Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY
P. 6
A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 7 May 2018
Illinois counties declare 'sanctuary' status for gun owners
By DON BABWIN Pearson, executive director
Associated Press of the Illinois State Rifle As-
CHICAGO (AP) — Several sociation.
rural Illinois counties have The resolutions are largely
taken a stand for gun rights symbolic — a way for com-
by co-opting a word that munities where guns are
conservatives associate cherished and where hunt-
with a liberal policy to skirt ing is a way of life to make
the law: sanctuary. the point that they view
At least five counties re- most restrictions on guns to
cently passed resolutions be unconstitutional.
declaring themselves "We wanted to ... get across
sanctuary counties for gun that our Second Amend-
owners — a reference to ment rights are slowly being
so-called sanctuary cities stripped away," Kibler said.
such as Chicago that don't Dave Workman, of the Bel-
cooperate with aspects levue, Wash.-based Sec-
of federal immigration en- ond Amendment Founda-
forcement. tion, sees something more.
The resolutions are meant "It's like a warning shot
to put the Democratic- across somebody's bow,"
controlled Legislature on said Workman, who knows
notice that if it passes a of one other place, Or-
host of gun bills, including In this April 25, 2018 file photo, Dave Fitzgerald of Girard, Ill. waves flags while listening to speakers egon's Deschutes County,
during the annual IGOLD (Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day) rally at the Capitol 8 in Springfield, Ill.
new age restrictions for Associated Press that is looking at doing
certain weapons, a bump something similar to the Illi-
stock ban and size limit for political divide that was nois counties. "If you've got
gun magazines, the coun- so stark in the last general four or five counties telling
ties might bar their employ- election, when "downstate" Chicago something, that's
ees from enforcing the new areas of Illinois backed significant."
laws. Donald Trump, who re- Such talk worries Kathleen
"It's a buzzword, a word mains popular with those Willis, a Democratic state
that really gets attention. voters, while the Chicago representative from subur-
With all these sanctuary backed Hillary Clinton, who ban Chicago who spon-
cities, we just decided to grew up in the suburbs. sored some of the gun leg-
turn it around to protect "We're just stealing the lan- islation.
our Second Amendment guage that sanctuary cities "I don't think you can say, 'I
rights," said David Camp- use," explained the Effing- don't agree with the law so
bell, vice chairman of the ham County's top prosecu- I won't enforce it,'" she said.
Effingham County Board. tor, Bryan Kibler, who came "I think it sends the wrong
He said at least 20 Illinois up with the idea. message."
counties and local officials Not lost on them is that law- Kibler, though, said he
in Oregon and Washington makers from Chicago were thinks the resolutions send
have asked for copies of instrumental in turning Illi- the same message that cit-
Effingham County's resolu- nois into what they derisive- ies like Chicago send by
tion. ly call a "sanctuary state" refusing to cooperate with
County officials fear their by passing recent legisla- federal immigration author-
state legislators won't be tion that prohibits local law ities. He said he won't spec-
able to stop the passage enforcement from arresting ulate about how he'd deal
of the gun restrictions be- or detaining people based with new gun restrictions
cause they are outnum- solely on their immigration that haven't been signed
bered by lawmakers from status. Republican Gov. into law, but that legislators
in and around Chicago, Bruce Rauner signed it into need to understand, "If you
where the vast majority law. pass it we might not pay at-
of the more than 650 ho- "They are trying to make a tention to it."
micides last year involved point that they really resent Kibler pointed out that pros-
guns. how the city of Chicago ecutors already have a lot
Co-opting the sanctuary ti- treats the rest of the state of discretion and cited an
tle is also a way of drawing and how they're treated as example in which he gave
attention to the rural-urban gun owners," said Richard a gun owner a break. q
