Archive for July, 2008
Boston Tea Party 2008: Time to Send a Message to Massachusetts Lawmakers
Posted by: | CommentsIn 1998, former Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci (R) signed a law into effect that continues to violate our Second Amendment rights. Wednesday, July 23 will mark the ten-year anniversary of the signing of the Gun Control Act of 1998. Chapter 180 of the Acts was signed with the ill-conceived notion that crime and violence would be eradicated from the streets. Not only has this notion proven to be incorrect by the increase in criminal activity, but it’s also been in direct violation of our Second Amendment rights.
As a result, July 23, 2008 will be known as the “Boston Tea Party 2008″ and the National Rifle Association, in conjunction with the Gun Owners Action League (GOAL), are encouraging members to send a symbolic message to our elected officials that we want them to repeal Chapter 180. We are asking members to send this note, as well as a tea bag, to your elected officials to let them know, just as our forefathers did, that unfair treatment against lawful gun owners will not be tolerated.
To find contact information for your State Legislators, please click here.
Morton Grove Reconsiders Gun Ban: Meeting Tonight!
Posted by: | CommentsIn response to the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down the Washington, D.C. ban on handguns, the Village of Morton Grove is considering amending its own ban on handguns.
The Village has banned the possession of handguns since 1981, but according to its website, “Mayor Richard Krier has directed Corporation Counsel Teresa Hoffman Liston to prepare an ordinance for Village Board consideration amending the Village’s Municipal Code, Section 6-2-3 so it is compliant with the Supreme Court decision.”
The ordinance is scheduled to be on the Village Board’s agenda tonight, Monday, July 14. This meeting will start at 7:30 PM, and will be held in the Richard T. Flickinger Municipal Center, 6101 Capulina Avenue, Morton Grove.
Continuing concern about the treatment of firearm dealers by BATFE has caused members of the U.S. House of Representatives-with NRA-ILA’s full support-to push for new and improved reform legislation. That push has taken the form of H.R. 4900 — the “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act.”
H.R. 4900 represents NRA-ILA’s latest efforts to pass legislation that will make it easier for lawful gun owners and dealers to comply with federal law and regulations, while ensuring that those who break the law are punished accordingly. This bipartisan bill also serves as a vital step toward modernizing and improving BATFE’s overall operations. The bill would roll back unnecessary restrictions, correct errors, and codify longstanding congressional policies in the firearms arena, and is a vital step to modernize and improve BATFE operations.
NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox has written a comprehensive article on this issue that appeared in the April issues of NRA’s magazines. In the article, Cox pledges his commitment to winning the reforms that H.R. 4900 proposes, but cautions that, “the key to our ultimate success will be the dedication and commitment of NRA members who call and write the Congress, and who turn out to campaign for candidates who support our Second Amendment rights.” (To read this article now, please click here.)
To that end, please be sure to contact your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121, and urge him or her to cosponsor and support H.R. 4900, the “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act.”
As of this writing, H.R. 4900 has 222 cosponsors. To see if your Representative is cosponsoring H.R. 4900, please click here.
For more detailed information on H.R. 4900, please click here.
To read NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox’s letter to BATFE Acting Director Michael Sullivan, please click here.
Michigan Governor Signs Important Pro-Gun Package
Posted by: | CommentsOn Thursday July 10, Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) signed into law the Post-Purchase “Safety Inspection” Repeal Package.
These important bills, Senate Bill 370 and House Bills 4490 and 4491, will remove the cumbersome post-purchase “safety inspection” on handguns and will go into immediate effect. The requirement of a safety inspection was a burdensome waste of time for law-abiding gun owners and these bills will address that inconvenience.
Thank you to all citizens who answered the call to help enact this legislation. Without you, this victory would not have been possible.
Governor Janet Napolitano (D) vetoed House Bill 2389 earlier this week.
Simply stated, under HB2389 you would have been allowed to carry a firearm by means of any transportation - other than public transportation - without a concealed carry permit. Many states already allow the lawful transport and keeping of a firearm in a private vehicle without a state-issued permit.
This is the fourth veto of a pro-gun bill by Governor Napolitano this legislative session on NRA-supported measures such as HB2629, the defensive display of a firearm clarification; HB2630, which would have lowered the penalty for carrying a firearm without a permit to a petty offense; and SB1106, the lifetime concealed carry permit bill.
A recently enacted state law in Florida allows citizens to keep their lawfully owned firearms locked in their vehicles while they are at work. In the past certain employers, such as Disney World, would prohibit the lawful possession of a firearm on their property. This had the unfortunate effect of denying thousands of citizens their right to self-defense. If a citizen went to work without a lawfully owned and carried firearm due to the employer’s policy, that same citizen would be unable to defend themselves that evening in the parking lot of the grocery store when they stopped to pick up a few things for the family dinner.
A spokeswoman for Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has said that individuals can file complaints with the Attorney General’s office if their right to have a firearm, locked in their privately owned vehicle in a parking lot, for self-protection and other lawful purposes is being violated by a business.
To file a complaint, please contact the Attorney General’s office by phone at 866-966-7226 or click here. Attorney General McCollum can be reached via email at ag.mccollum@myfloridalegal.com.
To view a news article by WMBB in Panama City, please click here.
Good Dogs and the .357 Magnum: Excellent Felon Repellant
Posted by: | CommentsIn yet another example of how guns stop or prevent crime, a Tampa, FL man defended himself, his wife, and his home from a convicted felon early Saturday morning. The homeowner’s dog alerted the man and his wife to the blowtorch-wielding thief who had made entry onto his property in the dark of night. The resident grabbed his .357 Magnum and held the convict until police arrived.
Two points:
1. Probation does not work. The criminal was on probation for three felonies (Grand Theft, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and DUI-3rd) at the time of this crime.
2. Guns do work. Laws, the courts, and his probation officers all told this thief not to commit any new crimes. But it was the homeowner with his handgun that actually stopped this crime.
From the Bay News 9 website:
Tampa man stops tunneling burglar
A man is behind bars after authorities say he tried to tunnel his way under a fence to break into a Tampa home.
Robert Cash Jr. says he found a claw hammer covered with a rag in a backyard flower bed two weeks ago. Then a week later, the gate to his wooden privacy fence had been forced open. Finally, police say Mark Edward Mazur tunneled under a neighbor’s fence carrying a blowtorch early Saturday morning and crawled onto Cash’s property.
Cash was woken up by the family dog and grabbed his .357 Magnum. He was able to hold the intruder while his wife called the police.
Police charged Mazur with felony burglary, felony possession of burglary tools and misdemeanor assault.
He was being held without bond.
Williams Fire Sights for the SKS: Review Coming Soon on the WSKS Aperture Fire Sight Set
Posted by: | CommentsAfter combing the Internet, I have ordered the WSKS Aperture Fire Sight
When they arrive, I will post a full review with photos.
