Biggest Political Meeting of the Year
Looking out at the Lakemoor crowd, speakers would have seen this on the left side of the hall.
OK, so it’s still January.
This is a veiw of the right hand side of the room from the stage.
Nevertheless the approaching 500 people who showed up at the Operating Engineers Local 150 Lakemoor Banquet Hall was impressive.
On the dias were, from left to right, county board candidate Nick Provenzano, McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren, McHenry County Right to Carry Association President Lou Rofrano, McHenry County Sportsman Association's Lee Lexow, 8th Congressional District candidate Joe Walsh, the Illinois State Rifle Associations' Mike Weisman and IllinoisCarry.com's Valinda Rowe.
On the dias were, from left to right, county board candidate Nick Provenzano, McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren, McHenry County Right to Carry Association President Lou Rofrano, McHenry County Sportsman Association’s Lee Lexow, 8th Congressional District candidate Joe Walsh, the Illinois State Rifle Associations’ Mike Weisman and IllinoisCarry.com’s Valinda Rowe.
Below is a press release explaining what happened at the meeting:
McHenry County Right to Carry Association Holds Packed Town Hall Meeting
McHenry County Right to Carry Association President Lou Rofrano outlines the group's goals.
Lakemoor, IL – McHenry County Right to Carry Association, MCR2CA, held its inaugural Town Hall Meeting Thursday night, January 21st, 2010 at the Lakemoor Banquet Hall with over 475 attendees crowding the standing room only venue.
Second Amendment supporters gathered to hear a panel of guest speakers discuss the Right to Carry and how to bring this right to Illinois. “The citizens of Illinois deserve the same right to personal self protection as those currently enjoyed by the citizens of 48 states in the Union” said Lou Rofrano, President, McHenry County Right to Carry Association.
Rofrano welcomed the crowd, introduced the panel and explained the mission and objectives of the MCR2CA:
Mission:
The McHenry County Right to Carry Association is a non-partisan group of like minded individuals dedicated to advancing the right to carry for the citizens of Illinois.
Objectives:
1. The McHenry County Right to Carry Association will work to educate Illinois citizens in the benefits of the right to carry in the state of Illinois.
2. The McHenry County Right to Carry Association will work to inspire individual citizens and members to actively work for advancing the right to carry in Illinois in 2010.
3. The McHenry County Right to Carry Association will work to educate individuals and community organizations in the safe handling and responsibilities associated with the legal use and ownership of firearms.
4. The McHenry County Right to Carry Association will inspire the highest levels of good citizenship, safety and adherence to all local, state and federal laws.
McHenry County Board candidate Nick Provenzano addresses the crowd.
Nick Provenzano, County Board candidate discussed how he led the fight to pass the “Pro-2nd Amendment Resolution” at the McHenry County Board. “Through Chairman Ken Koehler’s leadership this resolution passed the County Board unanimously” stated Provenzano, who is also a member of the MCR2CA Board of Directors.
Provenzano also announced “If I am honored to be elected to the County Board, I promise you tonight that I will take another resolution back to the board supporting our right to carry and together we will send a message to the county, state and the city of Chicago that enough is enough, we want our constitutional right to carry – right here in McHenry County”.
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Photos by Ryan Provenzano
RyanProPhotos ryanprophoto@hotmail.com
I made a statement at the end of the meeting that, the year before Nygren was appointed sheriff, I moved to Woodstock and telephone the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department to ask how to get a concealed weapons permit. A deputy laughed at me and told me I would never get one in Illinois.
For several years I asked Jack Franks to support concealed carry legislation, and Jack said, “Well, I’m a member of the NRA, aren’t I?” Finally I learned from one of his legislative aides that he will never support concealed carry. In a call to Jack’s Woodstock office last week, I learned that his position has not changed.
Nygren was at the meeting and presented the position of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, which is to support concealed carry; however, at no point did Nygren ever said that HE supports concealed carry.
What’s your position, Keith?
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