Supporting gun ownership and sportsmen's rights in response to the flurry of anti-gun and sport legislation under consideration in Congress and the Illinois State Legislature.
(If you would like to include your organization or events on our calendar, please contact us and we'll accommodate you)
Folks, it looks like DSA is requesting that we don't counter protest.
Check this.
The McHenry
Co. Sportsmen’s Association (http://www.mcsa56.org) is helping to organize
a counter-protest on
We’re trying to present the best in gun owners, so
we’re asking folks interested to be respectful and polite (even if they’re
getting in your face); The last thing we need is bad media!
Contact: Les ("mcsa56 AT gmail.com")
if you’re interested!
Posted 11:31AM May 30, 2008 by MCSA
Obama bowled a 37!
I'm sure my 5 year old niece could bowl at least a 50...
Posted 03:38PM May 28, 2008 by MCSA
I used to live in Humboldt Park (Division and Rockwell) before I moved out to Crystal Lake. I still go back to get some of the excellent Puerto Rican food, like Jibbaritos (Ham sandwich on plantains instead of bread), coco aveno (coconut oatmeal), and Puerto Rican Rotisserie Chicken, and visit some of my old neighbors (they still like boxing!!). While leaving my breakfast place this morning, I noticed the following sign in a window:
It offers a $125.00 dollar reward for every working firearm returned to the 14th District Police Station.
Legal questions aside (Do people turning them in have to have a FOID? If not, why are they exempt? Etc...), the sad thing is that this is well intentioned move probably won't get firearms out of the hands of the most ruthless gang members. (Coincidentally, the dividing line between the Latin Kings and Insane Disciples was Rockwell and Potomac, just one block north of where I lived!) The gangs have no incentive to turn guns in since they are, by definition, engaging in criminal behavior.
Gun buy-backs and amnesties don't work. Examine this quote from last year (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1868133/posts):
“One of the best crime-fighting strategies at our disposal is very simple — getting guns off our streets … and out of the hands of people who, unfortunately, would misuse them,” Daley said during a news conference at a Near North Side church."
I'm sorry, if that is "one of the best ... strategies" and Chicago is now observing an ever increasing death toll, then the solution that Chicago is proposing is obviously not working.
Posted 01:10PM May 28, 2008 by MCSA
On May 23rd, Jan Bosman wrote a letter to the editor of the Northwest Herald which essentially mocked the fact that McHenry County passed the Illinois Pro-2nd Amendment Resolution. I won't reprint it here, but Bosman argues that since the Supreme Court is deciding whether the 2nd Amendment was a collective vs. individual right, we shouldn't have passed anything.
Regardless of how the Supreme Court will decide, Bosman's argument ignores the Illinois State Constitution, where the right to keep and bear arms is clearly protected as an individual right:
ARTICLE 1, SECTION 22: RIGHT TO ARMSIn addition, Bosman implies that the ability of law abiding folks to use firearms in self defense is somehow wrong because any death was wrong - punctuating this idea with a few lines of John Donne's famous meditation, "For Whom the Bell Tolls."
Subject only to the police power, the right of the individual citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Posted 10:42PM May 27, 2008 by MCSA
A lot of other folks have discussed the recent Alderman Richard Mell/Daley fiasco and we touched a bit on this at our last meeting. For folks that haven't followed the Trib or the Sun-Times, here's what happened in a nutshell:
Chicago Alderman Richard Mell, father-in-law of Blagojevich, forgets to registers several pieces of his extensive firearm collection. He realizes his mistake and tries to register, after the fact, those items. The CPD essentially tells him, "TOO BAD!" and refuses to budge. So Alderman Mell write a new law that'd allow him to register the items. Daley, ever the anti-civil rights pro-gun control proponent conspicuously endorses Alderman Mell's law claiming that it would allow them to find out how many guns are out there - nevermind that the law would only apply to people whose registrations lapsed in the past few months.
Now the Fraternal Order of Police have chimed in too: Seems that they're miffed because their federal right to carry after retiring can't be exercised since they aren't allowed to register weapons post retirement...
Wow, talk about unintended consequences...
Posted 06:40PM May 27, 2008 by MCSA
From Caleb at "Call me Ahab", a study by UC Davis that calls into question the efficacy of the microstamping.
Key quotes:
At the present time, therefore, because its forensic potential has yet to be fully assessed, a mandate for the implementation of this technology in all new semiautomatic handguns sold in the state of California is counter-indicated.and
The vendor was supplied with 14 firing pins which were subsequently engraved at a cost of $3,500 or ~ $250.00 per firing pin.Funny, they kept telling us that it wouldn't be so expensive...
Posted 06:22PM May 27, 2008 by MCSA
This Thursday is the last match of the season for MISS. They're having a pizza & beer party afterwards, so if you're interested, come out and shoot or come for pizza.
Posted 11:31AM May 27, 2008 by MCSA
I added a calendar link to the upcoming rifle shoot on July 27th:
Posted 11:27AM May 27, 2008 by MCSA
"These heroes are dead. They died for liberty-they died for us. They are at rest. They sleep in the land they made free, under the flag they rendered stainless, under the solemn pines, the sad hemlocks, the tearful willows, the embracing vines. They sleep beneath the shadow of the clouds, careless alike of sunshine or storm, each in the windowless palace of rest. Earth may run red with other wars-they are at peace. In the midst of the battles, in the roar of conflicts, they found the serenity of death."
- Robert G. Ingersoll
I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to post this yesterday... To all those that served, thank you.
Posted 10:56AM May 27, 2008 by MCSA
Found this on Google Maps:
I don't know if this is a squirt gun or real, but, well, draw your own conclusions. I wonder if he's going to "re-register" his pistol when Daley approves "temporary re-registration"... (Click the picture for the Google Maps link!)
Posted 09:28PM May 21, 2008 by MCSA
If you're planning a roadtrip this summer, check this site out: http://carryconcealed.net/packngo/
The site has the laws regarding CCW in any state that you'd drive through... Very cool!
Posted 08:38PM May 21, 2008 by MCSA
Sorry, I was out of town, and wanted to comment on this, but it seems that David Codrea has already chimed in. Go read...
"The guest list for the invitation-only meeting included about 70 very high-profile members of our community who were tapped specifically because of their expertise or insights into gang culture or law enforcement."
"Among them were: Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church, Chicago School Board President Rufus Williams, Jesus Garcia, president of the Little Village Development Corporation, and CBS 2 legal analyst Irv Miller."
Two points I feel compelled to make are the following:
At least CBS mentioned the possibility of CCW as a solution and didn't just put out a knee-jerk hysterical "blood in the streets" argument.
"While there is an argument over whether a stricter gun control policy as Mayor Daley advocates, or a less restrictive gun policy such as a conceal and carry law, the proliferation guns in the hands of criminals are consistently pointed out as a major issue."
Edit:
I was listening to internet radio when at work when Dr. Dre's "song", "Rat-tat-tat" came on. I managed to dig up the lyrics and the music on Youtube. It is very offensive, but the opening lyrics (Opening lyrics essentially amount to "We've got to clean up our neighborhood and start again", followed by mocking laughter...) underscore the point that it seems the "community" that Daley, Jackson, Pflegger and crew are talking about doesn't seem interested in their concept of change.
I bring Dr. Dre's song up because his album, "The Chronic", from which this song stems, is considered by many the most influential hip-hop album of all time and is probably more indicative of the culture that Daley and Co. are trying to change then they are.
Play the embedded link at your discretion.
Posted 07:03PM May 12, 2008 by MCSA
I saw this very important video (via Xavier) on how to talk to the police if you are ever arrested or under some sort of investigation. A most excellent video seminar by Regent University Law Professor James Duane and Officer George Bruch.
If you've never taken Massad Ayoob's course on the Judicious Use of Lethal Force (which I urge ALL firearm owners to take - The Midwest Training Group usually bring Mas out here.), then this is a very good summary of the most important things to know when dealing with the police.
This information is especially useful if you are ever forced to use your firearm in a defensive situation. Here in the Midwest without "Castle Doctrine" or "Stand your Ground" laws, you will most likely be arrested and the DA will see if they can build a case against you - If you don't believe me, just look at what happend to Mike Mette, a former Chicago Officer who was forced to defend himself and ended up in Jail on a 5 year term!
(Note: The video is very large and slow to load. If you use iTunes, grab the video through the link that they provide, it is much much easier!)
Posted 03:11PM May 08, 2008 by MCSA
I learned of HR 4900, aka, the "BATFE Reform and Firearms Modernization Act of 2007", from Kurt over at the "Armed and Safe in Illinois" blog.
The bill, which doesn't go far enough (IMHO) to curtail the BATFE, it is a start and would help avoid malicious prosecution over "clerical errors", such as what happened to Red's Trading Post in Idaho.
Make no mistake, many responsible mom-and-pop shops caught between the twin wheels of the BATFE and increasing state restrictions (in the case of California, Illinois, etc...) are being ground out of business.
Anyway, back to the point: The bill currently has 170 sponsors, but John Shimkus is the only Illinois representative signed on...
Most of McHenry Co. is represented by excellent 2nd-Amendment supporter Don Manzullo (R), who can be contacted here.
The eastern sliver of McHenry Co. is represented by Melissa Bean (D), who can be contacted here.
Posted 12:45PM May 07, 2008 by MCSA
I learned about a new 357 PD .41 S&W revolver's mechanism locking up from Indiana gun blogger Caleb via his excellent Call me Ahab blog. He has the link to the original AR-15 forum post.
The comments on the AR-15 forum are far from encouraging:
"S&W has reached the point that the guns are so safe they don't fire."
"The market has changed. If S&W was still selling a ton of revolvers to Police then you would not see this lock. S&W is rolling the dice with my life, and your life and the life of every owner of one of these safe guns. They are hoping that the odds will favor them and some one will not be killed because his revolver locked up."
"Honestly why don't they just weld the cylinder shut and make them super safe."
Being a S&W aficionado myself, this is is disconcerting news!! In the past I've heard that shooting hot .357 from the tiny 340PD's could possibly engage the lock.
Posted 03:10PM May 06, 2008 by MCSA
MCSA and concerned McHenry Co. citizens are encouraged to call Senator Althoff and ask her (or her secretary) to vote "no" on this bill. While it sounds good, it would make YOU responsible and punish YOU for crimes committed by another person!
Senator Althoff's contact information is on her site.
On Thursday May 1, the Illinois House of Representatives passed House Bill 5191. The bill now proceeds on to approval by the Senate. Please call your state Senator and urge him to vote no on HB 5191. At first glance this "commonsense" bill seems to have a genuine good intent - to keep firearms and ammunition out of the hands of "children" who have a history of disturbed/violent behavior. It demands the permanent revocation of a parent/guardian's FOID card if a "child" gains access to a parent's firearm on more than one occasion without the parent's authorization. The problems here are many. First the "child" includes offspring 21 years old or younger whether that child lives in your home or not. So, if your 20 year old disturbed son breaks into your home and steals your firearm or ammunition (without your authorization) you are held accountable for HIS criminal act. The most ludicrous statement comes from the sponsor of the bill himself - when questioned on the floor during debate the sponsor admitted that if a parent gives authorization to possess the firearm or ammunition to the disturbed "child" then there is no penalty to the parent under this bill. This doesn't even take into account that an 18 year old in Illinois can purchase his own long gun!!! Call your Senator - urge them to withhold their support for HB5191Illinois House Passes Anti-Gun Bill
Posted 06:53PM May 04, 2008 by MCSA
In case you haven't seen, NRA-ILA has posted alert that we can leave comments on the Gun in Park Bill:
On April 30, the U.S. Department of Interior, through the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, issued a proposed rule to amend the current strict regulations on firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. NRA-ILA led the effort to amend the existing policy regarding the carrying and transportation of firearms on these federal lands. The public has until June 30 to comment on the proposal, and NRA-ILA strongly urges members to file comments in support.
"Law-abiding citizens should not be prohibited from protecting themselves and their families while enjoying America's National Parks and wildlife refuges,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox. “Under this proposal, federal parks and wildlife refuges will mirror the state carry laws for state parks. This is an important step in the right direction, and we applaud efforts to amend the out-of-date regulations."
Again, NRA members should take this opportunity to help write our nation’s laws, by submitting comments until June 30. Members should submit comments online here, or mail comments to:
Public Comments Processing
Attn: 1024-AD70
Division of Policy and Directives Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222
Arlington, VA 22203
Posted 06:44PM May 04, 2008 by MCSA
"A federal appeals court dismissed New York City’s blanket lawsuit against the gun industry on Wednesday, ruling that a relatively new federal law protects gunmakers against third-party litigation."
This was the moonbat effort of big city lawyers trying to argue that because a gun manufacturer produces so many "excess" guns, they flood the streets and find their way to the black market...
By the way, the suit was initially supported by Rudy Giuliani and pushed heavily by Bloomberg.
Posted 11:53AM May 01, 2008 by MCSA
