We love a good event.

The freedom-eschewing folks at The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence have invited *us* to their first meeting in Central Illinois, along with everyone else.

It’s set for Sunday, November 18th from 2-4pm at the Champaign, IL Public Library.

Nicole Anderson-Cobb is the newly-hired “Outreach Coordinator” for ICHV.  Who is Ms. Cobb?

Well, she’s a playwright and before that she was an assistant professor of history at a Roosevelt and Jacksonville Universities.

Nocole Anderson-Cobb, PhD.
Photo from LinkedIn.com.

She’s got an office at 1717 W. Kirby Avenue.  Whoa, scratch that.  Her office, listed as “Suite #386” is really just a private mailbox at a UPS Store.

Rut row.  Using deception right out of the gate.  Not a good sign, but typical for ICHV who routinely uses deception and demagoguery in order to promote their point of view.

She’s going to introduce those opposed to the civil right of self-defense, discuss anecdotal stories of the impacts of criminal violence (blaming their tools, of course, not the criminal thugs themselves), and how gullible people can get involved to work against their own civil rights as well as those of their neighbors and friends.

We’re urging our friends to break out their hippie gear and clothes (or borrow some from your kids or grandkids) and show up for the dog and pony show at the Champaign Public Library.

We know this isn’t the first time the anti-self-defense types have tried to set up shop in Champaign County.

Back in 2000, the Million Mom March had an active group in Champaign-Urbana.  It was actually one of the most active local groups in the entire national Million Mom March organization leading up to the big Million Mom March itself in Washington as well as the satellite marches throughout the nation on Mother’s Day 2000.

As part of the Champaign County group’s activities, they had a handful of members who met and planned for the big day in May when the march would take place.

They advertised the event in the newspaper and encouraged local residents to join them.

What happened next caused them to piddle themselves.

At the local “Million Mom March”, pink-balloon toting opponents of firearm rights ran smack dab into scores of freedom’s advocates on their march.

Whoops! The Million Mom March met counter-demonstrators along their “march”.

 

Oh no! What do we do now?!

 

The Million Moms thought they would just march down busy Kirby Avenue – on the same day as the University of Illinois graduation ceremonies. That plan lasted less than five minutes before police showed up and threatened them with arrest for obstructing traffic.

 

Before and after the “confrontation” between freedom’s advocates and freedom’s opponents, gun rights supporters rallied along Kirby Avenue a couple of blocks from where the Million Mom group held a brief, impromptu rally.

At the time, we called it “Freedom and the Flag meet the Pink Balloons” and here’s why:

After being turned back by police from marching down a main thoroughfare, the Million Mom March participants turned back and set up shop in a nearby church’s parking lot.  In this photo are part of the sparse crowd of a little over one hundred that turned out to advocate restrictions to American’s rights to defend themselves and their families on Mother’s Day 2000.

The Million Moms whined to the local paper that we, the good guys, blocked the sidewalk and were generally bullies.

Unfortunately for the Million Moms, there was photographic evidence attesting to their false statements to the newspaper reporter that gun rights folks blocked the sidewalk.

So what ever happened to them?

The Champaign County Million Mom March group met a handful of additional times then disbanded due to lack of interest and participation.

Just another example of how anti-gun groups don’t sustain themselves on volunteer help. Only through paid shills do anti-gun organizations keep going.

We look for similar results from this latest segue of the gun control movement outside Chicago.

We know they don’t have much in the way of resources to put into their efforts in Illinois outside of Chicagoland.

After all, ICHV’s long-time director Thom Mannard bailed on them in 2010 because of funding issues.   They also fired Chris Boyster in 2010 as their Downstate Director of Community Affairs and lobbyist because of funding issues.  In addition, they closed their Springfield office that same year to save money.

It would seem ICHV has also fired their internet guru as the last time we checked, the latest posts under news and legislation were from 2010.

So, let’s help the ICHV had a good crowd at their first meeting and perhaps respectfully offer an alternative point of view on Sunday, November 18th from 2-4pm.