johninminnesota
Member
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2007
- Messages
- 12
Time to get involved - see email sent out below (quoted), and if you can, show up at the state capitol - Thursday March 13th at 12:30 PM with your support sign. The author of this bill needs a show of support to get this bill moving.
Friends, neighbors,
A hearing on the "castle doctrine" bill is scheduled at the state capitol this Thursday March 13th at 12:30 pm - Room 10 of the State Office Building, the big brick building across from the State Capitol. Many other states have already adopted this legislation because they understood the need and usefulness of giving law abiding citizens the right to defend themselves against violent criminals. Representative Tony Cornish, author of the bill, says he needs some citizens to attend this hearing so there is a show of support. Those who oppose it are going to be there showing their opposition.
We are coordinating a caravan to the capitol to show support. If you can make it please email me and let's make use of the car pooling lanes we've paid so much for.
Here is a link to the house file: http://wdoc.house.leg.state.mn.us/leg/LS85/HF0498.0.pdf
Sometimes called the "Shoot First" bill, this legislation is opposed by people who are afraid to have citizens defending themselves. They mistakenly think that it will turn our cities and state into the wild west - just as they thought the Minnesota Personal Protection Act (permit to carry a pistol) would. The fact is, nothing like that has or will happen. Law abiding citizens are least likely to use violence, and in cases where they could, it means that a criminal is about to do "substantial bodily harm"! As it stands, before a citizen can use lethal force they must determine that their life is in jeopardy or that they risk "great bodily harm" - as opposed to "substantial bodily harm"... you tell me the difference?
Existing laws don't protect the citizen from being arrested, hauled off in handcuffs, and booked for a crime (like discharge of a firearm in city limits...). The new law requires an initial investigation to determine if the citizen was acting in self defense before the citizen is arrested. Existing laws do nothing to protect citizens from civil litigation by the perpetrator or their family, and most unjust, from prosecution by a District Attorney without just cause. In any event, as it stands, a citizen is required to hire an attorney and defend themselves from the outset, leaving their ultimate fate in the hands of a jury who may or may not understand the logistics of a violent encounter - the split second decisions, the distance a person can travel in under 2 seconds, and the harrowing fear that grips most people when they are in such a situation (all brought on by a violent criminal who doesn't care about your life or well being).
From: National Center For Policy Analysis: http://www.ncpa.org/pub/st/st176/
Despite some 20,000 gun laws in the United States, mostly at the state and local levels, there is little evidence that any but the most weakly motivated citizens have been discouraged from gun ownership. And there is no evidence that these gun control laws have made a dent in the crime rate.
Over the years, police and other experts have changed their recommendations about how to deal with criminals. In the early and middle 1970s, they advised cooperating with robbers and rapists to minimize chances of personal injury. Today, some who gave that advice tacitly admit that it was misguided. They now urge resistance in selected instances, especially for rape victims. Studies show that robbery and rape victims who resist with a gun are only half as likely to suffer injuries as those who put up no defense.
I urge you to get involved in this process. If you can't make the hearing, please notify the legislators below via email or telephone to support this bill and get it approved by the house and senate so we can protect ourselves wherever we may be.
SEND THIS EMAIL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS SO THEY CAN CHIME IN!
Chair: Joe Mullery DFL
367 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Minneapolis
Bigham - DFL [email protected]
529 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Cottage Grove
Newport
St. Paul Park
South St. Paul
Cornish - R [email protected]
281 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Amboy
Bricelyn
Delavan
Eagle Lake
Easton
Frost
Garden City
Good Thunder
Janesville
Kiester
Lake Crystal
Madison Lake
Mapleton
MN Lake
New Richland
Pemberton
St. Clair
Vernon Center
Waldorf
Walters
Wells
DeLaForest - R [email protected]
323 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Ham Lake
Andover
Emmer - R [email protected]
261 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Delano
Albertville
Waverly
Rockford
St. Michael
Otsego
Montrose
Hilstrom - DFL [email protected]
379 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Brooklyn Park
Brooklyn Center
Holberg - R [email protected]
303 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Burnsville
Lakeville
Johnson - DFL [email protected]
549 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Saint Paul
Kalin - DFL [email protected]
579 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Harris
Center
Wyoming
Taylors Falls
Chisago
Lindstrom
Shafer
Stacy
Rush
North Branch
Kohls - R [email protected]
313 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Watertown
Waconia
Belle Plaine
Cologne
Chaska
Carver
Hamburg
New Germany
Norwood Young America
Mayer
Victoria
Kranz - DFL [email protected]
411 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Blaine
Lesch- DFL [email protected]
537 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
St. Paul
Lillie - DFL [email protected]
353 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
North St. Paul
Maplewood
Olin - DFL [email protected]
593 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Grygla
Holt
Halma
Humboldt
Hallock
Middle River
Donaldson
Karlstad
Lake Bronson
Lancaster
Kennedy
Strandquist
St. Vincent
Roseau
Roosevelt
Greenbush
Badger
Thief River Falls
Strathcona
Warroad
Newfolden
Paymar - DFL [email protected]
543 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
St. Paul
Sailer - DFL [email protected]
577 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Shevlin
Park Rapids
Goodridge
Kelliher
Gully
Trail
Blackduck
Funkley
Leonard
Gonvick
Solway
Tenstrike
Clearbrook
Bagley
Turtle River
Wilton
Simon - DFL [email protected]
375 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
St. Louis Park
Hopkins
Smith - R [email protected]
253 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Medina
Minnetrista
Maple Plain
Independence
Mound
Loretto
Plymouth
Spring Park
St. Bonifacius
Westrom - R [email protected]
277 State Office Building
100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
Alberta
Alexandria
Ashby
Barrett
Brandon
Chokio
Donnelly
Elbow Lake
Erdahl
Evansville
Forada
Garfield
Hancock
Herman
Hoffman
Homes City
Leaf Valley Township
Kensington
Melby
Millerville
Morris
Norcross
Wendell
