'Only One' blocks progress of pro-Second Amendment resolution in Illinois

Although the Illinois Pro Second Amendment Resolution website is the best place to go for updates on the resolution that more and more Illinois counties have adopted in support of the right to keep and bear arms (and in condemnation of the Chicago area based attempts to quash that right), I have tried to keep Armed and Safe fairly current with new developments (most recently here).

Today's news is about a set-back. Marion County, at the request of the sheriff, took consideration of the resolution off the agenda for October. It seems the sheriff (Sheriff Wolenhaupt), in the finest tradition of "Only Ones," is not comfortable with the idea of committing to a public resolution for support of the Constitution.

Wolenhaupt also informed the board he recently received a letter from an organization called the "Illinois Pro Second Amendment," asking for the county to pass a resolution acknowledging the right to bear arms.

"I don't think it's necessary to bolster what's already in the constitution. I don't think it can be said any stronger than the constitution," said Wolenhaupt.

Hmm--have you mentioned that to Governor Blagojevich, and various members of the Illinois Politburo legislature, who seem to think the Second Amendment is null and void in Illinois? It gets worse from there.

Wolenhaupt added he has been reluctant to get involved with the weapon activist groups because he feels many of them are asking for too much.

Standing up for the Constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human right of the individual to keep and bear arms is "asking for too much," eh? You had better hope we don't get tired of asking, Sheriff.

He feels that supporting such a resolution may be just a step away from allowing concealed weapons.

Allowing concealed weapons? The horror! That would threaten to make us as free as the residents of forty-eight other states. Obviously, Illinoisans are not to be trusted with that much freedom.

"The right to carry concealed weapons by the 'average Joe' - I'm not ready for that," said Wolenhaupt.

Though he does not support allowing average citizens to carry concealed weapons, he is in favor of allowing retired police officers the option to carry a concealed weapon.

"Retired police officers have to qualify with their gun. They also deal with the elements necessary to carry one," he said.

Spoken like a true "Only One"--and one, apparently, who intends to remain an "Only One" even after leaving office (speaking of which, does anyone know when the office of Marion County Sheriff next comes up for election?).

In other (and better) news regarding the resolution, I never got around earlier to posting that Perry County has joined forty-five other Illinois counties in adopting the resolution, and Edgar County will consider it at the county board meeting tomorrow (Oct. 10th).

That brings the most current map to this:

(click to enlarge)

The leaves may be getting ready to change colors, but the map of Illinois just gets greener and greener--springtime for freedom?

UPDATE: Within minutes of putting this post up, I found out that Montgomery County has adopted the resolution, making forty-seven (and counting) pro-rights counties in the state--the map has been updated.

UPDATE 2: Also, I forgot to mention that by sometime tonight, three of the four counties shown in yellow (Coles, Jo Daviess, and Washington) are expected to vote on the resolution, with the fourth (Edgar) voting tomorrow. In other words, by sometime tomorrow, exactly half the counties in Illinois may have drawn a line in the sand (thanks, Days of Our Trailers).