Urge vote against Illinois gun ban

To the editor:

There are feelings by some gun owners that the passage of House Bill 2414 in the Illinois Legislature, the so-called semi-automatic assault/.50-caliber weapon ban, will have no effect on them because "I don't own any of the guns that are on the ban lists."

Does government have the right to choose the guns that law-abiding citizens own and use for legitimate purposes, legal hunting, sporting events or collecting? HB2414 could well be the means for an intrusive government to ban most, if not all, the guns that are legally owned by law-abiding citizens. The next step could be to get that gun you are so fond of.

A fact to remember: No government official or group would be dumb enough to try to ban all of our guns at the same time. HB2414 is step one.

Our news media and anti-gun groups, along with anti-gun politicians, are playing on the ignorance of people who don't know the facts about firearms. The term "semi-automatic assault weapon" is a contradiction. There is no such thing. Assault weapons are fully automatic .

Gun owners need to call their respective Illinois legislators and urge them not to pass HB2414. This ban would have no effect on curbing crime. Criminals have and use guns illegally now and will continue to have and use them illegally even if the ban passes. Law-abiding gun owners who own these guns legally would be required to surrender them to the Illinois State Police.

LARRY MASON, Macomb, Ill.