December 16, 2021
The Mayors Against Illegal Guns seems to remain clueless about what causes the major increase in the murder rate in America’s largest cities. These people cannot seem to grasp the idea that if you don’t punish criminals, let criminals out of jail and let murderer’s walk out of jail with small bonds or no bond at all, the murder rate will increase. Dumb as a box of rocks is the phrase that comes to mind, or are they? The Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a cover. I believe their aim is your guns and my guns. I believe their real goal is to make the uninformed ones believe that all guns are the problem. When criminals are stopped by law-abiding citizens defending themselves, the media doesn’t cover it or if they do, the story disappears in a matter of hours. Thieves are getting bolder and bolder. In Chicago, Joe Perillo who owns Gold Coast Exotic Motor Cars, stated that criminals made off with $2,000,000 worth of watches. Some of those people who live on the Gold Coast believe crime won’t affect them. Of course, they have armed security in their Gold Coast high rises. This might be a wakeup call to them, eh maybe, possibly, ok, maybe not.
In the meantime, those of us who live in the real world are continuously preparing to defend ourselves. The November NICS background checks were the second highest in history for the month of November. There were 2.69 million background checks in November which resulted in approximately 1.51 million firearms sold.
Vista Outdoors, makers of CCI, Remington and Federal Ammunition has announced it is hiring 1500 new employees to make ammunition. Remington has announced they will be making Peters Blue again. In 1934, Remington purchased Peters Cartridge Company and the new name became Remington Peters. The new Peters Blue shells are designed to shoot skeet, trap, and sporting clays.
Recently, I have received several letters and phone calls from people who were admitted to the hospital and signed paperwork; they either did not read, did not understand, or did not have their glasses so they could not see what they were signing which resulted in them losing their FOID or ICCL. Do not go to the hospital without someone to watch out for you and be an advocate for you. Do not sign anything or consent to anything if you do not understand it.
In a little more than a month, the Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT SHOW) will take place in Las Vegas, NV. It has been two years since we have had a SHOT SHOW. The last two were canceled because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It will be interesting to see the changes that have occurred over the last two years. With the demand for firearms and ammunition going through the roof, I will be particularly interested in what the various manufactures say about all of that.
The anti-hunting Center for Biological Diversity is once again trying to stop hunting on public lands. They have filed a lawsuit to stop the use of public lands for hunting. The fact is they want to stop hunting all together. This law does not include fishing but that is where they intend to go in the future. I know, just what we need, another bunch of crack pots. Their excuse is to protect endangered species which no one hunts anyway.
I regret to inform everyone that Lyle Robert (Bob) Leckrone passed away. Bob was the leader of the Egyptian Gun Collectors and the largest promoter in central Illinois. Bob was always a friend to the ISRA and to me personally. We will miss him greatly. He passed away at the age of 87.
Tidbits:
December 16, 1944 – The Battle of the Bulge begins. The German name for what became known as the Battle of the Bulge was Operation Autumn Mist. Hitler had to make one final try to defeat the Allies. Antwerp was the port that the Allie’s used to get supplies. Hitler knew if he could capture Antwerp, it would severely hurt the Allies in Europe. The name, Autumn Mist, comes from a phenomenon that occurs in the Ardennes Forest in late Fall. Fog fills the forest making it impossible for ariel reconnaissance to see what is on the ground. Hitler also knew the Allies thought the Ardennes Forest was impenetrable by armored vehicles because it was so dense. Another reason was that Germans were not known for winter campaigns. Hitler thought the United States Military were mongrels because of the variety of people, races and religions who were in it.
Hitler was right, the Allies were not suspecting an attack. Inexperienced green infantry occupied much of the sector. When the battle-hardened Germans attacked, the green troops were overrun. In that sector, there were also three artillery battalions manned by black troops. They were the 333rd, 969th and 771st. There are 18 guns in a battalion. The 333rd and 969th were equipped with heavy 155mm (6 inch) guns and the 771st with 4.5-inch guns. The 333rd was renowned for its incredible accuracy. These units fought the Germans and did not give an inch. The 333rd fought until they were down to only five cannons and then they were incorporated into the 969th. Eventually, low on everything, they were pulled back to Bastogne and supported the 101st Airborne as infantry. All these units received Presidential Unit Citations for their valor.
The Germans only had four days to reach Antwerp because they were running out of fuel. A Tiger tank without fuel is just a cumbersome paper weight. On the 23rd, the fog cleared and Allied air forces pounded the Germans. The Allies burned their forward fuel reserves to prevent them from falling into German hands. On December 27th, General Patton’s third Army arrived, hitting the German left flank. One of those units was the 761st Armored, known as the Black Panthers. The 761st was the first American unit to breach Germany’s Siegfried Line, Germany’s main defensive line. Hitler’s Operation Autumn Mist had failed and Germans were in retreat. By January 16th, the battle was essentially over. Only General Patton had suspected a German attack. The Allie’s lack of preparedness had cost 80,000 American lives. The Germans lost 100,000. The Battle of the Bulge was the costliest battle of WWII.
December 16, 1773 – Tea anyone? The Boston Tea Party starts in Boston Harbor. About 60 colonials disguised as Mohawk Indians dumped chests of tea into the Harbor to protect parliament’s tax of tea. In 1774, Parliament passed the Coercive Acts which led in large part to the Revolutionary War.
December 17, 1903 – The Wright brothers fly their first heavier-than-air aircraft at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The plane flew for 12 seconds at a speed of about 20 miles per hour. Three more tests were made that day. In the last test, Wilbur flew the plane 852 feet and the plane stayed up for 59 seconds. Never the less, the age of flight had taken off.
December 17, 1777 – George Washington and the Continental Army enter winter camp at Valley Forge. If you have never been to Valley Forge, you should go. You will go away with a new appreciation of the sacrifices those men made for our freedom. Those men were so hungry they ate their shoes or anything leather. The British had turned every Indian tribe against the Americans except the Oneidas. The Oneidas didn’t like the British. In the darkest hour at Valley Forge, the Oneida’s showed up with 600 bushels of corn to feed the starving troops. They had carried the corn in sacks and hauled them on their backs to save Washington and the Army.
December 21, 1945 – General Patton dies. Rumors have always surrounded his death. He was involved in a car accident that fractured his neck.
December 23, 1783 – George Washington resigns as Commander of the Continental Army at Annapolis, Maryland.
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Upcoming Events: ISRA Calendar
For more information, visit www.isra.org
Saturday, December 11, 2021
Armed Women of America
Tuesday, December 14 & 21, 2021
Tuesday Night Air Rifle League (5:00-8:00)
Tuesday Afternoon Air Gun League (1:00-5:00)
Saturday, December 18, 2021
Air Pistol League
Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Concealed Carry Class
Thursday, December 30, 2021
Concealed Carry Class
Gun & Trade Shows
New Berlin Gun Show – New Berlin, IL
Sangamon County Fairgrounds
Dates: December 11 & 12, 2021
Hours: Saturday: 9:00-4:00
Sunday: 9:00-3:00
Admission: $5.00
Kane County Sportsman’s Show – St Charles, IL
Kane County Fairgrounds
Date: December 12, 2021
Hours: Sunday: 7:30-1:30
Admission: $7.00
Crown Point Gun Show – Crown Point, IN
Lake County Fairgrounds
Dates: December 18 & 19, 2021
Hours: Saturday: 9:00-5:00
Sunday: 9:00-3:00
Admission: $5.00
Kankakee Gun and Sportsman’s Show – Kankakee, IL
Kankakee County Fairgrounds
Dates: December 18 & 19, 2021
Hours: Saturday: 8:00-3:00
Sunday: 8:00-2:00
Admission: $6.00
McHenry County Gun Show – Woodstock, IL
McHenry County Fairgrounds
Date: December 19, 2021
Hours: Sunday: 8:00-1:00
Admission: $5.00