ISRA: Gov. Blagojevich to Announce Election Year Plan to End Competitive Shooting and Gun Collecting in IllinoisSPRINGFIELD, Ill., Jan. 18 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) regarding Gov. Blagojevich's plan to end competitive shooting and gun collecting in Illinois:
During his State of the State address a few hours from now, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich will take the stage to outline a legislative plan that he and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley have concocted to put an end to competitive high power rifle shooting and gun collecting in the state. Disguised as a "crime fighting" measure, House Bill 2414 bans the types of firearms most prized by collectors and those that are the staple of competitive shooting worldwide.
The ISRA stands in opposition to HB2414 as the bill serves no purpose other than to harass law-abiding firearm owners. Claims that HB2414 is a crime fighting measure are unfounded as the bill bans firearm types rarely used to commit crimes while, at the same time, ignoring the criminal use of firearms. In short, HB2414 benefits nobody -- except Gov. Blagojevich whose flagging poll numbers have prompted him to take desperate measures to prove that he is "doing something" about crime other than committing crimes himself.
"Throughout his political career, Blagojevich has shown nothing but disdain for the law-abiding firearm owner," commented ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson. "As an Illinois State Representative, Blagojevich introduced legislation to raise the FOID card fee from $5 to $500 so that people would 'think twice' about wanting to own firearms. Blagojevich continued this tradition as a member of Congress where a full 50 percent of the bills he sponsored were oppressive gun control measures. Now, as governor, Blagojevich is acting as pitchman for every gun control scheme to come out of the 5th Floor of Chicago City Hall."
"The latest brainchild of the Daley/Blagojevich gun control team, HB2414, attacks the very heart of lawful firearm ownership here in the state," continued Pearson. "If HB2414 is signed into law, law-abiding firearm collectors would find their collections rendered virtually worthless overnight. Competitive shooting in the state would become nothing more than a memory as the state's competition rifle teams would no longer be able to own the very firearms that have earned them countless nationwide honors."
"The state's lawful firearm owners are sick and tired of taking it on the chin every time some feel-good notion pops into Daley's head," said Pearson. "We're not going to sit idly by while people like Blagojevich and Daley destroy the state's coveted heritage of safe and lawful firearms ownership. HB2414 is a purely political stunt to win votes from the uninformed. Therefore, our response to any representative who votes for HB2414 will be purely political as well. In other words, the gun owners of this state will ensure that state representatives rue the day they cast a 'yes' vote on HB2414."
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=59392.
