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I just got the following "statement" in my email from the ISRA

I agree 100% with Ted & like usual, disagree with most of what the ISRA said

If anyone has the transcript to the radio interview they are talking about, please post it

During a recent, and well publicized, appearance on a radio talk show, NRA Board Member and musician Ted Nugent uttered some unfortunate remarks about Illinois citizens and questioned just how much resolve they have when it comes to protecting their gun rights.

In making his remarks, Mr. Nugent characterized Illinois citizens as “sheep” and “spineless wimps.”

Many ISRA members have expressed their concern over Nugent’s remarks – and rightly so.

The officers and directors of the Illinois State Rifle Association beg to differ with Mr. Nugent. It has been our experience that the majority of Illinoisans are proud, upstanding people who place a high value on their freedoms and traditions.

But, the proof is in the putting. And, to date, the freedom loving people of Illinois have amassed an enviable track record in protecting their right to keep and bear arms. To some, the successes of the Illinois gun rights movement may seem small. However, our successes are made all the more significant given the fact that Illinois gun owners must wage a constant battle with Richie Daley – arguably the most powerful and ruthless politician in the nation.

In early spring of 2003, Daley and his allies in the Illinois General Assembly unleashed a punitive, wide-ranging package of gun control bills. If passed and signed into law, this package of bills would have essentially eliminated private firearm ownership in the state. Passage would have spelled an end to all legitimate uses of firearms in Illinois, including hunting and target shooting. Interestingly enough, none of the Daley bills addressed criminal firearm use. The Daley gun control package was thus nothing more than an unabashed attempt at eliminating the individual right to keep and bear arms.

The freedom-loving people of Illinois responded to the Daley package with indignation. Legislative offices were flooded with e-mails, letters and phone calls from citizens fed up with Daley’s on-going attempts to take their guns away from them. The voice of the people was louder than Daley’s and, in the end, nearly all of the Daley gun control bills died except for two that are languishing in the legislature under postponed consideration.

The fact that the law-abiding gun owners of Illinois stopped the Daley Gun Grabbing Machine dead in its tracks this spring is nothing short of remarkable. For that, the people of Illinois deserve a pat on the back…not an insulting kick in the slats.

The effect of Mr. Nugent’s remarks on gun-owner morale cannot be measured. But it would be a safe bet that we will have to spend valuable time mending fences as a result.

Nugent’s thoughtlessness notwithstanding, the law-abiding gun owners of Illinois will continue to fight for what they believe in – with or without Mr. Nugent’s support.