Menu
Log in
SCOPE NY

Chairman's Corner

<< First  < Prev   1   2   3   4   5   ...   Next >  Last >> 
  • 12/02/2023 6:39 PM | Anonymous

    CCRKBA: ‘SEATTLE’S NEW MURDER RECORD PROVES GUN CONTROL A DISASTER’

    Nov 30, 2023

    BELLEVUE, WA – The City of Seattle—home to a billionaire-backed gun prohibition lobbying group which bankrolled two gun control initiatives that have been dismal failures—hit a new homicide record this week, ironically with the death of a June stabbing victim, and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said the time has come to repeal the laws that only impact law-abiding citizens and take a new course against criminals.

    Seattle has now posted 70 murders, and there is still one full month remaining for the body count to rise even more.

    “Seattle, and the whole of Washington State, is proof positive that passing laws which only impact honest gun owners accomplish nothing to reduce violent crime,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “We warned people in 2014 that Initiative 594 would not prevent murder or mayhem, and we were right. We told Seattleites in 2015 the tax on guns and ammunition in their city would not prevent shootings or slayings, and we were right. We cautioned voters in 2018 that Initiative 1639 would not keep guns out of the wrong hands, and we were right, again. In fact, we have consistently been right about public safety issues while the other side is only interested in public disarmament.

    “How many more people must die before the gun ban bunch publicly acknowledges they’ve been wrong all along,” he wondered. “What will it take to compel Gov. Jay Inslee, Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and their wealthy elitist anti-gun cronies to admit their agenda has failed miserably?

    “The time has come for Washington State lawmakers and voters to roll back the extremist gun control measures, stop penalizing law-abiding gun owners and gun buyers for crimes they didn’t commit, and try a different tack,” Gottlieb suggested. “Almost three decades ago, we championed Hard Time for Armed Crime and Three Strikes laws. The public overwhelmingly supported both measures because instead of punishing the good guys, they concentrated on the bad guys. It’s time for that spirit to be revived.”

    Instead of making it harder for Washington citizens to legally exercise their Second Amendment rights, Gottlieb said Washington lawmakers must make it easier to lock up criminals, especially recidivist outlaws who illegally possess and use firearms in crimes.

    “Criminals can’t commit crimes when they are in jail,” he observed. “Thugs can’t kill or injure people from behind prison bars. If we want safe neighborhoods, we need solutions that work, not headlines that only offer false hopes. We will happily help with any good faith effort that doesn’t impair the rights of law-abiding citizens. This is our community, too, but we know the difference between good guys and bad guys. Anti-gunners obviously don’t.”

  • 11/15/2023 3:11 PM | Anonymous

    The Supreme Court will hear a case involving a NY Official’s Attempt to “Blacklist” the NRA despite a controversial judgment issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

    “This is a historic step forward for free speech, the NRA’s millions of members, and for all who believe in freedom,” says NRA CEO & EVP Wayne LaPierre.”

    Former New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) Superintendent Maria Vullo initiated two unrelated actions against the NRA, allegedly at the request of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, one of which successfully shut down an NRA program. DFS opened an investigation in 2017 into “Carry Guard,” an NRA-endorsed insurance program. 

    What limits should we expect to be placed upon governmental officials with regard to their ability to weaponize their office against their so-called political enemies. 

    The NRA alleges that under the guise of advancing a gun-control agenda, “Vullo: (1) warned regulated institutions that doing business with Second Amendment advocacy groups posed ‘reputational risk’ of concern to DFS; (2) secretly offered leniency to insurers for unrelated infractions if they dropped the NRA, and (3) extracted highly-publicized and over-reaching consent orders, and multi-million dollar penalties, from firms that formerly served the NRA.”

    The Vullo-endorsed campaign began with an investigation into the NRA’s involvement with certain widely offered affinity insurance products. New York failed to investigate other similar insurance offerings – and was the only state to take such action against the NRA.

    This is not thefirst time state officials have leveraged their regulatory power to suppress a disfavored civil rights organization or choke off disfavored speech. The NRA's petition emphasizes a long line of First Amendment cases – from seminal decisions involving the NAACP, to the Supreme Court's storied Bantam Books decision – that forbid such tactics.

    “The Second Circuit’s opinion…gives state officials free rein to financially blacklist their political opponents – from gun rights groups to abortion-rights groups, to environmentalist groups, and beyond,” states the NRA in its petition. The Association argues that the Second Circuit has erroneously opened the door to unrestrained harassment of advocacy groups by state officials and seeks to have it closed.

    Even the ACLU supports the NRA stating “If Cuomo can do this to the NRA, then conservative governors could have their financial regulators threaten banks and financial institutions that do business with any other group whose political views the governor opposes. The First Amendment bars state officials from using their regulatory power to penalize groups merely because they promote disapproved ideas.”

  • 11/09/2023 3:22 PM | Anonymous


    Call these two House members to help rein in the ATF. 

    “If I had it my way, I’d abolish the ATF entirely and throw the gun grabbing bureaucrats behind bars for crimes against the Constitution.

    But until that becomes a political reality, I suppose slashing their budget by over $300 million is a good start.

    And that’s exactly what the current House version of the 2024 “CJS” budget does.

    (2024 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations)

    More than 80 amendments have already been filed for this pro-gun budget that will be taken up in the House Rules committee NEXT WEEK.

    Call the leaders of the committee and urge them to block any amendment that would water down the pro-gun language in the CJS bill.

    Call Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK-04) at (202) 225-6165 and Vice Chairman Michael Burgess (R-TX-26) at (202) 225-7772 today”

    (This message was originated by the National Association for Gun Rights)

  • 10/17/2023 2:40 AM | Anonymous

    One of the oldest and most well-known firearm manufacturers in the United States, Smith & Wesson, has relocated their headquarters from Massachusetts to Tennessee. Smith & Wesson was founded in Connecticut in 1852 and relocated to Springfield, Massachusetts shortly after.

    The new headquarters had a ribbon cutting ceremony this past weekend, with tours of the facility available to the public. The new facility is 650,000-square feet and cost $125 million to build. Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from the state, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, stating that she and the people of Tennessee are “thrilled” to welcome Smith & Wesson to Tennessee. She added the Tennesseans know that the Second Amendment is “non-negotiable.” The president and CEO of Smith & Wesson, Mark Smith, said he looks forward to the next 170 years of Smith & Wesson, calling Tennessee “something special.”

    The move has drawn praise from Republicans and the National Rifle Association, who lauded the gun manufacturer for moving to a red state that was more friendly towards firearms owners than blue New England. Tennessee has expanded gun rights in recent years thanks to Republican leadership, including a 2021 law that would allow adults who are at least 21 years old to carry a handgun without a permit.

    The Executive Director of Advancement for the NRA, Tyler Schropp, congratulated the manufacturer on their move, as well as their strong legacy, saying they are an important part of preserving the gun industry in America and our Second Amendment rights. Schropp also said that the NRA was proud to have helped pass the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

    The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new manufacturing featured Jerry Miculek, a competitive shooter who broke an NRA world record by shooting six steel plates in under two seconds from seven yards away, which Schropp congratulated him on.

    A spokesperson from Smith & Wesson said they plan to add a museum and a retail store onto the manufacturing facility in coming years.

  • 10/12/2023 9:43 PM | Anonymous

    The winning ticket for today’s drawing was ticket # 734

    Firearms safety training, 1956


  • 10/11/2023 4:04 PM | Anonymous

    REMINDER

    WCS Members meeting is tonight October 11,2023. 

    2 speakers plus updates on your Second Amendment rights and pushbacks against their infringement by NY and others. 

    The drawing for the 30-30 Henry raffle is this Thursday, October 12th @ 4:00 PM.

    If you wish to participate, the zoom info is below. 
    Draw 1 winner.  Done.   should take 10 minutes. (9 1/2 minutes to chat and spin the drum, 30 seconds to pull winning ticket)

    Join Zoom Meeting

    https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89530749995?pwd=dzAxN3RSa2dGV05EaWZBdSttU2JsUT09

    Meeting ID: 895 3074 9995
    Passcode: 866431

    ---

    One tap mobile
    +16469313860,,89530749995#,,,,*866431# US
    +16465588656,,89530749995#,,,,*866431# US (New York)

    ---

    Dial by your location
    • +1 646 931 3860 US
    • +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)


    Meeting ID: 895 3074 9995
    Passcode: 866431

    Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/keGIFJRpUR
  • 10/05/2023 9:35 PM | Anonymous


  • 09/29/2023 12:57 AM | Anonymous

    As you know, background checks for ammunition and firearms in New York State are now conducted by the New York State Police. This change took effect on September 13, 2023, and was instituted as a requirement of the Concealed Carry Improvement Act, legislation I strongly opposed and voted against.  

    The Concealed Carry Improvement Act requires background checks for both firearm and ammunition purchases. The background checks are conducted by a new centralized bureau established within the State Police. As I mentioned, I oppose the State taking control of the background check process and implementing further steps and fees. I wanted you to know that I have introduced legislation removing background check requirements for ammunition purchases and preventing new fees from being passed on to retailers and consumers. 

    My legislation, Senate Bill S.7650-A, would: 

    • Require that all costs associated with the creation and maintenance of the background check system be borne by the State and prohibited from being passed on to either retailers or consumers, eliminating any possibility of new fees; 
    • Eliminate new requirements that those purchasing ammunition submit to a background check; 
    • Eliminate the creation of an ammunition purchase database, removing concerns about the State unnecessarily collecting data. 

    I have heard from many of my constituents about the burdensome process and unreliability of the new background check system. Please know that I will continue to fight this State overreach and other legislation – like Bail Reform, the HALT Act, and the Concealed Carry Improvement Act – that undermine lawful gun owners and sportspeople while prioritizing criminals. 

  • 09/26/2023 11:25 PM | Anonymous

    The F-35 stealth jet isn’t the only example of expensive technology that crashed recently. The implementation of New York’s ammunition background check law – the rollout of which was, to be generous, extremely low visibility – was a disaster of its own, judging from initial reports.   

    The new law was actually passed as part of broader gun control legislation a decade ago. The so-called SAFE Act (2013) authorized a statewide ammunition background check database and required that the superintendent of the state police make a formal “certification” that the database was “operational” before the law could take effect.  

    Confusion over whether this has occurred and what the new changes involve is understandable.  Readers of the government’s official “Gun Safety in NYS” website were still being given the following outdated information as of September 21:

    Is there any background check now required for purchasers of ammunition?

    Not yet. The law provides that background check requirements imposed on all retail sellers of ammunition are scheduled to take effect on September 13, 2023.

    To complicate things, the implementation of the ammunition background check law coincides with another gun control development in the Empire State, pursuant to which the New York State Police (rather than the FBI) is responsible for conducting all firearm and ammunition-related checks using both NICS and a “statewide license and record database.”

    The database requires detailed personal information about the purchaser: name, “up to five additional names/aliases,” residential address, date of birth, height, weight, race, ethnicity, “prior military status,” country and place of birth, citizenship, whether and what driver’s license or government-issued identification the person has, social security number, contact information, and (for ammunition buys) the manufacturer, the “Ammunition Identification Number,” the caliber and amount of ammunition being purchased. (The State Police guide for dealers has, out of a total of 21 pages, devoted eight to the initial personal information needed.)   

    All background check transactions currently “need to be processed online,” as an “Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone solution is in the process of being implemented but will not be available until October.”

    Shortly before September 13, a gun store owner indicated that there was no outreach: “No dealer in New York has been contacted by the state about how it will work.” Other ammunition retailers complain that the new system isn’t actually working – apart from the time it takes just to enter the required customer information online, there are significant delays in getting the system up and running and in response times. “It took eight hours between a computer tech and me to play with their website to get their website working,” reported one gun store owner. Only a few days after the system went live, another retailer expressed frustration with delays before a sale could proceed, describing his longest wait time for a response (at that point) as 22 hours.

    Even worse, an improper denial means the person has to appeal to the State Police and wait out the appeal period of up to 30 days before being able to purchase ammunition. Tom King, the executive director of the New York Rifle & Pistol Association and the holder of a state pistol permit for over 40 years, was denied when he tried to buy shotgun shells, and has since appealed. “They’re denying everybody I’ve talked to,” he said.      

    Gun owners are dinged with additional fees to pay for this, being $2.50 for ammunition purchase background checks and $9.00 for firearms, and the law will have other, less obvious financial repercussions. “We lose money on every box of ammo we sell because of the time involved,” one retailer says, adding that, “It’s not going to get easier. We’re going to have to raise our prices.”

    A newsletter from New York’s Assembly Minority Office of Public Affairs confirms there are “very legitimate concerns about the burden this new system will place” on the business community, the State Police, and gun owners. “Costs will go up and it is unclear what benefits this new law will generate…This law targets law-abiding gun owners and puts yet another financial burden on already overtaxed businesses and individuals. It is hard not to look at this as anything more than a punitive fee for access to the Second Amendment.”

    Empire State residents who are not gun owners won’t escape the reach of this folly, either – a reported $20 million in the 2023-24 budget has been allocated for the State Police for implementation, including the hiring of 100 additional personnel.

    The most ridiculous thing about all this wasted time, money, ink and effort is that New York’s dangerous criminals will continue to flout the law. The executive director of one New York gun control group was quoted as saying that, although “lawful gun owners may have to wait a bit longer right now in the immediate, they themselves understand what could potentially happen if an individual who does not have a license or does not pass a background check is able to obtain that gun.” Contrary to her claims, lawful gun owners understand all too well that criminals don’t waste time jumping through government hoops to buy guns or ammunition. “The only people that this is affecting,” says Tom King, “is the lawful legal citizen in New York state.”

  • 08/25/2023 11:40 AM | Anonymous

    SCOPE Needs You in County Chapters!  By Don Smith

    Grassroots groups such as SCOPE are important with county chapters increasing the possibility of a greater voice in the selection of our local and state elected officials. Many candidates appreciate the opportunity to speak to SCOPE members and look forward to high ratings by the county chapters. Local and state level candidates are eager to meet with and hear from SCOPE chapters while establishing connections with them and their staff.

    Each county needs candidates supportive of protecting against: unreasonable searches and seizures; a right to a speedy trial with representation (consider many “January 6” defendants); the ability to confront witnesses against you and obtain witnesses in your favor; and of course, due process and “equal protection of the laws” as well as other constitutional liberties.

    Examples include the village, town, county and even state positions of: Mayor; Supervisor/ Legislator; Sheriff; Judge; State Assemblyman and State Senator. Are any of these positions on the ballot in your county this November? Your chapter’s rating of them may help their cause.

    Note that SCOPE, as a nonprofit cannot endorse a candidate but can rate them.

    The key to a strong chapter is its leadership. Your first step is to show support for a county chapter by being willing to attend an organizational meeting in the near future. Location and date TBD. You may then volunteer for a leadership position of Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer. Will you join?

    Taking a leadership position does require a limited time commitment but is not an overwhelming responsibility. Other positions at the chapter level such as Vice Chairperson are important but even less demanding. Volunteers from other chapters are willing to help you.

    Americans have always been willing to make commitments to righteous causes and preserving our liberties should be at the top of the list. Knowing you are contributing to the defense of our Constitution is personally satisfying. Others may jump aboard based upon your enthusiasm.

    A year from now, we will be in the midst of a presidential election that will determine if our country continues veering to the left or regains the path on which our Founding Fathers intended America to follow.  We need volunteers locally and at the state levels to begin preparing us for this crucial battle. All county chairs sit on SCOPE’s State Board of Directors.

    Please contact me so we may discuss your involvement with others or to create a SCOPE Chapter in your area.

    Don Smith
    Membership Chair
    Don6027@gmail.com

<< First  < Prev   1   2   3   4   5   ...   Next >  Last >> 

A 2nd Amendment Defense Organization, defending the rights of New York State gun owners to keep and bear arms!

PO Box 165
East Aurora, NY 14052

SCOPE is a 501(c)4 non-profit organization.

{ Site Design & Development By Motorhead Digital }

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software