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CHICAGO, June 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released
today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):
   Lake County (IL) law enforcement officials announced recently that they
have charged 23-year-old Montago Suggs with numerous charges related to an
especially violent late-May crime spree. Suggs has been implicated in the
murder of a 22-year-old payday loan clerk and the robbery and attempted
murder of employees and customers of a Beach Park, IL, convenience store.
Suggs, a 3-time felon, is alleged to have committed these latest crimes
only weeks after being released from prison after serving 5 years for
felony theft.
   The ISRA is pointing to the Suggs case as yet another example of what
happens when a proven violent predator is released from prison and allowed
to freely roam communities where law-abiding citizens are prohibited from
carrying defensive firearms.
   Illinois is one of only two states that deny their citizens the
opportunity to carry firearms as a means of protecting themselves and their
families from dangerous criminals. For nearly a decade, legislation that
would grant Illinois citizens the opportunity to carry defensive firearms
has been bottled up in legislative committees -- without even being granted
the benefit of open debate.
   The announcement of the Suggs arrest comes just as the ISRA is ramping
up its campaign to pass concealed-carry legislation in Illinois. The
campaign's strategic endpoint is the securing of a veto-proof legislative
majority, which favors allowing qualified citizens to carry defensive
firearms. The tactical plan includes a program to re-channel and focus the
support of citizens who have a high interest in self-defense issues. In
addition, the campaign will seek to gain support from non-traditional
sectors by employing thought leaders who have a strong cultural affinity
with the target groups and through the distribution of perception
transformation messages. In the coming months, legislators will be hearing
about self-defense and concealed carry a lot more often -- and from people
they may have never expected to hear from.
   "Every day, thousands of Illinoisans are beaten, raped, robbed, or
murdered," commented ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. "Those lucky
enough to escape assault or murder today may not be so lucky tomorrow. The
Suggs case is a frightening illustration of the fact that our streets are
being flooded with dangerous individuals who cannot be rehabilitated by the
justice system. It's just a matter of time until each and every Illinoisan
is confronted by someone who scoffs at the law -- guided only by his or her
antisocial urges. Thanks to inaction by the state legislature, law-abiding
Illinois citizens must face these dangerous social misfits, unarmed"
   "The state legislature has denied the people of Illinois a voice on the
issue of self-defense for far too long," continued Pearson. "We're about to
change that. Soon, every legislator in the General Assembly will be put on
the spot regarding their position on the carrying of defensive firearms by
law-abiding citizens. They had better be prepared to give constituents all
the right answers. Our intent is to make concealed carry a campaign issue
in every district in the state."
   The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and
responsible firearms ownership. Since 1903, the ISRA has represented the
interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

I've been an ISRA member for a long time, as well as a frequent detractor. They seem to be doing a much better job of late. Now going on offense is great. One thing that lefties do that I hate is to take everything to court, they never quit. Why don't we do more of that. I'm sure a creative attorney could find an avenue to sue the city of Shitcago and the state of Illannoy like the Sierra club is constantly doing to the Dept of the Interior over logging. But I digress, I encouraged with the direction the ISRA has been headed lately.

Both of these incidents happened less than 2 miles from my house. But thanks to Fuhrer Daley and Ubergov Blago (and the rest of the liberal Dims in Chicago) I feel safe knowing that criminals can't get ahold of guns, and I'm safe just by calling 9-1-1.

Quoted: I've been an ISRA member for a long time, as well as a frequent detractor. They seem to be doing a much better job of late. Now going on offense is great. One thing that lefties do that I hate is to take everything to court, they never quit. Why don't we do more of that. I'm sure a creative attorney could find an avenue to sue the city of Shitcago and the state of Illannoy like the Sierra club is constantly doing to the Dept of the Interior over logging. But I digress, I encouraged with the direction the ISRA has been headed lately.

I tend to agree. The last election was disasterous, but IGOLD was a big step in the right direction. If this CCW push actually happens, it will be another positive step. I am cautiously optimistic about it.

I still have concerns about Richard Pearson's leadership, but I did pony up for a family membership recently, due mainly to the IGOLD event's success.

Quoted: I've been an ISRA member for a long time, as well as a frequent detractor. They seem to be doing a much better job of late.

Or they are just taking credit for the efforts of grassroots (IE, us). A mag ban was passed in the senate right under their noses.

Mastering propaganda does not always translate into lobbying influence.

I maintain that the jury is still out.

Quoted: Quoted: I've been an ISRA member for a long time, as well as a frequent detractor. They seem to be doing a much better job of late. Or they are just taking credit for the efforts of grassroots (IE, us). A mag ban was passed in the senate right under their noses. Mastering propaganda does not always translate into lobbying influence. I maintain that the jury is still out.

Well spoken and +1

But hopefully the ISRA has 'seen the light' and maybe realizes that one day all the shotgunners and boltgunnners are going to be replaced by the black rifle generation, and that they better start getting it together and accept those people.  Or maybe the black rifle generation has started to work its way into the ISRA to the point where the black rifle folks are starting to have clout and get *real* things done.

The ISRA does a lot of things including lobbying.  They can't possibly stop every bit of legislation. I think they have done a good job, and I'm proud I became a member.

We have to look at how the anti's fight us and use the same tactics they are using. The anti's constantly throw up stuff hoping something will stick. With every bill that gets passed in to law we lose a little (or a lot).

The antigun politicans aren't afraid to stand up for their beliefs. We need to elect pro-gun people who aren't afraid to look at a WGN cameras and say "heck no.. I'm not voting for that freedom infringing garbage."

Its time the ISRA/NRA started using the media to promote our agenda the way the anti's use the media to promote their agenda. Its time we used the media to make the Brady Bunch crowd look bad.

Its time we gutted a child molestation bill and turned it in to a "every person must own an AR-15 in the state of illinois" bill. When the media bias shows up, simply claim we have adopted the same tactics the antigun crowd has been using and point out what kotowski did. The best thing the NRA ever did was go to  Columbine after that shooting.  My gosh.. the antigunners were mad the NRA dared use a tactic they had used for years. The NRA was supposed to apologize for showing up.. yet the antis didn't have to apologize by trying to use the shootings to push forward their agenda.

There is absolutely no reason to play nice with the antigun crowd and for the most part we sit back and smile and play nice while they play dirty. They are after our freedoms. Playing nice just makes us look weak, and when they smell weakness they go for the throats. When an progun person makes a stupid statement it gets all over the news. So I was happy the ISRA made a big stink over what happened at Chuck's Gun Shop.

I frankly don't agree with the "be polite" stuff either. Your rights are at stake. When an alert goes out.. don't hesitate to be angry. I should point out there is a fine line between being angry or being an ass - be angry.. dont be an ass.  

Don't hesitate to tell the person behind the phone you are angry and won't be voting for so and so if they vote for some anti-firearm legislation.  The antigunners have no problems making angry phone calls, or writing angry letters/editorials to try and intimidate representatives who are on the fence.

height=8

Quoted: But hopefully the ISRA has 'seen the light' and maybe realizes that one day all the shotgunners and boltgunnners are going to be replaced by the black rifle generation, and that they better start getting it together and accept those people.  Or maybe the black rifle generation has started to work its way into the ISRA to the point where the black rifle folks are starting to have clout and get *real* things done.

Here we go again.
I'm not sure where you get that dis-information or perception from.

And by drawing a distinction between the varous kinds of gunners, implying that black guns are better or really different or something, aren;t you doing a zumbo? but in reverse?

You'll see ISRA make outreach efforts to hunters and shotgunners because ISRA wants more of them on board, not becuase it's an organization of only hunters and shotgunners.  ISRA makes outreach efforts to the black gunners too, and it's a different affair, becuase ISRA has always been orientated towards marksmanship with military-styled rifles.  ISRA was black rifles before they were black.

Believe me, the ISRA leadership has the black guns.  We're enthusiasts, and some of us are specialized in one or more shooting disciplines. Some of those disciplines use black rifles, and some don't.

Mikew.

Quoted: Quoted: But hopefully the ISRA has 'seen the light' and maybe realizes that one day all the shotgunners and boltgunnners are going to be replaced by the black rifle generation, and that they better start getting it together and accept those people.  Or maybe the black rifle generation has started to work its way into the ISRA to the point where the black rifle folks are starting to have clout and get *real* things done. Here we go again. I'm not sure where you get that dis-information or perception from. And by drawing a distinction between the varous kinds of gunners, implying that black guns are better or really different or something, aren;t you doing a zumbo? but in reverse? You'll see ISRA make outreach efforts to hunters and shotgunners because ISRA wants more of them on board, not becuase it's an organization of only hunters and shotgunners.  ISRA makes outreach efforts to the black gunners too, and it's a different affair, becuase ISRA has always been orientated towards marksmanship with military-styled rifles.  ISRA was black rifles before they were black. Believe me, the ISRA leadership has the black guns.  We're enthusiasts, and some of us are specialized in one or more shooting disciplines. Some of those disciplines use black rifles, and some don't. Mikew.

Two words describe why it appeared, at least in the past that ISRA themselves drwe a distinction between shotunngin/boltguns and black rifles:  Sparta Range

Uhh .... dawg

Sparta is DNR range.

dnr.state.il.us/worldshooting/default.html

I suppose you were busy on lobby day. It was all about the, then, possible AWB.


JR