By Mike Keleher
I just got a post card in the mail urging me to contact my Illinois Representative to oppose the contents of House Amendment 1 to House BIll 96 which is currently pending. You can look up your rep easily enough on the internet to call and register your views, and I also decided to take a couple o minutes to write to my Rep’s email address as well. Thought I’d print it here and if you want to copy and paste into your own emails please have at it with my compliments. No sense doing it the hard way and have to write it yourself when a template already exists!
Dear Representative _____
If passed House Amendment 1 to House BIll 96:
The Amendment would increase the cost to obtain an Illinois FOID card (already the strictest requirement in the nation-and demonstrably not helping to prevent crimes) will increase 1000% by mandating fingerprints to apply, renew and requiring renewals every 5 years instead of the current 10 years….it is just a revenue generating move and has no impact upon crime.
It would require applications for FOID be made in person at State Police district offices….to what end? You can vote without ID, but now would have to show your face to make an application to get an ID just to own or touch firearms or ammunition. Again, there is no impact to reduce crime. Criminals who don’t follow the law in the first place with FOID cards and who illegally purchase, possess or use firearms would still be part of your legacy just burdening law abiding citizens and their Constitutionally guaranteed rights.
It would penalize private firearm transfers between family, friends and during hunting and shooting outings-yes, those otherwise law-abiding citizens who own millions of guns, those people who don’t harm anyone, and this amendment would be a de facto government mandated firearm registration program. Registration and restriction of privately-owned firearms has always been a high point in socialist/facist agendas throughout history. Illinois does not need more anti-gun/anti-freedom laws on the books. Residents are fleeing the state at records levels due to the poor stewardship of the state. This amendment smacks of additional bad laws and rules being forced upon the populace.
The Amendment would also mandate police to seize firearms if a FOID is revoked and new paperwork not filed within 48 hours—where else in the state of Illinois are you given 48 hrs from revocation of any rights or privileges until the Government seizes personal property? If your driver’s license is revoked can the ISP come take your car away from you? Or lose your business license, can the state come seize your business? The state has no right to do so.
Personal property is only mentioned twice in the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights as specifically protected items- protected from government seizure and abuse. One is in regards to personal papers, the other is firearms. There is a reason the framers put firearms rights in the Second Amendment, because it is important and is of course part of the guarantees well all receive as citizens – rights we don’t have to earn. The government should not be in the business of seizing personal property from citizens for administrative reasons no matter how many TV news headlines show criminals using guns in manners already legislated to be against the law.
I know you may consider voting along Democratic party lines in anti-gun/anti second amendment legislation being proposed, but I urge you to consider voting with your educated mind, which should be mindful of the people you are elected to serve, not the party.
The last poll I saw said 26.2% of all state residents own firearms. I hate to do math, but out of 12.74 million citizens, that is over three million lawful gun owners in Illinois- they are not the problem. Criminals are the problem.
By voting for HA1 to HB96 all you would be doing is burdening those who already faithfully follow the law.
Thank you for your consideration
Mike Keleher
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