EXTENDED MAGAZINES, WHICH IS CLEARLY FURTHER BATTLEFIELD AND NOT SELF-DEFENSE.

>>> THE WEAPONS BAN, SARA IS JOINING US NOW.

WE GOT MORE PEOPLE JOINING US WITH MORE ON ILLINOIS'S BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS AND THE LEGAL CHALLENGES TO THAT LAW, AS WELL AS OTHER GUN CONTROL MEASURES.

HERE IS LAKE COUNTY BOARD MEMBER AND LONG-TIME GUN VIOLENCE ADVOCATE AND ILLINOIS STATE RIFLE ORGANIZATION, IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

RICHARD, START WITH YOU FIRST.

YOU ARE ONE OF THE GROUP THAT IS FILED THE LAWSUIT OVER THE BAN.

TELL US WHY YOU OPPOSE IT.

>> REPEAT THAT, PLEASE.

>> SURE.

YOU ARE ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT FILED A LAWSUIT OVER THE WEAPONS BAN.

TELL US WHY YOU OPPOSE IT.

>> WELL, BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE AR-15S, WE USE THEM LEGALLY.

WE HAVE NEVER BEEN IN ANY TROUBLE WITH THEM.

WE BELIEVE IT IS OUR RIGHT TO OWN AN AR-15, SO WE HAVE FILED SUIT AGAINST THE STATE OF ILLINOIS TO GET OUR FIREARMS BACK.

WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG.

THERE MAY BE ONE TO TWO MEN OTHER THAN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, BUT ONE GOT IN TROUBLE, SO WE ALL HAVE TO PAY.

WE DON'T BELIEF THAT'S TRUE.

WE BELIEVE WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO OWN THESE THINGS, SO WE ARE STANDING UP FOR OUR RIGHTS.

>> SARA, YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING ON GUN VIOLENCE PROVISIONS, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT ILLINOIS HAS TAKEN OVER THE LAST YEAR?

>> OVER THE LAST YEAR I'M HAPPY TO SEE THE CLEAR AND DANGER REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED.

THAT'S A DIRECT RESULT OF THE CHANGES IN THE REGULATIONS BY THE STATE POLICE IN THE WAKE OF THE HIGHLAND PARK TRAGEDY AND I'M ENCOURAGED BY THE DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF FIREARM RESTRAINING ORDER REQUESTS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED.

THESE TWO TYPES OF ACTIONS TOGETHER MAKE UP ILLINOIS'S RED FLAG LAWS, AND THEY ARE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO PREVENT PEOPLE EXHIBITS DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR TO ACCESS FIREARMS.

>> DOES THE STATE'S GUN CONTROL MEASURE, DOES IT FEEL LIKE AN INFRINGEMENT OF YOUR RIGHTS?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I OWN THREE AR-15S, I HUNT WITH THEM AND TARGET SHOOT WITH THEM.

I HAVE ONE IN MY HOUSE FOR HOME DEFENSE.

AND SO WE THINK THAT THIS IS OUR RIGHT TO DO THIS.

WE HAVEN'T BEEN IN ANY TROUBLE.

GOING THROUGH A BACKGROUND CHECK EVERY NIGHT, SO I WILL GO BACK -- I GO TO A BACKGROUND CHECK TONIGHT.

I WON'T GO BACK TO ONE TOMORROW NIGHT BECAUSE OF THE 4TH OF JULY, THEY DON'T DO IT ON THE 4TH OF JULY, AND EVERY NIGHT.

I GO TO 720 BACKGROUND CHECKS EVERY YEAR JUST TO BE A LEGAL FIREARM OWNER IN ILLINOIS.

WE THINK THAT'S ENOUGH, AND WE THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO OWN THESE FIREARMS.

>> RICHARD, IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT IS YOUR RIGHT FOR YOU AND FELLOW GUN OWNERS TO HOLD THESE TYPE OF WEAPONS, WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT THEM FROM GETTING IN THE HANDS OF THE ALLEGED HIGHLAND PARK SHOOTER?

>> COUPLE THINGS, THE HIGHLAND PARK SHOOTER WAS REPORTED AND YET NOTHING WAS DONE ABOUT IT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN IS WHEN THE POLICE GET A REPORT LIKE WITH THE HIGHLAND PARK SHOOTER, THEY HAVE TO ACT ON IT.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS.

THE OTHER PROBLEM WE HAVE, OF COURSE, IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF THE VIOLENCE CAUSED BY STREET GANGS.

AND THESE PEOPLE GET IN AND OUT OF JAIL SO RAPIDLY, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.

YOU CAN GET A CARJACKING CHARGE WITH A FIREARM IN CHICAGO AND YOU CAN LITERALLY BE OUT OF JAIL IN 2 HOURS AND WE THINK THAT'S RIDICULOUS.

WE THINK THE PEOPLE WHO COMMIT CRIMES WITH FIREARMS SHOULD BE IN JAIL AND THEY SHOULD SERVE TIME AND IT SHOULD BE A WARNING TO ALL OTHERS NOT TO DO THAT.

>> WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, MR. PEARSON, ALTHOUGH EVERYTHING YOU SAID IS NOT FACTUALLY WRONG, THE TRUTH IS PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES ARE FAR LIKELY TO BE INCARCERATED AND TO HAVE TO SIT IN JAIL PRETRIAL LONG BEFORE THEIR TRIAL TAKES PLACE AND THAT CAN HAVE REALLY PROFOUND EFFECTS OF THE STRENGTH OF THAT COMMUNITY.

I 100% AGREE WITH YOU ANYBODY WHO HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH A VIOLENT CRIME SHOULD BE HELD AND INCARCERATED.

BUT I THINK YOU OVERSIMPLIFY THE MATTER WHEN YOU TRY TO SAY ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE IN BLACK AND BROWN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, I SEE YOU USED THE TERM INVOLVED IN GANG-RELATED VIOLENCE.

I THINK THAT IS OFTEN A MISNOMER.

YOU OVERSIMPLIFY THE MATTER WHEN YOU SAY THEY ARE IN AND OUT OF JAIL IN A MATTER OF HOURS.

THAT MAY HAPPEN OCCASIONALLY, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME THAT IS NOT AT ALL WHAT HAPPENS.

>> YOU WANT TO.

>> IT -- SAID NOTHING ABOUT COMMUNITIES.

I DON'T CARE WHAT THE PERSON IS, IF YOU ARE A CRIMINAL, YOU SHOULD SERVE TIME.

DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU ARE.

>> BRIEFLY BECAUSE WE MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, JUST LAST WEEK THE SECOND COURT OF APPEALS HEARD ARGUMENT ON THIS.

IF THEY DECIDE ON THE ADVOCATES, WHAT THEN?

>> IF THE COURT DECIDES IN THE RIGHTS OF GUN ADVOCATES, WE WILL HAVE AN IMPORTANT NEW TOOL IN ILLINOIS IN ORDER TO CUT DOWN ON THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS EXTREMELY LETHAL FIREARMS.

THESE TYPES OF FIREARMS, MILITARY ASSAULT RIFLES, THEY -- IF MR. PEARSON LIKES TO USE THIS TYPE OF FIREARM TO HUNT, THAT'S HIS PREROGATIVE.

BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF YOU ARE A SPORTSMAN WHY YOU WOULD USE THAT WEAPON.

IT OBLITERATES THE ANIMAL'S BODY ON CONTACT.

THERE IS LITERALLY NO USE FOR THESE TYPE OF WEAPONS.