In Their Own Words; A Blueprint to Ban Handguns by Joe Curran

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • zoostation

    , ,
    Moderator
    Jan 28, 2007
    22,858
    Abingdon
    The attached 63-page planning paper was written and published by J. Joseph Curran in 1999. For those not familiar, Curran was Maryland's fanatically anti-gun Attorney General from 1987-2007 before he retired and Gansler took the reigns. Curran was a darling of the Cease Fire crowd and worked closely with them throughout the years.

    In this plan Curran does a good job of outlining the anti-gun crowd's multifaceted plan for gradually chipping away at, and in some cases eventually banning, private gun ownership, especially of handguns. From "educating the children" to think correctly to taking background checks to draconian levels to suing the manufacturers and dealers into oblivion, it's all in there.

    The report was available for a long time on the State AG's website. It's was eventually taken down, perhaps at least partially in the hope that the Pro-2A movement would forget such a bold and detailed statement from an elected official regarding the true methods and goals of gun control in this state existed. However, the Internet Archive is a wonderful thing.

    Bear in mind his closing statement:

    Our goal, then, must be to eliminate widespread handgun ownership through
    restrictive handgun licensing. This will preserve the benefits of handgun use while
    finally ridding our communities of its terrible cost. Law enforcement personnel
    must have handguns for use on the job. Business owners may need a licensed gun
    on the premises under certain circumstances. Sports shooters will still practice
    their sport. Where guns are needed to advance reasonable law enforcement purposes
    or to participate in a regulated sporting activity, they will be licensed for use
    in that manner. People will no longer, however, own guns without demonstrating a
    compelling law enforcement or recreational reason to do so.

    The presence of handguns in homes across America endangers everyone. We do
    not need them, and the misguided desire people feel to own handguns for self defense
    would be greatly diminished if they did not feel threatened by widespread
    handgun ownership. We certainly do not need handguns badly enough to continue
    numbly to accept the pain and anguish they inflict. Handguns exact too high a
    price. We should pay it no longer.
    p.63
     

    Attachments

    • A Farewell To Arms Curran.pdf
      728.5 KB · Views: 2,223
    Oct 27, 2008
    8,444
    Dundalk, Hon!
    What people who agree with this paper don't accept is that taking away the "equalizer" would leave the world ruled by large, strong men with clubs and blades. We've already tried that--it's called the Dark Ages.

    Something else they will not accept is the fact that if you take all the guns off the street you will still have a crime problem, but if you take the criminals off the street you won't have a gun problem.
     

    zombiehunter

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 8, 2008
    6,505
    In his defense, it seems like he truly believes that what he's doing is for the benefit of mankind. Doesn't make it right, but damn I'd love to know how people are that delusional.
     
    Oct 27, 2008
    8,444
    Dundalk, Hon!
    Maybe he believes it, and maybe not. When I read stuff like that, I remember:

    "The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants." ~ Albert Camus

    "Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power." ~ Daniel Webster

    "Never forget, even for an instant, that the one and only reason anybody has for taking your gun away is to make you weaker than he is, so he can do something to you that you wouldn’t allow him to do if you were equipped to prevent it. This goes for burglars, muggers, and rapists, and even more so for policemen, bureaucrats, and politicians." ~ Alexander Hope, from the novel Hope by L. Neil Smith and Aaron Zelman
     

    QuebecoisWolf

    Ultimate Member
    May 14, 2008
    3,767
    Anne Arundel
    In his defense, it seems like he truly believes that what he's doing is for the benefit of mankind. Doesn't make it right, but damn I'd love to know how people are that delusional.

    If he didn't think that it was For the Greater Good (the Greater Good), he wouldn't be dangerous.

    I don't like raisins, but I don't think that raisins should be illegal. But what if I thought that if raisins were banned, fewer people would die of cancer? I'd probably send letters to Steny Hoyer and beg him to save us from the terrible scourge of raisins.
     

    hvymax

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Apr 19, 2010
    14,011
    Dentsville District 28
    Is there any question that these are Domestic Enemies of the Constitution we are dealing with. It does'nt matter how well intended they are. We know where good intentions can lead.
     

    swinokur

    In a State of Bliss
    Patriot Picket
    Apr 15, 2009
    55,376
    Westminster USA
    That's part of the larger problem with progressives. They don't care about the constitutionality of something if they "feel" it is beneficial to the proletariat.

    The biggest obstacle standing in their way is the U.S. Constitution.
     

    zoostation

    , ,
    Moderator
    Jan 28, 2007
    22,858
    Abingdon
    It's interesting to read and note the creeping baby steps approach that the true gun-banning fanatics subscribe to. These are the proposals that are most dangerous. A flamboyant out and out bill to ban handguns introduced all at once would fall flat on its face, even here in the PRMD. However, the alternative approach, a little more encroachment every year, that has potential; "this year we make it harder to qualify to own a regulated firearm, next year we make it harder to get a dealer's license, the year after that we beef up the training requirements.....etc." Until 5 or 10 years down the road handguns are for the most part effectively banned (and they can then move on to long guns).

    This is why we cannot give these bastards an inch. Those inches quickly turn into feet and yards. And we cannot lower our guard because the public momentum is with us right now. There could very well come a time when the pendulum swings the other way, and we find ourselves on the defensive again as was the case in the 1990's.
     

    Smagel

    Hey, hey, my, my
    Jul 20, 2011
    423
    Freddy's Store
    ... to taking background checks to draconian levels...

    Pretty much what we have in Maryland right now with the egregious fishing expedition application we have to fill out to carry. At least it's not as bad just to own. Still...

    Oh, and thanks for posting this, zoo.
     

    Jim Sr

    R.I.P.
    Jun 18, 2005
    6,898
    Annapolis MD
    It's interesting to read and note the creeping baby steps approach that the true gun-banning fanatics subscribe to. These are the proposals that are most dangerous. A flamboyant out and out bill to ban handguns introduced all at once would fall flat on its face, even here in the PRMD. However, the alternative approach, a little more encroachment every year, that has potential; "this year we make it harder to qualify to own a regulated firearm, next year we make it harder to get a dealer's license, the year after that we beef up the training requirements.....etc." Until 5 or 10 years down the road handguns are for the most part effectively banned (and they can then move on to long guns).

    This is why we cannot give these bastards an inch. Those inches quickly turn into feet and yards. And we cannot lower our guard because the public momentum is with us right now. There could very well come a time when the pendulum swings the other way, and we find ourselves on the defensive again as was the case in the 1990's.
    Well said; Thanks. :thumbsup:
     

    Lightning

    Active Member
    Feb 5, 2011
    165
    The Peoples Republic of MD
    This is why we cannot give these bastards an inch. Those inches quickly turn into feet and yards. And we cannot lower our guard because the public momentum is with us right now. There could very well come a time when the pendulum swings the other way, and we find ourselves on the defensive again as was the case in the 1990's.

    :thumbsup: Now if we can only get the fine citizens of our state to stop voting by party and start voting by issue we would be better off. I still say we should toss out all incumbents this next election. If you cleaned out a fair amount of our State Legislature and instilled new bodies things could be very different for us.
     

    gmhowell

    Not Banned Yet
    Nov 28, 2011
    3,406
    Monkey County
    :thumbsup: Now if we can only get the fine citizens of our state to stop voting by party and start voting by issue we would be better off. I still say we should toss out all incumbents this next election. If you cleaned out a fair amount of our State Legislature and instilled new bodies things could be very different for us.

    You know, I see this refrain often, and feel I need to start correcting it. For many/most voters, including many on this forum, 2A is not the end all and be all of issues. Sure, there are plenty of single issue voters, but to me (and others), RKBA is to be considered in addition to 1A issues, education, healthcare, business regulation, father's rights, etc.

    Does it occur to folks that 2A isn't the only reason for someone picking a candidate? Let's face it, most are far less informed or concerned about gun rights that MDS members. For all the noise generated by recent court decisions, it looks like only a few hundred people applied for a CCW (discussion was somewhere in here)
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,702
    Messages
    7,248,965
    Members
    33,310
    Latest member
    Skarface

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom