To: State Desk Contact: Richard Pearson of the Illinois State Rifle Association, 815-635-3198; Web site: http://www.isra.org

CHICAGO, April 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

In response to what is being billed as a preview of life under Governor Blagojevich, the ISRA is advising hunters and sportsmen to register their opposition to a gun control proposal scheduled to come before the Des Plaines City Council on April 15th.

Under that proposal, Des Plaines residents would be required to surrender many of their lawfully owned firearms to the police or face jail time. Furthermore, Des Plaines residents would be prohibited from purchasing or possessing many popular calibers of sporting and hunting ammunition. Another provision would post the names and addresses of Des Plaines gun owners, along with an inventory of their guns, to an Internet-style database. The courts would not regulate access to that database, thus leaving it readily available to a wide variety of people - including gang-affiliated employees of the Chicago Police Department.

City council member Don Smith is sponsoring the proposed Des Plaines gun control ordinance. Smith, an ally of Chicago mayor Richie Daley, is championing the proposal in support of Daley's attempt to establish a 100-mile zone around Chicago where civilians are prohibited from owning firearms. Smith introduced a similar ordinance several years ago, but saw his proposal die in committee.

For its part, the ISRA is alerting its members to the proposal and asking that members contact the Des Plaines City Hall to voice their opposition to the plan. Hunters and sportsmen are also being asked to attend the April 15th Des Plaines City Council meeting during which the proposal will be introduced.

"It's no secret that the Des Plaines gun control proposal was drafted on the 5th Floor of Chicago City Hall," said ISRA president Richard Pearson. "It matches word-for-word Mayor Daley's call for a program to eliminate gun owners from the suburbs. Having found a willing mule in Alderman Don Smith, Daley thinks he owns the Des Plaines City Council. This is an excellent opportunity for the residents of Des Plaines to remind Daley that it is their city and that they don't need Chicago-style gun control."

"It's also no accident that much of what is in the Des Plaines proposal mirrors the legislative record of gubernatorial candidate Rod Blagojevich," continued Pearson. "Blagojevich has spent most of his political career trying to abolish the law-abiding citizen's right to keep and bear arms. Gun owners across the state need only look to the Des Plaines ordinance for a preview of what life would be like for them should Blagojevich be elected governor next November. The issue of gun control is pervasive in Chicago politics. Daley and Blagojevich are fixtures in the Chicago political scene. The connection is clear. "

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. For nearly a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

Funny isn't it, for all the Dems, Chicago really isn't a liberal city.

Yes, I see a lot more blue around Atlanta than around Chicago on my homepage, and Chicago is a lot larger.

Des Plaines Elected Officials

Don Smith (the "ring leader")	Alderman	847-827-0694	donsmith60016@aol.com
Rosemary Argus	Alderman	847-297-4932	rargus@compuserve.com
Tony Arredia	Mayor	847-391-5301	tony_arredia@desplaines.org
Patricia Beauvais	Alderman	847-635-0244
Tom Becker	Alderman	847-699-7929	tcsell@aol.com
Carla Brookman	Alderman	847-635-9375	carlabrookman@aol.com
Thomas Christiansen	Alderman	847-827-5959	tomcward2@hotmail.com
Laura Murphy	Alderman	847-803-5456	lmurphy3rdward@aol.com
Dick Sayad	Alderman	847-640-7675	dicksayad@aol.com

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