Tom Shafer drew the winning ticket for the
September gun giveaway.
Photo courtesy Guns Save Life


Legendary State Capital activist Tom Shafer was our main speaker for the September meeting, giving those present a very upbeat and motivating presentation.

Tom Shafer is the pro-gun community's pit bull at the State's capital.  He's very aggressive and in the face of those opposed to firearm rights and the right of self-defense, acting as a huge burr under the saddle of some big-shot Illinois politicians of both parties.

He hosts a popular public access television show in Springfield that's been around for 15 years or so.  He's currently got better than 400 episodes recorded to date.  In each episode, he offers caustic criticism of politicians and activists fighting to take away the right to self-defense.

He's aggressive about activism outside of the television set too.

"I've been arrested and tried eleven times and many of those they wanted jail time."  "They wanted jail time!"

He's taken every one of those cases to trial and won every time, much to the irritation of those who would like to ban gun ownership among the state's residents.

As for this governor - Shafer calls him the "Accidental Governor" - he has respect for him after he signed HB182.

While the governor's signing HB182 into law didn't make the news anywhere in the major media, Shafer noted, it was a victory for Illinois gun owners.  Possibly - because it was such a major victory for Illinois gun owners is the reason that Quinn's action wasn't reported.

The law came about because of a malicious arrest and prosecution of a fellow around Chicago  for handling a loaded gun at his brother's house.  "Common sense didn't prevail on the part of police nor on the part of the prosecutor, so we took this away from them with a new law.  Just like the idiots in Wilmette that charged and convicted that guy for having a handgun in his house after he used it to shoot a guy breaking into his house twice in about as many days, we took non-sensical laws away from those idiots again this time."

Shafer talked about George Ryan and the love the two shared.  "I used to go around to his events with a sign that said, 'Arrest George Ryan'.  He'd send his goons over to intimidate me but I never backed down."  Now that Ryan is in prison, Shafer says Ryan is still in his thoughts and prayers (a-hem).  He writes Ryan regularly, too.  "I even send him stamps too and he still won't write me back.  That's okay, he's not going anywhere," Shafer said, to laughter and applause.

Shafer also told the story of the time Dan Quayle was coming to the State Capitol to speak and Ryan was there. Tom got there plenty early and secured a front and center audience seat.  The state cops sicced the Secret Service on him.  Shafer said he agreed to accompany the Secret Service guys for questioning only if they would put him back in the same spot when they were done.  "I knew I didn't have anything to fear.  I could have cared less about Quayle.  I was there to put up my 'Arrest George Ryan' sign and I told them that."

They searched him, including giving his groin a careful "pat down".  "Ooh, could you do that again a little to the left this time?'  They said he was free to go and he reminded them of the deal and they agreed, clearing a spot in the middle of the row for him to sit down, much to the irritation and chagrin of Ryan's State Police detail and George Ryan himself.

"Another time, Ryan's goons roughed me up for asking how George's prostate was.", Shafer quipped.  "Got me a new set of living room furniture for that one."

And speaking of trials, Springfield "businessman" William Cellini has to sit next to Blagojevich for seven months of their upcoming federal trial on corruption.  It's in the same courthouse as Ryan's trial.  "You know, Cellini did crooked deals with the Republicans a hundred times or more under Republican administrations and the first time he does a crooked deal with Democrats, everyone's getting recorded and he's stone-cold busted."

Mayor Daley and his friends are another favorite target for Tom Shafer to "Shaferize". Daley sends his goons to Springfield to promote gun control and Shafer is right there in their face.  "One time a bunch of Chicago cops were down supposedly to honor slain police officers, but once here they started clamoring for gun control.  I got right up in the face of this one big guy who looked like he could have been a fullback for the Bears."

"I told him, "You look like a hack.  Are you a cab driver or something?" referring to the checkerboard pattern on his uniform hat.  The cop wanted to break Shafer in two but couldn't do a thing because he had no jurisdiction in Springfield.  "You better never come to Chicago," the cop told him.  "Don't worry buddy!" was Shafer's answer to him.

Shafer explained that his newest pet project was to get "Defensive Display" legalized in Illinois where if you see someone acting with apparent criminal intent to victimize you can show them that you're armed and not get charged.

The audience gave the charismatic Shafer a standing ovation for his presentation and his work in Springfield.


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