It was bound to happen sooner or later. The Naperville city council buckled under pressure and offended the founding fathers by assaulting the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, which in part states, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed”.
By a vote of 8 to 1, the Naperville city council “infringed” upon that right, no if’s, and’s, or but’s about it. The lone vote upholding the 2nd Amendment was caste by Naperville city council member Paul Hinterlong. The other eight members of the council chose the easy way out when confronted with the question “something must be done” to curb or eliminate gun users committing crimes. Those eight council members equate “doing something” with “banning something”; in this instance it was banning the sale of assault rifles in Naperville. Other than the ‘gang-of-eight’, does anybody really think that will stop someone who really wants to obtain an assault rifle from getting one outside the city limits. That makes as much sense as placing a piece of plexi-glass between a cashier and a customer thinking that will stop a virus from going over or around the useless barrier.
After the vote was taken, the ‘gang of eight’ could slap each other on the back and head home, as if the problem had been solved. Government’s typical solution to a problem is choose the quick fix, or simply throw money at it, thinking it will disappear.
Lawsuits were inevitable, but the ‘gang of eight’ didn’t really care, because it’s not their money being used to defend their ‘illegal’ action. It’s typically taxpayer’s dollars. In this action, city attorney Michael DiSanto, who has never seen a pancake he didn’t like, said a law firm would represent the City of Naperville free of charge if any legal action resulted from the council’s vote.
Hey as long as it’s “free”, who cares about The Bill of Rights.
You can’t fix stupid and ignorant politicians but you sure as hell can vote them out of office!
This was not about public safety! If it were they would have also voted on issuing a statement to both the State and Federal legislatures to enact such a ban, but they did no such thing.
This was not about leadership! Repeatedly speakers would say this was a matter of Naperville remaining a leader and then listing all the other cities, counties & states that have already past such bans. Many of these bans, like Highland Park’s, were enacted close to a decade ago. Passing such a ban now is not leadership! It is not ever being a good follower. It is more like being a “john come lately”!
This is not a case of setting a good example for the rest of the Nation! For why its not a good example re-read the previous paragraph.
This was all about politics and turning our city council away from doing its real job, the job it is intended to do, of solving our communities pressing problems. Problems like affordable housing, drug overdoes deaths, teen suicide, drag racing & tricked out cars doing burnouts, etc. We do not have a mass shooting problem in Naperville, this is not what is killing our young people. This is not what is killing anyone in our community!
This was about turning our city council from an active, functional part of our local government into a stepping stone for higher political office (as several of the council members that supported and voted for this ban are doing).
Nothing about this ban will in anyway help our community, improve the quality of life of residents or even solve the root problems that cause mass shootings. Buying a gun does not suddenly make a person want to kill someone else. That intent was there long before purchasing any gun, and sadly even the people that support this ban admit this.
What this ban will do is likely cost our community not only taxpayer dollars, but also human resources that could be used to address our community’s real problems. And of course further divide our community over an issue this is all about national politics and has no place in city government.
There a two things I have always spoken out against over the years. The first is city council passing ordinances similar to those enacted else where that failed or that can’t be enforce for reasons of practicality or resources. The second is shifting council focus away from our community and its needs, on to the arena of national politics which only serves the needs of politicians. Politicians looking to build a political resume to advance their political careers and only serve their own political needs. Not locally elected citizens looking to serve and improve our community, which is what city council service is suppose to be about. This ordinance falls into both of these categories.
There is always a chance, after the November elections, that this issue will come before council again to revoke this ordinance before it goes into force. A slim chance, but a chance.
Well Said Jim, Saint Benitez in California will remove California’s ban again according to Bruen in 2 weeks. Then the 9th will appeal and then it will go to SCOTUS soon. Naperville will be paying Mr. Bevis , so I can support that for protection of 2nd amendment.
Hell just froze over! I agree 100% with Jim H.
Gapping politically different ideologies can still find common ground. We may differ on the actual reason this is stupid, but we do agree, this is stupid.
This play by the city council is nothing more than political safety theater.