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."
The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible
firearms ownership. Since 1903, the ISRA has represented the interests of
over 1.5 Million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.
SOURCE Illinois State Rifle Association

Richard Pearson, Illinois State Rifle Association, +1-815-635-3198