By David Lombardo, Opinion Contributor
Imagine.
Imagine what could be if all 2.4 million Illinois gun owners came together to defend their right to keep and bear arms! The Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) is providing the way to do it with this year’s Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day (IGOLD 24).
For too long we have had factions within our camp; one special interest area will turn their nose up at another special interest area.
There are many instances of a house divided, with out-of-control anti-Second Amendment legislators having long taken advantage of our own weakness. But make no mistake, as Illinois goes, so goes the nation. There is a clear and pervasive national effort to methodically and continuously marginalize the Second Amendment toward the goal of eliminating all gun ownership and forcing law abiding citizens to live at the mercy of gangs in the street and gangsters in the capital.
We are the architects of our own demise. We are allowing dangerous political hacks to take away our right to keep and bear arms so that they may rule without fear.
I have a different perspective on PICA – the Protect Illinois Communities Act. I see it as a once in a lifetime opportunity to bring all Second Amendment proponents together in solidarity.
Imagine if 2.4 million-gun owners gathered together in Springfield this April 18th to stand shoulder to shoulder with one another and peacefully demand an end to Governor Pritzker’s unconstitutional assault on the right of Illinois citizens to keep and bear arms.
Unfortunately, there are two historical perspectives that have prevented us from doing just that. First is dissention within our own ranks.
It’s time to put aside our differences, time to come together and support one another as we enforce our right as United States citizens to control our government instead of our government controlling us.
We are at that moment in history that founding Father James Madison feared would happen and penned the Second Amendment to prevent it from happening.
Second, the greatest impediment of all – apathy. You intellectually agree with supporting the Second Amendment but you personally don’t have the time to take a day off and come to Springfield on April 18th.
You have to work, take your kids to baseball practice, watch your expenses, you don’t like crowds and a hundred more excuses for not attending.
But what you’re really doing is selling out your brothers and sisters who take the constitution seriously and will not allow a rogue governor to destroy our way of life and to make law abiding citizens helpless targets of street criminals and entitled legislators. You’re taking the easy road, the one that leads to becoming a sheep.
The Founding Fathers put their property, their fortunes, and their very lives at stake to provide us with the Second Amendment and yet many of my fellow Illinois gun owners think it’s inconvenient to take one day off and go to Springfield?
I cannot stress enough that what is happening in Illinois is being watched carefully by the rest of the country. So goes Illinois, so goes America. Twenty years from now when all guns are banned throughout the country what will you say when your grandchildren ask what you did to prevent it? “I had to go to work”?
In the 1930s, as German citizens passively watched Hitler amassing power, Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, warned Germany, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. Not to speak is to speak; and not to act is to act.”
Imagine if all 2.4 million Illinois gun owners took protecting our freedom seriously and gathered together for one day to stand shoulder to shoulder with like-minded, law-abiding citizens and shouted to Governor Pritzker – Enough is enough!
Imagine if we did that this April 18th in Springfield.
Imagine what it would be like to become first class citizens again.
IGOLD 24 – 10 AM, April 18th at the Bank of Springfield Center, Springfield, Illinois
Imagine 2.4 million of us marching to the capital in lawful protest.
IGOLD 24 – 10 AM, April 18th at the Bank of Springfield Center
Just imagine it then make it a reality!
For more information go to ISRA.org
David Lombardo is an Army Vietnam veteran with over fifty years of firearm experience including 20 years as a part time county deputy; firearm instructor to over 8,000 students; extensive experience as a chief range safety officer; former president of one of the country’s largest shooting clubs; and a print, television and radio journalist for over 20 years. Currently, he is an expert witness in firearm related civil and criminal litigation, serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois State Rifle Association and writes on the subject of the safe use of firearms and deadly force.
