CHICAGO — The following is the text of a statement released by Illinois State Rifle Association’s Political Victory Fund (ISRA-PVF) Interim Chairman, Richard Pearson:
During a weekend press conference, President-Elect Barack Obama responded to reports of a large, nation-wide run-up in gun sales by reiterating his well-
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traveled campaign rhetoric about how he supports the Second Amendment and how lawful firearm owners have nothing to fear from him.
With all due respect to the President-Elect, his stump speeches on gun rights really did not resonate with the nations law-abiding firearm owners. That is why good citizens are flocking to firearms dealers in record numbers. That is why Illinois firearm owners — the people who know Mr. Obama best — purchased at least 38% more firearms in November 2008 than they did in November 2007. Mr. Obama’s campaign promises notwithstanding, citizens look to his past record on gun rights, and they look to his recent cabinet selections, and are now understandably convinced that he’s about to pull a fast one on them.
What the nation’s law-abiding firearm owners really want to hear from the President Elect is that, should the congress send him a bill even remotely resembling the 1994 ‘Assault Weapons Ban,’ he’ll veto it immediately.
What gun owners really want to hear from him is that he will veto any attempt to institute a nation-wide ban on concealed carry.
What gun owners really want to hear from him is that he will direct his Treasury Secretary to refrain from imposing burdensome new regulations on firearm dealers.
What gun owners really want to hear from him is that he will not try to muscle state legislatures into passing gun control laws under the threat of federal funds withholding.
What gun owners really want to hear from him is that he will veto any punitive taxes levied on firearms, ammunition, and shooting supplies.
Those are the sorts of things that gun owners want, and expect to hear from President-Elect Obama. Hearing that he respects the Second Amendment offers lawful gun owners no comfort. It does not make Obama unique. Everyone is supposed to respect our Constitution, right?
The ISRA is a political action committee affiliated with the Illinois State Rifle Association. A copy of our report is available for a fee from the Illinois State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois.
For more information, please go to www.ISRA-PVF.com.
