Illinois' Pro 2nd Amendment Resolution tabled (Carroll County)

(Prarie Advocate Newspaper--I added the bolding)




Illinois' Pro 2nd Amendment Resolution tabled

State's Attorney/Finance Committee chairman Rod Fritz (D-3) motioned to approve a resolution presented by Dick Vieth at the committee's March 13 meeting. The motion was seconded and opened for discussion.

So far, 70 of the 102 counties in Illinois have passed the model resolution. The resolution was developed as a response to several pieces of legislation being proposed by Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley.

The resolution is in support of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article 1, Section 22 of the Illinois Constitution, which states that the right of the people to bear arms is guaranteed as an individual right for defense of life, liberty and property, and "is regarded as an Inalienable Right by the People of Carroll County, Illinois."

The resolution states that "the people of Carroll County derive economic benefit from all safe forms of firearms recreation, hunting, and shooting conducted within Carroll County using all types of firearms allowable under the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Illinois."

The resolution urges the Carroll County Board, who have been elected to represent the people of Carroll County, and being duly sworn by their oath of office to uphold both Constitutions, to oppose the enactment of any legislation that would infringe upon the rights of the people to keep and bear arms, and to consider such laws to be unconstitutional and beyond legislative authority.

Chuck Wemstrom (D-3) didn't like the wording in the resolution that stated the County would "oppose the enactment of any legislation . . ." "I don't think that we should word it that we won't restrict some types of gun legislation."

Judy Gray (D-2) asked for confirmation from Wemstrom. "Are you opposed to certain wording in the resolution, or against the whole resolution?", she asked.

"There are some restrictions regarding semi-automatic weapons and the number of guns a person may have that we should not be opposed to," he replied. "It makes perfect sense to have pertinent rules and regulations regarding these types of weapons."

Gray then motioned to table the issue for further research and discussion with Vieth.



Link: http://www.prairie-advocate-news.com/3-26-08/funding3_26_08.html

(story at bottom)

Letter I wrote to the Prarie Advocate (email for the paper is at the bottom of the story linked above): anyone else care to send a kindly-worded note?

As a life-long shooter and resident of Carroll County I was taken aback by Mr. Wemstrom's reasons for not supporting the Illinois pro-second amendment resolution that has won overwhelming approval in the majority of rural Illinois counties. Not caring to support the resolution is well within the purview of his office as a member of the Carroll County Board and I take no issue with that, but his stated reasons are very disconcerting; just what are these "pertinent rules and regulations' of which he speaks regarding lawful weapons? What limit on the number of guns owned by a citizen would satisfy him personally? He may not like firearms or might just be woefully ignorant of them and the extensive laws and licensing already in place in Illinois-in either case his paternalistic concern and comments are uncalled for and out of line. His terminology speaks of the annual assault on rights that comes from Mayor Daley as he tries to demonize, ban and restrict the actions of law abiding citizens outside of Chicago's boarders. Two of the premier producers of semi-automatic rifles and pistols used in competitive shooting, hunting and self-defense are made right near us in Genesseo, Illinois (Armalite and Springfield). One producer, Les Baer, has already fled our state to Iowa for fear that this prohibitionist mentality may eventually prevail; twenty good jobs left the state as well. It is time to put an end to this Chicago-driven incrementalism with regard to firearms.



Mike Bishop

On the whole it is a nice idea with a great graphic of progress:

http://www.pro2aresolution.com/id12.html