[Peace] Fw: IMPORTANT RALLY THURSDAY!!

[Randall Cotton]

I'm forwarding this on from Meghan Sullivan (who forwarded it from someone
else). Meghan is a student at UIUC (AWARE recently sponsored an event
involving Rainforest Action Network that was brought to our attention by
Meghan.).

The announcement below, which may be of interest to some on this list, is of
an upcoming counter-demonstration in opposition to an "Orange and Blue
Observer" event raffling off 3 semi-automatic handguns to promote repeal of
gun control laws (and raise funds for their "Observer" publication). "Orange
and Blue Observer" is a registered student organization at UIUC.

The announcement below is being circulated among many student activists at
UIUC.

There is a recent article in the Daily Illini covering the recent raffle of
an AK-47 by this same "Orange and Blue Observer" organization:

http://www.dailyillini.com/news/2005/04/01/News/Ak47-Assault.Rifle.Raffled.At.Rally-909876.shtml

The apparent leader of this "Orange and Blue Observer", Leo Buchignani, was
also identified in another Daily Illini article as a *pro-sweatshop*
demonstrator at an event last November:

http://www.dailyillini.com/news/2004/11/10/News/Students.Don.Sweatshop.Attire.For.Show-799215.shtml

And wrote a letter-to-the-editor regarding that:

http://www.dailyillini.com/news/2004/11/16/Opinions/Letter.ProSweatshop.Stance-806136.shtml

This Leo Buchignani must be a real piece of work 8-)

R

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <masulliv at uiuc.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 1:38 AM
Subject: Fwd: IMPORTANT RALLY THURSDAY!!

From: <cbbrowni at uiuc.edu>
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 10:42 PM
Subject: IMPORTANT RALLY THURSDAY!!

Hello,

Quoting the president of the RSO the Orange and Blue
observer, "If more women carried firearms, there would be
fewer cases of rape"

I realize that many of you don't know me and I appreciate
you taking time out of your day to read this message. On
Thursday, April 14, the Orange and Blue Observer will be
raffling off 3 semi-automatic handguns to display their
constitutional right to bear arms as well as their
contention with the Illinois laws prohibiting citizens from
carrying concealed weapons.

Shocking though it may seem, their actions are completely
legal, and the only recourse we as students have is to
protest their actions, awknowledging them to be extreme
distortions of the concepts of safety and self-defense. Two
weeks ago, when the OBO raffled off an AK-47, we were able
to rally together 15 students within 2 hours to protest.
Please help us increase our numbers and help us to protest
the presence of guns on our campus. We will meet outside of
the union, quad side, at 12 noon on Thursday. Look for the
vibrant posters and a woman wearing bright pink. Please
notify as many people as you can- we need as many people as
possible! Also, please bring any posters or poster board you
may have so that we are easily identifiable as a group.
Please feel free to bring anything else you feel would
contribute.

Quoting both the Daily Illini and the Orange and Blue
Observer, here's the other side of the story:

"If more women carried firearms, there would be fewer cases
of rape"
'"God made man and woman," Observer Editor Leo Buchignani
said.  "Smith and Wesson made them equal.  For the first
time in history, handguns neutralize the male strength
advantage over women.  I don't understand why all feminists
don't arm themselves."
The Observer held the "Defense of the 2nd Amendment"  to
protest Illinois' gun laws, some of the strictest in the
nation. These laws cause hundreds of preventable rapes,
murders and robberies. Gun laws hurt vulnerable groups like
inner city communities, minorities and women the most
because they are most in danger from predators. The Observer
feels gun law is a moral issue and protests the immoral
Illinois gun law regime."