FFL-IL Oppose Weapons/Mag Ban HB5855 - This is how it's done!

[Molly B.]

This is how you oppose an anti-Second Amendment bill!

 

Quote

Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois
1905 Marketview Dr. Ste 116
Yorkville, IL 60560

12/14/2020

Representative Chris Welch
Representative Jim Durkin
Senator Don Harmon
Senator Dan McConchie
Senator John Curran

Dear Leaders,
After the tragedy in Highland Park, members of the General Assembly have renewed discussions about
banning large groups of firearms under the moniker of so called “assault weapons,” a term that was
coined in the late ‘80s by gun control advocates, to deceptively depict semi-automatic firearms as
machine guns.

The current proposals are no different. They seek to prohibit some of the most popular firearms used for
competition, hunting, target shooting and yes, self-defense. The broad definitions of current proposals
effect rifles, shotgun and handguns, making it one of the broadest gun bans we have ever seen. By
reasonable estimates some 40 million firearms across the country would be affected by these proposals.
Add in the magazine ban and that number doubles.

Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois (FFL-IL), as a leading proponent of the US Constitutional guarantees
that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed opposes all these measures. We
are not asking for a seat at the table, as there is nothing to talk about. The legislature has made it clear
no amount of red tape, regulation, obstruction, or infringement will abate the appetite to gut the right
to keep and bear arms in Illinois.

To be clear, we are not here to negotiate. We will not be a party to any sacrifice, compromise or
watered-down proposal offering to hold off the draconian proposals for another day for a pound of flesh
today.

The General Assembly has been brought kicking and screaming into accepting the right to keep and bear
arms. Despite Heller and McDonald, gun owners had to file suit in order to obtain the right to carry
firearms for self-defense. In light of the New York Rifle & Pistol Assn. Vs Bruen decision issued this last
summer it is clear the proposals being talked about violate Heller, McDonald and New York’s
enumeration of the right to keep and bear arms.

The use of a two-part interest balancing test by our State Supreme Court and lower federal courts has
been rejected.

“If the last decade of Second Amendment litigation has taught this Court anything, it is that
federal courts tasked with making such difficult empirical judgments regarding firearm
regulations under the banner of “intermediate scrutiny” often defer to the determinations of
legislatures. But while that judicial deference to legislative interest balancing is understandable
—and, elsewhere, appropriate—it is not deference that the Constitution demands here. The
Second Amendment “is the very product of an interest balancing by the people” and it “surely
elevates above all other interests the right of law-abiding, responsible citizens to use arms” for
self-defense. Heller, 554 U. S., at 635. It is this balance—struck by the traditions of the American
people—that demands our unqualified deference.”

The new test is simple, does the law affect conduct covered by the text of the Second Amendment –
clearly these do. It is then the GOVERNMENT’s burden to show that the proposals are in line with the
text, tradition, and history of our nation’s right to keep and bear arms.

The Court was emphatic in its writing:
“Today, we decline to adopt that two-part approach. In keeping with Heller, we hold that when
the Second Amendment’s plain text covers an individual’s conduct, the Constitution
presumptively protects that conduct. To justify its regulation, the government may not simply
posit that the regulation promotes an important interest. Rather, the government must
demonstrate that the regulation is consistent with this Nation’s historical tradition of firearm
regulation. Only if a firearm regulation is consistent with this Nation’s historical tradition may a
court conclude that the individual’s conduct falls outside the Second Amendment’s “unqualified
command.”

No amount of demagoguery or demonization of guns or guns owners has any bearing on the right to
keep and bear arms. As a federal judge in Chicago on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals noted “The Second
Amendment has gone from a second class right to a supercharged right.” Another judge on that panel
said “The Supreme Court has reset the table”

Any of the lower court cases upholding any semi-auto ban are no longer controlling precedent or
binding on the courts. Highland Park vs. Friedman along with others had been relegated to the dustbins
of history. At the time New York was decided, four hostile rulings to gun owners and the right to keep
and bear arms were pending. Two of them dealt with magazine bans, one a semi-auto ban and a carry
case. ALL four were granted cert by the Supreme Court, then the rulings against gun owners were
vacated and remanded back to the lower courts with instructions to try again using New York’s
framework.

The General Assembly needs to quit blaming gun owners and a heavily regulated industry for the acts of
criminals and psychopaths. Those violent offenders, and the State Police in the cases of Highland Park
and Aurora, bear the burden of what took place.

As stated above, we are not interested in negotiations. We are prepared with our legal team to
vigorously challenge any of these gun control schemes in federal court in defense of our rights.

On Behalf of the Members and Board of Directors
Dan P. Eldridge, President FFL-IL

 

[Sweeper13]

Bravo.....

[Dumak_from_arfcom]

Spanky_Oh_Boy.gif

 

 

 

 

[Flynn]

Glad to see our side growing a spine, I have been beside myself for decades as they compromised away my rights, let's hope they actually don't go limp and instead stick to their guns with no more compromises, same with each and every elected official that took an oath to honor the Constitution, grow a spine and respect the 2nd without compromise!

[steveTA84]

Couldn’t be any more clear and this is exactly what needed to be said 

[solareclipse2]

Am I missing something or is that letter dated 2020 on purpose?

[Black Flag]

On 12/16/2022 at 7:41 AM, solareclipse2 said:

Am I missing something or is that letter dated 2020 on purpose?

Oooops.

[Lou]

Well written.  We are done compromising.  Compromising means each party gives a bit and meets in the middle 

Democrats version of compromise is you don’t lose as much and they gain everything. 
NO MORE!

[soundguy]

I love it, but it needs editing. It's a bit clunky in places. Plus the wrong date.

 

 

Cheers,

Tim

[papa]

Now if the ISRA would just assume the same stance and hold the line.  Maybe every member of the ISRA should contact them and demand they do so. 

[Jeffrey]

[bmyers]

On 12/16/2022 at 7:41 AM, solareclipse2 said:

Am I missing something or is that letter dated 2020 on purpose?

[steveTA84]

[cybermgk]

Flippin A bubba

[springfield shooter]

Pretty much.

[Rangerdeepv]

How much time and how much of our hard earned tax $$$ are they going to spend defending this totally unconstitutional crap are they going to spend. It is not their money after all.

[2A4Cook]

NICE WORK, DAN!!!  Every word likely lost on our so-called "Republican 'Leader.'"

[ragsbo]

On 12/16/2022 at 1:35 PM, Rangerdeepv said:

How much time and how much of our hard earned tax $$$ are they going to spend defending this totally unconstitutional crap are they going to spend. It is not their money after all.

They know it will get challenged and most likely over turned but while the courts are working (with these maggots dragging their feet and delaying as long as possible) they will be able to screw folks over and they know some will give up and get rid of their weapons. They also hope that SOMETHING might actually stick to the wall and make it through the courts. They will come back with more of the same over and over and over again until they are MADE to stop.

[djmarkla]

On 12/16/2022 at 5:39 PM, ragsbo said:

They know it will get challenged and most likely over turned but while the courts are working (with these maggots dragging their feet and delaying as long as possible) they will be able to screw folks over and they know some will give up and get rid of their weapons. They also hope that SOMETHING might actually stick to the wall and make it through the courts. They will come back with more of the same over and over and over again until they are MADE to stop.

The process is the punishment. The bureaucrats live by this. As a bonus they get to use your money against you. 

[max503]

On 12/16/2022 at 8:33 AM, soundguy said:

I love it, but it needs editing. It's a bit clunky in places. Plus the wrong date.

 

 

Cheers,

Tim

 

Exactly.  Think Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address.  He got up and spoke briefly right after some long-winded politician gave a 2 hour speech.  

 

Guess which one was more effective?  

 

If it was me I would go with something like this:

 

Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois
1905 Marketview Dr. Ste 116
Yorkville, IL 60560

12/14/2020

Representative Chris Welch
Representative Jim Durkin
Senator Don Harmon
Senator Dan McConchie
Senator John Curran

Dear Leaders,
After the tragedy in Highland Park, members of the General Assembly have renewed discussions about
banning large groups of firearms under the moniker of so called “assault weapons,” a term that was
coined in the late ‘80s by gun control advocates, to deceptively depict semi-automatic firearms as
machine guns.

The General Assembly needs to quit blaming gun owners and a heavily regulated industry for the acts of
criminals and psychopaths. Those violent offenders, and the State Police in the cases of Highland Park
and Aurora, bear the burden of what took place.

We are not interested in negotiations. We are prepared with our legal team to
vigorously challenge any of these gun control schemes in federal court in defense of our rights.

On Behalf of the Members and Board of Directors
Dan P. Eldridge, President FFL-IL

Edited December 17, 2022 at 03:34 PM by max503

[ragsbo]

On 12/17/2022 at 7:24 AM, djmarkla said:

The process is the punishment. The bureaucrats live by this. As a bonus they get to use your money against you. 

With no punishment for violating our rights and abusing their office

[Howard Roark]

Some of those spinless R's would probably vote for the bill.  Durkin (Durbin's twin) probably would. Might even co sponsor it. That man hates gun owners... or has he changed?

 

I think the percentage of semi auto rifle owners who register and pay the fines will be very low, probably less than 15%.  The orders from SCOTUS in Bruen were crystal clear and this HB bill is completely against the SCOTUS orders and the Dems and their weak-cousin Rs know it.  If it becomes law in Illinois, there will almost certainly be a block on it going into effect until it is ruled as Unconstitutional by the courts. 

 

The Bruen case at SCOTUS is not only a guide for legislators (Dems will ignore it), but for individual gun owners, most of whom will not.  We know our rights.

 

 

[howie]

Excellent. 

[yurimodin]

so can we donate to these guys instead of the ISRA?

[Tvandermyde]

On 12/20/2022 at 3:59 PM, yurimodin said:

so can we donate to these guys instead of the ISRA?

yes you can link

 

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