Maryland CCW letter Campaign

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monsternav

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Jun 12, 2004
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271
Location
Lexington Park, MD
Trying to get real CCW in MD!

CCW reform may not be your hot button issue, but consider what it will do. With shall-issue CCW any law-abiding citizen will be able to get a concealed carry permit. When they trust any law-abiding citizen to carry loaded guns in public then how could they consider that law-abiding citizens would have to have integral locks on their guns; or couldn't be trusted with semi-automatic rifles with pistol grips; or that they would have to wait 7 days to get another gun (while they are already wearing one) .... CCW reform changes us from always being on the defensive concerning gun rights - to making them prove their position. If CCW reform passes then suddenly the gun control folks will look quite silly to everyone.

Please take a moment to write Governor Ehrlich. Use this model letter, or use your own words:
==========

Governor Robert L. Ehrlich
100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401-1925

December 27, 2004

Dear Governor Ehrlich,

As I'm sure you already know, Maryland is #3 in violent crime, #2 in murders, and has more robberies per capita than any other state in the nation. Criminals here can and do carry guns, but the average law-abiding citizen cannot carry a gun to defend themselves.

Thirty-seven states now have shall-issue CCW laws, including most of our neighboring states - all of which have far lower rates of violent crime than we do. While Maryland is #3 in violent crime, Pennsylvania is #23, Virginia is #36 and West Virginia is #42. Are the people of these surrounding shall-issue states so different from our Maryland residents, or is the lower crime due to law-abiding citizens being able to defend themselves with shall-issue concealed carry? Isn't it time we tried following their example?

The idea that allowing law-abiding citizens to have CCW permits will result in more gun use and killings is not supported by facts. In reality, the experience of thirty-seven states over more than a decade proves otherwise. Maryland will give permits to businessmen who handle cash, but not to citizens to protect their lives. Is money more valuable than life?

Law-abiding Maryland residents can easily get CCW permits from Florida, Pennsylvania and Virginia that combined will permit them to carry in 30 states - including every state touching Maryland - yet they cannot get permits to defend themselves in Maryland. Why do 30 states trust Maryland residents more than Maryland trusts her own law-abiding residents? What happens when some Maryland resident who is permitted to carry in other states, but is turned down for a permit here, is injured or killed because they are unable to defend themselves?

It is my understanding that a simple directive from you to the Maryland State Police could loosen the requirements of "a good and substantial reason" to where law-abiding citizens could get permits here in Maryland the same as they can in most other states. Please send that directive to the Maryland State Police. Also please make it known that you want to see CCW reform legislation passed in the current session to ensure a permanent solution.

Sincerely yours,

Full Name
Street address
City, State Zip
phone number

=================

Additional methods of contacting the Governor:
phone 800-811-8336
fax 410-974-3275
email [email protected]

=================

FREE BUMPER STICKERS! "Self-Defense for MD: www.marylandshallissue.org" - just send a SASE to: Maryland Shall Issue, P.O. Box 314, Libertytown, MD 21762

Also please visit our web site often for updates: http://www.marylandshallissue.org
 
Thanks for posting this, Monsternav.

I have posted several threads on the issue, but have seen very few replies. There's over 60 MD THR users here; I thought I'd see more enthusiasm.


The stickers look good, don't they?
 
No problem. The more it is posted, the better chance someone will see it, or get motivated to write in. I think I will send in my Volunteer form for a sticker, they are cool.

Craig
 
I'm a Correctional Officer in Md. and it's very hard to get ccw permit. I will pass your post to all of my co-workers.
 
I'm a little confused......I see Steve Dirlick listed as being active in that organization, but wasn't he in on that meeting a few weeks ago where it was decided that we weren't going to force this issue for this legislative session?

Don't get me wrong....I'm all for it and Steve has been a stalwart member of the group fighting the anti-gunners in this state....he's probably done as much as any four other MDers. However, I think we need to be clear in what our game plan is for this legislative session.

Are we going to have a support from our state legislators? Nancy Jacobs decided to pass on proposing any legislation this year, right?

Not trying to be contrary....just want to have a clearer picture of what's going on....
 
There's been some concern over how to approach the ccw bill, and whether we need a bill at all. It would seem that the Governor could merely make a call to the State Police and have them remove the wording of "citizen must show good and substantial cause" and then us serfs would be able to apply for and receive our MD ccw permits. We need to get the ball rolling now, even if Ehrlich won't rock the boat before election time. As a lame duck. it's far more likely we'll get him to support this.

Another thing that pushing a bill does, is to make Democrats and other anti-self defense people continue being on the record as anti-gun in an increasingly pro-gun state. We have many Democratic Senators and Delegates that support this bill.

Steve has always supported the legislative route; it was Sandy Abrams who didn't want to make any noise about it. There's been a lot of speculation that Sandy's retail interests (Valley Gun) and being an NRA Board Member has motivated him to uh....not push the issue for some reason. The NRA has done NOTHING for us on this, and I think as a retailer, Sandy is more concerned about AWB's and trigger lock laws.

Nancy Jacobs didn't want to be the lead sponsor of the bill. It would seem that her Republican interests outweigh her constituents' interests (READ - More interested in seeing Ehrlich re-elected right now). Although to be fair, she is generally a quite solid pro-gun Senator.

We actually have enough votes to get the bill out of committee, but that's where the political chess game really begins.

p-16, welcome to The High Road
 
P-16:
I dont have the MSP's CCW issuance manual here at my apartment (its boxed up at my parents' house, I got a copy through the Public Information Act), but I believe correctional officers easily get a CCW permit, or at least more easily than normal people.

Kharn
 
I share Norton's sentiments. It would be nice to have a coordinated effort among the MD gunowners, whatever the decision is.

P-16 - You might want to touch base with Dave McCracken over in the shotgun section. He is a retired MD correctional officer. I believe he has a CCW permit, but it is very limited.
 
Thanks BB62.

I see you're in Ohio......some pretty fierce ccw battles there, yes?
 
I just mailed it out. I modified the language a bit to more closely resemble my writing style, but what you wrote is pretty much identical.
 
Spot77,

Yes, fierce battles in Ohio - but made MUCH easier by an Ohio Supreme Court ruling which tepidly (not wholly) approved open carry.

SO - a bunch of us, organized locally with mostly local people, openly carried in "Defense Walks". This got the legislature's attention and we got a putrid CCW law (pretty damn fast!), which is better than what we had.

Now we have the most prehistoric law out there, but we went from no CCW (unless you were willing to be arrested and prove you had good cause) to Shall Issue.

See www.ofcc.net for more info, or PM me if you want details about the evolution of the above for energizing the RKBA types up your way.


BB62
 
I just emailed the governor. Will let you know if I get a response.

Tried to keep it simple and cordial.

Also, putting the volunteer form and a check in the mail now.

I would love to see Maryland become more free while I'm here!
 
Here is the letter I sent:

Dear Governor Ehrlich,

I am writing to you today to ask for your help in a matter that I feel is very
important. First, let me introduce myself. My name is ******* and I am
a registered voter and resident of Pasadena in Anne Arundel County. I am a stay at home Mom to my two children, ages 2 and 4.

As a parent, I am sure you can relate to the feeling of wanting to protect our
children in any way that we can. I feel that the state of Maryland has let me
down in this respect and I would that to change. I am asking you to please do what you can to reform the current concealed carry laws so that Maryland can join the 37 other states which have shall-issue permits.

Life is our most precious gift, yet in Maryland, money and valuables are considered reasons for obtaining a concealed carry permit, but human life is not. I hope that I am never in a situation where my life or the lives of my family are at risk, but I would certainly hold Maryland accountable for not giving me the right to defend myself.

Concealed firearms in the hands of law abiding citizens lowers crime. In a state where violent crime and murders rank in the top few in the nation, isn't it about time we do something about it? Since criminals are not going to just give up their weapons, I would like to keep them guessing as to who might just fight back.

Please consider what I have said. If there is anything you can suggest for me to do to help shall-issue become a reality in Maryland, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

(name, address and phone)
 
Good letter GWAG.....I'm going to make an honest effort tonight to get one put together.
 
Nice note, GWAG.

I'd sure send it to your state rep and senator too.


BB62
 
Am I glad I happened across this thread...and thanx for the suggested letter content. You have another MD supporter.

BR...
 
I sent my letter to the Gov last week. I also filled out the form and paid for 12 bumper stickers. Anybody in the Frederick area wants one, PM me. We'll hook up somehow and I'll give you one.
 
there's even a PR push

from today's Maryland Journal (page 12)

http://www.jrnl.com/PDFs/mtg/wednesday.pdf

"Maryland’s gun laws
are too arbitrary"

Arbitrary discrimination is
bad, even when it applies to
something controversial – like
guns.

Maryland is a “may issueâ€
state, which means that even if a
person applying for a license to
carry a concealed firearm meets
all the state’s requirements, even
if she is not a felon, she passes an
FBI background check, she is
not mentally ill or dependent on
drugs or alcohol, she’s taken a
gun safety course and paid the
fees, she can be denied a permit
by any government official on
any grounds – or no grounds at
all.

At least three Maryland
women who have been raped
applied for licenses to protect
themselves and were denied.

Virginia, on the other hand, is
“shall issue†state – like 36
others. Unless the government
can prove the woman should not
have a license, she gets one.

End the arbitrary
discrimination. Make Maryland
a “shall issue†state.

(Ms. Gazette reader)
Bethesda
 
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