AFTER ACTION: “Town Hall for our Lies” gun control event in Champaign, IL

by David Martin

I took a trip to the dark side of the Twilight Zone on Thursday, April 5th at the Champaign Public Library.  Frankly, I found myself lucky to have escaped with my life after watching the yet another local "Gun Violence Town Hall" circus. 

Organized by UIUC Students Against Gun Violence, with obvious support from the leftist funded and directed "March for our Lives" crowd, the event proved every bit what you expect.  I touted it as a "Town Hall for Our Lies", which described it much more accurately.

Of course, the invitation for pro-gun voice at this "town hall" event must have gotten lost in the mail.  Instead, we had the usual parade of performing clowns onstage including local Democrat State Senator Scott Bennett, Democrat Congressman wannabe Betsy Londrigan, the local catch and release Democrat State's Attorney Julia Reitz, the inept Illinois Moms Demand Action head Laurel Quinn, a bunch of community agitators leaders from the African-American community and a few other anti-constitutionalists.  They all propagandized to an affable audience of like-minded leftists.  Of course, in their echo chamber, guns and gun owners, not criminals, plague our streets and victimize our residents.  Yes, the AR-15 is the debbil and the NRA equals the Klan.  

The first clown…  19-year-old UI student

The first speaker, a 19 year old U of I student hailing from Chicago spewed so many bogus gun crime statistics it left me dizzy.  She delivered her over-the-top, rapid-fire fake facts seemly to overwhelm the “sensibilities” of the liberal-progressive, Marxist audience.  The bottom line of her screed:  She espoused creating legislation restricting children’s Second Amendment Rights until 21 years of age and banning the AR-15 completely. Her argument for this intellectually shallow thinking?  Children’s brains don’t develop “rational thought” until 25 years of age.

Yep.  Tell that to the men who stormed the beaches at D-Day.

Using her immature reasoning, all rights should be curtailed until age 25, including the right to vote, free speech, freedom to assemble, religion, etc.   Or perform Tide Pod eating challenges.   Or condom snorting on social media.

Gun Retailer Licensing and Scott Bennett

Our illustrious Senator Scott Bennett, who previously proudly waved his NRA A-rating during his 2016 election campaign, came out strongly supportive of gun control.  He touted – rather proudly –  his votes against his constituents’ wishes on the Gun Retailer Licensing bill.  Bennett stated now constituents were running at least 3 to 1 asking him to vote no on the over-ride of the Governor’s veto. He said to the crowd “Why would I not vote to over-ride a bill I co-sponsored three times?” to great cheering and applause.

This bill is an attempt to flood Federal Firearms Licensed retailers in Illinois with redundant regulations and excessive requirements in order to drive them out of business and increase costs to purchase firearms and ammunition.

National Reciprocity

Concerning national reciprocity, long-shot Democrat fundraiser Betsy Londrigan declared out of state concealed firearms carriers would increase Illinois’ crime problems.  Yeah, the old "blood in the streets" argument.  Why?  Because CCW holders are more law-abiding than the average police officer?  Nope!

Was it because armed good guys shoot the wrong person six times less often than cops?  Nope!

Because, in her mind, no other state vets CCW applicants well enough for Illinois’ “standards”.

If only our governors were so honest.

Concealed reciprocity would allow legal CCW to licensees from any state to be able to legally protect themselves and their families from the armed criminals.  Criminals without licenses, carrying illegal guns illegally to commit illegal crims already carry across state lines.

Henry and his "Hippy Dippy" Wife.

Another man on the circus stage claimed to be a lifetime NRA member, but didn't wave his membership card.  I’ll refer to him as Henpecked Henry.  He proudly declared his “hippy-dippy” wife (his own words, not mine) was instrumental in his speaking up to ban America’s favorite rifle, the AR-15. 

I imagine ol' Henry's wife persuaded him to toe the “Moms Demand Action” line or he would never get any “action” for the rest of his miserable existence.  Although these Marxists call it [leftist talking points redacted] based upon consmetic features.  We all know it as America’s favorite rifle.  The AR protects children and families.  It protects our homes.  It's also a firearm that's very friendly for novices, women, the disabled and the elderly.  There's a reason it's so often used for competition, hunting, and even for police in their patrol cars. 

Yeah, particularly when it comes to women and teens, Uncle Joe Biden’s sage advice to "just buy a shotgun" stands as seriously ignorant.  But the brain trust at the Champaign Public Library this night had no clue..

The Second Amendment was established to allow Americans to protect themselves from government tyranny.

Today's left, including those on this panel of clowns and their affable audience members kept nodding their heads that they don't want to ban guns, but they didn't speak out against a single gun control proposal.  Not even banning private firearms and repealing the Second Amendment.

And their efforts to curtail rights don't stop at the Second Amendment.  They want to suppress First Amendment free speech rights of any who oppose banning guns.

Mrs. Catch and Release Julia Reitz

Julia Reitz, our lead loco clown states attorney, spoke on local criminal violence and the need to “do something”.  Of course, she didn't say anything about sending violent criminals to prison, which is her duty as State's Attorney.  In fact, many of the local violent criminals committing violent acts are alumni of her "catch and release" style of "prosecuting" bad people.  She lets felons plead out new felonies with probation and stern wrist slaps that look a lot more like hugs from my perspective.

Unless and until these criminals are killed in the neighborhoods by other felons or demonized law enforcement, there is no stopping them in the “just-us” justice system Ms. Reitz runs locally.

Thank the good Lord Illinois now has concealed carry for lawful citizens to be able to defend themselves against criminals who flout the law as much as Julia Reitz flouts prosecuting bad guys.

The fears of the young

The greatest fears the young Marxists present?  Having their schools “locked down like prisons” and any firearm allowed into school for protection against a school shooter.  We all can't grow up to become astronauts and brain surgeons.  These young skulls full of mush expressed their opposition to any guns in schools – even in the hands of good guys like school resource officer, teachers or anyone else.  Their irrational fears center around some lunatic overpowering that cops (or teacher) to take their gun and use it to kill others.  Because we have police ambushing cops to take their guns everyday in America, right? 

We know that doesn't happen.

We, as the People of the Gun, know that once it is well-known that schools are secured and willing to defend against the next mass killer, the cowardly shooters will find other “gun-free” venues to ply their mayhem.  After all, mass killers are usually cowards.  Sadly, the students present wanted no protection other than a thin, plastic “no-gun” sticker on the door at the entrance of their school.

Law abiding citizens who believe in the rule of law, our founding documents and a just and honorable society must stand against these Marxist useful idiots every step of the way or America will become a nation of criminal infested anarchy, much like the streets of Chicago.