PA Bill Number: SB945

Title: Consolidating the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as The County Code; and making repeals.

Description: Consolidating the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as The County Code; and making repeals. ...

Last Action: Third consideration and final passage (199-0)

Last Action Date: Apr 17, 2024

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FOAC's Weekly Message For Sunday July 25th 2021 :: 07/25/2021

FOAC's mission has always been to identify and promote candidates who unequivocally support the Bill of Rights and Article 1, Section 21 & 25 at the state legislature level. We (FOAC) constantly wrestle with the strategic wisdom of backing admittedly long-shot candidates, given the finite resources of FOAC. When one considers that a swing of less than 50,000 votes (assuming the 2020 presidential election counts were accurate and above-board) would have given President Trump Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin, forcing the House of Representatives to decide the presidential election, we believe this debate is worthwhile and brings up a fair question.

There is, however, a counterpoint to the above concern: Not fighting in the long-shot districts frees up the Left’s resources to hit swing districts. In addition, many of the big cities that have serious problems with violent crime and urban blight are Democrat strongholds that should be vulnerable, and someone like a Sean Parnell could spotlight those statewide or nationally — and it might galvanize swing voters and convince people to change their votes. Over the long haul, efforts may make those races more competitive. There are compelling arguments on both sides of this debate.

A more subtle dimension to the above considerations is the weaponization of the election process over an issue like Trump and past statements for or against. Last year’s election saw this attitude affect the PA Attorney General race with Heather Heidelbaugh ‘narrowly’ losing to incumbent AG Josh Shapiro. Now we are facing the possibility of Shapiro running for Governor. If grassroots Patriots want to do that, then by that same logic, they must also sideline other good candidates, who may be solid on the issues but have once slammed Trump before changing their mind and becoming one of his most ardent defenders. Others who would have been dismissed to the sidelines would include Ronald Reagan, Burgess Owens, Susana Martinez, and Trump himself. These self-appointed commissars all too often forget that if grassroots Patriots are to save this country, a lot of it will be the result of successfully convincing those who have opposed Trump – or conservative positions – to change their minds.

Similarly, grassroots Patriots also need to recognize that candidates are human, and they will have flaws. They may have had rougher times in life. Perhaps they once held positions on issues that didn’t line up, but changed those positions based on experience or persuasion.

Picking the right candidate is a big deal, as we have noted elsewhere. Good ones have the potential to be huge game-changers. Bad ones can set the cause of Liberty back. There are no guarantees in life, but grassroots Patriots can ask candidates for office at the federal, state, and local levels questions, do their research, and then make the decision that seems best.

The 2020 Presidential Election and the Dawning Realization of the True Gun Control Agenda of Biden

Between the pandemic and the media, the discussion over just how truly disastrous Biden would be for our Freedoms, especially the 2^nd Amendment, was silenced in a historic example of counterfeit arguments and a propaganda campaign masterfully waged!

So very many gun owners and 2A activists could not wrap their head around the dire forecasts of the overt evisceration of 2^nd Amendment, that now many seem to be in shock and sheepishly embarrassed by the reality we all face.

Concerns of gun bans and confiscation seemed like ‘sky-is-falling’ rhetoric and unfounded speculation to so many who were in ‘denial’ of the very historical facts and statements. Yet NOW we are seeing that very eventuality becoming a reality.

This past Wednesday (7/21) Joe Biden shocked many in the US with his statements on banning handguns on his CNN Townhall.

Biden said, “The idea you need a weapon that can have the ability to fire 20, 30, 40, 50, 120 shots from that weapon, whether it’s a 9mm pistol or whether it’s a rifle, is ridiculous. I’m continuing to push to eliminate the sale of those things.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1418019006880133122

In the above video, Biden also says crime is down, which is an utterly insane lie.

To quell this shocking Biden statement in comes his buddies in the media with PolitiFact first to the rescue and in spite of the fact that Biden, in his own words, clearly indicated a desire to ban at least some handguns, PolitiFact decided to rate this claim as "false."

By PolitiFact’s own admission, some models of handguns would doubtless be affected by Biden's gun control plan. The claim that Biden wants to ban at least some handguns is not something that even the White House has denied or tried to hide from, as they proudly posted the president's words on the White House web page.

Ask yourself these ‘two’ questions; how many gun owners do you know who brushed aside concerns, like those above, ‘AND’ how many do you know who didn’t even vote??

If ‘anyone’ you know has ANY remaining doubts about the Biden administration being anti-rights, just look at the President's nominee for head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. David Chipman is an outspoken gun control advocate who has made millions working as a lobbyist for Everytown for Gun Safety, the Giffords Law Center, and other gun control organizations. Before working as a lobbyist, Chipman also served as an agent for the ATF, where there are many questions about his conduct.
Chipman is also the author of a document for the anti-gun group Giffords called, Legal and Lethal: 9 Products That Could Be the Next Bump Stock. He clearly wants to expand the illegal administrative moves underway in Washington to include many other infringements on the right to keep and bear arms. Fortunately, though, a three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals just ruled that bump stocks are not machine guns in Gun Owners of America v. Garland.

Furthermore, Chipman appears to want to couple people’s statements to loss of civil liberties. In an interview discussing “hate speech” with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) two years ago, Chipman spoke flippantly about the American right to free speech as protected by the 1^st Amendment.

“The frustration is in the United States, the freedom of speech and to say things largely cannot be regulated,” he said during a BBC interview. “But yes, we have to do more to monitor hate speech on the internet.”

In the reference above, Chipman was referring to law-enforcement personnel not being able to confiscate American citizens’ firearms based on statements they made – words that might be considered to be “hate speech” by some. Chipman actually thinks police officers should confiscate guns from citizens just because he doesn’t approve of something they said.

It’s likely that Chipman might say that he was taken out of context concerning this remark, just as he has done multiple times in the past when his outlandish statements have become public; this includes what he said during his U.S. Senate confirmation hearing. But now Chipman even insinuated that a law allowing the confiscation of guns purely based on what someone might say should be passed.

“The FBI and other federal agencies have a tough job responding to these threats when they don’t currently (emphasis added) have the authority to remove weaponry just because people are saying hateful things,” he said.

So much for ‘due process’ and the Constitution!

There is no question that David Chipman is unfit to hold ANY public office or, in our view, even carry a firearm and have a badge as he did in his past career. David Chipman poses a grave threat to the 2^nd Amendment if given the reins at ATF - an agency already with a history of predisposition to infringe on your right to keep and bear arms.

According to Fox News, Chipman’s confirmation is not a sure thing because five members of the U.S. Senate - Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), John Hickenlooper (CO), Jon Tester (MT) and Angus King (ME) - reportedly “remain undecided” on Chipman’s nomination. With a 50-50 Senate split, every Democrat would have to vote in the affirmative so Vice President Kamala Harris could cast the tie-breaking vote. If even one or two Democrats jump ship, Chipman’s nomination is toast.

But if Chipman is confirmed, there is an impeachment resolution, offered by Montana Congressman Matt Rosendale, who is spearheading the effort to consider. This effort is supported by PA Congressman Scott Perry.

In the final analysis, it is safe to say that Biden was elected (as are many other anti-gun state and federal legislators) with the help of gun owners who dismiss concerns of encroachment on Freedom from their own narrow-minded and particularly ill-informed vantage point. Accepting superficial statements from candidates and incumbents without doing your own due diligence, or seeking help and guidance from FOAC, in checking out the records and issues is irresponsible at best and could end up putting you and your friends in jail down the road! This is NOT speculation, just ask gun owners in New York City, DC, Maryland, California, New York State; and the list goes on and on.

We either learn to stand together ‘or’ we will be carved from the body politic like cancerous cells!

The general membership meeting of FOAC will be August 8th, at 10 AM through the Zoom Conferencing option (details below).

Online Meeting Connection Details (also available at the end of the newsletter) are as follows:

Join the FOAC Meeting by Clicking this Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4122571099

**Please Note: To join this FOAC meeting you must RSVP by sending an e-mail info@foacpac.org and the Meeting Password will then be e-mailed to you by one of the officers. (Time: 10:00 a.m.)

Philadelphia Gun Buy Backs 2021: A Success OR a Staged Media Event?

By Dan McMonigle – FOAC BOD Member

I was notified by Herb Ohliger, from FOAC, about an upcoming Philadelphia Gun Buy Back event, to be held at two locations, through an Instant Message post that contained the Gun Buy Back information. I found it strange at first, that a guy 6 hours west of me knew what was happening in my back yard.

I had a rare Saturday off from firearms training and a friend of mine and I decided to take a trip to Philadelphia to the two locations and monitor the situation. Let's call my friend Chuck, cause that's his name, but leave off his last name as he was scared enough for this trip. Chuck was nice enough to drive and for those of you who haven't seen my truck, you would quickly know why. It SCREAMS PROUD gun owner!!

We arrived at the Church on Snyder Avenue address slightly after 10:00 AM. The parking lot was empty except for a single Toyota Corolla parked in the closest parking spot to a door we could see. Sometime between 10:20 and 10:30 the first guest arrived and was carrying a leather gun rug in his hand. He went through the door the Corolla was parked in front of. As he was in there a man with what looked like 2 or 3 Ruger 10-22s arrived and walked in, the firearms were not cased, and one for sure had the magazine still in. At 10:45 AM the Gun Rug guy came out with an envelope in his hand. he walked very close to us and it is then we noticed another individual in the parking lot, on foot. We watched with astonished faces as the Gun Rug man turned his envelope (That we suspected was the ShopRite Gift Card) over the other man and received a crisp flat unfolded 50-dollar bill. We could see his face quite clearly. Both men walked away together. We stayed at the Snyder location until noonish. We counted a total of 4 people entering there.

We then moved to the Ogonstz Ave. location. Street parking only here, with an obvious more down trodden neighborhood. Chuck and I stood out pretty good in this neighborhood, had me thinking my previously grown Covid Beard would have been helpful. Chuck kept reminding me that neither he, nor I, brought a truck monkey along. From 12:30 until 1:45 we saw a total of 6 people enter this building. All with cheap 22 rifles and older than dirt single shot shotgun. One other Ruger 10/22 was observed here.

Things were getting sketchy as we witnessed a drug deal or two, and Chuck had me getting nervous so off to my house I went.

You can imagine just how shocked I was when both CBS Philly and Fox 29 posted a Press release that said that AG Shapiro was there and that 105 guns were turned in. Trust me when I tell you, in my heart of heart, that is a blatant cold lie. I reached out to my fellow Board members at FOAC and Kim and Ed responded inside 60 minutes. I took out their Pittsburgh slang and replaced it with Philly slang (I speak it fluently) and posted responses mentioning President Kim Stolfer and Dr. Ed Bogats in the responses. Neither of the social media posts received any response.

It is my opinion they lied. They lied about the number of guns and they staged guns for pictures for the AG. There was no FFL at either location, and they illegally transacted in firearms, which may have been used in a crime, that will now be destroyed. (A TRACE report would return it to its lawful owner as is ‘required’ of law enforcement by Commonwealth Law.)

FOAC members need to know this is how low they will go. They break the law and the law looks the other way. Criminals turn in guns that could have been used in a crime with a NO QUESTIONS asked mentality. No one has to drop it in the Delaware river AND you get a $100 gift card to ShopRite. This is a blatant example of stupidity on steroids!

Lastly, a link to a follow up article on Bearing Arms website.

https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2021/07/18/no-phillys-gun-buybacks-arent-working-n47833

WHY is Registering Your Guns and Licensing YOU to Own Them So Very Important to Anti-Gun Groups?

Most gun owners know that anti-gun extremists, and their lackeys in elected office, have long wanted licensing and registration despite their failures (i.e., California, New Jersey, Maryland, NYC, etc.). This crusade goes back 53 years and, as an example, take a look at statements Lyndon Baines Johnson made on two occasions during the passage and signing of the Gun Control Act of 1968. Already this year, we have covered various licensing and registration schemes, from bad pieces of legislation like the Handgun Purchaser Licensing Act to abominations like the Sabika Sheikh Firearms Licensing and Registration Act.

Falling in between these two bad bills is one from Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), who has introduced HR 3740, the Handgun Licensing and Registration Act of 2021. This bill, while not as intrusive as the Sabika Sheikh Firearms Licensing and Registration Act, still is quite ugly for those who wish to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

Coleman’s legislation would impose a federal license – unless a state had already set up its own version. However, it would require the fingerprinting of anyone who wanted to exercise their rights, a photo, and the longest term for the license would be five years. In addition, every handgun gets registered.

These licensing schemes, with or without registration, are not grounded in a genuine intent to stop violent crime with firearms! They are intended to be a way to make it more and more difficult for a law-abiding citizen to exercise their rights and protect themselves.

Is America on The Verge of a Secret, Unaccountable Police Force?

In what seems like a dystopian movie straight out of Hollywood the United States Capitol police is pushing to permanently expand its powers and authority across the United States in what can only be interpreted as approval by the ruling elite in DC!

For the moment, the plans are for permanent regional offices in two states, Florida and California with what is reported to be more on the way. According to CBS they intend to act like the Secret Service in this regard rather than a standard police department. They also specify that the field offices will be set up in Tampa, Florida and San Francisco, California.

The Capitol Police is now basically saying we’re going to have this huge expansion of this police power without any review or even a vote of Congress. They are completely controlled by Congress (translation: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, at this point). We’ve seen how they respond to a basic question of who killed Ashli Babbitt by simply refusing to answer because they can. How do we think that’s going to work as they fan out and start investigating people across the nation? As we saw in the case of Babbitt, they are also not subject to FOIA.

So basically, there’s going to be a police force, controlled by the Democrats, without any ability to demand transparency from it that’s going to investigate “threats” to members of Congress and provide “security” for them. Who will be determining what a “threat” is and who do you think they will be investigating with this? Three guesses. It wouldn’t be BLM or Antifa which has presented a continuing threat to governmental entities. It’s basically going to be investigating people they think are ‘extremists’ (translation: right-wing in their minds). Does anyone else see a potential problem here?

If you want to create a secret police force, the U.S. Capitol Police would be a good choice, since they’re already halfway there. The agency has scant oversight. It’s shrouded in secrecy and refuses to change.

The United States Capitol Police (USCP) is part of the legislative branch, which is exempt from FOIA requirements. Because they report to Congress, the USCP believes they too are exempt from FOIA. I should point out by way of comparison that even the CIA is subject to FOIA. Additionally, the USCP publishes no annual reports, and even the findings of its own inspector general are kept secret and not made public.

Since it was founded in 1828, seven USCP officers have died in the line of duty. Today, the USCP has more than 2,300 officers and civilian employees, and an annual budget of more than $460 million.

To say that the agency has a muddled chain of command would be an understatement.

The USCP is overseen by the Capitol Police board, as well as four committees from the House and Senate. The Capitol Police Board consists of the Sergeants-at-Arms from the House and Senate, the Architect of the Capitol, Mr. J. Brett Blanton, and Chief Pittman, who serves as an ex-officio member.

Congressional oversight comes from the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, the Committee on House Administration, the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.

To be clear:

The U.S. Capitol Police operates in secret.
The U.S. Capitol Police is not accountable to the public.
The U.S. Capitol Police has little oversight, given its “personal relationship” with Congress.
The U.S. Capitol Police has a history of operating outside of its scope – such as making drug arrests off capitol grounds.
The U.S. Capitol Police will soon be operating in many states with a mandate that’s nebulous at best.

If you add all of these factors together, you end up with a secret police force that is ripe for abuse – a team of modern-day witch hunters willing to do whatever the politicians in charge desire.

Our founders knew that concentrating too much power in any one federal agency – especially a law enforcement agency – could lead to a tyrannical police state. It was one of their greatest fears. After all, they knew a thing or two about tyranny, and it was something they wanted to avoid at all costs.

Firearms Training Guidance: The Defensive Mindset

Part 6 in a multiple part series on the Safe and Proper use of your defensive tool

By Klint Macro

The cornerstone of all firearms training, no matter the context is safety. All Americans who exercise their 2A Rights must also exercise them responsibly; this requires an understanding of safe gun handling, responsible storage, choosing the most efficient equipment, and making smart choices and being aware of the people and things in your environment.

A responsibly armed American is aware of all the potential dangers in the world; that is why they choose to arm themselves and carry the gun, but not all Americans recognize when danger is near them. Educated Americans understand that the best way to defend against physical danger is to avoid it all together. But we must also accept that we need to protect ourselves from the legal, financial, and moral damages that we are very likely to encounter if we need to use our tools of self-defense in a dynamic critical incident.

Many Americans make very poor choices about where we go, when we go, who we go with and what we do while we are there. A wise man once said, “Don’t go stupid places, with stupid folks, at stupid times of day”.

In one of my classes a woman once asked me, “What do I do if someone attacks me at Sheetz at 4am in the morning?” I replied, “If you never go to Sheetz at 4am you will never get attacked at Sheetz at 4am in the morning.” I felt that this was reasonably sound advice.

The “gun” is not a magic trinket that scares away evil. Just by having it on you doesn’t mean that you are automatically safe. We cannot discount that EVERYDAY 1000’s of Americans produce a firearm and the will to use it against a would-be attacker, and that bad guy often chooses to rethink his evil plan. However, just because we carry a firearm does not mean we should tempt fate and go places or do things that we wouldn’t do if we were unarmed.

It is important to understand that in some jurisdictions we could be charged with a higher degree of crime by being armed. If you and I had a heated argument in public we could be charged with disturbing the peace, however if we had guns on our person we could be charged with terroristic threats or worse, even if the guns were not introduced into the situation. Right, wrong or otherwise, gun owners are often held to a higher standard legally. This is part of that potential legal damage I referenced before. Taking the “I’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6” mantra dismisses the fact that if we pay attention and make smart choices, we may be able to avoid both.

Action is faster than Reaction.

If we spend our day, immersed in technology, buried in a book, blasting our ears with earbuds, not looking around as we move through the public, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to collect and process information. We want to give ourselves the gift of CHOICE. I have written about situational awareness before, check out this article on Personal Defense Network.

If I am playing catch with my son in the yard and he throws a ball, I see it coming, I calculate the speed and distance and then I place my mitt in the right spot and “Whammo” the ball lands right in the mitt. This is RESPONSE, physical action based upon cognitive process, decision making and choice. On the other hand, if I am on the porch burning hotdogs on the grill and I see a white flash in my periphery as my son throws the ball at my head, I will likely (without choosing to do so) lower my center of gravity, orient towards the stimulus, put my hands protectively in the line of the stimulus and protect my head. This is REACTION, physical reaction without cognitive process.

Under normal circumstances, we take in stimulus via sight, sound, hearing, touch, and our brain decides, calculates, chooses, and then we initiate a deliberate physical action. Under surprise, or ambush, the brain takes in stimulus (loud noises, flashes of light, sudden movement, unexpected objects in our path) and trips the “Fight or Flight” mechanism. This is put into motion by the part of the brain called the Amygdala and the “thinky-thinky” part of the brain is bypassed and the motor cortex (the part of the brain that makes you move) jumps into gear. There are external and internal reactions that are likely to take hold. The way we see, hear, perceive time, and remember are very likely greatly skewed under stress.

The only possible way, outside of luck or divine providence, that we are to avoid REACTION, is if we collect and process information, and make smart choices. Then we MAY have other options than go straight to our tool of self-defense.

People get ambushed all the time. The fact that someone gets ambushed does not mean they can’t or shouldn’t defend themselves. However, criminals look for people who are not paying attention. Just by looking around, making eye contact, keeping your head up, you will look less “attractive” to that criminal, and they will likely pick on someone else.

A friend of mine has season tickets for the Pens. As you can imagine these tickets are not cheap. In an effort to “stick it to the man” he has a secret parking spot behind a dumpster in the Hill where he can park for free. I quote another wise man, “Just because you can, don’t mean you should”. One night after a game he marched up the hill to his car and found broken glass and items missing from the vehicle. It was at this point that he realized that it might have been smarter to park in the well-lit parking garage. Afterall, the cost of parking would have been much less trouble than dealing with his vandalized car. Also, had he been assaulted in that alleyway would the $20 bucks he would have saves been worth being attacked, having to physically defend himself from an attack, dealing with police, getting a lawyer, and possibly getting charged and maybe jailed?

Keep in mind that even if you do everything right “legally” you still might get charged and maybe go to jail. This IS a possibility because what is deemed reasonable in town “A” may not be reasonable in town “B”, also we must not lose sight of the fact that although it shouldn’t be a factor, politics plays.

The best way I can describe the legal aftermath in a self-defense shooting is like this; Imagine you are in a strait jacket ratchet strapped into the front car of a roller coaster. Once you are in that position there is NOTHING YOU CAN DO. You can only ride it out. You are at the behest of the system. I hope you have a good lawyer(s) and money to pay them. Knowing this, consider these 2 rules:

If there is ANY WAY POSSIBLE to avoid conflict, confrontation, or dangerous situations… do so.
If you are left with no other choice other than using righteous violence to defend yourself or your family from an attack that you did not instigate and could not get away from; and you can clearly articulate why it was reasonable and necessary (through your lawyer) be ready to deal with the consequences.

An educated American is less likely to use a gun to defend themselves because they understand the great responsibility we take on when we arm ourselves. They understand ALL of the damages they could encounter if they use deadly force. An educated American is more likely to be able to articulate (through their lawyer) that IF they did use deadly force to defend themselves or their loved ones that it WAS reasonable and necessary.

The USCCA Concealed Carry and Home Defense curriculum does an EXCELLENT job at explaining that a personal and home defense plan should keep you physically safe, by hopefully avoiding violence all together, but also keep you legally, financially, and morally safe as well. Check out the USCCA website to find a USCCA instructor in the area.

Keep your eyes open, collect and process information, make smart choices, and you will have a much better chance of avoiding conflict. Learn and train in a way that embraces what the body does naturally under stress so that if you are caught off guard in an ambush situation perhaps you will be more efficient in stopping the attacker.

Lastly, as I wrap up this installment, I remind you of “The Big Picture Rule”. Every time you take a gun from or put it back into a holster consider this:

Recognize that YOU are in control of a firearm, if YOU use this firearm carelessly, ignorantly, or with malice, YOU have the potential to harm or kill yourself or someone else.

Act accordingly. Don’t just be an armed American, be a responsibly armed American!

Stay armed, alert, safe, and be well regulated!

If you would like more of Klint’s Firearm Training Tips: Click Here!

Political Corruption Harrisburg Style: Focus; Anti-Gun Philadelphia House Member Margo Davidson

Davidson Charged With Theft, Will Resign from State House: Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the charges against state Rep. Margo Davidson for “stealing from the Commonwealth by filing fraudulent overnight per diem requests and various expenses through the State House Comptroller’s Office as well as hindering a state prosecution.”

Pennsylvania is 21 years into the 21st Century and it already has collected 21 lawmakers who found themselves charged or convicted of being on the wrong side of the law and led to them leaving office.

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2021/07/pa-has-a-history-of-lawmakers-who-are-also-lawbreakers.html

The World Continues the Crusade Against the 2^nd Amendment Rights of Americans: The UN Arms Trade Treaty Convenes Again!

With the current resident in the Whitehouse, concerns of citizens self-defense rights being restricted by the signing of a UN treaty negating 2^nd Amendment rights, is on the front burner again.

The Seventh Conference of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) will take place August 30 to September 3 (2021) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Will Biden re-sign onto the ATT? After all, the “pushing for the ratification of the Arms Trade treaty” is part of the Democrat platform. It’s a good bet that he will re-sign onto it.

Click this link for more: https://www.ammoland.com/2021/07/un-arms-trade-treaty-biden-occupation/#axzz71VGtspnE

Gun Owners Betrayed in Louisiana: Constitutional Carry Veto Override Fails

Several State Senators, who previously supported SB 118, stabbed gun owners in the back by bowing to the leftist agenda, succumbing to several ‘rogue’ anti-gun sheriffs biased positions and voting against the veto override effort (23 yeas, 15 nays).

Apparently, the track record of success Constitutional Carry and safety of citizens was less important than political careers, obeying their oaths than their duty to their constituents and the Constitution.

Hopefully, gun owners will neither forgive OR forget and replace these turncoats in the next election.

The History of Our Freedom and Its’ Hero’s: Déjà vu - Ronald Reagan’s Warning to America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlDB2MS_YU0

Interesting Videos: Country Music Artist Aaron Lewis asks: Am I the Only One?

Language Alert: Angry Patriot Expresses Himself Candidly: https://youtu.be/SDx59j2yck0

Recent Op-Eds of Interest: Despite What Biden Says, Guns Factor in Only a Small Percentage of Violent Crimes by Dr. John Lott

In response to sharp increases in violent crime, President Biden stressed again last week that his administration is focused on “stemming the flow of firearms used to commit violent crimes.” But critics warn that this “guns first” approach ignores a basic fact – about 92% of violent crimes in America do not involve firearms.

Although firearms were used in about 74% of homicides in 2019, they comprise less than 9% of violent crimes in America.

Overall Status of 2^nd Amendment Legislation Filed to Date in PA and the US:

2021-2022 Session PA State Bills (updated)

Pro-Gun Bills: 25
Anti-Gun Bills: 56
Unrated (Watching): 11
Legislative (gun related) Memos: 117

2021-2022 Session Federal Bills (updated)

Pro-Gun Bills: 42
Anti-Gun Bills: 82
Unrated (Watching): 34

1^st Point to Ponder: Biden’s Fixation on Gun Confiscation Continues (ERPO Laws)

On June 7, the DOJ released model state gun confiscation order legislation – sometimes referred to as “extreme risk protection order,” “gun violence restraining order,” or “red flag” legislation. Regardless of the marketing, such laws empower the government to extinguish a person’s Second Amendment rights and confiscate their firearms without due process. Those subject to these orders are stripped of their rights without being convicted of any crime. By releasing this model language, the Biden administration has endorsed these unconstitutional measures.

Research does show that the absence of due process has practical consequences for those wrongfully targeted under gun confiscation orders. Connecticut adopted an ex parte gun confiscation order procedure in 1999. An examination of the law found that 32 percent of ex parte orders issued in Connecticut were overturned following a hearing.

The RAND Corporation conducted a comprehensive study that surveyed the available research on several gun control policies. As part of the study, RAND researchers sought to determine “How Extreme Risk Protection Orders Affect Gun Use Outcomes.” The study stated, “We found no qualifying studies showing that extreme risk protection orders decreased any of the eight outcomes we investigated.” The “gun use outcomes” studied included “violent crime” and “suicide.”

2^nd Point to Ponder: Anti-Gun Media Outlet the Trace Lies About Sales of Firearms

Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun media mouthpiece, The Trace, chose to “report” on a new “survey” severely downplaying what’s happening with the dramatic increase of firearms sales.

Antigun billionaire Michael Bloomberg funds 70 percent of The Trace’s operations through his gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety. Now in typical fashion, The Trace received a pre-release summary of new survey data from Northeastern and Harvard University researchers, both bastions of gun control groupthink, that claim to speak with authority about the volume of first-time firearm owners that arose since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The Joyce Foundation, a “gun violence prevention” private foundation hosted, an exclusive data call “to journalists and advocates.” The CliffsNotes summary is astounding: the two universities found there’s been no surge in the number of first-time gun buyers in America.

“3.8 million Americans became first-time gun owners in 2020, according to preliminary findings from a new survey of 19,000 people. That group accounted for 23 percent of all gun buyers last year, up slightly from 17 percent in 2019,” the article purports.

NSSF’s data shows around 20 percent of gun buyers are first-timers in a normal year. In 2020, it was double that. But with the Joyce Foundation’s “research,” the saying goes: You get what you pay for.

CPRC Update from Dr. John Lott:

I was on C-SPAN's Washington Journal for over 40 minutes this past Saturday (7/11). If there is one of my interviews that you should watch, please watch this one. You rarely get such a long time on national television to go through gun control issues in so much depth. I hope that you all will also share the video with others. By the way, C-SPAN does pay attention to the number of views that these videos receive, and the more views that this gets, the more likely they will be to have me on again soon.

Other television appearances have everything from why violent crime has increased over the last year on NewsMax's Spicer & Co to Cuomo's and Biden's push on gun control on America's Voice.

CPRC Selected Media: Radio interviews/Podcasts

Research

With The Focus On “Gun Crime,” What Percent Of Violent Crimes Involve Guns? 8.3%

Firearms Training Guidance: DON’T Do THIS With Firearms

Idiots with guns, or Darwin Award Winners, depending on your perspective. The problem with Freedom is that sometimes stupid is uncontrollable!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Idiotswithguns/

Media Corruption and Lies: Focus on MSNBC’s Keith Olberman

On April 29, Olbermann tweeted

“The 2nd Amendment is about State Militias, not personal ownership of guns. The word ‘own’ does not appear in it, nor does any synonym for ‘own.’” This was followed by a July 13 tweet that stated, “And ask yourself: why doesn’t the 2nd Amendment have the word ‘own’ in it? The 2nd Amendment does NOT authorize gun OWNERSHIP!” The message was accompanied by a brief video in which Olbermann reasserted his puerile theory from what appeared to be a tony apartment overlooking New York’s Central Park.

Anyone with an elementary grasp of the English language will instantly note that the inclusion of “keep” in the Second Amendment negates Olbermann’s bizarre thesis. The absurdity of the left-wing pundit’s critique is underscored by the entry for “own” in the Merriam-Webster thesaurus, which states, “to keep, control, or experience as one’s own.”

Aside from the manifest stupidity of Olbermann’s claim, consider some of the statements America’s founding fathers made contemporaneous to ratification of the U.S. Constitution. At the Massachusetts ratification convention in 1788, Samuel Adams noted, “The said Constitution [shall] be never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press, or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms.”

Upcoming Events: The event situation continues to be fluid. Please check the FOAC website for updates https://foac-pac.org/Events

Rep. Carrie DelRosso - 07/27/2021
ACME Club 230 Herron Ave.
Support the Police - 07/29/2021
The Oaks Theater 310 Allegheny River Boulevard
Firearms Law Seminar - 08/7/2021
Wicen’s Shooting Range 3179 Mozart Road, Furlong, PA

Social Media Issues: Is the 2^nd Amendment Next Up on the Chopping Block for the Biden Administration & Big Tech?

The 2^nd Amendment and gun ownership has been labeled by the CDC as a “public health issue”.

Remember how the Centers for Disease Control has pushed gun control? It was so bad Congress wisely pulled the plug on funding for that pseudo-science, much to the chagrin and anger of anti-Second Amendment extremists like Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), who want to take us back to the bad old days of politicized medicine.

(As an aside, the CDC’s blatant anti-2A propaganda may be a big reason why they aren’t entirely trusted with regards to COVID and vaccines. Let this be a lesson to 2^nd Amendment supporters who, in this media environment must take a higher level of care about how we come across to our fellow Americans, like avoiding the use of dubious quotes.)

The big question is, of course, whether Murthy would declare activism for our Second Amendment rights as “misinformation” if CDC goes back into the business of being propagandists for gun control. We can’t put that past them, especially given how Silicon Valley censorship has selectively restricted things already.

Fact Checking the Fact Checkers: Is this oft used quote by Stalin true?

The quote below is attributed to the infamous Joseph Stalin by many.

“America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life.

If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within.”

The controversial “fact checking site” – Snopes goes out of its’ way to cast doubt on this quote saying they couldn’t find ‘any’ reference to it earlier than 1983. Yet, Ronald Reagan used it decades earlier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlDB2MS_YU0

Is Snopes right ‘or’ are they playing the leftist game of denial, of which they have been accused of so often? I, personally, do not believe they are right but it is up to decide! My justification is the shallowness of their claim of research and I don’t believe they ‘really’ investigated this properly-but then again this is nothing new with Snopes.

Other media outlets have used this Snopes claim to berate and demean others who have used it like Ben Carson and others as if they are reporting lies.

Cancel culture comes in many forms and self-justification based on nebulous sources is a strong suit of the lying media we have today!

Interesting Videos:

Reagan’s Speech; “A Time for Choosing” – prophecy for the future we have today? A timeless message ‘all’ should hear!

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCM9NFN3u9s

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNI9kcElowo

Epoch Times: America Rewritten: What the World Would Lose if the US Constitution Was Erased

https://www.theepochtimes.com/epochtv-exclusive-america-rewritten_3884975.html

Epoch Times: The Left’s Inversion of Facts Surrounding the Election

https://www.theepochtimes.com/the-lefts-inversion-of-facts-surrounding-the-election-truth-over-news_3910431.html

Open Carry Confusion - 19 Cops Quit "Special Duty Task-Force"

The police officers were actually raising questions in support of the weapon carrier. They didn't want to be disciplined for violating someone’s rights. They were actually trying to put forward a case that would protect the department and city from lawsuits. The Chief was too dumb to listen, and simply had his own agenda, no matter the cost, or consequences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1oZr8iXg4c&t=906s

Law Enforcement Officers Speak Their Minds: Washington, D.C., police chief Robert J. Contee III

Washington, D.C., police chief Robert J. Contee III slammed what he described as a malfunctioning justice system on Friday morning (7/23) following a shooting in the crowded 14th street commercial district Thursday night.

Gunmen shot two people on the city’s upscale 14th Street, in an incident captured on video. Police have recorded 105 homicides in the city so far this year, while 2020 saw a 16-year high of 198 homicides.

Contee said the Thursday shooting left people “mad as hell” in a Friday press conference.

“We could take the political route and talk about all of this fluffy stuff, but I’m going to give it to you straight, where the issues are,” Contee told reporters. “The justice system that we have right now—it is not functioning the way that it should. The courts are not open, that is a fact.”

Legal Developments on 2^nd Amendment Rights:

VICTORY in Federal Court – 4^th Circuit!

A three-judge panel in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday (today-7/13) that the Second Amendment protects the rights of 18- to 20-year-olds to buy handguns. It struck down federal laws that prohibited licensed dealers from selling to young adults. In a two-to-one vote, the court found the federal restriction did not stand up to scrutiny. https://dl.airtable.com/.attachments/2b64e94e6bedcf176e69bb09eb6a53f3/cb041389/HirschfeldvATFOpinion.pdf

Why We Carry A Round in the Chamber: Brazen California Daytime Robbery Captured on Video

On Monday, July 19, 2021, around 7:10 p.m., two suspects exited from an idling Dodge Avenger near Melrose Avenue and Vista Street and confronted the victim with handgun in hand. Words were apparently exchanged, and the victim ultimately produces a handgun, apparently to defend himself and others in his group from the would-be robbery suspects. The victim fired his weapon towards the suspects and then all parties immediately fled the location.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCfnmrQbOGw

Self-Defense with a Twist: Passing Motorist Saves Ariz. Trooper by Shooting Assailant

A driver in Arizona is being praised as a hero for saving the life of an ambushed state trooper on Thursday. Police say a suspect shot the state trooper who had stopped to investigate a car crash on an interstate west of Phoenix. A man driving by came to the trooper's rescue and ended up killing the suspect. DeMarco Morgan reports.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrt1ERPWrqQ

Celebrities/Hollywood on Guns: Super Bowl Champ, Frank Clark, Caught with Uzi in Car, Facing Charges in Multiple Incidents

The Kansas City Chiefs defensive end was charged with one felony count of possession of an assault weapon in connection with a March 13 incident when he was pulled over the by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Sports Illustrated reported.

https://policetribune.com/super-bowl-champ-caught-with-uzi-in-car-facing-charges-in-multiple-incidents/

Politician’s Quote to Remember: California Rep. Adam Schiff’s Response to His History of Failing

Schiff’s response to not getting his way is, for lack of a more-perfect word, Naziesque. Here’s what he claims: “For our political system to work and flourish, we need two functional political parties. Right now, it’s clear we only have one. So how do we move forward? First, we must abolish the filibuster. Republicans in the House won’t work with us, and Mitch McConnell can’t continue to rule from the minority. Once we abolish the filibuster, we will have no time to lose. We must pass real policies that voters demanded in the November election — and beat the odds in the midterms. Voting rights, healthcare, climate change, student debt, and much more are on the line.”

https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2021/07/12/the-schiffshow-is-making-its-move-n2592347

Founding Father’s Statement on Freedom: Alexander Hamilton (1788)

"If the federal government should overpass the just bounds of its authority and make a tyrannical use of its powers, the people, whose creature it is, must appeal to the standard they have formed, and take such measures to redress the injury done to the Constitution as the exigency may suggest and prudence justify."

Forgotten American Heroes: 9 of THE most legendary heroes in US Army history

https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/9-legendary-heroes-us-army/

How Freedom Dies: Academic honors student writes superficial thesis on gun control

In a classic example of a superficial fixation on applying international standards to complicated Second Amendment issues here in America the author of the article on gun control available at the link below promotes a level ignorant arrogance without any regard to the possibility that she could be wrong. Let’s not forget that she is an honor student who is obviously trying to not offend her professor which is clearly obvious in her conclusions.

https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1277&context=honorstheses

Closing Thoughts:

America is the nation that took in my immigrant great grandparents, whose uniform my father and most of my uncles wore in the Second World War. I don’t want to imagine a world without America, even though it becomes increasingly likely.

During Britain’s darkest hour, when its professional army was trapped at Dunkirk and a German invasion seemed imminent, Churchill reminded his countrymen, ‘Nations that go down fighting rise again, and those that surrender tamely are finished’

The same might be said of causes. If we let America slip through our fingers, if we lose without a fight, what will posterity say of us?

While the prognosis is far from good, only God knows if America’s day in the sun is over.” Remember, the world’s masses today have America to escape to, IF we lose our Freedom here there’s ‘no’ place for us to escape to!

Stay Free!

Kim Stolfer, President

**As a reminder, all FOAC members and, indeed, every gun owner can participate in the August 8, 2021 FOAC Monthly meeting from any PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android phone by clicking on the link below:

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Remember: FOAC is fiercely independent. We are not affiliated with, nor do we receive any money from, any national organizations. No sugar daddies. No New York billionaires. Memberships and individual donations are our only source of income.

If your friends are not a member - why not? The more members we have committed to making a difference, the greater FOAC’s impact in the legislature. By working together and making our voices heard, not only can we show the billionaires and their lapdogs that they don’t stand a chance in Pennsylvania, we can push through legislation that further restores and protects our rights.