Forced surrender of bump stocks in MA EOPSS letter, per GOAL

Good letter but check your "300 million gun owners". There may be that many guns in the US, gun owners maybe a third of that number?

peterk123 said:
Okay folks.... I am a stay under the radar kind of guy but I am close to done. Here is a first draft of what I am thinking of sending. Please critique.

Dear Governor Baker,

Thank you for sending me the letter threatening criminal prosecution if I have in my possession a bump stock. I appreciate the 90 day grace period to arrange for proper destruction.

First of all, I do not own a bump stock. I would never own a bump stock, but I respect the right for other law abiding citizens to have it in their possession. If it were not for the media and politicians exploiting a horrible situation, I along with millions of other law abiding Americans, would have no idea what a bump stock is or know how it is used.

I do not know the laws regarding confiscation and what the difference is between being compensated for something the State takes from its taxpayers, versus no compensation. I have a very simple outlook on the subject. Confiscation is confiscation. Under no circumstances can you convince me that there is a greater good at play here. This is a slippery slope. While an example such as confiscating my home because it is bigger than I need may sound silly and far fetched, this is the direction we are heading. The world is full of good intentions with unintended consequences. This letter opened the door wide open for the State to exercise some incredible powers.

I would like to address the issues of guns for a moment. I have had my license for a bit over one year. While I have an interest in shooting, hunting and the right to defend myself and my family, I was prompted to obtain my license as a silent protest to the aggressive actions of our attorney general. I, along with the other 300 million or so legally registered law abiding gun owners, are not the problem. Most of us love our country, our neighbors and have the utmost respect for everyone around us. If you could only focus your efforts to convince people to look out for one another, have families, care for their young and old, the State would be a much better place. I am willing to bet if you could do that, other things like the opioid crisis, deficits, welfare and countless other issues would all fall into place.

I am so tired of trying to mind my own business, only to feel like I am constantly being slapped down by the government that is supposed to be caring for me and my family. It never stops.

The State has a problem, they just don't know it yet. People like me are a silent majority. I will not go out and protest. I can't. I am too busy working and trying to make a better life for my family. What I will do is move. Many of us will move. And herein lies your problem. We are the tax base.
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I'm pretty sure that gun ownership is in the 45% ish across the country and in MA the number is quite a bit lower. I thought there were ~400,000 gun owners in MA.
 
Maddawg1952 said:
I'm just more impressed that your 86 yr old Grandmother has her LTC, that's not something you hear every day. I'm thinking my grandmother never bothered to get one and probably owned a 12 guage, she was a tough old broad.
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Haha yeah my grandparents are still VERY active. She’s had a S&W model 36 since the 1960s. Keeps it loaded in a holster hidden behind the top of a curtain just outside her bedroom! Gotta love her.
 
Prior to 1998 there were ~1 million lifetime permit holders in MA.

Do you really think a lot of them disposed of their firearms? I've been in stores where elderly people come in with a pre-1998 license and are shocked it isn't any good. Sometimes followed by, "Well I'll go to NH/VT/ME to buy ammo! *shakes fist*"
 
andrew1220 said:
Haha yeah my grandparents are still VERY active. She’s had a S&W model 36 since the 1960s. Keeps it loaded in a holster hidden behind the top of a curtain just outside her bedroom! Gotta love her.
Click to expand...

My Gram slept with a 1911 under her pillow (which I now carry) and a Tommy Gun under the bed. She did have an LTC and was a tough cookie.
 
peterk123 said:
Okay folks.... I am a stay under the radar kind of guy but I am close to done. Here is a first draft of what I am thinking of sending. Please critique.

Dear Governor Baker,

Thank you for sending me the letter threatening criminal prosecution if I have in my possession a bump stock. I appreciate the 90 day grace period to arrange for proper destruction.

First of all, I do not own a bump stock. I would never own a bump stock, but I respect the right for other law abiding citizens to have it in their possession. If it were not for the media and politicians exploiting a horrible situation, I along with millions of other law abiding Americans, would have no idea what a bump stock is or know how it is used.

I do not know the laws regarding confiscation and what the difference is between being compensated for something the State takes from its taxpayers, versus no compensation. I have a very simple outlook on the subject. Confiscation is confiscation. Under no circumstances can you convince me that there is a greater good at play here. This is a slippery slope. While an example such as confiscating my home because it is bigger than I need may sound silly and far fetched, this is the direction we are heading. The world is full of good intentions with unintended consequences. This letter opened the door wide open for the State to exercise some incredible powers.

I would like to address the issues of guns for a moment. I have had my license for a bit over one year. While I have an interest in shooting, hunting and the right to defend myself and my family, I was prompted to obtain my license as a silent protest to the aggressive actions of our attorney general. I, along with the other 300 million or so legally registered law abiding gun owners, are not the problem. Most of us love our country, our neighbors and have the utmost respect for everyone around us. If you could only focus your efforts to convince people to look out for one another, have families, care for their young and old, the State would be a much better place. I am willing to bet if you could do that, other things like the opioid crisis, deficits, welfare and countless other issues would all fall into place.

I am so tired of trying to mind my own business, only to feel like I am constantly being slapped down by the government that is supposed to be caring for me and my family. It never stops.

The State has a problem, they just don't know it yet. People like me are a silent majority. I will not go out and protest. I can't. I am too busy working and trying to make a better life for my family. What I will do is move. Many of us will move. And herein lies your problem. We are the tax base.
Click to expand...

While good points, it will never be read. They'll read the first few words, add a tick mark to the "gun nut" column and throw it away.

If you can digest that to a paragraph or two of just a couple sentences then it might get read, but it will NOT sway anyone there. They already made up their minds.
 
All my relitives in the area received the letter, now im feeling left out.
Where's big brother?
 
Since it was a nice weekend, I took my bump stock out for a ride in my boat. While out on the water, a rouge wave hit us and the bump stock fell over the side, never to be seen again. I searched and searched, but could not find it. Sorry to see it go.
 
This morning Fox25 reported MA gun owners were filing a lawsuit fighting the ban. They didn't say exactly who these "MA gun owners" were. Interesting.

They also reported something that I've long suspected: "Bumpstocks can turn a rifle into a 'semi-automatic'!"
 
I would argue that to properly inform all potential new felons they MUST send the letter to all MA residents. After all bump stocks did not require any type of firearms license to purchase. They could be purchased by anyone including minors. There are theoretically many other uninformed formerly law abiding citizens who are now at risk of life in prison.
 
My hometown just did a gun buyback. Unlicensed people were encouraged to bring in their illegal firearms and turn them over to police, no questions asked. Also, you received a gift card! Are you kidding me! How come people look at me like I'm crazy when I say this state rewards criminals and punishes law abiding gun owners....

New Bedford Police Department holds a gun buyback event
 
Individualist said:
I would argue that to properly inform all potential new felons they MUST send the letter to all MA residents. After all bump stocks did not require any type of firearms license to purchase. They could be purchased by anyone including minors. There are theoretically many other uninformed formerly law abiding citizens who are now at risk of life in prison.
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Imagine if they had sent the letters via Certified Mail. Something tells me there would be a very vocal refusal to accept.
 
ProGun said:
Showed a few free state friends the letter via text. They can't believe the shit we deal with in Mass. This kinda crap is very foreign to people in states like Missouri and Kentucky.
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I live in a free state. I had a conversation with a couple guys on my squad this past weekend about the latest crap in MA, which led to discussions about what I do to stay legal while traveling to and residing in CT. They thought I was kidding. Nate's standing there with his newly built 9mm silenced pistol with arm-brace that he's using for the competition, and of course that's a no-go in CT now. As are the 22 round mags I was shooting since I registered as "Limited" class.

Guys down here really don't believe the laws we operate under in the NorthEast - it's like a foreign language. And the longer I live here, the more careful I have to be about what I pack in my bags when I travel north.
 
since they weren’t sent certified or tracked in any way.... how can they enforce something they’ve never communicated
 
bigblue said:
They aren't really making this optional.

"Because the law does not allow for transfer or sale of these prohibited items, if you currently possess a bump stock or trigger crank within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts you should contact your local police department or the Massachusetts State Police to get details about how to transfer custody of the prohibited item to the police for destruction. Retention of such a prohibited item beyond the 90 day grace period will expose the owner to criminal prosecution."
Click to expand...

They are making this optional. We still have the option of chosing to violate the law. No different than having the option of speeding or not. Or of busting someone's face with a drum or not.

Is it responsible lawmaking? No it's not even lawmaking. The Bags office (I left autocorrect from AG ) is not a lawmaking facility.
 
fshalor said:
They are making this optional. We still have the option of chosing to violate the law. No different than having the option of speeding or not. Or of busting someone's face with a drum or not.

Is it responsible lawmaking? No it's not even lawmaking. The Bags office (I left autocorrect from AG ) is not a lawmaking facility.
Click to expand...


Not true in any sense whatsoever. The state has setup a situation where a person breaks the law by doing nothing yet is not allowed to do anything. This is a true catch-22 legally.

Speeding and assault are not catch-22's, you simply can choose not to do them. Here, you are guilty of a felony if you choose not to dispose of the plastic yet the state has disallowed any transfer that recompenses you for that chunk of plastic. How are those remotely equal?
 
Shawnyc said:
According to the recorded number of licensed gun owners in Massachusetts as of January 2016, times the cost of a stamp, this will cost the state $167,884.78. Well done Maura.
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Is this a first class stamp price, or bulk mail price? Is there a "State" rate price?

t
 
Got my household's three letters today (2 LTCs and a MG license). Guess I'll hang onto them just in case GOAL or Comm2A wants 'em for something. As far as I can tell the letter itself is not personalized - it just says "Dear Sir or Madam", so they're interchangeable.
 

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