[pax]

Chicago was a very deliberate choice. The GRPC has (almost) always been held in anti-gun cities, because the Second Amendment Foundation believes in active advocacy of firearms rights. They are not fighting a holding motion or a retreat! The intent has historically been to bring the fight right into the "belly of the beast" and to carry the message into the anti gunners' strongholds.

This year, there was a particular reason to choose Chicago, as the very successful McDonald case was a tremendous national victory for firearms rights at the Supreme Court level -- but it was fought and won by some very brave people who live in Chicago and agreed to be plaintiffs in the case. There are many other state and local cases currently working through the system that will have national effects. The brave folks fighting those battles need and deserve to know that the rest of us have not abandoned them & their town to the forces of evil. Or, to quote one of the speakers at the event:

"It's great to be back in Chicago, the scene of the crime in so many of our cases..." ~ Alan Gura

pax