Robin Kelly, a former state representative in the Illinois House and a personal friend of President Barack Obama, is running for Congress. In a special election being held in Illinois on Feb. 26, 2013, Robin Kelly is running to fill the Congressional seat vacated by longtime Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. in the 2nd District of Illinois.
Robin Kelly is going "big" on an issue that is important to her and important to her constituents.
"Gun control."
With the tragedies in Tucson, Ariz.; in Aurora, Colo.; and in Newtown, Conn. — and not to mention daily life in Chicago. "Gun control" is a change that must come.
However, the field is crowded with twenty-two candidates filing for the seat with the Illinois Election Board. Seventeen of those candidates are Democrats. Five are Republicans. Robin Kelly had the good fortune to secure the first spot on the Democratic ballot, a considerable advantage in such a crowded field.
Robin Kelly not only stands out above the crowd by virtue of her ballot position, Kelly's position on "gun control" also shines a spotlight on her candidacy. Kelly wears her "F" lifetime rating from the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) and from the National Rifle Association (NRA) as a "badge of honor."
Two of Kelly's main opponents also have ratings from gun associations, but their ratings are "A" ratings meaning their voting records meet with the approval of the gun associations. Kelly pointed out on her facebook page, "Unlike my opponents Debbie Halvorson and Toi Hutchinson, who both received support from the NRA, I got an 'F' rating and frankly, I could not be more proud.
Robin Kelly has a long history of supporting "common sense gun control." Kelly's very first bill as a Illinois state legislator in the House criminalized the straw purchase of firearms. In the Illinois Senate, one of the bill's co-sponsors was a bright, up-and-coming state senator, Barack Obama. The bill passed the Illinois House 112 to 4 and became effective on Aug. 7, 2003.
It didn't stop there with Robin Kelly. Feb. 4, 2005, she proposed the "Assault Weapons Control Law." The bill sought to make the manufacture, distribution, transport, sale, import or transfer of an assault weapon a Class 2 Felony. Fourteen days later, she co-sponsored an amendment to Firearms Owners Identification Card Act to ensure that those who sell firearms first pass a background check before being allowed to sell or transfer.
In March of the same year, 2005, Robin co-sponsored the Firearms Dealer Licensing Act, making it a felony to sell or transfer firearms without a license. On May 29, 2005, Robin co-sponsored the Firearms Act, which strengthened several aspects related to Firearms Owners Identification Cards. The Act passed and became effective July 29, 2005.
So is it any wonder that Robin Kelly would receive a grade of "F" from the ISRA and the NRA.
But Robin Kelly is not done yet.
Once again, Robin Kelly is supporting her friend, President Obama on the issue of "common sense gun control." President Obama recently sent a proposal to Congress, that coincidentally, follows the same proposals that Kelly has been putting forth in her campaign.
As a member of Congress, Robin Kelly will support President Obama and vote for all of his measures. It is acknowledged that the vote in Congress will be very close on these "common sense gun control" measures, and President Obama will need all the support he can get. He most certainly needs a person with an "F" rating from the gun associations, and not an "A" rating Congressman.
So when Robin Kelly said on her facebook fan page recently that "I stand with President Obama’s plan to get the dangerous weapons that are killing our neighbors off of the streets," Robin Kelly certainly meant business.
The Robin Kelly campaign for Congress has released a new campaign video today entitled “Enough,” that powerfully delivers the message of the need for stronger gun control. The web video highlights Robin Kelly's commitment to ending the epidemic of gun violence ravaging Chicago and the Southland.
The video sends the powerful message that “More Americans are being killed in Chicago than Afghanistan.” Building upon Robin Kelly's more than a decade of leadership fighting gun violence, she made it clear in her announcement speech on Dec. 2, 2012 that she considered enacting smart gun legislation a top priority for the next Representative of Illinois’ second district, drawing a clear contrast between her and her opponents.
Robin Kelly vowed that if elected to congress, she will:
- Pass a strong, comprehensive ban on assault weapons.
- Eliminate the gun show loophole.
- Ban the use of high capacity ammunition magazines, like those used in Newtown and Aurora.
- Pledge never to receive support from organizations, like the NRA, that oppose reasonable gun safety legislation.
- Support current laws that prohibit conceal and carry permits.
Robin Kelly invited her opponents to join her in this quest. “While we don’t know who will represent this community in Congress, we do know that we must speak with one voice on this critical issue. That’s why I am asking each of my colleagues in this race to join this pledge."
The "common sense gun control" measure proposed by President Obama will need all of the support it can get. Robin Kelly has pledged support of President Obama's proposals of banning assault weapons, universal background checks, and limiting high-capacity magazines.
"Common sense gun control" is the least we can do for our safety and for the safety of children. The goal is to prevent tragedies like Newtown.
Send John Presta an email and your story ideas or suggestions, johnpresta@att.net.
John is the author of an award-winning book, the 2010 Winner of the USA National Best Book award for African American studies, published by The Elevator Group, Mr. and Mrs. Grassroots. Also available an eBook on Amazon. John is also a member of the Society of Midland Authors and is a book reviewer of political books for the New York Journal of Books . John has volunteered for many political campaigns and is currently an unpaid volunteer for the Robin Kelly for Congress campaign. Robin Kelly also has a facebook fan page.
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