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**Governor Patrick Files New Gun Control Legislation**

Big_Red said:
I see that this bill finally has a number: H.4102
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Yes, it's H 4102 and was in fact referred to Judiciary committee


I just took a look at the Committee members. There are three senators that got A's from GOAL, two of those three were endorsed by GOAL in the last election. The House members got mostly A's and B's with three of them being endorsed by GOAL. If Jim Wallace can get them to stick with us we may have a shot at derailing this thing (as well as other attempts at gun grabbing).
 
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I'm writing now. What do y'all think of this, stealing from those who have come before me:

Dear Representative ----,

I am writing to you in opposition to a bill that Governor Patrick recently submitted for consideration, his “An Act to Reduce Firearm Violence”. After reading this bill, I can not help but conclude it is nothing else but that.

Last year, Governor Patrick submitted a budget that included various measures that would persecute and punish lawful gun owners. Fortunately, his efforts were unsuccessful. Now the governor has repackaged those previous, and other, failed gun control measures in this new bill. Studies have show time and again that measures like one-gun-a-month restrictions, the elimination of lawful private gun sales, and excessive sentences and punitive legal measures that do not fit the alleged crime actually result in increased violent crime as the criminals are emboldened by the lack of the ordinary citizen to protect themselves.

Since the "worst in the nation" gun laws were enacted in 1998, the number of licensed gun owners in our great state has DECREASED by 85%; yet the number of firearm related homicides INCREASED by 79%. The licensed gun owners of this state are the only ones following the laws we already have, and any new ones you enact, and we are not the ones responsible for the violence this bill's title proposes to stop.

For example, one of the measures in the Governors bill prohibits the act of "straw purchasing". Well as I'm sure you know, that is already illegal; and in fact the only person I know who has ever been involved with such a purchase is none other but John Rosenthal (Mr. Mass Pike billboard of lies) himself who went through extreme measures to break the law and filmed it – in New Hampshire!

The Governor's bill also would prevent law-abiding, licensed individuals from buying more than one gun a month; this is supposed to stop criminals from doing the same? This is such convoluted logic. Bad guys don't buy guns from stores or licensed gun owners and fill out the forms in triplicate that all law-abiding gun owners do. So again only law abiding gun owners are affected by such a new requirement! Note page 7 of the ATF-Massachusetts data: http://www.atf.gov/firearms/trace_da...chusetts07.pdf . The average "Time to Crime" for guns traced in MA is 12.94 years (national avg. = 10.33). The Governors notion that "straw purchasers" are buying guns to sell to criminals, but waiting nearly 13 years to do so, is ridiculous.

Similarly, he wants to do away with the practice of "face to face" transfer of ownership of firearms. Even when a sale does not involve a licensed dealer both licensed firearm owners are still required to follow the exact same in-triplicate reporting procedures as a dealer. FTF deals are not done for some nefarious purpose -- firearm owners sell amongst themselves without a dealer for the same simple reason as car owner's buy/sell used cars to each other – to keep the costs down.

If anyone, legal owner or gang-banger, actually uses a weapon in the course of committing a crime, I'm all for punitive penalties. In that regard, a bill has been introduced that does propose penalizing the law breakers while giving some relief to the lawful gun owners who try to follow the convoluted and capricious laws of this state. While asking you to turn down the Governor's bill, I ask for your support of House Bill 2259, "Act relative to Gun Rights and Public Safety".

Governor Patrick needs to quit wasting the people's time with failed, ineffectual ideas that only serve to restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens. He should be focusing on practical, common sense actions to address the dreadful economic climate in this state.

I urge you again to oppose Governor Patrick's attempt to persecute and restrict the rights of lawful gun owners. Please vote against his “An Act to Reduce Firearm Violence” and urge your fellow lawmakers to do likewise.

Thank you.
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If we give up the fight right here in Ma it won't be that long until the stench of government controls reaches the borders of NH and on up to Maine.
 
For my part, I just convinced two coworkers to join GOAL and wrote emails to my state rep and senator (who is useless but WTH).
 
I just mailed my Senator not 2 min ago, and he responded extremely fast he also cc'd other senators man I love this guy!
My letter: (with the help of others)
Senator Moore,

I am writing to you in opposition to a bill that Gov. Patrick has recently submitted for consideration, his “An Act to Reduce Firearm Violence H4102”. If you recall I wrote to you a few weeks ago about supporting House Bill 2259 which you are a co-sponsor of.

Now the governor has repackaged those previous, and other, failed onerous gun control measures in his new bill. Studies have show time and again that measures like one-gun-a-month restrictions, the elimination of lawful private gun sales, and excessive sentences and punitive legal measures that do not fit the alleged crime actually result in increased violent crime. There is not one law in that bill that actually does anything to the criminal that has an illegal firearm. Gov. Patrick needs to quit wasting his and everyone else’s time with old, failed, ineffectual ideas and focus on practical, common sense actions to address the dreadful economic climate in this state.

I urge you again to oppose Gov. Patrick's attempt to persecute and restrict the rights of lawful gun owners. Please vote against his “An Act to Reduce Firearm Violence” and urge your fellow lawmakers to do likewise.



I have also learned that Gov. Patrick is filing legislation to relax minimum mandatory sentences for all drug offenders - including violent traffickers. I don’t understand he wants to let criminals go but persecute law abiding gun owners? What has happened to this State? It seems that quite a few don’t care about the Constitution and people’s safety.

I also hope you and your fellow Senators oppose the legislation for relaxing minimum mandatory sentencing.

Thank You.

His response:


Sean,

You can count on me doing everything I can to defeat this ill-conceived legislation.

Senator Richard T. Moore
 
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I like No Looking Backwards ideas, but I'd add one change. Along with dressing nicely, we all show up carrying rifle cases (Empty of course) and fill the steps of the state house with empty ammo boxes.

Hey, maybe that's an idea... lets start sending our empty ammo boxes to the Governor.!!!
 
NRA-ILA got wind of it and just sent out a notice. Lets hope they help this time around.
 
As a NH resident this legislation only affects me indirectly. I do work in mass but obviously am not represented by a Mass legislator and therefore cannot even vent by emailing my local reps...so i did what i could...just joined GOAL. Let me know if you think it would do any good to send a letter to someone even though i am not a resident. I feel this crap coming to NH and it scares me to death.
 
amcaloon31 said:
As a NH resident this legislation only affects me indirectly. I do work in mass but obviously am not represented by a Mass legislator and therefore cannot even vent by emailing my local reps...so i did what i could...just joined GOAL. Let me know if you think it would do any good to send a letter to someone even though i am not a resident. I feel this crap coming to NH and it scares me to death.
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Be afraid...
 
amcaloon31 said:
As a NH resident this legislation only affects me indirectly. I do work in mass but obviously am not represented by a Mass legislator and therefore cannot even vent by emailing my local reps...so i did what i could...just joined GOAL. Let me know if you think it would do any good to send a letter to someone even though i am not a resident. I feel this crap coming to NH and it scares me to death.
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+1. That was a really awesome and selfless act. Good for you.
 
amcaloon31 said:
As a NH resident this legislation only affects me indirectly. I do work in mass but obviously am not represented by a Mass legislator and therefore cannot even vent by emailing my local reps...so i did what i could...just joined GOAL. Let me know if you think it would do any good to send a letter to someone even though i am not a resident. I feel this crap coming to NH and it scares me to death.
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Thanks for the support. People seem to forget that MA is one of the testing grounds for socialist agenda. Things are going to happen here then move to a federal level. Now I am not stupid enough to think that thousands of non-residents are going to either join GOAL or help the cause here in other ways but America should not be surprised when MA policy becomes federal policy whether it be heath care, spending, gun control or whatever.

On a side note people need to ask themselves if their rights are only worth the $30 they send to GOAL or the NRA or is it much more valuable...valuable enough to give up a weekend here or there or write some letters or maybe take a friend to the range? What are your rights worth to you?

GOAL, NRA, GOA and so on are just tools for us to use but we need to supply some effort to preserve what it important to us.
 
Here's my letter ---

Dear XXX:

On Wednesday, May 06, 2009, Governor Patrick filed H.4102, “An Act to Reduce Firearm Violence” but perhaps should have been more appropriately titled "An Act to Harass Law-abiding Firearm Owners".

Clearly, the Patrick regime is in no way committed to crime control as this is totally incompatible with gun control. The Gun Owners' Action League (www.GOAL.org) has described this as simply a “failed social experiment within the Commonwealth”. The morally bankrupt Patrick regime would believe that more disastrous “gun control” legislation is the solution -- our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms be damned! Gun laws only hamstring peaceable and licensed gun owners because criminals, by definition, do not obey the law.

If the Patrick regime truly believes that regulating firearm purchases to only one per month to ebb straw purchases, why stop at only one a month? Why not one a year? Or perhaps, one every 10 years? Of course, selling a firearm to an unlicensed individual is already an existing crime that rightfully includes prison time for those convicted. This nonsensical plan would also require that private gun sales be overseen by a licensed gun dealer. Yet, privately acquired firearms are already required to be registered using the state's FA-10 form.

Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley was quoted in the Boston Globe today that 350 people have been murdered (by guns) in Boston since he took office in 2002. In nearly all of those cases, the killers used unregistered, illegal firearms. Conley continued, “Of all the grieving families that I've met ... not one has ever suggested we target law-abiding gun owners.” As you probably are already aware, our neighbors to the north, Vermont and New Hampshire, have some of the most lax gun control laws in the United States. It's not a coincidence that they are among the few that enjoy little to no violent crime.

The gall and utter contempt for our Constitutionally-protected civil liberties on behalf of the Patrick regime is telling of the tyrannical nature of this despotic administration and is most deserving of our strict resistance.

I implore you to defeat this measure.

Regards,
Michael XXX
(XXX, MA)
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Send them in!
 
depicts said:
I like No Looking Backwards ideas, but I'd add one change. Along with dressing nicely, we all show up carrying rifle cases (Empty of course) and fill the steps of the state house with empty ammo boxes.

Hey, maybe that's an idea... lets start sending our empty ammo boxes to the Governor.!!!
Click to expand...

Rifle cases jam-packed full of styrofoam packing peanuts.

"Officer, I'd rather you not open that case."

"F*** you! We got probable cause, a******!"

(enter strong wind)
 
No time to make phone calls today - getting married Saturday. Busy.

Here's my letter - feel free to copy/paste or massage at will. Sent via USPS with a big bold signature tomorrow morning, to Rep Pignatelli and Hon. John W. Olver.

Dear Mr. Pignatelli,

On Wednesday, May 06, 2009, Governor Patrick filed H.4102, “An Act to Reduce Firearm Violence." I am writing this letter to implore you to defeat this measure at all costs; it is a nonsensical piece of busywork that hampers only those of us who obey the already constraining laws.
Governor Patrick's misguided attempt at slowing the illegal firearms trade is both absurd and insulting to those of us who lawfully keep and bear arms. The legislation will do nothing to prevent criminals from illegally obtaining firearms, nor will it stop their comission of crimes with them. What it WILL do, is make criminal a benign set of activities that fall directly under the Second Amendment's clearly stated umbrella of "Infringement." The plethora of convoluted laws that are already on the books deal specifically with straw purchases and record-keeping regarding private transfers. Battling against THOSE laws is a letter for another day, but for right now I would like to voice my opinion to be sure that you understand the perspective of we who lawfully excersize our 2nd Amendment Rights.

* Limit gun purchases to one gun a month in order to reduce gun trafficking by “straw purchasers” who purchase firearms for convicted felons or other prohibited buyers.

Patrick himself has voiced his opinion (along with Menino) on this issue repeatedly; the consensus seems to be that he feels out of state guns are the problem here. Guns that were purcahsed in Southern states have nothing to do with me buying two guns that I find at a good price at one time. Or three, for that matter. Or ten, if it's a crate of collectible rifles. How about when my (hypothetical) grandfather decides to sell me his collection? Absurdity - and another example of impossibly flawed logic.

* Create a new crime (10-year felony) for possessing a gun while committing a misdemeanor that involves the use of force.

This implies that we are making the comission of a crime a worse crime because of what inanimate object that one has sitting in their pocket. What's next? If you have a gun at home, you get an extra ten years? This implies far too much faith in a flawed judicial system; if one has a physical altercation of ANY KIND and is convicted of a misdemeanor (say, a fist fight where one is defending himself against a drunken neighbor? harly out of the realm of possibility..) unjustly, they've instantly put themselves up the creek for ten years if they're carrying.


* Requires individuals who resell their guns to conduct the transaction at a licensed dealer so that the transaction can be entered into the electronic firearms database for better tracking of secondary sales.

Individuals who privately sell their guns in Massachusetts already fill out a form for this; Form FA-10, available at any police station. This form, when returned for processing, is scanned electronically into a statewide databse. What's the difference? Those who do not fill out the forms are already in violation of the law, why are criminals going to follow this law if they don't already follow what's on the books?

* Clarifies laws to prohibit anyone other than a person with a machine gun license or a police officer receiving training from handling a machine gun.

No more military training in MA without every service member obtaining a Machine Gun License?

* The Secretary of Public Safety and Security will promulgate new regulations to prohibit use of machine guns at gun shows or exhibitions and to narrow definition of “bona fide collector.”

The definition of a "Bona Fide Collector" is already quite narrow, and again we see that no crimes are going to be prevented by this legislation.

The significant problem with this propsed legislation is that it is a further undermining of the law abiding citizen's penchant for safety and his inherent willingness to follow the laws that have already been set forth. Creating more laws in an attempt to stop criminals from performing unlawful acts is an excersize in futility; the only possible deterrent is hasher sentencing that keeps them put away longer, or makes them take the law and sentencing trends seriously in the first place. What we're doing here is making a whole new set of laws that such criminals will completely ignore, as they do with the rest of the laws. Who has to change their lives? Those of us who obey the law.
In closing, I'd like to thank you for reading my feelings on this issue, and beg of you to understand that my opinion is not solely my own; there are many, MANY silent voices who are not well informed or do not feel as though their voice will be heard should they choose to speak up. This proposal is not worth the paper it's printed on, and will do nothing to keep my family nor those of my fellow men any safer.


Thank you,

- <me>
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