November 13, 2025
Thursday Bulletin – November 13, 2025
Executive Director’s Message
Richard Pearson
Sorry Mexico…The Second Amendment Still Stands
Remember when the Mexican government sued the United States firearm manufacturers and accused so-called “rogue” dealers of flooding Mexico with firearms that were used by drug cartels to commit mayhem? The Supreme Court of the United States dismissed the suit unanimously, and wisely so. It turns out that that the “rogue” firearms dealer was none other than the Mexican government.
So far, 80% of the recovered firearms found in Mexico were purchased by the Mexican government. When this fiasco was happening, I recalled some acquaintances going dove hunting in Mexico where they had to rent Beretta shotguns from the Mexican army. In another incident years ago, there was a Chinese ship loaded with AK47s which was denied entry to a California port but was eventually unloaded in Mexico. The AKs were purchased by the Mexican army. I wonder what ever happened to them. I don’t think China was ever sued.
This whole affair is an example of the attacks the international anti-gun organizations and countries are pursuing against our Second Amendment. Never underestimate these b*st*rds.
The Holiday Season Is Here Again Soon– Be Alert
The holiday season is not here yet but I’m already being inundated with “Black Friday” sales. Technically, “Black Friday” isn’t until November 28, but who’s counting. All this serves as a reminder that people will be targeted by porch pirates, thieves and robbers. Your guard should be up all the time but, during the holiday season, it’s best to turn it up a notch or two.
I constantly see people walking out of stores with one hand holding a phone and the other hand on a shopping cart. They are easy targets. When they get to their vehicle, they sit and talk on the phone, doors unlocked and even more oblivious to their surroundings. It’s a wonder there aren’t more robberies than there are.
For those who don’t know, start the vehicle, drive away to a different area of the parking lot making sure the doors are still locked and continue your conversation. Don’t park next to vans. Then there are those who are leaving for the holidays and have to brag about it on Facebook or some other social media platform. You might as well put a sign on your front door that says, “rob me.” As I said, the holidays are a time to be extra alert.
Litigation Update
ISRA AS PLAINTIFF
We are still waiting on a ruling on Harrel v. Raoul from the Seventh Circuit which we hope to get soon.
ISRA SUPPORTING
Schoenthal v. Raoul (public transportation CCL case) (7th Cir.) – Judgment in Seventh Circuit for State; Petition for writ of certiorari has been filed at the Supreme Court.
The Second Amendment Foundation, the Connecticut Citizens Defense League and several individual plaintiffs have filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in case of Grant v Rovella, the Connecticut “assault weapons ban.” That is one more nudge toward getting SCOTUS to decide on so-called assault weapons bans.
Thanks to all those who have and will continue to support the ISRA in our efforts to protect the Second Amendment in Illinois. This fight is far from over.
We need extra support right now, so please… donate HERE.
If you would like to mail a check to the ISRA Legal Assistance Committee (donations to the ISRA LAC are tax deductible), please send to:
ISRA Legal Assistance Committee
PO Box 494
Chatsworth, IL 60921
Not an ISRA member? Join the ISRA and support 2A rights in Illinois – click HERE.
Legislative Update
We have reserved the Bank of Springfield Convention Center, 1 Convention Center Plaza, Springfield Illinois, for IGOLD 2026 on April 15, 2026. More details to follow. Please mark your calendars to reserve this date.
You can follow along by clicking the ISRA Legislation Page.
One Pistol-Packing Grandma Can Make A Difference
May Boyce is 88 years old and owns a liquor store in Nashville, Tennessee. May is 5 feet 3 Inches tall and weighs in at 115 pounds. May’s liquor store has been robbed several times. Good citizen that she is, she asked the police for help. They didn’t help and they probably couldn’t help. May armed herself with her deceased mother’s Smith & Wesson .38 special. May never shot a gun before.
Sure enough, three guys came into May’s liquor store and started taking armloads of bottles off the selves. May confronted them and was promptly knocked to the ground. She then grabbed her .38 and tried to fire a warning shot. The shot went wild but killed one of the would-be thieves. May was charged with aggravated assault and they took her .38. So now, May is once more defenseless. Hopefully, some good citizen in Nashville will donate another gun to May.
May said, “I did what I had to do and I hope the word gets out on the street that I am fed up and not taking it anymore.” I’m with you May. I’m pretty sure the three guys robbing her store were not fine upstanding folks. One less piece of crap on the streets of Nashville.
Deer Season Trophies
The deer are responding to the cool days and cold nights. The bucks are chasing the girls around. Most of the crops are out so it should a great Illinois deer season. In Maine, Robbie Flint and his brother have been chasing a humongous buck for several years. Robbie was hoping his brother would get the deer. The buck apparently did not get the memo telling him to walk by the brothers deer stand. Instead, he walked by Robbie’s hunting spot. Robbie got the deer with his 7mm. It was a 26 point 252 pound buck. Congratulations!
I want all you deer hunters to enjoy deer season. Don’t forget to send us pictures. Remember, we need the name of the people in the picture. Print everything clearly. We will publish the photos in the Illinois Shooter. Good luck to all.
ISRA Ruger 10/22 Collector Series Raffle – Tickets Now Available
Buy your tickets early for the ISRA Ruger 10/22 Collector Series Rifle Raffle! Drawing will be held on January 7, 2026. Entries must be postmarked by December 30, 2025.
You need not be present to win. Dues and donations to the ISRA are NOT tax deductible. Winner of the Ruger Rifle must comply with all federal, state and local laws. Winner has 90 days to claim prize.
Scan the QR code in the ad or click HERE to purchase tickets.
For more info, call the ISRA office at: 815-635-3198.
ATTENTION – Glock Models To Be Discontinued
Glock has announced they are going to discontinue all of their double stack models and replace them with the V series models. The slim line models are not going to be discontinued. All this is supposed to happen on November 30th.
ISRA Range – Once Fired Brass For Sale
If you are an ISRA member and reload your own ammunition the ISRA Range has once fired brass for sale. Please contact Mike James at 847-456-3386.
“I am frequently asked if the ISRA sells our membership list. The answer is absolutely not.” ~ Richard Pearson
Education & Training @ ISRA Range, Bonfield, IL.
November 15 & 16 (Saturday & Sunday) Concealed Carry Class – Range 11 & Clubhouse – 9:00am – 5:30pm
November 15 (Saturday) NRA Basic Pistol – Classroom/Range 1 – 9:00am – 5:30pm
November 16 (Sunday) CCL Renewal & Qualification – Range 11 & Clubhouse – 9:00am – 12:00pm
November 20 (Thursday) Air Pistol Training – Range 12 & Clubhouse – 5:30pm – 7:00pm
November 22 (Saturday) NRA Range Safety Officer – Clubhouse – 8:30 – 6:00pm
November 23 (Sunday) NRA Basic Instructor Training (BIT) – Clubhouse – 8:30am – 2:30pm
November 27 (Thursday) Air Pistol Training – Range 12 & Clubhouse – 5:30pm – 7:00pm
November 29 (Saturday) CCL Renewal & Qualification – Range 11 & Clubhouse – 1:00pm – 4:00pm
November 30 (Sunday) NRA Certified Chief Range Safety Officer Class – Range 1 & Clubhouse – 8:30am – 6:00pm
December 4 (Thursday) Air Pistol Training – Range 12 & Clubhouse – 5:30pm – 7:00pm
December 6 (Saturday) NRA Basic Pistol Instructor – Classroom/Range 1 – 8:00am – 6:00pm
December 6 (Saturday) Range Work Day – 8:00am – 4:00pm
December 11 (Thursday) Air Pistol Training – Range 12 & Clubhouse – 5:30pm – 7:00pm
*** Please contact academy@isra.org for any training or class questions and check the ISRA Range for links to dates, times, descriptions of ISRA activities and events.
ISRA Members: View the Fall 2025 Shooter HERE.
If you would like to donate to us, please click HERE.
Thank you for your support!
GET IN THE FIGHT, STAY IN THE FIGHT, JOIN THE ISRA
To Join the ISRA, click HERE.
The Illinois State Rifle Association
is the home of marksmanship in Illinois
Tidbits
November 13, 1974 – Karen Silkwood is killed in a car accident near Crescent, Oklahoma, just north of Oklahoma City. Silkwood was a technician at Kerr-McGee Corporation which made plutonium pellets. She had been critical of the plant safety procedures.
She was found to be suffering from plutonium poisoning. It was determined that the plutonium dust was inside her protective glove caused the poisoning. Many think it was purposely put there. She documented the safety violations and was on the way to a meeting to expose the company to the public, but she was killed in a car accident.
Karen Silkwood hit a bridge. They found a mysterious dent in the back of the car that indicated it might have been pushed into that bridge. All the documents that she had with her on the way to that meeting were gone. Kerr-McGee was sued by her father and they paid a settlement. They closed the plant about a year later. Strange dealings.
November 14, 1832 – The New York and Harlem Company debuts the first mass transit attempt in the United States. It all began with a horse-drawn streetcar that operated between Prince and 14th Street in Manhattan. The cost was 12 ½ cents a ride. If you needed to stop the car to get off, you pulled the leather strap that was attached to the driver’s ankle. The name of the streetcar was “John Mason,” who was the president of the Chemical Bank and funded the creation of this first attempt at mass-transit.
November 15, 1777 – The Continental Congress approves the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. The patriot leaders were reluctant to form any government that might give too much power to the administration. The legislative section was only one house, the House of Representatives. Each state only had one vote.
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was finally ratified on March 2, 1781. It was discovered to be mostly unworkable. In 1787, a constitutional convention was called to either improve or offer an entirely new system of government.
November 16, 1821 – William Becknell of Franklin, Missouri, arrives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with a load of goods, traveling over a route that would become known as the Santa Fe Trail. He made huge profits and returned to Missouri with his saddlebags loaded with Mexican silver. The next year he brought three wagon-loads of goods.
Spain grows the Santa Fe Trail to prevent American influences in the region. When Mexico gained independence from Spain, the trail was once again opened and trade began a new period. William Becknell is known as the father of the Santa Fe Trail.
November 18, 1883 – American and Canadian railroads create time zones across the country. Up until that time, every community had it’s own time. This led to great confusion and scheduling nightmares for the railroads and caused many accidents. Finally, in 1918, the United States government adopted the time zones that the railroad created.
November 19, 1863 – Abraham Lincoln travels to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and delivers the Gettysburg Address. The Gettysburg Address was the affirmation and a dedication to the Bill of Rights. It laid the groundwork for the redefinition of what the Civil War was all about and the future of the United States.
When I was in eighth grade, I, and everyone else in my class, has to state the Gettysburg Address by heart in front of my fellow classmates. I wonder if they still do that today. If not, they should.
The Gettysburg Address
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863
Gun Shows
While the gun show information shown in this email is believed to be accurate, sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only.
If your club or organization is holding a gun show, event or class, let us know the details, and we’d be happy to post it in our Weekly Range Schedule.
Nov. 22 – Nov. 23, 2025 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee County Fairgrounds, Kankakee, IL.
Nov. 29 – Nov. 30, 2025 Central Illinois Gun Collectors Association – New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL.
Nov. 29 – Nov. 30, 2025 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL.
Dec. 6 – Dec. 7, 2025 Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club Gun & Knife Show, Chillicothe Sprotsmen’s Club House, Chillicothe, IL.
Dec. 13 – Dec. 14, 2025 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee County Fairgrounds, Kankakee, IL.
Dec. 14, 2025 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL.
Feb. 14 – Feb. 15, 2026 Central Illinois Gun Collectors Association – New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL.
Other Events
Dec. 6, 2025 Sandy Ford International Pistol Event, Sandy Ford Sportsman Club Indoor Range, 720 S Bloomington St, Streator, IL.
Dec. 6, 2025 Highland Pistol & Rifle Club International Pistol Event, Highland, IL.
Jan. 3, 2026 Highland Pistol & Rifle Club International Pistol Event, Highland, IL.
Jan. 10, 2026 Sandy Ford International Pistol Event, Sandy Ford Sportsman Club Indoor Range, 720 S Bloomington St, Streator, IL.
Feb. 7, 2025 Highland Pistol & Rifle Club International Pistol Event, Highland, IL.
Feb. 14, 2026 Sandy Ford International Pistol Event, Sandy Ford Sportsman Club Indoor Range, 720 S Bloomington St, Streator, IL.
Mar. 14, 2026 Sandy Ford International Pistol Event, Sandy Ford Sportsman Club Indoor Range, 720 S Bloomington St, Streator, Illinois
April 11, 2026 Sandy Ford International Pistol Event, Sandy Ford Sportsman Club Indoor Range, 720 S Bloomington St, Streator, IL.
ISRA Grassroots Monthly Meetings
Come and meet fellow activists and learn the latest on protecting our Second Amendment Rights!
Livingston County – 4th Saturday of the month – South Post Guns, 104 Livingston Rd., Streator, IL; Social Hour 4:30pm – 5:30pm; Meeting 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Madison County – 1st Wednesday of the month – Piasa Armory, 625 Lewis and Clark Blvd., East Alton, IL; Doors open at 6:15pm; Meeting starts at 6:30pm
Northwest Suburban – 3rd Tuesday of the month – Golden Corral, 1591 S Randall Rd., Algonquin, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
South Suburban/Cook County – 2nd Thursday of the month – Kenootz Pizza, 4659 147th St., Midlothian, IL; Doors open 6:30pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
Will County – 3rd Wednesday of the month – Silver Dollar Restaurant, 422 E. Mississippi Ave., Elwood, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm