Useful information from our MD Senators

Despite the risks attending the flogging of dead horses, I'd like to mention two items of information gathered from our MD senators this past evening.

First, it has been discussed ad nauseam whether the Patriot Picket is a positive or negative force on the MD GA. You all are aware of the arguments, no doubt. I took it upon myself to ask a half-dozen senators this evening whether they felt our somewhat abrasive presence was beneficial, or its opposite, or perhaps whether it made no difference.

Every one I questioned (and yes, they were all Republicans) said that they appreciated our presence, and in fact that they found it very encouraging in their struggle to support their - and our - defense of our rights. I got the distinct impression that their extreme minority status was wearing on them, and that they got an uplift from seeing folks who supported them in their seemingly hopeless struggle.

Second, it was asked whether they actually read and paid attention to the letters and email they received. The response was candid: form letters and form emails were not generally taken too seriously. What they indicated was that hand-written letters which expressed the particular views of the writers made very strong impressions, and were taken seriously. It seems that the personal touch, and contact with a real live voter from their districts, sends a signal which they find hard to ignore.

I didn't ask about visits to their offices by constituents, but in light of their feelings about written communication, there's little doubt that the personal touch, carried to the extreme of face-to-face discussion of issues, makes a noticeable impression on their decision-making.

Take it for what it's worth, but consider dropping a nice hand-written note to your reps, or even stopping by for a chat.

There's a couple more Mondays left in the session. All are invited, and, like life itself, 90% of it is just showing up. If you're embarrassed, just pretend you don't know us.

Thanks for the information , I have always thought we all have our place in the fight . If we look at this like a battle or war , foot soldiers are as important as the financers , suit and tie lobbyist , generals , supply chain and the lawyers to put together the peace treaties .
All hold a value IMHO .

I spoke with Senator Hester (D-Howard) towards the end of the night. It wasn't about legislation or letters. One of the Howard County schools was being recognized, and I had noticed that she was getting ready to stand up and walk to the front. However, Senator Guzzone was called to the front on behalf of the school, and she didn't get to go. So, I talked to her about that and about her being new to the Senate. After a few minutes, I wished her well, and off she went. Not a mention of anything legislation-wise. But, I know she saw the solid white long sleeve shirt with WE WILL NOT COMPLY written on it.

Great post! We all play a role in defending our rights. But I will always be suspicious of politicians (Guess I have worked in the government to long). But like the line from Jeffery Pelt in the movie "Hunt for Red October". Their politicians, which means they cheat and lie, and when they not kissing babies their stealing their lollipops. But it also means they keep their options open. I'm sure the handwritten letters do have more impact, if there is time to write out and delivered by the postal service before the deadline. Form letters and form emails not generally taken too seriously, says something to me. They get them all the time, so nothing new there. But they should take note of them. I'm not a mom or dad that can stay home and go to these events in person. I have to plan my leave out in advance, because my supervisor wants to make sure the office is covered. But I digress, those in patriot picket, may care to take note that something different has to be done on occasion to keep if from going stale. The changes in the shirts, was a plus. Additionally, the fact that they got into the hearing ahead of the Mom Demand Action and was able to take up the seat directly behind the testimony table had an affect. Properly handling (Pointing out that freedom of speech is everyone's right and not sole to one group) the left's social media post that citizens wearing the "We Will Not Comply" were domestic terrorist. All these things are certainly positive, and help all of us in this struggle.

We, as a group and individually, have to be careful not to slip up, to not do things that shed negative light on our case. We have also insure we don't put ourselves in a echo chamber. It can be quite easily to done, if we are not careful. Just look at the effect of "Trump Collusion" narrative. It sucked in the press, journalists, leaders, experts and the entire left because it was what they wanted, what they individually desired and none of them were going to allow anyone to say or do anything they felt was against their narrative. I said it before and I will say it again, we need to learn from the successes we have this legislative go around. We need to learn from the oppositions and devise counter measures. We need to see all of the pro 2A organizations band and coordinate together. We need these organizations to have open public events and highly publicized events to create the generation to come. We need to start drafting legislation that chips away from legislation we disagree with that has become law. And we need to come together as a group to pressure the Maryland GOP in supporting us beyond mere lip service. We need to get some of these republican senators to reserve space of us as they do for Mom Demand Action group.

Well, form letters and emails are still from voters. Pretty short sided if you ask me, but you didn't. Thanks for the post.

I don't think there is any question the PP has a positive effect on our cause. I have always been one to consider the optics of how we approach things. In retrospect, I have not always been a fan of these tactics and realize I was wrong. I thought we could change minds with our statistics and logic. How can people not see the futility of gun control? How can people not see that the best defense against a shooter is an armed citizen, since you can never prevent people from getting guns if they want them? I underestimated how thorough the liberal brainwashing is.

Civil disobedience has been used by Americans throughout our history. "We will not comply" in no way means were are going to undertake a terroristic campaign. It does, however, send a strong message, and any student of history should appreciate the significance of this message. "They" NEED to know that we have no intention of compliance. That "they" will need to find some other way to placate their constituents who want something done about violent crime. We will no longer let them put the responsibility for their shortcomings on our shoulders.

Good info Bob, I agree with you 100%

And I am one who feels that all our efforts, through different channels, are the way to go.

Bob A said:

Despite the risks attending the flogging of dead horses, I'd like to mention two items of information gathered from our MD senators this past evening.

First, it has been discussed ad nauseam whether the Patriot Picket is a positive or negative force on the MD GA. You all are aware of the arguments, no doubt. I took it upon myself to ask a half-dozen senators this evening whether they felt our somewhat abrasive presence was beneficial, or its opposite, or perhaps whether it made no difference.

Every one I questioned (and yes, they were all Republicans) said that they appreciated our presence, and in fact that they found it very encouraging in their struggle to support their - and our - defense of our rights. I got the distinct impression that their extreme minority status was wearing on them, and that they got an uplift from seeing folks who supported them in their seemingly hopeless struggle.

Second, it was asked whether they actually read and paid attention to the letters and email they received. The response was candid: form letters and form emails were not generally taken too seriously. What they indicated was that hand-written letters which expressed the particular views of the writers made very strong impressions, and were taken seriously. It seems that the personal touch, and contact with a real live voter from their districts, sends a signal which they find hard to ignore.

I didn't ask about visits to their offices by constituents, but in light of their feelings about written communication, there's little doubt that the personal touch, carried to the extreme of face-to-face discussion of issues, makes a noticeable impression on their decision-making.

Take it for what it's worth, but consider dropping a nice hand-written note to your reps, or even stopping by for a chat.

There's a couple more Mondays left in the session. All are invited, and, like life itself, 90% of it is just showing up. If you're embarrassed, just pretend you don't know us.

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I remember asking that of Del. McKay. I also asked him whether folks like Delegate Atterbeary can be reasoned or worked with. I was surprised by his response. He actually said "yes, absolutely". He indicated that she had worked with him and got a change implemented on something. So, while they may appear to be rigid ideologues on most issues that matter to us, that might not always be the case.

teratos said:

I don't think there is any question the PP has a positive effect on our cause. I have always been one to consider the optics of how we approach things. In retrospect, I have not always been a fan of these tactics and realize I was wrong. I thought we could change minds with our statistics and logic. How can people not see the futility of gun control? How can people not see that the best defense against a shooter is an armed citizen, since you can never prevent people from getting guns if they want them? I underestimated how thorough the liberal brainwashing is.

Civil disobedience has been used by Americans throughout our history. "We will not comply" in no way means were are going to undertake a terroristic campaign. It does, however, send a strong message, and any student of history should appreciate the significance of this message. "They" NEED to know that we have no intention of compliance. That "they" will need to find some other way to placate their constituents who want something done about violent crime. We will no longer let them put the responsibility for their shortcomings on our shoulders.

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Satistics and logic is important, and is indeed an integral part of the overall equation. No one approach will work on it's own. In regard to placating their constituents, they will ever attempt to do so. Why? Because not all of their constituents see the big picture. Heck, I would be floor if they knew the capital of North Dakota. City folk for the most have no idea about hunting, target competition, being self-reliant or even the meaning of proper self-defense.

They are fed constantly there was another shooting in Baltimore or PG county. They focus on the gun, why because that is their echo chamber. If it is a shooting, it's front page. If an individual shoots a person breaking into their home it is lucky if it makes it to page five. I could go on but again I would be preaching to the choir.

I did an interview on TV Free Baltimore with Del Arikan about a month ago and she told me the same information that Bob A related above. Emails are routinely read, and mostly ignored, by staffers. She said that unless something really, really stuck it would get flagged for her personal attention but the routine emails are pretty much ignored. Hand written letters are definitely a big step above emails and a phone call or personal visit would get the most interest.

She also said that faxes get attention, especially the multi page versions.

I don't know the exact statistics but the number of each type of communication they receive is reflected in the ease of sending it and the difficulty in sending reflects on the commitment and passion in the message and the sender.

One hand written note probably carries the equivalent weight of a hundred emails and a detailed well thought out and researched letter even more. To get the most bang for your time and effort a few directed personal communications will make a much bigger impression than any mass mailing or email storm. Ask anyone who works in a political office. These communications stand out more and more every year as people write less and less and instead take the easy way out and just click a button or send a tweet.

They also check if you are a constituent and your party affiliation which is one of the reasons to be a DINO.

Here is my Senator. This and other info is As per one of his emails to me.

https://www.facebook.com/SenatorReady/videos/1078481739006057/

teratos said:

I don't think there is any question the PP has a positive effect on our cause. I have always been one to consider the optics of how we approach things. In retrospect, I have not always been a fan of these tactics and realize I was wrong. I thought we could change minds with our statistics and logic. How can people not see the futility of gun control? How can people not see that the best defense against a shooter is an armed citizen, since you can never prevent people from getting guns if they want them? I underestimated how thorough the liberal brainwashing is.

Civil disobedience has been used by Americans throughout our history. "We will not comply" in no way means were are going to undertake a terroristic campaign. It does, however, send a strong message, and any student of history should appreciate the significance of this message. "They" NEED to know that we have no intention of compliance. That "they" will need to find some other way to placate their constituents who want something done about violent crime. We will no longer let them put the responsibility for their shortcomings on our shoulders.

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Every logical argument is built upon at least one basic assumption. If the assumptions themselves are incorrect, it follows logically that the arguments that follow will be incorrect as well.

Teratos pretty well sums up my thoughts. I long believed that logic and facts, combined with tactful persuasion, could win the day. This belief presupposes that we are dealing with reasonable people. I no longer believe these people to be reasonable, nor do I believe that they will ever be amenable to logic or persuasion.

With this new thought in mind, the Patriot Picket does indeed more clearly spotlight that the lines are most certainly being drawn. And this fight, if it is to be won at all, will now most assuredly be won either in the courts, or eventually in the streets.

May God forbid that it should ever be the latter. Time will tell.

I think that the jury is out. People are attacking each other, questioning the bona fides of people who have testified against bills in the past, alienating people, and getting banned. This does not have the makings of long term success. The measure of success is whether we get people elected who will help us. As far as those actually elected, people are praying for a veto when those same people did nothing to help his election. Worse, constantly criticized. The only question is whether it's worth injecting any reality into the discussion. My bet is not.

I'd like to leave a couple of observations here:

• Everyone plays a part in the struggle, including our digital warriors. One good Facebook or Twitter comment could be THE ONE that changes a mind.
• Even the most crass and jaded pol CANNOT ignore 100 emails on a given position. If they do, they're relying on "The Machine" to continue their time in office.
• It's quite possible that my legiscreatures can't decipher what passes for my handwriting, so for me that's not an option.

The Bowie contingent spoke to our senator last night about our concerns. He was polite and paid attention, but voted against our position anyway. After the session ended, he scooted out the back way rather than laeving by the front where we were waiting. (Personal Interpretation: From the "big wet kisses" he got from the Speaker and the Floor, it appears he is a Rising Star in the Senate, and is unwilling to jeopardize that status.)

Everyone wants to be a rising star so they can get a juicy position as Baltimore mayor and a nice book deal. Remember the standing ovation Pugh got before resigning to be mayor?

Rising stars get more than kisses.

Everyone wants to be a rising star so they can get a juicy position as Baltimore mayor and a nice book deal. Remember the standing ovation Pugh got before resigning to be mayor?

Rising stars get more than kisses.

Were you wearing a white and blue shirt when you asked a Republican legislator if the PP had value? If so, would you expect them to say you are causing more harm than good? Kind of like somebody ugly as sin going up to a legislator and asking, "Do you think I am good looking?" Would you expect the legislator to say, "No, you are the ugliest person I have ever seen in my entire life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The question on PP is a lot more involved than just whether it is seen as a positive by the Republican legislator's, or a boost to their morale. I don't doubt it is a boost to the Republican legislator's morale and they are most likely going to vote our way anyway. The question regarding PP has to be looked at in totality. Giving Atterbeary photo ammo for a tweet, Facebook, and whatever else has to be taken into account. How much does the PP motivate the opposing side? How much does PP change the minds of the sponsors of these bills, of the left leaning supporters of these bills? We don't need to change conservative minds. We need to change minds in the middle and on the left. Changing those on the far left is an attempt in futility.

Last year, at the 300 strong "More Patriots Than You Have Handcuffs" march, I ran into Trent Kittleman "on the bricks" and she said she was happy to see us. I have written her e-mails a couple of times this session and received a response both times. The second e-mail wrote to her was lambasting her about leaving a lot about the gun bills out of her weekly updates, and she wrote a pretty decent, lengthy, reply. In years past, I have always heard back from Warren Miller and Gail Bates, but not this year. Why Delegate Warren is not responding is beyond me, and Gail Bates lost her election to a liberal, Katie Hester, and I have not received a response from her either. So, that worries me. As far as handwriting letters/notes to them, that takes way too long for me and my handwriting is way too messy. It would take me the entire day to legibly write out what I just typed up in this post.

Is the horse entirely dead now, or do we need to beat it a little more? Maybe it needs to be beat to the point we can no longer recognize it as having been a horse.

fabsroman said:

Were you wearing a white and blue shirt when you asked a Republican legislator if the PP had value? If so, would you expect them to say you are causing more harm than good? Kind of like somebody ugly as sin going up to a legislator and asking, "Do you think I am good looking?" Would you expect the legislator to say, "No, you are the ugliest person I have ever seen in my entire life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The question on PP is a lot more involved than just whether it is seen as a positive by the Republican legislator's, or a boost to their morale. I don't doubt it is a boost to the Republican legislator's morale and they are most likely going to vote our way anyway. The question regarding PP has to be looked at in totality. Giving Atterbeary photo ammo for a tweet, Facebook, and whatever else has to be taken into account. How much does the PP motivate the opposing side? How much does PP change the minds of the sponsors of these bills, of the left leaning supporters of these bills? We don't need to change conservative minds. We need to change minds in the middle and on the left. Changing those on the far left is an attempt in futility.

Last year, at the 300 strong "More Patriots Than You Have Handcuffs" march, I ran into Trent Kittleman "on the bricks" and she said she was happy to see us. I have written her e-mails a couple of times this session and received a response both times. The second e-mail wrote to her was lambasting her about leaving a lot about the gun bills out of her weekly updates, and she wrote a pretty decent, lengthy, reply. In years past, I have always heard back from Warren Miller and Gail Bates, but not this year. Why Delegate Warren is not responding is beyond me, and Gail Bates lost her election to a liberal, Katie Hester, and I have not received a response from her either. So, that worries me. As far as handwriting letters/notes to them, that takes way too long for me and my handwriting is way too messy. It would take me the entire day to legibly write out what I just typed up in this post.

Is the horse entirely dead now, or do we need to beat it a little more? Maybe it needs to be beat to the point we can no longer recognize it as having been a horse.

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BeoBill said:

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Yep, it was a dead horse from the very beginning. Now, just complete mush.





Beating the horse from the top, the sides, and the bottom, oh my.