Thursday Bulletin – November 21, 2024
Executive Director's Message Richard Pearson |
Legislative Update We are watching several bills that will probably come up in lame duck session. Lame duck session will be the 7th or 8th of
January. The new legislature begins January 8th at noon. HB5888 - Lost and Stolen Firearms HB5891 and SB3971 - Safe Storage of Firearms SB2633 “Karina's Law” - This is a push for gun confiscation by the police. These bill numbers could change, so be careful about them. Litigation Update All cases are either waiting for a judge's decision or are in discovery. Do not expect much until after the holidays. Overcoming The Stigma Of Firearms When it comes to explaining to some people as to why the 2nd Amendment and self defense are important, they seem to put their hands over their ears and go da-da-da-da to
drown out your message. They do not want to hear it. Chances are they grew up in an over-protective household and their children are growing up in an even more protective household. I am not blaming them because they do not know any different, but their continued ignorance and an unwillingness to listen to factual evidence on the issue could get them injured or, worst case, killed. Almost
every day, I read about crimes that happen in both Illinois and across the United States. They are all awful and, in some cases, what happens to the victims is beyond vicious. To those “over-protected ones” in today's society...you need to understand a few things. The first is that criminals are not like you. They have, for the most part, no conscious or moral constraints. It
does not matter to them how badly they hurt their victims. In fact, the more heinous the crime, the more bragging rights they think they have. Criminals live in a sub-culture of hate and violence and when it comes to obeying the law, most criminals have no fear. This has been made worse in the past few years by soft prosecutors and soft judges who do not seem to want to prosecute criminals to the fullest extent of the law. They see YOU as an easy target! Many in our society today do not want to recognize this reality because it bursts their protective bubble. They do not want to think about what could happen to themselves, their family, and their friends. They also do not want to get their hands dirty. If they become
victims of crime, their typical responses are “this can't be happening to me”, “this shouldn't be happening to me”, “I didn’t do anything wrong”, “why am I a victim”, and other similar responses. They wallow in their victim-hood and the media encourages them to do so. The media will reiterate their stories time and time again but nothing is ever resolved. Think hard...when was the last time you heard the media report a successful self-defense story? If the story is reported at all,
it’s usually a 30-second sound bite on the 6 o’clock news and is never heard again. When it comes to dealing with criminal attitudes, the kinder, gentler folks do not take the issue head on, nor do those who are advising us on how to handle such issues. A good example is the “run, hide, fight” fairy tale of self-defense. When you ask tough questions like “where do you run”, “where do
you hide”, and “how do you fight back”, that self-defense fairy tale quickly melts away. Then there are those who think that karate, jujitsu, or some form of martial arts is the answer. There are certain advantages to learning martial arts. In my opinion, the main one is it toughens the mind. But, the fact is you might not be physically tough enough to fight back. The martial arts
take years to master, and you have to constantly practice. In the mean time, you might have to face a criminal that is much stronger, has better training, or is on drugs that makes him impervious to pain. What's more, you might be facing multiple criminals all at once. Superheroes in the movies might be able to handle that situation, and you might think you are a superhero but, unfortunately for you, you are not. In the real world, facing multiple attackers does not end
well. The other reality we all have to face is that martial arts does not work out very well for the slight of build, disabled persons, and elderly people. I can personally attest to the fact that when you get older your strength goes, your speed slows, and your agility diminishes, along with everything else. When I was young, I was breaking boards with my fists. Now, if I crush
a styrofoam cup, I feel macho. I can still pull the trigger, however. The fact is there is no better self-defense than a firearm. Period. A firearm is a great force multiplier. You do not have to be big, you do not have to be strong...you can be elderly, you can be disabled, and you can still defend yourself. A firearm allows you to defend yourself without engaging
in hand-to-hand combat. Of course, you have to take firearm training, and you have to practice, but this still requires less time than mastering martial arts and it greatly reduces your chances of being a victim. Judge McGlynn said in his opinion, “ A citizen who is attacked is an army of one. No one can arrive in time to defend you.” We in the firearms community need to
do a better job explaining these facts to our fellow citizens. I believe one of our weaknesses is that we do not explain the criminal mindset or how dangerous they are well enough. It is true that we are dealing with some people that do not want to hear the realities of what could happen, but we must continue to work to overcome the illogical fear of firearms that the media has put in the minds of many. It is a never-ending battle. We certainly do have our work cut out for
us! Reminder – Key Tag Donation If you have not sent your donation in for the Key Tag mailing, please try to do so as soon as you can. Education & Training @ ISRA Range, Bonfield, IL. ISRA Academy is continuing to offer CCL renewals each month – 11/30/2024 (Saturday) 1:00pm – 4:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse. 12/07/2024 (Saturday) 1:00pm – 4:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse. 12/09/2024 (Monday) 9:00am – 12:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse. Defensive Handgun Training 2-Day Course / John Farnam of Defense Training International (DTI) – 11/23/24 (Saturday) 9:00am – 5:00pm / Range 8 & Clubhouse. 11/24/2024 (Sunday) 9:00am – 5:00pm / Range 8 & Clubhouse. Defensive Handgun Training 2-day Course Registration HERE. CCL Class – 12/13/2024 (Friday) 8:30am – 5:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse. 12/14/2024 (Saturday) 8:30am – 5:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse. NRA Basic Pistol Instructor Couse – 1/11/2025 (Saturday) 8:30am – 6:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse. 1/12/2025 (Sunday) 8:30am – 6:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse. Glock Armorer Course – 2/11/2025
(Tuesday) 8:00am – 5:00pm / Clubhouse. Glock Armorer Course
Registration HERE. Glock Operator Course – 2/12/2025 (Wednesday) & 2/13/2025 (Thursday) 8:00am – 5:00pm / Range 11.
Glock Operators Course Registration HERE. Pistol Coaching Class / Level 1 – 3/22/2025 (Saturday) 8:30am – 4:30pm / Range 1 & Clubhouse 3/23/2025 (Sunday) 8:30am – 4:30pm / Range 1 & Clubhouse. Pistol Optics Principles with Brian Hill of “The Complete Combatant” – 4/12/2025 (Saturday) 9:00am – 6:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse. 4/13/2025 (Sunday) 9:00am – 6:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse. *** Please contact academy@isra.org for any training or class questions. The Illinois State Rifle Association is the home of marksmanship in Illinois Tidbits November 21, 1877 – The publication, Scientific American, announces Thomas Edison's invention of the phonograph. The first known words recorded were “Mary had a little lamb.” Because of this invention, Thomas Edison earned the nickname “The Wizard of Menlo Park.” Two years later he would invent the light-bulb. November 22, 1906 – Distress signal “S.O.S.” was adopted as the international distress signal. Many ships still did not have radios and, if they did, they only operated part of the day. Still, it was a start. November 22, 1963 – President John F.
Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas. - I remember that day well. I was in physical science class at Illinois State University. The professor announced the assassination of JFK. Several girls in the class stood up and began crying because they thought it was the end of the United States. I was scheduled to spend that weekend with my two cousins in
Peoria, Illinois, who were television engineers for WMBD television. They were, of course, called in and I went with them. WMBD was a CBS station but had feeds coming in from NBC and ABC. I spent the next several days immersed in that historic event. It is a memory I will never forget. November 23, 1942 – The Soviet
armies surrounded the Germans at Stalingrad. The Russian winter and long, slow supply lines combined to bog down the German army as they attempted to invade. Because of this, the Soviet forces captured 250,000 German and 65,000 Romanian troops. Tank battles became the theme of the Eastern front. The most ubiquitous
American tank at the time was the M4 Sherman. This was a medium tank, which was out-classed by the German tanks. U.S. industry produced 49,000 Sherman tanks before the end of World War II. It wasn't that American industry could not produce a heavier tank, but rather the problem of transporting these tanks to the front that was the problem. It would have been very difficult for ships to handle the transport because of their weight. The fear was that the heavier tanks
would capsize the ships. Despite being out-gunned and out-armored, however, the vast number of Sherman tanks utilized weapons like bazookas and artillery to overwhelm the Germans. It was not until 1952 that the United States produced a main battle tank (MBT). The tank was named the Patton Tank after the famous tank commander, General George Patton. Some of those tanks are
still in service around the world. November 24, 1963 – Nightclub owner, Jack Ruby, killed alleged John Kennedy assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, in the basement of the Dallas Police Station. Oswald's transfer from the police station was being televised live and millions of viewers, including myself, witnessed the shooting as it
happened. While the gun show information shown in this email is believed to be accurate, sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only. If your club or organization is holding a gun show, event or class,
let us know the details, and we’d be happy to post it in our Weekly Range Schedule. Nov 23 – 24 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds Nov 30 – Dec 1 Central Illinois Gun
Collectors Gun Show, Sangamon Co. Fairgrounds, New Berlin, Sat 9am - 3pm; Sun 9 am - 2pm, Admission $5 adults Nov 30 – Dec 1 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau Co Fairgrounds, Princeton Dec 7 – Dec 8 Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club Gun & Knife Show, Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club House,
Chillicothe Dec 8 Kane County Gun Show - Kane County Fairgrounds Dec 14 – Dec15 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman's Show, Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds Dec 14 – Dec15 Peoria Gun & Knife Show –
Exposition Gardens, Peoria
Dec 21 – Dec22 Crown Point Gun Show, Lake County Fairgrounds, Crown Point, IN
Jan 4 – Jan 5, 2025 Decatur Gun & Knife Show, Decatur Conference Center & Hotel, Decatur, IL Jan 12, 2025 Kane County
Sportsman's Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL Jan 25 – Jan 26, 2025 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL Feb 1 – Feb 2, 2025 Bloomington Gun & Knife Show, Interstate Center, Bloomington, IL Feb 8 – Feb 9, 2025 Quad Cities Gun Show, QCCA Expo Center, Rock Island, IL Feb 9, 2025 Kane County Sportsman's Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL Feb 15 – Feb 26, 2025 Central Illinois Gun Collectors New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County
Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL March 9, 2025 Kane County Sportsman's Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL March 29 – March 30, 2025 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL April 13, 2025
Kane County Sportsman's Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL ISRA Grassroots Monthly Meetings
Come and meet fellow activists and learn the latest on protecting our Second Amendment Rights! East Central
Illinois - 3rd Thurs – Clifton Sportsman’s Club, 3106 US-45 #52, Clifton, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm Northwest Suburban - 3rd Tues – Golden Corral, 1591 S. Randall Rd., Algonquin, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm South Suburban/Cook County - 2nd Thurs – Kenootz Pizza, 4659 147th St., Midlothian, IL; Doors open 6:30pm; Meeting 7pm –
8pm Will County - 3rd Wed – Silver Dollar Restaurant, 422 E. Mississippi Ave., Elwood, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
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