It's been two years since five women were terrorized then brutally murdered in a Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park, IL. Even though the policeman answering the 911 call was just minutes away in the parking lot of the shopping center where the store was located, the murderer was able to brutally kill the women and leave the scene undetected.
It has been two more years that women in Illinois have been denied the right to protect themselves against such violence.
Two more years and how many more women have been beaten, robbed, sexually assaulted or murdered? Two more years from now - what will that number be?
Valinda Rowe, spokespeson for IllinoisCarry.com, says those questions should haunt every elected office holder, every law enforcement officer, and every law-abiding citizen in the state of Illinois.
Illinois is the last and only state that prohibits the carrying of firearms for self-defense. Forty-eight states have some form of law recognizing the carrying of concealed firearms. Wisconsin, does not have a law concerning the carrying of concealed firearms, but does recognize
openly carrying a firearm for self-defense as legal.
An attempt to pass a carry law in the Illinois General Assembly was narrowly defeated several decades ago and has since been thwarted by the leadership in both chambers who maintain, in spite of the Tinley Park massacre and Chicago's horrific homicide numbers, that the issue is largely a downstate concern.
Ms. Rowe blasts the Illinois General Assembly leadership for not bringing the issue of personal self-defense for IL citizens to the floor for consideration. Ms. Rowe says, "I want every woman and man in this state to be outraged by what happened to those women in that store. I want the good citizens of IL to join me in Springfield to demand that not another two years go by before legislators pass a Right to Carry law.
Last March nearly 5,000 IL citizens attending Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day, known statewide as IGOLD, marched in Springfield to the State Capitol and called for immediate consideration of a carry law. That outcry has gone unheeded. Ms. Rowe, one of the organizers of the event,
vows supporters of a carry law will return in even greater numbers this coming March 10th to demand legislators uphold the right of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families. More information about the event can be found at IGOLD.isra.org.
Meanwhile, the Tinley Park murderer remains at large, free to commit other atrocities against a society that Ms. Rowe contends is rendered defenseless by politicians.
(Ms. Rowe is a certified firearms instructor and spokesperson for IllinoisCarry.com which is an online
discussion and action forum dedicated to securing a Right to Carry law in Illinois).
Valinda Rowe,
Pundits say the issue of carrying a firearm for personal protection is a geographical issue - a downstate issue. Some upstate legislators deny right to carry is a statewide issue and argue lllinois citizens north of I-80 have no interest in the right to carry a firearm for self-defense.
Without a doubt, they were proven wrong this past week when a standing room only crowd of 500+ citizens from all over McHenry County turned out in support of Right to Carry in Illinois!
Women and men crowded into the packed Lakemoor Banquet Hall, in Lakemoor, IL to show their support for the right to carry and to learn what they can do to push the Illinois legislators to pass a right carry law in Illinois. Those in attendance voiced their displeasure with being denied the same rights that law-abiding citizens have in 49 other states. 48 states have some form of concealed carry law and open carry is recognized in the state of Wisconsin, leaving Illinois as the last and only state with no provision at all for the carrying of a defensive firearm and considers it a felony to do so.
The hugely successful town hall meeting was the kick off event for the newly formed McHenry County Right to Carry Association. The MCR2CA is a non-partisan group dedicated to advancing the right to carry for citizens of Illinois. To learn more about this group and to add your support go to MCR2CA.com.
The group partnered with IllinoisCarry.com to bring the issue of Right to Carry to the people of McHenry County. Speakers for the event included Pres. of the new organization, Lou Rofrano; Lee Lexow, Vice-President McHenry County Sportsman Association; Valinda Rowe, IllinoisCarry.com spokesperson; Mike Weisman, First Vice President Illinois State Rifle Association; Julie Chiabe, President McHenry IPSIC Sport Shooters; Nick Provenzano, candidate for McHenry County Board Dist. 3; Joe Walsh, candidate for U.S. Congress 8th District; and McHernry County Sheriff Keith Nygren.
The idea for the town hall meeting began when one man decided to get involved - Lou Rofrano contacted Valinda Rowe of IllinoisCarry and asked what he could do to advance Right to Carry in Illinois. Having conducted many successful Right to Carry town hall meetings, IllinoisCarry worked with the group throughout the planning process.
If you would like to help organize a Right to Carry town hall meeting in your community contact Valinda Rowe at IllinoisCarry.
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Mark your calendars! Schedule the day off from work!
You won't want to miss the largest turn out of Second Amendment supporters IL has ever seen!
Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day
IGOLD
Wed. March 10, 2010 Prairie Captiol Convention Center, Springfield, IL
Doors open at 10:30, Concessions open at 11:00, Pre-rally 11:45, Legislative Briefing Noon, March to Capitol 1:15 pm!
Reserve a seat on one of the many charter buses headed to Springfield and watch for details as they develop at IGOLD.isra.org.
IGOLD t-shirts will be available for purchase prior to the event and at the PCCC. Monies raised from selling the t-shirts goes to help fund the event. We encourage you to support IGOLD by purchasing the official IGOLD t-shirts.
IGOLD has gained statewide and national recognition as a well organized and highly respected event. Each year, as the event has grown larger and larger we have gained the respect of City and Capitol police/security for the professional and orderly manner in which we conduct ourselves - as well as for our cooperation in helping to make the security screening process as expedient as possible.
To expedite security procedures it is best to enter the Capitol with the least number of items that must be opened, searched or screened. If you can narrow that down to a wallet that can be tossed on the scanner bed all the better!
We thank you for your cooperation - and so will Capitol security!
By The Associated Press 12:24 p.m. CST, December 12, 2009
The Associated Press recently asked candidates for Illinois governor questions about gun-control legislation.
Here are highlights of their answers:
QUESTION: "Would you sign or veto legislation banning the sale and possession of semiautomatic assault-style weapons in Illinois?"
REPUBLICANS
-- Adam Andrzejewski: "Would veto a ban on semiautomatic 'assault weapons' in most circumstances. It comes down (to) law abiding citizens having the right to defend their life, liberty and property."
-- Bill Brady: "I am opposed to any further restrictions to the ownership of firearms as guaranteed in the Bill of Rights and would veto legislation banning the sale and possession of semiautomatic weapons."
-- Kirk Dillard: "Without having more sufficient detail, including the definition of an "assault-style weapon," and for what circumstances the use of these weapons would be approved, this question is difficult to answer."
-- Andy McKenna: "I believe in the Second Amendment and law abiding citizen's right to own firearms to protect their families and for sporting purposes.
-- Dan Proft: "I would veto such legislation. ... I believe arbitrary gun bans are unconstitutional and would oppose such bans."
-- Jim Ryan: "I would sign it provided it was narrowly drawn and did not violate our 2nd Amendment rights."
-- Bob Schillerstrom: "I would sign constitutionally sound legislation banning assault weapons in Illinois."
DEMOCRATS
-- Dan Hynes: "I would sign legislation banning the sale and possession of semiautomatic assault-style weapons in Illinois.
-- Pat Quinn: "I would sign legislation banning the sale and possession of semiautomatic assault-style weapons."
-- William "Dock" Walls: "I would sign such legislation."
GREEN
-- Rich Whitney: "If it truly and accurately defines assault weapons in a manner that does not impair the rights of lawful gun owners to possess firearms for defensive purposes, and respects the rights of legitimate gun collectors, then yes, I would sign it."
---
QUESTION: "Would you sign or veto legislation allowing concealed-carry for handguns?"
REPUBLICANS -- Adam Andrzejewski: "I would sign it. ... Law abiding citizens have this right."
-- Bill Brady: "Constitutional rights should be afforded to eligible, law-abiding Illinois citizens, and therefore concealed carry should be legalized.
-- Kirk Dillard: "With proper training and thorough background checks, and dependent upon the exact language drafted in the legislation, I could support allowing concealed-carry for handguns as almost every other state in the nation has done."
-- Andy McKenna: "I am opposed to concealed-carry legislation."
-- Dan Proft: "I would sign right to carry legislation."
-- Jim Ryan: "I would veto. I believe reasonable people can differ on this issue but on balance, drawing from my experience as a law enforcement official, I believe we are better off without concealed-carry."
-- Bob Schillerstrom: "I would veto legislation allowing concealed carry for handguns. I am a supporter of the Second Amendment; however, I do not believe that concealed carry is a solution for reducing crime in the State of Illinois."
DEMOCRATS
-- Dan Hynes: Hynes didn't take a position on concealed carry in general but did say he opposes a new law letting people bring concealed guns into someone else's home if they have permission.
-- Pat Quinn: "I would veto legislation allowing concealed-carry for handguns."
-- William "Dock" Walls: "I would veto conceal and carry legislation."
GREEN
-- Rich Whitney: "I would sign legislation allowing concealed-carry or open carry -- although ... I would prefer that any such legislation allow individual counties to opt out if they so chose."
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