Illinois Legislature Leaves Good Citizens Defenseless Against Brutal "Flash Mobs"

CHICAGO, June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

For the second weekend in a row, visitors to Chicago's posh Gold Coast were terrorized by so-called "flash mobs."  For the uninitiated, a "flash mob" is a violent group of dozens of young people who are directed to specific locations by smart phones or social media sites for the purpose of robbing and beating unsuspecting citizens.

On Memorial Day, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel ordered the very popular North Avenue Beach closed.  Although the official position of the city was that it was "too hot" for people to be on the beach, indications are that the beach was closed because a flash mob was roaming the lakefront attacking unwary beachgoers.  

According to CBS 2 television, several innocent citizens – including a 68-year-old man – were attacked by flash mobs near the upscale Magnificent Mile shopping district early Saturday evening.  In both cases, groups of 20 or more young men swarmed their victims – kicking, punching and robbing them.  The police were only able to detain 4 of the dozens of participants in the flash mob.

"The growing tide of flash mob attacks in Chicago really drives home the point that the police are not able to defend ordinary citizens from violent crime," commented ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson.  "These flash mobs are like terrorist sleeper cells.  They appear out of nowhere, savagely attack their victims, then blend back into the crowd before the police can arrive.  So far, these flash mobs appear content with beating and robbing their victims.  But, the inability of law-enforcement agencies to protect citizens from flash mobs will only serve to embolden the mob participants.  It won't be long until these mobs graduate from robbery to gang rape or even murder."

"It is understandable that Mayor Emanuel and other city officials are in denial over the dangers of flash mobs," continued Pearson.  "After all, tourist season is upon us and Chicago cannot afford to have tourists scared away by the specter of a violent mob attack.  But whether the mayor and the city council like it or not, flash mob activity will become more commonplace with the tactics of the flash mobs exhibiting an escalation in  headline-grabbing violence."

"Earlier this spring, the Illinois General Assembly passed up the opportunity to enact legislation designed to discourage flash mob violence," said Pearson.  "If passed and signed into law, House Bill 148 would have allowed well-qualified, well-trained, law-abiding citizens to carry defensive firearms.  Certainly, an armed citizen is in a much better position to ward off a violent flash mob attack than an unarmed citizen carrying nothing more than a mocha latte.  Unfortunately, members of the gun control movement bullied legislators and the measure fell 6 votes short of passage."

"As far as I'm concerned, anyone injured at the hands of a flash mob has the General Assembly to thank for their suffering," concluded Pearson.  "People have the right to defend themselves against flash mob thugs and the state has no business interfering with that right to self defense."

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership.  For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of millions of law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

SOURCE Illinois State Rifle Association

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