The Virginia gubernatorial is a race to watch.  On November 2, 2021, Virginia will elect a new governor.  The race is between anti-gun former Democrat Governor Terry McAuliffe and Republican challenger Glenn Youngkin.  Virginia has become a blue state and McAuliffe should be a shoo-in but he is getting a lot of push back from Second Amendment supporters.  Just to add fuel to the fire, if McAuliffe wins, he will bring with him anti-gun Attorney General Mark Herring.  This will be Herring’s third term if elected.

I believe McAuliffe is in trouble.  I am not on the ground there but there has been a lot of internet traffic from anti-gun politicians in other states requesting funds for McAuliffe.  Most notably, in Illinois, from Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.

This is a bellwether race that could predict how the midterm elections in 2022 might go.  I have to compliment the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL-PAC) efforts in stopping McAuliffe.  McAuliiffe has received $1,000,000 from Michael Bloomberg and from some big utility companies in Virginia.  In a year, it will be our turn.   The City of Chicago’s mayor, Lori Lightfoot, has fallen in line with other big city mayors in trying to get policemen, firemen, and other public employees to get vaccinated for Covid or lose their jobs.  Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara has called officers not to comply.  The Chicago Police Department should be staffed by at least 13,000 officers.  Right now, there are only 11,000 officers and that number is slipping.  If Mayor Lightfoot enforces her mandate, the number could go much lower.  It would also mean the Chicago chaos is going to get worse.  Moreover, that chaos will likely spill out to the suburbs.  It is rumored that Chicago has asked other police departments for help and were told no.  The failures in Chicago to control the gangs means that surrounding police agencies will have their hands full.  Recently, the President of the Seattle Police Guild told city residents to prepare to defend themselves. That same piece of advice applies to Chicago residents.

On November 3, 2021, oral arguments will be heard before the Supreme Court of the United States regarding the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v Bruen case.  A new amicus brief has been filed by several New York Public Defenders offices, Black Attorneys of Legal Aid, the Bronx Defenders and Brooklyn Defenders in support of the NYSR&PA.  The brief explains how the New York law was used to discriminate against people of color.  If this case goes our way, it will put the “big hurt” on racist anti-gun liberals.  The fact is the New York law has been used to crush the Second Amendment rights of everyone in New York no matter who you are.  We may not get a decision until June on this case. 

ISRA cases are still waiting to be heard.

Most of what happened in the first Veto Session was behind the scenes this week.  The second Veto Session will start next Tuesday.  I expect there will be plenty of action.  There are several bills out there that could affect the Second Amendment in Illinois.  One of those would be the microstamping bill, HB 2769 House Amendment 1 .  The ISRA has learned they will try to pass the microstamping bill in the House.  Stand by for alerts.  Call your State Representative and tell them to oppose this bill.  Usually, the General Assembly goes back into regular session in January.  In any case, the ISRA lobbying team will be there.

Henry Repeating Arms is the latest of the firearm manufacturers to move out of anti-gun states.  New Jersey has been Henry’s home but they are moving to a new 84,000 square foot facility in Ladysmith, Wisconsin.  Henry Repeating Arms has purchased 13.5 acres in Ladysmith for future expansion.  Henry employs 600 people in several locations.  Moving out of New Jersey is one of the better employee benefits a company could offer.

The 2021 ISRA Annual Sighting-In Day will be held this Saturday, October 23^rd from 10:00 – 3:00 at our Range.  Sight-in your shotgun, rifle, pistol, muzzleloader or bow.  $10.00 per firearm, open to the public, free parking.  No ammunition is available on premises.

Reminder: October 30 & 31, 2021, Defensive Training International (DTI) Defensive Handgun Course - John Farnam, Instructor, will be at our Range.  To register for this 2-day course, please use this link to register.

Tidbits:
October 22, 1797 - The first parachute is completed in Paris, France, from a height of 3200 feet by Andre-Jacques Garnerin.  The parachute was a 23-foot canopy attached to a hydrogen filled balloon. There was a basket attached to the parachute and when the Frenchman got to 3200 feet, he climbed into the basket and cut it loose.  There was no air vent in the top of the parachute so it kept swinging violently back and forth.  Still, the parachute landed safely but Garnerin was shaken up but not hurt.  In 1802, he jumped from 8000 feet which was much more successful.  In 1799, Garnerin’s wife became the first women to successfully jump using a parachute.  The idea of a parachute was hypothesized in the 1490’s by Leonardo da Vinci.  Today, they are common, reliable and controllable.

October 22, 1957 - The United States suffers the first casualties in Vietnam when guerrillas attacked a group of military advisors.  The U.S. denied that we were in Vietnam in the 1950s and early 1960s until the Vietnam War was over.  I had a friend who was there and when he looked into his service record, he was not there.  It did not show on his service record until 30 years later, not that they would fool with those records, of course.

October 23, 1983 - Terrorists attacked the U.S. military base in Beirut, killing 241 military personnel.  My cousin was there but left the cafeteria early and went back to his office. The blast threw him against the wall, breaking his jaw and other bones.  He lived through it but it took him a year to recover.

October 25, 1929 - Albert B. Fall is the first member of a presidential cabinet to be convicted of taking a bribe.  Fall was Secretary of the Interior under President Warren G. Harding.  He took a bribe to allow oil companies to drill on government land in the Elk Hills naval oil reserve in California and the Teapot Dome naval oil reserve in Wyoming.  The bribe was $100,000 which was quite a sum of money in those days.  I guess you could say Mr. Fall got caught and had to take the fall.

October 25, 1853 - The Transcontinental Railroad had long been a dream of many in the United States.  After the Mexican War, survey crews scouted the west for a way through the prairies and mountains that would be feasible.  On October 25, 1853, a group of Paiute Indians attacked the survey crew, killing the leader Captain John Gunnison and seven others.  Lt E.G. Beckwith took command and completed the survey.  This survey team was one of four teams and this team is the one that found the most feasible route through the mountains.

When the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869, it cut travel time from 25 days to 4 days from Omaha to San Francisco.  The introduction of luxury accommodations aboard the train rivaled that of ocean liners.  The cost was about $2700, in today’s money, for first class.  There were also second-class and third-class accommodations.  Third class was still a hefty $1350.  Second class had upholstered padded seats and third class had wooded seats.  Still, they got there in 4 days not 25 days.

October 26, 1825 - The Erie Canal is completed.  Most of the canal was excavated by Irish diggers using hand tools.  They were paid $10 per month.  As an incentive, barrels of whiskey were placed at various points to reward the diggers.  The canal opened the west through the Great Lakes.  Other canals were purposed like the Illinois Michigan Canal but railroads soon made them obsolete.

October 27, 1858 - Theodore Roosevelt is born.  He was home schooled.  Roosevelt was sickly but determined to not let that stop him as he enjoyed the outdoors.  When he went to Harvard University, he joined the boxing team.  Graduating in 1880, he married Alice Hathaway Lee the same year.  In 1884, the couples only daughter was born.  Two day later, Alice and his mother died on the same day.  He gave his daughter, also named Alice, to his sister to raise.  Roosevelt headed for Dakota Territory to try his hand at ranching and experience the American frontier.  Not only did he run the ranch, but he soon became local law enforcement.  In 1886, a blizzard wiped out his herd and he returned to the East.  His two years of living on the frontier had changed Roosevelt.  He now saw things differently than his cohorts in the East.  Roosevelt had boundless energy and could outwork and outthink them all and he absolutely never quit.  They railroaded him into the Vice Presidency to get rid of him but that didn’t work out for them.  Thank goodness.

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Upcoming Events: ISRA Calendar
For more information, visit www.isra.org

Saturday, October 23, 2021
Handgun Drills
ISRA Annual Sighting-In Day

Sunday, October 24, 2021
ISRA Bullseye Match

Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Combat Paper & Steel League

Saturday, October 30, 2021
The Well Armed Woman
DTI Defensive Handgun Course

Sunday, October 31, 2021
DTI Defensive Handgun Course
Glock Fall League

Gun & Trade Shows

Belleville Gun & Knife Show – Belleville, IL
Belleville Fairgrounds
Dates: October 22 & 23, 2021
Hours: Friday: unavailable
             Saturday: 9:00-5:00
Admission: $6.00

Peoria Gun & Knife Show – Peoria, IL
Exposition Gardens
Dates: October 30 & 31, 2021
Hours: Saturday: 9:00-5:00
             Sunday: 9:00-3:00
Admission: $6.00

Sauk Trail Gun Show – Princeton, IL
Bureau County Fairgrounds
Dates: October 30 & 31, 2021
Hours: Saturday: 8:00-4:00
             Sunday: 8:00-3:00
Admission: $2.00