Socialist Republic of Illinois trying to make it harder for gun owners

The Socialist Republic of Illinois (My home state) is doing everything they can to make it harder to be a gun owner. The Illinois legislator would like nothing more than to disarm its citizens, but they know they can’t pass laws to do it. There is this little old outdated piece of paper called the Constitution with the Bill of Rights that contains the Second Amendment. However, what they do know is with enough government regulation they will eventually cripple and destroy the industry.

So Lawmakers in the state have put forth a bill that will require gun owners to maintain a liability insurance policy of at least 1 million dollars in coverage.

You can see this bill here: HB0687, the Firearm Owners ID-Insurance bill:

"Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that any person who owns a firearm in this State shall maintain a policy of liability insurance in the amount of at least $1,000,000 specifically covering any damages resulting from negligent or willful acts involving the use of such firearm while it is owned by such person. Provides that a person shall be deemed the owner of a firearm after the firearm is lost or stolen until such loss or theft is reported to the police department or sheriff of the jurisdiction in which the owner resides. Provides that the Department of State Police shall revoke and seize a Firearm Owner's Identification Card previously issued under this Act if the Department finds that the person to whom such card was issued possesses or acquires a firearm and does not submit evidence to the Department of State Police that he or she has been issued in his or her name a liability insurance policy in the amount of at least $1,000,000 specifically covering any damages resulting from negligent or willful acts involving the use of such firearm while it is owned by such person. Effective January 1, 2010."

Politicians are aware that law abiding gun owners are not the problem, but when you are in the business of absolute control over a group of citizens or a population controlling access to weapons is crucial.

Here is one thing to keep in mind. Government has one power that the rest of us do not. The government can use force to accomplish their goals. It has happened time and time again throughout history. We should be very concerned and untrusting of any politician who fears the thought of private citizens retaining the ability to defend themselves.

Big T's Suggested Reading and Viewing from around the Web.

A judge in Chattanooga has advised a victim pulled from her car and beaten "to purchase a weapon, get a permit and learn to protect yourself," because the police can’t. Now that is some good advise.

National Rifle Association planning to file lawsuits against cities not lifting bans on handguns after the Supreme Court ruling last week.

There is a new movement among gun owners with concealed weapon carrying permit. They are calling for people to openly carry their handguns for all to see...I really have no problem with this.

The mayor of Seattle has put a ban on guns at all property owned by the city after a shooting during a festival. Yes, a ban would have definitely deterred anyone from bringing in the gun…

Gun Control vs. Right to Carry: The reality is in the facts.

A couple weeks ago I gave my support to a bill in the Oklahoma legislature that would give students who had a concealed weapons permit to carry firearms on campuses in the state.

Then I get the emails and the messages, "Big T – you're wrong! How can you believe that more guns equal more protection?" “No one but law enforcement should be allowed to carry guns on campus.” And here is one: “You gun nut jobs need a date with reality.”

Well the reality of this matter are in the facts, researchers can find no instance in history where banning handguns has led to less violence involving handguns. It just isn't the case. In most cases crime has increased.

The most comprehensive book ever written on the subject is titled More Guns, Less Crime by John R. Lott Jr. I suggest everyone read it.

If you don’t want to read it; there are plenty of nations we can use as case sample studies of what happens when a society is disarmed by government. Crime rates skyrocketed in England and Canada when they enforced their ban on firearms.

We can also look at Iraq and Afghanistan. The law abiding citizens of these countries have been disarmed and now rely on U.S. military and allies to protect them from insurgents, al Qaeda and the Taliban. It is one of the biggest strategic mistakes we have made in the war.

Now let’s look at a place we actually have some data on. Some of you may have seen this information before, but here's what happened in Australia just one year after gun owners were forced to surrender their means of protection. By the way, "disarming" Australia cost the taxpayers $500 million.

A dramatic increase in criminal activity has been experienced.

OBSERVABLE FACTS, AFTER 12 MONTHS OF DATA:

· Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2%

· Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6%


· Australia-wide, armed-robberies are up 44% (yes, FORTY-FOUR PERCENT)

· In the state of Victoria , homicides-with-firearms are up 300%


· Figures over the previous 25 years show a steady decrease in homicides-with-firearms (changed dramatically in the past 12 months)

· Figures over the previous 25 years show a steady decrease in armed-robbery-with-firearms (changed dramatically in the past 12 months)

· There has been a dramatic increase in breakins-and-assaults-of- the-elderly

· At the time of the ban, the Prime Minister said "self-defense is not a reason for owning a firearm"

Is he kidding, I can’t think of a better reason to own a firearm.

Then there is the old argument small disputes on campus will turn into gunfights instead of fistfights. Once again it just doesn’t seem to be the case.

College students in Utah have been allowed to carry concealed weapons since 2006. They have some of the safest campuses in the country.

The truth is an armed society is a respected and well-mannered society.

Oklahoma and Utah take right approach to gun laws on college campuses.

A bill is being proposed in Oklahoma that would allow college students to carry concealed weapons on campus. It would allow students who are at least 21 years old and licensed to carry a concealed weapon to carry them on government college and university campuses in Oklahoma .

The bill proposed by Republican House Representative Jason Murphey who says it will allow students to defend themselves, but the greater value of such a law would be the potential shooter might be hesitant to come onto a college campus where he doesn’t know who is armed and able to defend themselves.

Murphey proposed the bill after recent college shootings on the campuses of Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech.

Murphey is absolutely right, and I hope this bill passes. College students should have the right to defend themselves just as anyone else.