Answer Mike Miller's survey!

[mr phil]

Done

 

[jtarpley59]

Done.

 

[Minuteman]

Done. And this is very important. I believe it may all come down to how Senator Miller decides to act on this matter.

 

[AC20814]

Done (and forwarded to like-minded friends and family)

 

[George]

Done

 

[ERIC S NOEL]

done

 

[Sig Fan]

Done.

 

[smokey]

I think I put entirely too much time in to the comment at the end...

I am a teacher and gun owner. I grew up in a military family, where I learned respect for the constitution and the principle of self-sufficiency. Currently I have an AR for home defense, hunting, and sport in my collection of firearms. It is my primary home defense tool, being the best tool for the job and the safest for my neighbors. I say safest for my neighbors since polymer tipped .223 rounds both reduce the chances that I will have to continue firing to stop a threat and they penetrate far fewer walls than handgun rounds or buckshot from my shotgun.

Rifles were responsible for exactly 2 deaths in md in 2011. That is .5% of homicides. They are not a threat to public safety, but they ARE the best tool I can use to defend my family in my home. They are also the best tool for sport and hunting.

Magazines with high capacity favor defensive shooting, which is why police use them. In criminal shootings, on average only 2 and a half shots are fired. A magazine capacity ban does nothing to effect the average criminal shooting. In the rare active shooter scenario, the shooter's goal is not time sensitive amongst our disarmed citizens. The active shooter wishes to kill or injure as many people as they can. They are free to choose how to attack and are free to disregard the law in preparing for it. At Virginia tech, magazine capacity laws would make no difference, since the shooter reloaded numerous times while covering himself with a second handgun. At Sandy Hook, the shooter also reloaded numerous times. They are free to shoot and allow infection and complications to kill for them over the next couple days, they are in no rush.

In contrast to that, in a defensive shooting the goal is to stop the threat before they can cause you harm. Handgun wounds merely punch out about a half-inch channel that is about 12-16" deep. They are terrible at stopping a determined threat and often require multiple hits before a threat is no longer a threat. Reloading after 10 shots with a home-invader or rapist running at my fiance with a knife is not something I'd like you to force me to have to do. If I had those 5-9 extra shots, I have a much better chance of being able to stop a threat before they are able to harm me. Capacity favors defensive shooting.

I also have a few handguns that I BEAR for defense when I leave my home state in any direction. All our surrounding states have reciprocity with my florida permit, but when I come home I must choose between obeying the law and having the tool to defend the life of me and my family. I find it absurd that the state forces me to make the choice between breaking the law and having the ability to defend my life against criminals, or to follow the law and be disarmed prey for criminals. You as a lawmaker have failed me and are responsible for me not having the legal ability to protect myself and family when I leave my house.

Please represent me and don't make me choose between obeying the law or defending my loved ones.

 

[ArmyMan013]

Done!

 

[BrewDoc_MD]

Done with comment

 

[circadia]

Done. And reading through this thread, I must commend everyone on their great comments! Here's what I added at in the comment section of mine:

I strongly oppose any new gun control legislation. Maryland already has strict gun laws and we do not need new ones. I hope you'll read my comments below and consider them thoughtfully.

Removable magazines allow for safer clearing of a firearm when it jams. Telescoping stocks, pistol grips and vertical foregrips allow for better grip, fit and control of a firearm. The AR-15 is an extremely popular sporting rifle because it's well-designed, accurate, and it can accommodate those features. It is no more dangerous than any other firearm.

Maryland's current magazine capacity limit is already below the industry standard for many modern rifles. For an avid target shooter like myself, a 10-round limit would be exceedingly restrictive for either rifles or hand guns. And it would be dangerously restrictive in an actual self-defense situation.

Tacking additional fees onto gun ownership is unfair and unnecessary. Fingerprinting gun owners would be criminal treatment. I do think a training class is a good idea if it were an affordable, one-time class for first-time gun owners only.

Despite the horrific spree killings we've seen committed by a few severely disturbed individuals over the past year, such crimes are still extraordinarily rare. Violent crime, including gun homicides, have been on a steady decline for a few decades. If you haven't seen the FBI Homicide report, I urge you to take a look:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/uc...s.-2011/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8

Everyone is in agreement that even with violent crime falling, we need to do more. But more gun control laws are not the solution. We need to focus on the causes of violence, not the tools used to commit it.

 

[gabe72]

Done. with comment added too and passing on to others as well.

 

[NHaze]

Done did it yesterday

 

[Minuteman]

After 'sleeping on it' I think participating in these surveys is the most important and easiest way the vast majority of gun owners can make an impact. These surveys are like votes, and these politicians want to know how much political capital it will cost them.

Great job, share with your friends/family, we can all let him know. Be polite, if you leave comments. So far so good.

 

[Crawls]

Done.

 

[mvee]

Done. And reading through this thread, I must commend everyone on their great comments! Here's what I added at in the comment section of mine:

Nice comments!!

 

[Polecat]

Completed mine.

 

[Wood5443]

Done and forwarded to others not on this fourm

 

[Diehart]

Done with comments

 

[PJDiesel]

Done, with fairly extensive comments.