Staff Reports
The U.S. Supreme Court has disappointed gun owners once again by refusing to halt a strict Illinois law that bans “assault weapons.” This means that the state can go ahead with its plan to implement the ban on January 1. The Supreme Court provided no explanation for its decision, leaving gun owners and conservative supporters scratching their heads.
The law prohibits the sale and purchase of semi-automatic “assault weapons,” including popular rifles like the AR-15 and AK-47. It also restricts the possession of large-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds for long arms and 15 rounds for handguns. However, these magazine sizes are standard in the industry, making the ban seem rather arbitrary and unnecessary.
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'Assault Weapons' Ban to Take Effect in Just a Few Weeks After Supreme Court Declines to Block ItREAD: https://t.co/Un3QR32iLX
— Constitutionalist 💯 🇺🇲 (@Kc_Casey1) December 17, 2023
Under the law, citizens who already own these firearms and accessories are required to register themselves with the Illinois State Police by January 1. This heavy-handed requirement is a further invasion of privacy and does nothing to enhance public safety.
The law was rushed through by the Democrat-controlled state legislature and signed by Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker after a tragic incident in which a man used a semi-automatic rifle to kill seven people and wound 48 during an Independence Day parade. While any act of violence is reprehensible, it is not a valid reason to infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens.
This is not the first time that gun owners have been let down in their fight against this law. The 7th District U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago upheld the law in November, and the Democrat-dominated Illinois Supreme Court did the same in August. However, it is worth mentioning that many Illinois gun owners are choosing not to comply with the law, with only 0.1 percent of registered gun owners having registered their firearms so far. This shows a clear defiance of the intrusive and unconstitutional ban.
Although this is a temporary defeat, gun owners and defenders of the Second Amendment should not lose hope. The fight against this outrageous ban is ongoing, and it is crucial to continue standing up for our constitutional rights. The government should not be able to dictate who can own a firearm and what type of firearm they can own. It is time for everyday Americans to remind the politicians that they serve the people, not the other way around.
