Guns Save Life’s motto is simple: “We defend your right to defend yourself.” So when we saw Deerfield, Illinois amend a local ordinance to ban America’s favorite rifle and many similar guns, we didn’t sit around and complain. We took action. We’re pleased to announce a lawsuit challenging the Village of Deerfield’s gun confiscation ordinance.
After all, the newly amended ordinance clearly violates the constitutional rights of not only Deerfield residents, but any visitors to the community and those just passing through. The change even stripped out language that granted immunity for those using one of these guns for lawful self-defense.
The AR-15 stands as America’s favorite rifle for a number of very good reasons. People young and old can effectively utilize the AR platform for competition, recreation and self-defense. Yes, guns protect families. Guns protect children.
Banning one of the most effective guns widely in use by America’s nearly 100 million gun owners will only serve to protect criminals, lunatics and terrorists.
Particularly when it comes to women and teens, Uncle Joe Biden’s sage advice to just buy a shotgun stands as seriously ignorant.
As an Illinois-based gun rights organization known for its aggressive civil rights advocacy, Guns Save Life holds six meetings across Illinois each month. We’re known for our roadside highway sign program based on the old Burma-Shave signs. Over a half-million people see our signs each day. One of my favorite slogans:
DIALED 911
AND I’M ON HOLD
SURE WISH I HAD
THAT GUN I SOLD
GunsSaveLife.com
We also publish GunNews (current issue here available for download) each month.
The Deerfield ordinance needed to be challenged. Guns Save Life, with the assistance of our friends at the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, has filed suit to stop this unconstitutional move by a local government in Illinois.
This latest court action represents GSL’s second civil rights lawsuit against unconstitutional local ordinances in the Land of Lincoln. We’re also a party to Guns Save Life v. Ali, a suit challenging Cook County’s gun and ammo tax. That suit remains ongoing.
The NRA-ILA has issued this press release:
NRA to support Guns Save Life in Illinois Lawsuit
Fairfax, Va.— The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) today announced support for a lawsuit brought by Guns Save Life challenging the Village of Deerfield, Illinois’ gun confiscation ordinance. The lawsuit challenges Deerfield’s recent attempt to criminalize so-called “assault weapons” and “high capacity magazines” within village limits.“Every law-abiding villager of Deerfield has the right to protect themselves, their homes, and their loved ones with the firearm that best suits their needs,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA-ILA. “The National Rifle Association is pleased to assist Guns Save Life in defense of this freedom.”
By amending an existing 2013 ordinance, the Village Board of Trustees has now empowered local authorities to confiscate and destroy all so-called “assault weapons” and “high capacity magazines” possessed within village limits. The amendment also imposes a daily fine ranging between $250 and $1,000.
“We are going to fight this ordinance, which clearly violates our member’s constitutional rights, and with the help of the NRA I believe we can secure a victory for law-abiding gun owners in and around Deerfield,” said John Boch, executive director of Guns Save Life.
And this is exactly how and when NRA should become involved in local/state issues. GSL is a grassroots, Illinois- based group willing to take the lead as citizens so NRA doesn’t need to come in as some carpetbagger opportunists to tell the locals what to do. They already know and have started as the pic demonstrate. I’m betting GSL will receive infinitely more real support, financial and physical from NRA than from any other “firearms” group that chooses to become involved.
Amen, brother. Guns Save Life are some great people. I am looking forward to their (okay, “our” as I am a member) Peoria meeting tonight! GSL’s leadership makes me proud to be a member!
That is how they normally operate. For state issues they support local affiliate organizations, some are closely affiliated others are distantly affiliated.
Why has the NRA forsaken Calif. I would bet that Calif has more NRA members than any other state. Yes, we have other help, but since it is usually seen first in Ca., maybe they should act to stop these abuses of the 2nd and nip them in the bud.
The ninth court will always go with the liberals in Ca., but it would take the power of the NRA to overturn these findings with the Supreme Court.
NRA abandoned New Jersey as well with cop outs like , ‘ we want to save the money for fights we know we can win ‘. —– By not fighting , bad laws are made in NJ , NY , CA, as the ” Testing Grounds ” ….. later to be advanced in more States and at FEDERAL level where once again N.R.A. play dumb and says ……
” Who could have seen this coming ” …. Send us MORE money ” — nope, never again.
NRA , Chris Cox and Lapierre need to MEMORIZE this :
‘“They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power.”
― Patrick Henry
…You forgot Massachusetts,Connecticut, and MD…..
The NRA is in Cali, NJ, and other states that most consider lost causes. The money is often funneled through local organizations who have better knowledge on where to spend it.
In reality, it’s the “good citizens” of CA, MA, CT, NJ, NY et al that have abandoned themselves. Bitch about guns? How about Sanctuary Cities, condoning an illegal alien invasion, a permanent entitlement/welfare class, safe speech zones, absolutely racist/sexist policies condoned by the elected government, you name it?
Seriously, if you could move the entire population off their butts and somehow keep them from feeling bullied into submission by the loudest detractors and get them to go out and vote their conscience and principles without fearing reprisal from the MSM and their own gov’t., the majority of (legal) Californians would probably vote these freaks out on their own. They’re scared.
The same tactics are used here by the big player wannabees to convince posters that NRA is ineffective. NRA is fantastic when the population within the state (or the country as a whole) is willing to fight for themselves in the first place. When they won’t or don’t, you’re left with a bunch of mindless crackpots trying to openly promote the assassination of elected officials as is going on around this site and others- not that these crackpots themselves would ever actually grab their custom SKS and attempt it. They just try to push someone else to do it for them. Similar to the Ayatollahs and Islamic leaders and their homicide bombers/shooters.
Screeching about how the NRA has ‘abandoned’ the people of the Slave States is misdirected anger against the wrong people.
The NRA is a TINY organization when compared to a state government; It cannot marshal armed force against the political usurpers, it cannot bribe them into acquiescence, it cannot dragoon unwilling voters into suddenly voting against Leftist politicians who keep getting re-elected time after time simply because the majority of voters in that state are incredibly, dismally stupid/ignorant/uncaring/gullible/sheeplike.
Apparently, people who do rail against the NRA ‘not doing enough’ are champions of lost causes, who would wish the NRA to tilt against windmills and sacrifice itself on the altar of failure just to satisfy somebody’s desire to watch a fistfight between unequal opponents so that they can feel good about cheering for the bloodied loser as having been a ‘good sport.’
There is no point in throwing good money and effort after bad in a senseless battle against a more powerful enemy when you KNOW that you’re just going to lose; It doesn’t even impress the ladies any more.
Far better that the NRA spend MY money, and yours, on battles that they can win instead of throwing it away on refighting the lost wars in Slave States that are too far gone to save.
When democrats became a supermajority along with liberals outnumbering normal people 2 to 1.
That’s when.
Look at the current vacancies on the 9th circus court of appeals. Trump already has 8 openings he can nominate a conservative to fill. I believe there are 27 judges on the 9th, so already has almost 1/3 of those seats open to a nominee from him. There are still quite a few clinton judge who will likely be considering retirement soon. Trump could remake the 9th in just his first term.
That would be a big deal. Two most loony circuits are the 9th and the 4th. The 4th used to be great but obama got 6 or 7 opening there and filled it with nuts. That why the maryland assault weapons ban was upheld and done so with insane reasoning.
rt66paul,
There is no possible way that the NRA can:
— depose the Progressive supermajority in the California legislature
— depose the Progressive Governor of California
— depose the Progressive majority in California’s courts
— depose the Progressive majority in the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
— suddenly install a Conservative majority in the U.S. Supreme Court
— bribe above institutions to find in favor of firearms owners
Those are FACTS. It would be a total and complete waste of resources for the NRA to do anything in California because their actions cannot produce any results.
The best thing you can do is move out of California. Sorry. That is the way life goes sometimes.
There are 8 current openings on the 9th circuit for trump to fill. He has 8 already in 1 year in office. He has a chance to remake the 9th
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Ninth_Circuit#Vacancies_and_pending_nominations
A win in the Deerfield case can help NY, NJ, CT etc. Ideally we get an “assault weapon” case to the USSC and then win it there on clear 2nd Amendment grounds – that would be the best possible outcome.
Failing that, winning the case at the local Circuit Court of Appeal would help create Circuit diversity, which can then be used to bring an “assault weapons” case to the USSC in the future.
Sorry, but this lawsuit is not about assault weapons, and is instead about legal wording. A victory will have little/no impact on other jurisdictions.
This law cannot stand for many reasons one of which is the interstate or intrastate clause which is being violated by outlawing these firearms being possessed by travelers passing through town. This came up when they included a 1000 ft. area around schools to be gun free zones. This included highways which invalidated this 1000 ft. rule.
Bringing cases to a hostile circuit court results in bad caselaw and the Supreme Court has shown itself entirely unwilling to take up any gun cases, even those that have splits in the different courts.
Where was the NRA when Maura Healey was threatening lawful gun stores for selling lawful products?
GOAL stated that the NRA is working with them on their lawsuit IIRC.
Gee what ASSault weapon problem do they have in Deerfield? Kind of an upscale Northern ILL burb. My own brother got his doctorate(in Hebrew)at Trinity U. How do they know who has what? Yeah support GSL. We all should…funny but I don’t hear all that EFF Illinois talk after Floriduh and Vermont republicans screwing their own. No cushion here…
These cases will not give us a supreme court decision protecting commonly owned semi automatic weapons and standard capacity magazines until 1 or possible 2 more pro rights justices are installed on the court. Trump will lose in 2020 for being part of the swamp and being anti gun so I don’t see this happening.
Trump lives and dies on the economy. If it’s going well in 2019 he wins. If the economy isn’t doing well he loses.
The economy brings people out in droves, and will especially after the past decade. Gun rights folks will only matter in a close election and they’ll go Trump anyway because the Democrats will almost assuredly pick a complete Left wing nutter.
The last election was about jobs, immigration, trade, the ACA and other huge issues. Like it or not the 2A is always second fiddle in elections and a backburner issue in the off years. It’s nowhere near the issue most of us would like but that’s the reality.
If Trump lives and dies by the economy, he is screwed. The Stock market is starting to go down cause of his idiotic trade war not to mention his 1.3 trillion dollar budget. You can’t have a debt that is larger than your GDP and expect businesses to invest in our country when we are possibly the biggest financial risk in the world.
When it comes to gun rights, our only hope is that RBG dies before the 2018 election but with the way that old bag is going, she’ll be on the court for another decade.
I think she’s been dead since 2012, but nobody can tell the difference.
You can have a debt larger than your GDP. The U.S. is far from a financial risk. We could implement higher taxes if needed to raise more revenue plus our economy has tremendous wealth generation capability. That said, a high debt is not a good thing either. It remains to be seen how Trump’s trade policies will affect the economy, but I agree that generally such policies are not good.
If Kennedy retires in the summer it could happen
RBG is more likely to kick it than Kennedy retiring.
I do hope someone will be able to tell me I’m wrong this summer.
RGB is 85, she had cancer twice, and has coronary disease. Kennedy is 83 and Breyer is pushing 80. I believe we’ll can capitalize on the selfishness of these liberals not retiring during Obama by giving us a conservative majority very soon.
I joined GSL yesterday and I’m sure glad I did. God bless them and their fight or should I say OUR FIGHT!
I see the ISRA and SAF have also filed a lawsuit
When concealed carry passed, I thought the preemption component of the law included a short window for municipalities to enact AWBs. A speak now or forever hold your peace provision. Isn’t that the better argument rather than challenging it on constitutional grounds given the Seventh Circuit’s ruling in Highland Park?
They’re taking advantage of a new proposed amendment to one of the laws passed in the Illinois senate that would allow municipalities to regulate “assault weapons” as they see fit. I believe the bill is on the governor’s desk to either sign or veto.
Yes, but communities can “amend” previous enacted laws. The lawsuit is about exactly what is an amendment vs new law.
Who cares, they don’t actually do anything. They just say hey we support you, so that if something good happens we can take credit.
Just like when they file suit, who cares I can file suit as well, if yo don’t do anything or pass it onto local smaller groups (like the nra does) it doesn’t matter.
The NRA is getting criticism and people are leaving because of their support for gun control, they’re just trying to save face by making headlines, and not actually do anything.
Their membership is at an all time high. Sorry, thanks for playing.
As we all know ……. if you criticize the NRA … Ya’ must be russian ! /s/
Зачем? Россия – друг НРА и вторая поправка. Я не понимаю!
Don’t use Google translate. It sux.
Why is this breaking news? What’s next, man goes to work and does his job?
Sheesh
The problem is the NRA will lose. As per the Supreme Court not taking up gun cases complete gun bans and confiscation by force is now constitutional. The courts hate our guts. The ordinance could’ve been written to say anyone caught with these weapons after this date is going to be summarily executed in there own homes or yards without trial the courts would support that too. I am of the opinion that the Supreme Court and most lower courts if a law or ordinance is past that bans gun ownership completely and makes owning one punishable by execution without trial in your own home or front yard and the life imprisonment or execution of your immediate family the courts would support that law.
Fortunately, the lawsuit filed has very little to do with guns, and more about legal wording. It’s a bit complicated for a short comment, but basically the lawsuit is about the way it was passed as opposed to what was passed. IL law specifically says that assault weapons are the jurisdiction of the state, as opposed to local communities.
With that said, local communities can “amend” existing assault weapons laws. Whether or not this is an amendment or a new law is the core issue. As a result, if this is allowed to stand, it has plenty of implications outside of gun legislation.
BTW, I was there at the meeting/vote on Monday to see liberty die.
Holy Smokes! The NRA is actually taking action to SUPPORT our gun rights? Now that’s a one-eighty!
Are they challenging the actual ban or just the confiscation aspect because didn’t the 7th circuit already uphold these unconstitutional bans?
Hope GSL wins the lawsuit.
Unless 1-2 of the liberal judges on SCOTUS die before the 2018 elections, I am not holding my breath. Trump will lose in 2020 and I’ll be amazed if Republicans can maintain control of the Senate after 2020 as well. RBG isn’t going to retire while Trump is in power so I’ll be amazed if he is able to get another judge on the bench before he is out of office.
But hey, at least he has been stuffing the lower courts so I guess he is good for something.
Is this the same NRA thats ok with bump stock bans ?
Please take action on the bump stock ban- The BATFE cannot publish / add a new ruling without responding to all comments pertaining to that ruling. Everyone should comment to the ATF –
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=ATF-2018-0002-0001
The previously proposed ruling to ban “green tip” ammo had little more than 80,000 comments and the ATF gave up. The “gun trust ruling ” was delayed roughly 18 months because the ATF had to respond to roughly 9,500 comments.
Go to the website and read the proposed rule, they will be able to ban anything in the future that previously was legal without compensation.
Remember these were sold a legal accessories for years, and formal legal rulings were issued on numerous designs by the ATF that these were in fact legal accessories.The manufacturers and buyers were given a written declaration that these items were in fact legal and complied with the law and that they did not require any form of serialization or background check – legally they were nothing more than a piece of plastic.
Now they are going to retroactively declare owners of this plastic a felon and if you refuse to turn in your device they will arrest you, possibly shoot you and imprison you for no less than 10 years per offense. after having told you that it was completely lawful to own, possess and sell without any restrictions.
This decision ” will not ” and “does not” limit itself to just “bump stocks”
You can comment more than once, pick out a proposed rule section and comment on it, then go back another day and comment on another section. you can just comment that you disagree with it. . You can keep commenting thru June 27th, 2018
Happy commenting
Y’all just gonna go bury it “till the time is right”. pshh
Time is right if you gotta hide it
Better go get another molon labe tat with a Spartan helmet sticker and another snake t-shirt. That will show them LOL
Bout tired of the lip service from both sides
This is good – It’s another 2A case to put in the SCOTUS pipeline for eventual granting of cert., for when justice Thomas finally gets a swing at giving the 2A the proper respect it deserves.
Understand people, even if it works out that way and AR-pattern and similar rifles and magazine capacities are granted their proper protection under the 2A, the *moment* the SCOTUS balance tips left, they will reverse that decision and ‘Heller’ with the same glee and righteousness seen when Dred Scott was reversed.
They *hate* the 2A that much.
The 2A will *never* be safe as long as the Progressives have a chance of packing the highest court with Leftist scum…
Vote Trump, Vote Republican for 6 more years…we need Republicans to control The Senate to appoint pro gun justices and judges at all levels of the federal bench…..keeping the house would be great too because they will impeach Trump the next day….and the democrats in the senate and Never Trump republicans just might refuse to seat any judicial nominees if he is being impeached….
WHO FUCKING CARES if Trump is impeached?
(Outside of the fact they will control the lower house and kill Trump’s agenda.)
He won’t be convicted in the Senate, and being impeached did NOTHING to Bill Clinton. The Leftists *still* think he was a great president.
If we get clobbered in the mid-terms, we better kill the filibuster and ram through everything we possibly can during the lame-duck session immediately after the election until the new house members get seated…
You must be damaged in order to have standing for the supreme court to hear your case. If not, they will simply pass on making a decision and everyone will claim they are agreeing with the lower courts (and assume this “law” is constitutional). Let these people fine someone the $1000.00 a day for a few days and then assert a proper challenge – as a person injured by this ridiculous rule!
D.C. v. Heller makes what they did in Deerfield unConstitutional as it clearly identifies that weapons in common use are protected by the 2nd Amendment….that the 7th circuit ignored this ruling and now with Caetano v. Massachusettes clarifying the point that you can’t ban a gun simply because it is dangerous, sine all guns are dangerous…….we need to end this town by town, city by city gun banning and confiscation…..Hopefully Trump will be able to appoint a replacement for ginsburg and kennedy before this case gets close to the Supreme Court…..another reason why pro 2nd Amendment people need to go out and vote Republican in November even if you don’t like Trump or Republicans…..we have a shot at changing the court to a Pro-Rights court for 30 or more years…..don’t screw that up just because you don’t like his tweets.
Question. How can a town legally confiscate guns that were legally purchased prior to a law without paying for that gun? At least Australia did a buy back. This amounts to theft. And how can they take a gun without a firearm transfer form? That’s federally required I believe.
Would sure be great if Trump could stuff the 9th Circuit and replace those three leftists on the court. But I doubt he’ll be able to do that, even with the current GOP control of the houses, I think that he’d maybe only get one real conservative, and have to make the other two moderates.
Why hasn’t any one ever ask theses liberal politicians on a live form this question ?
As they speak about disarming the citizens of this Great Nation . Are you going to stop using a heavily armed security force so you can live in a gun free zone like your constituent ? Your always saying how much safer we would all be !