The Village of Deerfield board voted unanimously back in April to ban many of America’s best-selling rifles based solely upon their cosmetic features. Soon after, the Illinois gun rights group Guns Save Life announced a suit challenging the ban with support from the NRA-ILA. To fight the legal challenges against their gun ban, the Village of Deerfield has brought in the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Yes, the Brady Campaign.
The Bradys used to be the nation’s most prominent voice for gun control. If you haven’t heard much from them lately, you aren’t alone. Today, they play second or third fiddle in the fight for civilian disarmament and are mostly trying to remain relevant. And solvent.
Following legal challenges from both Guns Save Life and the Illinois State Rifle Assocation, the Village of Deerfield and its mayor, Harriet Rosenthal (above) announced that the Brady Campaign has joined a pair of Chicago law firms in representing the Village in its legal battle.
Since the deadline for compliance with the new ordinance is fast approaching, GSL sought a temporary restraining order to block the ban’s imposition while the case winds its way through the court.
Meanwhile, Brady & Co. have come up with some rather astounding arguments to defend their gun ban.
The defendants’ brief (click for .pdf) in opposition to our motion for injunctive relief argues the village’s ban on rifles is necessity “to protect the public health, safety and welfare.” Then they boldly cite criminal misuse of handguns as justification for their ban on scary-looking rifles.
Hard to believe, right? It’s true. They cite the South Carolina church killings and the attempted assassination of Gabby Giffords — both crimes committed with handguns — as reasons to ban rifles.
They also cited the Washington D.C. Naval Yard spree killing. There, a lunatic used a no-frills Mossberg 500 shotgun purchased at Dick’s Sporting Goods to kill most of his victims. He also used a handgun stolen from a murdered security guard.
Yes, the Village argues that they need to ban rifles because of criminals who used handguns and shotguns to kill people. That’s some sound logic, right? Not so much.
Wait. It gets worse. The defendants’ brief also names two domestic Islamic terror attacks as reasons to ban guns in Deerfield. Yes, they actually cited the Islamic terror attacks in San Bernardino, CA and at the Orlando Pulse nightclub as justification for taking our guns. So because the U.S. Government can’t protect us from Islamic terror attacks, the Village of Deerfield should disarm law-abiding Americans?
The brief also cites the Sutherland Springs, Texas church massacre. At the same time, it fails to note that a good guy’s AR-15 stopped the killings.
The audacity of these control freaks knows no limits and no shame.
Thankfully, Guns Save Life has the National Rifle Association in its corner in the case. Meanwhile the Illinois State Rifle Association has the Second Amendment Foundation backing their suit.
The court should give its ruling on the petition for a temporary restraining order in the coming days. Not a moment too soon, either.