PLEASE DISSEMINATE WIDELY!

Do non-Utah residents have a right to defend themselves while visiting Utah?

Utah depends heavily on tourism. Our national parks, ski slopes and Temple Square are famous throughout the world. Millions of visitors visit our beautiful state, and in just over a year we'll be hosting the world for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

So Utah Gun Owners Alliance is appalled to learn that our Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI), Department of Public Safety, wants to disarm our guests and make them easy victims for criminals! Even worse, BCI is ignoring the will of the Utah legislature which provided for non-resident permits and instructors.

This is a direct attack on our representative system of government, and a direct attack on the lives of non-residents who travel to Utah or to other states that recognize our permit.

YOUR help is needed immediately to stop this abuse of power! See below for a letter you need to mail RIGHT AWAY.

BCI has proposed a series of new rules relating to concealed carry permits and instructor permits. These rules will go into effect on January 3, 2001 (before the legislature even convenes!) unless YOU ACT NOW.

The proposed rules include the following:

All concealed carry instructors will be required to be Utah residents. This means that anyone who wishes to have a Utah permit will have to travel to Utah to take a CCW class. (It may be possible for Utah resident CCW instructors to travel to other states, but that will also greatly increase the cost of training.) Since most people can't afford the time and money necessary to do this, Utah residents who live in other states, including students at out-of-state schools and military personnel, will be denied the right to self-defense. In addition, the millions of tourists who visit Utah, including our Olympic guests, will be denied the right to self-defense.

BCI is currently accepting comments from the public on its proposed rules. If enough people write, BCI must hold a public hearing before these rules go into effect. We may even be able to convince them to withdraw the objectionable rules.

Utah Gun Owners Alliance is also submitting a formal protest and request for public hearings.

Please clip and send the following right away.

----------- START CLIP HERE -----------

Mr. Nathan Smith
Department of Public Safety
Bureau of Criminal Identification
3888 W 5400
South Kearns, UT 84114-8280
Email: nsmith@dps.state.ut.us
(Non-residents may use email.)

Dear Mr. Smith:

I am writing in response to the proposed Concealed Firearm Permit Rule amendments, R724-4, which are scheduled to go into effect on January 3, 2001.

I oppose the following rule changes: 1. The requirement that concealed carry instructors be Utah residents. 2. The requirement for concealed carry instructors to re-certify every two years.

I am not a resident of Utah. But I am an American and a responsible gun owner and I am offended that you think I have no right to defend myself when I visit your state.

Do you really expect me to fly or drive all the way to Utah just to get a permit so I can be safe when I visit Utah's ski slopes, national parks, Temple Square, or the Olympics?

My family and I are not willing to be left defenseless when we're hiking and camping in your mountains and deserts, or when we visit Salt Lake City, your ski resorts, or the Olympics. We know that criminals are not stupid, and will look for tourists to attack.

If this policy goes into effect, I will boycott Utah and encourage my family and friends to do the same.

Please reconsider your plan to treat non-Utahns like criminals! Thank you.

Sincerely,

Your name
Your address

Send a copy to: Governor Mike Leavitt, governor@state.ut.us

----------- END CLIP HERE -----------

If you would like a copy of the proposed rules, you may contact Nathan Smith at 801-965-4552 or at nsmith@dps.state.ut.us. Please be POLITE. Mr. Smith has been responsive and courteous to concerned gun rights advocates and deserves to be treated the same way by us.

It is extremely important that you send this letter right away. The holidays will soon be here, and then it will be too late to stop these rules.

VOTE NOW!

Please vote in the Standard Examiner's poll on AOL's firing of three employees for having guns in their cars in the parking lot.

http://www1.standard.net/se_news/todayed.asp

Thanks!

UTGOA is written and distributed by Utah Gun Owners Alliance and Sarah Thompson, M.D. All information contained in UTGOA alerts is the responsibility of the author, unless otherwise attributed. Permission is granted for distribution of UTGOA alerts so long as no changes are made, UTGOA is clearly credited, and this message is left intact.