TEAM PLAYERS: NRA-ILA, GSL together as one at Illinois political event

From left, Todd Vandermyde, the NRA-ILA's contract lobbyist in Illinois, John Boch, Executive Director Guns Save Life and Shannon Alford, the NRA-ILA's legislative liaison to Illinois. — From left, Todd Vandermyde, the NRA-ILA’s contract lobbyist in Illinois, John Boch, Executive Director Guns Save Life and Shannon Alford, the NRA-ILA’s legislative liaison to Illinois. We were squadded together today for the shooting aspect of this event

Guns Save Life is unfolding its wings in more ways than one in the past week or so. Last week, we picked up our sixth monthly meeting location, with members of the Sangamon County Rifle Association voting unanimously to fold into Guns Save Life. We’ll have our first Sangamon County Guns Save Life meeting in just a few weeks on October 5th at the Knights of Columbus Banquet Hall in Springfield. (Bring your friends!)

This week, we’re working closely and cooperatively with the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (otherwise known as “the gun lobby”), building relationships for the years to come in our fight to advance the cause of freedom.

My personal take on the NRA-ILA’s representative, Shannon Alford, is that she’s a hard-charging, aggressive proponent of gun rights. In other words, she’s one of us. She doesn’t want to make nice with people who want to strip us of our rights and our guns just to “have access” to those who detest gun ownership and gun owners. She wants to roll those people under the proverbial bus and she’s not afraid to get, uh, “assertive” to do it. If that involves upsetting a few squishy legislators, then so be it. If that involves angering people like John Cullerton, then they’ll just have to get over being angry.

We have an opportunity to move the ball forward on gun rights and we’re not going to play nice and let people like Senate President John Cullerton stand as a roadblock.

Yes, there are some good things coming for gun owners in Illinois and we’re excited to be a part of working as a team with the NRA-ILA as we ramp up our political activities in Springfield.

Also of note: Also present at this Illinois Republican event representing gun owners in Illinois is the Illinois State Rifle Association. It’s good to see Jim Vinopal here. I saw him last night and again today. As always, he’s always got a warm welcome and a friendly handshake when he sees me. Talk about a guy who has given a lifetime of fighting for gun rights in Illinois. He’s a great guy to have on your side.