June 1, 2023
| Executive Director’s Message
Richard Pearson |
| Carjackings in Chicago are not news. In fact, so little is done about them, and to the carjackers themselves, it has almost become a cottage industry in Chicago. On Sunday evening, a couple of would-be carjackers met someone who was willing to fight back. Anton Cheeks and Travell Quadir Deal approached a vehicle with at least one gun drawn. The 24-year-old driver wasn’t having any of it. He shot Cheeks in the thigh, which had a dampening effect on the whole scheme. Cheeks was taken to the hospital and then to jail. Deal was caught a few blocks away. I am sure that with the so-called criminal justice system in Chicago, they will be out in a couple of days. Still, it is nice to see the good guys win.
If you think you are safe in your own home behind locked doors, you are not. In Ann Arbor, Michigan, a 77-year-old homeowner heard a noise in his kitchen at about 6 pm Sunday evening. He grabbed his gun and headed to the kitchen. There he found a home invader who had broken out the window frame and was set to rob him or worse. The 77-year-old fired a shot at the home invader, and out the window, he went. He was not caught, but that house is probably off his list. His doors were locked, but that did not stop the criminal. Once again, in both cases, there was no time to call the police. Get used to the idea that you are on your own. You need to be ready, willing, and able to defend yourself. _______________________________________________________________ Many of you have inquired as to what is going on with all the court cases out there. Here is an update on our active cases: • Meyer v. Raoul (18-20 yr. CCL cases) (S.D. Ill.) – Summary judgment filings are largely complete. The jury trial date of May 1, 2023, has been canceled, to be rescheduled if necessary, depending on the outcome of the summary judgment motions. Hopefully, recent favorable rulings on this issue in other courts will have a positive effect on the rulings in our case. • Schoenthal v. Raoul (public transportation CCL case) (N.D. Ill.) – Discovery ongoing, summary judgment motion ready for filing as soon as discovery closes. • Singleton v. Kelly (FOID appeal delay case) (N.D. Ill.) – Dismissed in light of the creation of a new FOID Card Review Board, as this gave us the relief we wanted. This closes out the ISP “delay” cases. • Levine v. UL LLC (Plaintiff fired allegedly for storing CCL firearm in the company parking lot) (Ill. 1st App.) – Briefing completed in First District Appellate Court; awaiting argument date. • Harrel v. Raoul (AWB/LCM case) (7th Cir.) – The preliminary injunction granted by the District Court was stayed a week later pending appeal by the Seventh Circuit. Briefing is ongoing in the Seventh Circuit and oral argument is scheduled for June 29, 2023. • Atkinson v. Garland (federal felon restoration) (7th Cir.) – Dismissed by District Court; argued to Seventh Circuit – waiting for the decision – a strong indication it will be remanded for further briefing in light of Bruen standard. • Miller v. Smith (foster care/home daycare firearm prohibitions) (C.D. Ill.) – Summary Judgment to Defendants by District Court; Reversed and remanded by Seventh Circuit for further briefing in light of Bruen standard. • People v. Brown (in-home FOID card requirement for firearm possession) (Ill. 5th App.) – After two trips to the Illinois Supreme Court where they both times avoided the question of whether requiring a FOID card to maintain a long gun in one’s home is constitutional, the matter is pending in the Fifth District Appellate Court, and awaiting a path back to the Illinois Supreme Court for a third time, where the Court will hopefully have to confront the issue presented. OTHER NON-ISRA NOTABLE CASES • Viramontes v. County of Cook (Cook County AWB ban) (N.D. Ill.) – summary judgment briefing ongoing. • Anderson v. Raoul (Illinois suppressor ban) (S.D. Ill.) – case stayed by District Court in light of developments in Harrel and the other related cases. We filed a pending motion to lift the stay and have the case proceed. _______________________________________________________________ At the ISRA Range, new shooters are welcome in all the leagues. On Tuesday, the Tuesday Night Irregular Rifle League runs from 11:30 am until dusk. The early relays are for those who have time during the day. The last relays start at about 5:00 pm and 5:30 pm. There will be a cookout afterward. On Wednesday, the F-Class High-power League starts at 8:00 am and runs until 5:00 pm. Loaner rifles are available for those who would like to try it out. Also, on Wednesday, The Paper Steel League starts at 11:00 am and runs until 5:00 pm. Another Wednesday league is the Benchrest League. It runs from 8:00 am until dusk. Thursday, the Smallbore and Smallbore F-Class leagues run from 2:00 pm until 7:00 pm. Saturday, the Armed Women of America have their meeting at 9:00 am, followed by their monthly shoot. There are some leagues that have not started yet. Keep them in mind. On Monday, June 12, the Vintage Military Rifle Benchrest League will start at 3:00 pm. On Sunday, June 18, the Springfield pistol league will hold its first match of the year. On Sunday, June 25, the Summer Glock League starts. Be there by 8:30 am. The first shot will be at 8:45 am. There are still a few openings. Call Shirley at 815-635-3198 with questions or to register. The Range doesn’t only have leagues. We also have classes! There are still a few openings. Call Shirley at 815-635-3198 with questions or to register. June 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. NRA Instructor’s Boot Camp. June 10. AR15 maintenance June 10 and 11 Project Appleseed ________________________________________________________________ Tidbits June 1, 1779 Benedict Arnold, a brilliant American General, undergoes a court-martial for misbehavior. Arnold had been smitten by Peggy Shippen, a woman half his age. He married Peggy, the daughter of a known loyalist. Arnold had always wanted to be wealthy, and with his new wife to impress, he soon got himself into financial trouble. Some of his dealings were questionable. He resented not being promoted faster and not being paid more money. It is believed that with the influence of his wife, Peggy, he decided to help the British. He saw the Americans as ungrateful for his brilliant work. The court-martial was the last straw, even though George Washington let him off with a reprimand. He made a deal with the British to surrender West Point for some of 20,000 pounds and a commission in the British Army. In the bargain, Arnold offered to find a way for the British to capture George Washington. Washington had always stood beside Arnold, but money is money, at least to some. Arnold’s lust for fame and fortune overpowered his loyalty. Arnold sent a message to Washington trying to set up his capture, but the message arrived late, and Washington was saved. Arnold ordered the colonel in charge of West Point defenses not to fire on the approaching British. Fortunately, the American colonel disobeyed Arnold’s orders. British and West Point were saved. Major John Andre was the go-between between Sir Henry Clinton and Benedict Arnold, but by luck, he was captured by several AWOL American troops who were trying to rob Andre. In Andre’s boots was hidden the entire plan Arnold had made with the British. Arnold escaped and made it to the British lines. Andre was hanged as a spy. Arnold thought the British would welcome him, but as he found out, nobody likes a traitor. Arnold died in 1801 in England, a poor and lonely man. June 4, 1942 The battle of Midway begins. This was a sea battle that would be the turning point of the war in the Pacific. June 5, 1944 D-Day was supposed to be on June 5, 1944, but bad weather delayed the invasion. The invasion had been postponed once already. The tide had to be just right, or the landing craft wouldn’t make it. Every minute the invasion was postponed was another minute the Germans had to prepare. Worse, the real invasion plan might be discovered. Hitler was convinced it would be at the closest point to Great Britain, near Calais, not Normandy. German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel thought it would be Normandy. Rommel was Hitler’s favorite General, and he might get reinforcements diverted to Normandy. That would have been disastrous for the Allies. Finally, the meteorologists saw a break in the stormy weather coming, and Eisenhower ordered the invasion. As I have mentioned before, Dr. Elisa Schmidt was one of my professors in college. She was a German weather officer during D-Day. Dr. E. Joan Miller was British, and she worked on the maps for the D-Day invasion. It was 20 years later, but it was interesting to hear what they had to say about it all. June 6, 1833 Andrew Jackson becomes the first President to ride an iron horse. In 1828 the newly founded B & 0 Railroad was operating with horse-drawn carriages. In 1830 the steam locomotive Tom Thumb almost beat a horse-drawn carriage. The horse was tired, but the locomotive was not. By 1840 there were 3000 miles of railroad track in the United States. By 1860 there were 30,000 miles of railroad track in the United States. Today we have 160,000 miles of railroad track in the United States. Illinois is second only to Texas in the number of miles of railroad track, by the way. Illinois has 6,883 miles of track. Texas has 10,460 miles of track. June 6, 1944 D-Day. The beginning of the end for the Third Reich. June 7, 1776 Richard Henry Lee introduces the Lee Resolution. It said: “That these United Colonies are, and of right out to be free and independent states, that they are absolved of from all allegiance to the British Crown, and all political connections between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved; that measures should be immediately taken for procuring the assistance of foreign powers, and a Confederation be formed to bind the colonies more closely together.” The vote was scheduled in Congress on June 28, 1776. On July 2, 1776, the vote was held, with 12 of the 13 colonies voting for it. That vote was overshadowed because, on July 4, 1776, Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence was adopted. June 7, 1942 The Battle of Midway ends. The United States had broken the back of the Imperial Japanese Navy. |
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MCHENRY COUNTY GUN SHOW Mc Henry Fairgrounds 11900 Country Club Rd. – Woodstock, IL 60098 7:30 am to 1:00 pm (Dealer in 6:00 am) GENERAL ADMISSION – $5.00
SEPT. 17th, 2023 OCT. 22nd, 2023 NOV. 19th, 2023 DEC. 17th, 2023
TABLES $35 per table. All tables 8ft. Dealers call and send checks to: D& Guns, P.O. Box 1651, McHenry, IL 6005I Don Cichoski — (815) 385-1982 GUN LAWS AND SAFETY RULES ARE STRICTLY ENFORCED Firearms transfer records available. FOID card is required for ILLINOIS residents to buy guns or ammunition.
Kane County Sportsman’s Show Fall 2023 October 8 November 12 December 10 Spring 2024 January 14 February 1 March 10 April 14 May 19 TABLE RATES Seasonal=$35/Table Regular=$40/Table Tables for all 8 shows must be paid by October 8th 8 Shows = Full Season = $280 Constellation, P.O. Box 26, Kingston, IL. 60145 Mick Stout= 815-217-2266 |