Posted on 10/09/2005 8:04:31 PM PDT by Copernicus
GRNC Alert:
10-9-05 Grass Roots North Carolina
Forum for Firearms Education
P.O. Box 10684, Raleigh, NC 27605
(919) 664-8565, http://www.grnc.org
GRNC Alert Hotline: (919) 562-4137
hotline@grnc.org
Charlotte Ordinance for Police Convenience
We informed you Friday of a sneak attack on your right to self-protection planned by the Charlotte City Council in collaboration with the administration of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Briefly recapping; on Monday, October 10, 2005, the City Council of Charlotte, NC will entertain an ordinance to ban the open display of firearms in public. The proposal, being pushed by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Chief of Police, will be discussed at the dinner briefing held at 5:00 pm at the Conference Center, immediately prior to the 7:00 pm council meeting in Room 267 at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 E. Fourth Street. The proposed ordinance is patterned after a similar ordinance passed 12 years ago in Chapel Hill, NC. The Chapel Hill ordinance bans the display of handguns on public streets and sidewalks and allows police to charge the offender with a misdemeanor. You may be saying, "But I only carry concealed, why should I care," or "a responsible citizen keeps his firearm properly concealed," or simply "why would anybody need to carry in the open." All good questions, so why should you care?
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE!
What about the jewelry store that has been robbed multiple times culminating in the murder of an employee. Is the owner a criminal for now walking about his shop--where there are hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of diamonds temptingly in glass cases--with a pistol strapped to his side in plain view. What of the liquor store owner who now arms his clerks--after training and range time--because his store, in a bad part of town, had been robbed weekly and one of his employees beaten nearly to death by a couple of crack addicts? Is he wrong to do this? Should these people only be allowed to protect their lives by deterring these crimes if they have attended the Police Academy? Should an insurance agent who has had to visit a client in the evening and is now driving home late through a gang controlled neighborhood not be allowed to lay his personal protection weapon on the seat, in full compliance with long standing current laws? You might be thinking that you aren't in any of those professions and only carry concealed anyway, how could it impact you? Good question! What if you wish to enter an establishment or government office where you are not allowed to carry your legally concealed self-protection handgun? If you are like a number of law-abiding citizens, you first secure it in the trunk of your car. What if someone sees it and reports you? No big deal right? You didn't "brandish" it or point it at anyone. Currently you would be right. Under this new ordinance, you would now be a criminal just because someone saw it!
Perhaps, you are headed to your local indoor firing range for a little practice. What if your neighbor from a "safe," "gun-free" large city elsewhere sees you and doesn't approve. In accordance with the instructions of the various gun-control organizations decides to be a "good citizen." This could lead to, not only, a knock on the door, but also to a little ride in the back of a shiny new police car. But this wouldn't happen, right? How often have you watched one of those real cops shows or read an article where the officers expressed sorrow about having to "do our job" and arrest someone who didn't mean to do anything wrong, but "he did break the law."
Finally, it is our sincere hope that you never have to draw your weapon in defense of your life or family, but if you should, could this mean that you are now in violation because you publicly "displayed" your weapon?
The Real Question --FOR WHAT REASON?
p Now, this raises a question; what necessitates this new ordinance. Have there been roving bands of armed citizens terrorizing the city; any quick draw shootouts at high noon on Main Street? To answer this question we simply need to examine the words of the police representatives. Police attorney, Mark Newbold reports that there have been no altercations involving violence or injury. The Charlotte Observer reported, the police "recently received several reports of people walking around uptown, wearing guns openly, said Mark Newbold, a police attorney. No one was threatening anyone with the weapons, police said. And officers checked out the calls, making sure felons weren't carrying the guns."
In short the police are getting nuisance calls from anti-gun do-gooders who are either afraid of their own shadows or simply disapproved of what they saw. Once they arrive, the police administrators are annoyed that there is nothing they can do about this because the subjects of this harassment have broken no laws. So the obvious solution is to make YOU more arrestable.
Heaven forbid that this should happen in Charlotte, but one only has to look at events down in New Orleans following the hurricane and in Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict to understand what can happen in a larger city when there is civil breakdown. In both situations the police were forced to stand back until the anarchy subsided to some extent before they could begin to restore order. During the Los Angeles riots, a number of Asian storeowners defended their property with so-called "assault rifles" against the mobs. Their families survived and their properties remained intact. However, what is less widely reported is the fact that many of them were later prosecuted on "weapons violations" after being identified in news footage as they stood their ground with the police nowhere to be seen. Should this kind of scenario occur in Charlotte, would you be prosecuted if you "displayed" your weapon in the defense of your home?
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED
- Use our auto-emailer to contact the members of the Charlotte City Council
------------------------- Dear [Council Member]:
There is no need for an ordinance to ban the display of firearms in the City of Charlotte. This has never been a problem and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police attorney; Mark Newbold admits that there is no problem now. This is simply a tool that will be used to harass the honest citizens who simply wish to keep themselves safe from those the police should be focusing their attentions on.
Criminals ignore laws and will not be deterred by any such frivolous ordinance. This will only serve to turn many law-abiding citizens into criminals, all for the sake of pleasing those who are ignorant of both firearms and southern customs. I will be watching this very closely via Grass Roots North Carolina alerts and demand that you take whatever steps necessary to prevent this from becoming law now or anytime in the future. I am prepared to cast my vote for your opponent in the upcoming or future election should my demand not be taken seriously.
Sincerely,
-------------------------
- Show up Monday, 10/10/2005 at 4:45pm at Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 E. Fourth Street, Room 267. We MUST have a sizeable presence to let them know this is a critical issue.
Click here for a map
Please note: Firearms are NOT allowed in Charlotte City Government buildings. You must be UNARMED while on city property.
You can click on Select All (below) - this will highlight the text in the box, then right click on text - select copy then it can be pasted into an email for sending to Charlotte City Council representatives (below)
Charlotte City Government Contacts
Mayor Patrick McCrory (R)
mayor@ci.charlotte.nc.us
http://patmccrory.com/
1412-B East Boulevard, Suite 167
Charlotte, NC 28203
704-307-1244 Mayor Pro Tem Patrick De`Angelo Cannon
E-Mail: TryCannon@aol.com
15972 Cumnor Lane, Charlotte, NC 28277-2062
Phone: 704-890-1835
Fax: 704-527-2704
Council At Large:
Pat Mumford (R)
E-mail: patmumford@bellsouth.net
2208 Dilworth Road West, Charlotte, NC 28203
Phone: 704-358-1689
Fax: 704-358-4202 Susan Burgess (D)
Address: 1333 Carlton Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28203
Phone: 704-333-2874
Email: sburg346@aol.com John Lassiter (R)
Email: Lassiter@bellsouth.net
Phone: 704-542-1426
2632 Winding Oak Dr.
Charlotte, NC 28270
District 1
Patsy Kinsey (D)
Email: pbk2@mindspring.com
Phone: 704-376-5367
2334 Greenway Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28204 District 2
James Mitchell, Jr. (D)
E-Mail: JamesDistrict2@aol.com
425 Valerie Drive
Charlotte, NC 28216
Phone: 704-398-9480
Cell: 704-577-3349
Fax: 704-398-9479 District 3
Warren Turner (D)
Email: district3_turner@yahoo.com
Phone: 704-713-0452
P.O. Box 35465
Charlotte, NC 28231
District 4
Gregory Phipps (D)
Email: District4phipps@aol.com
2307 Kersey Court, Charlotte, NC 28213
Phone: 704-596-9602 District 5
Nancy G. Carter (D)
E-Mail: 71170.3036@compuserve.com
1401 Cavendish Court, Charlotte, NC 28211
Phone: 704-336-3431
Fax: 704-770-0189 District 6
John H. Tabor (R)
E-mail: john@tabor2000.com
2425 Sharon Road, Charlotte, NC 28211
Phone: 704-362-1700
District 7
Don Lochman (R) E-Mail: djloch@earthlink.net
Address: 6915 Linkside Court, Charlotte, NC 28277
Phone: 704-846-6976
Fax: 704-814-4036
Action 2: Show up Monday, 10/10/2005 at 4:45pm at Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 E. Fourth Street, room 267. It is imperative that we have a sizeable presence to let them know this is a critical issue. (Click here for a map)
Please note: Firearms are NOT allowed in Charlotte City Government buildings. You must be UNARMED while on city property.
Best regards to all,
Our friends in North Carolina have my sympathy.
Two of our city councilmen carry in city council meetings. A couple of years ago, a friend, and I were at a council meeting, we were both carrying, concealed, a controversy arose with an unbalanced citizen, fortunately nothing came of it. After the meeting the mayor thanked us for being there with our guns.
NC bump
The headline is misleading. Gun Control is using two hands. This article deals with restricting or removing the 2nd admendment righs of those in Charlotte, N.C. AWB
Thank you very much!
I live in the area, and am a proud gun-owner. I sent the e-mail to every single committee member listed. Had it not been for you and FR, I never would have heard about this.
You may be saying, "But I only carry concealed, why should I care," or "a responsible citizen keeps his firearm properly concealed," or simply "why would anybody need to carry in the open." All good questions, so why should you care?
Many thanks for your comment. While there a number of good tactical reasons for concealed carry, it should not be a crime to reveal possession of a weapon in public accidently or otherwise. Unless, of course, you are engaged in skullduggery.
Best regards,
When I wrote that comment I was thinking of the times I have watched a new permit holder and (often) rookie cops “accidentally” revealing their weapon. I would much rather my weapon come as a surprise if needed.
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