Monkeyleg
Member.
Dear fellow gun owner:
Today, Governor Doyle proposed a series of anti-gun laws that could seriously affect you, your friends, and your family.
One proposal is a law to "close the gunshow loophole." This proposal would ban all private sales of firearms. All sales would have to go through a licensed dealer, and the buyer would have to undergo a background check. Not only will this make it more difficult for you to buy or trade guns with your friends or family, but it will also make it more expensive. Remember that the governor's budget includes a $22 increase in the background check fee.
Doyle is also proposing to roll back the state's pre-emption law, which was passed in 1995. The pre-emption law prevents municipalities from enacting gun laws more strict than those at the state level. Eliminating our pre-emption law would result in bans on handguns such as the one that Madison had in the early 1990's, and would open the door for all sorts of other restrictive laws. Rolling back the pre-emption law would also allow cities and towns to continue to ban concealed carry once we get our carry bill passed.
The governor also proposed prohibiting possession or purchase of a firearm by anyone who had been convicted of a misdemeanor involving a gun. This would result in denying Second Amendment rights to people who have committed even the most minor infractions, such as improperly transporting a gun (Or carring a concealed weapon). It would amount to a lifetime ban on gun ownership, something that is usually reserved for felonies.
Doyle also proposed a bill requiring "ballistic fingerprinting" on all guns. Under such a law, manufacturers would be required to make guns that would imprint a serial number or other distinguishing mark on a bullet. Such a law was proposed in California, but the manufacturers made it clear that the manufacturing costs of such legislation would require them to stop selling guns in California. Also, supporters of so-called "ballistic fingerprinting" laws ignore the fact that barrels change over time and, thus, so would the markings. Further, it would be very easy for a criminal to alter the barrel to change the imprint. A "ballistic fingerprinting" system in Wisconsin would cost millions of dollars to implement, would likely force gun manufacturers to stop selling guns in Wisconsin and, ultimately, would have no effect on crime.
It is vitally important that we stop the governor in his tracks, before his proposals can be introduced in the legislature.
Please contact your legislator and let him or her know that you oppose Governor Doyle's proposals. If you don't know who your legislator is, go to http://waml.legis.state.wi.us/ and enter your street address.
Remember Governor Doyle's promise during last year's campaign that he wouldn't interfere with the rights of gun owners? Chalk that up to just another empty campaign promise. Governor Jim Doyle has always been anti-gun, and always will be.
Thanks,
The Wisconsin Concealed Carry Association
*****
Dear fellow gun owner:
In an earlier email, we described Governor Doyle's proposal for a "ballistic fingerprinting" system as being similar to one that was proposed in California.
The system that Governor Doyle is proposing is actually similar to one that was adopted by the state of Maryland. Maryland's system required manufacturers to submit a fired shell casing from each manufactured gun to the state police, so that law enforcement agencies could use the casing to compare to casings found at a crime scene.
Just as with the California system, though, Maryland's system proved to be an expensive failure. And it did indeed add to the cost of a new gun.
The program was such a failure after five years that the Maryland State Police asked that the program be scrapped.
An Associated Press story from 2005 reported, "...a state police report says such 'fingerprinting' has not helped a single criminal investigation. The superintendent of Maryland State Police says, 'The system really is not doing anything.'*
He thinks the money -- two and a-half million dollars so far -- would be better spent on proven crime-fighting techniques.*"
With Governor Doyle proposing new tax increases almost daily, and the state's economy in rough shape, do we really need a ballistic fingerprinting system that has been proven to be an expensive failure?
Thanks,
The Wisconsin Concealed Carry Association
***********
Dear fellow gun owner:
Today's news carried a schizophrenic story about crime and punishment in Wisconsin.
Governor Doyle held a photo-op at the District 3 police station in Milwaukee, where he unleashed several proposals to deal with violent crime: banning private sales of firearms; establishing a "ballistics fingerprinting" system modeled after the expensive and failed systems in other states; prohibiting people convicted of even minor misdemeanor offenses involving firearms from ever being able to own firearms again; rolling back the state's pre-emption law, which was intended to prevent cities and towns from creating a confusing patchwork of gun control laws; and more.
Also today, an 18 year-old man who shot a 12 year-old girl in the head in June was sentenced. He could have received up to thirty years in prison. Instead, his sentence was six years. With a good attorney, and good behavior, he'll likely be free in two to three years.
That's the absurdity of the criminal justice system. It also demonstrates the absurdity of our political system.
A punk who shot a defenseless and innocent young girl got a slap on the wrist. While this was going on, Governor Doyle was seeking to punish a group of people who would never, ever consider shooting a young child.
Us.
Like most opportunist politicians faced with out-of-control violent crime, Governor Doyle is desperately seeking to assure the public that he is doing something, anything, to stem the increasingly violent wave of crime that has victimized the US for over 30 years.
Problem is, neither Doyle nor the other political media hounds have a solution to the real problems. Instead, they try to pass laws that punish the law-abiding for the acts of criminals, and hope that the public fails to notice that the new laws are no more effective than the old laws.
Imagine the public outrage if Doyle proposed to cut down on drunken driving by making it extremely difficult for sober drivers to buy cars. But that's as good an analogy as you can get.
The punk who shot the 12 year-old girl was already on probation for a gun-related charge.
Think about that for a minute: the shooter disobeyed probably every existing state and federal gun law, but was on probation when he shot a young girl.
Meanwhile, Governor Doyle is trying to score points by making you, your friends, your family and all the rest of the law-abiding gun owners in the state criminals.
And it's all for the cameras. It's all for the media. It's a circus meant to divert the public's attention from the fact that gun control laws have had no effect on violent crime.
You're on our email alert list, which means that you follow the issues. You know what's going on.
But many of your friends in the gun community don't pay attention, and don't realize what's going on or, worse, what's coming.
It doesn't matter if someone's sport is hunting, trap shooting, sporting clays, IPSC, IDPA, plinking, or any other harmless sport: politicians like Governor Doyle are going to use law-abiding gun owners as the whipping boys for their failed social policies.
Anyone who in the past thought that his or her sport was not endangered by politicians like Doyle need to think again. Today's hunting rifle is tomorrow's "sniper rifle." Today's trap shotgun is tomorrow's "criminal's gun of choice."
Governor Doyle fired a shot across the bow today that every last gun owner in the state should be concerned about. The question is whether ALL gun owners are fed up with being blamed for the activities of criminals, and are ready to take on the governor.
Make no mistake: if the governor's proposals today didn't affect you, his next proposals will.
Thanks,
The Wisconsin Concealed Carry Association
Today, Governor Doyle proposed a series of anti-gun laws that could seriously affect you, your friends, and your family.
One proposal is a law to "close the gunshow loophole." This proposal would ban all private sales of firearms. All sales would have to go through a licensed dealer, and the buyer would have to undergo a background check. Not only will this make it more difficult for you to buy or trade guns with your friends or family, but it will also make it more expensive. Remember that the governor's budget includes a $22 increase in the background check fee.
Doyle is also proposing to roll back the state's pre-emption law, which was passed in 1995. The pre-emption law prevents municipalities from enacting gun laws more strict than those at the state level. Eliminating our pre-emption law would result in bans on handguns such as the one that Madison had in the early 1990's, and would open the door for all sorts of other restrictive laws. Rolling back the pre-emption law would also allow cities and towns to continue to ban concealed carry once we get our carry bill passed.
The governor also proposed prohibiting possession or purchase of a firearm by anyone who had been convicted of a misdemeanor involving a gun. This would result in denying Second Amendment rights to people who have committed even the most minor infractions, such as improperly transporting a gun (Or carring a concealed weapon). It would amount to a lifetime ban on gun ownership, something that is usually reserved for felonies.
Doyle also proposed a bill requiring "ballistic fingerprinting" on all guns. Under such a law, manufacturers would be required to make guns that would imprint a serial number or other distinguishing mark on a bullet. Such a law was proposed in California, but the manufacturers made it clear that the manufacturing costs of such legislation would require them to stop selling guns in California. Also, supporters of so-called "ballistic fingerprinting" laws ignore the fact that barrels change over time and, thus, so would the markings. Further, it would be very easy for a criminal to alter the barrel to change the imprint. A "ballistic fingerprinting" system in Wisconsin would cost millions of dollars to implement, would likely force gun manufacturers to stop selling guns in Wisconsin and, ultimately, would have no effect on crime.
It is vitally important that we stop the governor in his tracks, before his proposals can be introduced in the legislature.
Please contact your legislator and let him or her know that you oppose Governor Doyle's proposals. If you don't know who your legislator is, go to http://waml.legis.state.wi.us/ and enter your street address.
Remember Governor Doyle's promise during last year's campaign that he wouldn't interfere with the rights of gun owners? Chalk that up to just another empty campaign promise. Governor Jim Doyle has always been anti-gun, and always will be.
Thanks,
The Wisconsin Concealed Carry Association
*****
Dear fellow gun owner:
In an earlier email, we described Governor Doyle's proposal for a "ballistic fingerprinting" system as being similar to one that was proposed in California.
The system that Governor Doyle is proposing is actually similar to one that was adopted by the state of Maryland. Maryland's system required manufacturers to submit a fired shell casing from each manufactured gun to the state police, so that law enforcement agencies could use the casing to compare to casings found at a crime scene.
Just as with the California system, though, Maryland's system proved to be an expensive failure. And it did indeed add to the cost of a new gun.
The program was such a failure after five years that the Maryland State Police asked that the program be scrapped.
An Associated Press story from 2005 reported, "...a state police report says such 'fingerprinting' has not helped a single criminal investigation. The superintendent of Maryland State Police says, 'The system really is not doing anything.'*
He thinks the money -- two and a-half million dollars so far -- would be better spent on proven crime-fighting techniques.*"
With Governor Doyle proposing new tax increases almost daily, and the state's economy in rough shape, do we really need a ballistic fingerprinting system that has been proven to be an expensive failure?
Thanks,
The Wisconsin Concealed Carry Association
***********
Dear fellow gun owner:
Today's news carried a schizophrenic story about crime and punishment in Wisconsin.
Governor Doyle held a photo-op at the District 3 police station in Milwaukee, where he unleashed several proposals to deal with violent crime: banning private sales of firearms; establishing a "ballistics fingerprinting" system modeled after the expensive and failed systems in other states; prohibiting people convicted of even minor misdemeanor offenses involving firearms from ever being able to own firearms again; rolling back the state's pre-emption law, which was intended to prevent cities and towns from creating a confusing patchwork of gun control laws; and more.
Also today, an 18 year-old man who shot a 12 year-old girl in the head in June was sentenced. He could have received up to thirty years in prison. Instead, his sentence was six years. With a good attorney, and good behavior, he'll likely be free in two to three years.
That's the absurdity of the criminal justice system. It also demonstrates the absurdity of our political system.
A punk who shot a defenseless and innocent young girl got a slap on the wrist. While this was going on, Governor Doyle was seeking to punish a group of people who would never, ever consider shooting a young child.
Us.
Like most opportunist politicians faced with out-of-control violent crime, Governor Doyle is desperately seeking to assure the public that he is doing something, anything, to stem the increasingly violent wave of crime that has victimized the US for over 30 years.
Problem is, neither Doyle nor the other political media hounds have a solution to the real problems. Instead, they try to pass laws that punish the law-abiding for the acts of criminals, and hope that the public fails to notice that the new laws are no more effective than the old laws.
Imagine the public outrage if Doyle proposed to cut down on drunken driving by making it extremely difficult for sober drivers to buy cars. But that's as good an analogy as you can get.
The punk who shot the 12 year-old girl was already on probation for a gun-related charge.
Think about that for a minute: the shooter disobeyed probably every existing state and federal gun law, but was on probation when he shot a young girl.
Meanwhile, Governor Doyle is trying to score points by making you, your friends, your family and all the rest of the law-abiding gun owners in the state criminals.
And it's all for the cameras. It's all for the media. It's a circus meant to divert the public's attention from the fact that gun control laws have had no effect on violent crime.
You're on our email alert list, which means that you follow the issues. You know what's going on.
But many of your friends in the gun community don't pay attention, and don't realize what's going on or, worse, what's coming.
It doesn't matter if someone's sport is hunting, trap shooting, sporting clays, IPSC, IDPA, plinking, or any other harmless sport: politicians like Governor Doyle are going to use law-abiding gun owners as the whipping boys for their failed social policies.
Anyone who in the past thought that his or her sport was not endangered by politicians like Doyle need to think again. Today's hunting rifle is tomorrow's "sniper rifle." Today's trap shotgun is tomorrow's "criminal's gun of choice."
Governor Doyle fired a shot across the bow today that every last gun owner in the state should be concerned about. The question is whether ALL gun owners are fed up with being blamed for the activities of criminals, and are ready to take on the governor.
Make no mistake: if the governor's proposals today didn't affect you, his next proposals will.
Thanks,
The Wisconsin Concealed Carry Association
