dont know if out of staters can help but...........we face an "AWB" - Page 2

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - dont know if out of staters can help but...........we face an "AWB" (Page 2 of 5)

Posted: 2/1/2006 6:09:51 PM EDT

[#1]

First Blagojevich doubles all of the tolls and then he wants to take away our guns. What's the deal? If they don't take them away me might go bayonet some nuns or do naughty things with our collapsible stocks!

Posted: 2/1/2006 6:11:13 PM EDT

[#2]

Unbelievable, just read about this. Never knew about it and will do what I can....

Posted: 2/1/2006 6:14:32 PM EDT

[#3]

Oh man. I really need to move.

I still don't understand the aim of this bill. What on God's green earth gives any shred of evidence that the gun crime reductions (if any at all) related with this type of gun control can possibly outweigh the blatant disregard for citizen's freedom and right to property? What purpose is there in taking away the rifles of 1000 hard-working, tax-paying, legitimate gun-owners, who just want to put a few rounds downrange on weekends, when it does not even effect the 1 man who decides to commit a crime with his weapon (which was most likely obtained illegally to begin with)?

Posted: 2/1/2006 6:18:43 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
what booklet did you send... i need to send it to the local nazis in NY

See http://www.gunfacts.info/ for one booklet that was done in 2004. Could use some updating but still very relevant information.

Posted: 2/1/2006 6:27:50 PM EDT

[#5]

They tried to ban AW in florida last year - a new york nasty ugly transplant woman legislator - JAP (and I dont mean from Japan). I am always puzzled wondering why SOME Jewish people of New York and South Florida are for gun control. Hitler made damn sure the people at large were unarmed before he killed them in mass.

Florida is a Republican state (for now) so the anti-gun proposal was stopped thanks to a vigorous letter writing campaign from folks like you and me.

Write letters and send emails. Organize.

Posted: 2/1/2006 6:28:13 PM EDT

[#6]

Move to TN! We have a mandatory class III approval law passed. It means that law enforcement officials must approve all machine gun and silencer applications unless the applicant is a felon. Economy is great, weather is ****, women are beautiful and machine guns are WELCOME!

Posted: 2/1/2006 6:41:51 PM EDT

[#7]

That's why you have firearms, that's what second amendment for. If government is no longer for the people, you should start to revolt, and rebel. If government won't protect you, you should start to protect yourself. Like our forefather who started to fight against an unjust government.

Posted: 2/1/2006 7:16:26 PM EDT

[#8]

Common sense restrictions such as the Brady Law and the Assault
Weapons Ban are supported by law enforcement officials who must patrol our
streets.

It's not supported by this law enforcement official who patrols our streets........

Posted: 2/1/2006 7:24:46 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Quoted:
holy crap - all in Illinois - seems ironic

ArmaLite, Inc., D.S. Arms, Inc., Eagle Arms, Les Baer Custom, Inc., Rock River Arms, Inc., and Springfield Armory, Inc.

Connecticut may suck but I bet any of these companies could get a great deal on the old Winchester facility!

You forgot about Krebs, who makes some of the finest AKs in the world.

Posted: 2/1/2006 7:30:34 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Quoted:
ive been thinking about that very thing...

here is my situation...............

iam a professional firefighter"i get paid"lol

my daughter has diabetes...

if i move i lose my insurance..

if i keep my stuff i go to jail.

if i could get the whole state to non comply we might have a start

but how the hell do i do that????

seriously if phone call might help whats a quarter for a 1 min call?

i would do it for any other state out there

WE NEED SOME HELP GUYS !!!!!!

Start looking for a Firefighting job in another state.

Lots of firefighting jobs in Virginia, Maryland, and DC. You can always work in Maryland or DC and live in VA, WV, or PA.....

Posted: 2/1/2006 4:11:54 PM EDT

[#11]

Spent most of the day sending Faxs to our Illinois Reps and Senators about HB2414. Hope it might do some good. hug.gif

Posted: 1/31/2006 10:47:56 PM EDT

[#12]

Blowguyavich and Daley don't have the votes for this. It's election year bullshit, pure and simple.

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:03:58 AM EDT

[#13]

tag

Posted: 2/1/2006 1:19:37 AM EDT

[#14]

Here is a problem right here.

(3) 50 caliber rifles have been associated with
29 significant criminal activity, both domestic and
30 international, and that there is a nexus between these
31 weapons and terrorist groups, outlaw motorcycle gangs,
32 international drug cartels, domestic drug dealers,

HB2414 - 2 - LRB094 09150 RLC 39382 b

1 religious cults, militia groups, potential assassins, and
2 violent criminals;

Violation of the Constitution right there in red.

(5) "50 caliber cartridge" means a cartridge in 50
26 caliber, either by designation or actual measurement,
27 including but not limited to a .50 BMG cartridge, that is
28 capable of being fired from a centerfire rifle.

I guess that includes 500 S&W, 50 AE and others. After all they are 50 caliber and capable of being through a rifle.

Also how does 50 sharps fit into the picture?

This piece of proposed legislation as extremly vauge and unimaginative at best.

I dont foresee a problem getting it knocked down on those grounds. I am not an attorney and I only read through it quickly.

Posted: 2/1/2006 3:47:56 AM EDT

[#15]

Well, it appears to be "common sense" that my right to own a particular firearm is taken away:

Thank you for your message about gun control. I appreciate knowing your
views on this important issue.

I am not against the possession of guns. Americans are entitled to own
and use guns in a responsible fashion. Strong penalties for violent
crimes involving firearms should be part of any effort to reduce gun
violence. I have consistently supported tough crime control and
prevention initiatives since coming to Congress.

Enforcing our nation's existing gun control laws must remain a high
priority. I support efforts that address illegal possession and use of
firearms. Common sense restrictions such as the Brady Law and the Assault
Weapons Ban are supported by law enforcement officials who must patrol our
streets. These laws help protect people from crime and violence without
infringing on legitimate hunting and sporting uses of firearms.

I will continue to support efforts that help ensure our nation's gun laws
are vigorously enforced. Thank you once again for contacting me. Please
feel free to stay in touch.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

I believe we are in trouble here in Illinois.

ETA: Also, it appears that the sporting use of an AR is somehow not "legitimate".

Posted: 1/31/2006 9:16:53 PM EDT

[#16]

Along with the house legislation that seeks to ban our semi-auto so called "assault weapons", governor hopeful Bill Brady introduced a piece of legislation in the IL state Senate (SB2963) that would repeal the Firearm Owner Identification Act. While we're at it, might as well contact our state senators and urge them to co-sponsor/support SB2963.

Then again, if we keep banning firearms, we won't need the FOID... hinking.gif

Posted: 1/31/2006 12:56:00 PM EDT

[#17]

Hello I lived in Illinois my whole life. I don't think the Bill will past. To much to lose if it does. I stayed here because work has always been good and made a great living and now I am also retired. I will keep all my guns like I did before. Being a Nam vet and a hunter I always liked my guns. But if the law passes I will not leave have to much to lose to move out of state. I was born and raised in Chicago and now live in the south suburbs. Very close to Indiana. Could move there but not to just keep my weapons. I would loose to much in other ways if I did. So just hope things go our way and good luck to those that chose to move.hug.gif

Posted: 1/31/2006 9:52:47 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
I feel your pain something like this could happen in NY. I will send some letters if I can get an address to send it too.

Your to late

Heres a thread about it

Posted: 1/31/2006 4:05:40 AM EDT

[#19]

Personally I'm getting sick of the Illinois anti-gun bullshit. I've lived here all my life but have decided it is time to move. I am moving to Georgia this year. I really don't think things will ever change even if we had a Republican governor.

Posted: 1/31/2006 5:52:27 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Does anybody have updated info on this bill? When is it supposed to come up for a vote? Rough number of votes for each side? Damn...makes me a bit sorry that I'm moving to IL.

Link

Posted: 1/31/2006 5:54:54 AM EDT

[#21]

I feel your pain something like this could happen in NY. I will send some letters if I can get an address to send it too.

Posted: 1/31/2006 6:31:59 AM EDT

[#22]

maybe i am just too hard core, inflexible, etc. But the day they come to confiscate my guns, they'll be pulling it out of my cold dead hands first. The good news is I'll have a lot of well armed friends around me before that occurs.

Posted: 1/30/2006 4:01:21 PM EDT

[#23]

~~weapon~~ firearm
~~weapon~~ firearm
~~weapon~~ firearm
~~weapon~~ firearm
~~weapon~~ firearm
~~weapon~~ firearm
~~weapon~~ firearm
~~weapon~~ firearm
~~weapon~~ firearm
~~weapon~~ firearm
~~weapon~~ firearm
~~weapon~~ firearm

Saying the right thing but using the wrong words is the same as saying the wrong thing. For some, it's hard to overcome military and police training. In this case, it is necessary.

Posted: 1/30/2006 4:07:10 PM EDT

[#24]

1) Join the nra.
2) Write and/or call your legislators. This can be done easily in less than the time you've spent on this thread.
3) Donate to supportive elected officials, and tell them you did so, and why.
4) Vote Republican. I know they're not perfect, but on average they've done more for your gun rights than Illinois Sen Barack Obama ever will. I'm sorry, but as far as gun rights go, it IS Dem vs Rep.
5)"Molon Labe" sounds brave, but in reality, if the law passes you won't actually be able to shoot or show the gun in public. Not a hell of a lot different than burying it. We all may own these guns for higher callings, but normally we use these guns for the recreational fun, and that will be lost.
6)If you must move (and I know that's difficult), make sure to write and notify anyone who'll listen about why you made that decision (politicians, professional groups, etc), both where you're leaving and where you're arriving.

Posted: 1/30/2006 4:27:06 PM EDT

[#25]

Tag for later comments.......

Posted: 1/30/2006 4:32:29 PM EDT

[#26]

Move. That simple. I wouldn't live in a place like that.

It's like Walter Williams said -

"...if you hear that they got Williams' guns, you'll know that Williams is dead.."

You can find another career. Your right to bear arms is GUARANTEED by the Constitution of the United States of America.

Molon Labe

Posted: 1/30/2006 5:09:04 PM EDT

[#27]

Does anybody have updated info on this bill? When is it supposed to come up for a vote? Rough number of votes for each side? Damn...makes me a bit sorry that I'm moving to IL.

Posted: 1/30/2006 5:11:53 PM EDT

[#28]

Does anybody have updated info on this bill? When is it supposed to come up for a vote? Rough number of votes for each side?

Posted: 1/30/2006 5:16:37 PM EDT

[#29]

Go to this site, www.ilga.gov/ on the left type in the bogus HB and it will let you know what is going on. I find it interesting on the history of the bill how many are involved with it. One even withdrew?????

Posted: 1/30/2006 1:58:06 PM EDT

[#30]

I just sent a letter through the NRA site to my assorted reps. Very helpful tool.

Can you imagine? Confiscation?

Posted: 1/30/2006 3:09:43 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:
I just sent a letter through the NRA site to my assorted reps. Very helpful tool.

Can you imagine? Confiscation?

Yes, I can imagine it.

Posted: 1/30/2006 3:11:21 PM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Here is a copy of the email I sent to my state rep. I tried to hold off on the firey rhetoric and examples of combat-style competition. I know I played up the "sporting" purpose more than we would all like, but whatever works to stop this bill!

Here it is:

Ms. Jakobsson:

My name is Derek Remund, and I reside in your congressional district. I am a member of the infantry in the Illinois National Guard, currently deployed in Iraq, and in civilian life I am a computer programmer and student at the University of Illinois.

I am writing to you regarding HB 2414, which seeks to ban semiautomatic "assault" weapons throughout the state. I find this bill to be based on fallacious reasoning, and I also believe that it runs contrary to constitutionally protected rights. Before you write me off as another "gun nut", hear me out.

The term "assault weapon" is not a technical firearms term, but rather one that was created in the legalese of the national 1994 Crime Bill (the "assault weapons" part of which expired near the end of 2004) and the similar legislation enacted in California. The term "assault weapon" is applied to an otherwise ordinary group of weapons in order to evoke an emotional response. "Assault Weapon" sounds scary, until you realize that these sorts of weapons are commonly used for target and sport shooting, varmint hunting, and other recreational activities. In addition, many of the physical features that are singled out in the definition of "assault weapon" are cosmetic or comfort-enhancing in nature, and have nothing to do with the lethality of the weapon. A perfect example of this is in line 3, page 8, "a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon". What this is, basically, is a handle to hold on to that makes holding the weapon for a long time (such as in target shooting) more comfortable. It in no way increases the inherent lethality of the weapon.

Furthermore, the bill suggests that these weapons "pose a significant threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of this State, that the use of these weapons and attachments for sport or recreation is substantially outweighed bye the danger these weapons and attachments present to human life...". Notice that no justification is given for this statement. If you do the research, you will find that the number of crimes committed with legally possessed weapons of this type is minuscule compared to the number of crimes committed with illegally obtained weapons of these and other types. The idea that these weapons are being used by "bad guys" everywhere is simply often-repeated convention wisdom, proposed frequently enough that it is taken on face as fact, when in truth it is totally false. It is also important to realize that convicted felons, those subject to restraining orders, those under the age of eighteen, and those considered mentally ill are already barred from purchasing or possessing these weapons. This bill seeks to make criminals of sport shooters, recreational hunters, and collectors. These people are students, firemen, lawyers, police officers, National Guardsmen, teachers, doctors...pillars of the community who enjoy recreational shooting and collecting of firearms. As you can see, the supposed significant threat posed by these weapons is not that significant at all, and is outweighed by the vast number of legal uses for and possessors of these weapons.

Another illogical portion of the bill bans "high-capacity magazines" (actually, these magazines are standard capacity, but the term "high-capacity" is used much like "assault weapon" to provoke an emotional response). These magazines are used to good effect on shooting ranges, reducing the amount of loading and reloading a shooter has to do. I challenge the authors of this bill to find any significant number of incidents where a criminal has used standard capacity magazines to inflict high damage on property or persons (it would be especially difficult to enumerate enough negative incidents to justify taking away the rights of the general populace). A normal magazine capacity does not make a weapon any more inherently deadly, especially when that weapon is semiautomatic (one shot per trigger pull), and an experienced shooter can switch magazines almost as fast as he can shoot, negating any benefit of a magazine capacity restriction.

All of the crimes that can be committed with weapons are already illegal. Murder, robbery, reckless discharge of a firearm, brandishing a firearm, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime: these are all serious crimes. All this new legislation does is make criminals of common sport shooters. Any true criminal that wants to use a weapon in a crime is not deterred by additional legislation; he has already crossed the legal and moral line. People are criminal, not objects. A rifle in the hands of a common citizen is a recreational and self-defense tool. A rifle in the hands of a criminal is already illegal.

I also find it abhorrent that I as a United States soldier, and member of the Illinois National Guard, I am trusted to use a rifle to defend my state and my country and to keep the peace, yet I would not be allowed to shoot a similar type of rifle for practice in my spare time. This paternalistic attitude is insulting to me as a citizen and as a soldier.

I ask you to vote against HB 2414 to protect the rights of the citizens of your district to protect themselves and their families and to participate in the pastime of recreational shooting. Rifles have been in the hands of the citizenry since the Minutemen ancestors of the National Guard first took up arms to liberate our nation. Eroding the rights of the people, especially when there is no positive benefit to be gained, must not be allowed. Please consider these points when determining your stance on HB2414.

Thank you for your time. Please feel free to send me any comments or questions you may have. I think that an open dialog is essential to understanding an issue this important.

Sincerely,
Derek Remund

This letter is brilliant, and we all should take the time. But, we have got to be honest and say that one reason that we like 30 round magazines is that they improve the ability of our weapons to sustain extended periods of un-interrupted fire (odviously). This is viewed as bad by the liberals, but to someone who may need their weapon for a legitimate reason, in some hellacious situation, it is a godsend. We really should not need so much logic to justify these things, but the many fucked-up wackos out there commiting crimes with mostly cheap, illegally owned guns are working hard to screw it up for everyone who would never do anything to harm an innocent person.

Excellent letter. The problem is, they don't care about what you're saying, and no logic works against them. After all, we all know that the PRK AWB really helped deminish their crime problems...

Posted: 1/30/2006 10:35:31 AM EDT

[#33]

BTT, just made the call. Let us know what's happening there!

--VT

Posted: 1/30/2006 11:19:10 AM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
To you out-of-staters.

This ought to sum up one of our problems in Illinois.

SECTION 22. RIGHT TO ARMS
Subject only to the police power, the right of the
individual citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be
infringed.
(Source: Illinois Constitution.)

Straight from our friggin State constitution.

WIZZO

At some point, if this SC court gets Alito, it might be time for an NRA, GOA, et al-sponsored class-action lawsuit against such state laws on grounds of 2nd Amend. violation. With Alito, the court line-up is probably the most gun owner-friendly it could, or will, ever be. At some point, the SCOTUS has to take this issue head-on rather than quietly brushing certiorari petitions aside & allowing the various legislatures to parasitically nibble away at the 2nd Amend, to the point of it being mere words on parchment, as it essentially is today.

Posted: 1/30/2006 11:20:52 AM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:
ive been thinking about that very thing...

here is my situation...............

iam a professional firefighter"i get paid"lol

my daughter has diabetes...

if i move i lose my insurance..

if i keep my stuff i go to jail.

if i could get the whole state to non comply we might have a start

but how the hell do i do that????

seriously if phone call might help whats a quarter for a 1 min call?

i would do it for any other state out there

WE NEED SOME HELP GUYS !!!!!!

You need to sell your guns to a family member out of state who you trust.

Posted: 1/30/2006 11:32:29 AM EDT

[#36]

Damn, I'm I glad I got the Fuck outa IL when I had the chance.

What a shitty law.

Posted: 1/30/2006 11:46:48 AM EDT

[#37]

Get out of there if you can. Otherwise, you might want to buy a boat and have yourself a tragic boating accident

. Personally, if I couldn't do any of the previous two options, I would hang onto the guns at all costs. Come and take them.

Posted: 1/30/2006 11:47:45 AM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
When you have Polititians that usurp the Constitution you then have the right to rectify the situation with the Patrick Henry method.

From the rooftops?

Yes. It's the new polling place.
I live in Precinct .308.

Where every vote counts

Posted: 1/30/2006 12:12:33 PM EDT

[#39]

Getting into firefights over this law would just be plain stupid IMO, it’s not even an option. You’ll have much more positive impact by learning to work with the system instead of against it. Here’s a basic strategy that you should use to combat this. The manufacturers based in Illinois need to do this too.

* Plan on filing a Federal lawsuit claiming that your civil rights are being violate on both Second Amendment grounds and for violations of the “Takings” clause.

* Donate money to every State Legislator who might oppose the bill, (even of only $50.00 or so.) and make it clear why you are sending money. Donate money to anyone who runs against a supporter of the bill no matter what they stand for, again, make it clear why. (This isn’t a bribe it’s just supporting people who agree with your position.)

* Join the NRA. The NRA is pretty effective as a lobbying organization and a jump in membership in your state might scare off some legislators.

* Try to organize political resistance. Get friends and other gun owners to donate to politicians, join the NRA, and write letters.

* If all else fails… Move. I’ve been to Illinois and it ain’t that great. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice enough place to live, (except Chicago) but you can find places just as good or better all over the country.

In all seriousness, if just 1% of the people canceled their cable and used the money they save to support gun rights, then within five years the Government would be issuing full automatic weapons to any citizen that wanted one, and poor people would get “ammo stamps” to help buy training ammo.

Posted: 1/30/2006 12:14:04 PM EDT

[#40]

We are all outraged by this proposed legislation, but just remember to be civil about how it is approached. The liberals want to portray us as crazy guntoting maniacs with too much firepower. If we go flying off the handle at them about this, we will be giving them exactly the negative image that they want us to have and it will be used against us. We should do everything in our power to fight these laws and portray ourselves in a law-abiding, upstanding citizen fashion. Just remember, the internet is a public place too and anything said in these boards is very easily and (probably is) monitored by the gun control lobby. While we all know that some of the things being said here are out of frustration or in jest, the super liberals could use it to demonize us.

Posted: 1/30/2006 12:19:06 PM EDT

[#41]

Companies like ...ArmaLite, Inc., D.S. Arms, Inc., Eagle Arms, Les Baer Custom, Inc., Rock River Arms, Inc., and Springfield Armory, Inc.... need to make clear to the Illinois governor, legislature and the people that if this law passes they'll have no option but to move their business to another state. I bet ~~several neighboring states~~ Missouri would be happy to get the tax revenue and other benefits from having them come!

I grew up in Illinois. Chicago politics is like a cancerous brain tumor...

Posted: 1/29/2006 4:52:33 PM EDT

[#42]

Quoted:
To you out-of-staters.

This ought to sum up one of our problems in Illinois.

SECTION 22. RIGHT TO ARMS
Subject only to the police power, the right of the
individual citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be
infringed.
(Source: Illinois Constitution.)

Straight from our friggin State constitution.

WIZZO

What exactly does "subject only to police power" mean?

If you IL guys wind up turning in your AR's, make sure you give them ONLY the stripped lowers. You can keep the parts, and buy 80% lowers.

Another option is to simply strip the lowers down and hide them until you are able to move out of state.

Posted: 1/29/2006 5:03:22 PM EDT

[#43]

thank you all for the support guys...

this is one giant piece of shit legislation......

this crap needs to stop now not tomorrow or the day after

Posted: 1/29/2006 5:09:31 PM EDT

[#44]

If all of us would sacrifice buying two boxes of Wolf 5.56 and sent the $10 to the legislators that are on your side, that might seriously help. I'd be in for it.

wganz
¶

Posted: 1/29/2006 5:19:54 PM EDT

[#45]

The NRA-ILA site has some powerful communication tools that can be used to send e-mails to ~~all IL state~~ several senior state representatives at one time. Please take the time to send a stern message against IL HB2414!!

NRA-ILA, then click Write Your Representatives on the right side

I have sent my message, and I do not even live there! Remember YOUR STATE COULD BE NEXT. Do your part ARFCOM'ers!

Forgiver

Posted: 1/29/2006 5:21:50 PM EDT

[#46]

Posted: 1/29/2006 5:26:54 PM EDT

[#47]

Quoted:
Here is a copy of the email I sent to my state rep. I tried to hold off on the firey rhetoric and examples of combat-style competition. I know I played up the "sporting" purpose more than we would all like, but whatever works to stop this bill!

Here it is:

Ms. Jakobsson:

My name is Derek Remund, and I reside in your congressional district. I am a member of the infantry in the Illinois National Guard, currently deployed in Iraq, and in civilian life I am a computer programmer and student at the University of Illinois.

I am writing to you regarding HB 2414, which seeks to ban semiautomatic "assault" weapons throughout the state. I find this bill to be based on fallacious reasoning, and I also believe that it runs contrary to constitutionally protected rights. Before you write me off as another "gun nut", hear me out.

The term "assault weapon" is not a technical firearms term, but rather one that was created in the legalese of the national 1994 Crime Bill (the "assault weapons" part of which expired near the end of 2004) and the similar legislation enacted in California. The term "assault weapon" is applied to an otherwise ordinary group of weapons in order to evoke an emotional response. "Assault Weapon" sounds scary, until you realize that these sorts of weapons are commonly used for target and sport shooting, varmint hunting, and other recreational activities. In addition, many of the physical features that are singled out in the definition of "assault weapon" are cosmetic or comfort-enhancing in nature, and have nothing to do with the lethality of the weapon. A perfect example of this is in line 3, page 8, "a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon". What this is, basically, is a handle to hold on to that makes holding the weapon for a long time (such as in target shooting) more comfortable. It in no way increases the inherent lethality of the weapon.

Furthermore, the bill suggests that these weapons "pose a significant threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of this State, that the use of these weapons and attachments for sport or recreation is substantially outweighed bye the danger these weapons and attachments present to human life...". Notice that no justification is given for this statement. If you do the research, you will find that the number of crimes committed with legally possessed weapons of this type is minuscule compared to the number of crimes committed with illegally obtained weapons of these and other types. The idea that these weapons are being used by "bad guys" everywhere is simply often-repeated convention wisdom, proposed frequently enough that it is taken on face as fact, when in truth it is totally false. It is also important to realize that convicted felons, those subject to restraining orders, those under the age of eighteen, and those considered mentally ill are already barred from purchasing or possessing these weapons. This bill seeks to make criminals of sport shooters, recreational hunters, and collectors. These people are students, firemen, lawyers, police officers, National Guardsmen, teachers, doctors...pillars of the community who enjoy recreational shooting and collecting of firearms. As you can see, the supposed significant threat posed by these weapons is not that significant at all, and is outweighed by the vast number of legal uses for and possessors of these weapons.

Another illogical portion of the bill bans "high-capacity magazines" (actually, these magazines are standard capacity, but the term "high-capacity" is used much like "assault weapon" to provoke an emotional response). These magazines are used to good effect on shooting ranges, reducing the amount of loading and reloading a shooter has to do. I challenge the authors of this bill to find any significant number of incidents where a criminal has used standard capacity magazines to inflict high damage on property or persons (it would be especially difficult to enumerate enough negative incidents to justify taking away the rights of the general populace). A normal magazine capacity does not make a weapon any more inherently deadly, especially when that weapon is semiautomatic (one shot per trigger pull), and an experienced shooter can switch magazines almost as fast as he can shoot, negating any benefit of a magazine capacity restriction.

All of the crimes that can be committed with weapons are already illegal. Murder, robbery, reckless discharge of a firearm, brandishing a firearm, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime: these are all serious crimes. All this new legislation does is make criminals of common sport shooters. Any true criminal that wants to use a weapon in a crime is not deterred by additional legislation; he has already crossed the legal and moral line. People are criminal, not objects. A rifle in the hands of a common citizen is a recreational and self-defense tool. A rifle in the hands of a criminal is already illegal.

I also find it abhorrent that I as a United States soldier, and member of the Illinois National Guard, I am trusted to use a rifle to defend my state and my country and to keep the peace, yet I would not be allowed to shoot a similar type of rifle for practice in my spare time. This paternalistic attitude is insulting to me as a citizen and as a soldier.

I ask you to vote against HB 2414 to protect the rights of the citizens of your district to protect themselves and their families and to participate in the pastime of recreational shooting. Rifles have been in the hands of the citizenry since the Minutemen ancestors of the National Guard first took up arms to liberate our nation. Eroding the rights of the people, especially when there is no positive benefit to be gained, must not be allowed. Please consider these points when determining your stance on HB2414.

Thank you for your time. Please feel free to send me any comments or questions you may have. I think that an open dialog is essential to understanding an issue this important.

Sincerely,
Derek Remund

This letter is brilliant, and we all should take the time. But, we have got to be honest and say that one reason that we like 30 round magazines is that they improve the ability of our weapons to sustain extended periods of un-interrupted fire (odviously). This is viewed as bad by the liberals, but to someone who may need their weapon for a legitimate reason, in some hellacious situation, it is a godsend. We really should not need so much logic to justify these things, but the many fucked-up wackos out there commiting crimes with mostly cheap, illegally owned guns are working hard to screw it up for everyone who would never do anything to harm an innocent person.

Posted: 1/29/2006 2:40:45 PM EDT

[#48]

I have not up to this point considered joining a pro-2nd Amendment Rights organization, but the legistlation in IL, along with what is going on in other states also, has made me consider joining one...

Does anyone have any thoughts about these organizations? They seem to provide a weighty and direct method of applying pressure to lawmakers.

NRA?

GOA?

JPFO?

Maybe I will join all three. I may also form my own organization. The TTTMSIYTYC. Try To Take My Shit If You Think You Can.

Also, BTT, because we must fight to protect our rights one way or another.

ForgiveR

Posted: 1/29/2006 2:50:13 PM EDT

[#49]

Well, I'm a member of the NRA and 2nd Amendment Foundation (to name a couple).

The NRA has been seeing an increase in their membership recently (wonder why). I would join at least the NRA if I were you. There's nothing wrong with joining an organization that advocates protecting your rights.

Just my $.02

Posted: 1/29/2006 2:56:19 PM EDT

[#50]

Quoted:
Well, I'm a member of the NRA and 2nd Amendment Foundation (to name a couple).

The NRA has been seeing an increase in their membership recently (wonder why). I would join at least the NRA if I were you. There's nothing wrong with joining an organization that advocates protecting your rights.

Just my $.02

Undoubtedly. I expect that I will be joining the NRA very shortly. They appear to be a very professional organization and offer some slick publications for my bathroom reading. his
Step two will be to contact the lawmakers in some of these states and let them know my thoughts. We should all try to do our part in this way, because the responsibility to protect the rights of someone in another state belongs to us as well.

ForgiveR

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - dont know if out of staters can help but...........we face an "AWB" (Page 2 of 5)

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