New York State Senate (Part 1) by Tom Reynolds

Proposed laws must be passed by both houses of the NY State legislature: the Senate and the Assembly.  Over the past thirty years, the Assembly has been dominated by liberal New York City Democrats while the Senate was usually held by Republicans from Upstate and Long Island.  The Senate acted as a buffer to stop most extreme liberal, anti-gun laws from being enacted.  It wasn’t perfect, but it was the only NY government body that was on the side of the 2nd Amendment – most of the time.  The Republican Senators played politics like a goalie; they stopped most, but not all shots, (think SAFE Act), and they never went on offense. 

Prior to the 2018 election, the Republicans held the majority by 32 to 31.  In November 2018’s election, Republicans decisively lost control of the Senate; Democrats defeated five Republican incumbents and won three seats where the Republican incumbent didn’t run.  Later, nine other sitting Republicans announced their retirement.  Over half of the Republican “goalies” from 2018 will be gone in 2021!  In addition, Rob Ortt replaced John Flanagan as the leader of the Senate Republican Conference and Nick Langworthy replaced Ed Cox as the New York Republican Committee Chairman.  Both Ortt and Langworthy are from upstate western New York while their predecessors were from NY City and Long Island.  Has the Republican Party leadership figured out where their base is located?

What happened in 2018?

2016 was a presidential election year and, historically, voter turnout is much greater than two years later, in what is called an “off year election”.   In NY, the governorship is on the ballot in “off year elections”.  NY Senate seats are on the ballot every two years so they are contested in both presidential election years and off years.

Looking just at the total votes for all New York Senators, in 2018 there were 1,013,000 fewer ballots cast than in 2016; fewer votes are expected in an “off year election”. The Democrats cast 263,000 fewer ballots in 2018 than in 2016, while Republicans cast 713,000 fewer ballots in 2018.  In four of the districts that turned from Republican to Democrat in 2018, the Democrats got more votes in 2018 than 2016.

There are three probable causes of this:  First, some might see this as a reaction to President Trump, good or bad.  (But he wasn’t on the ballot).  Second, Republicans were uninspired by the non performing “goalies” in the Senate and registered their disgust by not voting.  (Talk about self-defeating!)  Third, Democrats know their vote counts in NY while many Republicans believe their vote doesn’t count.  Without a presidential election to bring them out, Republicans sat at home while Democrats knew they could elect a governor if they just showed up.  (75% of life is just showing up. Republicans didn’t and their political influence is just barely alive in New York.)

What’s the answer to all this?  Just show up and vote.  Don’t worry just about the presidential election, the down ballot seats are important.  These are the people who will stop or allow anti-gun legislation to pass.  These are the mayors and sheriffs that will make decisions when the “peaceful protesters” come to your neighborhood to steal, burn and pillage.  These are the councilpersons who will vote on defunding your police.  Your future is in your hands.

Open Letter To Governor Cuomo by Tom Reynolds

After watching months of riots engulf America, we say enough is enough.  It’s time for you to take action against weapons that are being used to commit crimes.  It’s time for you to ban Assault Skateboards.  It’s time for you to amend your ban on Assault Weapons to include these dangerous Assault Weapons!

Sure, they are in common use, but anyone watching the videos of the peaceful protests turning violent has to be appalled at the use of Assault Skateboards.  You did not hesitate to ban AR 15 rifles even though they are commonly held firearms by the hundreds of thousands and yet you have not done the same for skateboards, which also are commonly held and number in the hundreds of thousands.

How is a police officer to distinguish a peaceful skateboarder rolling by on his way to peacefully protest from the criminal element who will use the skateboard to destroy and assault?  We’ve seen these weapons used to “break and enter” - a crime.  We’ve seen them used against police in major cities and most recently in an assault in Wisconsin - also crimes.  When will it end?

We saw in Wisconsin how an Assault Skateboard led to the death of the peaceful protester who was beating his victim across the head with his Assault Skateboard.  In Wisconsin the AR15 rifle is legal but in New York they are not.  Governor Cuomo, level the playing field so that skateboarders do not have an advantage over disarmed citizenry.  Ban Assault Skateboards!

Assault Weapons are banned because they look dangerous but skateboards get a pass because they are brightly colored.  That’s called camouflage. 

Remember Michael J. Fox’s use of a skateboard to wreak chaos and havoc in “Back To The Future”?  That is our future unless you act now.  Ban Assault Skateboards.

For those that argue that the skateboard is not an Assault Weapon, we would point out that the AR-15 rifle is also not an "Assault Weapon"; it is a civilian rifle that has not been used by the military and would not be.

Concealed Carry For Everyone’s Safety by Tom Reynolds

Guns to Carry estimates 88,000 “Unrestricted / Concealed Carry” pistol permits in New York State; this is one of the lowest numbers in the nation.  Since NY City’s laws make it nearly impossible for the ordinary citizen to get this permit, it’s logical that most of these permits are in Upstate New York, but that’s still not a lot as a percent of Upstate population. 

Concealed Carry permit holders can discreetly carry a gun anywhere in New York that they are not specifically prohibited. As the term “concealed carry” implies, the firearm cannot be carried in a manner that allows it to be seen by the casual observer.  “Open carry” is prohibited to civilians in New York, (with a few exceptions).

Many anti-Second Amendment groups oppose both open-carry laws and concealed carry laws on the theory that the more guns there are, the more likely there will be gun violence.  (The more cars there are, the more likely there will be fatal auto accidents.  Do they also want to ban cars?  The left isn’t big on consistency.)    

Contrary to the left’s imagery, gun carriers are not Wyatt Earp wannabe’s.  The purpose of carrying is to discourage violence from ever happening; self-defense through prevention.  We hope to never fire a weapon at another human being - and probably never will.  But if criminals know there may be someone in the vicinity who is armed and ready to respond, that may stop them.    

To get an Unrestricted permit, gun owners are identified as unlikely criminals.  Gun owners undergo background checks and must get court approvals.  They probably took some instruction in order to qualify for the “Unrestricted” permit.  Most criminal shootings are done by someone who is not licensed, illegally obtained a firearm and has not taken and passed a NICS background check test.   

Most people don’t know who is carrying a weapon because the guns are – well – concealed.  The gun might be under a shirt or coat or perhaps strapped to a leg or inside a purse.  But if you are a criminal considering doing a criminal act – which is by definition what criminals do - they also don’t know who might be “carrying”.  An experienced criminal “cases the joint” before acting and wants to be in control.  The unknown does not contribute to being in control. That uncertainty in the criminal’s mind helps protect everyone, even those not carrying a weapon and who may also be anti-gun / anti 2^nd Amendment.    

Might that girl with long hair and a tattoo at the local farmer’s market be carrying?  Guns are not just a “male thing”.  More and more women are carrying weapons for protection.   

Is a potential murderer thinking of shooting up a religious service?  Surprise!  A gunman in Texas was immediately shot by a parishioner who was armed to stop such a shooting.  Many churches, synagogues and other houses of worship have armed members with concealed carry permits in attendance.

The media doesn’t publicize it, but almost every day there is an incident where a good guy with a gun stops a bad guy.  Gun advocate organizations like the NRA and Ammoland publicize what the main stream media will not.

What if everyone without a Concealed Carry license wore a sign on their back that said “Not Armed” or if houses without a gun had a sign that said “This House Does Not Have a Gun”?  How do you think that would affect criminal behavior?  Discreet possession of firearms protects us all.   If you don’t have a concealed carry permit, consider getting it.

Be careful of political jokes, they sometimes get elected by Tom Reynolds

Years ago, politicians and the government were the equal opportunity butts of jokes. That was before the government was seen as the answer to all problems. (You shouldn’t make jokes about your savior). A century ago, Will Rogers was one of the best at taking a bipartisan look at the fallacies of both parties. Many of his jokes are as timely today as they were then.

Congress

It's easy being a humorist when you've got the whole government working for you.

I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.

This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.

Late night talk show hosts

Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.

Buying political offices hasn’t changed

A fool and his money are soon elected.

Politics has become so expensive that it takes a lot of money even to be defeated. America has the best politicians money can buy.

Political Parties

Democrats are the only reason to vote for Republicans.

The more you read and observe about this Politics thing, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other.

I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.

The difference between a Republican and a Democrat is that the Democrat is a cannibal, they live off each other, while the Republicans live off the Democrats.

Politicians are just a bunch of local bandits, sent by their local voters to raid the public treasury.

Was Rogers Against Mail in voting?

There is only one redeeming thing about this whole election. It will be over at sundown.

Did he foresee Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi?

I don't know who started the idea that a President must be a Politician instead of a Business man. A Politician can't run any other kind of business. So, there is no reason why he can run the U.S. That's the biggest single business in the World.

A president just can't make much showing against congress. They lay awake nights, thinking up things to be against the president on.

Trump’s Foreign Policy

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.

Bernie Sanders and followers?

A conservative is a man who has plenty of money and doesn't see any reason why he shouldn't always have plenty of money. A Democrat is a fellow who never had any, but doesn't see any reason why he shouldn't have some.

2ND Amendment

Ammunition beats persuasion when you are looking for freedom.

The Current Playbook Is Old News by Tom Reynolds Is it difficult to comprehend what is happening and why it is happening?  Uri Bezmenov may help.  He was a KGB defector who was amazingly prophetic in describing the current playbook during a 1984 interview.  Demoralize the nation by undermining its values; do away with moral values.  Students taught by leftist disciples are indoctrinated into beliefs contrary to American values.  This will change a person’s and eventually society’s perception of reality to the extent that they are unable to reach sensible conclusions in spite of information to the contrary.  (If one sees riots, arson and looting as “peaceful protests”, that would seem to qualify as a refusal to believe truths in spite of evidence to the contrary.)   Destabilization is the decline in society by destabilizing and subverting the economy, foreign relations, defense and social values.    (Obama “apologized for American foreign relations and defense activities.  The free market economy - Capitalism - is condemned even though it created a huge middle class with tremendous benefits.  Hollywood glorifies activities that were previously condemned and constantly paints American values as evil.)  Crisis builds on the first two building blocks in order to bring about violent change in the power structure.  (Giving in to terrorist activities and even identifying with the terrorists by kneeling shifts power to those same terrorists. Bring Capitalism down through government closings related to the China Virus and replace Capitalism with “free stuff”.) New Normal is the cynical way of describing what happens after the crisis.  A world government under a benevolent dictator will solve the crisis.  Big brother giving away “free stuff” subverts a free market economy and transfers more power to the government, which makes people more dependent upon it.    Intellectuals, journalists and educators are led to believe that they will be the leaders in this new order but they never achieve that goal.  History has shown that, under communism, these people end up as prisoners instead of powerful.  They are, as Lenin put it, “Useful idiots”.  Bezmenov gives specific examples of this purge of the left in Cambodia, Vietnam, Hitler’s Germany, USSR and Poland.  (But those that do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.  Unfortunately, this history is not taught very much in our current politically correct academic circles.) Bezmenov, who was a soviet defector, pointed out that under a one world government, there is nowhere left to defect to, unlike today where people defect to the United States and rarely from it. Ronald Reagan warned that freedom is only one generation away from extinction and also warned against blaming society for the acts of one individual.  (The latter would seem to cover the George Floyd reaction.)  We cannot let our weariness at the efforts of the left allow us to be the generation that lost our freedom.  We must react with vigor and determination.  And the best way to do it is to register and vote.

Real Empowerment for Women by Andrea Elliott (Delaware County)

Over two years ago, Andrea Elliott wrote an article for Firing Lines.  Below are excerpts from that article that are well worth remembering, today.

There is much talk today about empowering women and how we need a voice. Our voices do not have to be loud, offensive, or vulgar to make a point. Teach our children to use their minds and not their mouths, especially not in the fashion of the Hollywood elite and music icons that many seem to put on a pedestal; teach them to choose better heroes. The noise in the media is such a poor message to be sending our young women.

The best way to empower our girls is to teach them self-defense. Teach them to honor their lives and the lives of others. Teach them to honor their body and protect it. 

Teach them to be respectable leaders, not mindless followers. Teach them to be patriotic, stand for the flag and recite the pledge of allegiance along with you.

Teach them to put down their phones, take up arms and do some target shooting. Teach them survival skills. Have them join competitive shooting teams. Support local sporting clubs and participate in outdoor activities that get kids away from the chaos of school and questionable influences.

When I see Dads and their daughters in full gear going out on a hunt it makes me smile, as the joy on their faces is what I remember feeling when my dad took me with him to hunt.

And very importantly, teach them about the Constitution and how important it is, especially the 2^nd Amendment. They won’t learn it in school. 

Teach them about voting, and how to vet a candidate. Take them to meet elected officials and ask them questions in a respectful manner.

Let’s set a good example for the next generation. You will not see me or any of my family wearing fake vaginas on our heads to protest how unfair life is. We will pull on our boots, roll up our sleeves and get to work – mostly behind the scenes at a grassroots level- because that is where a good foundation starts. Our best voice is our quiet confidence and willingness to step outside our comfort zone, educate ourselves and others in what really matters, and working together to protect ourselves, our families, and our Country. Never waste a teaching moment, our future depends on the time we put into raising our children, and our sons and daughters are depending on us to show them the way and give them a firm foundation to build on. Take extra time with your daughters, because they are the future mothers, and the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world!

Balkanizing America by Tom Reynolds

Yugoslavia existed for over 70 years.  In 1991, the country started breaking down into independent units and civil wars ensued, which finally ended with six independent states.  Wars - not war - since each independent state fought its own wars.  During the wars, words like genocide, ethnic cleansing and mass starvation were often used and an estimated 250,000 people died. 

What does that have to do with SCOPE and the coming election?

Yugoslavia broke apart for ethnic, religious and historical reasons, which is now called identity politics.  Think of the words being used today: racist, white privilege, white supremacy, systemic racism, capitalists, or any hyphenated Americans.  These words divide us into groups that one of the other groups can hate - or at least blame for whatever went wrong in someone’s life.

There have always been issues in America, but our strength has been moving forward; moving beyond those issues.  One reason for Yugoslavia’s divisions was a battle fought 600 years ago.  In America, does anyone hate “Indians” because of Custer’s Last Stand, 144 years ago?  The Japanese and Germans committed horrendous atrocities during World War II but they are now our allies.  Irish, Italians and Chinese all were discriminated against but are now mainstream Americans.  (That’s right, Americans!  Not hyphenated Americans, just plain Americans.)  It’s been over two generations since the civil rights activities of the 1950’s and 1960’s brought change and produced programs such as Affirmative Action which discriminated in favor of blacks.  The pre-China Virus economy included record low unemployment for almost every “identity politics” group.

Progressives, in order to gain power, are trying to split America apart through identity politics.  In essence, to Balkanize us.  There can be no doubt that their goal is to create a new Yugoslavia here and then break up the United States.  Remember, Barack Obama promised to fundamentally transform the U.S.A.  

When the act of an individual, (such as the police officer in Minneapolis who knelt on George Floyd’s neck), is used as a basis for charging systemic racism within police departments (and everywhere else in America) that is wrong and nothing more than another step in balkanizing us.  The left’s systemic racism lie is disproven by the fact that the police chiefs in Seattle and Dallas were black women.  This fact should have been publicized by the main stream media as a rebuttal to the charge of systemic racism.  When the Dallas police chief said, in response to violence, “If you break the law, we will arrest you”, there were calls to fire her.  Rebuttals to the charge of “systemic racism” cannot be tolerated by the left, if they are to achieve balkanizing America.

There are many issues to consider when casting your ballot this November.  Certainly the 2^nd Amendment and preserving our Constitution are important.  But we must also keep in mind that we are under attack on many fronts.  Do candidates mindlessly repeat whatever is in fashion about identity politics in order to balkanize us?  Those are not people operating in the best interests of the America we love and will defend.

Duncan v. Becerra Analysis by Henry Kramer       

A victory!  On August 14, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued its opinion in Duncan v. Becerra, a key case addressing both the Second Amendment and to a lesser extent the Fifth Amendment (takings without compensation).  The result was a considerable victory for the plaintiff and the California Rifle & Pistol Association. 

Before we celebrate this victory for the Second Amendment, another hurdle may emerge. The three judge panel drawn in Duncan happened to include two Republicans (one appointed by Bush and one by Trump) and one Democrat appointee.  The Democrat appointee dissented.  There may be a request for a new hearing by the entire circuit court, (called an en banc review), which could set aside the panel decision.  Liberal judges appointed by Democrats outnumber Republicans on the full Ninth Circuit so the panel decision may still be reversed.

The case also presents a split in opinions within the U.S. Circuit courts and enhances the chances the U.S. Supreme Court may hear the case.  The opinion was replete with legal analysis including citing both U.S. legal history and British legal history (from before independence).

This decision will be binding precedent only within the Ninth Circuit which covers the western part of the country.  It has no effect on federal law in New York which is in the Second Circuit.

What did the court hold?  Judge Lee, the Trump appointee, wrote in the court’s majority opinion: “In the wake of heart-wrenching and highly publicized mass shootings, the state of California barred its citizens from owning so-called ‘large capacity magazines’ (LCMs) that hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. But even well-intentioned laws must pass constitutional muster. California's near-categorical ban of LCMs strikes at the core of the Second Amendment — the right to armed self-defense. Armed self-defense is a fundamental right rooted in tradition and the text of the Second Amendment. Indeed, from pre-colonial times to today's post-modern era, the right to defend hearth and home has remained paramount”.

“California's law imposes a substantial burden on this right to self-defense. The ban makes it criminal for Californians to own magazines that come standard in Glocks, Berettas, and other handguns that are staples of self-defense. Its scope is so sweeping that half of all magazines in America are now unlawful to own in California. Even law-abiding citizens, regardless of their training and track record, must alter or turn over to the state any LCMs that they may have legally owned for years - or face up to a year in jail”.

“The state of California has latitude in enacting laws to curb the scourge of gun violence, and has done so by imposing waiting periods and many other limitations. But the Second Amendment limits the state's ability to second-guess a citizen's choice of arms if it imposes a substantial burden on her right to self-defense. Many Californians may find solace in the security of a handgun equipped with an LCM: those who live in rural areas where the local sheriff may be miles away, law-abiding citizens trapped in high-crime areas, communities that distrust or depend less on law enforcement, and many more who rely on their firearms to protect themselves and their families. California's almost-blanket ban on LCMs goes too far in substantially burdening the people's right to self-defense. We affirm the district court's summary judgment, and hold that California Penal Code section 32310's ban on LCMs runs afoul of the Second Amendment.”

The court also found that the Fifth Amendment’s provision against taking property without compensation was violated.  Advocates for the Fifth Amendment should join with us in defense of the U.S. Constitution.

California was coming for the guns lawfully owned by its law abiding citizens, including those used to defend hearth and home.  This is only the beginning.  If we do not resist, they will not only disarm this nation, they will then come for the other amendments, including the First Amendment (free speech) and the Fifth Amendment (taking without compensation).  All Americans should join us in our fight to preserve the Constitution and vote in November for president and down the ballot as well for candidates who will fight to preserve all our constitutional and legal rights.

Bayonets and Mush by Tom Reynolds, SCOPE President

The founders of Black Lives Matter admit to being Marxists / Communists.  There is a communist saying, attributed to Lenin: “Probe with bayonets.  If you hit mush, proceed; if you encounter steel, withdraw.”  When the Black Lives Matter protests bypassed peaceful and went directly to violence, they were being true to their roots by, in essence, probing with bayonets. 

Black Lives Matter, Antifa and looters cannot be bought off with concessions.  Concessions are treated as weaknesses (mush) and only encourage the aggressors to become more violent in search of greater concessions.

Missouri Attorney General complained online that on one weekend, “…every single one of the St. Louis looters and rioters arrested (36 were arrested) were released back onto the streets by local prosecutor Kim Gardner”.  (The same Kim Gardner who charged the armed St. Louis couple with crimes for defending their property.)  The rioters hit mush and violence escalated.

Fox News reported that Louis Turco, head of the NY City Lieutenants Benevolent Assocaition, said the violence seen during the demonstrations in New York is the byproduct of the new law (bail reform) that requires defendants to be released without cash bail on a long list of misdemeanors and some felonies including arson and burglary.  More mush encouraged more violence.

We’ve all seen the videos of rioters burning buildings and cars, taunting police by screaming in their face, hurling rocks and bottles and breaking into buildings while the police stood idly by because of the orders of their bosses.  Mush again.

Governors shut down churches, schools and anything they deemed non-essential.  But Black Lives Matter riots were apparently essential as they were approved.  Mayors and politicians, all the way up to the House of Representatives, took a knee to Black Lives Matter.  The rioters recognized mush and violence continued.   

Amid calls to defund the police, NY City abolished its plainclothes Anti-Crime unit.   Murders and crime have soared.  Black leaders are now calling for the anti- crime unit be reinstated. 

People arrested in Portland since late May on nonviolent misdemeanor charges during the riots that have lasted over two months won’t be prosecuted.  Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt claimed the new policy recognizes the outrage and frustration over a history of perceived racial injustice that has led to the city’s often violent protests.  (Does he prosecute people over perceived crimes or real crimes?)  BLM recognized real, not perceived, mush.

Chicago has seen increased violence until this weekend when the Mayor FINALLY announced, in advance, that 1,000 police would be deployed to stop violence.  A   shut down of an expressway didn’t happen and only about 200 “protesters” showed up.  The police were aggressive in preventing violence from escalating and it didn’t.  The communists finally hit steel!

The United States has a long-standing policy of not negotiating with terrorists.  Black Lives Matter and Antifa have behaved like terrorists but mayors, governors and politicians didn’t even negotiate; they just gave in without a whimper.  Mush!  

Why do these officials have no backbone and tolerate crime?  Do they not understand that the people they are enabling will eventually turn on the officials and pull them down.  Extortion such as this doesn’t go away.  It didn’t with Hitler and it didn’t with the Mafia; they just came back for more.  It signals that you are an easy mark, not that you are racially sensitive. 

Confusion Will Reign by Tom Reynolds, SCOPE President

Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris as his running mate.  Has anyone noticed that the left-wing media was portraying her as an extreme leftist when running for President.  But now, when running for Vice President, she is being portrayed by the same left-wing media as a moderate?  The NY Times now describes her as a “Pragmatic moderate”.  (If she’s a moderate then Joe Stalin was simply an agrarian reformer.)

Voters may be very confused this year.

If you are a Democrat and you believe that Joe Biden will serve out his term: do you vote for a guy who won the nomination because he was viewed as the most moderate candidate on the Democrat debate stage but who now says he will be the most progressive president in history?

If you are a Democrat and believe Joe Biden will not serve out four years: do you, in essence, vote for a radical left California progressive who lost the Democrat presidential nomination with about 2% of the vote because she was too radical, but is now being portrayed as moderate?

Of course, Evangelicals face a problem with Donald Trump. His tweeting drives them crazy.  But are his policies (pro-life, pro 1^st Amendment) more important to them than his behavior?

No one should be more confused than Jews, an historically solidly Democratic group.  Do they continue their Democrat history and vote for Biden, who was the VP under Barack Obama, a notoriously anti-Israel President?  Or do they vote for a Republican President that has been unapologetically pro-Israel and even moved our embassy to Jerusalem? 

And prepare yourself for sexual jokes, cartoons and innuendo.

All the accusations against Trump will be reborn and every sexual statement he ever made will be played again and again on CNN.  He will even be, again, accused of violating election laws in 2016 even though that never had any substance.

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown was known for his “flamboyant” lifestyle and his support of “People’s Temple” leader Jim Jones (of drinking the Kool Aid fame).  Brown dated Harris when he was 60 and she was 25.  He has admitted that he may have "influenced" her early career by appointing her to boards. 

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.  If Joe Biden were an employer, he would have violated the law by insisting the VP be a black woman.  But then again, does Harris qualify as black?  Her mother is from India and her father from Jamaica.  (But on the positive side, she can claim more “Indian” blood than Elizabeth Warren!) 

Harris has a white husband who is a successful lawyer.  Does that make him a white supremacist and will Black Lives Matter then disavow her?    

Does Harris owe or will she receive reparations since her father has confessed that their ancestor was a slave holder in Jamaica?

Stay tuned.  It’s going to be a ride.