Bisleyfan44
Ultimate Member
Copy of the letter I just sent to Gov Hogan and my delegate/senators. I borrowed a couple of examples from Zoo's original post because they were so good. I hope it was OK to do so. Anyway:
I'm writing to you today with extreme urgency and concern. Much to my disbelief, HB1302 has received overwhelming support in the House, even amongst supposed "friends" of gun rights. I'm asking for you to NOT support this legislation. While it may seem like a good bill, one particular clause will be a danger to citizens' due process and cause them to lose possession of their firearms for no reason. That clause is : (III) ANY OTHER INTERESTED PERSON. Besides allowing a doctor, therapist, or police officer being allowed to order an EP against a citizen, this clause allows "any other interested person" to swear out a complaint against a gun owner for nothing more than malicious intent and without consequence.
The gun owner would then have their firearms confiscated until an evaluation cleared them, upon which they "may" receive their guns back in 6 days.
Number one, nobody will get their guns back in 6 days. Even when cleared, according to officers I know who already do this, it can take up to 6 MONTHS for them to get their guns back. Bureaucracy in this state is slow; when it comes to gun owners, it almost stops. So legally owned property is confiscated for 6 months without due process?
Number two, ANYBODY could file a complaint against somebody they knows owns guns just to get even with them. Estranged relatives, ex-partners and spouses, stalkers, embittered ex-girlfriends and boyfriends, the drunken neighbor you called 911 on when he was beating his wife, the guy you called 911 on and reported for DWI one day in traffic, the employee you fired for stealing, the co-worker you reported for sexual harassment, your druggie relative who you won't give money to, the Facebook troll who despises your online politics and lives in or near Maryland, even the crazy bag lady who hates you because she thinks your cat is stealing her soul when it stares at her from your window, anybody who doesn't like you can get your guns seized. All they have to do is accuse you of threatening them. This is ridiculous!
And while the law claims there would be punishment for wrongful claims, we know nobody will be held accountable. Nobody will be tried for perjury in these cases. Instead the gun owner will have his/her private property seized from them based on false allegations, they'll have to hire an attorney to fight the charges in court, and then wait 6 months to get their property back (hopefully in the same condition they were in when taken; although that won't likely happen either).
In closing, as a law abiding gun owner, I am sick and tired of being punished and having my rights infringed upon based on the actions of criminals. One single lunatic kid in Florida (who should have been stopped long before the heinous crime he committed, but wasn't due to MULTIPLE GOVERNMENT FAILURES over a long period of time) and now I have to have my Constitutionally guaranteed rights (due process and gun rights) taken from me? I don't think so.
From the FBI not following up on a tip that this guy was dangerous. To the Broward county sheriff's NOT going into the school when they arrived. From the FL Dept of Social Services visiting the shooter's home 69 times and not taking action. From the shooter's therapist stating the shooter's leanings toward mass shootings. From the 2012 federal legislation bribing states with funding to underreport or cover up juvenile records to give the false impression minority crime was decreasing thus allowing this shooter to buy weapons with his "clean" NICS record. All of these failures and I'm to blame? The NRA is to blame? The average law abiding gun owner is to blame? Not the FBI, not the Broward Sheriff's Dept, not the FL DSS, not the federal legislation hiding his record from the NICS database, nor any of the other officials who saw the danger possible and did nothing? Punish the gun owner?
I don't think so!!
I expect you to wholeheartedly oppose and work to defeat this deceptive, illegal, and unconstitutional legislation and other similar legislation.
I'm writing to you today with extreme urgency and concern. Much to my disbelief, HB1302 has received overwhelming support in the House, even amongst supposed "friends" of gun rights. I'm asking for you to NOT support this legislation. While it may seem like a good bill, one particular clause will be a danger to citizens' due process and cause them to lose possession of their firearms for no reason. That clause is : (III) ANY OTHER INTERESTED PERSON. Besides allowing a doctor, therapist, or police officer being allowed to order an EP against a citizen, this clause allows "any other interested person" to swear out a complaint against a gun owner for nothing more than malicious intent and without consequence.
The gun owner would then have their firearms confiscated until an evaluation cleared them, upon which they "may" receive their guns back in 6 days.
Number one, nobody will get their guns back in 6 days. Even when cleared, according to officers I know who already do this, it can take up to 6 MONTHS for them to get their guns back. Bureaucracy in this state is slow; when it comes to gun owners, it almost stops. So legally owned property is confiscated for 6 months without due process?
Number two, ANYBODY could file a complaint against somebody they knows owns guns just to get even with them. Estranged relatives, ex-partners and spouses, stalkers, embittered ex-girlfriends and boyfriends, the drunken neighbor you called 911 on when he was beating his wife, the guy you called 911 on and reported for DWI one day in traffic, the employee you fired for stealing, the co-worker you reported for sexual harassment, your druggie relative who you won't give money to, the Facebook troll who despises your online politics and lives in or near Maryland, even the crazy bag lady who hates you because she thinks your cat is stealing her soul when it stares at her from your window, anybody who doesn't like you can get your guns seized. All they have to do is accuse you of threatening them. This is ridiculous!
And while the law claims there would be punishment for wrongful claims, we know nobody will be held accountable. Nobody will be tried for perjury in these cases. Instead the gun owner will have his/her private property seized from them based on false allegations, they'll have to hire an attorney to fight the charges in court, and then wait 6 months to get their property back (hopefully in the same condition they were in when taken; although that won't likely happen either).
In closing, as a law abiding gun owner, I am sick and tired of being punished and having my rights infringed upon based on the actions of criminals. One single lunatic kid in Florida (who should have been stopped long before the heinous crime he committed, but wasn't due to MULTIPLE GOVERNMENT FAILURES over a long period of time) and now I have to have my Constitutionally guaranteed rights (due process and gun rights) taken from me? I don't think so.
From the FBI not following up on a tip that this guy was dangerous. To the Broward county sheriff's NOT going into the school when they arrived. From the FL Dept of Social Services visiting the shooter's home 69 times and not taking action. From the shooter's therapist stating the shooter's leanings toward mass shootings. From the 2012 federal legislation bribing states with funding to underreport or cover up juvenile records to give the false impression minority crime was decreasing thus allowing this shooter to buy weapons with his "clean" NICS record. All of these failures and I'm to blame? The NRA is to blame? The average law abiding gun owner is to blame? Not the FBI, not the Broward Sheriff's Dept, not the FL DSS, not the federal legislation hiding his record from the NICS database, nor any of the other officials who saw the danger possible and did nothing? Punish the gun owner?
I don't think so!!
I expect you to wholeheartedly oppose and work to defeat this deceptive, illegal, and unconstitutional legislation and other similar legislation.
