My last post referenced attempts in New Jersey to pass new bills “intended to strengthen the state’s gun laws”.

NY State’s legislative bodies (Senate & Assembly) begin their new session next week on January 5.  Several Gun control bills were presented in the past 3 years with many taking a back seat to the problems surrounding the pandemic.  Will this be the year New Jersey “like” bills are introduced here?  Can we expect you to become more involved in monitoring such legislation?

One of SCOPE’s major goals is to track such bills and educate members as well as our elected officials as to whether we support or reject each piece of legislation.  

This is a time consuming process requiring a good deal of research.  We need members who have the time for such research to engage in the bill-tracking process. 

This will be a topic of discussion at our next Wayne County Members’ Meeting to be held on January 12 @7 pm in the Marion American Legion Post.  Consider this a request to attend and become more involved in your SCOPE Chapter.

“Make no mistake…everyone counts and their participation matters.”

Don

Imagine suing Ford when one of their vehicles is used in a fatal DUI. We’re talking about selling legal, non-defective products that are in compliance with all laws and regulations. Yet an article on our Wayne page outlines attempts by New York and California to do exactly that with regards to firearms. Not unexpectedly, New Jersey has jumped on the band wagon. I predict more will follow suit. 

A package of bills intended to strengthen the state’s gun laws advanced in the New Jersey Assembly on Monday, including one that would punish gun owners for not locking away their firearms and ammunition separately and another that would allow the state Attorney General to pursue public nuisance violations against gun dealers and manufacturers.

The storage law would require all gun owners to store unloaded firearms in gun safes or locked boxes, with ammunition locked away separately. Penalties range from community service to fourth-degree felony charges.

Someone who is being confronted by a home invasion may believe the safest place for their ammunition is in the chamber of their gun. One NJ legislator said: “I think we’re looking at this the wrong way – don’t stop the legal gun owners from protecting themselves.”

How can you blame an entire industry for harms caused by individuals misusing a product? If passed, I predict it will be challenged in court just as any such laws in NY and/or California. 

Other bills advanced would:

• Require newly manufactured semi-automatic handguns to be micro-stamped and establish a handgun database
• Revise the definition of destructive device to include certain weapons of 50-caliber or greater
• Regulate and develop an online monitoring system for ammunition sales
• Require gun owners who move into New Jersey to get a firearm purchaser identification card within 30 days and register any guns acquired outside of New Jersey
• Support Gov. Phil Murphy’s call to reconvene a “States for Gun Safety”summit

Do you believe NY might likely attend a “States for Gun Safety” summit? I certainly do..

 Such a possibility along with New Jersey’s list of bills should give all of us  pause for thought. 

REGISTRATION, GUN BANS AMONG 8 BILLS MOVING IN NJ

REGISTRATION, GUN BANS AMONG 8 BILLS MOVING IN NJ

 

If you missed the oral arguments offered by both sides today, then you can access the link below to listen to the arguments and/or download a PDF of the arguments. 

https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2021/20-843

This Wednesday, November 3rd, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the NRA backed case New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. This is the first Second Amendment-related case that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear in over a decade, and it is centered around whether or not a "special need" is required for law-abiding citizens to be able to exercise their right to "bear arms". 

You will be able to hear oral arguments live on Wednesday by going to this link: https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/live.aspx. 

The past two years have been very frustrating for all of us. The “pandemic” has taken its toll. We have seen changes in leadership at both federal and our own NY State level. Tuesday is again Election Day and deserves our full attention. The local elections occurring in our villages, towns and counties may be more critical than state and federal elections. Too many voters ignore these ‘in-between’ elections. 

We will be electing many of our “grassroots” leaders. The mayors, supervisors, legislators, board and council members responsible for directing our daily lives. Sheriffs and judges are super-critical as many will remain in office until retirement. 

We are fortunate to have the opportunity to vote for those who affect our rights and privileges, not the least of which is the Second Amendment. Please take the time to vote for the best qualified candidates, especially those who will allow us to maintain our God-given liberties. 

Don

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”       

 — Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”       

 who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”       

 — Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

 

 

https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/onondaga-county-district-attorney-man-saved-the-lives-of-several-individuals-after-fatally-shooting-a-man-who-fired-at-crowd/

Please note that WCS will NOT hold members meetings in July and September [as well as the normal December].

The state SCOPE banquet will be held on October 16. This annual event was not scheduled last year due to the pandemic. It will be held at Breezes Banquet Center on 215 Leland Ave. in Utica, NY. The keynote speaker will be none other than Lt. Col. Oliver North.  A Tour of Remington Arms Co. Museum & Factory will occur earlier in the day. 

The state website contains a complete list of activities along with a Banquet Ticket Order Form.  Ticket sales are limited and July sales of tickets are for members ONLY. Ticket sales will be opened to the public beginning on August 1st. Lodging is available at 3 local hotels/motels. Accommodations are listed on the SCOPE website.

WCS will hold a members meeting on August 11 at the normal time of 7 PM in the Marion Legion Post.  Our focus will be on members' committees and will hold committee meetings that evening during the regular meeting. 

We plan to attend community events and place our tent and table with free educational materials for residents to further their understanding of our civil and Constitutional rights and violations thereof.

Please contact me if you would like to serve with other volunteers at these events. Although the County Fair will not be held, we do plan on attending those available this year including the Brantling Bluegrass Festival on July 29, 30 and 31. 

Our emphasis in October will be on preparing for the November elections. 

We encourage all members to VOTE on

   PRIMARY DAY - TUESDAY 6.22.21

Ratings of Wayne County Sheriff Candidates running in the Republican primary on Tuesday, June 22, 2021 have been completed. The ratings are:

Candidate Milby: A+           Candidate MacNeal: A

The Wayne County SCOPE Committee used the following as a rating basis:

Candidate shows strong evidence of protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens and:

1. Strongly supports the Second Amendment.
2. Strongly supports the right to due process.
3. Strongly supports the right to legally use firearms for self defense.
4. Strongly agrees that no government entity has the right to infringe on possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens. 
5. Strongly supports the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments.

Candidate shows strong evidence of opposition to gun control efforts such as:

1. The NY SAFE Act.
2. Extreme Risk Protection Orders ("Red Flag" laws).
3. Need for gun owners to purchase gun-owner or liability insurance. 
4. Banning of semi-automatic firearms.
5. Micro-stamping capability of semi-automatic firearms.
6. Background checks to purchase ammunition.
7. Registration of long guns.
8. Mandatory storage of firearms within one's own home.

This is a link to a recent letter to the editor in the Finger Lakes Times:  https://www.fltimes.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-everyone-must-be-accountable-for-how-we-use-guns/article_0cfbc9ff-9ff5-5e0d-aa97-4e224cdd150d.html

My response to the editor was as follows:

Finger Lakes Times

218 Genesee St.

Geneva, NY 14456

To the Editor:

A recent letter to the editor stated that “Everyone must be accountable for how we use guns”.  I agree with that statement but caution against a focus exclusively on deaths from gun violence.  It is not the “public health crisis” some would have us believe. 

Obviously, any unexpected death is a tragedy, but by comparison consider these major causes of deaths and their percent of total deaths in 2019:  1) Heart Disease: 635,260; 23.1%;  2) Cancer: 598,038; 21.7%;   3) Accidents (unintentional): 161,374; 5.9%; ..... 12) Gun Violence: 38,730; 1.4%  

Please keep in mind that the commonly used modern sporting rifle or AR-15 is cosmetically similar to a military rifle but is a semi-automatic rifle.  The military rifle is fully automatic and prohibited from citizen ownership by the Firearms Act of 1968 since it fires more than one round of ammunition when the trigger is pressed.  Statistics provided by states to the FBI show AR-15s to be used in 1.4% of crimes involving firearms and 0.25% of all crimes.  

I disagree that politicians do not care about gun laws but rather that it’s the criminals who do not care. Consider this statement by State Senator Pam Helming: “It is time to stop playing politics and pass legislation that is clearly written, has been vetted by the public, and will truly protect our citizens without stripping the rights of law-abiding citizens.”

Finally, though well intentioned, proposals for gun liability insurance misunderstand a fundamental principle of insurance.  It is designed to cover fortuitous, or accidental events, “...not intentional behavior such as criminal acts...”, said Willem O. Rijksen, vice president of public affairs for the American Insurance Association.  This applies to guns, cars or any instrument that is used to deliberately harm a person.  

NRA spokeswoman Stephanie Samford reminds us: “Insurance is not needed to exercise any other Constitutional right”. 

Don Smith 

Chairman

Wayne County S.C.O.P.E.

315.398.0195

PO Box 454 

Ontario, NY 14519

We recently received this message from our State Senator Pam Helming:  "For more than a week, I have been leading the fight against the so-called Gas Tax. And many of you have reached out to share your support and encouragement. 

This proposed new tax would hurt virtually every taxpayer, business and farm in upstate New York. One of my top priorities is stopping it from becoming law. Below are some of the latest updates regarding my work on this important issue." 

Here is your opportunity STOP the GAS TAXhis petition:

 https://www.nysenate.gov/petitions/pamela-helming/time-pump-brakes-gas-tax >.