I. Will. Be. Damned.

Via Kim I find out that Cook County, Illinois will not prosecute Hale DeMar, the resident of Wilmett who shot the man who burglarized his home twice. (Originally covered here.) The story says:

Cook County prosecutors on Friday dropped a charge of failing to renew his Firearm Owners Identification card against Hale DeMar of Wilmette, but the Village of Wilmette is going forward with its prosecution of DeMar for violating a local handgun ban.

The bastards. In good news, however:

The village's prosecution has outraged many people, including Sen. Edward Petka (R-Plainfield), deputy minority leader of the Illinois Senate. Petka has introduced Senate Bill 2165, which provides an affirmative defense to a violation of a municipal ordinance that prohibits, regulates, or restricts the private ownership of firearms if the charged individual used the firearm in self-defense or to defend another person.

House Bill 4075, introduced by Rep. John Bradley (D-Marion) in the General Assembly's other chamber, has similar provisions.

Petka said he objects to Wilmette's handgun ban and prosecution of DeMar because he believes self-defense is both "an inalienable right" and a "law of nature."

"People have a right to protect themselves and their families. A person has a right and duty -- a duty -- to protect himself and his family in his home," Petka said. "The bill restates the obvious, but apparently it's not so obvious to people in Wilmette and some other towns who don't understand there is a direct relationship between the ability to protect yourself and freedom. That's the essence of it."

Petka's bill would apply in all communities, including Chicago, where Mayor Richard Daley is a fervent opponent of gun rights and where a handgun ban also exists.

Finally! Some freaking backlash!

Is it possible that the pendulum is finally starting to start its swing back? Read this!

Many members of Wilmette American Legion Post 46 agree with Petka. They have invited him and other speakers to address issues of self-defense, state gun laws and the Second Amendment to the Constitution.

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The Legion Post decided to invite the speakers to highlight Petka's legislation and shed more light on the factors involved in Wilmette's prosecution of DeMar, said Mike Luxem, senior vice commander of the 1st Division of the Sons of the American Legion.

"The Legion supports the Constitution," Luxem said. "Our goal is to educate Wilmette residents who want to understand their gun rights, the Second Amendment, and state gun laws."

Luxem said the Legion also hopes to explain guns themselves. He said Wilmette residents need to understand that if DeMar had used a shotgun or rifle he probably would have killed Billings, because those firearms are much more lethal at close range. Yet the village allows residents to own shotguns and rifles.

Education, education, EDUCATION!

People fear what they do not understand.

And in Illinois, no less! No wonder it's been so cold up North. Hell is apparently freezing over.