Illinois Proposes New $1,000-Per-Day Fine for Assault Weapon Carriers

As Bob Dylan’s famous refrain goes, ‘the times they are a changing’. So seems to be the case in Illinois at least. Shortly after being ruffled by the recent happenings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Highschool in Parkland, Florida, a small town in Illinois decided to take matters into their own hands.

Tired of having to wait for the federal government to come up with gun control laws, the town decided to hold a vote on the now-contentious issue.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was named after the famous South Florida environmental activist when she was 100

While every American is entitled to gun ownership as per the second amendment, a need has emerged to further regulate the right to keep and bear arms. This comes in light of not just the recent massacre in Parkland, Florida, but also, the numerous other wanton school shootings.

The voting process saw the introduction of bans to the sale, possession, and manufacture of large capacity magazines and assault weapons. The move is intended to heighten public’s sense of security. Incredibly, the law, once implemented, will seek fines exceeding not more than $1,000 a day until the weapons are retrieved. In compliance, citizens should either hand over the weapons or remove them from the town’s environs.

This first in the gun-control world is expected to be held by all residents of Deerfield, Illinois, as law. As per the ordinance, the notice states that ownership of assault weapons in the Village of Deerfield is unnecessary in the protection of individual rights of self-defense, and in the efficiency/preservation of a well-regulated militia.

Assault Weapons

The aftermath of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida was, 17 people dead and 14 wounded

From June 13, a number of assault weapons will formally enter the banned list in Deerfield. Some of the prohibited guns are semi-automatic rifles with a fixed magazine. These weapons shouldn’t have a capacity of more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Shotguns with revolving cylinders are also banned.

In the list, there’s also a prohibition to the ownership of conversion kits from whence assault weapons can be put together. Still, the list doesn’t end there.

There are numerous other mentioned gun models prohibited like AK, AK-47, AK-74 Misr, AKS, AKM, NHM 90, NHM 91, AR-10, AR-15, AR70, HK-91, SAR-9, Calico Liverty, Dragunov SVU, Dragunov SVD Sniper Rifle, Ruger Mini-14, Sturm, Kel-Tec Sub Rifle, Hi-Point Carbine, Bushmaster XM15, Olympic Arms PCR, Armalite M15, plus many more.

Exceptions

While the law is expected to be stringent in nature, it does have a few exceptions. For one, weapons that were initially designed for Olympic target practice are okay. Antique handguns that are not currently capable of firing a shot are also allowed. Retired police officers who may own rifles are also exempt from these rules.

Deerfield town’s Mayor Harriet Rosenthal made it known in a state release what their intentions were. The real reason why the law was passed was that it could then help trigger a reaction. Not just by the public, but also by state and national leaders. Having them on board would ensure the implementation of laws that favor community safety and well-being.

Incredibly, the law is not the first of its kind. In 2013, a nearby suburb of Highland Park passed legislation that protected residents from assault weapons. Interestingly, the law was contested in court on grounds of its unconstitutionality. The parties that were against the law were the Illinois State Rifle Association and a couple of city residents. In the end, the ordinance was upheld in a court of law.

Protests

Survivors of the Parkland, Florida shooting organized with fellow peer members to hold marches around the country. The marches were conducted in protest of the lack of laws regulating gun use, and acquisition.

The March for Our Lives protests were a statement of intent by young Americans born after 1999. In truth, their protest had a striking sense of uniqueness due to the manner in which it was conducted

Parents, celebrities, and politicians joined in the youth dance aimed at sensitizing the masses on the need to regulate guns. The peaceful nature of the protests has been a stark difference to protests organized by the youths in the paths. It included hashtags, banners, chants, and t-shirts embellished with messages on the need for gun regulation.

The message was indeed clear. They were going to fight a violent act using non-violent means. Given the ever-increasing number of people joining in support of the message being spread, it’s safe to say that they are heading in the right direction.