While some Second Amendment groups are seeing signs of complacency at the state level, Illinois gun owners were out in force at the state capitol in Springfield on Thursday for the annual Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day hosted by the Illinois State Rifle Association.
The ISRA is one of multiple groups challenging the state’s ban on so-called assault weapons and “large capacity” magazines, and the gun ban was definitely a primary topic of conversation for rallygoers. But in a state that’s hostile to every aspect of our right to keep and bear arms, both gun owners and pro-2A politicians also found it important to promote the fundamental concept of armed self-defense.
On Wednesday, Republican lawmakers rallied with the group at the Capitol. House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, criticized Democrats for enacting stricter gun policies.
“Democrats in Springfield think the only answer to crime is to take away guns from law-abiding citizens,” McCombie said. “They blame us. They blame you, legal gun owners, instead of going after criminals. Let me be clear: Banning guns will not stop crime, but enforcing the laws will.
“We all want safer communities. We all want better mental health. We all want to give law enforcement the tools they need to keep us safe, but stripping responsible citizens of their rights — that’s not a solution. That’s a political attack.”
State Rep. Regan Deering, R-Decatur, said she will always advocate for gun rights and spoke about her personal sense of safety as a gun owner.
“I’m a mom of daughters, and I have a husband that travels for work, and like a lot of women, I know I’m the one often protecting our home,” Deering said. “But I sleep better at night knowing my kids are safe, and that safety comes in part from the handgun I keep in my bedside table.
“That’s not politics; that’s peace of mind. That’s not fear; it’s strength, it’s responsibility and it’s the Second Amendment.”
Anti-gun lawmakers haven’t paused their efforts after enacting the gun and magazine ban included in the Protect Illinois Communities Act. There are a number of gun control bills that are under consideration this session, including SB 8, which mandates that all firearms be kept in a locked container, “properly engaged so as to render the firearm inaccessible or unusable to any person other than the owner or other lawfully authorized user” unless they’re actively being carried or “under the control” of an authorized user.
The most egregious anti-gun bills, however are HB 4045 and SB 2652, which would essentially outlaw the sale of Glock handguns and other semi-automatic firearms that can be illegally modified to shoot full-auto through the use of a switch. The city of Chicago, aided and abetted by the gun control lobby, has filed a lawsuit against Glock seeking to ban the sale of their handguns throughout the state of Illinois, but these bills would accomplish the same goal if (as should happen) a judge tosses out the meritless lawsuit as a violation of the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.
Given the contempt for the Second Amendment displayed by the Democratic majority, it would be easy for Illinois gun owners to throw up their hands in disgust and give up on any attempt to influence lawmakers. Those who gave their time and energy to promote and defend the right to keep and bear arms by showing up for IGOLD should be applauded for their passion and dedication. I only wish there were more lawmakers willing to listen to what they have to say.
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