Calling all Pennsylvania residents! To arms! To arms!

[Mike_IN_PA]

Seems a certain congress-critter wants to offer up his own version of the AWB just for us (isn't that sweet of him?). Below is the text of the news report:

Sturla backs proposed assault weapons ban on state level

By: Tim Lambert

(Lancaster) -- A midstate lawmaker is supporting an effort to enact an assault weapons ban in Pennsylvania. Democratic state Representative Mike Sturla, whose district includes a portion of Lancaster County, says the proposed legislation would ban semiautomatic firearms based on their physical characteristics. A gun owner himself, Sturla says a line needs to be drawn when it comes to certain weapons.

But Sturla says he doesn't foresee any legislative action on the proposal in the upcoming session. Earlier this week, the decade-old federal assault weapons ban expired when it was not renewed by Congress.

link to Sturla comments: http://www.witf.org/temps/FM/01473_mikesturla2.mp2

Now just because he doesn't expect any action this session doesn't mean he wouldn't try something next session after the election. One piece of legislation like this was already tabled in committee purgatory earlier this year.

Please contact your reps and let them know if they see this guy coming to walk the other way.

As Barney Fife would say, "nip it in the bud!"

 

[RevDisk]

WHAT? I've met the guy a number of times. Good person, fairly mundane voting record. I'll see what I can do...

I'm a Conoy Township representative to the Lancaster Democratic Party. I will bang heads (metaphorically, I swear) until this goes away.

 

[geekWithA.45]

Yeah Rev, see if you can get the inside scoop on this one.

Oftentimes, legislators will post up a bill without any expectation that it'll go anywhere, simply to make a stand. Sometimes, they'll do this to gain favor with their own party, for reasons completely unrelated to the matter at hand.

 

[RevDisk]

Yea. It's politics to bang the drums when you know nothing will be done. Still, I will make sure that it is simple all talk, with zero intentions of actually putting the bill through.

I already did this once with Frankel.


(PS, this is the advantage to having some of the goods guys in the Democratic Party, trying to work the system from the inside.)

 

[Mike_IN_PA]

Thanks guys for the assistance, make sure to post this info on other firearms boards you may be a member of so we can get the word out!

Another one to look out for is Rep. Dan Frankel (Allehgeny County). Here is a link to Ban legislation he offered earlier this year:

http://www.pahouse.com/frankel/assaultweapons/QandAweaponsban.htm

we gotta stop these guys before we start reffering to ourselves as being residents of "The Peoples Republic of Pennsylvania" !

remember, don't be gun rights girlie men!

 

[WT]

I saw this on the Philadelphia TV news the other night.

 

[RevDisk]

House Bill 2451

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/BT/2003/0/HB2451P3471.HTM


This has the potential to be worse than the California Assault Weapons ban. Specifically, note Definition 3.

28 (3) Any semiautomatic pistol or any semiautomatic,
29 center-fire rifle with a fixed magazine that has the capacity
30 to accept more than ten rounds of ammunition.

This section is vague enough to consider any semiautomatic pistol that has the capacity to accept more than ten rounds (ie, any magazine over 10 rounds) as an assault weapon. That is, every magazine fed semiautomatic handgun.


The assault rifle definition is even scarier. Any pistol grip semi or pump rifle. Any semi or pump rifle with a compensator or muzzle break. Also, if a person has in their possession any semiautomatic or pump-action rifle or semiautomatic pistol capable of accepting a detachable magazine and a magazine over 10 rounds outside a firing range, that's an automatic first degree felony. Ironically enough, the way it is worded it's legal to have standard capacity magazines at the range, but illegal to have the two together outside of the range. (Say, on the drive home.)


Think it wouldn't be worse? It is, very much so.

State police would be allowed to inspect your home if you have an "assault weapon". Yearly background checks per weapon. Registration. Storage regulations dictated by the State Police commissioner.


Folks, this is indeed the line in the sand. Call, write, email. Be polite and informative. I wrote my email while feeling minorly physically ill, and I managed to keep a civil tone...

 

[Harry Tuttle]

the bite of Bradyites is worse than Deadites

my local Senator is crowing about "no need for hunting"

The Second Amendment
"It's not about hunting deer,
its about hunting Vultures"

 

[Mikul]

Watch out for PA State Senator Commie Williams who has been on the news talking about the "machines of death" that will, no doubt wreak havoc in out state. She is a Feinstein wannabe.

 

[Mike_IN_PA]

bump

 

[alan]

The statement didn't come up, but perhaps this guy has been talking to Dan Frankel, state rep from the Pittsnburgh area, who is big on gun control. Interestingly, this idiot was either unable or unwilling to speficically define that which he would ban. Perhaps your guy was bitten by the same mosquito.

These people are amazing.

 

[Tony Mig]

Sounds like these guys transfered over to PA from NJ.....ala Frank Lautenberg, Jon Corsine, Jim Florio, and our girlie man governor McGreevy.....

 

[alan]

RevDisk:

Reads like a rehash of the late and unlamented federal foolishness, with a couple of new wrinkles, opportunity for bureaucratic abuse of the people.

I had seen/read a copy of Frankel's effort earlier, and spoken with him about some of his ideas. Typical, know nothing, contemporary LIBERAL, HAND WRINGER. Big on, as he described another effort, "sending messages".

 

[SodiumBenzoate]

Anyone know if Conti is an anti or not? He's a Republican, and the chair of the Law/Justice commitee, so if he's on our side, it could be useful.

 

[E36M3]

I'm considering an organization called Conservative Republicans of Bucks County. Just a thought and not necessarily a good one, but will be done very professionally if a go.

 

[E36M3]

If you like, go to www.commonwealthfoundation.org . Joe Conti got the single worst "Liberty Index" score out of all Republicans and Democrats - an F-. Just found out about the site, but it might be a good one.

 

[RevDisk]

Life is full of very odd coincidences.

Representative Laurence H Curry, one of the co-signers of the HR 2451, presented me with a nice little plaque for my last tour overseas. In other words, he gave me a pretty piece of paper thanking me for using the weapons he doesn't want Pennsylvanians to have.

The OTHER ironic thing is, I saw first hand examples of successful gun control on that tour. Mass graves. The UN promised the locals "Give up your guns, and we'll protect you." Within a few days, all the people that turned in their guns were dead.

(And people ask me why I think the AWB was a bad idea...)


So, I'm left pondering. Do I write Curry thanking him for the pretty piece of paper and explain my first hand observations of the result of complete gun control? Uniform and politics are not supposed to be mixed. I'm NG, so I'm not currently active. But, I don't like dragging my uniform into dealing with Congresscritters. Suggestions?

 

[chetth]

their going to have a hard time against this...


Right to Bear Arms
Section 21.
The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.

 

[alan]

RevDisk wrote:

The OTHER ironic thing is, I saw first hand examples of successful gun control on that tour. Mass graves. The UN promised the locals "Give up your guns, and we'll protect you." Within a few days, all the people that turned in their guns were dead.

(And people ask me why I think the AWB was a bad idea...)

Have you or any other commentators/contributors seen JPFO's Innocents Betrayed?

As for Rep. Dan Frankel, it appears that his firearms related idiocy ends up in House Judiciary Committee, where it seems to languish until death.

 

[RegBarc]

My local rep is also the speaker of the house, and a moderate republican. I cannot find anything on his record for guns, but he seems to have an iota of reasonableness. Below is my letter to him, which I also sent to my local Senator (Democrat with leanings unknown).

Mr. Speaker,

My name is James Mack, Jr., and I am a constituent of yours from your district, residing only a few minutes from Nazareth Hospital. I e-mail you to urge your opposition of H.B. 2451, which would be a Pennsylvania Assault Weapons Ban. As evident by the current federal law that is sunseting, a ban such as this is completely ineffective and only infringes on the gun rights of law abiding citizens.

"Assault Weapons" are still firearms, and any firearm has the potential to kill or injure somebody; but so does a bottle of liquor, or a car, or a brick or hammer. Just because a firearm "looks" bad, does not mean it is specifically a killing machine. An AR-15 is an amazing piece of equipment in terms of quality and accuracy, and far beyond the financial means of procurement for the criminals that gun control advocates say would buy these weapons.

Crimes committed on the streets of our fair city are committed with all types of weapons, from bats to knives to semi-automatic pistols. In an area so high in crime with such an incredibly low amount of "assault weapon" usages, should we implement a state-wide ban on such firearms? The only thing it accomplishes is a lot of angry gun owners who feel the government has failed in protecting their civil rights, and they will actively lobby for the removal of this ban.

From your history, you seem to me like an honorable gentleman, and someone who I am proud to have represent me. Should you support this ban, I still retain this respect for you, but I feel it is my duty to tell you how a constituent feels. Take care, and thank you for your time.

Hopefully they can listen if enough of us write in.

 

[geekWithA.45]

RevDisk:

I think personal experiences of that sort are very powerful when dealing with legislators, and I don't think it's mixing the uniform with politics to relate direct experience with the outcome of a policy to decision makers.

I also think it's too important to keep quiet on.

 

[Mike_IN_PA]

thanks for all the attention on this guys, I really appreciate it.

remember to let your friends and family know about this, and please post on other forums to get the word out.

 

[SodiumBenzoate]

Joe Conti got the single worst "Liberty Index" score out of all Republicans and Democrats - an F-. Just found out about the site, but it might be a good one.

Figures.

 

[RAY WOODROW 3RD]

Fight this tooth and nail!

Guys that fled NJ,

The cancer is moving your way. Fight it! You know what Jersey is like. This law sounds A LOT WORST than NJ's current AW ban.

Keep PA free OR what is the NEXT state your moving to?

Draw the line......Stand and fight!

RW3