Any catch the Bob Durgin Show yesterday?

[dmg1969]

He had on Rep. Jake Wheatley from Allegheny County...a co-sponsor of HB 760, which calls for registration of every firearm. I thought my head was going to blown right off of my neck! I tried to call in, but could not get through.

He spewed the typical gun control rhetoric...all the while claiming he was not a gun control advocate. He went so far as to mention that he was a military veteran and gun owner. As I said, it was the typical "we're trying to reduce crime" BS. When Bob or a caller would pin him down on a good point or he didn't know the answer to a good question, his out was..."well, I am not the author of the bill...just a co-sponsor." Excuse me, dumb-ass...your name is on the bill and that makes you equally responsible!!!

The sum and substance of his argument was to ensure there is a trail back to the original owner if a gun is sold illegally (straw sale). So, in essence, all of us law-abiding gun owners are potential criminals. When Bob asked him that, of course that was not the case, but that is EXACTLY what the bill would mean.

I can't wait until we have a PR person who can go on to counter these idiots.

Dave G.

[dmg1969]

I had to do it...here's an e-mail I sent to Rep. Wheatley.

Dear Represntative Wheatley:

I am a resident of Cumberland County. I own several handguns for self-defense and also have a permit to carry firearms. I listened with great interest to your appearance yesterday on the Bob Durgin Show on WHP580. Try as I might, I could not get through to speak with you, but wanted to make my thoughts known regardless. First of all...I would like to thank you for your service in the military. However, I find it almost impossible to believe that you would support a bill that would infringe on the rights that you yourself fought to defend.

Listening to your mis-guided attempts to reduce crime was maddening to say the least. Had I been able to get through, my first point would have been that the creation of a firearm database would be against the Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act. Please read below...

"§6111.4. Registration of Firearms.

Notwithstanding any section of this chapter to the contrary, nothing in this chapter shall be construed to allow any government or law enforcement agency or any agent thereof to create, maintain or operate any registry of firearm ownership within this Commonwealth."

What you are doing, essentially, is treating every law-abiding Pennsylvania citizen as a potential criminal. You have no right whatsoever to require me to register my guns with the government. I am guarenteed the right to bear arms by the United States and Pennsylvania Constitutions. Perhaps you need to re-read both. Disguising it as an effort to reduce crime does not alter that fact. I am not a criminal and I will NOT be treated as one.

Secondly, I was a little dismayed that when Bob or a caller would pin you down on a good (logical) point or you didn't know an answer to a question, you stated that you were only a co-sponsor of the bill. Sir, your name is on the bill and that makes you equally culpible for everything in that bill.

My next point would be that the $10 "fee" required to register every firearm is tantamount to nothing more than a tax. Call it a fee if you like but it is simply another tax. It's what you people do best.

Finally, I would like to say that the requirement to place a gun in a safe, put a lock on it or disassemble it if it is not in the owner's immedaite possession is, excuse my language, assinine. What good is any firearm to the owner if it is disassembled? If someone breaks into my home in the middle of the night, I would not have time to open a safe, take off a gun lock or re-assemble my handgun. By the time I would know that someone is in my house, I am already in danger. Now you want me to take 10, 15, 20 seconds to do whatever to ensure that I have a working firearm? That makes absolutely no sense and I will not do it. In essence, you are asking me to decide between abiding by an assinine law or ensuring the safety of myself and my family.

While I can appreciate your desire to "reduce crime", I suggest you address the problem at its root...THE CRIMINALS.

Very truly yours,

[crazyyankee]

I also heard that idiot on Bob's show... I tried calling in to pin him down but couldn't get in. I had to send an email to Bob and hope he would ask the questions I had on it, but after 5pm I didn't hear the show...
I love listening to Bob Durgins show... keeps me thinking..


Good letter to dictator Wheatley

[RobB]

In response to dmg1969 on the Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act,title 18, section 6111.4 Registration of Firearms. Yes it does not allow for a registry but if they could get a bill like H.B.#760 passed they would emend section 6111.4 to reflect the new law. If you look at the 07-08 legislative section there are a couple bills referred to committee that would emend Title 18. Two are H.B.485 and H.B.784.