May 26 Town Hall Meeting to build support for right to carry

From press release

Winnebago County residents are being invited to participate in a Town Hall Meeting intended to raise awareness and support for the passage of right to carry legislation in Illinois. The Town Hall Meeting will be from 7 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, May 26, at Giovanni’s Convention Center, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford.

The event is sponsored by IllinoisCarry.com. IllinoisCarry is an online action and discussion forum dedicated to help pass legislation and put Illinois citizens on an equal footing with residents in 49 other states. The meeting will feature speakers with a wide experience level and interest in the area of right to carry in Illinois, and is open to the public.

“It has been widely recognized that the desire for passage of a right to carry law enjoys broad support across most of Illinois,” according to Valinda Rowe, a spokesman for IllinoisCarry. “The objective of the meeting is to build both understanding and support in for right to carry legislation this year. It is hoped that those attending this meeting will be a catalyst for change and help build support across the northern portion of the state.”

The organization hopes to get the word out to residents of northern Illinois that the right to carry a firearm for personal protection is fundamental and citizens of Illinois are being denied that right as compared to 49 other states.

“We especially see this as an equal rights issue for Illinois women who are often the victim of the most serious and heinous crimes,” Rowe said. “It is not equitable that women in Indiana and Missouri have the right to carry a weapon as a means of self defense if they so choose, while Illinois women are denied that right.”

Those sponsoring the meeting are hoping for a strong turnout and hope to encourage politicians from both sides of the political aisle to examine the facts and experiences of the 49 states with effective right to carry laws in place. They also hope to encourage voters to take direct action by supporting only those candidates who publicly give their support to the right of trained and properly licensed Illinois residents to carry a firearm for self-defense.

Rowe was very pleased with a similar meeting held earlier this year in McHenry County, which resulted in a standing-room-only crowd numbering 500-plus.

Contact Valinda Rowe at (618) 963-2788 or e-mail IllinoisCarryInc@gmail.com for more information.