The lessons from the Virginia elections should be on the minds of every gun owner in Illinois and everywhere else. The liberal Democrats have won both chambers in the Virginia Legislature and control the Governorship. I know you are thinking, so what else is new? The point is it did not need to happen. Virginia has been a Red State for 25 years. Michael Bloomberg poured millions into the election. While that is a factor, it is not the only reason gun owners lost in Virginia. They lost for all the classic reasons.
Anyone can find a calendar for the next 100 years and figure out when the elections are going to be held. If an election sneaks up on you, it’s because you are asleep. Some gun owners like to sit around their coffee shop, gun club, gun show, or wherever they are and gripe. If they would spend that same amount of time getting organized to support a pro-Second Amendment candidate, they would be better off. They simply refuse to get organized and if they do, most of the time it is too late.
Some people don’t want to register to vote because they might be called for jury duty. Voter Registration records are not used anymore to select jurors, drivers’ licenses are used to select jurors. If you don’t want to serve on jury duty, turn in your driver’s license.
The greatest error gun owners make is simply not voting even when they are registered to vote. Let’s go back to Virginia. Only 40% of the registered voters turned out to vote. Historically, gun owner turnout tracks almost exactly the same as turnout among the general public. That means gun owners could have turned the election but didn’t because they were too lazy or didn’t care. There is a technical term for that – Stupid. Another fatal error gun owners make is they continue to pick the perfect candidate, not the best candidate who can win. The perfect candidate who loses is about as valuable as a worn-out shoe sole.
I get calls every election cycle from want-to-be candidates. Most of them claim to be the perfect Second Amendment candidate. Maybe they are, but can they get elected? I have been through thousands of elections and the realities of actually getting elected are harsh. There are a few questions I ask and you should also:
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Who is helping you on your campaign? Answer: Well, there is me, my mother-in-law and my friend Clyde.
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What groups are supporting you? Answer: I was hoping you would.
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Have you run for any office before? Answer: No.
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How much do you have in your Campaign Fund? Answer: $50. Can you give me some money?
These, by the way, are real answers I have gotten. I did not make any of these up. This isn’t rocket science. Think about if a candidate replied to you with these same answers. What would you think?
The key is to find a good electable Second Amendment candidate and work to get them elected. You may not agree with them on every issue. The alternative is a candidate that opposes the Second Amendment and won’t listen to any argument supporting it.
To elect pro-Second Amendment candidates over anti-Second Amendment candidates, tough choices have to be made and those choices require work. Not only by me, but also by you.
On the national level there is a real showdown coming. Most gun owners support President Trump and right now it looks like he will win but take nothing for granted. For all those gun owners who don’t vote because they don’t want to be involved, here is some news for you. You are involved whether you like it or not.
Here is an example of what is at stake: The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) just kicked the Remington/Sandy Hook case back to the Connecticut Courts. In the Remington case, the parents of the Sandy Hook victims are seeking to hold the company liable for the misuse of their product by a third party. This case will eventually go back before the SCOTUS. If the parents’ argument stands, every firearm company in the United States will be wiped out. It won’t matter if your semiautomatic rifle, shotgun or pistol is legal to own. No one will manufacture them anymore. We need to get one or two conservative Supreme Court Justices on the Court.
The Illinois deer harvest is up considerably from 2018, at least so far. The deer archery season is 10,167; last year, the harvest was 7349. The youth deer shotgun season is equally good with the harvest at 3775, while last year was 1659. I’m not sure what this bodes for the regular season but I am guessing it will be a good one. Now is the time to recheck all your hunting gear to make sure you have everything you need.
There are pockets of standing corn and soybeans in various parts of the state. The corn has long completed its life cycle so it has a beautiful creamy golden color that really shows up in the afternoons. It is rare to see this phenomenon because it only happens when the harvest is late. I’m sure the farmers would be a lot happier if their crops were safely in their bins or at the elevator. The crops will disappear rapidly in the coming weeks if the weather holds. This means deer will have diminishing cover. With the disappearing crops and the rut, you have a recipe for deer running around everywhere. Be careful out there.
In less than one year, November 3, 2020, it will be Election Day for many federal and state officials. The President, Vice President, all the Congressmen, all the State Representatives and about one third of the Federal and State Senators will be up for re-election. Gun owners have everything on the line nationally, particularly in the State of Illinois. Every gun owner needs to be thinking about the next election cycle.
I know it seems like the last election is still going on and now we already have to endure the brutal cannibalistic presidential debates as well as all the local elections. Nevertheless, we have to prepare for the battle of our lives. Don’t be faint hearted.
Congratulations to the Pinckneyville High School Bass Team for winning the National High School Bass Fishing Championships. Way to go!
The Illinois State Police conducted the requested public hearing on the Proposed Administrative Rules for the Gun Dealer Licensing Act on October 24. The public hearing lasted a little more than 90 minutes and everyone was given ample opportunity to testify and provide additional written comments.
Gun dealers from every corner of the state testified, from those in urban and rural areas, those who are mom and pop operations, as well as large scale operations. Only one person spoke in favor of the Proposed Rules, someone from the Gun Violence Prevention Center. That person suggested that the one inspection a year should be amended to state that law enforcement follow-up on traces shouldn’t count towards the one per year inspection.
The bulk of testimony hit on 5 main themes:
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The requirements for the video monitoring 24/7 are cost prohibitive for many dealers. Prices ranged from $10,000 for a 1,600 square foot business to minimally $120,000 for a 25,000 square foot business. Those prices were for equipment and not necessarily ongoing maintenance.
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The infrastructure to comply with 90 day on & off-site storage isn’t available statewide. 90-day storage is also beyond the requirement for any other business.
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The requirement for lit parking lots with face recognition cameras is not something that can always be complied with. Many businesses have on-street parking that is controlled by the local municipality or are in a strip mall that is not under the control of the gun dealer.
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Having 3 alarm systems is redundant and unnecessary.
There is a lot of vagueness in the Proposed Rules, especially with respect to safe storage and goes beyond their statutory authority.
Nearly all of the opponents pleaded with ISP to work with them to develop rules that reflect the real world (thank you Bill Potts for directing the witnesses on this). There was also some mention that in a few places the Proposed Rules conflict with existing law. There were other concerns expressed but this was the gist of the testimony. I thought the ISP Major in charge of this was very attentive. The woman from DCEO who is going to produce the economic impact statement was in attendance as well as Brad Taylor from JCAR. It will be interesting to see what steps ISP takes next.
John Krupa III has done some great work on exposing conflicting rules and laws that put law-abiding gun owners at risk of committing firearm violations.
If you fail to renew your FOID card you have 48 hours to dispose of your firearms. You are supposed to be able to give them to a friend or relative who has a FOID card. The other option is to take them to a Federal Firearms Licensed Dealer (FFL). You have to fill out your ISP disposition form and turn it in to the ISP.
The problem is that Illinois now has a 72-hour waiting period so giving them to friends and family is now impossible without breaking the law because you only have 48 hours. This forces you to give them to an FFL. If you don’t, the ISP will come to your door and seize not only your firearms but all those in the house, even though they may belong to other people living there. To make matters worse, now that you don’t have a FOID card, the ISP and other police departments can use your FTIP information to trace the firearms you have purchased. Not only will they seize your purchased firearms but those that you have inherited, family heirlooms and antique firearms. When and if you get your firearms back, everything you had will wind up in the ISP data base. This is essentially a gun registration system.
This issue must be addressed but there is little we can do now. The cure for this is to get your FOID card renewed on time. Every FOID card holder needs to renew their FOID card 90 days in advance. Please tell everyone in your household and all your friends to do this. Everyone needs to check their FOID card expiration date immediately. This is nothing to joke around with.
The same is true for your Illinois Concealed Carry License (ICCL). That must be renewed 60 days in advance. The ICCL is more complicated. You need to have your requirements done (your renewal class and have passed your qualification, and all completed 60 days in advance) on the first possible day you apply. This is a mess and it isn’t right. The ISRA will attack this problem ASAP.
See page 45 to join the ISRA or to give membership as a gift.
We need your support!
www.ISRA.org
