McHenry County Blog

A missive from the McHenry County Right to Carry Association:

Nik Clark, president of WisconsinCarry.org starts his letters to his members: “Greetings in Freedom”. Thanks, Nik.

Two members of MCR2CA were at the gun show on February 17 at the Woodstock VFW and manned a display table with information about membership and the upcoming Massad Ayoob training. We welcome the new members who joined us that day. Welcome aboard!

This Friday, February 22, the Illinois House Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing in Chicago. If you want to attend, be at the Michael A. Bilandic Building, 160 N. LaSalle St., Room N-600, well before the 10:00AM starting time. Tuesday’s hearing in Springfield was packed. Arrive early. Will you be going? Gus Philpott, MCR2CA Secretary/Treasurer, will be taking the 7:23AM Metra from Woodstock.

Review the names of the Committee members. Decide how you want to dress to impress them. Will a suit or “business casual” be appropriate? We want them to hear us, not just see us. If you go, take something to hand each of the 16 members, whose names you can find here: www.ilga.gov/house/committees/members.asp?CommitteeID=1192&GA=98 If you go, give us feedback on who is favorable toward the laws that are good for gun owners and whom we need to educate more.

Saturday-Sunday, February 23-24. Visit us at Booth 309 at the Great Outdoor Expo at Woodstock North High School.

Are you an expert “salesperson”? If so, the McHenry County Right to Carry Association is in need of your expert help. As you probably know, MCR2CA has a booth for two days at The Great Outdoors Expo this weekend. We need to get our message out more than ever. If you are able to lend a hand signing up new members at the show, please contact MCR2CA president Mickey Schuch @815-690-0248. The board members will be in attendance both days as well.

Don’t forget 2013 memberships are up for renewal. Please pledge your support of freedom and our Bill of Rights, by visiting www.MCR2CA.ORG; click on “Become a Member” and renew or join (use the same form). You’ll see that we launched a new online membership application, so even if you have been a member in the past we need you to renew. Dues can be conveniently paid via PayPal.

McHenry County residents will again have the opportunity to travel by bus to Springfield to lobby legislators on gun legislation. Departure will be at 6 AM on March 6th with a planned return to Woodstock at 9:30.

The contact person is Dave Richards with questions 1-815-236-2039 or email questions to mcsa1776@gmail.com.

“Concealed carry.”

What a public relations disaster that label has been.

When I ran for Governor on the Libertarian ticket in 2002, I certainly supported the concept, but I knew it was a kiss of death for those advancing the right for people to protect themselves with guns outside the home.

I referred to the concept as being a “personal protection” measure.

In 2001, Michigan had approved such legislation.

Similar state, similar problems, but no experience by the time I was running.

I remember reading that the Sheriff of Wayne County predicted shoot-outs on the streets of Detroit.

A year later, he admitted he had been wrong.

Ten years later, the Detroit Free Press ran an article entitled,

10 years after concealed weapons law, unclear why many in state were gun-shy

Another article is here.

If you are a liberal who believes approval of this concept of personal protection is the beginning of the ending of your world, please read the article.

Only about 4% of adults have licenses in Michigan. 2% of them have been sanctioned for misbehavior by law enforcement officials.

My argument eleven years ago was that a very small percentage of individuals could act as a deterrent to crime.

Let me give you my theoretical argument first and then a real life example from the streets of Chicago.

While I was running for Governor, there was a serial rapist on the North Side.

I argued that rapists are basically chickens.  They are too afraid of women to ask them for a date.

So, if even a small, but well-publicized percentage of women in an area were able to protect themselves with guns, I figure that there would be less instances of sexual assault.

That approach would work on college campuses, too, but my guess is that the Illinois General Assembly will continue to make them “Protection Free Zones.”   (Think back to the Northern Illinois University massacre. There was a woman killed sitting in the second row of the auditorium.  She was a former member of the Armed Forces.  Although she served in a supporting role, she would have been trained and capable of taking out the gunman on stage, had Illinois allowed her to carry a weapon.)

More tomorrow.

You Don’t Know Jack!State Rep. write-in candidate Joe Rosner has a page on his web sitethat lists the violations of the United States Constitution which he believes incumbent Democrat Jack Franks, an attorney, has violated.

His Second Amendment observation is reproduced below:

You Don’t Know Jack!

Constitution Edition

Think you know Jack? Here are Jack Franks’ actions and positions on YOUR Constitutional Rights:

The Second Amendment clearly states, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

After 12 years of Jack Franks, Illinois is the only state in this nation that denies its citizens the right to keep and bear arms.

Rep. Franks has served 6 terms without ever proposing any pro 2nd Amendment legislation. In an example of political gamesmanship, Rep. Franks waited for four full months to come out in support of the Family and Personal Protection Act, which would let county sheriffs issue concealed carry permits for firearms.

Only when the Madigan-Emanuel anti-gun cabal saw that there were not going to be enough votes for passage did he scurry for political cover and vote for the bill.

Joe Rosner believes self-defense is a basic human right. He will propose and support concealed carry legislation.

Since the political reality is concealed carry may take years to pass, he will propose legislation clarifying existing law to specify that hip sacks, fanny packs and similar purpose-built cases be considered a “case, firearm carrying box, or other container.”

This will then allow persons who have been issued a valid FOID card to transport a firearm anywhere in their vehicle or on their person as long as the firearm is unloaded and enclosed in a case, firearm carrying box, shipping box, or other container. This is a stopgap measure until a real concealed carry bill is passed.

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More tomorrow.

Here’s what District McHenry County Board member Nick Provenzano is handing out as he goes door-to-door.

Here’s the piece that was mailed to gun owners:

Any other candidates who would like to share their campaign material, please email it to the address on the left side of the page.

A press release from Congressman Don Manzullo:

Manzullo Urges Illinois Officials to Oppose Bills
that Would Undermine the Rights of Gun Owners

[ROCKFORD] – Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) today urged Illinois leaders to oppose gun control legislation working its way through the Illinois General Assembly and instead join our nation’s 49 other states and pursue viable conceal-carry legislation.

In a letter to Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-IL) and Republican Leader Tom Cross (R-IL), Manzullo called on the leaders to oppose legislation that would ban and increase penalties on semi-automatic firearms (HB 1294 and HB 1599), impose a 2 percent tax on ammunition (HB 5167), and create a firearms registry supported by a new fee (HB 5831).

“Illinois already has some of the nation’s strictest firearms laws, including a requirement for gun owners to possess the Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card. These bills are nothing but an assault on the constitutionally-protected right to bear arms,” Manzullo said. “I respectfully urge you to not adopt these bills but instead to work towards passage of viable conceal-carry legislation for all of Illinois.”

A strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment, Manzullo co-signed a letter last summer authored by U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL) encouraging Illinois officials to enact a conceal-carry firearms law.

Illinois is the only state in the nation that does not allow conceal-carry. Manzullo also voted last November for the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011 (HR 822) that would unfortunately have little effect on Illinois until the state joins the other 49 states and adopts a conceal-carry law.

“The United States Supreme Court affirmed in McDonald vs. Chicago that states cannot violate an individual’s right to bear arms for lawful purposes under the Second Amendment,” Manzullo added. “There is no evidence that gun registration does anything to keep illegal firearms out of the hands of criminals. Banning semi-automatic firearms, which are used in the biathlon competition in the Winter Olympics, and adding a $65 firearms tax, a 2 percent ammunition tax, and a gun registry only punishes law abiding citizens.”

A press release from Michael Moore, Anywhere CCW, LLC:

ILLINOIS GUN OWNERS LOBBY DAY (IGOLD) & CONCEAL CARRY TRAINING

Illinois – On March 7, 2012 the annual Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day, also known to many as IGOLD, will occur in Springfield. This is a phenomenal opportunity to reach out to the state legislature in person! What could make this a unique day is the opportunity to receive concealed carry training while on the bus ride to Springfield.

The Utah Concealed Firearm Permit Course is being targeted to non-Utah residents for several reasons. “As a non-Utah resident the permit is good to carry a concealed firearm in 31 states, including Wisconsin,” said Michael Moore.

“The Utah Permit is also extremely economical,” he continued, “For an initial issuance fee of $65 you receive a permit that is valid for 5 years, and then only $15 to renew.”

“We’re trying to get as many people involved in exercising their Second Amendment rights as possible, and getting a ‘CCW’ Permit is one excellent way,” he said. “This year our company, Anywhere CCW, LLC, is sponsoring a bus to Springfield from Fox Lake. We will be teaching the course on the bus ride to Springfield, a first of its kind for the event!”

The bus will leave on March 7, 2012 at 6AM from the Fox Lake Police Department, 301S IL Route 59, Fox Lake, IL. If you’d just like to take the bus without the class, the cost is $25. If you’d like to take the bus and the class, the cost is $100. Registration is required and can be made online at www.anywhereccw.com

The Utah Concealed Firearm Permit, as a non-Utah resident is honored in the following 31 states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Anywhere CCW, LLC is a concealed firearm instruction company established in 2011. All instructors are National Rifle Association pistol instructors, range safety officers, and Utah Concealed Firearm Permit Instructors. Classes are held in northern Illinois monthly. Check online for the latest class offerings at www.anywhereccw.com.

For more information, contact Michael Moore 815-534-4867.