Sign the petition: NOT A DIME FOR PHILLY!

[takhtakaal]

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/notadimephilly

The mayor of the City of Philadelphia, Michael Nutter, has signed into law, on this date, April 11, 2008, five bills concerning firearms:

http://webapps.phila.gov/council/detailreport/matter.aspx?key=8098
http://webapps.phila.gov/council/detailreport/matter.aspx?key=8099
http://webapps.phila.gov/council/detailreport/matter.aspx?key=8113
http://webapps.phila.gov/council/detailreport/matter.aspx?key=8114
http://webapps.phila.gov/council/detailreport/matter.aspx?key=8116

As per The Daily News, the "laws limit purchases of handguns to one a month unless the Police Department provides written authorization, make it a crime to not report a lost or stolen gun within 48 hours, allow police to confiscate guns from people considered a danger to themselves or others and ban semiautomatic weapons with clips that hold more than 10 rounds."

The worst of these laws is an assault weapons ban, with a thirty-day grace period, and no grandfathering. Of lesser, but still grave concern, is the law that gives the Philadelphia Police Department and the court system's judges wide latitude in deciding who is and isn't fit to be in possession of a firearm.

These five laws are illegal under Pennsylvania state law 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 6120(a):

§ 6120. Limitation on municipal regulation of firearms and ammunition.

(a) General rule.--No county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth.

( available here: http://www.palrb.us/pamphletlaws/19001999/1994/0/act/0084.pdf )

We presume that Mayor Nutter is aware of the illegality of this situation, and yet he has persisted in attempting to create a double-standard by passing and intending to enforce these illegal laws.

We, the undersigned, as those otherwise legally licensed or authorized carriers of weapons now made illegal in the City of Philadelphia, recognize that our presence or passage through the City would be unwelcome, if not legally questionable.

Furthermore, we recognize that, it being our right to gather in free assembly in such places as would welcome us, and to spend our money with those who would not damn us for our insistence on the right to bear arms and see Philadelphia follow the rule of Commonwealth law, we should most likely avoid trade with and travel to or through the City of Philadelphia and its merchants and service-providers therein.

We so resolve not to spend a single thin dime in the City of Philadelphia, until such time as its Mayor and City Council return to their senses, recognize the supremacy of the State Legislature in this matter, nullify these laws, and order the Philadelphia Police Department to desist in attempts to enforce them.

Furthermore, we hereby remind Mayor Nutter and the Philadelphia City Council of the Pennsylvania State Constitution, which states, in Article 1, Section 21, "The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned."

 

[takhtakaal]

Can anyone resolve the petition URL?

It's back up and functioning.

 

[JCMAG]

That website has so many advertisements and invasive programs that it crashed my web browser...

Frankly, I don't see the point in this. Shouldn't we be sending a petition to the state assembly? Does someone know how to set up a petition for that?

What we ought to be petitioning is to cut off state funding to the city until it gets its self back in line with the law... This is insubordination, an act of defiance against the rule of law, and completely unacceptable from a legal point of view.

Not to mention: downright unconstitutional for two different constitutions.

 

[takhtakaal]

We get the signatures. Then we petition the state government if nothing is done.

The problem is Big Ed. I think he's rather in cahoots.

 

[lanternlad1]

If these laws are illegal under state law, they will be overturned by the courts, just like San Fran's handgun ban was. I wouldn't worry too much. Nutter is just trying to seem tough on crime. I'm willing to bet he knows these will be overturned. On the other hand "Nutter" is a good last name for him...

 

[SaltH2OHokie]

WOW, I could hardly figure out how to sign it for all of the things popping out at me...

 

[mike101]

Why do the antis ALWAYS insist on dragging "assault rifles" into everything? When Hillary was giving a speech in Philly yesterday, she mentioned the importance of banning "assault weapons", in regard to reducing Philly's homicide rate. So Hillary is again making noises like the anti she is. This after pretending not to be, a few weeks ago.

I watch the news from Philly every night. Of all of the hundreds of murders that have taken place in Philly over the last few years, do you know how many I recall being comitted with an "assault rifle"? None, nada, zero, zip, niente.

One day, Nutter is going to realize this, and he's going to try to ban handguns. That is, if the Commonwealth of Pennsyvania doesn't spank him first.

What I don't understand is how Nutter can sign something into law, when it's illegal, according to state law. How can the city compel people to obey a municipal law that is superceded by a state law?

 

[Zeke/PA]

Apparently Lynn Abraham has recently earmarked 25 individuals in the illegal gun trade for prosecution.
This sounds great but the city has on backlog 6,000 other gun related crimes to deal with (Sunday Inquirer March23, 2008) so Ms. Abraham's efforts are obviously a "feel good " venture at best.
The politicos can't seem to grasp what we as legit gun owners have known for a long time, that is, till punishment is quick, meaningful and severe, we will be burdened with a gun crime problem.
Zeke

 

[Clipper]

Instead of a petition to the city, who obviously couldn't care less, I would like to see one directed to the Pensylvania AG calling for the arrest and prosecution of the mayor and council for their violation of state law in enacting the ordinance, and, if anyone is arrested, the police chief.

 

[shdwfx]

Online petitions don't mean jack-diddly-squat.

They have no defense against "ballot stuffing", so their credibility is worth nil. For instance, any software developer worth his salt could write a program to scan yahoo yellow pages for names and addresses to populate the petition. Doesn't mean this petition has that problem, but there's no way to prove it doesn't.

Too, there's no way to weed out "concerned citizens abroad" from Pennsylvania residents. They won't give a whit unless you are a voter there.

 

[.cheese.]

wow.... the one that is basically an city-wide AWB really sucks.

I wonder how that will play out. Penn folks... please make sure these get overturned!