By Tom Reynolds, SCOPE President

Sinatra: “Chicago, Chicago that toddling town…”

Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) appeared on CNN’s State of the Union and asserted “We are being inundated with guns from states that have virtually no gun control, no background checks, no ban on assault weapons — that is hurting cities like Chicago.”

Oh really!  What are the facts?

Every time anyone in the United States purchases a gun from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), that FFL runs a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check.  And sometimes the FFL checks to see if the buyer has passed a background check via a state-issued concealed-carry permit. Even in states that allow individual private sales, it is illegal to knowingly sell to anyone who you believe is obtaining a firearm for criminal purposes. 

How about somebody who crosses state lines to buy a gun? That person undergoes the same NICS background check.

What about those online sales of guns? The exact same laws apply to all online sales.

The vast majority of Americans obtain their guns in one of these ways, and those people rarely commit crimes of any kind, never mind homicides.

On top of all this, every FFL is required by federal law to report to the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) the purchase of two or more handguns by the same person within a week. To avoid this requirement, unscrupulous individuals may attempt to use straw purchasers.  Too often, officials, especially in “soft on crime” areas like Chicago, will fail to prosecute these straw purchasers.  It isn’t as though those laws aren’t already on the books; they are. It’s just that criminals ignore laws and get tacit approval from officials who do not prosecute them.

Most importantly, the “assault-weapons bans” that Lightfoot brings up would have no bearing on Chicago’s murder rate, even if those bans actually worked. The vast majority of gun related murders, (both in Chicago and nationwide) are committed with illegally obtained handguns (not rifles or shotguns).  Despite her indefensible vilification of out-of-state gun sellers of handguns and long guns, Chicago has been a poorly run criminal nexus for decades.  (Remember “The Untouchables” from the 1930’s?)  Black-market handguns make their way to Lori Lightfoot’s city, because there is a huge demand for them by criminals!

Don’t think that politicians like Mayor Lightfoot would be satisfied with turning off the flood of illegal handguns. Presidential candidate Joe Biden has said his gun control plan does not include confiscation of legally owned weapons but he also said that his administration would come for “assault weapons”.   America no longer has a federal ban on “assault weapons” so “assault weapons” are legal at the federal level.  Biden’s plan has to include making something illegal that is currently legal!  Does anyone believe that he and his radical left friends will stop with only making “assault weapons” illegal?  As far as leftist politicians are concerned, guns are guns and they should never be in the hands of private citizens, period.

Don’t allow state and local candidates and incumbents—council members, mayors, district attorneys, judges, state senators, assembly members—who think like the Chicago Mayor to take or occupy elected office in New York State. Vote on November 3^rd and take a few like-minded friends and neighbors with you. 

By Tom Reynolds, SCOPE President

On July 23^rd, the New York State Senate’s web site reported that the Senate passed a ghost guns bill (S.7763). 

One of its sponsors, Senator Brad Hoylman (D) said about it “Retailers report sky-high demand for ghost guns, untraceable weapons that can evade even New York’s historically strong gun safety regulations.” 

Another Senator Anna M. Kaplan (D) said that the purpose of the bill was to, “...close the dangerous loopholes that allow untraceable ghost guns to be obtained by people who would otherwise be unable to obtain a legal firearm”.

Stop and read both these statements closely.

“Retailers report sky-high demand for ghost guns, untraceable weapons…” It may shock the Senator to know that retailers, otherwise known as Federal Firearms Licensees (FFL’s), are not allowed to sell untraceable weapons!  But it is a different story for your street corner, illegal arms dealer, (now labelled as “retailers” by Senator Hoylman).  These “retailers” may indeed have “sky-high demand” for ghost guns, but probably not from law abiding citizens.  Of course, all the sales of these street corner, “undocumented retailers” were and are illegal, whether ghost guns or not. 

Senator Kaplan says it will “...close the dangerous loopholes that allow untraceable ghost guns to be obtained by people who would otherwise be unable to obtain a legal firearm”.  What loopholes allowed people who would “be unable to obtain a legal firearm” to legally obtain a firearm from a licensed FFL?  If the law prohibits a person from legally buying a firearm, doesn’t it also prohibit them from illegally buying a firearm? 

Remember, laws only stop law abiding citizens.  Criminals, by definition, know they are doing something illegal and they are unlikely to be stopped by more laws saying that what they already are illegally doing  - is illegal.  FFL’s could not sell ghost guns both before and after this law was passed.

Unfortunately, most people reading the Senators’ statements won’t stop to think about the logic of what is being said and, frankly, that’s the point of their carefully crafted political garbage. 

Whatever your feelings are on ghost guns (and do you really know what a ghost gun is) New York State laws are being enacted based on misinformation promulgated for political purposes by people who don’t really know much about what they are enacting. No one’s freedom should depend on the behavior of the lawless or the ineptitude of government.  Keep this in mind when you evaluate candidates for your vote on November 3^rd.

By Tom Reynolds, SCOPE President

Our Declaration of independence says that we are endowed by our Creator with, “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted.” Repeat that thought; Governments are formed to protect Life Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 

Under Missouri law (Title XXXVIII 571.030) it is unlawful to “exhibit, in the presence of one or more persons, any weapon readily capable of lethal use in an angry or threatening manner”…however, this section “shall not apply to persons who are engaged in a lawful act of defense”.

A St. Louis couple were threatened by an illegal mob that was trespassing on a private street.  The couple openly held firearms to avoid violence by showing the mob that they were armed and could potentially use their firearms.  By displaying their firearms, the homeowners prevented further violence.  The home owners didn’t have police protection so they armed themselves in self-defense and no violence occurred.  But a politically driven prosecutor is ignoring self-defense and charging the couple with a crime that could put them in jail for four years. (The Missouri governor has said he will pardon them, but that can only happen after conviction!)

Self-defense is a basic human right. Just as important is Self-defense through prevention.  Violence prevention by engaging “in a lawful act of self-defense”. 

The left wing is fanatical about leaving you helpless. If you make a minor mistake while using a gun, in a threatening situation which calls for an instant decision, that gives the government fascist the excuse to persecute you. Self-defense be damned.

People use vicious dogs for protection so possible attackers will see the dog and no violence will occur.  Public officials like Governor Cuomo surround themselves with police officers who are visibly armed so that no violence will occur.  That’s self-defense through prevention.  The home owners didn’t have police protection so they armed themselves in self-defense and no violence occurred.

Observe the behavior of the “peaceful protesters” who have been destroying and looting cities.  When the police stood aside and the mob knew there would be no consequences, looting, arson and assaults occurred.  Rapid response by the police in the initial stages would have taught the mob that there were consequences to their actions and deterred them from further violence.  The police would have been stopping current violence and would have been deterring future violence.  

Governor Cuomo has shown that he wants to disarm you with the help of local DA’s, NY’s Attorney General and left-wing local officials.  Gun owners need to pay attention to all positions on ballots.  Down ballot positions like D.A.’s, judges, sheriffs, councilpersons and mayors can have an immediate impact on your lives.  Work with SCOPE to analyze these candidates, speak out and publish the findings. 

If you are not registered to vote, you have until October 9^th to do so.  Vote on November 3^rd.  You must register as a member of a party before November’s election to vote in next year’s primary.  The life and property you save may be your own. 

Our Declaration of independence says that we are endowed by our Creator with, “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted.” Repeat that thought; Governments are formed to protect Life Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Under Missouri law (Title XXXVIII 571.030) it is unlawful to “exhibit, in the presence of one or more persons, any weapon readily capable of lethal use in an angry or threatening manner”…however, this section “shall not apply to persons who are engaged in a lawful act of defense”.

A St. Louis couple were threatened by an illegal mob that was trespassing on a private street. The couple openly held firearms to avoid violence by showing the mob that they were armed and could potentially use their firearms. By displaying their firearms, the homeowners prevented further violence. The home owners didn’t have police protection so they armed themselves in self-defense and no violence occurred. But a politically driven prosecutor is ignoring self-defense and charging the couple with a crime that could put them in jail for four years. (The Missouri governor has said he will pardon them, but that can only happen after conviction!)

Self-defense is a basic human right. Just as important is Self-defense through prevention. Violence prevention by engaging “in a lawful act of self-defense”.

The left wing is fanatical about leaving you helpless. If you make a minor mistake while using a gun, in a threatening situation which calls for an instant decision, that gives the government fascist the excuse to persecute you. Self-defense be damned.

People use vicious dogs for protection so possible attackers will see the dog and no violence will occur. Public officials like Governor Cuomo surround themselves with police officers who are visibly armed so that no violence will occur. That’s self-defense through prevention. The home owners didn’t have police protection so they armed themselves in self-defense and no violence occurred.

Observe the behavior of the “peaceful protesters” who have been destroying and looting cities. When the police stood aside and the mob knew there would be no consequences, looting, arson and assaults occurred. Rapid response by the police in the initial stages would have taught the mob that there were consequences to their actions and deterred them from further violence. The police would have been stopping current violence and would have been deterring future violence.

Governor Cuomo has shown that he wants to disarm you with the help of local DA’s, NY’s Attorney General and left-wing local officials. Gun owners need to pay attention to all positions on ballots. Down ballot positions like D.A.’s, judges, sheriffs, councilpersons and mayors can have an immediate impact on your lives. Work with SCOPE to analyze these candidates, speak out and publish the findings.

If you are not registered to vote, you have until October 9th to do so. Vote on November 3rd. You must register as a member of a party before November’s election to vote in next year’s primary. The life and property you save may be your own.