Less than ten minutes from the start of the march to the Capitol Complex. Note the wire service photographer on the left with his mask. Outdoors.
The Illinois State Rifle Association hosted the annual Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day event on Wednesday, April 6th. Turnout was thin, but full of determination and dedication to the cause. In short, we’re tired of Illinois political leadership turning violent criminals out of jails and prisons to re-offend, then blaming guns and gun owners for their criminal acts.
I arrived at about 10:35 or so. Parking was not a problem, which was a clue that we weren’t going to have a massive crowd that we’ve enjoyed in previous years.
The time was well spent catching up with Richard Pearson, the Executive Director of ISRA. He’s mobility challenged following surgery after a fall. He assured me he will be okay but that he has a few more weeks of enjoying the best parking spots before he can drive himself again.
I didn’t find many news stories about the event. Obviously if Moms Demand Action had put this on, they would have had extensive coverage to further the legacy media narrative supporting gun control and keeping poor folks on the gun control plantation. But we can’t complain about what’s “fair” because life’s not fair. The Center Square did cover it.
Here are some notable sights I ran into.
Free shirts, courtesy of the Millers, Chris and Mary. Chris is a rock star state rep in Charleston and his wife is a rock star Congresswoman in southern IL. Not a lot of folks know that Rodney Davis voted for Red Flag orders for military members. Thanks Rodney. And then he tries to paint Mary Miller as weak on supporting our military because she didn’t vote for Red Flag laws in the NDAA.
Tom Shaffer, the grand marshal of the parade. There’s not a guy with more public and vocal enthusiasm for gun rights anywhere.
Some folks had a rather serious set up to livestream the event across the Internet. It’s a shame there wasn’t a Trump-sized turnout.
Folks listen to the speakers ahead of the march.
A truck outside, I’m guessing it belongs to Chris Miller, parked right outside the venue. Whoever it was got there early. Oh yeah, did we mention Chris and Mary Miller are both Guns Save Life members?
Not much advertising beforehand, If I had known, I couldn’t afford to go anyway but would have been there “in spirit”.