Illinois gun owners march on state capitol

AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File

It’s easy for us to forget that even the most gun-controlled states have gun owners who are passionate about their Second Amendment rights. They’re just outnumbered by those who don’t hold their rights in the same esteem.

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One such place is Illinois.

There, gun owners marched to the state capitol to make their voices heard.

In a yearly tradition, gun owners in Illinois took to Springfield streets to advocate more less restrictions on firearm usage and ownership.

The Illinois Gun Ownership Lobbying Day is an event from the Illinois State Rifle Association gathering proponents in Springfield to speak with lawmakers and engage in a multi-block march to the Capitol’s steps.

However, this year it also served a dual purpose as a campaign event as Republicans gear up for an election in November and a primary in June. Several Republican lawmakers were present, including Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) who is vying for the Republican gubernatorial candidacy.

“Someone asked me where I stood on the second amendment and if I would be willing to compromise at all,” Bailey said. ”I told them I would gladly die on my front porch before I give up anything.”

Bailey received cheers from the crowd upon taking the stand. He also established himself as the candidate for people who love “guns,” “God,” “freedom,” and “Trump.” He made a promise to make conceal carry a constitutional right in Illinois and called for the end of Firearm Ownership Identification cards.

I’m loving most of what Bailey is laying down.

Unfortunately, let’s be real here. The reason Illinois has the reputation it has for gun control is because of Chicago. It’s a majorly anti-gun hole in what is really a fairly nice state.

It seems unlikely that he’s going to be able to really do any of what he’s promising, even if he were to become governor.

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Then again, one never knows.

After all, more and more Americans are buying guns. That includes many in Illinois, where there have been issues with FOIDs. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that they’re so fed up with the FOID system that they vote for someone who wants to scuttle it entirely.

If that happens, it’ll be huge.

In fact, it’ll be nice for folks there not to worry so much about marching to the capitol from time to time simply because they know their lawmakers can be trusted. It’s not realistic, to be sure–it’s not realistic anywhere, really–but it’s a nice thought.

The truth is that Illinois is a prime example of how one city can dictate the politics of an entire state, but then accomplish absolutely nothing.

Chicago’s violent crime rate is horrendous, yet they’ll keep pushing for gun control.

Who knows, though. Maybe this is the beginning of the end of anti-Second Amendment dominion in the Land of Lincoln. Lord knows, they’ve had ample opportunity to accomplish something and that hasn’t even come close to happening. There’s no reason to believe the next two to four years will be any different.

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