frontlines

By Richard Rossi, Delaware County

I would like to share my concern as an American citizen to what is going on in our country since P r e s i d e n t T r u mp h a s b e e n elected. Let me be perfectly clear, I am speaking as an American Law-abiding citizen. This has nothing to do with anyone's political affiliation or my political preference.

We are ALL American's first, regardless of our political affiliation, and that should be paramount in our desire to insure America continues to be the greatest country in the world. Wishing for our President to fail - means America fails... Saying 'America was never great' is disgusting....

We may disagree on various stances based on our political affiliations, different viewpoints are good - only if 'common-sense' prevails and we discuss the issues, without inflammatory rhetoric, and logically. Today, this is sorely missing from the agenda. It is NOT what is best for America.

We have many challenges facing our country today. The answers are complex; however, they need to be addressed. We must be a country of Laws. Our immigration policy need updating; Our border security is lax. Our Rights and Freedoms are being infringed; Our healthcare system is inadequate; Our military needs to be strengthened; Our national debt is out of control; Our government, at all levels, is too big and out of control. Our Supreme Court is making laws instead of enforcing them based on our Constitution. We have Governors and Mayors believing they can over-ride Federal Laws because they don't like them. etc...

Our Constitution/Bill of Rights must be followed. It is NOT the right of any elected official or branch of Government to decide which laws are just and which ones should be ignored. Our Founding Father clearly outlined a procedure to address changes when required. Our Constitution is not broken - it is ignored by elected officials who took an oath to protect and enforce it.

We have a God given right to self-preservation. Firearms are not 'either good or bad' - it is the individual who makes that choice. They are responsible for their decisions and actions. We need representatives who truly believe in this fact.

We have a right to know who is living in our country and to insure they came here legally. Our Governor believes he has the RIGHT to "play God". He believes that he is above the law.

Our Government is not there to provide for all your needs and wants, from birth to death. Individuals need to take personal responsibility and ownership for their actions and be responsible citizens. This will mean sacrifices and standing on one’s own two feet.

Nothing in life is 'FREE'. Nothing the Government can provide is FREE - someone must foot the bill. I keep hearing that the American People want FREE College, FREE Healthcare etc. We are a Democratic Republic not a Socialist Democracy. Are you willing to give at least80% of your income to the government so you can have all these 'so-called' FREE benefits? I for one, am not ready for my life to go from "Citizen to Slave". America was built on hard work and a day’s pay for a day’s work.

When Aliens have more rights and freedoms than Law-abiding Citizen, something is very wrong in New York State. When corruption is the norm, something is very wrong in New York State. When hard working Law-abiding citizens can't make a living because taxes are sky rocketing to pay for entitlements for 'leaches', something is wrong in New York State.  

By Michael Giuliano

In a relatively stunning development, our poor, beleaguered and ever put-upon Governor Cuomo now considers both “extreme” conservatives and socialists (https:// www.newsweek.com/cuomo-amazon -headquarters-alexandria-ocasiocortez-1222753) to be among his enemies. You see, both sides have been critical of his and De Blasio’s lavish corporate welfare offered up to snag an Amazon facility in Queens.

Mr. Cuomo is hurt and offended that these disparate political interests would question his presumably pure motives and tactics. “This transaction is a lightning rod for the political rhetoric on both extremes. The extreme conservatives and the socialists both now vehemently oppose "incentives" for Amazon, which is one of the most profitable companies in the country,” said Cuomo in an op-ed released by his office (https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/ op-ed-governor-andrew-m-cuomo). Among those “extreme” conservatives? The New York Post. Cuomo, it seems, is having his own battle with the free press. He also attacked The New York Times, Rupert Murdoch, and CNN.

These tax breaks and all are offered ostensibly for New York City to compete against other states and localities but, in the end, they are costing taxpayers a vast sum and the plan benefits the already very wealthy Jeff Bezos.

Cuomo’s diversionary ploy of labeling any dissent from either his policies or corruption as “extreme”, “socialist”, or otherwise emanating from people whom he considers generally unwelcome in New York, is wearing thin. At least it is wearing thin to the 41% who voted against him and perhaps a sliver of even those who elected him to four more years.

As for the rest of the Cuomo voting bloc, they prefer their Tammany-style Democrat politics “good and hard,” to amend slightly the observation on democracy by H.L. Mencken.

Albany’s Newest Tactic: Attacking the First Amendment (and Fourth, Fifth, etc.) to Ransack the Second

The anti-gun, anti-upstate forces in Albany and New York City (Note: Molinaro won 47 of 62 counties in November) won’t stop at anything to achieve their fantasy, which is not of stopping violence, since their gun control schemes cannot accomplish this as guns don’t commit crimes, but of needling their political enemies, attaining the leftist bona fides for CNN appearances, and invites to Congressional wine-andcoffee klatches with well-heeled donors.

Two of DeBlasio’s swamp creatures, a state senator and the Brooklyn Borough President, proposed a bill to require that a gun purchaser turn over their social media passwords and past three years of s e a r c h h i s t o r y ( h t t p s : / / www.wivb.com/news/new-legislation -calls-for-social-media-search-beforepistol-permit-in-ny/1612876779). This legislation is so extreme that even a certain gun “reform” organization (the NYAGC) has been slow to endorse it. Inevitably, such groups will eventually endorse it and we must be ready.

Most tellingly, the bill does not involve the policing of whether a person has made actual public or private threats against any person (i.e. threats that would be criminal acts under the current law) and thus presumably subject a person to scrutiny under the existing laws. It goes much further, which is to say, it loudly enters the territory of free speech. It allows a review one’s political speech and opinions posted on social media and internet search history as a basis to deny a permit. The proposal is a shameless, bold-faced attack on free speech and association as well as the Second and Fourth Amendments. No thoughts or actions are to be private under the new regime.

The Albany swamp is quite willing to attack groups unpopular and unwelcome in its hallowed halls of power. In fact, conservatives have been told they aren’t welcome in New York whatsoever by the very ethical and unimpeachable Mr. Cuomo, whose own corruption commission had to be disbanded lest it make things messy for Albany by finding anything further.

Call the new Senate Minority Leader John Flanagan and your own state senator and ask (politely) that they make a very prominent public statement against this outrageous legislation if it is introduced. In the minorities, the Republicans are without much power. The very least many of them could do is represent their constituents.

Cuomo ‘Disrespected the Judiciary’ after it Struck Down SAFE Act Magazine Capacity Provision

The Buffalo News has rep o r t e d ( h t t p s : / / buffalonews.com/2018/11/19/amidconfusion-part-of-safe-act-will-stopbeing-enforced-in-Erie-county/) that Erie County’s District Attorney has instructed local Erie police departments to stop charging violations of the seven-round limit provision in the SAFE Act. A couple dozen criminal cases were still pending at the time of the news report that charged a violation of this provision.

The seven-round provision was ruled unconstitutional years ago (in two separate decisions in federal court) but many observers suspect Cuomo’s administration has been encouraging the state police and many other local departments to continue charging individuals with violations of the magazine limit under the flimsy pretext that a lower federal court decision isn’t binding on the state.

Check with your county officials and inquire as to whether police agencies have been instructed to act in accordance with these court decisions. Kindly ask if your respective county officials respect the federal courts?

Look towards Washington and witness and smell the hypocrisy. The President is frequently attacked, in the most sanctimonious terms, for impugning the legitimacy of the judiciary. This attack on him is usually made with scant evidence. Vocal disagreement is not the equivalent of subversion. In contrast, liberal politicians such as Mr. Cuomo only “respect the courts” and operate within the confines of those courts’ decisions when a judicial decree squares with their progressive political platform.  

By Tom Reynolds Treasurer and At-Large Director 

Many of the progressive winners in the election are socialists and socialism always fails. It’s easy to point at Venezuela and Cuba as current examples of socialism’s failures but the last century gave us numerous examples.

If the left understood history, they would know that Nazi stood for National SOCIALIST German Workers Party. So why are the democratic socialists on the left labeling Republicans in general and President Trump in particular as Nazis and Hitler? Shouldn’t self-avowed socialists look in the mirror?

Remember the Soviet Union that President Reagan correctly labeled as an, “Evil empire…destined for the ash heap of history”? The USSR stood for Union of Soviet SOCIALIST Republics.

China is a communist nation and communism is the inevitable result of socialism.

Now, the left is relabeling itself as a different kind of socialism, (democratic socialism) in order to separate themselves from their failed past; they are 0 for the last century. The Red Sox and Cubs had a better century than socialism.

But it’s not just socialism’s monumental economic failures that should scare us. In the last century, socialist dictatorships were responsible for 100 million people being killed. Mao murdered 40 to 50 million Chinese. Stalin killed 30 to 40 million people and Hitler chipped in with 20 to 30 million deaths. Minor tyrants such as Pol Pot and Fidel Castro barely get a mention but they did their best to bring death and destruction wherever they went. 100 million people killed and today’s socialists are saying, “Hey, let’s try it again”!

What are socialism / communism/ fascism? Their technical definitions sound very academic, non -threatening and revolve around the economy. But at their heart, they all involve central government control of the people. The differences revolve around the degree of control but, in reality, they all lead to total government control of all aspects of people’s lives.

Why do socialists hate guns? They want to be in control of society. When socialism fails, again, people will rebel and the left will need to force them to comply. Socialists aren’t interested in a fair fight; they want all the guns so they can keep people in line.

Why does socialism always fail (and a capitalistic / free market society succeed)?

Capitalism entails free choice while socialism necessitates government mandates. Very few like being told what to do, especially by faceless and far away bureaucrats.

Power is centrally held and when a tyrant (or an incompetent) takes control, they are virtually unopposed. Those in power will do whatever is necessary to stay in control and they have all the power. As I mentioned earlier, they are not interested in a fair fight, so they want all the guns.

Under our Constitution, which is the antithesis of socialism, political power is divided between the three branches of government. Power is further diluted among fifty states and each state has separate powers in their own right. Government’s power can also be challenged by the non-government sector where corporations, unions, the media, etc. are capable of opposing government. Of course, when these various government and non-government entities become aligned with the central government we are on the road to another socialist failure.

Under socialism, all power is held by the central government and when it makes a bad decision it affects everyone. The USSR’s failures are well documented. When China was totally communist, it could not feed its own people so it opened up some capitalism and now it is a world class economy. (But to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, a nation will not continue to exist half communist and half free.)

In the USA’s private sector, businesses and individuals are free to succeed or fail without (usually) taking down others. Others learn from those successes and failures and emulate the successes and avoid the failures.

Federalism is supposed to allow the individual states to try new things and if they fail they do not bring down the entire nation. Other states are free to copy – or not – these individual state efforts. But socialist government being what it is, they would rather be socialist than right. For example, gun free zones have been breeding grounds for mass murderers and yet socialist states keep establishing them even though they have a history of failure.

Those that do not learn from history are destined to repeat it. 

By Tom Reynolds Treasurer and At-Large Director

Since Franklin Roosevelt was President, the United States has moved slowly to the left domestically, as if on the installment plan; in small steps our elected officials moved us into socialism but few noticed the “low monthly payment”. Then, in 2009, Barrack Obama and the Democrats got greedy and decided to foreclose on America by instituting wholesale socialist changes. Much to their surprise, America suddenly felt the accumulated pain, realized what was happening and reacted strongly to the erosion of their Constitution and traditional American values. The TEA Party was the most prominent example of this reaction and it grew to become a powerful anti-socialist force in the Republican Party. Driven by the TEA Party, over the next three election cycles, the Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives, then the Senate, and finally the Presidency.

New York State endured something similar. Liberal gun grabbers enjoyed some small successes until Andrew Cuomo went wild in 2013 with the SAFE Act. Many gun owners were awakened from their lethargy and 2nd Amendment defense organizations (such as SCOPE) saw their memberships increase dramatically.

Unfortunately, as America moved farther from 2009, the TEA Party lost some of its energy. 2nd Amendment defense organizations also saw memberships drop as we moved further from the 2013 birth of the SAFE Act. Some of this should have been expected as we moved away from the crisis event and those marginally involved people dropped out. But unlike the TEA Party, 2nd Amendment defense organizations had little tangible results other than having helped to block further erosion of 2A rights. These blocks were made possible by the Republican held New York Senate which acted as a kind of goal keeper; it blocked most – but not all - of the left wing craziness’ shots and NEVER went on the offense.

In 2018, Socialism started a recovery on the national level as Democrats won the House and in New York as Democrats took over the NY Senate. Unlike the federal level where Republicans control the Senate and the Presidency and can neuter the socialist tendencies of the House, the far left now controls all branches of New York’s government. And don’t expect any help from the courts as Cuomo appointees dominate the Appeals levels and those appointees have never shown any allegiance to the Constitutional rights of citizens, such as those in the 2nd Amendment.

How did this happen? No one cause covers everything, but one major issue is certainly the preponderance of Republicans In Name Only (RINO’s) among that party’s elected and elite. Personally, I consistently voted Republican or Conservative, but I did it while holding my nose. Too many Republicans in safe districts are content to have a career based on being “the lesser of two evils”. If these safe districts were Democratic, many incumbents would probably have no problem changing parties and adopting centrist Democratic principles, since they basically have already done that. This kind of leadership does not inspire marginally involved people to get out and vote – until the next crisis hits when it may be too late. Only then will some get engaged, but many will still only complain as they see the same Republican establishment faces that caused the problem and will not see the point in working and voting for those faces.

The second major issue is the incompetence of the Republican Party’s leadership. There are so many problems there, I can only summarize them.

In New York, the Republican and Conservative parties’ strength is overwhelmingly in Upstate. So, where do the state chairmen park their butts? Michael Long (ever heard of him?) has been the Conservative Party chair since 1988 and lives in Brooklyn. Ed Cox (who occasionally ventures into the wilds of Upstate) has been the Republican Party chairman since 2009 and lives on Long Island. They are much like the generals who stay well behind the front lines but believe they know what’s happening from reports they get. Not exactly inspirations to the troops.

Although Republicans controlled the NY Senate for decades, the last Senate Majority leader from Upstate was Warren Anderson, of Binghamton, in the early 1980s. Again, Upstate Republicans are missing from the corridors of power even though they are the strength of the Republican Party.

On the national level, we may have just endured the two worst Republican House Speakers in history. (I only say “may have” because I don’t know the history of all House Speakers, but it is hard to imagine two worst ones than John Boehner and Paul Ryan). In the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell only seems motivated when there is a Supreme Court appointment at stake (but that does rank him ahead of Boehner and Ryan who were never motivated to effective action.) When the Democrats had both houses of Congress they were ruthless. Boehner and Ryan got control by promising to end Obamacare, fix immigration and defund Planned Parenthood but they were pussycats. Many promises were made but few were kept by this infamous leadership.

So, how do we dig ourselves out of this hole? First, keep in mind that the Democrats are Socialists and Socialism ALWAYS fails. We have to be in position when that happens.

Our immediate New York goal should be to regain the NY Senate in 2020 and we may have Andrew Cuomo’s ego to help us. Most are pretty sure he will make a run for the presidency in 2020 and his strategy should help us. Will he try to strengthen his far left credentials and, thus, provoke a crisis? Remember, it was Obama’s overreach that created the TEA Party and Cuomo’s SAFE Act that motivated gun owners. Since Cuomo completely controls the political side of New York, it is easy to imagine him pushing through a far left social agenda that will antagonize Upstate and he already has an economic agenda that is depopulating Upstate.

All 2nd Amendment defense organizations must work together for the common goal. There may be hard feelings between some of the organizations but Andrew Cuomo and the Democrats are our common enemies. We don’t have to be best friends but we must work together – cautiously if necessary – but together for the greater good. Many SCOPE members are also members of other 2A organizations and they must press them to work together.

We must reach out to other organizations that Cuomo has and will offend. We may not agree on some things but we disagree with Cuomo on everything. Is there a TEA Party in your area? Get some of your membership involved and remind them we have the same enemy. Are you aware of any anti-abortion groups in your area? Cuomo has offended them as much as he has offended 2A groups and many churches are very angry over this. And don’t forget the upstate economy, or lack thereof. The “Divide NY” people are on our side. These may seem like a stretch but remember, during World War Two we partnered with the Soviet Union to take down our common enemy.

The leadership of 2A groups goes into gun fights without ammunition when gun owners don’t vote. Gun owners must get registered to vote and then follow through. Register in a political party so you can vote in their primary. We have to rid ourselves of the “lesser of two evils” if we are to get marginally engaged gun owners to vote. Primaries get a low turnout and a motivated group can overcome the incumbents just by showing up to vote. Identify good candidates to represent us in those primaries and then support those people. We will not get any help on this from within the party; they will circle the wagons.

As party members, you can work to oust the current do-nothing leadership.

No one has to do all this themselves but it does require leaders. It’s time to step up.  

Observation by a former NYer and former S.C.O.P.E. Member, Paul Rusin, in a recent comment on our page....

Facts are terrible things. 
Fact 1: gun owners are notoriously lax when it comes to voting, or joining organizations that support them. When they do join, they expect that their small pittance in dues should suffice, and that the organization should do all it can using that small pittance to promote 2A. 

Fact 2: The apathy in the gun owner community stinks to high heaven. I have sat tables trying to convince gun owners to join pro-2A organizations, and it is like pulling eye teeth, and molars. They think they are simply going to shoot it out in the dead of night with armed, and bullet resistant vested, army of troops willing to kill them, their dog, their family, their cat, anything that gets in their way. They will be outgunned 20 to 1, and their ammo will run out far faster than the full automatics brought to bear against them.

Fact 3: Once laws are put on the books, there is little likelihood that those laws will be repealed, or even shot down at the judicial level. This is because the 'Deep State' is VERY deep, entrenched, and until folks are willing to use their clout at the polls (many will not fearing jury duty, or other inane things), there will be no change. Further, the level at which most RINO's, and Dems start is the local level. You want to stop the anti-2A folks from running? You must become involved in your local party apparatus. Not only be involved, but don't give up, and if necessary take over the local operation(s). At that point you will determine who runs for office. You will have to look for candidates, or become those candidates. This is what the commuNAZI's have been doing for the last 70 to 100 years. They have called themselves liberal, progressive, but they are communists, socialists, fascists, National Socialists. They have infiltrated, and taken over, both parties, and they are coming for our guns idf you don't ingratiate yourselves, and take over. Our country cannot be taken over without you allowing it.

Fact 4: NRA can only do so much, GOA, SCOPE (NY), NYSR&P, even other state pro-2A organizations. They are only as strong as their membership. If you are weak, they will be, too. Also, stop relying on NRA, because I have spoken with Wayne LaPierre, and offered him court precedents which undermine Pistol Permits/licensing. I have waited two decades for him, and NRA to get off the pot, and start promoting the fact that these laws are egregious attempts at limiting (see the meaning of infringe) the ability to carry by the majority. These will either carry illegally (but constitutionally - without a permit), or they will simply cede their right due to the costs, and associated background checks, etc.
There are probably more things on which I could expound, but you all know what has to be done. So go out, and do it

By Tim Andrews, S.C.O.P.E. President

The 2018 elections are over and are an unmitigated disaster for gun owners, and frankly in my opinion, for New Yorkers in general. We’ve become a one-party state. Cuomo and his fellow Democrats undoubtedly feel they have a mandate to unleash their progressive agenda, including more gun control.

Following the election, Cuomo said, “We already have the strongest gun safety laws in the nation, and in the upcoming legislative session we will take additional steps to make our laws even stronger to keep our communities safe.” At the time of this writing, it looks as though Democrats will control the state Senate by a 40 – 23 majority, and that goes with the 2 to 1 majority Democrats already maintain in the state assembly.

Folks, I’m not going to try and soft pedal this, the Second Amendment is in serious jeopardy here in New York. Come January we are looking at the loss of more due process, with the governor’s Red Flag law, (Extreme Risk Protection Order law), along with much more. Let me put it this way, the sky may be the limit for Cuomo’s gun control agenda.

The governor’s comments came in a response to the recent nightclub shooting in California. Now ask yourself: Why would that shooting have anything to do with New York? On numerous occasions, Cuomo has boasted New York has the best gun laws in the country. If that’s so, why the necessity to pass more? Especially if the impetus is an incident that occurred in another state and not here. I would contend the governor’s comments and his agenda are proof this isn’t about gun safety laws as they like to call it, it’s about an all-out attack on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding New Yorkers.

So, what is there for us to do? Some will probably join the droves that have already done so and leave the state. If you are considering that alternative, I hope you choose to stay because if you go our job gets harder. It seems bleak but it’s not hopeless. The courts, especially on the federal level, thanks to President Trump have become much friendlier. We’ve already begun planning an agenda using the courts as our battleground. We still believe the unSAFE Act is unconstitutional as well as the Red Flag proposal the governor plans on passing in January.

We’re Americans, we don’t quit, we don’t give up, we have one big advantage and that is we are on the side of the Constitution. We can, and we will win this fight if we keep fighting. I know how frustrated we all are. I’m just as frustrated as anyone but whatever you do don’t give up.

I’ve never enjoyed asking for money as I know how hard you all work and how expensive it is to live in New York. However, as you surely know legal action and lawyers are expensive, costs can easily reach the tens of thousands, we need your help to fund our expanding legal agenda. I’m asking you to dig down and donate to our legal defense fund, please give as much as you can and as often as you can. You can donate through our website using your credit card, www.SCOPEny.org or you can mail your contributions to SCOPE, PO Box 165, East Aurora, NY 14052. Your support is greatly needed and appreciated.  

By Harold Moskowitz 

The first commercially successful firearm suppressor was devised by Hiram P. Maxim in 1902. He was the son of Hiram S. Maxim, inventor of the Maxim Machine Gun. The Maxim Silent Firearms Company began production in Hartford, Connecticut in 1908. He received U.S. Patent 916,885 for a “Silent Firearm” in 1909. It sold in hardware stores for around five dollars. The Sears and Roebuck mail order catalogue advertised it as a “moderator which will allow a person to protect the chicken coup without disturbing the neighbors.” Theodore Roosevelt had one on his Winchester 1894 carbine at his Sagamore Hill home on Long Island.

Maxim silencers were made for rifle calibers from .22 to .45. They could be ordered custom for large caliber Winchesters and Remington Autoloaders. Even shotloaded cartridges worked with his silencers. Company advertising claimed that the silencer “absolutely prevents report noise and reduces recoil over two-thirds.”

Despite his claims of total silence, Maxim took pains to inform potential customers that although his device stopped “all of the noise of the report,” it would not control the “noise made out in the air beyond the gun by a high velocity bullet in flight.” To provide a totally silent shot, he offered for sale modified ammunition with velocity less than 1,100 feet/second. The cartridge used a heavy bullet for maintaining strike energy at the reduced velocity. Modified ammunition was supplied for all center-fire rifle calibers at the same price as regular ammunition.

The silencer checked the muzzle blast of a firearm by forcing the gasses to whirl around inside the device. In the process the gasses were slowed down by curved vanes and allowed to leave the gun barrel gradually instead of instantly. It could be attached to a threaded rifle barrel or to a threaded thimble which could be pressed onto the gun barrel. His design placed the silencer’s chambers below the barrel so that the iron sights could be used. The bullet’s path was unimpeded by the device.

There were no governmental restrictions upon possession or use. “Gentlemen” were encouraged to use them as a consideration of other shooters. Target practice could be done without bothering the neighbors. All of the benefits of silencer use were dealt a serious blow by the National Firearms Act of 1934. Congress had been under pressure to deal with Prohibition Era violence resulting from mobster assassinations of rivals and bank robberies. The law criminalized short-barreled rifles and shotguns. Fully automatic weapons such as the Thompson submachine gun became tightly restricted weapons. Silencers, like the fully automatic weapons, could be owned after complying with bureaucratic procedures and payment of a $200 tax. It has been suggested that the silencer tax in part was to prevent poor, rural families from being able to kill deer for food off-season without being detected. According to Emily Rupert u s , w r i t i n g f o r t h e “NRABLOG’ (Oct. 5, 2016) the $200 tax in 1934 was the equivalent of $3,583.71 in today’s purchasing power.

The term “suppressor” was introduced in the 1980’s. It is more accurate than the term “silencer” since except as portrayed in Hollywood movies, a gunshot cannot truly be made silent. As with infringement of the Second Amendment, denial of access to hearing protection is a civil rights issue and should be pursued as such in any litigation or proposed bills. While hearing protection can be used at a gun range, neither hunters nor hunting dogs have hearing protection in the field. The “Dangerous Decibles Program” at the University of Northern Colorado has determined that noises exceeding 85 dB can cause permanent hearing damage over time. The program’s results indicate that a gunshot report can be between 140 and 190 dB, which would cause immediate damage.

Many European nations with very strong gun restrictions allow ownership of suppressors. Great Britain requires them by law on all hunting rifles. If forty-two U.S. states and many strict gun control European nations see suppressors as a positive health safety item, then why can’t our elected leaders entrusted with the duty to protect the health and well being of the people see the issue in the same way?

On the national level, New York Representatives Chris Collins, Claudia Tenney and Lee Zeldin, along with 158 other Republicans and three Democrats, co-sponsored the Hearing Protection Act of 2017 (H.R. 367). It was introduced by Representative Jeff Duncan (S.C. 3). Eventually, it was inserted into the Sportsmen’s Heritage Recreational Enhancement Act (H.R. 3668). The measure would have amended the federal criminal code to preempt state or local laws that tax or regulate firearm silencers as well as ending the $200 national tax. It was discharged successfully from several committees. Unfortunately, due to political considerations, it never made it to a full House vote where you could have seen how your elected representatives stood on the issue. 

By Attilio Contini, Secretary-Ulster County S.C.O.P.E. 

We continually hear the talking heads tell us the Democrats have an identity crisis. They tell us they don't know who they are but nothing could be further from the truth. They know full well. The Democrats’ problem is: they have become afraid to openly admit who they are and what they stand for.

They are afraid the American people are not ready to accept a class society where the enlightened five percent of them rule the rest of us from our cradle to the grave. They are afraid we are not ready to relinquish all our freedom and let them abolish our Constitution. In 2016 they were confident that after eight years of Obama-style socialism the American people were willing to accept the nanny-state hook, line and sinker. They had a rude awakening when Donald Trump came along with “Love America” and “Make America Great Again”.

All of a sudden, the voters responded with: Yes, we still love our Country and our Constitution, and we don't want a corrupt, criminal, degenerate, totalitarian class society. They were so ready to strike the final blow on our Free American system of government that they refuse to accept Trump's election.

They have resorted to a concerted effort of lying, deception, sabotage, and twisting or reversal of the reality of the situation to make the American people think, believe, that Trump and Conservative Republicans are the enemy of the people and the Republic. They are afraid of the truth. They know that if the truth be known the people will drive them out of office.

So far they appear to have not been able to devise a plan that will hood wink the people into believing they are still the best thing since sliced bread and are the champions of the down trodden. The Fake News tells us that they could very well prevail this November. Maybe so! They have all the wild cards including the mass media. All we have is Donald Trump. One man can do only so much against the odds of entrenched brainwashing and misinformation to keep the voters misinformed.

They have a world view that should have no place in a free country and society. We must realize the biggest security threat we have in this Country today is the enlightenment elitist Democrat Party with its entrenched 5th column Washington establishment. Our two-party system has degenerated into an almost threeparty dilemma where the new parties should be called: the Treason Party, the Don't Rock The Boat Party, and the Make America Great Again Party. We are dealing with people who are out to destroy this country politically, economically, morally, and socially. They have infested Washington to the point where they are using various agencies and the system to destroy and undermine everything and everyone who challenges them.

We frequently talk of cooperation and compromise. Do we actually see much of it in Washington and Albany anymore? It always seems the Democratic notion of compromise is: We take and the Republicans must give. The middle ground is always somewhere left of center. The problem has evolved and now it seems the liberal view point has shifted so far to the extreme left that so-called moderate is now extremely liberal.

The so-called progressives consider themselves better than the rest of us. They have become intolerant of anyone who disagrees with them. Only one side is welcome to the table of ideas. All others are irrelevant and are considered inferior extreme, irrational, false, wrong or evil. They put down, belittle, demonize, and defame everyone who disagrees with them.

They refuse to accept let alone listen to anyone with different points of view. All opportunity for compromise is unacceptable. Their intolerance has become their hallmark. This is why we are experiencing the divisiveness and total non acceptance of Donald Trump as our elected President. They think they are so much better and smarter than the rest of us that they believe they have the right to force their philosophy on us.

They refuse to accept or allow others to prevail, because they think we are obligated to do as they say. They even think they have the right to use the Government to suppress anyone who opposes them and are doing so. They are so arrogant that they believe they have the right to force President Trump out of office at all costs or impeach him, because he is “unfit and unqualified” to hold any public office let alone be President. In their mind he is too “deplorable” to be President. How dared he be elected!

They have become condescending elitists, Gods unto themselves, who think they are predestined to control and rule the rest of us. How dare we challenge them! No one's opinion or belief is worth anything except theirs. They talk about Democracy and equality but only for them.

So where does gun control fit into the scheme of things? Well, elitism is like a puzzle. They are already using violence! At some point we, the American people, are going to have to say, enough! Did you notice that Obama made a comment that his biggest regret was that he was not able to get more gun controls? He knows they need the means to be able to confiscate all guns swiftly and completely before the revolt starts.

Look at where this whole anti- Trump movement is going. The movement has been growing for years. The current corrupt sinister game actually began in 2010. Think about it. The elitists have infested our government and have a stranglehold on our higher educational system. Obama planted like-minded people thru out various departments and agencies where they can organize the total police state they plan for us. Today these people are working 24 hours a day obstructing and destroying everything Trump tries to do. It is amazing that Trump has accomplished as much as he has.

We are teetering on the edge of the cliff. We almost stepped off into the abyss of the enlightenment world view. It is time we realize what the consequences of that will be. We must step back and return to the traditionalism.

We cannot let the Swamp swallow up President Trump!  

By Richard Rossi 

SCOPE members, before we realize it another election will be upon us. This will be a critical election for all of us in NYS - I am not limiting this to gun owners because it impacts all American Citizens living in New York. Now is the time to unite and have a unified agenda to defeat our anti-America establishment in Albany.

Let me be perfectly clear, this is not a time to be ‘Summer Soldiers’ or 'Fair Weather Patriots'. It goes way beyond our Second Amendment Rights and Freedoms. We have also seen Governor Cuomo and our Albany Republicans 'chip away' at our 4th, 5th, 6th, and 14th Amendment guarantees. When the 2nd Amendment is abolished, the rest are sure to follow. Remember, unarmed citizens are not citizens but slaves, and can be easily controlled.

I would like to share something that Ronald Reagan said: "While a Constitution may set forth rights and liberties only the citizens can maintain and guarantee those freedoms. Active and informed citizenship is not just a right; It is a duty.”

In a republic, a Constitution or Charter of Rights protects certain inalienable rights that cannot be taken away by the government, even if it has been elected by a majority of voters. In a "pure democracy," the majority is not restrained in this way and can impose its will on the minority.

The key difference between a Democracy and a Republic lies in the limits placed on government by the law, which has implications for minority rights. Both forms of government tend to use a representational system — i.e., citizens vote to elect politicians to represent their interests and form the government.

For a detailed full explanation of both the differences and similarities, please see the website: https:// www.diffen.com/difference/Democracy_vs_Republic

Remember an informed voter is a citizen. Learn the facts and get involved. Vote, and get others to vote. This is our country - don't let it be taken from us.  

By Gary Perry  

Larry Sharpe cannot win New York State's gubernatorial election this November.

Unfortunately, the only viable pathway to a Larry Sharpe victory in the race was not taken by the campaign. Although originally interested and excited about using the "Opportunity To Ballot" (OTB) option as a possible pathway to victory, the Sharpe campaign has chosen not to follow that path. The OTB is a legal way for a 3rd Party candidate to force a primary election in a major political Party. Collecting the OTB designating petition signatures would have been very doable. However, winning a primary election is challenging and would have required some resources and commitment from Larry Sharpe and his campaign which they originally assured me that we would have. For reasons unclear to me, the Sharpe campaign made the decision to pass designating petitions and hope for a so-called "Wilson Pakula" certification from Ed Cox.

Our mission is to replace Andrew Cuomo as Governor, following through with the campaign slogan begun over five years ago "Cuomo's Gotta Go". Andrew Cuomo has brought the citizens of New York State increased and never-ending tax increases, increased state spending, increased corporate giveaways (billions in corporate welfare) and the never-ending corruption trials taking place in Manhattan and Buffalo that these failed economic stimulus programs breed, failed common core education, "free" college tuition and never ending anti-2nd Amendment legislation. Under Andrew Cuomo's policies NY State is bleeding manufacturing and small business and the jobs that they create. Working class families and college educated young adults are leaving the state in droves seeking good high paying jobs available in other states. Working people and retired state employees of all ages across the entire state are leaving NY State for lower taxes found in many other states. Those of us who are left who want to fix New York's failed fiscal and economic policies we know must defeat Andrew Cuomo in November. History and election statistics prove to us that Larry Sharpe appearing on only the 3rd Party Libertarian ballot line simply cannot defeat Cuomo. Going back five elections (20 years) we see failed attempt after failed attempt by 3rd Party candidates to defeat the Democrat and Republican Party candidates.

Please visit the NY State Board of Elections website and look at the previous election stats to see for y o u r s e l f a t : h t t p : / / www.elections.ny.gov/2018ElectionRes ults.html

Wealthy former New Yorker Tom Golisano ran in three successive elections as a 3rd Party candidate and had far more resources available to him than the Larry Sharpe campaign and he never came close to winning. The past two gubernatorial elections the Libertarian Party has failed to gain 50,000 votes establishing their Party on a ballot line. As the recent events have unfolded it has proven to me that the Libertarian Party knows that Larry Sharpe has literally no chance of winning the Governor's election. What the Libertarians hope to accomplish is getting 50,000 votes on the Libertarian line making it easier in future elections for Libertarian candidates to get on the ballot for many different elective office positions.

Larry Sharpe in his own words:

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=MXkd15Xe1e4

This year there is a very real chance to defeat Andrew Cuomo (Cuomo's Gotta Go) with a combined Republican Party / Conservative Party / Reform Party candidate. While I will always support giving the voters a choice in a primary election the Larry Sharpe campaign has decided not to pursue the legal process to do this. Any signatures collected for Larry Sharpe on a Republican Party ballot will be null and void at the Board of Elections office in Albany when they are submitted and filed. After spending time with Republican Party candidate Marc Molinaro last week I have learned that with Marc Molinaro as the candidate we support we have a very real opportunity to defeat Cuomo (Cuomo's Gotta Go).For these reasons the only real choice, at this time, to replace Andrew Cuomo and end four more years of Cuomo's destructive tax and spend policies is to support Marc Molinaro. For those of us who continue to insist on supporting Larry Sharpe for Governor, I highly recommend getting behind the "Larry Sharpe for Governor 2022 movement". This could be, and should be, the long game or the 10 to 20-year plan several of you have spoken about. To throw away a chance to defeat Andrew Cuomo (Cuomo's Gotta Go) this year hoping to gain ballot access for the Libertarian Party is a terrible sell-out to your principled fellow Conservative family members, friends and neighbors. I cannot in good conscience even consider enslaving my children, family members and friends with four more years of Andrew Cuomo just to gain easier Ballot Access for the Libertarian Party.

What will be left of NY State and its citizens and for any 3rd Party designs after 2 - 4 more years of Andrew Cuomo doubling down on his Progressive tax and spend policies and "giveaways" as he works to position himself even further to the left as the most Progressive Governor in the country for a Presidential bid in 2020? This November a vote for Larry Sharpe is the same as a vote for Andrew Cuomo. I am asking everyone to please consider the reality of this situation here in NY State and join me in voting for Marc Molinaro in November and defeating Andrew Cuomo (Cuomo's Gotta Go) and then get behind the "Larry Sharpe For Governor 2022 movement" starting this December.

Printed with permission of author.