Posted: 3/24/2004 3:18:52 PM EDT
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I followed the call of ISRA & NRA and went to Springfield, IL today. I was a little late but still was able to speak to Richard Pearson, President of the ISRA. I also visited the office of my State Senator and made my point…. What I found striking was that there were only 100 (estimated by Richard Pearson) 2nd Amendment advocates present today. To say that I find this disappointing is the understatement of the year. Just for comparison purposes: There was also an “agriculture group” and an “education group” present today. They flooded the whole State Capitol. The agriculture group had their own jackets on. I estimate there must have been a 1000 of them. I drove 400 miles roundtrip, made arrangements for the kids if I should not be back in time…. MY QUESTION IS: WHERE THE F…. WERE YOU? |
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I was in the same room as you, wondering where everyone was. I also estimated about 100 people. Last year, we packed that cafeteria. Overall, gunowner response has been way down this year. Last year, we had probably had 200 at the Senate hearing. This year, we had about 5 people. The offices that I've talked to have said that letters and phone calls are way down. Most people seemed to know who their legislators were today. That was a pleasant surprise. I am always disappointed by the people that live around the Springfield area. As usual, most didn't know where their legislator's offices were located. These people have such easy access to these guys, yet no effort is made until "Lobby Day". These are the same guys that will hangout at a local gunshop and bitch for hours on end about Daley's puppets. They'll say,"Yeah, I voted for ________." Have you called or written him? Have you stopped by his office for just 5 minutes? "Hell no, parking's a bitch." Well, so's life, are you going to give up on that, too? The ag goup was the FFA kids. They bus them in on a school field trip. I also saw a group carrying a Mexican flag and a Cuban or Puerto Rican flag out in front of the Capitol. Hard telling what they wanted. More of my money, I'm sure. |
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I had every intention on going, when my father in law needed help with some wiring. What I thought was going to be a 3 hr deal turned into a 11hr ordeal. I even got to watch him go head first down 3 steps, hit the landing, make a very hard 90 degree left, down the other 8 steps. I didn't know if I should shit or laugh when he asked "what the hell was that"? He was ok, looks like I'm taking him to the chiropractor if he needs it. An hour later my wife calls to wish him a happy birthday. Yeah, we both wished we were doing something else. |
| sorry fellas, i had to work. the man don't like it when you say "hey i can't work tomorrow, i gotta go talk to a couple politicians" i know that it may sound weird, but he kinda gets pissed when you tell him that. i just started on this site about 5 or so days ago and i read about it on the first day, but i have to have two weeks notice to get a day off. damned MENARDS and their rules. but please keep buying paint there cuz that's what i do :) i think the reason that you don't see gunowners showin' up is because they feel safe...in that i mean there isn't a whole bunch of legislation on the table, you don't see it hitting the national spotlight like when clinton was in.....i don't agree with it-it's just that simple though-they feel safe and secure. also, why the hell isn't groups like the NRA, ISRA, etc. making a bunch of emails?? i didn't get one. my mail goes to my parents about twenty miles away, so i don't know if they mailed me a letter(doubt it). the NRA pisses me off, cuz they send me all of these "give us a twenty dollar contribution and get this book" they'd save money by not sending out all the JUNK mail. i just want to tell them to keep the crap (books, videos, pens, emblems) and get out there and lobby all day everyday. sorry, i struck my own nerve. i just wish i would've gotten an email 3 or 4 weeks ago from a group i pay $30 a year to. but i do live in springfield, so tell me what i can do, and i'll start doin' it. sorry fellas, maybe ted nugent was right in sayin' we suck as a whole. i mean, i feel pretty sucky. I'M GONNA GO CRY NOW CUZ UNCLE TED SAYS I SUCK!!!! |
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I went last year and was pisssed by the lack of organization, being treated like terrorists by the capitol cops and being dodged by my Rep and a neighboring Rep. It felt like a wasted trip. Not to whine, but I'm working 2 jobs currently and getting the same day off at both is an impossibility. I scheduled my time off next week for Knob Creek a couple months ago. And if I recall, ISRA postponed this twice last year. Sorry, I'm not that flexible. CKMorley |
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As I posted on the other thread, I couldn't come because my own and my wife's job situation got uncomfortably shaky within the last week. Her hours were radically cut back this week; the UAW strike vote was last weekend, with overwhelming approval to strike anytime after April 1. Believe me, I don't like to feel like an "armchair general", but I appreciate those of you who could go, and I hope to be able to do the same for you at some point. FWIW, my senator and rep are both strongly pro-gun, and my attendance would have influenced their opinion about gun control as much as it would influence yours--they oppose it, no matter what. Even the Dems that ran against them in the last election were that way.
I know where you're coming from.
I agree. Things are quieter this year. They won't be after the election.
Snail mail will never make it in time. Last year, my dealer asked me if I had contacted my state senator about SB1195. ISRA sent him a postcard about it. Trouble is, by that time, we had known about it for 6 weeks or so. NRA sends me weekly updates. Have you signed up? You don't have to be a member, unlike I$RA: secure.nraila.org/EmailSignup.aspx
Most members see it as junk mail. Did you know the NRA is $100 million in debt from spending during the Clinton regime? Lots of members trash the letters under the misguided notion that "they have the money." They don't. As far as the stuff, it's nice to get, but I'm with you; I'd rather put the $$$ toward the fight. Sadly, few agree with us.
I think Illinois has the gun laws we allow. It has a lot to do with the hunters who do nothing, IMHO. And while I could not join in this particular demonstration, I do vote, inform others, maintain an email list, and contact my state reps, regularly. These are all things you can do. If you want to, you can email me and I'll add you to my email list. All you do is forward it to others of like mind to spread the word. Doesn't get much easier than that. |
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mw365, I hope things stabilize for you guys. Most of the people that frequent this forum do as much as they can for the cause. If someone can't make it to a show, no apologies are needed. We all do what we can, when we can. Most of us will contact our legislators more in 1 year, than the average gunowner will do in a lifetime. Maybe even a dozen average gunowners. Those are the people that piss me off. I agree with CKMorley about the Day in general. Last year was akin to a circlejerk. There was no cohesive plan. I expected that we would have an actual rally in the rotunda, hence the term "Rally Day". Instead, it turned into a scavenger hunt. I visit the Capitol Bldg on a regular basis. I see the Rotunda full of groups all of the time. We are stuck down in the cafeteria of the next building over. Cameras film events at the Capitol, it makes the news. Guess how much coverage the guys that hang out in the cafeteria of the Stratton Bldg get. The cops were making their presence felt because of some asshole gunowners that were threatening some of the elected officials. This year, there was no police presence. It was still a scavenger hunt. I can get alot more accomplished when I go by myself on a day that they're not in session. I went merely to be another number that could be counted. At a Springfield city council meeting this week, they braced for a major demonstration on various topics. One man with a bullhorn showed up. One guy. Eventually, about 3 other people stood with him. The next day, this question was asked. "Why would anyone listen to this group of people if they could only get 1 guy to protest? With those numbers, they aren't committed at all." I didn't expect anything great with "Lobby Day". I just didn't want some poor scmuck to be standing alone with a bullhorn. |
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Next year, maybe we can pressure ISRA to hold an actual rally. Schedule the space months in advance, buy a permit, whatever. Stand and boldly be counted and heard. Not scurrying around the corridors like some gutter rats in small packs. If these other groups can pull it off, we should be able to do it. |
| HELL YEAH MAN!!!! WHY NOT US?? now i'm jazzed. like i said, you give me two weeks notice to the week (well try three weeks just to be sure haha) that it would fall in and i'd be there hard core!!! hell, i'll show up with everything i got! i'll even bring my ole lady, i'll have her walk around in a bikini holding a colt, now THAT'LL attract some attention from those horny ole fogies!!!! (aaahhhhhh nice image hold on, i gotta go to the bathroom be right back) |