Date: Sat, 04 Aug 2001 00:00:10 -0700
From: c.heller@JUNO.COM (Charles F Heller)
Subject: Illinois Freedom Rights Activist Arrested
To: AZRKBA@asu.edu


If anybody can help this man, please do.

                Charles


JOHN HORSTMAN ARRESTED - GUN RIGHTS HERO
By John Birch, President, Concealed Carry, Inc., PO BOX 4597, Oak Brook,
IL 60523-2708 Tel: 630 986-8550

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO YOUR FELLOW GUN RIGHTS SUPPORTERS!

John Horstman did not set out to be a hero on Tuesday July 25th when he
went bike riding in unincorporated DuPage County. Details are sketchy
and indefinite at this point, but evidently someone called the DuPage
Sheriff to report a man exposing themselves on the trail. Along comes
Mr. Horstman on his bike and the DuPage Sheriff stops him because "He
could be the person they are looking for." Ordering him off his bike the
deputies quickly discovered loaded magazines on his belt and then the
search got down in the dirt UGLY. Mr. Horstman's unloaded Taurus was
found in a "day planner" style carry case. He was transported to DuPage
County Jail and charged with Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapon, 720 ILCS
5/24-1.6(a)(2)(B). After a night in jail and breakfast of cold French
toast, Mr. Horstman was transported to his bond hearing...more on that
in a minute....

At this point I must digress. On July 4th you might recall we had Gun
Day at Taste of Chicago. While entering the park with Chris Morley we
saw a man with an NRA cap and fanny pack walking with his son. Chris
said "Hey John! He's got to be one of us!" Turned out to be John
Horstman! Small world eh? We spoke quite a while and Mr. Horstman's son
is quite the polite young man. Unlike yours truly, Mr. Horstman was
packing the real deal at the Taste. Mr. Horstman is a patriot and is a
Computer Systems Engineer for a top laboratory. I mention that so you
all know Mr. Horstman is upstanding American who deserves our support.
Totally clean arrest record.

THE BOND HEARING: I think we all know it is unlikely in the extreme that
someone would carry a gun and back pack and then go out exposing himself
with all that gear on. I regret this unseemliness but it is part and
parcel of Mr. Horstman's arrest. You see at the bond hearing they
DEMONIZED Mr. Horstman over this false allegation (he is not charged
with anything except Unlawful Use of Weapons) to get his bond set at
$250,000. You read right...for fanny pack carry the bond is ONE QUARTER
OF A MILLION DOLLARS! Mr. Horstman had to post $25,000 in cash and turn
his guns over to the DuPage heriff to make bail. Is this America? I'd
like retired cop Leroy Pyle to weigh in on this as if I do I'll write
things about the police I will later regret. Think how you would feel as
a parent if stopped by a cop and told "Hey you look a flasher, put your
hands on the hood and I'm going to search you." I am so mad I could
spit!

Are you feeling unnerved by this? Do you realize that Mr. Horstman could
easily be Mr. Birch? Mr. Lally, Mr. Morley or anyone else reading these
words? Gun owners must band together and take on the attitude that when
you arrest one gun owner...YOU ARREST ALL GUN OWNERS. Mess with one of
us, you get ALL OF US. It is great you send money to the NRA or even the
ISRA (not recommended these days). But that will NOT get our rights
back. It may make you feel good now, but you won't feel so good when the
cuffs are snapped closed on your wrists and your children find out daddy
is in jail.

This case takes on even more significance as the State's Attorney in
this case is Mr. Joe Birkett. Mr Birkett of DuPage County appeared at a
press conference with Cook County State's Attorney Richard Devine and
members of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence on December
9th, 2000 to announce that anyone caught fanny pack carrying would be
charged with and prosecuted for UUW, a class IV felony. Then on July
16th (just ten day prior to Mr. Horstman's arrest) SA Birkett said on
One Eyed Jack's Springfield based talk show (http://oej.jack.net) that
he was going for full felony UUW's against law abiding un owners with
fanny packs. He did say he would regret having to do it, but he is
resolute that we must be jailed as felons. If SA Birkett does not win
this case he, SA Devine and the ICHV will look like idiots. They are
going bring the big guns to bear on Mr. Horstman and put him through
hell on earth in the name of political expediency. I think it's fair to
call Mr. Horstman a hero don't you? He did not seek this, but now that
it is thrust upon him I can say in my long talks with Mr. Horstman that
he is a MAN IN FULL and is not going to kneel before master and beg for
forgiveness.

We have spoken with SA Birkett twice in an effort to dissuade him from
this course of action. We have even provided SA Birkett with the
Illinois Gun Law book published by the Illinois State Police and signed
by Governor Ryan. SA Birkett acknowledged what the book said made fanny
pack carry legal, but said the book was poorly written and that he would
go to the Governor to change it. SA Birkett assures me he is pro-Second
Amendment but he feels guns in the hands of his citizens are dangerous.
Bull hockey.

So it's time to get personally involved because what happened to Mr.
Horstman is personal to you. Bet on it before you are the one naked and
strip searched.

HERE IS WHAT NEEDS DOING:

1) Plan on being at Mr. Horstman's arraignment on Monday morning August
20th at the DuPage County Judicial Center,
505 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton Illinois 60187
(http://www.co.dupage.il.us/jofbldg.html). I'll get exact time and court
room soon. WEAR A FANNY PACK! NO GUN! I know it's a work day. Remember,
it's a workday for Mr. Horstman too. Our gun day in Springfield is not
important in light of Mr. Horstman's arrest. If you won't show up and
support him at the courthouse then DO NOT EXPECT anyone there for you.
It's just that cold and just that simple. If we don't pack the place and
cause the DuPage County Sheriff all kinds of problems in terms of our
PEACEFUL presence then we DO NOT DESERVE OUR RIGHTS and Mr. Horstman can
just be eaten alive by the justice system.

2) Mr. Horstman has been strip searched, vilified as a pervert in a
court, and lost his guns. Now he's about to undergo intense media
spotlight. Won't you consider dropping him an email? JSHorstman@aol.com

3) You have dug deep to support or Democrat Day surprise on Aug 16th.
Thank you. Please consider that Mr. Horstman needs TOP FLIGHT legal
talent. Expensive talent. CONSIDER AGAIN: It will be a LOT cheaper to
fund Mr. Horstman's defense RIGHT NOW, then to let them arrest us one by
one. WHEN YOU ARREST ONE GUN OWNER, YOU ARREST ALL GUN OWNERS. While we
intend to give the Democrats their "Surprise" on August 16th...ALL
EFFORTS FROM THIS MOMENT ON ARE BEING DIRECTED TO MR. HORSTMAN'S
VICTORY. Concealed Carry, Inc. has minimal resources and this is MUST
WIN. We are establishing the CONCEALED CARRY, INC. DEFENSE FUND today.
You can make checks out to CONCEALED CARRY, INC. DEFENSE FUND if you
wish and mail them to CONCEALED CARRY, INC. DEFENSE FUND, PO BOX 4597,
OAK BROOK, IL 60523-2708.

Please notice that when Concealed Carry, Inc. asks for money it is for a
SPECIFIC PURPOSE. We don't say: Send us money and you will get a
concealed carry law just by sitting on your ass. It DOES NOT WORK THAT
WAY. No matter how many checks you send to the NRA or the ISRA, unless
you know what that money is going to be used for. Do not take it on
faith that there are people in the ISRA who know how to spend your
money. THEY DON'T or we would not be in this mess today. Anyone who
donates to the Defense Fund can look over the account and cancelled
checks just about anytime they want. The fund is totally open book. Even
the ICHV can come by and look at cancelled checks if they donate first.

Can you be there for Mr. Horstman on Aug 20th? Bring your kids...let
them see justice in America close up. We need to cheer Mr. Horstman
going in and going out of the palace of justice. Shake his hand! If I
have to be a one man rally for Mr. Horstman, then so be it. But gosh
darn it the same people can't do the heavy lifting all the time! I'm
begging you to call your boss and tell him "Sorry boss...I'll be in at
lunch time."

ARE YOU COMING TO THE ARRAIGNMENT? EMAIL john@concealcarry.org

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO YOUR FELLOW GUN RIGHTS SUPPORTERS!