[Sender]

This is almost a gun banner's wet dream. This makes all the postban copies into eevil assault weapons. I sincerely hope that the knowledgeable pundits around here are correct in predicting the death in Congress of this idiotic bill.

And to all the honorable Congress critters who have attached their names to this abomination, I have but one thing to say...F**k this s**t. You're forgetting who you work for.

[follow the money]

Want a gun? You'll need to see your doctor
By Kelly A. Winget
Eagle-Tribune Writer

METHUEN -- People in Greater Lawrence who apply for a handgun license for the first time now need a letter from their doctor stating they are medically and psychologically fit.

To police, this is one more tool to help them decide who should be permitted to carry a gun. But to gun owner advocates, it is one more step designed to make it "virtually impossible" for people to obtain a permit to own and carry a handgun.

Police chiefs in Lawrence, Andover, North Andover and Methuen met months ago, at the request of Andover Police Chief Brian Pattullo, to make gun licensing rules uniform throughout the four communities.

They agreed that applicants must get a note from a doctor stating there are "no medical or psychological issues" that would prevent the person from owning or operating a gun.

Gun applicants would also be required to pass a gun safety course, undergo a complete background check, fill out the permit application and pay $35 for the permit.

Methuen Police Chief Bruce A. MacDougall said the physician's letter helps police rule out "unsuitable" people from acquiring a gun license. He also said the physician would not be held responsible if the person became unfit to own a gun at a later date.

He said he did not believe requiring a letter from a doctor had prevented anyone from obtaining a gun permit.

"The four chiefs felt it is our duty to separate a suitable person from an unsuitable person," MacDougall said. "Just based on the application or spending a few minutes with a licensing officer doesn't give you a real feeling of the individual. Plus, we are not trained by our education or experience to look for the same things a medical person would."

"We were looking for assistance and who better than the family physician?" MacDougall continued. "We are not looking for a medical or psychological evaluation."

James L. Wallace, the legislative agent for the state group Gun Owners Action League, said this was the first time he had heard of a community requiring a letter from a doctor. He said he will fight to prevent other communities from adopting similar policies.

"This will make it virtually impossible to get (a license to carry a firearms permit). If I was a doctor, I would not want to sign off on something like that," said Wallace, a Newburyport resident. "The chance that a gun owner would do something illegal is very slim, but who would want to put their whole career on the line? The police are passing off their responsibilities onto the citizens and unfortunately onto the physicians."

Wallace said since the Brady Bill passed in 1998, the number of licensed gun owners in the state has dropped from 1.5 million in 1998 to less than 200,000 several months ago. He said the new doctor policy in Greater Lawrence is just another example of the "roadblocks police chiefs create" in regards to the issuing of gun permits.

"The police chiefs think they are doing the community a service, but they really just torment gun owners," Wallace said.

[rightofrush]

And to all the honorable Congress critters who have attached their names to this abomination, I have but one thing to say...F**k this s**t. You're forgetting who you work for.

Au contraire, mon ami. They know only too well who they work for. Novus ordo seclorum, don'cha know.

[two23]

"And to all the honorable Congress critters who have attached their names to this abomination, I have but one thing to say...F**k this s**t. You're forgetting who you work for.

What you said, with no asteriks AND capital letters. They have broken their oath to uphold the Constitution and should be relieved of their duties. They are breaking laws---not us.

[Euro-American Scum]

I sincerely hope that the knowledgeable pundits around here are correct in predicting the death in Congress of this idiotic bill.

Can you imagine what would happen to this bill if Hillary were president? She'd hammer it through if every Republican member of the House were mysteriously discovered as suicide victims.

And to all the honorable Congress critters who have attached their names to this abomination, I have but one thing to say...F**k this s**t. You're forgetting who you work for.

They forgot who they worked for years ago.