Blago & Gun Control

Impeached and Convicted former Brady Campaign endorsed Governor Rod Blagojevich was a gun control advocate from the get go when he first became a State Rep back in the early '90's, the heyday of the gun control movement.

His crowning glory was an attempt to raise the cost of the Illinois firearm license (known as a FOID card) from $5/5 years to $500/5 yrs in a bill numbered HB 0183 in 1993.

Now why would he try and do something like that that we would nowadays consider unbelievably stupid and have no chance of passing? Well, for once, he was honest about that:

“Blagojevich said the price was set high to make people think twice about buying a gun.” -- Chicago Sun Times February 15th, 1993

"This is, in a small way, another part of the cooling-off period," he said. If the cost of owning a firearm is raised, he said, people will put more thought into the decision to buy one.” -- Chicago Sun Times February 15th, 1993

Blagojevich defended the increase, saying $ 100 per year is "not a significant burden. People interested in buying guns for the right reasons would certainly (pay) that." -- Chicago Sun Times February 15th, 1993

The 'right reasons' not of course being self defense. But at least he got to the real core of gun control. The measures they push aren't designed or even intended to restrict criminals or lower crime, they're intended to restrict and lower ownership of firearms in the general public by making it to expensive or to onerous to be able to own one.

But, just like Bill Clinton and Sarah Brady did, he overestimated what gun owners would put up w/.

“There is in the state of Illinois a real sanctity, with respect to guns that I frankly don’t understand.” – Judiciary Committee hearing April 2nd, 1993

His bill was amended to a mere $25 and still went down in flames. He spent years afterwards endorsing, co-sponsoring and signing every gun control scheme that crossed his desk but, now, just like the gun control movement as a whole, his ignorance (and arrogance) took him down.

Bye Rod, you and your hair have fun for the next 14 years.