I promise that after today, I'll shut up about Illinois for a minute or two

Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day (IGOLD) '07 is officially in the books now. By all accounts, it was a roaring success, with an estimated 1200 responsible, law-abiding gun owners of Illinois refusing to be ignored by those who would write the laws by which the law-abiding must live. The gross distortions of the ICHV and Gun Guys notwithstanding, yesterday's endeavor made the will of the people known, in the finest tradition of grassroots lobbying.

One of the most important movers and shakers in the huge effort that went into IGOLD was Illinois Carry's own Valinda Rowe. She organized the other ladies attending IGOLD into a separate group, which visited the offices of Governor Blagojevich, Senate President Emil Jones, and Speaker of the House Michael Madigan. The governor was unavailable to meet them, as were his senior staffers, to everyone's shock (that's sarcasm, in case anyone missed it). The good ladies left behind some information about gun rights for the governor--he clearly needs an education on the subject.

Ms. Rowe also read a statement while at the governor's outer office. It's a powerful statement, and bears repeating.

Women of Illinois

Demand Right to Self-defense

March 14, 2007

Illinois State Capitol, Springfield, IL

1. The right to self-defense is a basic human right and is recognized and protected in 48 out of 50 of states as well as in our state and U.S. Constitutions.

2. Illinois is one of only two states that still do not have a right to carry law which would make it possible for law abiding citizens to carry a firearm on their person or in their vehicle to be used for protecting their families and themselves.

3. The only means of self-defense available to women in the state of Illinois is a court ordered Order of Protection, and that is only available if the woman knows the identity of a potential threat. Even that small bit of protection is ineffective in light of the fact 3,728 orders of protection are violated each year in the state of Illinois. The random victims of 766 murders, 5,982 criminal sexual assaults, 42,264 aggravated assaults, aggravated battery, attempted murders & ritual mutilations in 2005 alone were not afforded any protection!

4. The women of Illinois hereby demand the right to protect themselves with a Right to Carry law that is already honored and respected in the other 48 states.

The right to carry is coming to the state of Illinois it is only a matter of time. 48 STATES CANNOT BE WRONG. The legislators of the 95th General Assembly can either go down in history as having turned their backs on defenseless Illinois women who fall victim to violent crimes – or they can go down in history as having restored the basic human right of self-defense to the women of this great state! We urge the 95th General Assembly to pass the Family and Personal Protection Act SB348 and HB1304.

Women of Illinois

Protest Restrictions on Law-abiding Gun Owners

1. According to Chicago Police Department records more people were killed with baseball bats than so-called assault rifles and shotguns put together. Even more were killed by knives and hands and feet.

2. The LAWLESS ARE NOT BOUND BY ANY LAW much less one prohibiting the possession of firearms. This bill would leave firearms in the hands of criminals while disarming law abiding gun owners who have committed no crime and pose no threat to anyone.

3. Authorized studies of the federal assault weapons ban, which was allowed to sunset, determined there was no evidence to support the idea that the ban reduced crime.

4. What this bill calls an “assault weapon” is actually what thousands call home defense firearms and are used to protect families. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina law abiding gun owners used these very guns to protect their families and their neighborhoods in the chaos and aftermath that followed that disaster.

For thousands more these guns are precision target firearms long used by millions in the United States greatest historical tradition of marksmanship and hunting.

This bill is not an anti-crime bill; it is an anti-gun owner bill. We urge you to vote “NO” on SB16 and HB873 .

Governor Blagojevich did not hear that statement, which is too bad, because he clearly needs to. Perhaps, though, it is more important that the women of Illinois--the people most victimized by Illinois' state-mandated defenselessness--hear it (or at least read it). Toward that end, I intend to spread the good word just as far and wide as I can.

IGOLD 2007 was bigger than we had dared hope, and a rousing success. Those who advocate the disarmament of Illinois should be looking ahead to IGOLD '08 with dread, because it will be bigger yet, and WE SHALL OVERCOME