Conceal and carry shot down in Illinois

Democratic Governor Pat Quinn and his comrade Chicago Mayor Richard Daley worked the phones, called in favors and leaned on their partisan troops in the legislature to kill a measure which would have allowed law-biding citizens in the ‘Land of Lincoln’ the right to conceal and carry firearms for their protection.  Score another victory for the corrupt Chicago machine in their unholy quest to strip the citizens of Illinois of their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

On Wednesday Governor Quinn warned the legislature that if they passed the ‘conceal and carry’ bill he would veto the measure and the following day the Democratic controlled (and Chicago dominated) lower house took dead aim at the bill and fired.  When the smoke cleared on Thursday the final tally was 65-52-1 in favor of the bill, just short of the supermajority needed for a law limiting the regulatory authority of municipalities. The proposed bill would have been one of the most restrictive ‘conceal and carry’ laws in the country.  The Bloomington Pantagraph reports:

The measure, which traditionally pits rural downstate lawmakers against their counterparts from Cook County and Chicago, would have allowed Illinoisans age 21 or older to get concealed carry permits after completing a training course consisting of live-fire exercises and classroom instruction.  It would be up to county sheriffs to issue the permits, which would cost $100.

 

People convicted of felony charges or some misdemeanor drug crimes would be barred from getting a permit as would anyone who has been a patient in a mental institution within the prior five years.

 

[…]

 

Nearly all state and local government buildings, including courthouses, jails, schools, libraries and airports would be barred.  Colleges and universities also would be no-gun zones.

 

Concealed firearms wouldn’t be allowed at bars and taverns, child care facilities, casinos, amusement parks, stadiums, indoor sports arenas and businesses that don’t want guns on the premises.

The usual anti-gun lobby talking points were spouted by the usual partisan pols seeking to justify their continued assault on the Second Amendment (and maintain their campaign contributions from the anti-gun lobby).  Chicago Democrat Monique Davis claimed “it puts a lot of people in jeopardy.”  Ms. Davis concern for the safety of criminals who currently are free to prey on the state’s unarmed citizens is touching.  Fellow Chicago Democrat Will Burns said “It will not make our streets safer.”  Apparently Mr. Burns forgot that prior to the SCOTUS decision to strike down Chicago’s hand-gun ban, the city had asked for National Guard units to be deployed to stem the bloody tide of criminal violence in the streets.

The push to kill the ‘conceal and carry’ bill in the state legislature was one of retiring Mayor Richard Daley’s final official acts.  Daley, who once said "If it was up to me, no one but law enforcement officers would own hand guns” has been one of the most heavy-handed anti-gun advocates in the country. 

In a supreme bit of irony, the Chicago Sun Times reports that the lame-duck mayor has requested five full time police bodyguards to be assigned for his (and his wife’s) personal safety.

Fraternal Order of Police President Mike Shields called the mayor’s request ill-timed when a two-year police hiring slowdown has left the Chicago Police Department more than 2,300 officers-a-day short of authorized strength, counting vacancies and officers on medical leave and limited duty.

 

“We have an extreme manpower shortage.  The citizens of Chicago can feel that shortage.  To ask for five bodyguards is ridiculously excessive,” Shields said.

Perhaps Mr. Daley and his wife should consider relocating to a less dangerous city in a state which has ‘conceal and carry’ laws on the books rather than further burden the Chicago Police Department and the city’s taxpayers. 

Governor Quinn who teamed with Daley to rally the Democrat troops against the people’s right to keep and bear arms was supported in his campaign for governor by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (BCPGV).  The radical anti-gun organization (which also supported Barack Obama in 2008) has been linked to the George Soros’ backed Center for American Progress, MoveOn.org and other shadow groups. 

The Quincy News reports:

Quinn said if the plan becomes law, it may lead to more violence.

 

“I don’t think that’s healthy, if you are going to the grocery store,” Quinn said, “You bump into somebody accidentally, and they take offence, they can pull out a loaded, concealed handgun to assuage their anger.”

Yep, this man is the Governor of Illinois. 

May 7, 2011

paboehmke@yahoo.com