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my letter to the boston globe

rep308

rep308

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been awhile since I got one published, figured I'd share it here at least
-------------------------------------
Dear Ms Allen,

With respect to your article: Walsh said the city will hold a gun buyback

Why do you fail to distinguish between legal guns lawfully owned by citizens of the Commonwealth who follow the strictest laws in the country and illegal gun possessed by people committing criminal acts? One must be at least 21 in this state to legally own a handgun after going through strict training requirements and a comprehensive background check. Clearly there were multiple existing laws that were broken here.

Also, how can you 'buy back' something you have never owned?

rep308
 
Well, that was quick. I heard back from the author and in the interest of fairness will not reprint the reply, but here is my response back:
-----------------------------------
I am a lawful licensed gun owner and a State Licensed handgun instructor, it is damn hard to get a license and a handgun in this state. My complaint is that nowhere in your article do you state that the firearm is illegally owned, giving the impression that any 14 year old can get and own one. Please compare your story with the one from the Herald

..The Walsh administration is girding up for a major battle to rid Hub streets of illegal guns, including a gun buyback program, in the wake of the shooting...

Your failure to distinguish between illegal and legal puts legal, lawful gun owners in an unfavorable light. I will give you the benefit of the doubt that this is not on purpose, although I have my doubts.

Are you are aware that all firearms must be stored in a locked condition in this state?

Your knowledge of firearms and Massachusetts laws seems to be lacking. I will offer to give you a training session free of charge if you like. Here is a challenge, go through the process to obtain a legal lawful pistol permit in the city of Boston. I will gladly pay the $100 fee. I'll even buy you dinner if you are able to complete the task in under six months. Please take me up on my offer, I will help you.
 
That paper and most of its readers are so far left, they think all gun owners are evil people and the NRA is a bunch of nut cases. Too bad we couldn't expand the old we are the NRA, showing gun owners as responsible people just enjoying a hobby.
 
This exchange itself is news ( I imagine even moreso if you had shared the actual reply of the writer). I think you should submit the whole thing to the Herald as an exposé.
 
Some members of the press refuse to distinguish between legal and illegal in order to further their personal agenda. The ignorance of the general public makes it easy for them to sell new laws and shape opinion. If we had a real impartial press there would be an effort to educate the public by outline existing law and its shortfalls as a real discussion and not a lecture. Unfortunately ethics seem to have disappeared from journalism in favor of sensationalism and blatant editorializing.
 
She's a 2011 grad of Emerson from Newton, and you're looking for unbiased reporting?? She probably still has Obama stickers on her Prius

- - - Updated - - -

seanc said:
Can you post a link?

Can you read this without subscribing to the globe?
Click to expand...

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/02/08/walsh-said-the-city-will-hold-gun-buyout/FOgPGyziv8M0wXbv8VsPJJ/story.html
 
In fairness to the author she did reply to me and respond to my concerns. She states that she is neutral in the gun debate and seemed a bit surprised at my level of passion. I'm cutting her some slack, but not her employer.
 
rep308 said:"Your knowledge of firearms and Massachusetts laws seems to be lacking. I will offer to give you a training session free of charge if you like. Here is a challenge, go through the process to obtain a legal lawful pistol permit in the city of Boston. I will gladly pay the $100 fee. I'll even buy you dinner if you are able to complete the task in under six months. Please take me up on my offer, I will help you."



This person could be one of the special people so they may make it easier for them to receive their permit.
As we have seen time after time with our govt. the laws only apply when they want them to and to whom they want them to apply.
 
I sent this letter to about 25 MA legislators last fall and received responses from 3 of them. Above the law, holier than thou a**holes!! Besides the poor response, these pr*cks will bend if enough people write and call, because they're self-serving and egocentric (not that I have any strong opinions!)!


Representative Moran
Massachusetts State House
Boston, MA 02133

October 19, 2013

Dear Honorable Representative Moran:

I am writing to ask you to please oppose both Governor Patrick’s and Representative Linsky’s recent gun control proposals that, I feel, unfairly target law abiding gun owners in Massachusetts. I am both a liberal Democrat and a gun owner, and while I certainly support some gun control I am outraged by much of the content of these proposals.

It is well known that our state has very strict gun control laws and, in fact, I agree with the vast majority of them. However, this latest wave of suggestions merely bullies licensed gun owners who, as a group, commit so few crimes they’re on a par with the number committed by police officers. We already have restrictions on “assault rifles” and magazines, limited to 10 rounds, for many years. Additionally, one can’t buy a handgun, rifle, or shotgun at a gun show in Massachusetts without going through the same procedure and comprehensive background check would the purchase take place at a Federal Firearms License (FFL) dealer. It has also been a law for some time that guns must be kept under lock and key when not under the direct control of the licensed owner.

Guns have played an important role in not only our country’s history, but also in the lives of our citizens today. Law abiding gun owners use guns for target shooting, hunting, collection, and protection. Protection is a legitimate justification for gun ownership, regardless of what community one lives in, and both surveys and studies have shown that guns have thwarted crimes and prevented serious and loss of life 100,000-200,000 times per year nationwide.

I don’t believe that our rights and property should be taken away at all. These proposals don’t address gun crime in our state. They appear to be the result of an emotional disdain for gun owners. Are law abiding gun owners, who commit so few crimes as a demographic, going to be punished for the violent acts of criminals, who frequently are recidivists? Does an arbitrary 7 round limit mean that licensed gun owners will be charged and sentenced for having 10 in a magazine legally purchased years ago? If we want to stop crime, let’s have common sense laws that focus on the criminals and do not pick on the law abiding. Please do what you can to oppose these measures. Thank-you.

Sincerely,
 
Saw a Walsh media interview or at least a snippet of it. He must have said "off the street" about five times in 30 seconds.

There are guns on any streets.
 
Write, call, complain, explain, make your voices heard. Bitching here is like singing in the shower, it doesn't matter. Use this forum to gather your ideas, get your letters proof read and properly targeted
 
Ridleyman, you did better than me!

I sent letters to the entire Homeland committee, my reps and the Governor. Zero responses.
 
rep308 said:
In fairness to the author she did reply to me and respond to my concerns. She states that she is neutral in the gun debate and seemed a bit surprised at my level of passion. I'm cutting her some slack, but not her employer.
Click to expand...

Surprised at your passion? I am sure if someone (the .gov) infringed upon her right to free speech or her right as a member of the press to write whatever she wants and the right of her employer to print what they please, she would be PLENTY passionate.
 
ridleyman said:
I sent this letter to about 25 MA legislators last fall and received responses from 3 of them. Above the law, holier than thou a**holes!! Besides the poor response, these pr*cks will bend if enough people write and call, because they're self-serving and egocentric (not that I have any strong opinions!)!


Representative Moran
Massachusetts State House
Boston, MA 02133

October 19, 2013

Dear Honorable Representative Moran:

I am writing to ask you to please oppose both Governor Patrick’s and Representative Linsky’s recent gun control proposals that, I feel, unfairly target law abiding gun owners in Massachusetts. I am both a liberal Democrat and a gun owner, and while I certainly support some gun control I am outraged by much of the content of these proposals.

It is well known that our state has very strict gun control laws and, in fact, I agree with the vast majority of them. However, this latest wave of suggestions merely bullies licensed gun owners who, as a group, commit so few crimes they’re on a par with the number committed by police officers. We already have restrictions on “assault rifles” and magazines, limited to 10 rounds, for many years. Additionally, one can’t buy a handgun, rifle, or shotgun at a gun show in Massachusetts without going through the same procedure and comprehensive background check would the purchase take place at a Federal Firearms License (FFL) dealer. It has also been a law for some time that guns must be kept under lock and key when not under the direct control of the licensed owner.

Guns have played an important role in not only our country’s history, but also in the lives of our citizens today. Law abiding gun owners use guns for target shooting, hunting, collection, and protection. Protection is a legitimate justification for gun ownership, regardless of what community one lives in, and both surveys and studies have shown that guns have thwarted crimes and prevented serious and loss of life 100,000-200,000 times per year nationwide.

I don’t believe that our rights and property should be taken away at all. These proposals don’t address gun crime in our state. They appear to be the result of an emotional disdain for gun owners. Are law abiding gun owners, who commit so few crimes as a demographic, going to be punished for the violent acts of criminals, who frequently are recidivists? Does an arbitrary 7 round limit mean that licensed gun owners will be charged and sentenced for having 10 in a magazine legally purchased years ago? If we want to stop crime, let’s have common sense laws that focus on the criminals and do not pick on the law abiding. Please do what you can to oppose these measures. Thank-you.

Sincerely,
Click to expand...

Seems like a time for a follow up call. "Hello I would like to discuss the letter I sent you last fall, I have yet to hear back from you."
 
rep308 said:
Write, call, complain, explain, make your voices heard. Bitching here is like singing in the shower, it doesn't matter. Use this forum to gather your ideas, get your letters proof read and properly targeted
Click to expand...


Most important, especially if it's a letter to the editor, and you think you may be published. An ignorant screed that is published "for" our side will be bad press, as it will show that if we can't write, how can we be trusted with a gun?

Reps for rep308
 
MisterHappy said:
Most important, especially if it's a letter to the editor, and you think you may be published. An ignorant screed that is published "for" our side will be bad press, as it will show that if we can't write, how can we be trusted with a gun?

Reps for rep308
Click to expand...

yeah, did it when i read the offer to train the reporter :)
cool move
 

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