Rally for gun rights in the Loop

Proponents of gun rights gathered in the Loop Friday to push legislation legalizing concealed weapons in Illinois. Recent rallies at the Thompson Center have been demands for gun control laws following fatal shootings of Chicago children. Thursday, the plaza was full again, but the message was from those demanding the right to bear arms.

In a show of support for responsible gun ownership, about 200 chose the plaza of the Thompson Center for what they called a Second Amendment freedom rally. The rally comes after a recent decision by the Supreme Court Allowing handguns in Washington D.C.

"With the U.S. Supreme Court decision we are celebrating here today, I see those days of fear and helplessness coming to an end," said Valinda Rowe, IllinoisCarry.com.

"The truth is, a gun ban doesn't work; criminals don't obey gun laws," said Mike Weisman, Illinois State Rifle Association.

Support for the right to carry handguns comes from diverse groups including a gay organization.

"People who carry firearms are in places you never expect. You can find support for the Second Amendment all across the country," said Doug Krick, Pink Pistols.

"Self-defense is a basic human right," said Dr. Paula Bratich, Second Amendment Sisters.

The plaza has been site of several anti-gun rallies this year. Thursday, speakers encouraged the right to concealed weapons. Some shared their personal experiences when they did not have their weapons.

Dr. Suzanna Hupp, from Texas, recounted an incident in 1991 when a gunman crashed into the a restaurant where she ate with her parents. Then the gunman shot her parents and 21 others. She was not armed.

"The only thing the gun laws did that day was prevent us in that restaurant from protecting ourselves," Hupp said.

Several Chicagoans are challenging Chicago's ban on handguns. They hope the Supreme Court decision opens the doors to more gun owner rights here.

"If we win this case, we win for every single person here," said Colleen Lawson, lawsuit plaintiff.

The lawsuit against the city challenging the handgun ban was filed the same day as the Supreme Court's decision. The complaint had named Mayor Daley. A city spokeswoman says the judge has dismissed the mayor from the complaint and has removed certain allegations in the complaint already. The City of Chicago has until next week to respond.

All material © 2008 WLS Television, Inc. & 2004-2008 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Story posted 2008.07.11 at 07:32 PM CDT

Go To The Story

Ex-aide pleads guilty in Rezko case, points finger at Blagojevich

Ali D. Ata was accused in Papa John's scheme with Tony Rezko

A former top official in Gov. Blagojevich’s administration pleaded guilty to federal charges this afternoon and leveled some of the most significant accusations yet against the governor.

Ali Ata said in his plea deal that the governor offered him a top administrative position in state government in exchange for Ata’s tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions.

According to Ata, he handed the governor a $25,000 check for a campaign contribution at a 2002 meeting with Blagojevich and longtime Blagojevich campaign fund-raiser Tony Rezko in Rezko’s Chicago office.

Blagojevich “expressed his pleasure and acknowledged that the defendant had been a good supporter and good friend,� the plea agreement says. The governor, “in the defendant’s presence, asked Rezko if he [Rezko] had talked to the defendant about positions in the administration, and Rezko responded that he had.�

Ata said that, after the meeting, he filled out an application for a state appointment. He previously had given Rezko a list of three agencies to which he would like to be appointed.

Later, at a July 2003 fund-raiser for the governor at Navy Pier, Ata — who had contributed another $25,000 — said Blagojevich spoke of him joining the administration and said, “It had better be a job where [Ata] could make some money.�

Ata subsequently was appointed executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority, a $127,000-a-year state job. The authority, which Blagojevich created in 2004, has provided $11 billion in funding for 780 projects.

A spokeswoman for the governor could not immediately be reached for comment on Ata’s allegations. Previously, the governor has said he doesn’t trade public positions for campaign contributions.

Blagojevich hasn’t been accused of any crime. But his administration is the target of an ongoing federal investigation involving “pay to play� allegations that state positions and contracts were traded for campaign contributions.

Ata, 56, of Lemont, was a codefendant in a business-fraud case against Rezko — involving Rezko’s fast-food franchises — that has yet to go to trial.

Rezko is now on trial on unrelated corruption charges that accuse him of using his influence in the Blagojevich administration to orchestrate a kickback scheme involving state business deals.

Ata admitted to making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer and a tax-related count. He has agreed to give federal authorities unspecified future cooperation, according to his lawyer, Thomas McQueen.

The plea deal refers to the governor only as “Public Official A� — the same reference prosecutors have used.

But sources — and another federal judge — previously have identified Blagojevich as Public Official A. And Ata made the same dollar-amount contributions on the same dates detailed in the plea deal to the governor’s campaign, state records show.

The plea deal details a longstanding relationship between Blagojevich and Ata, dating to before Blagojevich’s first run for governor.

According to the charges against him, Ata, while executive director of the state finance agency, signed a letter bearing the agency’s name to help Rezko fraudulently secure $10 million in loans. Prosecutors said he did so at the request of Rezko to make it appear that an investor had partial state backing for a deal to acquire two groups of Rezko’s Papa John's pizza restaurants in Chicago and Milwaukee.

Ata knew Rezko wanted to show the letter to General Electric Capital Corp., prosecutors said, even though he knew it was phony.

Ata gave $65,000 to Blagojevich’s gubernatorial fund and thousands more when Blagojevich was in Congress.

Though Ata left his state post after about a year, after a critical audit, he soon was awarded a $55,200-a-year contract to be a consultant for the agency — a three-year deal he declined to sign after the Chicago Sun-Times raised questions about a foreclosure case he didn’t disclose when the governor hired him.

Ata and Rezko are longtime business associates.

Down the drain

TARGET OF INVESTIGATION | Sewer company linked to Daley's son closes with more than 2 years left on multimillion-dollar city deal

A sewer-inspection company in which Mayor Daley's son and nephew had hidden ownership stakes has shut down, walking away from a $4.5 million contract with the city's water department in the face of an investigation by the city inspector general's office and the FBI prompted by reports in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Investigators are looking into whether Municipal Sewer Services:  

•        Deliberately filed fraudulent documents with the city to hide the ownership stake held by the mayor's son Patrick Daley and nephew Robert Vanecko.

•        Used clout to get its city contracts.

•        And actually did all the work it was paid to do.

Municipal Sewer Services closed its Near West Side offices this month, asking employees to turn in their keys, sources said. The company had more than two years remaining on its contract with the city water department. Its abrupt closing has forced the city to scramble to find a replacement to check for problems in sewers in the city's northern two-thirds.

The company's assets are set to be auctioned off at a Loop office this morning.

Municipal Sewer Services had been created five years ago to take over two city contracts from the bankrupt Kenny Industrial Services. City officials then gave Municipal Sewer Services millions of dollars in additional work, twice extending its contracts without seeking competitive bids.

In December, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the company got that additional work from the city even as the mayor's son and nephew together had an undisclosed 5 percent ownership stake in the company.

Every owner should have been disclosed, under the city code. But the company filed papers with the city listing only three owners: Robert Bobb, a friend of the mayor; longtime Bobb business partner Joseph McInerney, and Anthony Duffy, a former employee of Kenny Industrial Services.

Mayor Daley has said he was unaware of his son's investment in Municipal Sewer Services and called it "a lapse in judgment for him to get involved with this company. I wish he hadn't done it."

The disclosure by the Sun-Times prompted the continuing investigation by the mayor's inspector general, David Hoffman, and the FBI. The Sun-Times previously reported that Hoffman was investigating Municipal Sewer Services. The FBI is jointly involved in that investigation, sources confirmed.

Municipal Sewer Services has hired attorney Dean Polales, a former federal prosecutor.

A company spokesman confirmed the closing and the hiring of Polales but would not comment further.

Daley's son and nephew no longer have a stake in Municipal Sewer Services. They cashed out their $65,000 investment in late 2004 at an undisclosed profit, as federal authorities were swarming City Hall in their investigation of the city's Hired Truck Program, which has resulted in 46 criminal convictions. One Hired Truck company -- Brunt Brothers -- also worked for Municipal Sewer Services.

Around the time that Patrick Daley cashed out, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Daley, 32, now serves with the 82nd Airborne Division. He was recently deployed to an undisclosed location.

Since 2004, the city has paid Municipal Sewer Services more than $7.9 million. Most of that money was paid under the two contracts the company originally took over from Kenny Industrial Services -- contracts that the city extended for a year.

Daley's son and nephew were no longer investors in the company in 2005 when Municipal Sewer Services won its latest city contract.

Under that five-year deal, the city was to pay the company $4.5 million for inspecting and cleaning sewers. So far, the city has paid $1.6 million of that.

Now that the company has closed, it's uncertain who will perform that work for the city.

"The Department of Procurement Services and the water department are moving toward procuring new services,'' said Karen Bates, spokeswoman for the procurement agency.

Contact George Bush, The Department Of State And Your Congressmen
-- Ask them to intervene on behalf of a US pastor in a Russian jail for
having one box of ammo

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Thursday, April 24, 2008


GOA has learned that the Russian Republic has sentenced an American pastor
to 3 years in prison because he had 20 rounds of hunting ammunition in his
luggage.

The pastor -- Phillip Miles of Conway, South Carolina -- hadn't realized
that carrying the twenty rounds in his luggage was in violation of Russian
customs regulations. And the cartridge regulation was nowhere mentioned in
the pamphlet handed American visitors at the Russian airport.

Pastor Miles declared the ammunition in Myrtle Beach. But at the Moscow
airport there are no signs in English to indicate that a separate
declaration must be made to customs officials. Airport authorities
confiscated the box of .300 caliber ammunition and sent him on his way.

Pastor Miles was later arrested when he returned to the airport on February
3, and he has been in jail ever since. GOA has heard from a member of
Pastor Miles' church that the Pastor has some health issues making it even
more important to get him out of jail as quickly as possible.

The three-year sentence is currently on appeal. But outraged American
hunters and gun owners are asking why the Russians have imposed such a
severe sentence for an innocent mistake -- particularly since there is no
question that Miles had intended to give the box of ammo to a friend (a
fellow pastor and hunting enthusiast) for his own personal use.

"There's no way that the judge in this case would have sentenced
this pastor
to three years in prison without first checking with high ranking officials
in the Russian government," said GOA Founder and Chairman, Sen.
H.L. "Bill"
Richardson (ret.). "This is a different country that we're dealing
with and
their judges are nothing more than puppets.

"But you can be sure of this," Richardson continued, "if
Ronald Reagan were
still President over here, there's no way the Russians would have dared to
do this to an American citizen."

The State Department is quietly trying to negotiate his release, as are both
of the South Carolina senators: Republicans Lindsay Graham and Jim DeMint.

ACTION: Even though some of our elected officials already seem to be
negotiating clemency for Pastor Phillip Miles, it's important that they know
the American people are behind them. So please contact President Bush, the
State Department and your congressmen. Ask them to do everything in their
power to get Pastor Miles released from prison.

You can e-mail a pre-written letter to all of the above contacts at the same
time by visiting the GOA Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm (where phone and fax numbers are also
available).


----- SAMPLE COMMUNICATION -----

Dear

The Russian Republic has sentenced American pastor Phillip Miles to 3 years
in prison because he had a single box of hunting ammunition in his luggage.

Miles -- of Conway, South Carolina -- hadn't realized that carrying the
twenty rounds in his luggage was in violation of Russian customs
regulations. And the cartridge regulation -- which required an additional
customs declaration -- was nowhere mentioned in the pamphlet handed American
visitors at the Russian airport.

The three-year sentence is currently on appeal. But it certainly appears
that the Russians have gone way overboard in imposing such a severe sentence
for an innocent mistake.

This is particularly true because there is no question that Miles had
intended to give the ammunition to a fellow pastor for hunting purposes.

I would ask you to do whatever possible to use your good offices to protest
what is at the least a grave injustice against an American citizen traveling
abroad.

Thank you for whatever you can do on Miles' behalf.

Sincerely,


****************************

THANK YOU FOR HELPING OUT WITH NICKELODEON!

As you may remember, we told you that Nick News was looking for some
well-spoken teenagers to discuss the Second Amendment issue. No doubt, they
will be featuring teenagers from the "other side," but you
guys certainly
ensured they will have access to excellent pro-gun representation.

In fact, Nickelodeon's producer was very excited (and impressed) with the
number of candidates GOA provided. So some of you should expect to be
hearing from Nick News soon, if you haven't already.

We are very thankful that you are doing your part to instruct your children
and grandchildren in the freedoms protected in the Bill of Rights. But we
are also grateful that you would make them available to help educate their
peers. Thanks again.

****************************

Please do not reply directly to this message, as your reply will
bounce back as undeliverable.

To subscribe to free, low-volume GOA alerts, go to
http://www.gunowners.org/ean.htm on the web. Change of e-mail
address may also be made at that location.

To unsubscribe send a message to
gunowners_list@capwiz.mailmanager.net with the word unsubscribe in
the subject line or use the url below.

Problems, questions or comments? The main GOA e-mail address
goamail@gunowners.org is at your disposal. Please do not add that
address to distribution lists sending more than ten messages per
week or lists associated with issues other than gun rights.
---
If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please visit
http://capwiz.com/gunowners/lmx/u/?jobid=99296881&queueid=1928860181.
   

Woman jumps out window to escape gunmen

A south suburban woman was injured after jumping from a third-floor window to escape two gunmen who shot and killed her boyfriend. The Lansing woman was able to run to a neighbor's home for help after she jumped.

Witnesses say the gunmen were waiting for 33-year-old Edward Simon to return home with the couple's three children. The shooting happened in front of the kids but they were not hurt.

The woman remains hospitalized.

Police suspect robbery may have been the motive.

Daley plans meetings on Chicago violence

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says he'll meet with more than two dozen officials from religious groups, police, schools and social service agencies to talk about a recent spate of gun violence in the city. Daley plans to use Friday's meeting to discuss what's causing the violence and how to stop it.

The scheduled meeting at the mayor's City Hall office comes after five people were shot to death in a South Side home Wednesday following a weekend of shootings that left dozens wounded or dead.

Daley is a strong proponent of gun control and says access to guns is the problem. He says people are settling their differences with guns.

But the mayor says the recent violence isn't tarnishing Chicago's reputation.

Students lobby for conceal-and-carry right

 With the number of school shootings across the country, gun advocates are pushing for more weapons on campus. "Students for Concealed Carry on Campus" is a group pushing for at least a broader discussion of the idea, and they're being heard right here in Chicago.

You can walk into a student union building hangout on the DePaul campus and you won't be far away from a raging debate about safety, deterrence and the Second Amendment. It's typical of what's happening elsewhere, as scared students grapple with how to best protect themselves. And they're willing to listen to those who propose something that would seem to be anathema to most -- more guns in classrooms.

"We should shoot for things, we should shoot for a violence free society, but at the same time we must totally let go of reason," said Mick Paskiewicz, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.

They are interesting words for Paskiewicz to choose as the campus leader of the group that wants those licensed to be allowed to carry firearms on campus, contrary to the regulations of most schools in the United States. He and his friends are walking around with empty holsters to make their point.

"When I lived in Indianapolis, I was less worried about crime than when I am here in Chicago. This past weekend we had over 30 shootings," said Paskiewicz.

Plenty of undergraduates dropped by an information table in the DePaul student union building. Such scenes are being repeated at schools across the nation, in light of such shooting tragedies as Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, and students can't help but be drawn into the debate.

"Because there was no opportunity for people to defend themselves, they just had to cower under their seats and hope that he didn't come to them," said Galen Burghardt, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.

There are converts to the cause and others who will argue against it all day.

"The idea of people holding guns or a Glock in English class to make us safer is preposterous," one student said.

"Why?" another asked him. "They already do it in offices, and malls and movie theatres and banks."

"No one would start going with guns anyway because they are scared," said Paula Sokolowska, freshman, business administration.

"There are people who are robbing people, there are muggings," one student said during a discussion.

"Right, we are talking about two different things," another responded.

"No we are talking about the same thing crime," said the first student.

"If you have students needing to hold guns on them, that is just a sign that there is something really sick with this country and a quick fix is not to just give kids concealed weapons," said Ben Wegner, freshman, political science.

DePaul University being in Chicago has no plans of course to change its policy banning guns on campus. Interestingly, Utah is the only state that allows concealed carry on campus and there have been no campus shootings there.

The Boondocks by Aaron McGruder ©2008 Aaron McGruder The Boondocks by Aaron McGruder ©2008 Aaron McGruder

January 9, 2008 San Francisco Gun Ban Ruled Null and Void NRA Wins Big in California State Court of Appeals  Fairfax, VA - The California State Court of Appeals announced today their decision to overturn one of the most restrictive gun bans in the country, following a legal battle by attorneys for the National Rifle Association (NRA) and a previous court order against the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.  "Today's decision by the California State Court of Appeals is a big win for the law-abiding citizens and NRA Members of San Francisco," declared Chris W. Cox, NRA's chief lobbyist.   In 2005, NRA sought an injunction against the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to prevent them from enacting one of the nation's most restrictive gun bans. NRA won the injunction, but the City's mayor and Board of Supervisors ignored the court order and approved a set of penalties, including a $1,000 fine and a jail term of between 90 days and six months, for city residents who own firearms for lawful purposes in their own homes.  "We promised our California NRA members in 2005 that we would fight any gun ban instituted by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and we haven't given up that fight," continued Cox. "Today we see our second win for the Second Amendment against the San Francisco gun ban. We beat them once in court and the City's attorney appealed based on his personal disagreement with the court's first decision to overturn the ban. Now we've beaten them again. The California State Court of Appeals has upheld the state preemption law." Today's decision came in the form of a 3-0 opinion in favor of the lower court ruling overturning the gun ban.  "This decision is a thoughtful and well-reasoned legal opinion," concluded Cox. "I'd like to thank our approximately 4 million members, including the hundreds of thousands of members in California, for their continued commitment to protecting our cherished freedoms."  -nra- Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America's oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group.  Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime.  The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military.

The Boondocks by Aaron McGruder

The Boondocks by Aaron McGruder ©2008 Aaron McGruder

The Boondocks by Aaron McGruder

The Boondocks by Aaron McGruder

An Assault on Gun Rights in Cook County!

Please Contact the Board of Commissioners Today!

 
Cook County is currently considering two anti-gun proposals that must be defeated!

 

The first, which is called the  "Safe Streets/Weapons Registration Ordinanceâ€?, claims to simply require the registration of all firearms and firearm owners in Cook County.  As written, however, it is an outright ban of all firearms and ammunition.  Even if you do not live in Cook County, this proposal will have a dramatic impact on you due to new restrictions on transporting firearms! 

 

The second proposed ordinance would amend the county's “Deadly Weapon Dealers Ordinance.â€?  It seeks to completely ban all gun shows within the county, and prohibits federally licensed dealers from operating within 10 miles of another federally licensed dealer.  This will not only prohibit new gun stores, but could wipe out most existing ones.

 

Please contact the Board of Commissioners today and respectfully urge them to oppose these ordinances.  Contact information can be found below:

 

Earlean Collins

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312) 603-4566

fax: (312) 603-3696

 

Robert Steele

Main Office:

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312)603-3019

fax: (312)603-4055

 

District Office

3333 W. Arthington, Suite 140

Chicago, IL 60624

phone:(773) 722-0140

fax: (773) 722-0145   

email: rsteele@cookcountygov.com

 

Jerry "Iceman" Butler

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312)603 6391

fax: (312)603-5671

email: jbutler@cookcountygov.com

 

William Beavers

Main Office

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312) 603-2065

fax: (312) 603-4678

 

District Office

2548 E. 79th Street

Chicago, IL 60649

phone: (773) 731-1515

fax: (773) 933-5535

 

Deborah Sims

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312) 603 6381

 

Joan Murphy

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312) 603 6381

 

 

Joseph Moreno

Main Office

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312)603-5443

fax: (312)603-3759

 

District Office (Chicago)

2456 W. 38th Street

Chicago, IL 60632

phone: (773)927-7154

Fax: (773)927-7166

 

Robert Maldonado

Main Office

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312)603-6386

fax: (312)443-9531

 

District Office

2615 W. Division Street

Chicago, IL 60622

phone: (773)395-0143

fax: (773)395-0146

 

Peter Silvestri

Main Office

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312)603-4393

fax: (312)443-1154

 

District Office

6650 N. Northwest Highway

Chicago, IL 60631

phone: (773) 774 8554

fax: (773)774-2901

 

Mike Quigley

Main Office

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312) 603-4210

fax: (312) 603-3695

 

District Office

1057 W. Belmont Ave.

Chicago, IL 60657

Phone: (773) 935-1010

Fax: (773) 935-3155

 

John Daley

Main Office

118 N. Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312) 603-4400

fax: (312) 603-6688

email: jdaley@cookcountygov.com

 

Forrest Claypool

Main Office

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312) 603-6380

fax: (312) 603-1265

 

District Office

4239 N. Lincoln Ave.

Chicago, IL 60618

phone: (773) 832-4642

fax: (773) 832-4663

 

Larry Suffredin

Main Office

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312)603-6383

fax: (312)603-3622

 

District Office (Evanston)

820 Davis Street,

Suite 104

Evanston, IL 60201

phone: 847-864-1209

fax: 847-864-1445

 

Gregg Goslin

Main Office

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312)603-4932

fax: (312)603-3686

 

District Office

(East)

3801 W. Lake Ave.

Glenview, IL 60025

phone:(847)729-9300

fax: (847)729-2279

   

 

Timothy Schneider

Main Office

118 N. Clark Street, Room 567

Chicago, Il 60602

phone: (312) 603-6388

fax: (312) 603-6500

email: toschneider@cookcountygov.com

 

District Office

711 S. Chelmsford Lane, Suite A

Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

phone: (847) 640-1632

fax: (847) 640-1910

 

Anthony Peraica

Main Office

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

Phone: (312) 603-6384

Fax: (312) 603-4744

 

District Office

10001 W. Roosevelt Road

Westchester, IL 60154

Phone:(708)345-5808

Fax: (708)345-5838

 

Elizabeth Gorman

Main Office

118 N. Clark Street

Room 567

Chicago, IL 60602

phone: (312)603-4215

fax: (312)603-2014

 

District Office (North)

711 Chelmsford Lane

Suite A

Elk Grove Village, IL

60007

phone: 847-871-1717

fax: 847-640-2058

email: eadgorman@cookcountygov.com

 

Please spread the word to your family, friends, and fellow gun owners that our Right to Keep and Bear Arms is under attack in Illinois

from

© 2003 SierraTimes.com

Firearms and the Fourteenth Amendment

Robert Greenslade
February 26, 2003

 2nd Amendment

www.tysknews.com

 

The man to the right is our enemy ! William " HOG WITH THE BIG NUTS AT THE TROUGH"Beavers. He is proposing  even more anti-gun proposals.He must be stopped !

ISRA Alert: TOTAL COOK COUNTY GUN BAN CLEARS FIRST HURDLE Rabid gun-grabbers on the Cook County Board came one step closer last week to instituting a total ban on firearm ownership in the county – except for police and military personnel. Introduced by Commissioner William Beavers, the so-called “Safe Streets/Weapons Registration Ordinance� appears on the surface to be some sort of gun registration scheme. However, closer examination reveals that the only people who could comply with the registration requirements would be Chicago residents who had previously registered their guns with the city. Everyone else in Cook County would have to turn in their guns to the police. The ordinance would certainly ban all handguns as the ordinance disallows registration of handguns that do not have a “chamber load� indicator. Few, if any, handguns could comply with this requirement, so they would have to be surrendered to the police. The full text of Beavers’ proposed ordinance may be found here. To learn more about William Beavers, click this link: http://www.co.cook.il.us/district04.htm . William Beavers is an enemy to our Constitution and an enemy to all freedom-loving people of the United States. Call him at (312) 603-2065 and also call his other office at (773) 731-1515 and tell them exactly what you think of Beavers and his plan to disarm law-abiding citizens. Another gun-hater on the Cook County Board is Larry Suffredin. Suffredin has fielded a proposed ordinance that would shut down all gun shops in the county. You may read about that ordinance by clicking here. Larry Suffredin is an enemy to our Constitution and an enemy to all freedom-loving people of the United States. For full information on Larry Suffredin, click this link: http://www.co.cook.il.us/district13.htm . Call Suffredin at 847-864-1209 and 312-603-6383 and tell them exactly what you think of Larry Suffredin’s plan to punish law-abiding gun owners. Even if you don’t live in Cook County, or even if you don’t live in Illinois for that matter, call anyway. Freedom is at stake here. In addition to calling these gun-hating stooges, please do the following: 1. Post this alert to any and all Internet bulletin boards of which you are a member. 2. Send this alert to all your gun owning friends and ask them to call Beavers and Suffredin too! Remember – preservation of our 2nd Amendment rights is a cultural imperative. Gun control is a disease; you are the cure! Posted Tue Dec 11 23:30:07 CST 2007

ISRA PVF Press Release: Proposed Cook County Gun Control Ordinance a Case Study in Politically Motivated Deceit

CHICAGO, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the ISRA Political Victory Fund (ISRA-PVF): The ISRA-PVF is labeling a proposed Cook County gun control ordinance a, "deceitful exercise in election year politics." Introduced by County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, the ordinance would force federally licensed gun shops in Cook County to adhere to a new set of restrictions that would make conducting business impossible. "Commissioner Suffredin is making gun control the centerpiece of his campaign for Cook County State's Attorney," said ISRA-PVF spokesman, Richard Pearson. "His deceitful justification for advancing his gun shop ordinance demonstrates that his campaign is rotten to the core." "Suffredin claims that federally licensed firearm dealers in Cook County are illegally supplying criminals with weapons," continued Pearson. "If that were true, one would have expected to see federal authorities shut these shops down and arrest their owners. Well, none of the shops targeted by Suffredin have been shut down by the feds and their owners have not been arrested. The reason for no arrests or shutdowns is that Suffredin's allegations are nothing but lies." "By focusing on the non-issue of gun shops, Suffredin is conveniently ignoring the factor that has the greatest impact on violent crime rates," commented Pearson. "According to the Chicago Police Department, 88% of murderers and 76% of murder victims have previous criminal records. A reasonable person would likely ask why criminals are so likely to be either a perpetrator or a victim in a murder case. The answer is quite simple - the justice system is either unwilling or unable to rehabilitate these dangerous people. Federally-licensed gun shops are not the problem, the revolving door justice system is clearly at fault." "Suffredin's long standing hatred of guns and the people who own them has clouded his ability to address the issues important to the citizens of Cook County," said Pearson. "Thus, he is unqualified to serve as the State's Attorney for Cook County. The ISRA-PVF will work vigorously against Suffredin's candidacy this election season." The ISRA-PVF is a political action committee affiliated with the Illinois State Rifle Association. A copy of our report is available for a fee from the Illinois State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois. This press release is posted on USNewswire. (external link) Posted Mon Dec 3 12:38:52 CST 2007

Suffredin Unveils Ordinance to Reign [sic] in Gun Shops

Chuck's Gun Shop on List of Shops Affected by Legislation CHICAGO, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Citing the senseless loss of liferesulting from random gun violence, Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredintook a giant step today toward reducing the number of handguns on the streetsof Chicago and Cook County by introducing an ordinance that would restrict thelocation where gun shops in suburban Cook County can operate. "I am tired of business as usual. I am tired of picking up the paper orturning on the news to see reports about innocent children gunned down in coldblood, because some gang member bought a gun at their local gun shop,"Suffredin said. "For nearly thirty years, I have fought for sensible gunlaws. Whether it was against the NRA or legislative leaders, I fought to passlaws to keep guns off our streets." "The documentation is clear that Chuck's Gun Shop and similar stores insuburban Cook County are the source of guns that are used in violent crimethroughout Cook County," Suffredin said. "As a home rule unit, Cook Countyhas the legal right to regulate where these establishments are allowed tooperate. Chuck's Gun Shop is within one mile of a school which will not beallowed once this ordinance passes." A 2004 study by the group, Americans for Gun Safety, reported that, basedon statistics provided by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms,between 1996 and 2000, 2,370 guns sold at Chuck's Gun Shop had been used in acrime, one of which resulted in the death of a Chicago Police Officer. OtherCook County gun shops were cited in the report as being peddlers ofcrime-linked firearms including, Suburban Sporting Goods, in Melrose Park. Suffredin was joined at the press conference by Rev. Michael Pfleger,pastor of St. Sabina's Parish, Jennifer Bishop of the Brady Campaign AgainstGun Violence, Barbara McKee, President of the Illinois Million Mom March,Annette Holt, Ronald Holt, Gloria Padron, Serita Villareal, and Steve Young,all relatives of gun victims, Garrett Evans, Virginia Tech shooting survivor,and Jamie Barnett and Jason Daniels, of UCAN's Visible Man Project. "Finding a way to stop the flow of guns is critical to reducing the tragicloss of life in our communities," Bishop said. "How many children have to diebefore our leaders take the steps necessary to get guns off our streets?Commissioner Suffredin's ordinance is long overdue." The proposed ordinance would amend the Cook County Deadly Weapons DealerControl Ordinance and would: -- Remove the exemptions for municipalities, like Riverdale, that passed less restrictive ordinances in order to avoid the provisions of the existing Weapons Ordinance; -- Extend the restriction on gun shops within one mile of a school or park to all municipalities within Cook County. -- Increase the distance required between licensed weapons dealers from five to ten miles. -- Ban gun shows completely in Cook County. SOURCE Commissioner Larry SuffredinLarry Suffredin, +1-312-603-6383 Suffredin's press release is posted here. Posted Mon Dec 3 12:36:21 CST 2007

Outrage Of The Week! Jesse Jackson Exploiting Tragedy

Friday, December 07, 2007

This week's outrage concerns anti-gun opportunist Jesse Jackson, who exploited the tragic death of Washington Redskins star, Sean Taylor, using the occasion of Taylor's funeral as a platform for one of his now-typical gun-banning rants.   All of us can agree that Sean Taylor's death was as senseless as it was tragic.  Cut down in his prime, we're left to wonder what greatness the future may have held for this gifted athlete.  His murder has left family, friends, teammates and fans shocked and heartbroken.  And while more information is coming to light, this case is not closed.  Taylor's funeral was an opportunity to grieve his untimely death and celebrate his life.  It should not have been a catalyst and opportunity for Jackson to pontificate on his politically motivated anti-gun, election-year agenda.    Not willing to lay the blame for crime on criminals, Jackson launched into a rambling, somewhat incoherent diatribe on the evils of firearms, using "weeds and flowers," "football," and  "house-on-fire-with-gun-violence" analogies to try and make his point.  Some of Jackson's ramblings at the funeral included:  "None of us are safe, including champions, in our own house."  "We've accepted violence as the norm."  "Some people think more guns makes us safer."  "We make semiautomatic weapons legal again."  "We can buy unlimited numbers of guns."  "The street terrorist and the foreign terrorist are more armed than the police."  "We make the most guns and bombs and we shoot and drop them.  We believe in them."  "We put our faith in false security, guns."  "Sean's killers neither made nor manufactured guns, but they were easily accessible to them."  "One day it's Columbine…another it's Virginia Tech...now Sean Taylor"  "…we need soldiers to put out this fire…"  "…to put an end to the false premise that more guns make us safer."  Aside from being inaccurate or just plain false, Jackson's statements were inappropriate and out of place.  His politically expedient rant did nothing to dispel his well-deserved reputation as a dogmatic gun ban crusader who possesses a knack for showing up any time news cameras or a microphone are present to promote his latest pet cause.  To view Jackson's speech in its entirety, please click here:  http://video.nbc6.net/player/?id=191360.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007 Girl, 7, shot 6 times saving mom Norman Sinclair, Santiago Esparza and Jennifer Mrozowski / The Detroit News DETROIT -- A 7-year-old-girl is being hailed as an "angel from heaven" and a hero for jumping in front of an enraged gunman, who pumped six bullets into the child as she used her body as a shield to save her mother's life. Alexis Goggins, a first-grader at Campbell Elementary School, is in stable condition at Children's Hospital in Detroit recovering from gunshot wounds to the eye, left temple, chin, cheek, chest and right arm. "She is an angel from heaven," said Aisha Ford, a family friend for 15 years who also was caught up in the evening of terror. The girl's mother, Selietha Parker, 30, was shot in the left side of her head and her bicep by a former boyfriend, who police said was trying to kill Parker. The gunman was disarmed by police and arrested at the scene of the shooting, a Detroit gas station. Police identified him as Calvin Tillie, 29, a four-time convicted felon whom Parker had dated for six months. Parker, who was treated and released at Detroit Receiving Hospital, is now at her daughter's bedside. She declined to comment Tuesday. The drama began to unfold just before midnight Saturday, when Parker called Ford and asked if she and Alexis could spend the night at Ford's home. "She said she had no heat and they were very cold, and I said , sure I'll come and get you," Ford said. Ford said she drove her burgundy 1998 Ford Expedition to Parker's home on Dwyer. She said as Parker and Alexis walked up to her vehicle she saw a man on the porch, who she assumed was a furnace repairman. She said Alexis, who walks with a limp, slipped momentarily on the icy sidewalk and as she helped the girl up, she saw the man and recognized him as Tillie. He was holding a gun. Tillie ordered them into the vehicle, cursed at the women and angrily told Ford to drive him to Six Mile Road, she said. "He looked like he was enraged and didn't care what he did. I knew if we went to Six Mile, he would kill us," Ford said. Instead, she told him she needed gas and drove to the Fast Stop Gas station in the 5000 block of East Seven Mile Road, a station that requires customers to pay the attendant inside. "I figured if he got out to pump the gas, I was going to take off," Ford said. Instead, Tillie gave her $10 and told her put in $5 worth of gas. Ford said she dialed 911 on her cell phone as she walked into the station. "The first operator clicked off and I dialed again and told that operator a guy with a gun was holding me hostage with a mother and baby and threatening to kill us. I told her the name of the gas station and then she said they didn't have a unit to send." Ford said she paid for $5 of gas and slowly returned to the vehicle, stalling for time as she handed Tillie the change. She said she kept stopping and starting the pump, hoping the police would show up. "I told him I needed more gas and took money out of my purse and went back into the station," she said. The attendant, Mohammad Alghazali, 30, said he noticed Ford was crying and she told him what was happening. He called 911 as he heard shots coming from the vehicle. "It was very scary. She (Ford) was scared and screaming when the guy was shooting. I was scared, too. I was on the phone talking to the police when he started shooting," he said Parker told police that Tillie said Ford was taking too long She said she pleaded with him but he pointed the gun at her and shot her in the side of the head. She told police she was shot in the arm as she lunged at Tillie. Before Tillie could fire again, Alexis jumped over the seat between her mother and the gunman and begged him not to shoot her mother. The police report said Tillie "without hesitation" pumped six shots into the child. As police arrived, they saw Parker, covered in blood, running from the truck, screaming, "He just shot my baby." The officers said Tillie came out to the vehicle holding a blue steel 9 mm semi automatic and dropped the weapon when ordered to do so. Officers said they found Alexis huddled on the floor under the steering wheel, covered in blood, surrounded by spent cartridge casings, a spent bullet on the floor and teeth on the seat. There were bullet holes in the windshield and blood inside. Alghazali said a police car on a street nearby arrived in less than a minute after his call. Marvin Bodley, a Detroit Public Schools attendance agent, spent two days at Alexis' hospital bedside and said it's miraculous that she's alive. "What a courageous, courageous little girl," he said. "You see more bandages than child," he said. "It's a horrific sight." Bodley said Alexis receives special education services at school, in part because of a weak left eye, which is the result of a massive stroke she suffered as an infant. Ford said doctors at the time had predicted that when Alexis got older she would have trouble with tasks such as writing, but she is now able to write her name. "She is a good little girl who is very protective of her mother," said Tonya Colbert, Parker's cousin. Tillie is being held in the Wayne County Jail facing kidnapping, assault with intent to murder, child abuse, felony firearms and habitual criminal charges. A preliminary examination is scheduled for Dec. 13.

"No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a
rainbow waiting."

 

        

 

"A man who won't stand up and fight against oppression is already dead"

 

IL: Chicago Mayor Daley, German Gun Control and the Illinois FOID
Keep and bear Arm ^ | 4.29.2002 | by Raymond Benwood

Posted on 04/29/2002 10:27:32 AM PDT by CHICAGOFARMER

* German Gun Control and the Illinois FOID *

 

by Raymond Benwood
April 29, 2002

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms, disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.� --Cesare Beccaria, quoted by Thomas Jefferson

In 1968 a new gun control act was passed in response to race riots in some of our major cities. From this Act a whole new generation of gun control laws were created in the states.

In 1992 * Jews for Preservation of Firearm Ownership Inc. * published, * Gun Control Gateway to Tyranny * which contains the actual text of pre Nazi, and Nazi gun control laws.

In Gateway to Tyranny, JPFO shows the stark comparison between the 1938 Nazi law and our 1968 Gun Control Act. In fact evidence exists in the library of congress, that the late Senator Thomas J Dodd, who was the chief framer of the '68 Act, owned a text of the Nazi weapons law. Gateway to Tyranny exposes the usage of terms and phrases in Nazi law, and how they were deliberately applied to our '68 Gun Act.

Its obvious that the late Senator Dodd, who was a lawyer at Nuremberg, must have liked what he saw in the Nazi gun laws, since he used them as a guide when he wrote our '68 Gun Act.

With passage of the '68 Act another door opened under the color of law, this time in the state of Illinois. Since white liberal racism energized the '68 Act, seeing it as a tool to further their socialist agenda, Mayor Daley Sr. of Chicago used his influence to bring about a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card in Illinois as a response to race riot concerns in Chicago.

The FOID card was believed to be a powerful tool, to keep guns out of the hands of certain groups in the state deemed dangerous to Daley. Gateway to Tyranny shows that the Nazis both created and used gun control laws that were legally passed. One such terrible law was the Waffen Oder Munitionserwerbscheins (German for "License to obtain a weapon or ammunition"), a firearms Owners Identification permit (FOID).

The Illinois FOID card, like the German permit, was designed to force gun owners to comply with the new law, by requiring the use of the permit (FOID) for the legal purchase of ammunition.

The stark comparisons between the Illinois FOID and the laws created and used by the Nazis are not just a matter of terms and phrases, but are synonymous in their intent. In Germany “the district police administrated the application process.� In Illinois, “the state police administrates the application process.�

In Germany, “a record keeping system was required for the transfer of handguns with the requirement that the records be kept for a period of 10 yrs and must include a description of the firearm.�

In Illinois, “any person within this state who transfers or causes to be transferred any firearm shall keep a record of such transfer for a period of 10 yrs and must include a description, serial number, or other information identifying the firearm and must include the transferee FOID number.�

In Germany, “a valid permit was required for transfer of a firearm, commercial or private.�

In Illinois, “a valid FOID is required for transfer of a firearm, commercial or private.�

In Germany, “all records were subject to police inspection on demand.�

In Illinois, “on demand of a peace officer such transferor shall produce for inspection such record of transfer.�

In Germany, “the police maintained a list of the identities and personal information of all licensees.�

In Illinois, “the state police maintain a record of all FOID cardholders.�

In Germany, “license denial could be made by race, inimical behavior or those deemed unreliable.�

In Illinois, “Chicago requires registration of all firearms and acceptance is near impossible and reports of FOID denial for bad attitudes have been reported else where in the state.�

In Germany, “certain permits were valid for up to 3 yrs.�

In Illinois, “the FOID card is valid for a period of 5yrs.�

In Germany, “a prohibition for the transfer of a firearm and ammunition to adolescents existed�.

In Illinois, “a prohibition for the transfer of a firearm and ammunition to adolescents exists.�

There are requirements for the transportation of a firearm. In Germany, “a certain type of permit was required.� In Illinois, “a valid FOID is required, and the firearm must be unloaded and properly cased.�

In Germany, “good Nazis could legally conceal carry, if they were issued the proper permit.�

In Illinois, “no conceal carry law exists.�

It should be obvious by now, as it was in Gateway to Tyranny, comparing the German gun laws to our '68 gun act, that the framer of the Illinois FOID Act had knowledge of German gun control laws, used by the Nazis and annotated those ideas into the Illinois FOID Act. There has been a misconception in Illinois and around the Nation, that a statute passed by Legislators bearing the appearance of law constitutes the law of the land.

The constitution is the supreme law of the land; for any statue to be valid, it must be in agreement. Marbury vs. Madison, 5 (2 cranch) 137, 174, 176, (1803) states “All laws which are repugnant to the constitution are null and void.� Many laws have been passed, but that does not make them lawful. Laws like the Illinois FOID card violate original intent of the 2nd Amendment of a general prohibition against state and federal legislation that infringes the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

The potential abuse of laws like the Illinois FOID are apparent, and should be repealed immediately. Illinois, under the color of law, has the potential of being the first state in the Union to impose a complete gun ban, with door-to-door confiscation, an act of Treason!

Today we live in a nation where the wearing of a swastika or a confederate battle flag patch or the questioning of the Holocaust, brings about a violent reaction in some people.

So why are so many people willing to accept the same types of laws that were the foundation of Genocide? Why do the big pro gun groups not fight against such laws that are so obviously unconstitutional and morally wrong? Our rights are self-evident and must be defended, if we are to remain FREE!

Raymond Benwood
Free Illinois

Permission to reprint-republish granted

Reference Material:

“Gun Control: Gateway to Tyranny� by Jay Simkin and Aaron Zelman, available at http://www.jpfo.org , Hartford, WI. (262)-673-9745

 

“Nazi Firearms Law and the Disarming of the German Jews� by Stephen Halbrook Ph.D. Attorney, available at

http://www.stephenhalbrook.com

1) Firearm Owners Identification Act for the state of Illinois.

 

http://www.legis.state.il.us/scripts/imstran.exe?LIBSINCWHB0401

 

2) Senate doc. 2807 Feb 1982 on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, available at

www.barefootsworld.net/senate82.html

http://www.barefootsworld.net/senate82.html www.barefootsworld.net/senate82.html

 

end

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10/27/2007 Contact: Rashida S. Restaino 773-256-2718 773-791-0014 rrestaino@rainbowpush.org Althea Conyers 773-256-2714 620-245-7692

Stop the Guns, Save Our Sons: Rainbow PUSH Supports Fr. Pfleger at Anti-Gun Rally

RIVERDALE, Ill. (October 27, 2007) –Father Michael Pfleger, pastor of the Faith Community of St. Sabina, today led a march and rally of neighbors opposing gun violence at the notorious weapons outlet, Chuck’s Gun Shop, 14310 S. Indiana Ave. in Riverdale. “Chuck’s is closed today,� Fr. Pfleger said during the pre-march rally at Shekinah Chapel Church, 13800 S. Indiana, Riverdale. “If you aren’t doing anything wrong, then why are you closed when you know we are coming around?� Shekinah Pastor Yehiel Curry said he had received calls from locals warning him not to get involved in this protest. But, he said, as the son of a father who died as a result of gun violence, it would take more than phone calls and empty threats to deter him. Joining Fr. Pfleger and Rev. Curry was a busload of Rainbow PUSH Coalition supporters, including Tommy Bennett, National Director of Community Services and Carolyn Wiggins, National Director of Membership and Organizational Development. “This is what we stand for,� Wiggins said. “We are going to continue to get other churches and community organizations involved when it comes to the life and death of our children.� Fr. Pfleger said he had received a letter from the village of Riverdale saying that he would be charged a minimum of $2500 for leading today’s march. “Luckily, before I left school I read the Constitution,� he said. “The First Amendment says we have a right to peaceful assembly. People are fighting for rights in Iraq; you can be sure that I am going to continue to fight for our rights in the United States.� Last spring Fr. Pfleger and Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, teamed in an ongoing crusade against gun violence after nearly 40 Chicago Public School students were shot and killed during the year. With the support of the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence, the Million Moms March and many others, a national day of protest was held last August 28. Since then, gun violence against young people has included the September shooting of three freshman on the campus of Delaware State University in late September; the suicide of a 14-year-old who shot four people at Success Tech Academy in Cleveland, Ohio, before killing himself, and several Chicago cases, including the killings of 10-year-old Arthur Jones and 14-year-old Samuel Benavente. Rev. Jackson and Fr. Pfleger where arrested and charged with trespassing at Chuck’s Gun Shop during a protest against gun violence in July. The charges were dropped earlier this month. Rev. Jackson did not attend today’s event because he is in Atlanta for the 11th Annual Peachtree Street Project Conference, hosted by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Citizenship Education Fund. The Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a progressive organization protecting, defending and expanding civil rights to improve economic and educational opportunity. The organization is headquartered at 930 E. 50th St. in Chicago. To learn more, please visit www.rainbowpush.org, or telephone (773) 373-3366. To arrange an interview with Rev. Jackson on this topic, please call the telephone numbers listed above. -30-

With no permit, activists rally at gun shop again

By Emma Graves Fitzsimmons | Tribune staff reporter

October 28, 2007

Protesters were back at a south suburban gun store on Saturday to rally for gun control while the march's organizers defiantly refused to pay Riverdale police for a permit.

Organizers said the fee was excessive.

Rev. Michael Pfleger has staged frequent protests at Chuck's Gun Shop since May with Rev. Jesse Jackson, who could not be there on Saturday. The men say they are bringing attention to the availability of guns in suburban communities that are used on Chicago streets.

The march also sought to highlight the recent shooting deaths of six Chicago Public School students.

"We buried two children this week," Pfleger said. "We're not going to stop marching on gun shops until there are more strict gun laws."

The march started at Shekinah Chapel, and ended 10 blocks away at the gun shop in the 14300 block of Indiana Avenue. Organizers estimated that 300 people were involved.

Riverdale police sent Pfleger a letter Oct. 17 asking him to pay the cost of additional personnel for the protest and a $643 deposit. Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Roman Catholic Church, refused to pay.

"We are not paying money to gather in a peaceful assembly," he said. "If they don't want us there, they should vote Riverdale gun-free."

Among those who attended the rally were Ald. Howard Brookins (21st) and Will Burns, a candidate for state representative in the 26th District.

Criminal trespassing charges against Pfleger and Jackson were dropped this month after they were arrested in a June confrontation with John Riggio, the store's owner. The Cook County state's attorney's office said it dropped the charges after reviewing the evidence and determining it could not prove its case.

Riggio could not be reached for comment Saturday.

-----------

efitzsimmons@tribune.com

Welcome everyone to the inaugural launch of The  Militant Marksman. In this blog and webcast I will be attempting to educate the masses on various gun issues and corruption in the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago. I will be using humor and most importantly the truth. I welcome all comments and will discuss all issues regarding gun control and positive gun use.