Chicagoans to purchase “one handgun per month” and keep one “assembled and operable” inside their homes, but prohibit possession in the garage, yard, porch, deck or walkway. ...
Read the whole story in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Posted Wed Jul 14 16:47:40 CDT 2010
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Under the Gun
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Aldermen rush through a gun-control law they've barely read to replace a gun-control law nobody seems to have enforced. Who really benefits? Mayor Daley. By Mick Dumke
On Monday, June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Chicago's 28-year-old handgun ban unconstitutional. Over the next four days, Mayor Daley muscled the Chicago City Council into passing a hastily drafted ordinance that places a whole new set of limitations and regulations on gun ownership in the city.
The "Responsible Gun Ownership" ordinance allows any adult in Chicago with a clean record to register one handgun a month for self-defense at home—but only one gun at a time can be "assembled and operable," and the owner can't take it out of the home, even into the backyard. The weapons have to be registered with the state and city, and their owners must be trained and fingerprinted. Guns in homes where minors live have to be locked away or equipped with trigger locks. And anyone convicted of a gun offense is required to disclose the information in a publicly accessible registry modeled after those for convicted sex offenders.
For Daley, though, the mere existence of the ordinance was far more significant than its contents. Quick passage of a new gun-control law was the mayor's top priority in the wake of the Supreme Court decision: he wanted to announce, in the strongest voice possible, that not even the highest court in the land was going to keep him from regulating guns in his own city. Gun control has been a very successful political strategy for Daley—if not a successful crime-fighting strategy. ...
Read the whole story from the Chicago Reader (external link)
Posted Thu Jul 8 12:36:13 CDT 2010
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Special Commentary on McDonald v Chicago
ISRA Counsel Victor Quilici
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Excerpt:
A Supreme Court 5-4 decision raises a red flag as to why four of the Justices could not see what freedom-loving Americans have believed for centuries, and which the founding fathers of our nation perceived as a fundamental, inalienable right deeply rooted in our nation’s history, and implicit in the concept of ordered liberty. That right, most scholars have believed, existed before the passage of the 2nd Amendment. The majority made frequent references to the pre-existing right of self-defense, which is the back-bone of the Second Amendment, and there is much to be said about the majority’s dissection of the strained arguments posed by Justice Stevens. ...
Read the entire commentary right here at ISRA.
Posted Sun Jul 4 12:56:02 CDT 2010
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MOST AMERICANS AGREE WITH SCOTUS, SAY CITIES CAN’T BAN HANDGUNS — CCRKBA
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BELLEVUE, WA – A new Rasmussen poll showing a majority of Americans believe cities cannot ban handguns “goes along with what we have been saying, and what the Supreme Court affirmed,” the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.
“The high court ruled in its 2008 Heller decision that the handgun ban in Washington, D.C. violated the Second Amendment,” noted CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “and this week’s McDonald ruling incorporates the Second Amendment to the states. That effectively nullifies municipal gun bans nationwide. The court has spoken twice, and a majority of Americans concur.
“The recent Rasmussen survey also revealed,” he continued, “that only 35 percent of adults support stricter gun control, proving that gun prohibitionists are in the minority, and their influence is shrinking.” ...
Read the rest of the the article from the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (external link)
Posted Fri Jul 2 18:24:54 CDT 2010
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Online Poll on New Chicago Gun Laws
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Should Chicago slap strict new rules on guns? ...
Take the Poll at MSNBC. (bottom of page)
Posted Fri Jul 2 14:58:03 CDT 2010
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MCDONALD VICTORY MAKES THIS 4TH OF JULY REALLY WORTH CELEBRATING, SAYS SAF
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BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation’s landmark victory in McDonald v. City of Chicago, which incorporates the Second Amendment to the states, makes this weekend’s 4th of July “really worth celebrating,” said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb.
“I cannot think of a more auspicious moment for Americans to celebrate freedom, liberty and America’s birthday than on the heels of a Supreme Court ruling that underscores what those terms are all about,” said Gottlieb. “The right to keep and bear arms has long set our country apart from other nations, and has been the foundation upon which our other civil rights have remained in existence.
“Who knows where this nation might have been today,” he continued, “if we had not had the means to resist tyranny at Lexington and Concord? America may get a bad rap for our so-called ‘gun culture,’ but it is a fair question to ask our critics around the world where they would be today if America had not twice come to their rescue, and for that, America needs never to apologize. ...
Read the rest of the the article from the Second Amendment Foundation. Partners with the ISRA in McDonald v Chicago.
Posted Fri Jul 2 14:49:03 CDT 2010
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Statement of Richard A. Pearson, Executive Director, Illinois State Rifle Association, Regarding U.S. Supreme Court Decision
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“On behalf of the officers, directors, and members of the Illinois State Rifle Association, and law-abiding citizens across Illinois, I would like to express my utter delight over the Supreme Court’s decision in the McDonald case. Today is certainly a great day for anyone who believes in the timeless wisdom the founding fathers set as the foundation of our Bill of Rights. As happy as we are with the Court’s decision in McDonald v. Chicago, we must all keep in mind that our work is not finished. The McDonald decision, along with the Court’s 2008 decision in the D.C. v. Heller case, serve merely as cornerstones to a much larger effort to fully restore the law-abiding citizen’s rights guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment to our Constitution.”
“In the weeks and months ahead, our legal staff will be thoroughly analyzing Illinois gun control statutes along with the myriad of local firearm restrictions to assess their compliance with the McDonald and Heller decisions. Law-abiding Illinois citizens may rest assured that the ISRA will employ whatever political or legal means are necessary to ensure that no element of government persists in infringing upon their constitutionally-protected right to keep and bear arms.”
“In closing, I would like to recognize the tireless efforts of all of those who helped make this day possible. Among those are the named plaintiffs, the Second Amendment Foundation, the National Rifle Association of America, and the many dozens of support elements who contributed greatly to the success of this challenge to the egregious infringement on individual rights. But, most of all, I would like to recognize the 80 million or so law-abiding American firearm owners whose patience and determination have served as such great inspiration during this 40-year fight to restore honor to, and recognition of, the Second Amendment.”
The official press release located here.
Posted Mon Jun 28 16:10:15 CDT 2010
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COURT VICTORY OVER CHICAGO IS 'CALL TO ACTION,' SAYS SAF
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BELLEVUE, WA – Today’s Supreme Court ruling in the Second Amendment Foundation’s challenge of the Chicago handgun ban is “our call to action,” said SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb.
“This morning’s high court ruling clearly shows that the right of the individual citizen to have a gun is constitutionally protected in every corner of the United States,” Gottlieb stated. “We are already preparing to challenge other highly-restrictive anti-gun laws across the country. Our objective is to win back our firearms freedoms one lawsuit at a time.”
In effectively striking down Chicago’s handgun ban, and incorporating the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms so that it applies to state and local governments as well as the federal government, the high court affirmed that a constitutionally-protected civil right cannot be arbitrarily regulated as though it were a privilege, he added. ...
Read the rest of the the article from the Second Amendment Foundation. Partners with the ISRA in McDonald v Chicago.
Posted Mon Jun 28 16:07:13 CDT 2010
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Supreme Court rules that 2nd Amendment is Incorporated in 5-4 decision
McDonald v Chicago
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The Supreme Court has ruled that 2nd Amendment rights cannot be taken by state and local governments.
ISRA has a local copy of the decision that you can download and read.
Stay tuned for updates and commentary. ...
Read the ISRA's local copy of the US Supreme Court Decision.
Posted Mon Jun 28 09:29:16 CDT 2010
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Park District 'Balks' at Gun-Rights Group Meeting
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Gerald Vernon says he did everything he should have to obtain a permit to hold a meeting at the Tuley Park field house on the south side. He told the park supervisor he expected 150 to 200 people to attend, filled out the paperwork she gave him, paid a $100 fee, and walked away thinking he'd reserved a meeting room for the evening of June 30. The group that would be convening was Illinois Carry, an organization advocating for the right to bear concealed firearms.
But on Wednesday, a week before the scheduled date of the event, he got a call telling him his permit had been revoked.
Vernon says a Tuley Park official informed him he has to submit a new permit application that will be reviewed before he gets approval for the meeting. But when I contacted the park and asked about it, I was told the event had been canceled altogether. ...
Read the rest of the story here. (external link)
Posted Fri Jun 25 16:27:23 CDT 2010
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The US Supreme Court Decision in ISRA & SAF's lawsuit, McDonald v Chicago, will be handed down on Monday, June 28
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As expected for weeks, the Supreme Court is holding off its ruling in the Second Amendment Foundation’s case against the Chicago handgun ban until the last day of the current session, which is next Monday.
Joining in the case was the Illinois State Rifle Association and four Chicago residents, including Otis McDonald, for whom this sure-to-be-landmark case is named.
An affirmative ruling will strike down the ban as a violation of the Second Amendment, which the court is expected to incorporate to the states through the 14th Amendment. It will also mark the second time that crack attorney Alan Gura will have won a major gun rights victory before the high court. He was theattorney who won the Heller ruling in 2008, the case that defined the Second Amendment as protective of an individual civil right. ...
Read the rest in the Seattle Gun Rights Examiner.
Posted Thu Jun 24 14:18:56 CDT 2010
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Metro East: Murder-Suicide on foot on I-64
Victim ran from car to car pleading for help
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Excerpt:
The shooting occurred about 2 p.m. on I-64 east near the East St. Louis City Hall building. Oliver was in a red Oldsmobile with Hill and his 7-year-old daughter, who was not injured in the shooting.
An altercation of some kind occurred between the couple, and Oliver bolted from the car, losing her shoe on the highway, Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Dave Wasmuth said.
Oliver ran from one car to another pleading for help. She got the attention of two men who were headed home to East St. Louis from church in Missouri. They slowed and pulled over ...
Read the whole story in the Belleville News-Democrat.
Posted Wed Jun 23 09:48:36 CDT 2010
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SAF Press Release
52 Shot, 8 Dead and Mayor Daley Still Resists Self-Defense
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BELLEVUE, Wash., June 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fifty-two people shot, eight of them fatally in a single Chicago weekend, yet Mayor Richard Daley appears poised to go down screaming in his opposition to the Second Amendment Foundation's lawsuit to overturn his city's handgun ban.
The U.S. Supreme Court could rule any day on the case of McDonald v. City of Chicago, filed by SAF, the Illinois State Rifle Association and four Chicago residents. That ruling will likely strike down the handgun ban, thus opening the door to legal self-defense by Windy City residents.
"Chicago has become a slaughterhouse," said SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb, "where defenseless victims are terrorized by armed thugs who have taken full advantage of an unarmed populace. Daley and his predecessors who perpetuated this ban are wading knee-deep in the blood of hundreds of crime victims who should have had the means to defend themselves.
"Year after year the statistics have piled up," he continued, "yet Mayor Daley has stubbornly defended the city's ban. While he has luxuriated at his vacation home with the safety of armed bodyguards, the bodies of Chicago crime victims have stacked up like cordwood.
"Within days," Gottlieb observed, "we should have a ruling from the Supreme Court that puts an end to this insanity, and gives the citizens of Chicago back their right to defend themselves. Daley thinks his constituents should be content to call 911 and wait for help to arrive while they're being shot, stabbed, raped, robbed or beaten. Those crimes happen fast, and when seconds count, Chicago police are minutes away.
"We took Daley to court because we trust his citizens more than he does with their self-defense rights," Gottlieb concluded. "Chicago residents have endured the terror of public disarmament for almost three decades, and all they have to show for it is a body count. Mayor Daley should be ashamed."
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, the Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
This press release is posted on PRNewswire.
Posted Mon Jun 21 18:19:35 CDT 2010
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McDonald v. Chicago: Daley’s Last Stand?
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excerpted:
While the 2008 Heller ruling that defined the Second Amendment as protective of an individual civil right to keep and bear arms regardless of service in a militia was a devastating loss for gun prohibitionists, the impending Supreme Court ruling in another case – argued by the same attorney who represented Mr. Heller – could have far greater implications. The anticipated ruling could come, again, at about the same time history marks Custer’s defeat.
Only this time, if the high court strikes down Chicago’s handgun ban and incorporates the Second Amendment to the states – as court prognosticators are predicting – they’ll be sounding “Taps” over a cornerstone of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s regime, rather than the monument at the Little Bighorn National Battlefield.
Briefly in review, about an hour after the Heller ruling was handed down two years ago, crack Chicago-area attorney David Sigale, working with newly-victorious Heller attorney Alan Gura – representing the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA), and four Chicago residents including Otis McDonald, for whom the case, McDonald v. City of Chicago, is named – filed a lawsuit in federal court in Chicago. ...
Read the whole story by the Seattle Gun Rights Examiner.
Posted Fri Jun 11 15:54:00 CDT 2010
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SAF on this morning's self-defense shooting:
It validates the lawsuit McDonald v Chicago.
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The founder of the Bellevue, WA-based Second Amendment Foundation – they are the group whose federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the Chicago handgun ban is currently being mulled by the U.S. Supreme Court – is marveling at recent events in the Windy City.
In the past eight days, two high-profile shootings by private citizens who armed themselves in defiance of the ban have, in Gottlieb’s words, “underscored the necessity of our lawsuit.”
Early Thursday morning ...
Read the whole story in the Seattle Gun Rights Examiner.
Webmaster's note:
SAF is the ISRA's partner in the McDonald v Chicago lawsuit.
Posted Thu Jun 3 16:13:12 CDT 2010
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Chicago shooting shows why Mayor Daley doesn't 'get it'
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Op-Ed By Alan Gottlieb and Dave Workman
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley doesn't get it about firearms and personal safety, and after the highly-publicized self-defense shooting in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the city's West Side on Wednesday May 26, he should fold his tent, shut his mouth and go away.
The U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to nullify the city's Draconian handgun ban, and nothing clarifies Daley's dilemma with guns more dramatically than the slaying of would-be home invader Anthony 'Big Ant' Nelson, a 29-year-old career thug who has, according to the Chicago Tribune, a '13-page rap sheet that includes a number of drug and weapons convictions dating to 1998, according to police and court records.' This neighborhood predator made what nationally-recognized self-defense expert Massad Ayoob calls 'a fatal error in the victim selection process.' ...
Read the rest of the the article from the Second Amendment Foundation. Partners with the ISRA in McDonald v Chicago.
Posted Thu Jun 3 14:04:35 CDT 2010
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Another Chicago resident shoots a dangerous intruder
No charges filed by the police.
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A South Austin resident shot and wounded a man who crashed through the window of his home while fleeing police early this morning, officials say.
The resident had a valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card and police are not pursuing charges against him despite the city's ban on handguns, police said.
It's the second time in little more than a week that police have chosen not to file charges against someone who shot an intruder. On May 26, an 80-year-old East Garfield Park homeowner shot and killed a suspected burglar. ...
Read the whole story @ ChicagoBreakingNews.
Posted Thu Jun 3 10:27:04 CDT 2010
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Take this on-line poll on CCW
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Would you support a right-to-carry law in Illinois?
Take the poll at The New Lenox Patriot.
Posted Wed Jun 2 20:50:46 CDT 2010
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ENGLAND SHOOTING PROVES FALLACY OF RESTRICTIVE GUN LAWS, SAYS CCRKBA
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BELLEVUE, WA – Wednesday’s mass shooting in northwest England is more proof that restrictive gun laws do not prevent horrible criminal acts, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.
Wire service and British news agency reports say 12 people are dead and 25 people are wounded, and suspected gunman Derrick Bird is among the fatalities. It appears he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. ...
Read the whole story at the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (external link)
Posted Wed Jun 2 19:43:20 CDT 2010
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Chicago Stats:
22 wounded, 1 dead from Noon, Saturday to Noon, Sunday
12 wounded, 3 dead from Sunday afternoon until Monday morning.
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These are all Jody Weis' "Outdoors Homocides".
Read more about Saturday.
Read more about Sunday.
Posted Mon May 31 07:56:56 CDT 2010
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Why Chicago shooting deflates anti-gun philosophy everywhere…including Seattle
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excerpts:
In the aftermath, gun prohibitionist groups are silent. It appears clear the older man will not be charged for violating the city’s handgun ban, thanks to a 2004 Illinois statute that protects homeowners who use handguns to defend themselves, even if having the gun violates a local handgun ban ordinance. Known as the “Hale DeMar Act” for a Wilmette man who shot a burglar in his home and was temporarily charged for violating the Wilmette handgun ban (until public outrage caused the Cook County prosecutor to drop the charge), the law was passed by a legislative veto override in November 2004. Then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich had vetoed the bill, after then-State Sen. Barack Hussein Obama had voted against the legislation twice.
and...
And most telling remarks came from the shooter’s son, 57-year-old Butch Gant, quoted at length by the newspapers, noting, “If homeowners can’t have guns to defend themselves and their families, there’s going to be more home invasions. My father’s glad he had a weapon. He did what he had to do…(Nelson) missed, but my daddy didn’t.”
Read the whole column from the Seattle Gun Rights Examiner. Dave Workman is one of ISRA's friends at SAF.
Posted Fri May 28 00:04:48 CDT 2010
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'MORNING SHOOTING UNDERSCORES WHY WE SUED CHICAGO,' SAYS SAF
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BELLEVUE, WA - This morning's fatal shooting of a home invasion suspect by an 80-year-old retired Army veteran in Chicago's East Garfield Park neighborhood underscores why we filed a lawsuit to overturn the city's gun ban, the Second Amendment Foundation said today.
That case, McDonald v. City of Chicago, is about to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Joining SAF in that lawsuit are the Illinois State Rifle Association and four Chicago residents including Otis McDonald, for whom the case is named.
Today's shooting of an armed home invader with a lengthy criminal record is still under investigation by police, noted SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb, but it appears to be a clear-cut case of self-defense. Local newspaper reports show strong support from the older man's neighbors. The Chicago Sun Times quoted next door neighbor Curtis Thompson, who observed, "It's a good thing they had a gun, or they might be dead." Another neighbor, identified as Audrey Williams, told the newspaper "I'd have done the same thing. They say we've got to give up our guns, but that's crazy." ...
Read the rest of the story at the Second Amendment Foundation, partners with the ISRA in McDonald v Chicago.
Posted Wed May 26 19:12:54 CDT 2010
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Cop's Murder Has Some Thinking Of Carrying A Gun
Chicago's middle class blacks reaching the breaking point
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CHICAGO (CBS) ― They are law-abiding citizens in Chicago, but they are so worried about their own safety, they say they might have to break the law.
The last straw was the death of Chicago Police officer Thomas Wortham IV last week.
That has some African-American families in Chicago considering doing something they never would have done before: carry a pistol.
CBS 2's Jim Williams reports he grew up among those families and he's never anything like it.
Many Chicagoans have been upset for some time about violence here, but Wortham's murder has touched a raw nerve in the black community.
Now some want to do more than simply call 911 or march for peace in the streets. They want their own gun. ...
Read the whole story @ cbs2chicago.com.
Watch the associated video in a larger window.
Posted Wed May 26 06:46:54 CDT 2010
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LATEST FBI CRIME DATA CONTINUES TO REFUTE ANTI-GUN RHETORIC, SAYS CCRKBA
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Monday, May 24th, 2010
BELLEVUE, WA – For the third year in a row, violent crime has declined in the United States while increasing numbers of American citizens own firearms and are licensed to carry, a trend that belies predictions of anti-gunners that more guns will result in more crime, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.
Preliminary data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report shows that the violent crime rate went down 5.5 percent in 2009, compared to statistics from 2008. This covers all four categories of violent crime: murder, robbery, aggravated assault and forcible rape. Violent crime went down 4 percent in metropolitan counties and 3 percent elsewhere, according to the FBI. ...
Read the rest of the story at the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (external link)
Posted Mon May 24 15:13:51 CDT 2010
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Freudian Slip Telegraphs Daley Plans for Gun Owners
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It’s a recurring joke among the ‘gun blogs’ to ask “Why are anti-gun advocates so violent?” as those who profess to abhor violence project some of the most despicable aspects of what they claim they are trying to reduce. Chicago Mayor Daley is no exception. In the middle of a near incoherent rant over his pending loss in McDonald v Chicago, Hizzoner stated he hoped that Supreme Court Justices would be violently attacked in order to ‘change their minds’ and vote to keep the city’s ban on handguns:
"Maybe one of them will have an incident and they'll change their mind over night, going to and from work."
Shortly after, when asked by a reporter whether the ban was effective, the Mayor threatened to shove a rifle up the reporter’s backside:
"It's been very effective," Daley said, picking up a gun from the dozens displayed on a nearby table. "If I put this up your butt, you'll find out how effective it is. Let me put a round up your, you know."
While this media circus was going on, Thomas Wortham IV, veteran and one of Chicago’s finest, had just hours before been gunned down by criminals looking to steal his motorcycle, a gift to himself after his second tour in Iraq. Later, Daley stated he hoped the tragedy would ‘add momentum’ to his efforts to keep the ban in place, as little good as it did to officer Wortham. All the while he travels with a full contingent of body guards armed with the very instruments he denies the citizens of the city.
John Cass in the Chicago Tribune said it best. Mayor Daley is an embarrassment not only to himself but to the entire city.
Posted Fri May 21 12:57:17 CDT 2010
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Watch the Video!
John Kass deconstructs Daley: He's an embarrassment to the city.
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excerpt:
At that moment, Mayor Daley was holding a news conference, another dog-and-pony show at City Hall to demonstrate his tough stance on crime.
He called it to express his concern that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn the city's handgun ban. There were guns on a table as props, so much eye candy for the cameras.
A reporter asked the obvious question: Given the numbers of shootings in the city, isn't the handgun ban ineffective?
The question was more than fair. In Chicago, the only people who are confident in their 2nd Amendment rights to bear arms are the criminals, the cops and the politicians.
Law-abiding citizens can't own handguns. They don't have an army of bodyguards, as does Daley. Political hacks have guns. They get out the vote for his machine.
And the retired neighbor who's never been arrested in his life? Oh, no. If he has a gun, it would be anarchy in the streets, according to Daley.
Confronted with a logical question, here's what the mayor did: He picked up a rifle from the prop table of guns, raised it and began to babble. ...
Read the whole column in the Chicago Tribune, and again, there's a video.
Posted Fri May 21 10:55:29 CDT 2010
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Brady Campaign's slipping relevancy underscored by NRA convention
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Op-Ed By Alan Gottlieb and Dave Workman (Second Amendment Foundation)
Adhering to a pattern of behavior that has developed over the years, a tiny contingent of gun prohibitionists paraded outside of the Charlotte Convention Center while the National Rifle Association was hosting its record-breaking members' meeting, but they remained only long enough to get some camera time with local news crews.
Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, came to that North Carolina city in order to grab some face time and get his name in the local newspapers. Where the NRA can pull more than 70,000 members, the Brady bunch could barely muster two dozen protesters to parade around for perhaps an hour, probably less, and then leave satisfied that the 5 o'clock news would carry their images. ...
Continue reading this article from the Second Amendment Foundation, partners with the ISRA in McDonald v Chicago
Posted Fri May 21 10:54:19 CDT 2010
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OMG, did Daley really say that?
Yes, he did.
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Read the story, watch the video.
Read the story, watch the video @ Tribune's Clout Street Blog
Posted Thu May 20 22:13:35 CDT 2010
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ISRA Suggests Once Again That Chicago Mayor Daley Take A Much-Needed Vacation
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CHICAGO, May 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):
For the second time in recent weeks, the ISRA is suggesting strongly that Chicago Mayor Daley get some rest and relaxation. The ISRA first suggested that Daley take some time off after the mayor demanded that his failed $433 Million lawsuit against lawful firearm manufacturers be heard by the World Court.
This second plea by the ISRA that the mayor take some time to chill comes on the heels of a particularly bizarre press conference held earlier today. During the press conference, the Mayor expressed his wish that U.S. Supreme Court justices become victims of violent crime so that they will rule in Chicago's favor in the McDonald vs. Chicago case now before the high court. Things got totally out of hand later in the press conference when Daley waved a prop gun around and told a reporter, "If I put this up your butt, you'll find out how effective it is. Let me put a round up your, you know."
"I was rather embarrassed for Mayor Daley after reading his remarks," commented ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. "I cannot imagine what would possess the mayor to suggest that Supreme Court Justices may need to suffer criminal violence in order to get them to vote his way. This is especially troubling after his earlier remarks suggesting that the World Court should be the supreme authority over the U.S. Constitution. Scarier still was the mayor's offer to practice amateur proctology on a reporter who questioned him on the apparent lack of success of Chicago's gun ban. But the remarks that should be the most troubling to law-abiding citizens were the mayor's threats to institute even harsher restrictions on private firearm ownership should the U.S. Supreme Court find against the city in the McDonald v. Chicago case. The mayor needs to learn that he is not all-powerful and that the U.S. Constitution was drafted primarily to protect the citizenry from people like him."
The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearm ownership. For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of millions of law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.
This press release is posted on PRNewswire.
Posted Thu May 20 22:00:40 CDT 2010
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Off-duty police officer, Iraq veteran, killed in robbery attempt in Chicago
His father, a retired CPD officer, killed one of the robbers
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excerpt:
Officer Thomas Wortham IV, 30, was gunned down around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.
He was leaving his parents’ home in the 8400 block of South King Drive and sitting on his new motorcycle.
A police source said Wortham’s father — himself a retired Chicago police sergeant, a member of former Mayor Harold Washington’s security detail and, like his son, a military veteran — was on the porch of his house when he saw two men approach and try to rob his son. Wortham loudly announced he was a police officer, the source said, then one of the men shot Wortham in the head.
The officer’s father came to Wortham’s aid and shot two of the attackers, killing one, police said. ...
Read the whole story in the Sun Times.
Posted Thu May 20 20:53:21 CDT 2010
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Daley outlines potential new roadblocks to legal gun ownership in Chicago
Coming overturn of gun ban has city lawyers dreaming up new ways to infringe on the rights of the people.
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excerpt:
Two years ago, the Supreme Court declared Washington DC's handgun ban unconstitutional, saying that residents have a 2nd Amendment right to possess a handgun in the home for self-defense. But the court also said that right is not unlimited and local governments are free to enact reasonable gun regulation.
"We'll be looking at local ordinances. We'll have to wait for the decision to come down and what they will say in the decision," said Mayor Daley.
What Chicago does may be patterned after what Washington DC has already done. Its new gun control laws -- now a year old -- say that prospective handgun owners must register their guns after undergoing more extensive background checks, including giving fingerprints and photographs.
The gun they buy must first be given to police for ballistics identification. An owner must complete a training course -- four hours in the classroom, one on a gun range. And, among other restrictions, you can register no more than one gun a month, and you must undergo background checks every six years. ...
Read the story, watch the video @ ABC7.
Posted Thu May 20 08:38:55 CDT 2010
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Chicago's top cop explains away crime wave with a new murder catagory: Indoor Homicide
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 excerpt:
He's creating a new category of "indoor" homicides — and downplaying what police can do about them..
“Those homicides that are outdoors — the ones that I do believe we have a good possibility of preventing — we’re around 98 homicides for Chicago outdoors. That’s as low as it’s ever been, except for 2007, when I believe we had 97 homicides outdoors as of this date,” he said.
“The ones that are outdoors we really should be able to have an impact on. ... Today’s tragedy … is sad. Three people are dead. But, when it’s inside a house, it’s hard for police to have an impact on that. I wish we could. I just don’t see where we can.”
Not only is Weis making the distinction between indoor and outdoor homicides. He has asked the Chicago Police Department to keep those statistics in separate categories. ...
Read the whole article in the Sun Times.
Posted Wed May 19 22:16:42 CDT 2010
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Is the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence a closet klavern of the Klan?
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They opposed a landmark court ruling that struck down the handgun ban in District of Columbia, a city with a predominantly black population.
They later opposed legislation that would grant the District full voting rights in Congress, because the measure contained a provision expanding gun rights for those same citizens.
They filed a court brief opposing a lawsuit filed against the City of Chicago's handgun ban by Otis McDonald, an African-American whose life story would make inspiring material for a movie.
"They" are the leaders of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and one is left to wonder how this bunch would have reacted to the plight of Robert Hicks, a black man who rose to civil rights prominence in the mid-1960s. The 81-year-old Mr. Hicks passed away April 13, and is remembered for being, among other things, the last known surviving member of the Deacons for Defense and Justice. ...
Continue reading this article here. (external link)
Posted Tue May 11 16:16:58 CDT 2010
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Legislative Update
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The Illinois House and Senate have adjourned 'to the call of the chair' and are expected to resume at the end of the month to continue work on the budget. During the hectic last few days, gun control advocates were unable to call any of their bills to the floor but Rep. Harry Osterman (D-Chicago) attempted to stall SB3421, a bill which allows individuals to petition the State Police for relief on FOID applications. The passage of this bill makes the Illinois State Police eligible for a $1.5 million grant to upgrade the systems and software used for background checks. Your phone calls, an ISRA press release, and the expert work of our lobbyists got this bill to the floor, passing both houses with overwhelming majorities.
It is due to the hard work by the ISRA membership and staff that victories like this are possible and which will continue to move your rights forward. You can keep abreast of current legislation and find information on your State Representatives and Senators through the ISRA Legislation page. ISRA remains vigilant on your behalf, and the lobbyists will return to Springfield as needed during the extra session to pass the budget, and again during the veto session. ...
Posted Sat May 8 11:06:42 CDT 2010
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Washington Times Editorial: Guns needed to stop Chicago murders
Homicide soars in nation's new gun-control capital
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If Chicago were serious about bringing its violent crime problem under control, it would recognize the constitutional right of residents to use firearms to protect themselves.
The city's troubles are so extreme that a pair of state lawmakers are calling on a fellow Democrat, Gov. Pat Quinn, to deploy the National Guard to help restore calm. The latest figures show that Chicago had racked up 122 homicides for the year, exceeding the 116 killings over the comparable period in 2009, a very bad year. Among the top 10 U.S. cities, Chicago is within shooting distance of advancing from second place to win the dubious distinction of being the U.S. murder capital. It's no coincidence that the Windy City is already the U.S. gun-control capital. ...
Read the rest here. (external link)
Posted Thu May 6 15:03:24 CDT 2010
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ISRA Recommends That Chicago Mayor Daley Take a Couple of Weeks Off, Get Some Fresh Air and Sunshine
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CHICAGO, April 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):
The ISRA is well aware that Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is under a lot of stress these days. Soaring crime, the sinking economy, and thinly-veiled suggestions from Rahm Emanuel that it's time to step aside certainly create a recipe for high anxiety. The toll being taken on the Daley's sensibilities evidenced itself earlier this week when the mayor recommended that the World Court take up his petition to shut down law-abiding U.S. firearm retailers.
"What Mayor Daley is suggesting is that we voluntarily nullify the U.S. Constitution and cede our sovereignty to a hostile world body," commented ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. "Our Founding Fathers penned, and later amended our Constitution with the Bill of Rights for the specific purpose of establishing our nation's autonomy and recognizing that the rights of U.S. citizens trump the rights of any other person on the planet. Mayor Daley is totally out of line by trying to sidestep the intent and authority of our founders just because he hasn't gotten his way here at home. As we know, the mayor's earlier attempts to shutter lawful firearm retailers failed to meet the tests applied by the Illinois Supreme Court. In short, an American court established by authority of the Illinois Constitution plainly stated that Mayor Daley's complaint against lawful firearm retailers is without merit -- end of story. We do not need the help of the World Court in running our affairs."
"Maybe Mayor Daley needs to take a little time off," continued Pearson. "A little R&R would probably do him some good. He could take a little time to read up on the Revolutionary War. Maybe take a civics class over at Daley College. But, in any case, Daley should ponder well the sacrifices made by millions of young American men and women to protect and preserve the freedoms that he is so eager to give away."
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.
This press release is posted on PRNewswire.
Posted Wed Apr 28 22:04:24 CDT 2010
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Errata:
Illinois State Board of Elections has a new website
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In a recent email alert, ISRA used a link to find your representative that became outdated last week. Here are new links:
Find your elected officials by address:
www.elections.state.il.us/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx
Find your elected officials by zip code:
www.elections.state.il.us/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByZip.aspx
Posted Wed Apr 28 20:25:47 CDT 2010
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Take this facebook poll on Open Carry:
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Yes (I'm ok with guns in public)
No (I do not believe in publicly carrying guns)
Take the poll.
Posted Mon Apr 26 22:20:43 CDT 2010
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Weis brags “that Chicago has more gangs and more guns than any other major city”!
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Weis Responds To Call For National Guard to Patrol Chicago Streets Updated: Monday, 19 Apr 2010, 8:53 PM CDT Published : Monday, 19 Apr 2010, 6:03 PM CDT
By Tera Williams, FOX Chicago News
Chicago - Over the weekend, the violence in Chicago dropped dramatically. But that's not good enough for a South Side minister who wants the National Guard to help patrol Chicago's streets.
Marble Rock Baptist Church Minister Gregory Daniels and his supporters marched outside Chicago police headquarters on Monday. "I have seen Chicago police go to a scene and get shot at," Rev. Daniels said. "They need some policing here other than Chicago police."
Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis disagrees. He points out that the number of people shot and killed dropped over the weekend after a bloody 24 hours spanning Thursday and Friday. And he noted that he had 36 officers at one recent shooting scene, and someone decided to start shooting again anyways. ...
Read the whole story MyFoxChicago (external link)
Posted Tue Apr 20 10:24:05 CDT 2010
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Summer Spring is off to a combative start in Mayor Daley's Gun-Free Utopia
40 Shootings in 3 days in Chicago, 4 fatalities
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Chicago police say they're trying to put a lid on violence in the city after more than 40 shootings in the last three days have left four people dead.
Police said Friday they're particularly concerned because gunmen are becoming more brazen. Police point out gunfire erupted Thursday night on the city's South Side even as more than 30 police officers were on the street nearby.
Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis says police will be looking for large illegal gatherings in abandoned buildings, car washes and other locations because they have led to much of the violence ...
Read the whole story @ The Pantagraph.
Posted Sat Apr 3 06:30:26 CST 2010
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Shooting Erupts Near Weis' Englewood News Conference On Guns
Police Supt. Was Addressing Spate Of Violence Over The Past Few Days
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CHICAGO (CBS) ― A CBS 2 interview with Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis about escalating gun violence was cut short Friday minutes after a man was shot nearby.
Weis was being interviewed by Kristyn Hartman in a violence-plagued neighborhood on the South Side, as the sounds of sirens grew louder. Weis apologized as he walked away with a Chicago police spokesman.
Police confirmed that somebody had been shot a few blocks away on Paulina. The victim, a 25-year-old man, was taken to the hospital in critical condition ...
Read the whole story @ cbs2chicago.
Posted Sat Apr 3 06:33:53 CST 2010
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Don't equate Michigan suspects with typical law-abiding gun owners
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Monday morning’s sizzling headlines about the arrests of a handful of alleged extremists should not open the door for gun prohibition organizations to equate these suspects with the millions of law-abiding gun owners who keep firearms for personal protection, home defense, competition, hunting and various other reasons.
The temptation is there, of course, for anti-gunners to try smearing all gun owners – and even some militia organizations – with a rather broad brush. The arrests involve members of a group calling itself Hutaree, and what they allegedly had in mind was open warfare against police. It’s all spelled out in a startling court document charging the suspects ...
Read the whole story @ Seatlle's Gun Rights Examiner.
Posted Mon Mar 29 13:15:05 CST 2010
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Record numbers now licensed to pack heat
Firearms deaths fall as millions obtain permits to carry concealed guns
Reasonable coverage by... msnbc?
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excerpt:
From its beginnings in the 1980s, the “right-to-carry” movement has succeeded in boosting the number of licensed concealed-gun carriers from fewer than 1 million to a record 6 million today, according to estimates from gun-rights groups that are supported by msnbc.com’s research. And while hotly debated, the effect of this dramatic increase is largely unknown.
Gun enthusiasts claim a link between more private citizens carrying concealed weapons and the nation’s dramatic decrease in violent crime. Gun-control activists argue that concealed-carry permits are being handed out to people who should never get them, sometimes resulting in tragic, needless shootings ...
Read the whole story @ msnbc.
Posted Fri Mar 26 08:01:32 CST 2010
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About those out-of-state permits...
More coverage by msnbc
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The one-third or so of American adults who can’t obtain permits to carry concealed weapons from their home states need only look to Florida and Utah — and their mailboxes — to legally carry hidden guns.
Because both states grant concealed-carry permits to non-residents and have reciprocal agreements with other states under which their permits are recognized, possession of a Utah or Florida permit gives non-residents the right to carry hidden firearms in as many as 32 other states — though often not the one in which they live.
Tens of thousands of gun owners have obtained the non-resident permits, and their numbers are surging ...
Read the whole story @ msnbc.
Posted Fri Mar 26 07:58:36 CST 2010
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Announcing the winning numbers in the IGOLD drawing
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These numbers were drawn on Friday, March 19.
The ISRA office staff is going to start calling the winners on Monday morning.
1st Prize – 1911 Loaded 45 CAL. Black stainless, 5” barrel - Robert B. ticket number 0538
2nd Prize – XDM 40S&W, 4-1/1”barrel - Dennis P. ticket number 1799
3rd Prize – XDM 9mm, 4-1/1” barrel - Ronald V. ticket number 4041
4th Prize – XDM 9mm, 3” barrel - Sal T. ticket number 7929
5th Prize – Springfield Armory clock - Mike G. ticket number 6316
Posted Sat Mar 20 19:34:46 CST 2010
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One Amazing Photo
Can you find yourself in this picture of the IGOLD March to the Capitol?
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Download the full size picture and see for yourself. Picture copyright 2010 by Jeff Battaglia
Posted Thu Mar 18 17:20:52 CST 2010
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In Fond Memory - Ralph Conner
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 Mr. Ralph Conner of the Heartland Institute and CORE-Chicago passed away on Saturday, March 13. Mr Conner was a leader in the African-American Conservative Movement, a proud supporter of the Second Amendment, and a long-time friend of ISRA. He was formerly the Village President of Maywood, Illinois.
Ralph stuck his neck out for all of us when he helped make the JPFO film "No Guns For Negros" that was released in 2009. Buoyed by the film's popularity on the internet, Mr Conner was the guest speaker at the Second Amendment Freedom Rally in 2009 at the Thomson Center Plaza in Chicago. ISRA enjoyed further working with Ralph and his associates at the Black Women's Expo and the African Arts Festival in 2009.
Ralph Conner leaves a void that will be hard to fill, ISRA will miss him greatly. The funeral arrangements for Mr. Ralph Conner are as follows:
Corbin Colonial Funeral Chapel
1001 Madison Street
Maywood, IL 60153
708/410-0287
Visitation:
March 18, 2010 3pm -7pm
March 19, 2010 9am-7pm
Funeral Services will take place on March 20, 2010
Wake: 10am
Service: 11am
Edited Thu Mar 18 07:08:57 CST 2010
Posted Mon Mar 15 20:48:24 CST 2010
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Press Release - Bill That Would Effectively Prohibit African Americans and Hispanics From Buying Guns Advances in the Illinois General Assembly
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CHICAGO, March 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):
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. ...
This press release is posted on PRNewswire.
Posted Tue Mar 16 18:24:29 CST 2010
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Suburban gun store owners expect sales to surge if when Chicago's ban falls
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Gun retailers, who got a boost when President Barack Obama took office, are hoping to get another one from the U.S. Supreme Court.
The high court is widely expected to strike down Chicago's 28-year-old handgun ban this summer, following the court's 2008 decision to overturn a similar ordinance in Washington, D.C. Suburban gun store owners anticipate the court's next move will uncork pent-up demand for firearms within Chicago city limits. ...
Read the whole story @ Crain's Chicago Business.
Posted Tue Mar 16 10:35:08 CST 2010
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Richard Pearson on WBBM "At Issue" Program
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ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson appeared on the WBBM radio program "At Issue" on March 14.
Listen to the program here.
Posted Sun Mar 14 13:09:01 CST 2010
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Knox County at IGOLD
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GALESBURG — One of the nine candidates who ran for mayor last April found a way to get to Springfield.
Eric Delawder, a 33-year-old pilot for Jet Air, took part in Wednesday’s march on the state capitol to urge legislators to vote against bills that the Illinois State Rifle Association says will restrict gun ownership. Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day — which organizers hoped would draw 10,000 people — also lobbied for conceal-carry laws that would allow citizens to carry concealed handguns in public. ...
Read the whole story @ The Register-Mail
Posted Fri Mar 12 21:36:15 CST 2010
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Gun-rights activists descend on Capitol
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... The crowd at the convention center cheered loudest for Otis McDonald, a Chicago man who is a plaintiff in a lawsuit that seeks to overturn that city’s handgun ban. McDonald, who received four standing ovations, told the crowd that a black Democrat isn’t the sort of person one expects to lead the fight against gun-ownership restrictions.
“The question was asked of me, ‘Are you not swimming upstream?’” McDonald told the crowd during a short speech. “My response was, ‘I’ve been swimming upstream most of my life.’ … When wrong is wrong, Democrat, Republican — whoever you are — is wrong.”
McDonald acknowledged that his fight to own a handgun isn’t popular in his neighborhood. ...
Read the whole story @ State Journal-Register.
Posted Fri Mar 12 21:31:48 CST 2010
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TV News Coverage of IGOLD 2010:
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Note that the linked news stories may have ads before the requested video plays.
WSIL-TV, Carterville at wsiltv.com
WICS-TV, Springfield at wics.com
Posted Thu Mar 12 16:08:01 CST 2010
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Again, Daley with the Gun Control Bills...
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Flanked by several parents who had lost children to gun violence, Mayor Richard Daley today called for a host of new laws aimed at restricting gun sales and stiffening penalties for criminals who use them.
“I’m here to speak on behalf of families who lost loved ones,” Daley said, standing before a long series of tables topped with illegal weapons confiscated by Chicago police. “This is about common-sense gun laws — that we should be protected from all of these guns. . . . One murder is one too many.”
Although Daley announces new gun-control initiatives every year, this year’s announcement took on added significance because the U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether to overturn the city’s handgun ban.
The Supreme Court in 2008 overturned a similar ban in Washington, D.C., and that led to “a dozen major lawsuits across the United States challenging common-sense gun laws,” including the Chicago handgun case, Daley said.
“We remain hopeful that when the court reaches its final decision in June, they will agree with us and with many others who share a belief in the right of municipalities and states to enact strict-but-balanced gun laws to keep their citizens safe,” he said. ...
Read the whole story in the Tribune's Clout Street.
Posted Tue Mar 9 06:13:43 CST 2010
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Poll Indicates Most Americans Say Cities Have no Right to Ban Handguns
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BELLEVUE, Wash., March 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new Rasmussen poll has revealed that an overwhelming majority of Americans reject the notion that cities have a right to ban handguns, siding with the Second Amendment Foundation's position in its lawsuit to overturn the Chicago ban.
Oral arguments in the SAF case were heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. Court observers predict the high court will overturn the Chicago ban, thus incorporating the Second Amendment to state and local governments through provisions in the 14th Amendment. Results from Rasmussen's national telephone survey found that 69 percent of the respondents say cities have no right to ban legal handgun ownership, while 25 percent believe cities can ban guns.
"The Rasmussen survey clearly shows that Americans have grown weary of anti-gun municipal demagoguery," said SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. "A victory in our case before the Supreme Court should send a clear signal to gun prohibitionists like Chicago Mayor Richard Daley that arbitrarily disarming law-abiding citizens under the guise of fighting crime is an idea that has no place in this country."
SAF is joined in its case by the Illinois State Rifle Association and four Chicago residents, including Otis McDonald, for whom the Supreme Court case is named.
The Rasmussen poll also found very little difference between current public sentiment and earlier surveys that noted 70 percent of American adults believe the U.S. Constitution guarantees the individual right to own a firearm.
"For years," Gottlieb said, "the anti-gun lobby has been claiming majority support for its Draconian agenda, but polling data like this new information from Rasmussen shows that the public is not about to surrender a significant civil right. We believe the Supreme Court is on the verge of expanding the scope of that right by applying the Second Amendment to the states."
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 600,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
This press release is posted on PRNewswire.
Posted Sat Mar 6 22:03:13 CST 2010
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Supreme Court appears set to widen gun rights
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The Supreme Court majority that two years ago ruled a near-total ban on handguns in the District to be unconstitutional seemed equally willing on Tuesday to extend the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms to the states.
But the court appeared skeptical, even hostile at times, to an approach by the lead attorney in the case that would involve overturning long-held court precedents to achieve the result. ...
Read the whole story in the Washington Times.
Posted Wed Mar 3 07:14:00 CST 2010
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Video coverage of McDonald v Chicago
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Note that the linked news stories may have ads before the requested video plays.
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams at msnbc.msn.com
ABC 7 Chicago at abc7chicago.com
NBC 5 Chicago at nbcchicago.com
WGN 9 Chicago at wgntv.com
Posted Wed Mar 3 02:44:01 CST 2010
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Chicago Tribune Poll:
Allow Handguns in Chicago?
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Take the poll at Chicago Tribune.
Posted Tue Mar 2 18:58:56 CST 2010
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In his words:
'IT WAS DIVINE DESIGN' - Chicago grandfather tells why he's lead plaintiff in case that sets sights on city's handgun law
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. . . the 76-year-old Morgan Park man who has become the face of one of the most important Second Amendment lawsuits in history wants you to know this: He is not a ''showpiece'' for the pro-gun lobby in the landmark case that could overturn Chicago's handgun ban. The case is set to come before the U.S. Supreme Court today.
''It doesn't matter what anyone's motives were for picking me for this,'' McDonald said. ''I have my own motives, and they are so compelling and so heavy that to me this is worthy of my effort.'' ...
Read the whole story in the Sun Times.
Posted Tue Mar 2 07:47:40 CST 2010
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LA Times Editorial
A Chicago case is about more than gun control; it's about freedoms that all Americans enjoy
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A case to be argued in the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday poses a dilemma for supporters of civil liberties who also believe in gun control. The court will consider whether states as well as the federal government must recognize that the 2nd Amendment gives individuals the right to keep and bear arms. Such a finding would make it much more difficult to control guns at the state and local level, but it would reaffirm that states must honor the liberties found in the Bill of Rights.
For us the choice is clear: The Bill of Rights should apply to the whole country ...
Read the whole story in the LA Times.
Posted Mon Mar 1 22:32:16 CST 2010
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High court to define reach of gun-control laws
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WASHINGTON — In 2008, when national gun rights advocates were looking for residents to challenge Chicago's ban on handguns, Otis McDonald was in effect looking for them. McDonald, 76, says he had seen his neighborhood on the far South Side of Chicago turn from bad to worse over the years with "gangbangers and drug dealers."
"My wife and I are here alone all the time now," says McDonald, a retired maintenance engineer, who with his wife, Laura, reared three children. "I've got burglar alarms hooked into the police department. I have a shotgun, but a handgun (would be) more handy for me to handle."
McDonald had driven down to Springfield, Ill., a few years earlier for an Illinois State Rifle Association rally, to support the push for looser gun laws in Chicago. It was the beginning of a bond with gun rights activists that led to McDonald v. City of Chicago, a dispute that will be argued before the Supreme Court on Tuesday and could reshape firearms regulations nationwide. ...
Read the whole story on CNN.
Posted Mon Mar 1 21:02:56 CST 2010
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AP Coverage
Chicagoans hope stories will help overturn gun ban
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CHICAGO — A couple worries that burglars who tried to break in when the wife was home alone will return. A retiree fears the drug dealers and junkies just outside his window will attempt — again — to steal what he spent a lifetime earning. And a businessman wants to protect himself as he could when he was a police officer.
Together, they are the face of the most serious challenge yet to Chicago's 28-year-old handgun ban.
On Tuesday, the four will take their seats inside the U.S. Supreme Court as their attorneys argue a lawsuit that bears their names: David and Colleen Lawson, Otis McDonald and Adam Orlov.
The four plaintiffs are not stereotypical gun rights advocates. Rather, they are the kind of hard-working, law-abiding Chicagoans that opponents of the handgun ban say should be allowed to protect themselves.
"Some people want to stereotype advocates in any case, to make them look like a bunch of crazies," said Alan Gura, a Virginia attorney who will argue the case. "But these are plaintiffs who reflect the city in which they live." ...
Read the whole story on Google's AP feed.
Posted Mon Mar 1 21:00:17 CST 2010
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ISRA's Supreme Court Case
The public face of gun-rights battle
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From behind the wheel of his hulking GMC Suburban, 76-year-old Otis McDonald leads a crime-themed tour of his Morgan Park neighborhood. He points to the yellow brick bungalow he says is a haven for drug dealers. Down the street is the alley where five years ago he saw a teenager pull out a gun and take aim at a passing car. Around the corner, he gestures to the weed-bitten roadside where three thugs once threatened his life.
"I know every day that I come out in the streets, the youngsters will shoot me as quick as they will a policeman," says McDonald, a trim man with a neat mustache and closely cropped gray hair. "They'll shoot a policeman as quick as they will any of their young gangbangers."
To defend himself, McDonald says, he needs a handgun. So, in April of 2008, the retired maintenance engineer agreed to serve as the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging Chicago's 28-year-old handgun ban ...
Read the whole story from the front page of the Chicago Tribune.
Donate to help the ISRA's fight for your rights!
Posted Sat Jan 30 13:03:40 CST 2010
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McDonald v Chicago: Chicago Magazine profile on the plaintiffs
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...Today McDonald, a bright-eyed and trim 76-year-old grandfather, considers himself one of few defenders of peace and security on the leafy, house-lined street where three of his children grew up and played. The gangbangers and drug dealers have taken over, he says. “You go out there in the morning and pick up bottles and things on the lawn,” he explains, describing events of the past summer. “They’re out there at three in the morning, in the middle of the street, drinking and smoking their stuff. They throw stuff all over your lawn, and you can’t say anything, because they might up and shoot you.” McDonald says his house has been broken into three times and his garage twice—most recently, early one morning this past August by a man McDonald recognized from around the neighborhood. Does McDonald think the robber planned to sell the stolen possessions for drugs? “Of course, of course,” he says matter-of-factly.
Otis McDonald wants a handgun—a pistol to carry around the house and keep on his bedside table at night ...
Read the whole article in ChicagoMag.com.
Posted Wed Dec 30 13:50:12 CST 2009
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Petitioner's Brief filed in McDonald v Chicago
On-going progress in ISRA's effort to overturn Chicago's gun-ban
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Yesterday, the brief to the United States Supreme Court was filed in the case of McDonald v. Chicago, which challenges the constitutionality of that city’s ban on handguns.
The ISRA is joined by Second Amendment Foundation and 4 ISRA members in this suit. We are represented by attorney Alan Gura, who successfully argued the landmark Heller case before the high court in 2008, leading to a ruling that the Second Amendment affirms and protects an individual right to keep and bear arms beyond the scope of serving in a militia.
Oral arguments in the case are expected to be heard in February. Stay tuned for more details. Follow the case at ChicagoGunCase.com.
You can download the brief from ChicagoGunCase.com.
Posted Tue Nov 17 12:10:50 CST 2009
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THE DIGGINS DECISION HAS BEEN INCORRECTLY INTERPRETED BY MANY,
OPENING THE DOOR TO ARREST AND PROSECUTION
from ISRA Attorney Victor Quilici
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Since People v. Diggins was decided by our State Supreme Court, a number of articles, commentaries and general blogging have circulated stating that guns can be easily and safely transported in motor vehicles in just about every manner possible, loaded, unloaded, and in some cases in fanny packs worn by drivers and/or passengers. Nothing can be further from the truth than those type of analysis.
To begin with, Diggins focuses on the language in the UUW statute that relates to “aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.” The State Supreme Court addressed the exemption provisions of Section 24-1.6 (c)(iii) which provides that a person is not guilty of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon if that weapon is “unloaded and encased in a case, firearm carrying box, shipping box, or other container by a person who has been issued a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card.” The Court begins by noting:
“[W]e are asked to determine whether the center console of a vehicle is a ‘case’ within the meaning of this provision. For the reasons that follow, we conclude that it is.”
One of the first points the Supreme Court states was that a prior decision by the 4th District Court of Appeals was flawed when it held that a glove compartment was not a “case” within the meaning of the exemption language because a glove compartment is not portable.
Even though the Supreme Court made that observation, that does not mean that it ruled expressly that glove compartments are cases. While part of its analysis, it was not part of the Court’s decision. That determination must come in another decision, when the issue is squarely before the Court. Also, that observation may be quoted in future cases.
What is important in Diggins, is that the Supreme Court holds that a case does not have to be a container specific to a firearm and it need not be limited to something portable. The Court’s language is understandable to non-attorneys when it says:
“Unpersuaded by the State’s arguments, we conclude that the legislature used the broad general term ‘case’ unmodified. Giving the word ‘case’ its plain and ordinary meaning, as we must, permits but one conclusion: the term ‘case’ in Section 24-1.6 (c)(iii) includes any portable or non-portable receptacle and need not be interpreted only in reference to firearms.
. . . Based on the foregoing, we find, in the case at bar that a center console of a vehicle falls within the ordinary definition of case.
. . . Whether the statute is wise or the best means to achieve the desired result are matters left to the legislature, not the court.”
Special Note from the ISRA Webmaster: This analysis is not to be construed as legal advice. Please consult with your own attorney for such advice.
Posted Sun Nov 15 18:53:16 CST 2009
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WARNING TO ALL MEMBERS REGARDING
HOSPITALIZATION AND DOMESTIC DISPUTES
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Recent Illinois Law (PA 95-0564) provides that health care professionals report patients to the state police anyone that they believe might pose a danger to themselves or others. ISRA has learned of situations where a party has been admitted to a hospital for stress, alcohol treatment, or other scenarios where part of the admission procedure included a short interview with a psychologist on staff. Questions asked, include gun ownership, and/or the Possession of a FOID card. Within a few weeks that individual receives a notice from the Illinois State Police revoking his or her FOID.
Obviously, when being interviewed by somebody in a hospital setting, ask if he or she is a psychiatrist or a psychologist, who you don’t have to communicate with. And, be sure what information you are willing to disclose to any interviewer. Of course, you should not lie, but a simple refusal to disclose gun ownership may be enough to avoid the problem.
If you think you may be in a situation where the justice system may become involved with restricting your ownership of firearms, such as when facing hospitalization, or in a domestic dispute, unless caught up in an emergency situation, be sure to have your firearms removed from the home as quickly as possible, in the care of a friend or family member who possesses a FOID, and who lives a good distance from your residence. Also, advise your spouse or other party who shares the home with you that you have done so. Most importantly, in any court setting, you will then be able to assure the Judge, that although you possess a FOID, you have removed all firearms from within the home.
These tips can save your firearms from being confiscated and/or your FOID being revoked. ISRA is working to solve these problems, both legislatively, and through litigation.
Posted Sun Nov 15 16:02:27 CST 2009
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U.S. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR 2ND AMENDMENT CHALLENGE TO CHICAGO GUN BAN
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Supreme Court announced today that it will hear the case of McDonald v. City of Chicago, and decide whether the right to keep and bear arms secured by the Second Amendment protects Americans from overreaching state and local governments.
At issue is a 27-year-old Chicago law banning handguns, requiring the annual taxation of firearms, and otherwise interfering with the right of law-abiding individuals to keep guns at home for self-defense. The case was brought on behalf of four Chicago residents, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the Illinois State Rifle Association.
Last year, in the landmark case of District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms. However, as that case concerned the actions of the District of Columbia government, a federal entity, the high court was not called upon to decide whether the right bound states and local governments. Over the years, almost the entire Bill of Rights has been held to apply to state and local governments by operation of the Fourteenth Amendment.
“The freedoms we enjoy as Americans are secured to us against violation by all levels of government,” noted Alan Gura, of Gura & Possessky, PLLC, lead counsel for the McDonald plaintiffs. “State and local politicians should be on notice: the Second Amendment is a normal part of the Bill of Rights, and it is coming to your town.”
Otis McDonald, a Chicago resident since 1952 who led the fight to integrate his union local in the 1960s and is a plaintiff in the case, welcomed the news.
“I am grateful the Supreme Court has agreed to hear this case,” McDonald said. “I now pray that the Court secures me and all other law-abiding citizens the right to defend ourselves and our families.”
SAF founder Alan Gottlieb said the case is of paramount importance to American citizens, to see that their constitutional rights are respected not only by the Congress, but by state and local governments.
“SAF was delighted to bring this case in cooperation with the Illinois State Rifle Association and the four local plaintiffs because a gun ban is no less onerous to civil rights in Chicago than it was in the District of Columbia,” Gottlieb observed. “Such a law cannot be allowed to stand unchallenged.”
Chicago attorney David Sigale commented, “The City of Chicago cannot take from millions of Americans the fundamental freedom of self-defense in one’s own home. We are confident the Court will stand on the side of the law-abiding citizens and the Bill of Rights.”
“We’re pleased to hear that the Supreme Court has decided to take a look at Chicago’s gun laws,” added ISRA President Don Moran. “In this time of economic uncertainty and increasing lawlessness, the good people of Chicago ought not have to choose between violating Chicago’s gun ban, and protecting themselves and their loved ones.”
The Chicago gun ban challenge will likely be among the most closely watched constitutional law cases in decades. At stake is not just the question of whether the Second Amendment secures the right to arms against state and local governments, but also the extent to which the Supreme Court preserves individual liberty against encroachment by state and local governments.
Oral argument will possibly be scheduled early this coming winter, with a decision expected by June 2010. Gura will argue the case on behalf of the McDonald plaintiffs. ...
Posted Wed Sep 30 22:24:08 CDT 2009
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Supreme Court Weigh-In
Led by Texas, the Attorneys General from 33 states file a Amicus Curiae brief in support of ISRA's lawsuit challenging Chicago's handgun ban. California's AG Jerry Brown files his own brief in support.
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The ISRA's case: McDonald v Chicago, has had petitions filed to be heard before the United States Supreme Court, as has the NRA's case.
The Attorneys General from 34 states have indicated their support in two "Friend of the Court" briefs that have been filed that urge the Supreme Court to hear the ISRA's case, as well as the NRA's case. Besides Texas, the other states indicating their support are: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Note that California indicated their support through their own amicus brief field by AG and Former Governor Jerry Brown.
The United States Supreme Court is expected to decide whether or not to hear the case when the new session starts in autumm.
Follow the status of this case, and read all the case filings at ChicagoGunCase.com
Posted Thu Jul 9 08:33:44 CDT 2009
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"Appeals court upholds Chicago's strict gun laws"
really means: ISRA's suit goes to the Supreme Court
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excerpt:
Until the middle of the 20th century, most parts of the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government, not to states or localities. In a step-by-step process, however, the high court decided that most of the rights in the Bill of Rights were fundamental to liberty and, therefore, limit the action of states and municipalities.
There are exceptions. For example, the 5th Amendment says persons can be charged with a serious crime only by "indictment of a grand jury," but this right was not extended to the states.
Gun-rights advocates have been focused on the issue since last year's high court ruling.
"We believe it is time for this issue to be decided," said Alan Gura, a Virginia lawyer who won the D.C. gun case last year. He said he would file a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a review of the Chicago ruling.
Gura represented four gun owners who are challenging the near ban on private handguns in Chicago. In April, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco came to the opposite conclusion on the 2nd Amendment. Its judges said that because the right to bear arms is a fundamental right, it should apply to local and state ordinances. ...
Read the whole story in the LA Times.
Posted Thu Jun 4 08:19:11 CDT 2009
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Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush files anti gun bill on the first day in session
Bill would enact national gun licensing ala FOID.
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Quoting Jeff Knox:
"Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL) filed a comprehensive anti-gun wish-list bill in the 111th Congress on its first day in session. No sooner were the new members of Congress sworn in than Mr. Rush, a former Black Panther leader, file his bill which he calls the "Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009". The bill has no cosponsors and was automatically referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
If passed, this bill would require that anyone wishing to purchase, own, or possess a "qualifying firearm" - that's any handgun, and any long gun capable of accepting a detachable magazine - would have to be licensed by the state or the federal government in a licensing program managed by the Attorney General. To get a license you would have to prove you're you, provide a passport-style photo, a thumbprint, and take a written exam which includes questions about firearms safety, safe storage, the risks of firearms ownership, and anything else the Attorney General deems appropriate. All transfers would be required to go through a licensed dealer with the exception of occasional gifts or bequests between parents, children (18 or over), and grandparents, or loans of not more than 30 days between "persons who are personally known to one another." (It actually says that. I'm not making this up.) And all transfers would have to be recorded in a "Transfer Record" established and maintained by the Attorney General. " ...
Read the whole story at the Firearms Coalition.
You can look at the submitted legislation at the U.S. Government Printing Office website.
Posted Thu Jan 15 20:30:49 CST 2009
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SAF Press Release:
SAF Files Lawsuit Challenging Chicago's Handgun Ban
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BELLEVUE, WA – Following Thursday’s 5-4 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment protects an individual civil right to keep and bear arms, and that a municipal gun ban violates that right, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) filed a federal lawsuit challenging the City of Chicago’s long-standing handgun ban. The case is McDonald v. City of Chicago.
“Chicago’s handgun ban has failed to stop violent crime,” SAF founder Alan Gottlieb stated. “It’s time to give the Constitution a chance.”
In addition to SAF and ISRA, plaintiffs include Chicago residents Otis McDonald, a retiree who has been working with police to rid his neighborhood of drug dealers, and who wants to have a handgun at his home; Adam Orlov, a former Evanston police officer; software engineer David Lawson and his wife, Colleen, a hypnotherapist, whose home has been targeted by burglars. Attorney Alan Gura, who argued the District of Columbia challenge before the high court, and Chicago area attorney David G. Sigale, represent the plaintiffs ...
Read the whole press release at Second Amendment Foundation.
Posted Fri Jun 27 07:54:49 CDT 2008
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Follow the Chicago 2nd Amendment Suit
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Learn more and follow along at ChicagoGunCase.com.
Posted Fri Jun 27 00:27:31 CDT 2008
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