proposed laws

PA Bill Number: HB2508

Title: In fishing licenses, further providing for disabled veterans and former prisoners of war; and, in hunting and furtaking licenses, further providing ...

Description: In fishing licenses, further providing for disabled veterans and former prisoners of war; and, in hunting and furtaking licenses, further pro ...

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Last Action Date: Jul 20, 2024

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FOAC's Weekly Message For Sunday January 6th 2019 :: 01/06/2019

Tomorrow, January 7th, at noon there will be a Rally in the City of Pittsburgh at the City/County building by gunowners to openly decry the proposed clearly illegal efforts to enact local gun control. Normally, I would be overjoyed at seeing Pennsylvania gunowners stand up and be outspoken in their opposition to gun control and violations of rights but I have deep reservations about this particular Rally.

First, it’s important to understand that the focus of this Rally is rooted in the firearms preemption issue and the accountability of local governments to the law, which the City of Pittsburgh is clearly flaunting! I believe that the organizers of this Rally have allowed the passions of a few gunowners over open carry to hijack the true mission and purpose of this Rally in demonstrating public opposition to what Mayor Peduto and city Council are doing. I want to be perfectly clear that the mission of this Rally should be laser focused on Title 18 section 6120, preemption of firearms laws reserved to the state and not open carry.

All too often, in my experience, well-intentioned but politically naïve gunowners have allowed politicians and officials to take advantage of those passions about the Constitution. In my opinion and of other long-time activists, this is occurring right now and we are in danger of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!

The City of Pittsburgh knows that what they’re doing is illegal and constitute criminal violations of the law. That is the message that must be delivered to the people in the center of the political debate! This is about accountability of our elected officials and the failure of our justice system to hold government accountable. Perhaps more importantly, it is about our Constitution and the inviolate rights, therein mentioned! So, I would like all of you to ask yourselves, how does the open carry of rifles and shotguns contribute to convincing the average Joe citizen that what the City of Pittsburgh is doing is unlawful and how can it be used against us?

I also want to be clear that I’ve gone on open carry walks with gunowners when that was the purpose of the walk to dispel the myth of the danger of firearms ownership but this is not about the dangers of firearms ownership – this is about the authority, or lack thereof, of what the City of Pittsburgh is doing and the agenda of anti-gun groups to push local control of gun laws. What is happening now behind-the-scenes and in the bowels of the media is an attempt to brand these actions as attempts to intimidate city government and will be portrayed, and in fact already has been, as a bunch of right-wing kooks who should be looked down upon! In point of fact, one news article has already attempted to draw connections between us and the KKK!

There is an old saying about gun owners and that trying to work with them is like trying to herd cats! This is exactly what is happening over this Rally. Not only that but most of the people involved in this Rally have contributed little if anything to fighting for rights in this state. Pumping up one’s chest on a blog or on social media is easy to hide behind bluster and ignorant responses and using pseudonyms only heightens that problem. When trying to explain to these individuals about the problems that may arise at this Rally if the focus does not stay on preemption, the responses have fallen into the category of ignorance, rudeness and a lack of respect and quite frankly, I’m fed up! Take a look at this link and the accusatory tone and see what you think:

I’m happy to talk to any gun owner, who has an open mind and wants to listen, about the multi-dimensions that it takes to understand how to defend the right to bear arms. In my involvement over the last 35 years, I have seen a number of individuals who get involved, try to take over, make a huge number of mistakes, and then leave that mess for others to clean up! Unfortunately, I don’t think many of these individuals involved in the Rally understand that the consequences of mistakes tomorrow can have a dramatic effect on the long-term impact on not only the City of Pittsburgh legal action but also potential legislative changes that it may be impossible to recover from.

WHAT CAN GO WRONG?

There are Pennsylvania laws regulating the ‘lawful’ transportation and carrying of firearms that must be observed. For instance, many of those in the Rally seem to discount the impact of the emergency declaration by the governor over opioids.

The fact is, as you can see above, that 18 Pa.C.S. § 6107(a) specifically limits the open carrying of all firearms, inclusive of rifles and shotguns, “upon the public streets or upon any public property during an emergency” in the absence of a license to carry firearms. This means that the lawful carrying or display of rifles and shotguns is limited to your own private property, unless you have a license to carry firearms. When we have tried to point this out, many, without even reading the law, have rejected what the law, unfortunately, explicitly states. While we question the constitutionality of such a provision, given the current political/judicial climate, this is a very dangerous attitude because a violation of this section of law is a misdemeanor of the first degree, which means you would lose your right to keep and bear arms for the rest of your life, if successfully prosecuted. Is it not irresponsible to ignore the potential dangers of being arrested at a Rally openly carrying a rifle or shotgun? Remember, the law does NOT draw a distinction between the firearm being loaded or not.

Many citizens, even non-gun owners, accept the fact that Pennsylvania citizens can carry a handgun openly or concealed and this political fight involves convincing the citizens in the center of the debate that we are constitutionally and legally correct and acting in a reasonable fashion. Yet, the comments on social media demonstrate that some of those at the Rally feel comfortable with a confrontational attitude that will be made to appear provocative and unreasonable by the media. I can understand that many citizens who own firearms are sick and tired of the demagoguery going on in the public domain regarding the right to bear arms and gun control – I get it! But now is not the time to engage in behavior that will be viewed by many as irresponsible!

Let’s hypothesize for a moment. Even if the emergency declaration did not exist, 18 Pa.C.S. § 6106 does not allow a citizen to carry a rifle or shotgun loaded in one’s vehicle. So what that means is that we’re going to have gun owners (ostensibly abiding by the law) transporting a rifle or shotgun down to the City of Pittsburgh and then once they’ve parked their vehicle and are getting out, loading and chambering a live round of ammunition in a public place. What can go wrong here? So in the light of this hypothetical, let’s consider the AR 15, which has a floating firing pin. And the gun owner is chambering commercial ammunition and not military ammunition, which has a harder, more resistant primer. I have seen cases of accidental discharge with an AR 15 when using commercial 223 ammunition. How do you think the media is going to treat an accidental discharge in a public parking space, even if no one is hurt? Yet on social media and in certain blogs, I’ve been vilified for stating that gunowners should keep an empty chamber and a flag in a chamber as a way of identifying that the firearm is safe and unloaded. Who is acting irresponsibly here? Remember all gun owners are trusting the Rally organizers and their fellow gun owners at the Rally to act in a manner that will not jeopardize the rights of all!

The below links are some of the interviews that I have done in the last few days and I want you to pay particular attention to the KDKA report that shows contrasting video of a Ku Klux Klan rally juxtaposed against the planned gun owner Rally for tomorrow.

Even more disconcerting, beyond the fact that I have become aware that the media has already prepared draft articles about the Rally, which denigrate gun owners and attempt to distract from the real issue, I have been informed that provocateurs are being brought in to the Rally for the sole purpose of trying to provoke gun owners to react in an irresponsible manner and that both the media and police are already investigating social media posts of gun owners, in which those posters are allegedly provoking the police and making threats.

As you can see, the bias in local media is clear and they intend to demonize gunowners and distract from the fact that the City of Pittsburgh is violating Pennsylvania law. So perhaps now it becomes a little more clear why I’m concerned about the statements of certain gunowners on social media as well as what impact improper handling of firearms can have in changing the terms of the debate and causing us to potentially lose our preemption statute with a bad court decision that is biased because of their actions!

I have done everything in my power to try and explain to these Rally attendees the importance of acting and appearing professional and being very careful with the handling and transportation of their firearms, as well as, the dangers of violating Pennsylvania law. I am crossing my fingers and hoping that this Rally comes off without an incident of any kind.

What can We Expect for the 2nd Amendment in the 116th Congress?

Every two years, we get a new Congress. That means the political landscape is changing with regards to our 2nd Amendment rights – at the federal level. So, as the 116th Congress is seated, it’s time to take a sober look at what the new Congress means for our rights.

The House of Representatives will be controlled by the Democrats, while the Senate will see an increased margin for the Republicans. This means that the 116th Congress will be a mixed bag for 2nd Amendment supporters. There will be good news and bad news for both the long-term and short-term outlooks over the next two years. Let’s take a closer look at each of the chambers.

House of Representatives

The Democrats controlling the House of Representatives show a universal lack of respect for our 2nd Amendment rights. The top leaders have all been avowed opponents of our rights. Jerrold Nadler, who will chair the House Judiciary Committee, is as anti-2nd Amendment as Charles Schumer, only he isn’t quite as addicted to being in front of TV cameras.

We can write off any pro-2nd Amendment legislation from passing here barring one of two factors: It is either included in must-pass legislation, or it is part of a deal for something else on the agenda of Pelosi and company. For the short term, we will not see any pro-2nd Amendment legislation pass, and anti-2nd Amendment legislation will be promoted.

That short-term hit will be tough, but it will also expose what those who want to take away our rights see as the most important. That knowledge can help us come up with strategies and tactics to blunt their efforts – or defeat them outright.

It will be a tough two years, but if 2nd Amendment supporters do their jobs, it will only be for two years. Many of the House races were close, and better effort (and good candidates) could very well flip these seats from reliable votes to take away our rights, to reliable votes to defend our rights.

United States Senate

The biggest gain for 2nd Amendment supporters is the fact that the GOP picked up a net of two Senate seats. Now, while it is disappointing that Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown won re-election, this still means that the judicial confirmation machine is going to run smoothly.

This is the long-term gain that 2nd Amendment supporters will get in this Congress. The judges that get confirmed will be extremely likely to uphold our 2nd Amendment rights. This will provide a future bulwark should an anti-2nd Amendment president take office.

The 116th Congress will have its share of challenges, but there will also be great opportunities for 2nd Amendment supporters. It will just be a matter of seizing them.

Racism Within the Gun-Control Community

A friend of mine commented that over 80% of all shootings are gang and drug-related.  The response to him was a flat-out racist comment, which we will not repeat, from the #Enough activists who want to ban guns.

Calling someone “RACIST” has been so overdone that when you actually see racism there staring you in in face is seem a bit unreal. But the anti-gun left doesn’t stop there.  ANYONE they disagree with must be destroyed.  Add to this the SWATings, false accusations and threats of violence (anonymous death threats are among the most common) and it all adds up. You see an ever-escalating level of violence on the left. The fact is they’re going to get more people killed, but they just don’t seem to care.  There will come a time when they have gone too far, and the resulting pushback will be devastating.

The #Enough movement are Bloomberg funded activists, they’re the boots on the ground he needs to run for President.  They focus on suburban white women with a message of school shootings. The fact that 83% of ALL shooting are gang/drug related does not seem to matter. Two underage gang bangers get shot in a drug deal gone bad, and they count them as “babies killed by the NRA,” while it is, in fact, their own liberal policies that destroy inner cities.  A rapist breaks into a woman’s house, and she shoots him, they now count him as a victim of gun violence. Honesty and integrity have no place in these people’s hearts let alone vocabulary.

In order for their plan to work they need to focus on the .5% of shootings that fit their model. They need to ignore the estimated 50,000 rapes that owning guns prevent every year.  The concept of firearms for personal protection is continually discouraged. They proudly announce their goal is to end gun ownership in the U.S. They call it destroying the “gun culture.”  They’re noisy and active and the darlings of the Democrat party.

They ignore that with all the new gun laws in CA, gun deaths rose 18%.  The more laws they pass, the more people die. When your goal is political power, what’s a few more dead Mexicans?  You've got to get white women to vote for you! Gun control is rooted in racism, so too are the modern-day anti-gun activists.

These are the people who want to take away your rights.  Banning guns is not about reducing deaths, it is a political slogan they use to win votes from the uninformed.  They are liars, whose the only goal is power for themselves at the expense of others; at the expense of YOUR RIGHTS!

In a recent conversation, Professor Jon Lott commented that gun owners don’t seem to care about their gun rights as much as they use to. Is that true? Have you all given up? Are you resigned to give up your right to own a firearm? Have the cabals won?

Maybe you will just let them take away your guns. If so, then just pack up your guns and give them over now. The choice is yours.

The Only Thing Guaranteed by Socialism - Tragedy

Listening to seductive propaganda, flowing from the mouths of smooth-tongued socialist tricksters, Venezuelans made the mistake of naively believing such a scenario would never happen. Now it has, and it is irreversible, short of a revolution.

“Politicians, the rich and famous, their bodyguards, and criminal gangs, still have their guns. Everyone else (forcible disarmed since 2013) lives in fear. Mothers and fathers are unable to protect their families.” ~ Gabby Franco, a recent immigrant from Venezuela

Contrary to polished socialist lies, the rate of violent crime is Venezuela has not gone down since gun confiscation. Instead, it has soared. The vast majority of murders (upwards of ninety percent) are never solved. Few are now even investigated. We should take note that, when Maduro (Venezuela’s current socialist president) in 2013 announced his program of forced elimination of all guns in private hands, it was loudly cheered by virtually every single Democrat politician in the USA.

Two generations ago, Democrats and media liberals cheered in the same exact way as when Castro took over in Cuba.

Has everyone forgotten?

Maduro has recently announced that “loyalists” (his supporters) are now to be re-armed.

“A gun for every militiaman,” he said.

His armed supporters will be, of course, expected to use their guns to terrorize what few “non-loyalists” there are left. Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, et al. all did the same thing. The preceding is the “True Face of Socialism.” Nothing ever changes. I can’t imagine why anyone is surprised.

Leftists/socialists/Communists have always relied on naive, self-indulgent populations who naively, foolishly, arrogantly resist studying history.

“History repeats itself- first as tragedy, then as farce.” ~ Karl Marx

Safety Report from Parkland Florida - Politics Kills Our Kids Again

Florida formed a study committee after 17 students and teachers were killed and an additional 17 were injured at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in early 2018. I read some of the MSDHS safety commission report. It covered the obvious points. Unfortunately, I don’t see much good coming out of it. This was more than a school failure; it was a political failure. More of our children will be at risk and some will die because of problems in the Florida legislature. Sure, implement the suggestions in the report, but please don’t stop there.

The report told us to do the obvious. This is what the report should have said.

  • Many police and school staff failed in their assigned jobs. Widespread failure is a sign of poor leadership. These staff were retained in their positions for political reasons rather than being dismissed. That indicates corrupt management.
  • Rather than seeking to immediately improve school safety after the attack, the police and school organizations acted to cover up their failings. Provide alternative educational opportunities so parents can escape these failed institutions.
  • If possible, have state executives remove these failed officials from office. Prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.
  • To prevent similar failures in the future, revise state limited immunity statutes so individuals working in state and local government may be held criminally and civilly liable for their actions.
  • Existing safety programs like the Florida school guardian program were crafted to provide political cover rather than to protect students. The existing guardian program deliberately excludes classroom teachers from being first responders because of union opposition. The school guardian program un-necessarily burdens schools and school boards as they work to improve school safety.
  • Change legislation so school boards may develop their own safety programs separate from the guardian program. Allow Florida schools to adopt safety programs modeled after the successful programs used in other states.

At least the report said trained volunteer teachers should be armed.

Important Quote: The right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, it is not in the power of Man to alienate this gift, and voluntarily become a slave." Samuel Adams (1772)

Yours in Freedom!

Kim Stolfer, President