07/16/2013
Why would Senator Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge) want this woman to be defenseless, the Illinois Gun Lobby asked Tuesday morning while reviewing Senator Kotowski's call to ban concealed weapons in churches. Sen. Kotowski's proposal would add another location to the list of places where Illinois' citizens with concealed carry weapon permits will be defenseless.
Mary Shepard, who had a permit to carry in Utah and Florida, was unable to protect herself at work when she and an 83-year old colleague were attacked in 2009. Ms. Shepherd was at work - her local church in downstate Anna - when a six-foot-three-inch, 245 pound man with a violent past and a criminal record entered the building and attacked them. Ms. Shepard and her co-worker survived with major injuries to the head, neck and upper body. Ms. Shepard’s injuries required extensive surgeries and a long recovery.
Illinois' law against right-to-carry was why Ms. Shepherd suffered without defense, the NRA argued on her behalf in court. That argument led to federal courts forcing Illinois to grant its citizens their constitutional right to bear arms.
“The Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms and the right to self-defense,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox. “The state of Illinois’ severe and irrational restriction on self-defense is an abettor in the terrible attack on Ms. Shepard and her co-worker."
Monday, Senator Kotowski and the Protestants for the Common Good held a press conference calling for a ban on carrying concealed weapons to church - a measure, if enacted, would cause Ms. Shepard to lose hope of ever being able to protect herself at work.
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| Photo: Mary Shepard |
Mary Shepard, who had a permit to carry in Utah and Florida, was unable to protect herself at work when she and an 83-year old colleague were attacked in 2009. Ms. Shepherd was at work - her local church in downstate Anna - when a six-foot-three-inch, 245 pound man with a violent past and a criminal record entered the building and attacked them. Ms. Shepard and her co-worker survived with major injuries to the head, neck and upper body. Ms. Shepard’s injuries required extensive surgeries and a long recovery.
Illinois' law against right-to-carry was why Ms. Shepherd suffered without defense, the NRA argued on her behalf in court. That argument led to federal courts forcing Illinois to grant its citizens their constitutional right to bear arms.
“The Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms and the right to self-defense,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox. “The state of Illinois’ severe and irrational restriction on self-defense is an abettor in the terrible attack on Ms. Shepard and her co-worker."
Monday, Senator Kotowski and the Protestants for the Common Good held a press conference calling for a ban on carrying concealed weapons to church - a measure, if enacted, would cause Ms. Shepard to lose hope of ever being able to protect herself at work.
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