Saturday, July 9, 2011

Will pro-gun crowd kill concealed carry?

Will the pro-gun crowd kill the concealed-carry movement in Illinois?

The Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) publicized this morning's town hall meeting in Highland Park, and my guess is that a bunch of out-of-district pro-gunners showed up. I hope they had better manners than the crowd at Rep. Keith Farnham's town hall meeting in Carpentersville.

The crowd there bordered on rabble-rousers. One man announced it was his GAWD-GIVEN RIGHT to carry a gun. Well, it's not. Another proclaimed that it was his constitutional right to carry a gun. In Illinois, it's not. If he thinks it is, then he should. And I hope he can afford a good lawyer.

Concealed carry is not going to pass in Illinois by intimidating legislators. Strong-arm union tactics (bullying and threats) will not work. Many of the legislators are highly educated and intelligent. They should be approached and dealt with on their level.

Each one of the legislators who voted "No" on HB 0148 on May 5 can be persuaded to vote "Yes". If the pro-gunners show up with their yellow IGOLD t-shirts and their "I Don't Call 9-1-1"-emblazoned t-shirts, all they will do is harden the opposition to concealed carry. The best thing they can do is stay home.

ISRA should be leading the way with plans that will work; right now, it's not.

7 comments:

dave said...

Who's Rep. Craig Farnham?

Gus said...

My error. Rep. Farnham's first name is Keith.

yagottabekidding said...

Oh that pesky 'Bill of Rights'. Step on number one to get number two? Shame on you.

Gus said...

tiredof, not sure what you mean? Would you mind explaining?

The First Amendment is every bit as important to me as the Second. In fact, it is the Second Amendment that protects the First.

I did not mean that the outspoken proponents should not speak, but that they should consider the effect of their tone and demeanor. In my opinion, some of them were counter-productive at Rep. Farnham's town hall meeting.

yagottabekidding said...

Nope. I know how this works. You don't like my comment, explanation, or reasoning and it doesn't get posted thereby making (at least in your eyes)you look like the only one with the correct outlook. Oops, I guess that IS an explanation!

Gus said...

tiredof, I post many comments that don't align with mine. I also receive, occasionally, anonymous comments that libel others; those, I reject.

bill Matteson said...

Gus I agree with you
IT seems, sometimes we are our own worst enemy, the red necks that show up, loud and boisterous shouting about god given rights, scare the living hell out of me and if I were a law maker I wouldn't want them carrying anything, let alone a gun.
And I wonder if "our Lawmakers send in ringers like this just to prove a point, that guns don't belong in the hands of the population.

when we attend these functions we have to be polite, civil but stern and focused.