Illinois State Rifle Association Is Prepared To Meet Any Gun Bans Head-on

CHICAGO, June 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

The ISRA is cautioning Illinois home rule jurisdictions to think twice before enacting any bans on the ownership of rifles, pistols, shotguns or firearm-related accessories.  This warning comes on the heels of reports that about a half-dozen home rule communities are pondering the institution of such bans.

"Gun bans serve only two purposes," commented ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson.  "First and foremost, gun bans punish law-abiding citizens while ignoring violent criminals.  Second, promoting a gun ban is often a desperate attempt to boost a flagging political career.  Thus it's interesting to note that this current wave of gun ban proposals is being instigated by Governor Quinn and Lt. Governor Simon – both of whom will face stiff competition in the upcoming primary elections."

"Home rule communities would do well to ignore Quinn and Simon's gun control schemes," continued Pearson.  "The ISRA will scrutinize the process for passage of local ordinances that may infringe on citizen's Constitutional rights.  This will include statements made by local officials to private citizens, their public commentary, floor debates, etc.  We're not saying that we'd pursue litigation against municipalities or public officials, but as litigants in cases such as McDonald v Chicago, and ISRA v ISP, we've certainly shown that it is a possible avenue.  McDonald alone cost the City of Chicago millions of dollars in litigation costs and that had no Sect 1983 component to it.  We'd hope that with Chicago's Police department's own 2010 and 2011 murder analysis showing only 2 of more than 900 murders with rifles of any type, and FBI statistics showing many times more people murdered with hands and fists, public officials would find more meaningful things to do with their resources that spending them purposely violating their constituents Constitutional rights and raising the ire of voters."

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership.  For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of millions of law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

SOURCE Illinois State Rifle Association