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 >.

WCS Members:  contact your Town Supervisor and request that Wayne County ‘opt in’ on allowing licensed youth aged 12-13 to hunt big game with a firearm and/or crossbow. Here is the link to the contact information for all Wayne County Supervisors:

 https://web.co.wayne.ny.us/index.php/cotb/ 

The NY State Budget was passed and Includes legislation lowering the age for deer hunting with a firearm and crossbow in participating Upstate counties.  But Counties Must Adopt a Local Law Allowing Youth Hunters 12-13 to Hunt Deer per ECL-0935.

For nearly two decades, youth aged 12 and 13 in New York have been safely hunting deer and bear with archery equipment and small game with firearms. Until now, New York was the only state that didn't allow 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt big game with a firearm. Environmental Conservation Law 11-0935 is a temporary measure that will pilot lowering the age through 2023, including the following provisions:

• Allows 12- and 13-year-old licensed hunters to hunt deer with a rifle, shotgun, or muzzleloading firearm in areas these firearms may be used during hunting season;
• Allows 12- and 13-year-old licensed hunters to hunt deer with a crossbow during the times when other hunters may use crossbows;
• Requires that these youth hunters be supervised by experienced and licensed adult hunters at all times; and
• Requires the youth hunter and adult mentor to wear fluorescent orange or pink clothing and to remain at ground level while hunting deer with a crossbow, rifle, shotgun, or muzzleloader.

The legislation requires each county to "opt-in" to the program by adopting a local law allowing for 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt deer in accordance with ECL 11-0935. The legislation specifically excludes Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, and Westchester counties from participation in the new program.

Anyone noticed the vast improvements made to the State website in the past few months?  The same can be said for our Wayne County website, on the State site, and our Wayne County Facebook "page".  

These are due to the efforts of Dave Colburn who has spent countless hours analyzing the website and making the improvements.  Very few chapters offer their own website and none to the level to which Dave has brought Wayne's. 

Dave will make a website presentation at our April 14 members' meeting.  I hope you can attend and be brought up to date on it and our Facebook presence.

Don

To all Wayne County SCOPE members:

Your Chapter Committee has been busy.  Recall that the two candidates for Wayne County Sheriff, Steve MacNeal and Rob Milby, appeared at our March members' meeting and each made a presentation followed by Q&A.  

Your Committee then met on April 1st to discuss notes taken that evening and began the process of establishing a "rating" for each candidate.  Since SCOPE is a non-profit it is not allowed by law to "endorse" a candidate.  Therefore, the legal alternative is to "rate" each candidate in order to provide members, and the public at large, with our organization's opinion of the relative strength of each candidate with respect to one another in light of the goals of SCOPE.

Notes were taken by several Committee members at the March meeting during the presentations of each candidate. Each candidate was separately asked the same set of questions and again Committee members made notes relative to the answers given.  

Discussion amongst the Committee members on April 1 also centered around the respective resumes supplied by the candidates.  The final "ratings" will also be based upon the answers given by the candidates to a SCOPE Questionnaire.

The Committee is in the progress of establishing a "rating" for each candidate and will provide this to our membership at the most appropriate time.  

Don

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Two federal gun control bills were introduced this past Monday, March 1st and we are hearing that the House could be voting on them as early as next week. 

The first bill (H.R. 8), so-called “universal” background check legislation, would criminalize the private transfer of firearms. 

The second bill (H.R. 1446), sometimes inaccurately described as legislation to close the “Charleston loophole,” would undermine the Second Amendment right by permitting the federal government to delay a firearm transfer indefinitely without proof that the transferee is prohibited from possessing firearms. 

These bills are expected to move quickly, so we need you to contact your Representative today to urge them to oppose H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446. 

Contact Congress Now   oCongressCC Congressman John Katko (202) 225-3701

While most of us already know the dangers of these so-called "Universal" Background Checks, the Coronavirus pandemic exposed the dangers of private firearm restrictions. For a more in depth report on both H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446, you can click here.   

After you contact your Representative, please also encourage your friends and family to do the same. 

Yours in Freedom,

Christian Ragosta 
NRA-ILA Grassroots Programs & Campaign Field Operations 
http://www.nrailafrontlines.com/