Thursday Bulletin – November 23, 2023
Executive Director's
Message Richard Pearson |
Happy Thanksgiving from myself, the board of directors and
staff. Thanksgiving is a great time for all of us to tell all of you how grateful we are, that you are members of the ISRA. I hope you have a great holiday and enjoy yourself! Our office will be closed for Thanksgiving, Thursday 23rd & Friday the 24th. Giving Tuesday the 28th at the ISRA Giving Tuesday has become a traditional day in the United States to give to your favorite cause. I believe the Illinois State Rifle Association is a great place for firearm owners to donate to. The ISRA covers every area of legal gun ownership from big game hunting to Olympic shooting to self-defense to firearm safety education. We offer every type
of training from the most basic to precision marksmanship. It is important that we continue these programs to introduce people to legal and responsible firearm ownership. If you would like to make a difference and donate to the ISRA on this Giving Tuesday, it will help to ensure that these programs continue. You can call the office at 815-635-3198, or mail to Illinois State Rifle Association, PO Box 637, Chatsworth, IL 60921. ISRA Files Appeal of Recent US 7th Circuit Court Decision Last week the Illinois State Rifle Association, along with many other groups, filed an En Banc appeal of the recent decision by the US 7th Circuit to deny an injunction against Illinois’ “Assault Weapons” ban. “The ISRA fought this unconstitutional ban on common firearms at the Statehouse and promised to see Governor Pritzker in court when it passed. Our appeal is the next step on the road to a likely hearing in front of the US Supreme Court. The ISRA remains committed to standing beside our fellow 2nd Amendment Defenders in Illinois against this law and we will fight all the way to the Supreme Court” – Richard Pearson, Executive Director, ISRA The appeal was filed to have the entire US 7th Circuit Court to hear the original petition for relief on the basis that the 2-1 panel decision conflicts with existing US Supreme Court precedent set forth in the Bruen decision, and conflicts with the recent US 9th Circuit Decision in Teter v Lopez. That decision further strengthened the argument against the banning of firearms in common use under the schemes
used by Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly. We are fighting for you. If you’re not a member, please join and help in our fight. Below you will find a link to join or donate to the Illinois State Rifle Association, or you may call the office at 815-635-3198 to join or to donate to our ongoing legislative and legal efforts, visit our website
at: https://isra.org/ , or mail to P.O. Box 637, Chatsworth, IL 60921. Many firearms owners continue to contact the ISRA with questions about the rules surrounding the registration of firearms
and parts under Governor Pritzker’s so-called “assault weapon” ban. We at the ISRA agree that the rules are vague and confusing. The Illinois State Police have even admitted that they continue to revise the rules, this in turn makes it almost impossible to follow what is already a vague and likely unconstitutional law. Make no mistake, the ISRA continues to fight this law
in Federal Court, and we expect that this vague and confusing law will eventually be overturned based on current case law. However, until that happens, firearms owners are faced with a choice of not complying, or trying to navigate rules that are nearly impossible to follow should they decide to register. In December there will be two hearings that have the potential to drastically change
or stop this overreach by Governor Pritzker. The first is a Federal Court Hearing in Southern Illinois in the first week of December. The second hearing will be December 12th in front of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, where changes to the rules are likely to be introduced or adopted. For these reasons,the ISRA recommends that all firearms owners wait
until after the outcomes of these hearings before deciding to comply with a law that we strongly believe will be overturned. ATF proposal to broaden the presumption of who constitutes a firearms dealer. We need your help on or before December 7, 2023, to contact your US Senators and Representatives as well as The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives (“ATF”). The ATF is proposing new regulations that change who is required to have a Federal Firearms License (“FFL”) in order to sell a firearm. These regulations have not been adopted and with your help the regulations may be rejected. The proposal provides rebuttable presumptions of who is selling firearms to “predominately earn a profit” and thus the
Proposal is that a person must be licensed if they sell firearms with intent to predominately earn a profit. In the Proposed regulations this is defined to include tagging a firearm with a sale price, renting a table at a gun show, or maintaining records regarding purchased and sold prices. These are rebuttable presumptions. The burden to prove otherwise then moves to the seller to establish that they are not “engaged in business.” These proposed changes in the regulations have come from a directive of the President and the Attorney General. They are asserting that these changes are proper based upon changes in federal law enacted in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (the “BSCA”). The BSCA does not provide for these presumptions. If the proposal is enacted, it
is not good news for gun owners, gun shows or the ISRA. Exactly how everything would fall out is not known, other than it will make things more difficult for law-abiding citizens. Here is a great Christmas gift idea for our
valued members, their friends and relatives! It is very important that you help us get new members to fight the battles before all gun owners. To carry on this fight, we need more and more new people to become members of the ISRA. You AND your new members will be entered into the drawing, for every new member you sign up! Please feel free to make copies of the form you received in the mailing, if you can recruit more than one member, or call the office at
815-635-3198 if you did not receive the mailing, and we’ll mail it to you. Your help is needed and very much appreciated! Tidbits
November 24, 1932 – The FBI Crime Lab
opens. In its early days, the FBI Crime Lab worked on about 200 pieces of evidence a year. By the 1990s, that number multiplied to approximately 200,000. Currently, the FBI Crime Lab obtains hundreds of new pieces of criminal evidence every day. The lab’s first full-time employee, Agent Appel began with a
borrowed microscope and a pseudo-scientific device called a helixometer. The helixometer purportedly assisted investigators with gun barrel examinations. J. Edgar Hoover, the head of the FBI, provided the lab with very few resources, but used the “cutting-edge lab” primarily as a public relations tool. November 25, 1783 – Last of the British troops leave New
York. Three months after the Treaty of Paris was signed ending the American Revolution, the British soldiers withdrew from the last military position in the United States. After the Redcoats departed New York, General George Washington entered the city in triumph to the cheers of New Yorkers. The city had remained in British hands since its capture, in September 1776. November 26, 1941 – FDR establishes Thanksgiving. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) signs a bill officially establishing the fourth Thursday in November, as Thanksgiving Day. Prior to signing the bill, FDR had moved Thanksgiving around to suit his political desires. This enraged the American public who preferred Abraham Lincoln’s idea of
the 4th Thursday of November. FDR finally took the hint. The tradition of celebrating the holiday on Thursday dates back to the early history of the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies. A famous Thanksgiving observance occurred in the autumn of 1621, when Plymouth Governor William Bradford invited local members of the Wampanoag tribe to join the Pilgrims in a
festival held in gratitude for the bounty of the season. George Washington had called for a day of Thanksgiving to be celebrated by all citizens of the United States. No specific date was ever set, until FDR signed the bill in 1941. November 26, 1942 – The movie
Casablanca premieres. Casablanca premiered nearly a year after WWII begin for the United States. Feelings of patriotism and the hatred of Nazis was at a fever pitch throughout the United States. Casablanca represented the feelings of the American public and was a hit. It is still one of my favorite films. I watch it at least once or twice a
year. If you are a movie lover and haven’t seen it, you should take time to watch it. November 27, 1746 – R. R. Livingston is born. R.R. Livingston, “The Chancellor”, was truly an unsung hero of the American Revolution and the United States. He was one of the Founding
Fathers. His nickname “The Chancellor”, was derived from his work in the state of New York. He was a member of the committee of five who drafted the Declaration of Independence, and later was the United States Secretary under the Articles of Confederation. It was Livingston
who administered the oath of office to George Washington when he became president in 1789. Under President Thomas Jefferson, Livingston was United States Ambassador to France when he negotiated the Louisianna Purchase. He also helped Robert Fulton promote the idea of the steamboat and the Erie Canal, and was a member of the Erie Canal Commission. R.R. Livingston dedicated his entire life to building the United States of America, yet he is often over-looked in
history. November 28, 1895 – Duryea Motor Wagon wins first auto race.
Charles Duryea and his brother Frank built the Duryea Motor Wagon, a one-cylinder, 4 horsepower automobile. On November 28, 1895, the Duryea Motor Wagon won first place in the first automobile race in the United States. The race was held during an early
winter snowstorm, in Chicago, Illinois. The snow was so deep, the participants had to tie ropes around the wheels, to get traction. The average speed of the Duryea Motor Wagon over a 50-mile course was a blistering 7.5 mph! The Illinois State Rifle Association is the home of marksmanship in Illinois At the Range
Click here to view the entire calendar. All
classes and events are open to the public & all range members, unless otherwise noted. Guest Speaker on Second Amendment Rights At the AWA November 25th meeting, there will be a legislative
overview given by the ISRA legislative team with a special presentation from State Senator Patrick Joyce. Senator Joyce is a good friend of our chapter, and a huge supporter of our Second Amendment rights. He has stood with us in opposing all anti 2nd Amendment legislation during his time in the Illinois Senate. So, ladies, “Enjoy Thanksgiving & Black
Friday, then come and enjoy a few hours of lady-time with us at the range on Saturday morning.” Click here for more info The ISRA Range offers great classes and leagues for shooting enthusiasts! Interested in joining a league? Just show up 15 - 30 minutes early. Range memberships are available. A day at the ISRA Range is
always a great day! Thank you
for being a member! Upcoming Gun Shows While the gun show
information shown in this email is believed to be accurate –
sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only. November 25 – 26 Central IL Gun Collectors, Sangamon Co. Fairgrounds, New Berlin November 25 –
26 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton November 25 – 26 St Charles Gun & Show, St Charles Convention Ctr St Charles, MO November 26 Lake County Gun & Sportsman Show, Antioch VFW,
Antioch December 2 – 3 Will County Gun Show, Will County Fairgrounds, Peotone December 2 – 3 Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Gun & Knife, Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club December 9 – 10
Bloomington Gun & Knife Show, Interstate Center, Bloomington December 9 – 10 Peoria Gun & Knife Show, Exposition Gardens, Peoria December 10 Kane County Sportsman's Show, Kane Co. Fairgrounds, St. Charles December 16 – 17 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds December 16 – 17 ECA Hunting & Trade Shows, IL State Fairgrounds, Springfield December 17
McHenry County Gun Show, McHenry Co. Fairgrounds, Woodstock 2024 SHOWS (added to as we receive more information January 13 Davenport Gun & Knife Show, Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, Davenport January 14 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles January 20 – 21 Dubuque Gun & Knife Show, Grand River Conference Ctr., Dubuque |
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