frontlines

By Tim Andrews SCOPE President 

    With the new year comes the 2018 Albany legislative session. Thus far the early focus in Albany seems to be on passing legislation prohibiting those convicted of domestic violence crimes from possessing firearms, and banning the sale of bump stocks.  A state law pertaining to domestic violence would be redundant, since federal law already addresses that issue.  Consideration is also being given to a state ban on bump-stocks.

   Thus far the governor’s legislative agenda seems more about his political aspirations than benefiting New Yorkers or fighting crime. Regarding bump-stocks, until the tragic shooting in Las Vegas, most people had no idea what a bump-stock was, and they were never used in crime.  I recognize that most shooters I know have no interest in a bump-stock for various reasons.  I for one am not interested in owning a bump-stock, but is that a reason to support a ban?  I would argue no, because doing so would fall into the trap of blaming and banning hardware.  When you start blaming and banning hardware where does it stop?  

     A good example is the issue of magazine size.  How do you argue against magazine bans and support banning bumpstocks?  We need to maintain consistency in our arguments.  Whether we are talking about semi-automatic rifles, large capacity magazines or bump-stocks, they are not the problem, any more than a corvette is the cause of speeding.

     Furthermore, with practice one could pretty much duplicate what a bumpstock does with just your finger.  On the issue of bans, how many times have you heard a hunter, a sporting clay shooter or others say about military style semi-autos, “who needs one of them, they should be banned.”  What everyone needs to understand, and the unSAFE Act clearly proves, the anti-gunners want them all.  They want your Remington 1100 as well as your AR-15.  The unSAFE Act’s mental health provisions and the recertification provisos provide for the confiscation of all your firearms, shotguns, rifles and handguns. You don’t even have to be convicted of a crime to lose all your firearms.  Under the unSAFE Act due process is gone.  You are guilty and it’s up to you to prove your innocence to get your firearms back.  

    This November we face one of the most important elections of our lifetime.  You will here me pound away at that throughout the year.  You may get tired of hearing me talk and write about it, but please understand, it is not overstated to say that the 2018 election is the most important election of our lifetime.  The best way to turn things around in Albany is to change the name on the front door of the governor’s mansion.  I’ve heard some say it can’t be done; we can’t over come the vote coming out of New York City.  Well, that is simply not true.  57% of the state’s adult population comes from outside New York City.  In the 2014, gubernatorial election there were 3.8 million votes cast.  There are about 14 million people in New York who are eligible to vote.  That means there were 10 million people in New York State who did not vote in 2014. It’s estimated that 6 million people outside of New York City did not vote in 2014.  Cuomo won that election by 500,000 votes.  It’s easy to see that the 6 million who did not vote could have easily swung the election to Rob Astorino had they voted.  

    There are an estimated 4 to 6 million gun owners in New York. Undoubtedly many of those gun owners did not vote in 2014.  That means there is fertile ground for us to plow, the numbers tell us we can defeat Cuomo in 2018.  Voting and the right to keep and bear arms have a common purpose, each to protect the other.  Second Amendment supporters need to treat the vote with the same reverence we treat the Second Amendment.  

    Most gun owners in New York are not members of SCOPE, the NRA, or any other Second Amendment organization.  Those are the folks we need to reach.  Many of those are people you know.  Help us get the message out.  The only thing we need to defeat Cuomo in 2018 is a lot of hard work and commitment from each one of us.  We’ll be calling on all of you to help us educate gun owners on the importance of the 2018 election.  Help us get gun owners registered to vote, and then make sure they vote on November 6, 2018.  We need an unprecedented voter turn out; with your help we can turn the tide in 2018.  Visit S.C.O.P.E.’s newwebsite , www.scopeny.org for information on voting and links to the board of elections where you’ll find the information necessary to register to vote. 

By Harold Moskowitz

The American Revolution began when British troops marched to Concord to confiscate colonial arms and powder. Colonists viewed confiscation of arms as a violation of the relationship between citizenship, gun ownership, and liberty. Our Declaration of Independence spoke of God given “Inalienable Rights” which could not be denied by a ruler. However, lofty ideals about the People governing themselves and rights  granted by God instead of a king were pointless unless the colonists could win independence.  Without firearms, there would have been no chance.

The Second Amendment addressed the fear that a powerful central government could oppress the People.  It was a guarantee that our national government would neither disarm the People nor replace state militias with a standing army.  Jefferson believed that an armed population would be a deterrence to oppression.  He saw the importance of preserving “the spirit of resistance.”  Today, there are those among us who are involved in efforts to lead this nation toward socialism under a one-world government.  Some work to further that goal while in positions of importance in government.  Others use their considerable personal wealth to fund radical group efforts.  Still others work toward the goal by indoctrinating young minds in university lecture halls.  

They have been weakening us from within by undermining patriotism, authority, the family, expression of religion in public, morality, and our national sovereignty.  Their efforts aim to weaken us through division by race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, language, age, culture, and “economic class.”  “Political correctness” was devised to stifle any criticism of their agenda actions.  To resist them in any way brands one a “racist,” “xenophobe,” “homophobe,” “Islamophobe,” etc. In our schools, the young are taught that “guns are bad.”  For reinforcement, tee-shirts or trinkets portraying a firearm are prohibited.  One elementary school child was even suspended for chewing a pop-tart into the shape of a gun.

The “globalists” would end U.S. sovereignty by having the government sign agreements such as the U.N. Small Arms Treaty.  That treaty was solidly supported by then Secretary of State Clinton. International treaties of this type shift decision making on important issues from our elected government to international bodies where unelected, unaccountable administrators would decide how you would live.  International law would supersede our Constitution and laws.  There is no right of self defense under international law.  In addition, firearm ownership is not considered an individual right.

It is the Second Amendment with the potential for armed resistance which is slowing the globalist agenda.  The 300-plus million firearms in our urban/suburban communities could be problematic for government leaders if the public were pushed too far, too quickly.  Calls for universal background checks are really aimed at national gun registration. Australian-style confiscations would then follow each subsequent mass shooting.  AR15’s would be first, followed by semi-automatic pistols and shotguns etc.  For now, they settle for incrementally chipping away at firearm ownership after each mass shooting.  Each “gun-free zone” school shooting provides the emotional momentum for rapid, new infringements on Second Amendment rights.

Increasingly, the Bill of Rights is ignored in the name of security.  The Constitution itself is often dismissed by many young people as an outdated document written by “old white slave owners.”  The window of opportunity for altering this transformational agenda is in the process of closing.  The Second Amendment keeps it open.

If the Second Amendment can be continuously eroded, the other amendments are not secure.  This is the civil rights cause of our era.  We were placed here, in this time, for a purpose. We must forget our differences, political or otherwise, to unite for defending and protecting our Second Amendment rights and, by extension, the preservation of the rest of the Bill of Rights, for those who come after us.

The November election is crucial for preserving individual liberty at the national and state levels.  No excuses!  If you are not registered to vote, get registered and encourage others to get registered.  Speak to every gun owner about the importance of voting in this election.  Governor Cuomo must be replaced to prevent new S.A.F.E. Act restrictions.  At the national level, Democrat control of Congress would guarantee new firearm restrictions.

There is a tough row to hoe ahead of us. S.C.O.P.E. and other firearm organizations must coordinate and mobilize their members through county chapters and affiliated sporting groups.  Voting registration forms and absentee ballots should be available at all gun shops, ranges, sporting competitions and chapter meetings.  Chapters need to make provisions for members to call absent members as reminders to vote on November 6th.  “Summer Soldiers” and “Sunshine Patriots” will not win the day for the preservation of individual liberty!  Only your inaction can guarantee Governor Cuomo another chance to restrict your Second Amendment rights!

By Budd Schroeder

When it comes to politics, perception reigns.  The old saying “you can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time,” is probably true, but it doesn’t seem to deter the liberal media.  At least they give fooling most of the people a good try.  The disagreements between the liberal left and conservative right seem to favor the left because they are the ones who control most of the media and the educational facilities.  A former dictator had the saying: “If you tell a big lie often enough, people will believe it.”  If one side of an argument gets most of the exposure, that one has the best chance of being believed.  This is well defined in the issue of gun control.  The anti-gun crowd consists mainly of people who control electronic media, newspapers, entertainment and a significant segment of government.  The people in charge are the ones who set the tone for the liberal agenda of one world government, socialistic programs, and the insistence that big government is the best government.  They keep pushing for more government control over the lives and the rights of the citizens.  Some have accused them of trying to turn citizens into subjects.  It has been a battle for centuries. When America fought and won the battle for independence from the King of England, it really shook up the normal structure of that time.  Most of the civilized world was run by dictators or royalty.  It was so ingrained, that kingdoms were formed by “divine right.”  To pose that argument was to go against the Will of God.  People believed it and it took several revolutions in kingdoms to dispel that slogan.  Some royal families were smart enough to modify the monarchies and they became symbols as the people then had the power to make laws.  In countries run by dictators, those who didn’t have the power of the military to stay in power and keep ruling as a family business, were changed by revolutions and uprisings. The Founding Fathers in America were well aware of the potential for reverting to those unacceptable provisions and as a safeguard, wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  When writing the Declaration and Constitution, they created a government of laws, not men.  The leaders were elected and replaced by the will of the people who voted.  In the days following the emergence of a new country and new government the whole focus was on government of the people, by the people and for the people.  Those in power were replaceable. If the people were no longer satisfied by the way the government was being run.  The politicians of that era “did their duty” and served short terms in government.  When they were satisfied that they served to make the country better, they stepped down to go back to their farms or businesses.  Others were simply removed by elections and new people replaced them.  As one would expect, from the beginning of any government, there were people involved in power plays and ambition would lead to battles in the government proceedings as well as elections. Some of the disagreements led to duels and deaths.  From the beginning of governments, from any perspective, there were people who wished to get more power.  History is filled with the stories about the motives causing change, but it seems to have a common source.  Someone wanted more power and money.  A few wanted better government.  Those ambitions are still prevalent in government today.  Corruption is still a major factor in most government agencies and could be eliminated by intelligent voters.  The fact that most politicians look at government as a career path, rather than “doing their duty,” as been, and still is, a major problem in America.  Some elected officials have served in office longer than many monarchs and dictators.  The elected officials have passed laws that are extremely beneficial to the incumbents.  New York is a perfect example of that equation.  It has better than a 90 percent reelection rate. The districts have been wonderfully gerrymandered by the people in power to keep the people in power, remaining in power.  The political parties are focused, not on the best government, but the best method to stay in power.  Power first.  People second.  People are the necessity to win elections because they are the voters.  It has been said that some people are so dedicated to their party affiliation, they even vote after they have died.  Some districts have been reported to have more voters in an election than people who are registered. So, how does this affect the issue of gun control?  The Second Amendment was put in the Constitution to prevent the government from becoming too powerful. The amendment has been likened to a keystone on an arch and, if it is destroyed or removed, the whole arch crumbles. That is why it plainly says, “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”  A definition of infringed is “violated.”  Keeping and bearing arms is not only for personal defense against individual harm, but as a defense against permanent marshal law or a takeover by individuals who seek to change our Republic into a different form of government, like socialism.  Those who wish to disarm the populace, gun by gun, should be looked at with skepticism. They will look at any tragedy as a means to infringe on the rights of the honest citizen.  The semi-automatic rifle with a threaded barre that they ban today can easily pave the way for banning a pump or lever action gun the next time there is a shooting.  The liberal politicians refuse to address the real problem because it is difficult to solve.  Their slogan “Gun Violence” should be replaced by a more accurate description like, “Criminal misuse of firearms.”  However, this is a really difficult problem for them to solve because CRIMINALS DON’T OBEY LAWS.  It is much easier to keep repeating a lie than it is to solve the real problem.  Don’t forget to vote this year.

Rob McNally, Cattaraugus County

This is a major election year in New York and we need to have a unified approach to getting voters out in order to have a positive effect on the results.  Coordinate with your SCOPE chapter members and use the plan described here.  This can and will have the highest form of success if you implement it immediately.  Evidence of this is presented below based upon statistics achieved in 2014.  In 2014, Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties were effective in raising the voter turnout from what is typically 35% turnout in a mid-term election to an average of 48%, and that was with a very late start in the election year.  We have the whole summer to get this out.  We can be very effective with this.  As you may recall, Astorino won all but 8 counties in 2014.  Of the total vote, he only lost by half a million votes.  If EVERY county but those 8 were to be addressed with this program, we would increase the number of voter turnout far beyond that half million votes!  This CAN be done.

First, make contact with your county Board of Elections.  Their records are subject to open records laws and are available to anyone who requests them, free of charge.  Utilize the available roster of Board of Elections from the state website.... (https://www.elections.ny.gov/countyboards.html ).  This roster is in an Adobe.pdf file format and rather easy to print.  File a written request with the board of elections within your county via email or in person. Request a print out of ALL registered voters in the county WHO HAVE NOT VOTED IN THE LAST THREE GENERAL ELECTIONS, at minimum. You may want to go back one more general election, that is your choice.  The time periodof three general elections occupies roughly six years.  Divide those districts up into neighborhoods from which your membership derives.  Get your membership to then reach out to the names on those lists.  

Many will find neighbors and/or friends whom they know on that list. This is their ‘in’ to start a conversation with them.  Discuss with them what would be necessary to get those voters back out to the polls.  This should not be a confrontational discussion.  Simply inquire as to what motivation can get them back to the polls.  Some of that motivation could simply be giving them the numbers that support the claims here.  For instance, many make the oft repeated excuse that voters in New York City out number those of us in upstate.  This is not true, but very handy for those who do not wish to get out to the polls.  The actual numbers are very much in favor of upstate voters if we could simply convince those who choose not to vote to change their minds.  If you look at the statistics from 2016 and do a little math, you’ll find that total voters (active and inactive) in New York City amount to 4,475,157.  However, by subtracting those voters from the total voters in the entire state we come up with 7,251,685.(https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/enrollment/county/county_ apr16.pdf )  Could we come up with an additional half a million votes from that pool of voters?  I certainly think we can!

The next step is to continue the voter registration drives.(https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registrationapplication) However, the bulk of our lost votes are typically in registered non-voters rather than unregistered new voters.  But maintaining this voter registration effort will simply supplement our drive of getting non-voting registered voters back to the polls. 

I hope this encourages those who might be eager to see some changes in this state.  If you were wondering what you could do to make this fall’s election resemble the 2016 federal election, this article suggests a path. Please be an encouragement to all our voters out there.  Make this the year we make our stand count and make a difference!

Richard Rossi, Delaware County SCOPE Member

I was going to write about another topic this month; however, in light of the recent mass-shooting in Parkland, Fla. I felt this was more appropriate and timely.  Unfortunately, in these times, "POSITIVE ACTION" must be taken to stop these mass-shootings.  The 'Feel-Good' measures that have been enacted, by our Congress and the many state and local governments will not and do not make anyone safe - they never did.  Time has proven that 'Gun-Free Zones', are an invitation to mass-shootings and terrorist attacks.  Just look back at Newtown, Columbine, Aurora (theater) etc. and now Parkland, Florida.  The issue goes far beyond 'Gun-Free Zones' in schools - it applies to Gun-Free Zones anywhere.

More Gun Laws, Restrictions and Regulations and the so called - 'Assault Weapon Bans' are just words on 'paper'.  Murder, assault etc. are already crimes.  These remedies have had no impact nor will more of the same make any difference nor have an effect on criminals and the severely mentally ill from acts of violence.  If our elected officials in our government want to truly make a difference, then they need to attack the 'Root Causes' (seriously mentally ill individuals, gang violence, both illegal and legal drug trade, illegal's, domestic and foreign terrorists) for all violence.

Law-abiding gun owners are NOT the problem and never were.  CCW Holders are by far more responsible than the average citizens in America - this also includes LEO's which have a higher crime rate than CCW Citizens.  These so-call common sense gun control measures are NOT addressing the issues.  They are as I said, 'feel good' initiatives, that make it harder for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and their loved ones.  These measures constantly restrict an object - the gun; rather than the individual.  Our school are 'soft targets'.  Every school administrator, needs to be 'pro-active' and use all means available to keep our children safe.  This includes, 'Lock-Down' procedures to prevent unauthorized access to schools, containment measures should a 'breach' occur, and, YES, armed, concealed carry personal on the premises during school hours.  However, this should be the last defense to protect our children.  I say concealed carry individuals, which are the element of surprise, must be the major tactic in any mass shooting confrontation.

Uniformed LEO's are fine; however, are we going to have one, two, three or more at each school?  Small community schools can't afford the cost associated to enlist this assistance. In New York State, our rural schools are declining in enrollment with higher and higher school taxes; unfortunately, the residents can't absorb this type of security measure.  For the individuals who are afraid of armed response measures, what choice do we have? In a mass murder scenario, seconds count and LEO's are minutes away. Is it not better to have assistance right there NOW?

Some say they are afraid of guns in school, they don't want to have fear instilled in the students.  Schools in NYS are required to have 'lock-down' drills and drills to simulate mass-shooting scenarios - the same could be said for these drills - right?

Just think about this for a minute, when SWAT is summoned in an attack - they are at a disadvantage when they arrive. They are arriving well into the mass shooting and associated hysteria event. Unfortunately, several individuals will have been killed or wounded by this time. They will be searching for the shooter or shooters.  Would it be more advantageous IF the attack was already stopped or the individual contained in a specific location?  The presence of an armed individual(s) might be the difference that all our children will survive.  Why 'wait and pray' that LEO's will arrive in time.  Let’s face it - the first seconds or minutes are critical.  Our local Sheriff offered to have a Deputy Sheriff stationed at every school in our county (Delaware).  I believe it is 11 schools; however, this would be only one individual and it would be up to the community to pay for this.  A Deputy Sheriff or School Resource Officer, and, yes, even some administrators and teachers who are trained in confrontation scenarios involving firearm assaults are appropriate. The time for action is NOW. The past 'FEEL GOOD MEASURES' are not effective and most are just infringing on the rights/freedoms of law-abiding gun owners and doing nothing to stop crimes.  We are in fact making our citizens less and less safe and becoming prey for criminals.  Law-abiding citizens are entitled to self-defense.

The NRA back in 2012, developed a program to assist schools in safety protocols.  I ask every school administrator to take advantage of this program .  (WWW.NationalSchoolSHIELD.org) I would like to add two additional points.  We have an untapped resource of highly trained combat individuals who have proven under high stress to react quickly, our veterans.  These individuals have been 'field tested' and can fill these needed security measure.  Let’s REALLY keep our children safe.  As we learn more and more about Parkland Fla., it proves that our system has failed all of our citizens and our children. This individual SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO LEGALLY PURCHASE A FIREARM - PERIOD.  His criminal past should have put him in the NICS System to be blocked from any gun purchase - HE WAS NOT.  On top of this - the actions of the school deputy that was assigned to protect these children - failed them miserably.  I don't know his past experience with these kinds of issues; however, clearly it was not his finest hour. Hopefully all the 'true' facts will come to light, so we can learn from this what NOT to do - next time.

In my opinion, these two issues clearly make a case for multiple armed individuals on school premises.   Hopefully, our elected officials will 'see the light', and truly resolve this issue with not the same 'feel good measures' of our past.  However , our rights/freedoms as citizens must never be compromised in the process.  Our Constitution/Bill of Rights must always be the true test of any approach.  Abandon these guiding principles and we have nothing - 'We the People' will become slaves of our government.  Freedom is in the balance.

In closing, I would just like to add one additional personal view point; which is, unfortunately, very unsettling to me as a law-abiding American citizen/gun owner.  Can our elected government officials be that 'ignorant' concerning these, 'so-called' common sense gun control measures and actually believe they will stop violence? I believe it is far more complicated, and this maybe the true objective, which has nothing to do with violence, but has everything to do with our basic Rights/Freedoms of our Democracy.  Our Second Amendment Right protects 'We the People' from our own government. It is the 'citizens 'Checks and Balances' to prevent the government from becoming the rulers.  It is not about hunting etc.  We, today’s gun owners are the militia our Founding Fathers were speaking about and stated in the 2nd Amendment.  It is about the elite few becoming the ultimate power and the citizens becoming the subjects.  Destroy the 2nd Amendment and the rest will surely follow.  Some food for thought - hope I am paranoid and they (politicians) are just 'mentally challenged'.  Time will tell.  God Bless our children and grandchildren, may they live in a country that is Free.

By Stephen L. Blakeslee, Hornell, NY

The recent shooting at the Parkland, Florida school shocked and saddened our nation.  No parent should have to bury their child, especially under such circumstances.  We all suffer from such a tragedy.  The FBI failed on at least two occasions to follow up on leads about the shooter.  Social Services, mental health workers and law enforcement were at the shooter’s home multiple times and did nothing.  An armed Sheriff’s Deputy was on site while the shooting was occurring but did not even attempt to engage the shooter or save lives.

Now we are being asked by smug politicians to trust this broken system even further by giving up more of our Constitutional Rights, all the while they strut about with armed security by their sides.  Enough!  In a 2005 Supreme Court decision, it was ruled that local police departments have NO DUTY OR OBLIGATION to protect ordinary citizens during the commission of a crime.  Do not count on the police, or anyone in government to come and save you in your home, or your children at school.  You are the only one that can protect yourself and your family in the immediate situation.  Do not let the politicians tell you that you cannot defend yourself.  Call your Senators and Congressmen and women to demand passage of Concealed Carry Reciprocity for all 50 States. DEMAND that honest citizens be allowed to have the same type of semi-automatic rifles and large capacity magazines as the shooters.  Make schools safer by providing on site armed security personnel.

Train and arm teachers and school personnel that are willing and able to take on the task of protecting students.  Go to the polls and VOTE this November.  Take back your GOD GIVEN RIGHT to self defense and your Constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

By Douglas Mitchell, Chairman, Steuben County SCOPE

Once again we grieve the loss of young, innocent lives because of an evil, unstable young man who was allegedly upset over losing his mother. These were young people who could have been laborers, technicians, accountants, doctors, attorneys, a spouse, a parent. Such a horrible and grievous waste.  Fifty years ago, school shootings were not the chosen outlet for such earth shattering relationship breakups. Pain and Frustration were directed at the individual(s) causing same, a verbal barrage or maybe a fist fight.

In the ‘50’s, Hollywood produced TV entertainment such as Father Knows Best, Leave It To Beaver, The Brady Bunch, Gene Autry, The Lone Ranger, Sky King, and Roy Rogers.  The sophisticated, enlightened critics of today openly mock this “simple, provincial” viewing favoring increased violence/sexuality.  Freedom of speech and broader community standards, they say.  The average teenager today has viewed, condoned and stored 20,000 “murders” by age 18.  Not enough action for you; let’s spend hours playing violent video games. If you can’t shoot, blowup or eliminate an adversary in some violent and spectacular way, you’re just not cool.  How has this effected today’s society compared to the “simple, provincial, puritanical and backward” folks of 50 years ago who apparently were too unimaginative to maim and kill innocent fellow students because of the anger and pain in their life? It’s time to expose Hollywood for its hypocrisy calling for oppressive gun control while “feeding the beast.”

Mental illness and mental instability need to prohibited the access to firearms but, with equal protection and due process as granted by the Bill of Rights ratified almost 227 years ago. And I trust the Bill of Rights far more than the knee jerk reaction of so many of our well meaning, hoplophobic and naïve politicians.

By Tim Andrews, SCOPE President

“What came first, the chicken or the egg?” 

An age-old philosophical question with no easy answer.  Here’s another philosophical question that has a much more obvious answer. What came first, violence or the gun?  Obvious right? Violence has been around since Cain and Abel.  Cain may have used a rock or perhaps a club to kill Abel. Through the millennium man has conceived a multitude of ways to perpetrate violence upon their fellow man.  Rocks, clubs, swords, bombs, motor vehicles, lethal chemicals, bare hands and yes, firearms to name a few.  Regardless of the implement used there is a common thread among all violence against innocent people, and that is evil.  Guns are not the cause of violence any more than a motor vehicle that ruthlessly crashes into a crowd of people.  It is very simplistic to believe that passing more gun control laws will result in less violence. In fact, gun control, because it only impacts law abiding citizens, usually results in more violence against the innocent because it tips the balance in favor of the criminal.  There’s plenty of examples.  The most obvious are “gun free zones.”  If gun free zones worked we should never have a school shooting.  The facts are that since the invention of gun free zones, school shootings have increased and why wouldn’t they?  The progressive left, the gun grabbers, have created safe areas for depraved killers.  The late Senator Fred Thompson use to say, “why do they call it common sense when there is so little of it?” At the risk of being accused of cynicism by anti-gunners, it’s fair to wonder why someone would push for something as ridiculous and obviously as dangerous as a gun free zone.  Some, and I am one of them, have wondered if the advocates of more gun control welcome these mass shootings?  After all, note how quickly they mobilize their very orchestrated agenda when one of these shootings take place, usually within hours.

You need another example?  Remember the Obama administration’s Operation Fast and Furious that allowed criminals to buy an estimated 2000 firearms, some that were linked to homicides including the killing of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.  We may soon learn more about this because Agent Terry’s family has finally convinced President Trump to release the records on this program. Why would our government sell 2000 firearms to known criminals?  It’s a fair question and one that deserves answers.

Will we ever get them?  Given what we know, these questions are not cynical and they are not out of line.  The American people are owed answers to these questions, especially when the results of such inexplicable policies have resulted in the injury and deaths of many innocent Americans, including the victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.  One final point pertaining to the Parkland Florida shooting.  If ever there was an example of how your safety first and foremost was in your hands this was it.  It’s incredible the number of government failures that occurred that led to this tragedy.  From the school district, the local sheriff’s department and the FBI, all these agencies failed the victims of Parkland, Florida.  And what’s the solution from gun grabbers and most in the media?  Yep, you got it.  More gun control.  The laws and the tools were in place that could have prevented this tragedy.  Any tools or laws are only as good as those put in charge of carrying them out and enforcing them.  That is where the focus needs to be, not on passing more restrictive gun control like gun free zones that only make the innocent more vulnerable.  Here in New York, we have a crucial gubernatorial election coming up this November.  Lately, I’ve noticed a lot of discouraged gun owners on pro-gun social media.  I’ve read comments like, why vote we can’t win, we can’t overcome the vote out of New York City, we can’t trust the Republican candidates and so on and so forth.  Some espouse we support a third-party candidate.  How many of you have ever competed in a competitive sport or other activity? Facing a tough opponent, can you imagine your coach in his pre-game speech telling you, “look this opponent is just too good, there’s no way we can win, rather than play and maybe suffer an injury we should probably just forfeit the game.” I recall the locker room speech of Herb Brooks, the coach of the 1980 U. S. Olympic hockey team.

They faced a seemingly impossible task. No one gave them a chance to beat the Russians.  Brooks told his team, “this is your time, not theirs.” They went out and seized the moment and won in probably the greatest upset in the history of sports.  Cuomo is in trouble, one of his closest aides Joseph Percoco, an individual he described as a brother, has been convicted of three felonies, involving fraud and bribery.  Cuomo could be next who knows where this will go.  In any case, this is not helpful to his reelection. I urge you to shake off the negativity. We’re not quitters, we can win this.  This is your time.  We need everyone on board. There are a couple of good Republican candidates, such as Senator John DeFranciso and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro.  Once the GOP picks their candidate let’s get behind him/her and defeat Cuomo in November.  In the January/February Firing Lines, I erroneously referred to Rick Lazio as the 2014 Republican candidate for governor.  Of course, he was not, Rob Astorino was the 2014 Republican candidate for governor.  I apologize for the error.

The New York State Assembly may soon consider legislation to ban bump-stocks, or referred to in the bill (A.8717) as bump-fire device or other firing accelerators.

We oppose this legislation because of the broad nature of the proposal and how easily it could include other firearm accessories down the road. Also, state law is not an appropriate place to regulate such devices because visitors from other states where these devices are legal could unknowingly violate such a law while passing through or visiting New York State.

Until the tragic shooting in Las Vegas, most people had no idea what a bump-stock was, and they were never used in crime. Furthermore, with practice one could pretty much duplicate what a bump-stock does with just your finger. Banning bump-stocks in New York will do one thing, it will prevent law-abiding New Yorkers from owning them. However, since bump stocks are available in most other states, this law will create a black market for New York’s criminal population. Laws like this make no sense and will never accomplish their stated purpose.

To address the tragedy in Las Vegas, the focus should be on the individual who committed this horrendous crime. Why did he do it, how was he able to spend days setting up such an advantages tactical position and go unnoticed? The primary asset of the Vegas shooter was his tactical position, given that, he could have accomplished the same results with just about any firearm without a bump-stock.

Another unanswered question is why did it take so long to locate the shooter, could strategically positioned police snipers have ended this tragedy sooner? None of this is meant to be criticism of law-enforcement but these are questions that need answers. Addressing these issues will go much further in saving innocent lives than passing a state ban on hardware.

 Call your Assembly and Senate representatives and ask them to oppose A.8717 and S.6918.

By Tim Andrews - SCOPE President

Yes, we can defeat Andy Cuomo this November. That’s not just wishful thinking, it is a fact. We hear time and again that we cannot overcome the anti-gun vote coming out of the densely populated New York City area, is that true? If it is it’s only because we have not worked hard enough in the past, we must change that in 2018.

Let’s look at the numbers, the total adult population in New York State is approximately 15 million people, a little over 57% of New York State’s adult population lives outside the New York City area. There were approximately 10 million adult New Yorker's who did not vote in the 2014 gubernatorial election, many of them were gun owners, that’s fertile ground and it’s where we need to cultivate this year.

Most gun owners, unfortunately, are not members of SCOPE or other pro-Second Amendment groups in New York. Many of these folks are your friends, co-workers, union members and fellow gun club members, we need you to reach out to them. You are the key to our success in 2018.

The board of elections in your community has all the resources you need to get gun owners registered to vote and then make sure those gun owners vote on November 6, 2018. This includes information on absentee balloting, including voting for members of the military.

We need your help in defeating Andrew Cuomo and other anti-gun politicians in New York State. Cuomo is beatable with your help. Please help us recruit an army of gun owners to defeat Cuomo in 2018.

Visit the New York State Board of the Elections web site for more details:

• New York State Board of the Elections
• Register to Vote