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Illinois Freepers were ably represented at the Wilmette gun hearing by Chicago farmer and myself. We were joined by hundreds (over 200) other like minded people, both Wilmette residents and others.

What I saw there was a governmental body (the Wilmette trustees) who embody the new face of tyranny, the benevolant nanny. The first item on the agenda was a smoking ban at an AMERICAN LEGION hall, the upshot of which is to negate private property rights under the guise of health concerns. The owner of the hall passionately spoke to that concern and pointed out that he would have to move the Hall or lose buisness.

When the attention turned to the gun ordinance, the slaughter began. One trustee opened the meeting by piously intoning that he had an open mind about this issue and then in almost the next sentence admitted that there was no intention to change the law. In other words, don't bother me with facts, my mind is made up. The trustees looked like a bunch of deer in the headlights as they were barraged by an avalanche of fact, history lesson, law, and common sense that to this observer clearly shook their insular sense of security and self rightousness to it's very core.

To be sure there were several speakers in support of the ordinance, some even were Wilmette residents. They were clearly outnumbered by residents opposed to it and utterly swamped by non residents who unanimously opposed it. In attendance were the honorable Terry O'Brien and Eileen Byrne from WLS, both of whom made passionate, and pertinent remarks that bought forth applause from the listners, along with a gathering of other media. Eileen expressed interest in our nascent firearm training course, which is still under development.

I read the E-Mail to Chief Carpenter that I posted here, and Chicago farmer pointed out that cops were mostly "armed historians" who inevitably show up after a crime has been comitted. He detailed the reality of the laws that shield Wimette from civil liability for the failure to prevent crime.

There were a host of second amendment supporters who passionately and eloquently made their points. One speaker made a particularly cogent point when he highlighted a dismaying trend of constitutional inversion, that of legit constitutional rights, (Bearing arms, private property, freedom of speech, equal protection) being demoted to privleges, and bogus ones (health care, illegal alien driver's licenses, abortion, welfare, etc.) are becoming hallowed US constitutional rights envisioned by James Madison.

Comic relief was provided by a Wilmette resident who proudly proclaimed himself estatic over the fact that he was victimized without the legal right to a handgun for self defense. The guy looked like he was right out of Central Casting for the role of nebbish victim.

You know, if I was smart criminal, I'd have attended that meeting, noted the antis and pros, observed license plates and gone home.
The next night I would check the car at the residence I was about to invade vs my list.
Car on Pro gun list - go to next house.
Car on Anti- gun list - cut phone line and move on in.

There were a host of second amendment supporters who passionately and eloquently made their points. One speaker made a particularly cogent point when he highlighted a dismaying trend of constitutional inversion, that of legit constitutional rights, (Bearing arms, private property, freedom of speech, equal protection) being demoted to privleges, and bogus ones (health care, illegal alien driver's licenses, abortion, welfare, etc.) are becoming hallowed US constitutional rights envisioned by James Madison.

Thank you.

There were a host of second amendment supporters who passionately and eloquently made their points. One speaker made a particularly cogent point when he highlighted a dismaying trend of constitutional inversion, that of legit constitutional rights, (Bearing arms, private property, freedom of speech, equal protection) being demoted to privleges, and bogus ones (health care, illegal alien driver's licenses, abortion, welfare, etc.) are becoming hallowed US constitutional rights envisioned by James Madison
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Chances are this went right over their heads. I've had this discussion with your average person and realized I've dragged them into an area they can't comprehend. No doubt the council is much the same way. Like a deer in the headlights.