ISRA Press Release - Cook County

ISRA Press Release:
Cook County Board Poised to Shut Down Cabela's Superstore

CHICAGO, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

Just weeks after its gala grand opening, the Cabela's superstore in Hoffman Estates, IL is facing closure by the Cook County (IL) Board. This impending action stems from a pair of proposed county ordinances prohibiting the retail sale of firearms at a location 15 miles or less from any other federally licensed firearm dealer. The proposals further prohibit retail sale of firearms within one mile of any school, church, place of worship, nursing home, homeless shelter, public housing, or military installation. With respect to these restrictions, Cabela's Hoffman Estates store loses on all counts - as does every other federally-licensed gun dealer in Cook County.

"This proposal is an election year stunt instigated by Cook County Commissioner, Larry Suffredin," said ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. "Although this is something that we'd expect to see from a gun-control extremist like Suffredin, I'm surprised to see astute politicians like Commissioners Claypool, Quigley, and Murphy signing on as co-sponsors to this farce."

"Cabela's Hoffman Estates store employs hundreds of Cook County residents and brings in millions of sales tax dollars for the County," continued Pearson. "If Cabela's cannot sell firearms, then there is no Cabela's. If there is no Cabela's, then those retail dollars flee to DuPage, Kane or Will counties. The cash-strapped Cook County treasury really can't afford such a huge hit just because Larry Suffredin doesn't like people who own guns."

"From a practical standpoint, Suffredin's proposal is a non-starter," commented Pearson. "It bears repeating that the Chicago Police Department has determined that 88% of murderers have previous criminal records as do 76% of murder victims. Federally-licensed firearm dealers are not the problem - career criminals are."

"Furthermore", continued Pearson. "When was the last known case where someone walks out the door of a gun shop, in the door of a nursing home, and then proceeds to shoot the place up? The same Chicago Police Department report lists alleyways as being popular places to get murdered. Why then, did Suffredin not specify that no gun shop could be within one mile of an alley? The reason is simple - shock value. Suffredin prefers to play on the plight of our most vulnerable citizens in order to advance his quixotic campaign to disarm hunters and sportsmen. Commonsense is not part of the Suffredin lexicon."

"One insidious side-effect of the Suffredin proposal is that it deeply erodes the home-rule authority of many of the larger communities in Cook County," noted Pearson.

"The Suffredin proposal is expensive, ineffective, divisive and impractical," said Pearson. "I hope that Board President Stroger has the wisdom to immediately reject Suffredin's showboating."