Some Illinois Valley gun owners speak in support of state weapon ban, ‘We can make it better’

While a number of gun owners have been outspoken about the state’s ban on high-powered semi-automatic weapons, some Illinois Valley owners have voiced their support for the state’s ban, citing mass shootings, harm to children and dangerous weaponry as key factors.

Peru resident Chris Kelly is a retired iron worker and a veteran of the U.S. Marines who has lived in the region his entire life. He’s now the vice commander of Utica’s American Legion Post 731, and said he supports the recent legislation to ban certain semi-automatic weapons in Illinois.

Kelly said he served in the Marines from 1987 until 1991 when he was honorably discharged. He was part of a helicopter squad based out of Hawaii and served in two tours in Asia, one for six months and another for 10 months. While he never saw combat, he received three medals for his service – one for good conduct, a second for serving during wartime and a third for oversea duty, he said.

“I’m all for our Second Amendment. I believe every law-abiding citizen has a right to have weaponry for home protection,” Kelly said. “But with the Second Amendment, how far do we go with that? The high-velocity assault weapon, like the AR 15, which is the rifle of choice for many mass shootings, should just anybody get that? Can I get rocket grenade launchers?”

The law bans the sale and manufacture of a long list of firearms – including certain rifles and handguns – that it categorizes as “assault weapons.” It also requires people who already own such weapons to register them with the Illinois State Police by Jan. 1, 2024. Large-capacity magazines, which are considered those holding more than 10 bullets for a long gun or 15 for a handgun, also are prohibited under the new law.

[ 5 things to know about Illinois' new gun ban ]

Sheriffs across Illinois, including sheriffs in La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties said they will not enforce “lawful gun owners” to register their weapons with the state, nor will the sheriff’s offices arrest or house “law-abiding individuals” arrested solely for non-compliance of the ban.

Kelly has a Firearm Owners Identification card and said he owns a few guns kept in a safe for home security. He said he sees the new weapons ban as a “piece of the puzzle,” saying adjustments will likely need to be made to it. He also said the state government will have to look at the sheriffs’ positions across the state to ignore the law as it stands. Kelly said it’s “outrageous” for law enforcement to interpret the Constitution, saying that’s the job of elected officials.

“I just want people to calm down, look at it, look at what’s been going on and think maybe we can make it better in our whole country,” Kelly said. “Look at the mass shootings, the children being slaughtered and the teachers and what they’ve gone through. We’re a country that can get away from this, I know we can.”

Paw Paw resident Beth Mulcahy said she and her husband have two guns in their household. She has a FOID card, has taken a shotgun class at Johnson-Sauk and has relatives in both law enforcement and medical fields.

Mulcahy said she thinks there’s nothing wrong with responsible people owning guns. She said she personally is happy to take mandated training, pass a test to obtain a license, register her firearms, carry insurance and adhere to all other requirements.

“What I won’t do is pretend that a weapon of war designed solely for the purpose of human slaughter, attested to by a multitude of military personnel, is vital to my way of life,” Mulcahy said.

Marseilles resident Mike Bault said he’s not bothered by the ban on assault weapons. Bault is a gun owner, has a FOID card and would comply with a registry.

Because he’s able to keep his guns, Bault said he doesn’t think it’s right for him to step in and say others can’t have them. He said, however, there are people who shouldn’t have them and he hopes the ban will help prevent mass shootings.

“I’m 100% pro-gun, but I’m also 100% pro-background check,” Bault said. “I think anyone who’s protested a background check shouldn’t have one of these high powered rifles.”

[ Gun rights advocates file opening legal challenges to Illinois’ new weapons ban ]

Mulcahy said allowing the harm caused by assault weapons to continue unchecked is morally and ethically wrong.

“In Highland Park, 83 bullets were shot in less than a minute. Why do we allow that kind of harm?” Mulcahy said. “It’s so disheartening to see the fierce passion that people expend in their efforts to protect guns – any type of gun – when in my mind, our passion should be directed to the effort of protecting the victims of gun violence, most especially the children.”

Moving forward, Kelly said he hopes people will be open minded and think about how to make things better. He also said having productive conversations with close friends and family is key.

“It’s a big issue, it’s controversial and we need to talk more about it in a constructive way,” Kelly said.

The law has drawn objection through the court system. The Illinois State Rifle Association has joined forces with other gun rights advocates in filing a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s new ban.

[ Illinois' new gun ban challenged in federal court ]

Mulcahy said the ban on the assault weapons is a good first step. She also said there are a lot of related concerns she thinks still need to be addressed, such as high-capacity magazines and age requirements. However, she said the most important thing moving forward is education.

“We’ve seen in the past few years that there is a certain vulnerability to political manipulation. Allowing the dissemination of overt lies to proceed unchallenged weakens us as a nation,” Mulcahy said. “I believe that our students need to be taught critical thinking skills. We are seeing that our young people are the hope for the future.”