[PAFOA Alert] URGENT: PENNSYLVANIA ANTI-GUN PACKAGE VOTE ON TUESDAY AM - 11/15/07

[CCinPA]

Originally Posted by caldwelljoe

I have contacted every Legislator in my Pike County district, asking them to oppose this nonsense.

Luckily, they all profess to be pro Second Amendment including
Rep. Siptroth a Democrat. I also urged them to gather their like minded colleagues, and stage a news conference to alert Ed Rendell, and his minions, that they will not support this attack on our rights. Let them know it's dead on arrival?

Further, I asked that they submit bills to stiffen the penalties for straw purchase, and illegal use of firerams. Adding many,many years in prison for the illegal use of a gun, and actually put the bad guys in jail without parole,plea bargain, suspended sentence, or any other lib inspired nonsense. That is real crime control

Oh yeah, watch the demons from Philly co-sponsor that legislation? You betcha!


Preaching to the choir, who in the hell but we, the law abiding, will follow those stupid laws? The friggin libs in Philly, PA live so close to Jersey, they think they can attack our rights, as the evil beings in Trenton do. It won't fly here.

In this matter you can contact everyone on the list not just the Pike County district since these bills are still in committee and everyone on the list are committee members. We ant to keep these Bills from coming out of committee.

[gold cup 26]

I just received a response to my email from Rep. John Pallone from the 54th District. If you haven't done so already, it would be worth your while to contact him just to see the articulate point of view of a true representative (rare these days). And yes, he's on our side.
I'd probably like the guy even if he wasn't. Probably.

[Azzy]

Just emailed Rep. Levdansky.. will call some more in the morning.

[VariableFeedback]

I sent a semi-individual letter to each committee member. Here is the response that I received from John Pallone (it appears he is against the measures):

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Thank you for contacting me relative to House Bills 18, 22 and 29 and
the proposed debate before the House Judiciary Committee on gun control
legislation in Pennsylvania. I always welcome comments from my
constituents and others on any issue that is before the state
legislature.

While I acknowledge and recognize that illegal gun activity, primarily
in the larger cities, for a number of reasons is out of hand, I don't
think we should throw the baby out with the bath water. In defense of
the legal gun purchasers and owners, more restrictive gun regulation
will not take "illegal" guns off the streets. This clearly is not a
problem in the Southwestern region of Pennsylvania. The majority of my
constituency is gun advocates - collectors, sportsmen (sportspersons) -
hunters for game or sport, clay pigeons or skeet shooters, target
shooting, and/or competitive marksmen (markspersons).

Since this debate started last session in the House during the Committee
of the Whole, the largest number of the contacts (both in district and
out of district) that I received were generally against more gun control
and a small number of the contacts (both in district, but more out of
the district) that I received were for more gun control. While I am
sympathetic to the problem in some areas, particularly Philadelphia, it
is not symptomatic of the entire state, particularly Southwestern PA.
Additionally, last year when similar gun control legislation was
introduced during the Committee of the Whole and this year when similar
gun control legislation was presented to this committee, when the bills
were called up for a vote by the committee and/or entire house
legislative body, the bills failed miserably.

This is one of those conservative vs. liberal issues that puts
Pennsylvania on the map as a state with a "confused electorate" - we are
a democrat (blue) state but moderate or conservative (almost red) on the
gun control issue as well as several other issues. The National
Democrat message hurts us particularly in Southwestern PA and in most
other parts of the state on this issue and you will find that the PA
Legislature has a bias towards Pro-Gun Legislation and is not generally
in support of additional gun control legislation.

It really isn't as bad as the gun control advocates want you to believe
it is and I will objectively agree that the situation may not be
completely what the pro-gun lobby wants you to believe either. And I
don't think the government is trying to strip anyone of the right to
legally own or legally possess guns. I don't have a problem supporting
reasonable gun control legislation, but I'd prefer to see the current
laws enforced before we introduce and pass any new ones.

The legal gun owners, the legal gun purchasers and the legal gun sellers
are already complying with the law and will most likely continue to
comply with the law; new, old or otherwise. The bottom line is that it
is the "illegal" gun holders, purchasers and sellers that are the
problem and in my opinion, the "illegal" gun activity will remain a
problem, even if more gun control laws are passed. Let's face it, the
law breakers aren't going to begin to follow the new laws any more than
the law breakers follow the existing law now.

Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue and thank you
for your support. Gun control is most certainly an important issue, on
both sides of the argument and I take my support or non-support of an
issue very seriously. But, I'm a realist - I just don't think this type
of legislation will stop "illegal" gun activity or gun crimes. I
strongly oppose unnecessary gun control legislation and will continue to
advocate for the sportsmen and legal gun owners, purchasers and sellers
throughout Pennsylvania. If you have any questions, require additional
information, or desire to discuss this issue in greater detail, please
do not hesitate to contact me.

Very truly yours,
John Pallone
State Representative
54th Legislative District

[WhiteFeather]

A big THANK YOU for all of PAFOA people that have taken the time to email, call and fax all the members of the judiciary committee and make your voice heard. I want to personally applaud all of you for being part of the political solution vs being part of the problem of not being involved in the process.

Please take the time to read the three (red) FOAC articles listed here on the ACSL web site, you will find them very interesting and useful to combat this gun control vs crime control concept. IF you like them, you can help in the fight by making copies and passing them out to other firearm owners to help educate them into joining in the fight to keep all our firearm rights.

http://acslpa.org/n-legislative/PA%2...der_attack.htm


PA Gun Owners Under Attack

Rendell’s Anti-Gun Rights Bills

To learn how you can help stop these bills from becoming another set of “feel good” laws
that you are burdened with obeying or that will send you to jail if you violate them.

Please view the following links for more information:
07-11-17-JudiciaryCommittee-Rendell-ACTION ALERT
rendells_anti_gun_rights_bills
time_sensitive_legislative_alert
members_of_the_house_judiciary_committee
house_bill_no_18
house_bill_no_22
house_bill_no_29
paper_1_crime_control_vs_gun_control
paper_2_laws_enforcement_and_liberty
paper_9_one_gun_a_month_overview

For other information, please visit the Allegheny County Sportsmen's League web site www.acslpa.org


All of this out pouring of support / political action (especially from lots of new PAFOA posters),and after receiving a phone call from Kim Stolfer on Sunday afternoon, I decided to trade a vacation day off for hunting next week, in for day spent in Harrisburg on Tues 20th fighting for our firearm rights.
If HB 18 get passed into law probably couldn’t travel to go hunting next year anyway without breaking some local anti-gun ordinance. So I feel my time would better spent there rather than out hunting.... I will gladly do my extra part because of all of you doing yours inspired me, thank again for your help in trying to stop this.

I just sent out a bunch. Lets hope they hear our concerns and think twice.

[D-FENS]

I've mailed my Rep and tried calling today. I was told she (Lisa Bennington) was on her way to Harrisburg today and when asked if she would be available tomorrow, I was told she would not be. I asked for her position on "Gun Control" and was given the run-around by her Administrative Assistant. She didn't really have any clue of what she was talking about as she stated she was "pro hunter" but wasn't opposed to a handgun registry. I asked if she supported amending the UFA. I got an akward silence.

I didn't want to sound like an asshole or portray firearm owners badly so I called off the hounds (never really called them in) and just asked her to make sure Ms. Bennington knows that one of her constituents was highly opposed to the 3 HB's that Rendell is trying to chicken-hawk to the House.

I guess my Rep is new (first year). When I asked where I could look up her record. I was told she was too new and hasn't voted on any impending gun legislation. When asked for her stance, I was given the line above about being pro-hunter but also pro handgun registry.... So, I don't have much faith in my Rep.

I've also made sure everyone I know has contacted theirs. I ganked the Rumble's letter on the third page. My brother sent that in. I've also managed to find a new network of people in the process here at work (kind of odd). I think it's safe to say that much of the SWPA has been covered.

VariableFeedback: A firearm enthusiast that I work with is also represented by that guy. He received the same response. While I feel it's leaning our way...it's not the best response possible. Perhaps he's trying to play the middle ground (politician? no way!) but I think he could take a more solid standing.

Keep an eye on Representative Lisa Bennington (part of Pittsburgh)!!! She's got to prove herself. I'm not above knocking on doors at the next election in support or in opposition...

Thanks to all that have made an effort.

[Emptymag]

Good job D-FENS!
Thanks for the additional info!

I wanted to make a call or two on my lunch, but the dog needed to be taken to the vet.(semi-emergency, I hope)


It's good to see that so many have taken time to call.

[VariableFeedback]

Another reply, this one from Representative Mantz:

Rep. Mantz is a member of the NRA and will protect your 2nd amendment rights.

Royal Furer
Aide to Rep. Mantz

[D-FENS]

Originally Posted by VariableFeedback

Another reply, this one from Representative Mantz:

Royal Furer? haha, just had to laugh at that!

Great work and thanks to all for sharing their responses.

To follow-up on my post. My Rep always sends postal letters to me with a tidbit about what I wrote to them about but it's always generic. I'd rather nothing at all than for you to waste my money sending me a letter in the mail saying "I appreciate your thoughts on HB1744 and will keep them in mind."

WTF kind of waste of time and money is that?