May 3, 2002
While I do not live in New York, my countrymen do -- We stand together for
our freedoms and liberties.
The State of New York, long considered the bedrock of gun control in this
country, with laws that have strictly regulated pistols since 1911 with the
Sullivan Act, for the express purpose of discriminating against immigrants, has
long been one of the "Gun Control Utopias" in this country. It is
believed by many that they will never see anything resembling shall-issue
concealed carry in our lifetimes ever passing in New York.
However, if anything, times are definitely not the same. The 9/11 attacks hit
New York City the hardest, and there has been a rise in pro-gun strength, while
anti-gunners cower and continue to shove their ludicrous opposition to pilots
carrying guns in cockpits, showing the American people what we gun rights
activists have known for years: That the anti-gun movement supports terrorism by
disarming law abiding citizens, and they will stoop to any low to do so. 9/11
told us one thing: A gun had by a pilot on each plane would have saved 3000
lives. Yet the anti-gun forces say that is not the case and continue to oppose
efforts to allow concealed carry in states that still prohibit it, as well as
states that continue to violate the 14th amendment equal protection clause and
only issue for "good cause".
However, an interesting situation has occurred. The New York State Senate is
considering 3 pro-gun bills. Though the enactment of these bills would not
eliminate all of the unconstitutional restrictions on the 2nd amendment rights
of New Yorkers, the bills do not, from my read, create further gun control.
These bills are:
S2279
-- "Provides that a properly issued license to carry a pistol or revolver
is valid throughout the entirety of the state, including the city of New
York."
S2302
(same as A9560)
-- "Establishes a presumption (rebuttable) that an applicant for a pistol
or revolver license (including to have and carry concealed such a firearm) has
proper cause for issuance thereof unless the prior moral, mental or criminal
record of the person indicates that good cause exists to believe that any
benefit accruing to the person would be outweighed by potential dangers to
public safety that would be engendered by issuance of such license."
(This implies that any reason you offer must be the reason the issue the
license, unless they can prove your prior record shows that the public would
be endangered)
S3746
(same as A941)
-- "Limits a licensing officer's discretion in imposing additional
licensing restrictions on a firearm's licensee not otherwise provided in the
penal law." (NO restrictions. PERIOD.)
I don't think they are going to vote right away, but we cannot relax our
efforts yet. Call and write your state senators and ask them to vote in favor of
these bills. If you are not sure who your senator is, please visit the New
York State Senate website -- a direct link to the "lookup" map is
right here: http://www.senate.state.ny.us/Senatorbio.nsf/statemap?openform.
You New Yorkers need to call your State Senators first, and then the Assemblyman
of your district, as well as members of the Assembly Codes committee. It'll
probably pass the Senate, but the House is typically where pro-gun bills die.
DON'T LET IT HAPPEN!!
You might say "Bleh, New York is anti-gun to the max! Why should we even
try?"
Well, James Howell over at Packing.org had this to say, and I agree with him
wholeheartedly in his strategic assessment:
Imagine a New York where CCW permits issued anywhere in the state would be
honored anywhere in the state, including New York City. Imagine how quickly
the crime rate would go down in NYC following the enactment of such a law.
Then imagine a New York with a shall-issue CCW. Anybody with a clean record
would be able to secure a CCW, and would then be able to carry anywhere in the
state (except the usual prohibited places, such as in school buildings, court
houses, etc.).
It will happen, some day. And when it does, all the results would be
positive. Crime rates would fall, and relations between the police and the
citizenry would improve. New York would become a strong beacon for RKBA. What
would that do for New Jersey? Maryland? Washington D. C.? California? None of
them would be able to withstand the pressure to pass shall-issue legislation.
If you live anywhere in NY, and you call committee members from NYC proper,
it's very likely they will oppose these bills from being heard. If they are
blacks, latinos, or another ethnic group, you might want to remind them that
nearly every unrestricted CCW holder in NYC are rich, powerful white folks,
and that their constituents don't ever get permits because they don't have
political connections. A few dozen people saying the same thing may make a
dent.
If the Assembly Codes committee hears the bills, and if they pass it, then
the pressure will be on Sheldon Silver (the Speaker of the House) to not try
to kill it. This is probably New York's best shot at shall-issue CCW in
decades! POUR IT ON!
Regards,
Lonnie "Glock" Wilson
Thanks to MJustice and James Howell at Packing.org
for some of the text of this article from their message board postings in this
thread:
http://www.packing.org/news/article.jsp/8016/
