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Mail
Magazine 24
A
victory for all law abiding gun
owners in Illinois
Federal
Court Strikes down
Illinois' total ban on carrying firearms for self-defense outside the
home or
business
The
United States Court of Appeals
for the Seventh Circuit ruled today that Illinois' total ban on
carrying
firearms for self-defense outside the home or business is
unconstitutional. The
case involves lead plaintiff Mary Shepard, an Illinois resident and a
trained
gun owner, who is licensed to carry a concealed handgun in both Utah
and
Florida. The National Rifle Association is funding this case. The
Illinois
State Rifle Association is a co-plaintiff in this case.
“Today’s
ruling is a victory for
all law abiding citizens in Illinois and gun owners throughout the
country,”
said Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President of NRA. “The court
recognized
that the text and history of the Second Amendment guarantee individuals
the
right to carry firearms outside the home for self-defense and other
lawful purposes.
In light of this ruling, Mary Shepard and the people of Illinois will
finally
be able to exercise their Second Amendment rights.”
On
September 28, 2009, while
working as the treasurer of her church, Ms. Shepard and an 83-year-old
co-worker were viciously attacked and beaten by a six-foot-three-inch,
245
pound man with a violent past and a criminal record. Ms. Shepard and
her
co-worker were lucky to survive, as each of them suffered major
injuries to the
head, neck and upper body. Ms. Shepard's injuries required extensive
surgeries
and she continues physical therapy to this day attempting to recover
from her
injuries.
In
today’s decision, Judge Richard
Posner ruled that Illinois’ ban on carriage is unconstitutional. The
Judge went
on to say, “One doesn’t have to be a historian to realize that a right
to keep
and bear arms for personal self-defense in the eighteenth century could
not
rationally have been limited to the home. . . . Twenty-first century
Illinois
has no hostile Indians. But a Chicagoan is a good deal more likely to
be
attacked on a sidewalk than in his apartment on the 35th floor.”
"Today's
ruling is a major
victory for law-abiding Illinoisans—and for everyone who understands
that the
Second Amendment protects the right both to keep arms, and to bear
arms,"
added Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA's Institute for
Legislative
Action. "This ruling makes clear that Illinois cannot deny law-abiding
residents the right to carry a firearm for self-defense outside the
home. This is
a step in the right direction for all gun owners. We know it probably
won’t be
the end of this case, and we’re ready to keep fighting until the courts
fully
protect the entire Second Amendment."
Source:
NRA-ILA Alert
Read
the article at Mail Magazine 24
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