(courtesy issu.com)

The Saratoga [NY] County Deputy Sheriff’s Police Benevolent Association’s letter to the New York pols who passed the so-called SAFE Act was sent January 24. It’s a must-read missive for anyone who cherishes their right to keep and bear arms. Or anyone who believes that the government of the United States should be by the people for the people, according to limits established by the Constitution. Make the jump, read it and weep. Or view the cleaner original here. And then steel yourself. This is going to be a long, ugly fight. For tens of millions of patriotic Americans, losing it isn’t an option . . .

Saratoga County Deputy Sheriff’s Police Benevolent Association

January 24. 2013
Senator Jeffrey D. Klein
Legislative Office Building. Room 304
Albany, NY 12247

Senator Dean G. Skelos
Legislative Office Building, Room 909
Albany. NY 12247

Senator Kathleen A. Marchione
Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247

Governor Andrew I. Cuomo
Room 918 NYS Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224

Edvard Cox, Chairman
New York Republican State Committee
315 State Street
Albany. NY 12210

Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Legislative Office Building, Room 907
Albany. NY 12247

Dear Governor Cuomo, Senators Klein, Marchione, Skelos, Stewart-Cousins, and Chairman Cox;

By this correspondence, the Saratoga County Deputy Sheriffs’ Pol ice Benevolent Association (SCDSPBA) would like to announce our strong opposition to the passage of the SAFE Act and the manner in which is was negotiated and subsequently voted upon. The SCDSPBA represents the sworn men and women police officers of the Saratoga County Sheriff’ s Office.

Our objections to the legislation are numerous and begin with the process under which the bill was voted on in the Senate. It is deeply disturbing to our membership, as public servants and citizens of the state of New York. the manner in which this legislation was brought to the Senate for vote. It is our understanding that many senators had approximately 20 minutes to read the legislation before being forced to vote on it and note that the bill was brought before the Senate and voted on so quickly that its authors failed to make provisions for the exemption of police officers or the National Guard with respect to the new magazine-capacity requirements.

Having reviewed the legislation and given the time constraints, it is our conclusion that there is no possible way any normal person could have read the entire bill and understood its implications prior to voting on it. They most certainly could not have requested and received the input of their constituency and considered their opinions in the matter – which is the most basic tenet of a representative government. The entire process was one of secrecy and of intentional withholding of information from the public. We condemn this in the harshest terns.

Had there been an opportunity for the public to exercise their right to be involved in the legislative process prior to the bill being voted upon, we would have offered a letter of opposition. Instead, we find ourselves in the rather unique position of opposing legislation after it has been passed. Our membership believes we were denied one of the nest basic rights of a democracy by this process and we cannot and will not accept this type of behavior from our elected officials.

In our opinion. there was absolutely no reason for the Governor to use a message of necessity to bring this bill to vote. We note that the Governor has used the message of necessity 35 times since taking office and for nearly every major piece of legislation he has sought to pass. This particular bill has 56 sections; 53 take effect in 60 days, 2 take effect in 1 year and 1 section, which requires owners of certain firearms to register them within l year, takes effect immediately.

In other words, given the language of the bill itself, there is no emergency. As the message of necessity is to be used solely in the case of a true emergency that warrants the waiver of the 3 day maturing process for all legislation, the Governor’s actions were questionable at best and a deliberate attempt to bypass the Constitutional process and thus opposition to the bill at worst. The evidence strongly suggests the latter.

The Senate Leadership also had a responsibility to negotiate this legislation publicly and to call the Governor out on his excessive use of the message of necessity. Unfortunately, they chose not to do either, thus depriving approximately 19.5 million citizens the opportunity to offer meaningful comments and criticisms of the bill, and to exercise their rights under our system of government. In short, the Senate Leadership allowed the Governor to force legislation upon the citizens of our state.

Instead of offering a check-and-balance against the Executive Branch. the Senate Leadership condoned and authorized what may fairly be described as ruling by fiat. Whether one is for or against the new legislation, all citizens should be truly concerned by the manner in which our allegedly representative government behaved and we condemn this in the harshest terms.

As a predominantly rural county in upstate New York, the lawful ownership of firearms is and has been a valued tradition enjoyed by many of our citizens. Sadly, the legislation effectively turns countless law—abiding gun owners into criminals for absolutely no reason.

Many of our membership are gun-owners and have gone through the same licensing process as non~police officers and it is our belief that this process has served our citizens well. Mandating law-abiding gun owners to now have to register certain types of firearms on~a yearly basis, in addition to registering them on their permits (which now must be renewed every 5 years), accomplishes nothing in the area of public safety and is unnecessarily burdensome to a citizen who has done nothing but abide by the laws of our state.

The SCSDPBA reminds addressees that “assault weapons”, which are banned under the new legislation if they have 1 military-type feature, were responsible for 5 out of 769 homicides in New York last year – or .007% – hardly a public safety crisis for our state. The Albany County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted 4 cases involving assault weapons last year – none of which involved their use in the commission of a crime – and a recent FBI report showed that hammers and clubs were responsible for more deaths than rifles and shotguns.

Given the foregoing, our membership questions why there was a need to ban the lawful use, possession, and sale of these firearms at all . Again, many citizens of our county previously enjoyed the use of these rifles for activities such as hunting and target shooting, and are now being forced to register these firearms, on a yearly basis, when they have done nothing wrong. In addition, any semi-automatic pistol that has 1 “military—type” feature will, under the new law, be considered an assault weapon.

While it may come as a surprise to the authors of the legislation, most semi-automatic pistols do in fact come with a pistol grin. making nearly every semi—automatic pistol an assault weapon and thus subject to registration on a yearly basis. This registration is in addition to registering the pistol on one’s pistol license every 5 years. The SCDSPBA believes this is absurd, serves no public safety interest in the slightest, and crosses the proverbial line from reasonable restrictions on gun ownership to outright harassment of law-abiding gun owners.

As police officers who encounter criminal activity on a daily basis, our membership finds the notion that a criminal might somehow wait in line to turn in his or her high-capacity magazines or sell them to someone out-of-state to be so ridiculous as to be not based in reality. It is beyond shocking that a member of a body entrusted to legislate the very laws that govern our society could, with a straight face, argue this point.

Our membership believes, as do most people of sound mind, that the only persons who will abide by the new high—capacity magazine ban are the law—abiding, leaving the same high-capacity magazines in the hands of those who choose not to obey the law.

Additionally, from an ethical and moral standpoint, we question why, if high-capacity magazines are as destructive and deadly as the legislature contends, they could be allowed to be sold to someone out-of—state. Certainly, they would be as dangerous in New Jersey as they would be in New York. Since 85 to 90% of guns used in crimes in New York originate from out-of-state, it is nothing short of incredible to us that the authors of this legislation could not have foreseen the possibility of these magazines finding their way back into New York.

However this is the proposed solution offered by our elected officials, for which we can find no discernible logic.

While there are some areas of the legislation that the union finds encouraging, such as addressing glaring shortcomings in the mental health system by-and-large, our membership finds the legislation to be little more than a thinly-veiled attempt at regulating lawful gun ownership out of existence. From the manner in which the legislation was negotiated in secret, to the fashion in which it was brought to the Senate floor for vote, there was nothing about the process that was transparent or that took into consideration what cannot be disputed – that law-abiding gun owners are not and have not been the source of criminal activity.

The legislation fails miserably to offer any meaningful solutions to the epidemic of gun violence and places the blame squarely where it does not belong – on the shoulders of law-abiding citizens. One need look no further than the embarrassment of New York’s Combined Ballistic Identification System that devoured $44 million in taxpayer money over 11 years to regulate lawful gun—ownership and which resulted in no convictions of anyone for anything to illustrate the non- complicity of lawful gun—owners in recent events.

In recent days, we have also become aware of published reports describing a large and growing movement within our state of citizens who have apparently announced their intention of non—compliance with the new statutes as they relate to assault weapons and registration. With an estimated 1 million assault rifles in existence throughout New York, it is beyond comprehension that the legislature and the Governor would needlessly place police officers in a position where they might be called upon to confiscate the previously lawfully owned property of an American citizen.

There can be no denying the potential danger this prospect places law enforcement in and once again strongly suggests a bill that was rushed to passage without forethought or any regard for its potential implications. We cannot excuse this and do not appreciate our very safety being sacrificed for political gain.

In conclusion, we would be remiss were we to not mention our outrage at the conduct of the Senate Republican Coalition. Many of our membership contacted Senator Skelos’ office on a regular basis to voice opposition to additional regulations of firearms and were assured that the senator’s office was being flooded with similar calls. We have, in the past, always looked to the Republican party to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens much in the same way we place our lives on the line every day to protect the rights of all citizens.

To have them negotiated away in secret and to be stripped of them in a clandestine vote is both appalling and unforgivable. It will most certainly give pause to many of our individual members when considering their voting choices in the future and we condemn this in the strongest possible way. For the foregoing reasons, we cannot offer our support for this legislation.

We encourage members of the legislature to hold hearings where the public is afforded the right to participate in the legislative process, to address the issue of gun violence in a way that might actually produce meaningful results, and to stop holding law-abiding citizens who choose to exercise their rights under the Second Amendment hostage for the criminal behavior of another, and the political aspirations of the Governor.

Sincerely,
Charles E. Fuller
President – SCDSPBA

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102 COMMENTS

  1. I’m only halfway through the second paragraph, and… wow.

    Having reviewed the legislation and given the time constraints, it is our conclustion that there is no possible way any normal person could have read the entire bill and understood its implications prior to voting on it. They most certainly could not have requested and received the input of their constituency and considered their opinions in the matter — which is the most basic tenet of representative government.

    I’m still reading, and fervently hoping they don’t cut the legs out from under the chair I’m cheering from by the end of this letter.

    • Has anybody tried to assassinate NY Gov Cuomo for trying to render the citizenry defenseless? That would be bad for all if it took place so I hope it wont happen.

      • Don’t the police guard him? What happens when brother officers are cut down for this grandstanding sh.t? Good luck, coma. BTW, that was a shocker & one well written letter, Randy

        • There is no doubt he takes advantage of liberties that the average peasant/serf citizen (whos liberties he is trying to take away) can only dream of.
          Most of the would be assassins are leftist anyway.
          It would take door to door murders of gun rights citizens by the jack boots before asymetrical/guerrilla warfare manuevers begin and the dirty, evil, commie libtards get paid back for their treasonous deeds.

      • Unless its done with a knife, or rope, or car, or baseball bat, or hatchet, or feet, or hands or hammer, or icepick, or crossbow, or . . .

  5. Shows again real Law Enforcement respects and like lawful ownership of firearms. its useless political hack like NYPD jerks who are politically appointed not elected who are the fascist here.

  7. This is an excellent read, i sent it to Rob as soon as i came across it. I don’t live in Saratoga County anymore but my parents still do. There is an increasing number of counties in NY that have officially opposed the NY Safe Act, even my current county Rensselear (by a 12-4 vote last week)

  8. Read it and weep?

    I read it and am encouraged. What’s not to like about the stance of the benevolent association of deputy sheriffs? Sounds like Herr Generalissimo Cuomo may be facing incipient mutiny in the ranks of what he thought were his loyal & obedient minions of armed force.

  9. Don’t worry, somebody will be along soon to badmouth them. After all, they’re cops and thus the enemy.

    • There’s a difference between good cops and bad cops, Upstater. When people badmouth cops, just go ahead and assume we’re referring to the bad ones, ‘kay?

      • I REALLY try to keep an open mind towards the fact that there are good cops, it’s very difficult when, as with most things, only the bad ones get the stories. This very well written letter gives me well needed perspective. Awesome!

      • and because of people like you, the gun-grabbers have someone to point to and say “see? he’s violent and wants to overthrow the government.” The more we act like spoiled children, threaten and scream incoherently, the more ammo you are providing to the liberals who would take our rights away. Grow up.

        • What I said is the truth. If you are a cop who works to remove the peoples liberty you are guilty of the foulest hypocricy and are nothing more than a jack booted pig and a traitorous thug. If peoples doors are kicked in and people are murdered by these pigs, then the pigs should (and will) get their guts shot out.
          I dont think this has to come about and believe that our system is working peacefully, as it should. But, the Rubicon will be well crossed if house doors are kicked in while looking for 10 round mags (when you can only have SEVEN) and people are murdered.
          Why would someone call themselves a public servant and think that THEY can have 15 rounds in their G22 at their side but the person defending their own home can only have 7, let alone use their influence to try to disarm the citizenry in such a way?
          By the way, this is just firing up the troops and anyone against it or on the fence aint on this forum anyhow. I aint changing minds, I am solidifying them.

      • That’s a pretty rotten thing to say about our police officers! The only ones who don’t like cops are those that have something to hide. I realize that there are some bad cops but not all of them are! I personally keep my record clean so therefore have no reason to fear the officers. I have had no more than 3 traffic tickets in 61 years.

  10. I’m really impressed.

    Instead of offering a check-and-balance against the Executive Branch, the Senate Leadership condoned and authorized what may fairly be described as ruling by fiat.

    Strong words, and the last line is the kicker:

    … stop holding law-abiding citizens … hostage [for] … the political aspirations of the Governor.

    • Cheer all you want. It will do as much good as this letter. Truly pissing into the wind. The real story is that the people of New York willfully, over and over again, vote these clowns into office. Elections have consequences. And apparently, consequences the people of New York are okay with. Screw em. They are reaping what they are sowing. Cry me a fuckingg river.

      • Under normal circumstances, I would share your sentiment. Unfortunately, these actions in NY will effect all gun owners, in some way, in their home state.

        We are all in this together. Our best strategy is to support our fellow gun owners, wherever they live, in anyway we can.

      • Let me correct you.
        I as a New Yorker, DID NOT vote for this scum bag. I hope that you don’t lump upstate people with downstate people and even then not all down state people are low information voters. NEW YORK, in its entirety, did not vote for this piece of shit.

        The area of NEW YORK that you are referring to is called New York City and pretty much every large city in this state with the exception of the small demographic of people living in those cities that aren’t stupid.

        I ask that you stop sweeping people like me under the rug with the rest of the dip shits in this state.

        To any other NEW YORK residents.. I’ll see you on the 20th and the 28th in Albany to give them hell!!

        • ^^ THIS.

          The states subsidize the cities. It’s how it goes all over the US. Do not blam the whole state for those idiotic thieves in the cities.

  12. I live in the same county, and believe me this is the exact sentiment of every gunowner I’ve spoken to. Our Senator (Marchione) voted against as well and spoke out passionately against the SAFE Act on the NYS legislature floor when the rest of that viper nest was voting to kill our 2A rights. Good to know that the sheriffs are on our side as well.

    We may be outnumbered but make no mistake; patriots still reside in blue NY and it makes me proud that my district fought back. Part of me wants to give up and go across the border to VT or down south but knowing this act will face court challenges makes me feel like I should stick it out. This state has been my home, for better or worse.

    • I too am a lifelong resident of Saratoga County and have considered packing up and moving as a result of this legislation. I am also very glad for the strong response of both Senator Marchione and from the County Sheriff and his Deputies condemning this legislation. I hope it all works out in our favor.

      • Your always welcome to come to Oklahoma because they can’t touch us! We voted against gun control. It doesn’t matter what official it is, if they try to come here to take away our rights than they will get at least a two year prison sentence. It’s the law down here now.

  13. Wow!!!!!!!
    Charles is the man! Weep yes. Weep that the politicians haven’t been arrested for their acts. Weep that many LEO’s feel this way and are now in conflict with the law. Weep that we are seeing laws like this pop up in many states across the Republic. Weep yes, but disillusioned no. We will fight and we will win.

  14. One has to wonder, after reading this great letter, where all of this will end?

    I am afraid that one of these shoves by what is fast becoming a tyranical government will result in a push back that includes gunfire.

    The leftist progressives elite in government and in the main stream media had better pause and take another look around. If they continue to delude themselves with any thoughts that they are going to win this attack on the inalienable rights given to us by God and guaranteed by the US Constitution, then they are going to find out that we were right:

    The 2nd Amendment really isn’t about hunting and sporting uses.

    • I agree, and if you carefully read what he wrote, the PBA is worried about sending officers out to confiscate weapons. One million weapons. He says that would put the deputies in danger. That can only mean that the gun owners will use force to prevent taking their guns. This is sounding very serious.

      • I would have preferred they said that they had no intention of enforcing any kind of gun confiscation. I was a bit annoyed with the way they put it.

    • You know what you’d do if you were standing on the tracks and there was a freight train coming? You’d just step off to one side and let it blow through?

      That’s what the NY Senate ‘pubs did. Got out of the way and let the SAFE act blow through without even a hint of opposition. They would have been outvoted anyway, as the Dems had a majority, but they didn’t even try. Not a peep.

  17. The most impressive thing is that he uses the phrase “non-police officers”, not the obnoxious and militaristic “civilians.”

    This department is a model of excellence in policing.

  20. As if we needed to be told that we’re dealing with dishonest and dishonorable people in the anti camp. Still, it’s heartening to see the PBA take our side. A lot of candidates actively seek endorsements from the PBA’s. Guess who’s going to have trouble getting an endorsement during the next election cycle.

  21. “Read It and Weep” should be replaced with, “Read It and Feel Reassured” because there are still people with authority who respect and support our rights.

  22. The population of New York State is 20,000,000.

    The populaton of Saratoga County is 00,220,000 — a little over 1% of the state’s population.

      • It doesn’t. I wonder though, if the ass-hats who call themselves “legislators” and “governor” would look at that and think that their opinions are numerically insignificant, and ignore them completely.

    • How many truck drivers do you think deliver food to NYC? Damn few. Less than 220,000 by a long shot. Picture NYC after one week where even half of those drivers didn’t deliver. How about after two weeks, three?

      I’m not sure what your point is. You don’t say. If it is that 1% doesn’t matter. You might want to rethink that.

    • The Constitution exists to protect the smallest minority, the individual, against the excesses of government, AND, excesses of democratic majority. It does not matter what 8 million damned fools in New York City want, a citizen of Saratoga County has inalienable rights which must be honored.

  23. As much as I hate to be “that guy”, while I agree with their message, the math is off majorly. Five out of 769 homicides is .65%, not .007%.

    • Yep. I did the same thing. They forgot to multiply by 100 and rounded up. I hate being “that guy” too but I teach instructors for a living. I teach them that there are “that math guy”, that vulgarity guy, that spelling guy, that almost anything guy in any audience. So, if you do not want your message to get lost in the mist of “hey you got that wrong”, you need to pay attention to simple details.

      I was watching this video yesterday and thought “lose the vulgarities, and you’ll be more effective.”

      VIDEO DELETED: Sorry, but it messes with the mobile ap.

    • Along those lines…
      Were they reaching a little far with the pistol grip thing? I get it if they’re just trying to confuse the opposition, and I may have mixed up all the crazy gun-ban-bills lately, but my understanding was that SECOND pistol grips (two total on one handgun) were the banned feature, not any pistol grip.

  24. Wow. a little teary eyed there. That being said I just finished my mandatory training to receive my Chicago Firearms Permit recently. I thought I knew all the B.S. that went along with it but was I WAY off. Think I might be moving soon.

    • Because, for the time being, the sentiments and thoughts expressed in the letter have no life in the greater body politic of New York. Every majoritarian whim rushes through the legislature on an emergency basis. Name recognition and a few well-placed friends legitimizes a coronation, it would appear. Forget medals. In Albany it’s about limos, cachet, and pliable serfs.

  26. It makes the optimist in me feel like there is hope for New Yorkers. Sheriffs are elected and are responsible to the citizens, while police chiefs are appointed and responsible to their overlords. IMO, there is a huge difference in attitude between smaller town and county LEOs and the thugs with badges in the cities.

    • I appreciate what you tried to do here, but if you’re going to take the time to transcribe the letter, you should take the time to proofread it to make sure you it’s a true and correct copy of the original. This version contains many errors not found in the original document (in fact, I don’t think the original document had any at all).

      RF, same. By pasting onto this site the error-filled version that is posted above, most people will never click through to the original document, and the errors in this one make a great, powerful letter feel pedestrian and sad. Please fix the myriad mistakes, or at least put the link to the original document back in the lead paragraph so people can see that the SCDSPBA aren’t a bunch of illiterates.

  28. It’s not like NY was tolerable before the “SAFE” act. Where were they in 1993? Where are they on may-issue?

  32. You’re right about one thing, Robert; it will be a long, hard fight. One state rep here in NM introduced a NY style semi-auto ban and confiscation. It’s still in committee, and may never see the light of day, but they’re at it here too.

    One thing to remember about the media and the politicians that are doing this: In addition to their being elitist hypocrites, who have one law for us and another for themselves, it’s important to remember that the deluge of propaganda and lies we’re seeing is part of the strategy. We will have to fight it on many fronts for the foreseeable future, because this is something they’ve long wanted to do, and now see their chance.

    The truth is the only thing I know of that defeats a lie, so let’s keep on telling it.

  34. Excellent response! I don’t understand why I should weep. I don’t know how any politician that was apart of passing that turd could read this and not feel stupid.

  35. “While it may come as a surprise to the authors of the legislation,
    most semi-automatic pistols do in fact come with a pistol grip.”

    That’s essentially one notch below outright calling them retards.

  36. In this document, the Saratoga County police say that the NY law will necessitate dangerous gun confiscations. If anyone is paying attention, that will be in front page headlines tomorrow.

  37. I see a war brewing, and it is not going to be short or easy. I’m not talking about a figurative or metaphorical war either. I mean the real thing, with two sides and large loss of life on both sides. I’m afraid that nothing else will solve this problem. If freedom is to survive in this land, it must be re-won with the blood of her patriots and her tyrants.

    If that is how it must be, then let it be sooner not later. For the sooner this war is fought and won, the sooner our children can begin living in freedom again. So be it.

    • agree….i dont think everyone in DC and some state capitals are thinking this all the way through….the last time we went through a period of internal violence was the civil rights & Vietnam war/counter-culture crap in the 60’s-70’s. Whatever murder & mayhem the weather underground, may 19, BLA, SLA, SDS or any other gang did back then, it would pale compared to this go around.
      This time it’s veterans, long time and well trained hunters, sportsman, gun owners, people that believe that the country is in peril ….a very volatile group to be pushing into a corner.

  42. I can see counties opting out, just like cities in California decided to become “amnesty” cities for people residing in the country illegally. If the governor decides to use the state police to enforce this law in rural areas, things could get dicey.

    Imagine a civil war, not state by state, but county by county. Maybe Texas would mobilize to free the “oppressed” people of New York. 😉

  44. By the Governor
    A PROCLAMATION

    “I have thought fit to issue this Proclamation to require all Persons who have yet Fire-Arms in their Possession, immediately to surrender them at the Court-House, to such Persons as shall be authorized to receive them; and hereby to declare that all Persons in whose Possession any Fire-Arms may hereafter be found, will be deemed Enemies to his Majesty’s Government.
    Given at Boston, the Nineteenth Day of June, 1775, in the Fifteenth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, GEORGE the Third, by the Grace of GOD, of Great-Britain, France, and Ireland, KING, Defender of the Faith &c.
    Tho’s Gage,
    By his Excellency’s Command,
    Tho’s Flucker, Secr’y.
    GOD Save the KING.
    12 June 1775

    [Hat Tip to
    Clayton Cramer.com]

  45. “….its authors failed to make provisions for the exemption of police officers or the National Guard with respect to the new magazine-capacity requirements”.

    Why do I suspect that if the satraps had gotten their little exemptions (and I’m sure they still will), then their response would have been somewhere between muted and nonexistent and nowhere near an open letter of synthetic indignation allegedly on behalf on John Q. Law-Abider?

  46. Fire them all in the next election. Any one of the people in elected offices that voted for these treasonous acts needs to be removed. Recall them if its legal in your state let the people be heard!

  50. Bravo. Our Sheriffs seem to be waking up. Here’s a similar, recent letter written by the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association:

    Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association Position on Gun Legislation

    Adopted February 7, 2013 by the Board of Directors

    http://mspoa.org/

    The Montana Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association (MSPOA) is
    committed to public safety, and each of our members has taken an oath
    to uphold and protect the Constitution of the State of Montana and
    the United States Constitution, including the Second Amendment.

    The MSPOA believes in the Second Amendment of the United States
    Constitution, which guarantees the right of the people to keep and
    bear arms and that this right shall not be infringed. It is important
    to note that no legislation affecting this right has been introduced.

    As our state and country continue to discuss and debate gun control
    legislation, the position of our association remains steadfast: the
    MSPOA will not waver in our defense of the Constitution and will
    stand to preserve our constituents’ right to possess firearms and the
    protections insured by the other nine amendments contained in the
    Bill of Rights.

    The MSPOA feels that any legislation that takes away constitutional
    protections, including gun rights, from law-abiding citizens will not
    alleviate or eliminate the threat from violent or mentally ill
    individuals. In fact, it would expose our law-abiding neighbors to
    violence with fewer resources to counter them with.

    America has endured violent assaults of children and adults at the
    hands of criminals who have used firearms as well as other weapons.
    The MSPOA does not believe that it is the fault of the weapon, but
    that of the often mentally disturbed individual who wields it. The
    MSPOA has long supported the efforts of the mental health community
    and will continue to do so.

    As professional peace officers, elected and sworn to uphold both the
    State and U.S. Constitutions, we additionally believe in the
    importance of the division of power and roles of each of the three
    branches of government, at both the state and federal level. MSPOA
    feels that now is the time to discuss violence in its totality, not
    simply as an issue of “gun” violence. Violence is a result of a
    breakdown on many fronts: family, gangs, drugs, lack of proper mental
    health treatment, and the proliferation of violence in media, just to
    name a few. The discussion must include stakeholders from all
    disciplines who are dedicated to and willing to address the myriad
    and complex issues related to the safety of our communities and our country.

    The MSPOA remains committed to the safety of the citizens of the
    State of Montana. We will dedicate our efforts toward active
    participation in the legislative process and the protection of the
    rights of the people of our state. We welcome and encourage our
    neighbors’ active participation in this process as well. As Congress
    and the Montana legislature debate issues surrounding violence, the Second Amendment, and gun rights, the MSPOA will insure that our voices will be heard.

  52. “The mobs of great cities add just so much to the support of pure government, as sores do to the strength of the human body. It is the manners and spirit of a people which preserve a republic in vigor. A degeneracy in these is a canker which soon eats to the heart of its laws and constitution”.
    Thomas Jefferson

    “When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.”
    Thomas Jefferson

  53. how about how the First Americans were treated. the white Europeans called us savage animals.disarmed , enslaved ,raped and killed my people then enslaved us on crappy reservations … why hasnt America already done obama and his followers the same way. i dont want to have to fire on Americans ,this is the feelings of many First Americans . but we also wont go through this again…..
    you can trust the government just ask us First Americans ….

  54. How come gun control advocates don’t understand why supply side gun control won’t work to reduce gun violence? Would we try to reduce drunk driving deaths by making it more difficult for sober drivers to buy cars? That’s the logic gun control advocates use. Lets make it difficult for law abiding people to buy and or properly use a firearm to defend themselves and that will somehow limit what a criminal will do with a gun. Let’s be honest criminals aren’t going to buy a gun and go through a background check. The truth is expanding background checks for gun buyers will not impede criminals. This failed legislation that would have criminalized the shipping or transfer of guns to someone who is barred from possessing a firearm is a bit redundant since transferring a gun to someone you know or have reasonable cause to believe falls into a prohibited category is already a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. This would make it even more illegal, which is somehow complementary to background checks? So there you have it none of these measures on its own will do anything to reduce crime, but if we pass them all together…well, they still won’t do anything, but they will create the appearance of doing something. Ultimately, a firearm is a mere tool – an inanimate piece of metal incapable of action without human intervention. Any real solution attempting to prevent future mass shootings must focus less on the gun, and more on what factors drive people to pick up that gun and engage in indiscriminate killing. In particular, preventing future mass shootings requires a frank look at underlying, and often unaddressed, mental illness and social isolation in America. Simply making assault rifles harder to obtain will not solve the problem of mass violence. If an individual is desperate or delusional enough, he will simply move to the next available weapon. By addressing the underlying causes behind mass shootings, the US also has the opportunity to avoid a response that restricts rights in the wake of a national tragedy. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, part of the government’s domestic response was an arguable curtailing of privacy, speech, and association rights. Now, in the wake of Newtown, comes the prospect of undermining rights to gun ownership. We must not allow our government to fall back on simplistic answers. While it may be uncomfortable and expensive, the real solution lies in addressing mental health issues and the social isolation that drive individuals to commit acts of mass murder. Unfortunately, no one can write a law against mothers’ owning guns that one day might be turned against them by deranged sons who then commit horrific acts of murder-suicide. Shooting rampages are very hard to prevent because they are so often committed by disturbed young men without criminal records who don’t care if they are caught and usually want to die. You don’t get more security by giving up your freedom and liberty. That’s impossible. It’s the other way around. The truth is the more freedom and liberty you have, the more security you have. There is a crucial sticking point that shows the naivety of supply side gun control and it’s supporters. Some of us genuinely appreciate that it is impossible to ban all guns in The US. Others of us still, deep down, imagine that we might someday fulfill the supply control dreams hatched in the 1970’s and actually get rid of all guns. Indeed, if Obama didn’t believe that this is possible, gun control is just nonsense. Obama is saying we want to stop mass shootings against innocents using certain semiautomatic rifles, but shootings using other semiautomatics, pumps, lever actions, revolvers, double barrels or bolt actions are ok. If Obama means to reduce gun violence is supply controls, you must ban all those guns too. (2nd amendment supporters know this. So they will fight all gun control until its repealed or found unconstitutional). The worst thing though is that supply side gun control ignores the core question of how to protect the 7 year old in the classroom, with tired oversold ideas that mainly serve to mask the structural state incompetence that the progressive political class cannot profitably acknowledge.

  55. None of this has anything to do with reducing violence, the Marxists simply want to ban guns. Violence is just a convenient and easily exploited crisis in their minds.

    “Emergencies have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded”.
    Friedrich August von Hayek

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