Darren Bailey and his enthusiasm for guns
Wednesday, Jul 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* In his own words…
* Patch…
Candidate for Illinois governor and Republican State Sen. Darren Bailey — who previously filed a lawsuit against current Gov. J.B. Pritzker — took to TikTok for the first time on Saturday to share a few thoughts about the recently passed $42.2 billion budget proposal.
In the debut video, Bailey holds thousands of pages of what he says is the Illinois budget proposal in his hands with what appears to be a semiautomatic sporting rifle slung on his back.
While Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” plays in the background, Bailey tells viewers he is finally ready to respond to his constituent’s questions about his feelings on the bill.
“Friends, Illinois Republicans had less than six hours to review over 3,800 pages of the budget this year,” he said. “This entire week people have been asking me how I feel about the budget. I’m having a hard time putting it into words.”
Wordlessly, Bailey loads the rifle, takes aim and fires a single shot at the stack of paper, sending pages flying.
The video on his Facebook page…
My Thoughts on the Pork-filled Illinois Democrat Budget
We made our first Tik Tok video to deliver an important message about the pork-filled Democrat budget that increases spending, increases taxes, and makes it harder for Illinoisans to invest, live, work and stay in Illinois. It’s time to turn things around. I support a zero-based budget where every department makes a case for every dollar spent to provide accountability. I also support identifying and eliminating unfunded mandates that increase property taxes and make it harder for working families. As your next Governor, we will get it done. #standingwithyouin2022
Posted by Darren Bailey for Governor on Saturday, June 5, 2021
* Click here to watch this other Bailey TikTok video…
* From his campaign’s online store…
* He’s had several gun raffles…
* SE Illinois News…
* Bailey on The Wilkow Majority…
You know, sharing ideas sometimes if you don’t hear them you don’t think of them. But you know, the concealed carry and how much safer would you be if the mom walking her children was concealed carry and had protection. And I personally think it would make a big difference and that’s sometimes what you have to do in government especially here in Illinois. You have to throw the idea out there and get people thinking because here in Illinois as democrat is the government has been, they’ve continually heard one side and havent had any light shed on other views.
* Bailey on WGN Radio…
Q: You and your wife are the founders of Full Armor Christian Academy. Is there a sign at the door of that school that reads: ‘Staff heavily armed and trained in any attempt to harm children will be met with deadly force’?
A: Well, you’ve done your research. There actually is, yes. We believe that the children are our most precious asset. And it’s interesting, when you go into a Target, or certainly a high-end fashion or jewelry store, you’ll usually see an armed guard there protecting that and in this day and age and climate, we believe that we need to do everything possible to protect our children.
Q: So you have guns throughout the school. Would you advocate that Chicago schools have guns easily available for teachers or others to use?
A: Well, I would certainly advocate under the current climate that is a plausible solution if the local school so chose. Obviously, lots of training, you know, handling the the gun itself, and then that training with local law enforcement agencies of which we do at Full Armor would be obviously mandatory. And I believe that that would, yeah, I believe that would certainly help be a step if a school so chose to use it to make schools and safer and protect our children.
* Bailey on WCMY Radio…
Guns are not the problem. Guns can be part of the solution as a part of protection.
From the station…
Bailey says it’s an important, God given right.
- Rufus T. Firefly - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 12:49 pm:
Bailey is a fan of flamethrowers too. There’s a video somewhere.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 12:50 pm:
Die on my porch before I give up my guns and this too? Founder of Full Armor Christian Academy. You have got to be kidding me it sounds like a parody. This is red flag territory at least for me.
- AlfondoGonz - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 12:51 pm:
Still looking out for the crash when we hit the bottom.
- Steve - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 12:51 pm:
Bailey takes very seriously the U.S. Supreme Court’s incorporation of the Second Amendment.
- wildcat12 - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 12:53 pm:
This is sickening. I’m not even close to a constitutional scholar, but I can accept that there is a certain right to arm oneself in the Second Amendment. But the fetishization of weapons has gone too far.
- NIU Grad - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 12:57 pm:
Would love to see numbers on that last pictures of how many have been killed in mass shootings by each of those types of guns.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:00 pm:
==Guns are not the problem==
Yeah, they kinda are. And people like you are also part of the problem.
==Guns can be part of the solution==
Absolutely tone deaf.
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:00 pm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpuPN3bT3Xw&ab_channel=Medbob
- Norseman - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:02 pm:
For the sake of IL, this candidate needs to lose.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:02 pm:
==AND what’s up with the vests? ==
As near as I can tell they hand you one when you win the nomination for Governor.
- Baloneymous - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:05 pm:
What caliber is the rifle he uses to blow up the budget? Is it .223 or .308? on a previous post today, a couple people said those are “weak” or “weaker” rounds. I realize it’s just paper, but looks pretty damaging to me. Now imagine he shot the budget 50 or 100 times. It’s not just the size of the bullets it’s the high capacity and easy to reload another high capacity mag. 1 person could do so much damage with the rifle Bailey has, and he thinks it’s all a big joke.
- walker - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:07 pm:
Bailey is not playing to his base –he is his base.
- Crusty Oatmeal - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:08 pm:
* Would love to see numbers on that last pictures of how many have been killed in mass shootings by each of those types of guns. *
https://crime-data-explorer.app.cloud.gov/pages/explorer/crime/crime-trend
- Manchester - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:09 pm:
If I really expressed in words the contempt I have for Bailey, I would be banned from this site. He Is a poster boy for the worst of America.
- Sir Reel - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:09 pm:
It’s amusing watching Republicans trying to out gun nut each other. Then again, it isn’t.
- Stormsw7706 - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:11 pm:
Don’t make this man more than he is. He is going to lose by 20 points plus. He’s the Mr. Haney (Green Acres ) of the Republican Party. Always a big man in a small room.
- Publius - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:12 pm:
Even if we decided we needed high powered guns to protect ourselves how effective would they be in this case. That person was on the roof. No way to return fire when you are pinned down.
- golface18 - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:13 pm:
I believe he shot at a container of Tannerite that was under the budget pages which caused it to explode like that. They are used for sporting targets for rifles and handguns.
- Nagidam - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:13 pm:
===What caliber is the rifle he uses to blow up the budget? Is it .223 or .308? on a previous post today, a couple people said those are “weak” or “weaker” rounds. I realize it’s just paper but looks pretty damaging to me.===
If Bailey was aiming at the paper that makes up the budget in the video, you would actually not see anything or very little movement. Bailey was aiming at the orange can under the budget that I assume was filled with what is called Tannerite…which is an explosive.
- Thomas Paine - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:14 pm:
The problem with Bailey isn’t guns, abortion or COVID.
It is his self-righteousness.
He is so sure that he is right and everyone else is wrong who disagrees with him, on every issue.
He cannot learn. he cannot grow, he cannot evolve, and he sure as heck cannot empathize.
Ask him as a grandfather or a father what he thinks Kevin McCarthy was feeling as he used his own body to shield his 2 1/2 year old son from bullets.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:15 pm:
Staking out the furthest right positions on two hot button issues, guns and abortion, and lining yourself up with 10-20% of the electorate at most in the process is a bold campaign strategy, Cotton. Let’s see how that works out for him.
That’s the thing about video and your own words. No walking that back.
- levivotedforjudy - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:15 pm:
Bailey apparently loves guns the way Justice Brett Kavanaugh loves beer. He is what he is and JB is going to remind people of that a lot.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:15 pm:
It’s hard to believe that we’re just in week 1 of Bailey’s general election campaign. And if this is any indication, I think there’s going to be a lot of earned media. And for Bailey that won’t be a good thing.
- Manchester - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:16 pm:
“Bailey says it’s an important, God given right.” Strange, but I don’t remember it saying anywhere in the Bible that every nut has the right to an AR-15 or an AK-47.
- Nagidam - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:17 pm:
===Even if we decided we needed high powered guns to protect ourselves how effective would they be in this case. That person was on the roof. No way to return fire when you are pinned down.===
The tactical response is to fire at the target and pin that person down while others sweep around to engage. You don’t necessarily need rifles to do that. But, there shouldn’t have been anybody concealing a firearm to return fire as guns are prohibited at parades according to Illinois law.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:20 pm:
=A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,=
The first half of the 2nd Amendment. Written that way for a reason. Why do they always skip that part? Rhetorical of course.
=a couple people said those are “weak” or “weaker” rounds=
I don’t think you are quoting people correctly. There are FAR more powerful and damaging rounds available but they are not used because the guns don’t allow for high capacity magazines. And the explosion is due to his use of tannerite, not the bullet hitting the paper. Tannerite is a binary explosive that is detonated when a high speed projectile strikes the mixture. In our neighboring states you can pick it up just about any place like a farm and fleet.
Bailey is an imbecile. period. He sounds like a (steeling a term from his kind) foreigner. HATES democracy, wants to establish a theocracy in the Iranian or Taliban mold.
And as others have said, he is a gun fetishist.
His attempt to make a political gain, complete with campaign signs, from the Highland Park massacre is disgusting and should disqualify him from the election.
- Goodness - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:22 pm:
==He is so sure that he is right and everyone else is wrong who disagrees with him, on every issue==
Someone hasn’t heard JB Pritzker speak over the past 3 years.
- Roadrager - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:26 pm:
==Full Armor Christian Academy==
Says a lot about what is actually being worshipped here.
- Anyone Remember - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:27 pm:
: … God given right.”
Which local Minuteman Company was “God” serving in at Lexington and Concord?
- Rudy’s teeth - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:28 pm:
Darren Bailey would be the perfect candidate for Sheriff during the 1880s in Dodge City. Fast forward to 2022…never as governor in Illinois.
Bailey is long past reading the room. Elmer Fudd does not belong in the governor’s office.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:33 pm:
-God given right-
Bailey, probably: Reading guns into the Bible is totally different than reading reproductive rights into the Constitution. Totally. /s
- Blue Dog - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:35 pm:
Hypocrites R Us. How many of you are gun owners?
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:35 pm:
@Ruby’s teeth Wyatt Earp from Monmouth Illinois banned guns in dodge City during the 1880s At least in the area where most families lived. So Baily probably could not have been elected sheriff of Dodge City in 1880 too extreme for them
- Baloneymous - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:35 pm:
===I don’t think you are quoting people correctly.===
Ok, I didn’t realize he was using explosives, but if he shot that budget 50-100 times, I’m sure it still would have done significant damage.
And this was what I was referring to or quoting from the FOID post:
“An AR is actually a small caliber weapon, not to mention that I have a right to own one without explaining why I need it to you. Its called the bill of rights, not the bill of needs.”
- Stix Hix - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:39 pm:
And don’t call me “friend”.
- Jocko - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:44 pm:
==Guns can be part of the solution==
Only if you need to quickly put a hole in someone or something.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:46 pm:
==Bailey says it’s an important, God-given right. ==
Can someone share the theology behind that? Is there a “The Lord says ye shall have an implement to obliterate thy neighbor if he shall try and takeith thy cattle or thy wagon”
Guessing it is someplace in the Old Testament. I recall ‘turn the other cheek’, I don’t recall ‘pop a cap in a guy’
- thisjustinagain - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:49 pm:
The gun-banners need to understand that SCOTUS has found the right to keep and bear arms is NOT governed by the “Militia Clause”; old cases pre-Heller, McDonald and the NY case are no longer good law. The right belongs to individuals, and includes modern weapons. One can have firearms for any lawful purpose simply because they want to; there is no “need” or “good cause” requirement. SCOTUS also just overturned four rulings regarding various bans/restrictions and sent them back to the lower courts to apply the “strict scrutiny” legal standard some lower courts ignored outright to uphold 2A infringements. It’s a new world, and SCOTUS has now said for the 3rd time in 14 years the 2nd Amendment is not a second-class right, and cannot be ignored, denied, or delayed because a small percentage of the population misuses firearms.
- Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:51 pm:
He’s filmed an ad weeks ago with a semi-automatic sporting rifle which is one of the most popular and legal firearm types sold in the USA. In the photo with the Deer head - it is bad for firearm safety to have his finger on or near the revolver’s trigger. Always keep your finger straight and on the frame of the firearm until you are ready to pull it.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:53 pm:
-Hypocrites R Us. How many of you are gun owners?-
There’s a difference between owning a gun or two for protection or hunting, which I don’t to answer your question but I have no problem with… and fetishizing them.
- SWSider - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:57 pm:
You know, I wonder if DGA and JBP are regretting boosting him to the tune of tens of millions of dollars these last few months.
He won’t win, but to pretend that the platform he’ll have the next few months doesn’t have a deleterious effect on our community/state/nation is to bury your head in the sand.
- Vote Quimby - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:59 pm:
From the Full Armor Christian Academy page of Testimonials:
“The public school system today is a battle ground.”
Sadly, I don’t think they understood how literal that is.
- Jibba - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:00 pm:
=====It’s a new world, and SCOTUS has now said for the 3rd time in 14 years ===
Things can change as the makeup of the court changes, as we all saw recently. And in case you have missed it, politicians and the people are talking about the need for changes. Perhaps you need to be part of the solution and consider how guns might be reasonable regulated to preserve your rights yet minimize harm to bystanders or you might get passed by. Like age restrictions for certain classes or firearms, banning high capacity magazines, and similar things. This is low hanging fruit…I’m sure you don’t want people to start thinking about assault weapon bans and deciding that protected uses of firearms include sport and self defense but not insurrection and war. Happily for you, the Senate apparently will be at an impasse for the foreseeable future, making any improvements dependent on electing more Democrats.
- XonXoff - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:00 pm:
If guns are not the problem then bullets are the problem.
// Bailey is not playing to his base –he is his base. //
With all due respect, I believe he has a base. I also believe many of them are in the zip codes he operates in. And I suspect some of them are going to eventually wish they’d never heard of Darren Bailey — and his penchant for attention — if their farms (and churches) go under the microscope for all the subsidy and PPP money they’ve been suckling up in that area.
The Peter Principle is alive and well.
- Midwesterner - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:03 pm:
Must agree with the comments to the effect that Darren Bailey is singularly unqualified to be Illinois’ governor.
While JB is not the sole reason that Bailey won, his money is a very big part of why Illinois voters will not get to chose between two qualified candidates (of which JB is one) and two well-articulated visions of what Illinois should be.
Perhaps there should be an asterisk on the results of the November election.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:05 pm:
“A man becomes preeminent, he’s expected to have some enthusiasms.”
Laws can be amended and repealed, as can Constitutions. Not that I think it’ll happen, but I’d amend the 2nd amendment to change one single word. I’d change “infringed” to “prohibited.”
Now if I could just get 2/3rds of Congress and 3/4ths of states to agree…then we could infringe away with common sense while still providing for private ownership of firearms.
If only there was a middle in the American body politic, where responsible gun owners join those of us who just want the gun violence to stop.
The firearm manufacturers have brain washed Americans and bought off politicians. Citizens need to come together to make government work.
#changeoneword.
- Elmer Keith - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:08 pm:
“I think the vest is to hide moobs.” You mean like Pritzker’s vest? Republican or Democrat, we have two heavyweights facing off. It’s tough living in America, where everyone has enough to eat…
- Huh? - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:08 pm:
“SCOTUS has now said that privacy is a second-class right, and can be ignored, denied, or delayed because a small percentage of the population have had an abortion.”
Fixed it for ya.
To the post -
When does the right to bear arms and the SCOTUS interpretation of the second amendment conflict with my rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
In light of what happened in Highland Park, I’m asking for a friend.
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:09 pm:
“I believe he shot at a container of Tannerite that was under the budget pages”
Which if I recall correctly is a violation of the Illinois law regulating the use of tannerite to explicitly not be used in displays for exhibition.
Probably could have avoided much of this now, if someone would have bothered to enforce that law.
- thunderspirit - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:10 pm:
== Absolutely tone deaf. ==
Well, not for the tone he’s trying to set.
And I don’t recall guns being given by God in the Bible. Can someone point that chapter and verse out to me?
- cover - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:11 pm:
= Bailey, probably: Reading guns into the Bible is totally different than reading reproductive rights into the Constitution. Totally. /s =
Maybe Bailey is reading the Book of Armaments, which gives specific instructions for the use of the Holy Hand Grenade /s
- Really - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:18 pm:
And this is what the Republicans think will capture the Governor’s office? I have voted Republican all my life and I can’t vote for these people. I won’t vote Democrat as they have run this state into a financial gutter. Right now, I probably won’t vote at all in November.
- froganon - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:18 pm:
- thisjustinagain - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 1:49 pm:
The gun-banners need to understand that SCOTUS has found the right to keep and bear arms is NOT governed by the “Militia Clause”; old cases pre-Heller, McDonald and the NY case are no longer good law. The right belongs to individuals, and includes modern weapons. One can have firearms for any lawful purpose simply because they want to; there is no “need” or “good cause” requirement… It’s a new world,… 2nd Amendment is not a second-class right, and cannot be ignored, denied, or delayed because a small percentage of the population misuses firearms.
With four more justices, it will be another new world. A world where the first part of the sentence about a well regulated militia will be judged relevant again. Governments, including the Supreme Court , are allowed to govern with the consent of the governed. This Supreme Court’s utter contempt for the will of the people let alone their lives will not stand. There have been 316 mass shootings in America this year. America has the highest rate of maternal deaths in the industrialized world. These two statistics make
America small and mean. America will not be great unless we can overcome the gun fetishists and the forced birth brigade.
- Northsider - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:25 pm:
He’s showing us who he is.
Vote accordingly.
- Crusty Oatmeal - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:32 pm:
* Supreme Court’s utter contempt for the will of the people *
Which people are those?
- downstater - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:34 pm:
The video has an exploding target that’s hidden inside of the paper. That’s what causes the pages to blow everywhere with the smoke.
there are some obvious problems with the systems we haven’t placed that should have caught this guy but a whole bunch of things went wrong. well it’s easy to say just get rid of the tool, it’s not that easy. The root problems still exist that get people so pent up and for lack of a better word crazy that they do these things. there’s a lot of things that need to be addressed
- Streator Curmudgeon - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:35 pm:
Boy.
Would this be a good day for an Oscar photo.
- froganon - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:37 pm:
- Crusty Oatmeal-
The clear majority of Americans who want access to abortion services and better gun control, that majority.
- AlfondoGonz - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:38 pm:
Lost in the debate is the sheer clownishness of the 2A crowd. Don’t like the budget? Shoot it. Don’t like regulations? Better shoot ‘em. Don’t like RINOS? Get your hunting permit.
Then you see how the 2A crowd engages here, and you have to resign to the fact that you’re dealing with simple people, with simple solutions for complex problems.
There’s no point in including people like Darren Baily in the discussion. And if the closest thing you can do to pass for clever is ask a rhetorical question you should probably know the answer to, might I suggest you’d be better off listening for once.
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:39 pm:
===One can have firearms for any lawful purpose simply because they want to; there is no “need” or “good cause” requirement.===
The second amendment mentions arms, not firearms. I don’t understand how anyone could think that a state or federal government could not restrict exactly what kind of arms private citizens possess legally. There are lots of “arms” out there. And I know of nobody that thinks people should be allowed to possess ballistic missiles.
- Rudy’s teeth - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:41 pm:
As mentioned before, Darren Bailey’s team should create a Cliffs Notes version of the budget for Darren.
As reading is not Bailey’s strength, notes, charts, and visuals might assist Darren’s understanding of the budget’s contents.
- Thomas Paine - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:46 pm:
=== someone hasn’t heard JB speak ===
I heard JB speak, he began by thanking law enforcement, especially Highland Park police who were part of the parade and ran toward gunfire.
Thanking people is something that Pritzker does with great regularity. It is an act that requires genuine humility, which Darren Bailey lacks. Pritzker is the first to admit he is far from perfect and just trying to do the best he can every day.
Bailey reminds me of that character in “To inherit the Wind,” Matthew Brady, of whom Spencer Tracy said “The Gospel according to Brady! God speaks to Brady, and Brady tells the world! Brady, Brady, Brady, Almighty! Matthew Harrison Brady : All of you know what I stand for - what I believe!”
- Try-4-Truth - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:48 pm:
Ok, I hate guns. I see no need for them.
But, I’m not going to have that argument, it is pointless.
But, why are Republicans / Bailey fans not furious with him today? He just fumbled the opening kickoff and JB scored off of it.
I don’t get it. Do you want a Republican governor or not?
- Vote Quimby - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:54 pm:
==If only there was a middle in the American body politic, where responsible gun owners join those of us who just want the gun violence to stop.==
This please (banned punctuation) Thanks 47th Ward
- Highland IL - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:56 pm:
== “ I will die on my porch before I give up my guns,” Bailey said” ==
I call BS.
- Crispy - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 2:56 pm:
Try-4-Truth @ 2:48: Shhh…don’t give them any ideas. We’d all be in a world of hurt if they actually ran a competent GOP candidate.
- former cubs fan - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 3:04 pm:
can we just save everybody a lot of time, money, and aggravation and call this one right now?
- vole - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 3:10 pm:
We have met out Eric Greitens.
Variations on expressions of militancy by a show of strong arms.
Run-up on the run-down trust.
Bodings of break-down.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 3:12 pm:
==Someone hasn’t heard JB Pritzker speak over the past 3 years. ==
Oh, please. JB Prtizker thinks he’s right (just like everyone else), but he doesn’t go around insisting that he’s been given a mission from god to redeem the state from sin.
It really will be OK if you stop pretending “bOtH sIdEs aRe tHe sAmE”.
- Rudy’s teeth - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 3:18 pm:
JB Pritzker is to articulate as Darren Bailey is to blathering.
- Gruntled University Employee - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 3:25 pm:
==Hypocrites R Us. How many of you are gun owners?==
I personally own what most on this blog would consider an arsenal. And yet I still support Gun Safety Legislation, an assault weapons ban, detachable magazines restricted to 10 rounds, enhanced background checks and the same rules for buying a firearm from an individual as buying from a dealer just to name a few. I can be both pro gun and pro gun safety legislation because… I’m an adult.
- ABA - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 3:29 pm:
Bailey has already lost November lol….and the IL GOP will continue it’s reign as a “micro minority” party in Illinois.
- Lilly - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 3:33 pm:
This guy is a joke. I cannot wait to see the ads about him.
- Kris - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 3:46 pm:
I think the whole State will “move on” from Darren Bailey in November.
Not only did he alienate the Chicago suburbs less than one week after winning the primary but he also looked incredibly soft on crime by focusing on his weak position on guns rather than encouraging the arrest and prosecution of a horrible killer.
There is no path to victory for Bailey after this week.
- Nick - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 3:58 pm:
I haven’t looked at the data recently, but aren’t the violence and suicide rates quite high in his district? That area used to have some of the highest rates of reported child abuse in the state. It’s wild to me to watch all these “law and order” gun nut politicians pander to their gun-loving base, while they have some of the highest rates of domestic violence, child abuse, and suicide rates. It’s almost like violence begets violence. Anyway, I don’t want to live in a war zone, where mothers of small children are armed in order to protect themselves.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 4:20 pm:
still have not gotten past his move on comment on the day of the mass shooting. there’s so much material to use against him. I close my eye and hear Chris Chrisley.
- Logic not emotion - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 4:22 pm:
Clay County is absolutely violent dump as you can see from the following links…
https://stacker.com/illinois/best-counties-retire-illinois
https://www.bestplaces.net/crime/county/illinois/clay
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 4:23 pm:
= How many of you are gun owners? =
I never randomly disclose in public to people I don’t know if I own any guns or not.
And if you were a responsible gun owner, neither would you. And you would know why.
- Animus - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 4:24 pm:
Also of note, Senator Bailey is not exactly representing responsible gun owners in a positive light. For those of us who care, in the picture with the revolver, he’s violating at least three of the four rules of gun safety. Class Act.
- Teacher Lady - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 4:53 pm:
The “shall not be infringed” part has been used to justify way too much bloodshed.
It’s past time to start passing laws based on the “well-regulated” clause.
First up? Ban gun raffles.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 5:01 pm:
== I personally own what most on this blog would consider an arsenal. ==
This is probably more common than people think. It doesn’t take that many firearms or rounds of ammunition to trigger the arsenal word in news reporting.
But the truth is, if you are practicing regularly (which we hope CCL holders are), hundreds to a few thousand rounds are normal. And if you are a hunter, you likely have a couple of rifles and a couple of shotguns. Plus a home defense hand gun and a concealed carry hand gun. There’s 6 firearms for different purposes without even trying. The difference is that most responsible gun owners have them (mostly) safely stored in a proper gun safe.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 5:12 pm:
RNUG, with respect, we hope gun owners are responsible. We hope they practice regularly and we hope they store their firearms safely. But hope isn’t a plan.
Would you support mandatory annual practice training for CCL holders? Fines or confiscation for firearms that are not stored securely?
Anything concrete you could get behind?
- RNUG - Wednesday, Jul 6, 22 @ 10:42 pm:
== Would you support mandatory annual practice training for CCL holders? ==
I could get behind it, but I’m not sure it would make much difference. LEO’s are required to qualify annually. But studies of actual police shooting events show that LEO’s are generally not good shots under pressure, only actually hitting the target once out of every ten to fifteen times. I would expect, on average, the typical civilian would be no better. The one thing it might do is reinforce some safe handling techniques, possibly preventing some accidental shootings.
== Fines or confiscation for firearms that are not stored securely? ==
That gets to be a bit more problematic and nuanced. A home defense firearm is useless when locked up. Yes, there are some quick access safes using biometric data but there are limitations there also.
That said, I believe there is already a law on the books about safe storage when minors are present. But quite frankly, proper training for kids is probably a better approach. If you grew up in a rural environment, and especially on farms, at one time it was quite common to have a loaded rifle or shotgun leaning against the wall by the back door. Kids knew not to mess with them; they were there for self defense, period. Heck, there was a time not that long ago that you would see unsecured rifles and shotguns in a rear window rack in pickups, some of which were even driven to high schools (banned punctuation). So I think training and instilling personal responsibility might be an approach … but what do I know? I’m just some old guy.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Jul 7, 22 @ 9:16 am:
Personal responsibility. Got it. Thanks.