bikerbankr
Active Member
I know it's last-minute but let me know what you think.
-Mike
My name is Michael Kelley and I reside in Parkville, MD.
I oppose SB281 because it makes no attempt to address the real problem at hand which is enforcement of existing gun laws in Maryland and the unbalanced penalties for breaking those laws.
On December 4, 2012, my home was burglarized. Among the numerous items stolen was a legally-purchased, regulated handgun. The burglars gained access to my safe and stole the handgun along with several other items such as shooting glasses, earplugs and tools.
I was notified two days later that two individuals had been arrested in connection with the burglary and the Baltimore County Police Department did manage to recover a few items. Unfortunately, the handgun was not one of the items recovered. I was told by the detective that the handgun had already changed hands several times and the sale, or transfer, was all done via pre-paid cell phones which could not be traced.
Recently, I received a letter from the State’s Attorney’s office asking if I would be available to testify against the two individuals, if necessary, when a trial is set. I immediately responded that I would and requested to be notified as to the case’s progress.
As I reviewed the charges being filed against the two individuals, one thing truly caught me by surprise and left me deeply offended. While they were being charged with several counts of Felony Burglary, the handgun charge (Posession/Sale/Transfer/Disposal of a Stolen Regulated Firearm) was classified as a Misdemeanor. It is my understanding that, in the event of a plea bargain or deal, this charge may very well be dropped.
In addition, I have read SB281 several times and have not come across any verbiage that addresses the issue of school safety. My daughter attends Perry Hall High School where, as I’m sure you know; a student brought a disassembled shotgun to school on the first day of this school-year and shot another student during lunch before he was disarmed by school staff. I have yet to find anything in this bill that would have prevented that.
It is my opinion that SB281 is a Public Relations stunt developed by the Governor’s office to give the appearance that something is being done that will keep our children safer in schools when, in reality, it is simply a knee-jerk reaction to the tragic events in Connecticut aimed only at law-abiding citizens purchasing firearms through legal channels. As I mentioned previously, criminals do not purchase firearms legally and, when caught with stolen firearms, they get the equivalent of a slap on the hand.
-Mike
My name is Michael Kelley and I reside in Parkville, MD.
I oppose SB281 because it makes no attempt to address the real problem at hand which is enforcement of existing gun laws in Maryland and the unbalanced penalties for breaking those laws.
On December 4, 2012, my home was burglarized. Among the numerous items stolen was a legally-purchased, regulated handgun. The burglars gained access to my safe and stole the handgun along with several other items such as shooting glasses, earplugs and tools.
I was notified two days later that two individuals had been arrested in connection with the burglary and the Baltimore County Police Department did manage to recover a few items. Unfortunately, the handgun was not one of the items recovered. I was told by the detective that the handgun had already changed hands several times and the sale, or transfer, was all done via pre-paid cell phones which could not be traced.
Recently, I received a letter from the State’s Attorney’s office asking if I would be available to testify against the two individuals, if necessary, when a trial is set. I immediately responded that I would and requested to be notified as to the case’s progress.
As I reviewed the charges being filed against the two individuals, one thing truly caught me by surprise and left me deeply offended. While they were being charged with several counts of Felony Burglary, the handgun charge (Posession/Sale/Transfer/Disposal of a Stolen Regulated Firearm) was classified as a Misdemeanor. It is my understanding that, in the event of a plea bargain or deal, this charge may very well be dropped.
In addition, I have read SB281 several times and have not come across any verbiage that addresses the issue of school safety. My daughter attends Perry Hall High School where, as I’m sure you know; a student brought a disassembled shotgun to school on the first day of this school-year and shot another student during lunch before he was disarmed by school staff. I have yet to find anything in this bill that would have prevented that.
It is my opinion that SB281 is a Public Relations stunt developed by the Governor’s office to give the appearance that something is being done that will keep our children safer in schools when, in reality, it is simply a knee-jerk reaction to the tragic events in Connecticut aimed only at law-abiding citizens purchasing firearms through legal channels. As I mentioned previously, criminals do not purchase firearms legally and, when caught with stolen firearms, they get the equivalent of a slap on the hand.
