Illinois' Governor Quinn wants Supreme Court to back mandated defenselessness

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In late February, when the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals refused Illinois' request to hear an en banc appeal of that court's December ruling that stuck down as unconstitutional the state's outright ban of all armed self-defense (at least in town), it looked as if the only threat to "shall issue" defensive carry in the last state to ban it outright would be a law that theoretically legalizes concealed carry (thus satisfying the courts), but is so restrictive as to constitute a de facto continuation of the total ban.

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Such efforts by the Chicago-area anti-self-defense legislators were, in fact, why St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner wondered out loud why it made sense to support any carry law, since with the court invalidating the ban (the only carry law currently on the books), failure on the legislature's part to pass any such law would essentially leave the carrying of firearms completely unregulated--obviously the ultimate goal of any gun rights advocacy movement worth its salt.

Yesterday, though, rabidly anti-gun Governor Pat Quinn signaled his unwillingness to accept even a theoretical concealed carry law, and urged Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to appeal the 7th Circuit Court ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. From the Seattle Times:

Gov. Pat Quinn said Wednesday that he wants the Illinois attorney general to appeal a federal court ruling that the state's last-in-the-nation concealed carry ban is unconstitutional, a move that would take it before the U.S. Supreme Court.

His reasoning?

Quinn, a Chicago Democrat who favors strict gun control including an assault weapons ban, said violence has been an "epidemic" in parts of the state and Illinois should be the nation's leader in keeping the concealed carry ban in place.

"The only hope now would be to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court," he told reporters after an unrelated event. "The attorney general ought to take look at that and pursue that."

Hmm . . . "an 'epidemic' in parts of the state." Those "parts" would appear to be Chicago, home (still--even after McDonald v. Chicago) to some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation. But to combat this "epidemic," Quinn wants to maintain the same state-mandated defenselessness edicts that have always left law-abiding Chicagoans at the tender mercies of the killers. Quinn, indeed, wants Illinois to remain a "leader" in maintaining the lethal, evil status quo.

Blogger Thirdpower brilliantly described Quinn's (a "Modern Day George Wallace") passion for violating the fundamental human right of self-defense almost two years ago:

In the face of being the last state depriving citizens of self defense (unless you're a Chicago Alderman) Quinn digs in his heels and proclaims "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever"

Attorney General Madigan may or may not comply with Quinn's "suggestion," despite being no less fervently anti-gun than he is. She seems to be betting on Chicago-area legislators succeeding in forcing through a concealed carry law that only a gun-hater could love. She also notes that in taking the case to the Supreme Court, the state runs the risk of being handed another loss (if the court even agrees to take up the appeal)--this one setting a nationwide precedent that not only does the Second Amendment's right to "keep arms" mean what it says, but so does the amendment's "bear arms."

What's an anti-gun cud-muncher to do?

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, St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner

A former paratrooper, Kurt Hofmann was paralyzed in a car accident in 2002. The helplessness inherent to confinement to a wheelchair prompted him to explore armed self-defense, only to discover that Illinois denies that right, inspiring him to become active in gun rights advocacy. He writes a...

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