We have several court cases slowly moving through the courts. The Gun Dealer Licensing Certification case has been delayed because the original judge recused herself and a new judge has been appointed. We are waiting for our new hearing date, which may just be a preliminary hearing.
In the Deerfield case, the judge combined our case with the GSL case which gave Deerfield another chance to appeal. Had the case not been combined, Deerfield would have been done. The Vivian Brown FOID card case was heard by the Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday. I do not know when we will hear anything.
The White case had a preliminary hearing on September 17, 2019. We will let you know when oral arguments are scheduled. The White case deals with the failure of the State of Illinois to issue an Illinois Concealed Carry License to a person who has a FOID Card and no criminal record.
There will be more court challenges coming in the future, I am sure. Although the NRA has chosen to discontinue gun rights litigation in Illinois, the ISRA wants to assure our members that we are willing and able to continue our fight for gun rights in the courts. I want to thank our members for your unwavering support.
A few years ago, I wrote an article entitled “The Gathering Storm.” That storm is now here and we still have yet to see the worst of it. The legitimate gun owning community is made up of individual gun owners, hunters, dealers, collectors, those interested in self-defense, and target shooters of every conceivable variety. Now is the time to come together and stay together. If you are not an ISRA member you should be and I am asking you and your friends to JOIN the ISRA now. It is no secret that it takes members and money to fight this onslaught. I see and hear of gun groups popping up here and there claiming they will do all kinds of things for you. The fact is, the one with the best track record is the ISRA. Some of those out there have no track record at all, even though they claim they do.
Just in case you are not aware, Walmart has decided to stop selling certain types of ammunition. Walmart has succumbed to political pressure from the left. We can certainly tell that Sam Walton is no longer running the show; Sam would have thrown them out.
Walmart serves a lot of rural America where the shooting sports is popular. This is a lesson for us all. Big box stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart are just there to skim off the cream and leave whatever else is left to, in this case, the local gun shops. I ask we all do more to support local retailers who are dedicated to the shooting sports and the Second Amendment. Those folks are glad for your business and will not throw you under the bus because of political pressure.
We are beginning to see attacks on concealed carry here in Illinois and across the country. Stores like Walmart, Walgreens, CVS and others have requested people not open carry in their stores in the states that allow Open Carry. This situation was likely caused by the person who slung a rifle over his shoulder and was walking around a Missouri Walmart. There have been several incidents similar to this around the Country. Actions like these only hurt the pro-gun cause. At this time, none of the stores have taken any position on Concealed Carry in their stores.
Walmart is working with Moms Demand Action to lobby Congress. Remember that when you go shopping for your firearms and ammunition
As expected, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled against us on August 29th, 2019, in the Matthew Wilson, et al., v. Cook County, et al., court case. This case dealt with Cook County’s ban on large capacity magazines and semi-automatic firearms. The same court ruled in a similar fashion on the Friedman v. City of Highland Park case. Courts do not like to reverse themselves and so we are not surprised that the court ruled against us on the Matthew Wilson, et al., v. Cook County, et al., court case. We will now appeal this case to the Supreme Court of the United States. If you recall, the McDonald case followed the same pattern. This case, like others, may take a long time and will take substantial resources as well. If you are able, please consider contributing to our Legal Assistance Committee. Please go to our Legal Assistance Committee page and make a donation today.
Last week, I reported on a case of mistaken identity in which an innocent person received an injunction and was ordered to turn in his firearms. Jonathan Carpenter went to the Osceola Florida County Clerk and to the Sheriff’s Department to explain why he was not the right man. It was quickly evident they had the wrong Jonathan Carpenter but it did not matter, he was going to have to turn in his firearms.
Thankfully, a sympathetic police captain came forward with pictures of both men and showed them to the woman who filed the charges. She clearly identified the correct man and the charges were dropped. I am glad this case ended well but it would not have, had not the police captain stepped forward.
Red Flag Laws promote a rush to judgment mentality that often sweeps the wrong people into the court system.
A no-knock raid happened in Houston, Texas, that resulted in the death of Navy Veteran Dennis Tuttle, his wife Rhogena Nicholas, and their dog. From the beginning, this appeared to be a “put up” job by the cops. Supposedly, Tuttle and his wife were dealing drugs. The police said this was supported by a complaint from a neighbor and several informants. One informant supposedly reported that the pair had bought a bag of heroin and that was what the police in the no-knock raid were after. Absolutely none of it was true. No neighbor had complained and none of the listed informants ever heard of these people. The bag of heroin that was found in his squad car was purchased by the cop who led the raid, probably to be planted later. Forensics show the cops fired first as they burst through the door on the sleeping couple. The policeman who led the raid is charged with two counts of felony murders and his partner is charged with second degree murder. Charges against the other eight police officers involved are pending. What is going on in their minds that would risk killing two innocent people for a lousy promotion? If it looks like a rat, smells like a rat, it is probably a rat.
The first Veto Session is scheduled for October 28th, 29th and 30th; the second Veto Session is scheduled for November 12th, 13th and 14th.
The recent gun battle that ensued during a drug raid in Philadelphia had Democrat presidential candidates chattering like the inhabitants of an ape house at the zoo. In fact, their rant started before the facts were out. When the facts did appear, the chirping suddenly stopped.
The anti-gun side has narratives that are aimed at tarnishing the Second Amendment and law-abiding gun owners. This one blew up in their face. It turned out this bad actor is the star example of what we have been saying all along. This guy should have never been out on the streets. This country is plagued by politically motivated judges and persecutors. This guy is an example of what happens. The police arrested him but the prosecutors either plea bargain charges or in some cases, don’t even bother to charge some people. The shooter in Philadelphia wasn’t even charged and was allowed to walk on a felony the last time he was arrested; he had been convicted six times and was allowed to walk. Chicago is famous for this type of soft on crime attitude.
October brings archery deer season, with all the other hunting seasons close behind. For those going out of state, be sure to sight-in with the exact same ammunition you are going to hunt with. Each year, the ISRA runs a Sighting-In-Day and people show up with cheaper ammunition to sight-in with. Don’t do that because the cheaper stuff will not shoot the same way as your hunting ammunition. Also, don’t shoot from a hot barrel; let the barrel cool between shots. You have waited all year for a good shot. Don’t blow it by not being properly prepared.
Every law-abiding gun owner needs to be a member of the ISRA. If you are not an ISRA member, JOIN today.
For more information, visit www.isra.org See membership form on page 45 in ASO.
ISRA Sighting-In Day…Bring your Gun and come GET ZEROED IN!
SATURDAY OCTOBER 19, 2019 9:30 am – 3:30 pm Ranges 2, 3, and 5
Come out to the ISRA Range near Kankakee and sight-in your shotgun, rifle, pistol, muzzleloader or bow. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! FREE PARKING!
