Mass has 30+ bills up for vote to restrict our Constitution

[Republic of Mass]

Ok, im linking to another board where I posted all the bills
www.sigforum.com
http://sigforum.com/eve/ubb.x/a/frm/f/140601935

Goal isn't doing crap for us
NRA isn't doing crap for us

We need to stand together and do something about this crap......

 

[News Shooter]

You know

I keep trying to find a reason to like Mitt, but he refuses to step up to the plate on important issues like this. He's trying to be the moderate intermediary, but the problem is that you can never, EVER reason with liberals.
He needs to stand up on his hind legs and fight this stuff and THEN maybe he might be a viable presidential candidate. You are either a conservative or you're not. We don't need any more McCains

 

[KMaurer]

I'll have to disagree with that summarization.

My usual reaction when somebody says that GOAL isn't doing anything for us is to assume that they either haven't been around that long or that they haven't been paying close attention (or maybe that they've just in a bad mood, something that comes very easily to gun owners in this hell hole.) For starters, your post references the list of bills from where? That's right, GOAL. Next, if you look at page 9 of the May edition of The Outdoor Messenger, you'll notice that a good proportion of those bills, despite what someone who doesn't read past the title (e.g., a good fraction of Massachusetts legislators) might infer, actually would make life better for gun owners.

Every year there are a whole laundry list of bans, restrictions and similar gun-grabber proposals submitted to the legislature by legislators who either actually believe in that crap or who just want to keep their idiot constituents happy, even if it means shipping all the gun owners off in cattle cars. There are also a number (usually the minority) of bills that would fix stupid problems with existing gun laws or atempt to treat gun owners in a somewhat more reasonable manner. If it weren't for GOAL working closely with the few legislators on our side, none of those bills would be there. It's also likely that a significantly greater fraction of the anti-civil liberties bills would pass every year.

GOAL has a grand total of 4 (under)paid employees: one to work with the legislature, one to organizenad lead all the education and training programs, one to handle all the record keeping and mailings asociated with memberships, one to do everything else (which is a hell of a lot). If anybody thinks they aren't doing a good enough job, GOAL is always looking for more volunteers. If you can stuff envelopes, answer phones, staff the GOAL booth at the Topsfield Fair and numerous gun shows, or any of a hundred other things, feel free to offer to lend a hand.

Ken

 

[Marcus in the Darkus]

Good post, Ken. I agree that GOAL is doing a great job with their limited resources.

As for Mitt Romney, I can't get too excited about him. I really miss Bill Weld. I heard Weld may run for governor of New York. I hope so, because Pitaki is entirely in the camp of the antis, despite calling himself a republican. Weld is a libertariarion at heart and a firm believer in a literal interpretation of the 2nd amendment. I chuckled the other week when I heard him on TV say "I love guns. I own way too many of them."

 

[Len-2A Training]

A couple of comments here:

- NRA does NOTHING in MA and acknowledges this. NRA counts on GOAL for all in-state political activity. Sometimes NRA supplies considerable cash to GOAL to fund such activities on a case-by-case basis.

- GOAL - What facts (not just opinions) lead you to know that "Goal isn't doing crap for us"? I don't pretend to know all that they are doing, but I have spent an hour or two (over the past 6 months) discussing legislation with Jim Wallace to not only express my opinions but to understand what is going on and what is actually possible.

- Mitt Romney - He, like most politicians is NOT a friend of gun owners. On the other hand, Governors don't usually "step to the plate" for bills that are filed. There are somewhere near 8000 bills filed each legislative session. Only ~1000-1500 get passed during each 2 year session. Just because a bill is filed is no reason to rejoice or to wring our hands. Keep an eye on the process and you'll understand better what is a problem and what isn't worth more than the corner of our eye.

Are you (collective you) aware that if you hand something to your legislator, s/he is legally obligated to file it for you? BTDT! Well political reality is that if a bill is filed with the dreaded "Filed by Mr. x on behalf of Susie Voter" on it, it is DOA! These bills (with a 99.9999% certainty) do not ever get taken seriously and go anywhere. [Many years ago I had my State Senator file a bill that would have outlawed ANY business from demanding your SSN (unless for tax/payroll purposes), just like 5 USC 552c states (but for government agencies only). It never went anywhere due to the above header on the bill. ]

Ken has the other points covered nicely!

 

[Chris]

GOAL currently has 3 paid employees. Jim Wallace, Nancy Snow, and Jon Green.

The sad fact is that only a very small minority of firearms owners belong to GOAL. Limited funding means limited programs. Jon Green's GOAL Foundation trainng does a good job of covering the costs of training with course fees, but that is about the only section that does.

The GOAL banquet, a major fundraiser, had a very low turnout this year.

How many firearm owners do you know that don't pony up the $$ each year, and then turn around and complain about the state's laws? I get it all the time.

Probably the biggest thing GOAL has going for it is a great reputation. When Jim Wallace speaks, legislators may hate what he says, but they know without a doubt that it is all true, accurate, and can be backed up with facts. It is only be constantly being there and providing that solid base of reality that has become a major hurdle to push bad bills against.

The very fact we have the ability to stand here now and worry about losing our rights is due in a large part to the successes that GOAL has had in it's 30 years. How soon we forget the ballot question that would have banned all handguns in the state that caused GOAL to form back in the 1970's. Today, the opponents of liberty can not even imagine enacting an outright ban. They have to sneak up at it slowly.

If you think you have a better solution to the state's situation, I fully support your efforts to go for it. I'm just sick and tired of hearing people complain about it.

No, the NRA is NOT hands-off Massachusetts. The local rep was at the GOAL banquet. Several Eddie Eagle costumes have been donated by the NRA for youth firearm safety programs. But lets face it, when you have limited funds (compared to the unlimited funds of government) the NRA focuses on the places that they have a better chance of success. Right now, Massachusetts is not very high on the probablility list.

You want to help change things in Massachusetts? Take someone who has never shot a gun out to a range and let them try it. Don't talk politics, don't talk rights, just teach them to be safe with the gun and let them have fun sending rounds at targets. I guarantee you that they will start asking the questions and let you get your point across in the answers. You might never get them to become a shooter, but I guarantee they will have a different view of the topic.

If I had a dollar for everytime I have heard Joe Average Public say "Wow, I never knew that" about some kind of basic firearm related issue, GOAL funding would never be a problem.

 

[Stellar05]

I agree about taking your friends and family to the range and encouraging awareness about firearms... 1 in 5 gets hooked!

Most sheeple in MA don't seem to notice or know, or care about the large number of Second Amendment Advocates in this state...

Please don't ANYONE slam GOAL they are a GREAT organization and do quite a bit
behind the scenes for our rights in MA.

 

[vellnueve]

Why are you responding to a thread that is three years old?

 

[bfm]

Why are you responding to a thread that is three years old?

He is relatively new and wanted to start reading at the begining.

 

[jdubois]

He is relatively new and wanted to start reading at the begining.

You mean the VERY beginning?

http://northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=1

 

[Coyote33]

Hey, it is still relevant. Remember all those people who say "Do a search first, it is probably already posted."? Well, this guy just replies to a thread he probably searched on, and never noticed the date. I've done similar. I replied to a thread about carbines, and never noticed it was in a "survival" forum. Got some pretty strange answers. Oh well. Hey, if they didn't want responses, the old threads would be locked. Better to recycle than to create it anew I guess.

Edited to add the thread:
Getting prepared- Carbines?

 

[jdubois]

I replied to a thread about carbines, and never noticed it was in a "survival" forum. Got some pretty strange answers.

Reminds me of googling for AR information and reading a thread that had some good info but started to get really strange. Turns out I'd stumbled into a white supremacy forum. Oookay. Backing away slowly...

 

[maee]

I keep trying to find a reason to like Mitt, but he refuses to step up to the plate on important issues like this. He's trying to be the moderate intermediary, but the problem is that you can never, EVER reason with liberals.
He needs to stand up on his hind legs and fight this stuff and THEN maybe he might be a viable presidential candidate. You are either a conservative or you're not. We don't need any more McCains

Yeah well, Mitt wouldn't have ever been elected if he wasn't willing to sign all of the gun control legislation. You get the governor the people want.

 

[maee]

Please don't ANYONE slam GOAL they are a GREAT organization and do quite a bit
behind the scenes for our rights in MA.

Yeah, except we don't have any "rights" in MA thanks to the licensing scheme and Federal/State court rulings. Maybe we will in June if the SCOTUS rules in our favor.