Mayor, Chief seek Gun Restrictions(HELP!!! MAJOR gun grab being attemted in Lincoln Nebraska.)

The Lincoln Journal Star ^ | Friday, January 31, 2003 | Aaron Sanderford and Nate Jenkins

[Super Mak90kid]

Thanks. My parents and most of the people I love will still be here. On top of that, it may still be a few years untill I get to make my big move.

[backhoe]

That old saw about Eternal Vigilance being the Price of Freedom is unfortunately true- you have to watch public figures like a hawk, and even then they try to do stuff like what you are facing. Unelected bureaucrats are the worst, because you can't vote them out of office even if they offend a lot of people. Best of luck, and never give up.

Just an off-the-wall thought? How about a recall petition? Even if it doesn't have a prayer, it will surely scare the beJesus out of them, and get their attention...

[Super Mak90kid]

Thanks again! I'll look into that too. You've been a great help. Have a good night.

[c-b 1]

You might get a group of people together, and meet with Coleen Seng, and make it plain to her that if she votes for that ordinance you will do everything in your power to see to it that she isn't the next mayor.

[Ouachita]

I wonder if these folks know about it. I found this info on their website.

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Keep the week end of June 7 & 8 open.

That is the date of the 2003 Annual NE Shooting Sports Association's Annual meeting.

The location of this year's meeting is Lincoln, NE

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I also found this here. I'm not certain if this is intended as a preemption law or not.

 

STATE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION

"All persons. . . have certain . . . rights, among these are . . . the right to keep and bear arms for security or defense of self, family, home, and others, and for lawful common defense, hunting, recreational use, and all other lawful purposes, and such rights shall not be denied or infringed by the state or any subdivision thereof." (Article 1, Section 1).

 

[billsux]

Am I on crack? did I really read the rep from the ACLU was threatening legal action?

But the language of the proposals could ignite legal challenges if written too broadly, said Tim Butz, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska. Butz worried most about the inclusion of "obstructing government operations" among misdemeanors that could eliminate someone's right to bear arms. Political demonstrators, particularly at war times, are cited for such crimes, he said.

Seriously, if you can get a juggernaught like the ACLU on board for good instead of evil (or, more often, just plain silly), that'd be HUGE!

[L.N. Smithee]

ALL RIGHT, a polish joke, I haven't heard one of those for 15 years.

It's not really a Polish joke. Let me explain.

I am a big fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, the show that shows bad movies with silhouettes of viewers making wisecracks about bad acting, writing, effects, and cinematography. The tagline is a reference to the MST3K episode in which the characters -- including "Tom Servo," a puppet of a robot made from a candy machine -- watched a movie called "Horror of Party Beach." In one scene, there were some nubile young women who were stranded in a wooded area when their car broke down. To the best of my memory, they were going to a store to find help and/or a phone, but the store was closed. One of the actresses in the shot was partially obscuring a sign in the store window that said, "LOOK! POLISH SAUSAGE, 19c a LB" so that all you could read was "LOOK POLISH."

[PatrioticAmerican]

" Outlaw firearms possession for people convicted of any of 19 charges the mayor and chief selected as "serious, violent or potentially violent misdemeanors." "

Sounds like "infringdd" to me.

[Teacher317]

Outlaw firearms possession for those who are convicted of even attempted 2.Carrying a concealed weapon, 4.unlawful posession of explosives, 5.use of explosives without a permit, 8. Furnishing Firearms, ammunition, or weapons to minors, 9.Resisting Arrest, 16.Violation of a protection order, or any felony...

now let's discuss the easy openings for abuse set out here that will undoubted come up soon after passage:

2. CCW permits do not seem to be exempted
4. and 5. Fireworks, maybe even ammunition (reloading equipment?)
8. Christmas presents, taking your child hunting, Swiss Army knife,
9. "Resisting arrest" is entirely up to the arresting officer... and attempted resisting arrest must be fun to define... maybe struggling with tight handcuffs?
16. most divorces now feature protection orders... and many demand that the subject get rid of all their firearms. Refuse? Lose your right to own them, too.
19. any felony (or attempt) includes several volumes of laws that are not listed here, and the modern trend is to include an ever-increasing amount of laws under the felony umbrella, "to deter crime"...

and let us not forget how easy it is to amend this ordinance to include so many more reasons to deprive a citizen of their 2A rights.

[George W. Bush]

Seriously, if you can get a juggernaught like the ACLU on board for good instead of evil (or, more often, just plain silly), that'd be HUGE!

I've suggested before that in small conservative states like Nebraska, it wouldn't be that hard to co-opt or simply take over an entire state ACLU chapter for Second Amendment advocacy. I don't have recent figures but their membership is pretty small. Only 3 staff members, paid by subsidy from national ACLU.

It can't hurt to get people to drop emails to them. They are aware that they are generally viewed as Leftish but they know they make their most friends when they defend unpopular causes or the Right.

[Teacher317]

Pssst! Hey! Super Mak90kid! Here's how to get a lot more attention from those who really care about 2A issues...

bang!

[George W. Bush]

This is the kind of law that can sail through if not enough people know about it. Any significant opposition is likely to doom it.

Call every gun store in the area. Better yet, make up some eye-catching posters and go around and ask if you can put them up in the gun stores. I've done that locally. Well, I've done a lot more than that but that's another story. If you can, get someone to go pamphlet any gun show or shooting event in the Lincoln area.

Contact Senator Tom Baker's office and ask his staff if there are any friends of gun rights or other organizations that you might contact.

GOA's last alert for Nebraska was in October 2001. I'll drop them a message. A lot of GOA members don't do much until GOA issues an alert. I suggest you drop them an email too. Or call them.

You could try the NRA as well. They're probably bigger than GOA.

You might even find some opposition among state law enforcement officers.

Try Nebraska Second Amendment Watch. He hasn't updated recently but an issue like this might get Rick moving.

Also, try contacting Nebraska Taxpayers For Freedom, Second Amendment Project.

You might try informing Hunt And Fish Nebraska. It's largely an outfitter site but anything that makes it harder to hunt or adds any element of legal jeopardy to hunting in the state should be a concern to them.

Of the whole bunch I listed here, getting the gun stores riled and active and getting out a GOA email alert are the two most likely to result in letters, calls, email, letters to the editor, etc.

[johnny7]

Here's a little story from CT. I was pulled over for not wearing a seatbealt.

When they smelled beer, they gave me a test that nobody could pass.

Walk the white line toe-to-heel. Follow this light without moving your head.

When I told them I was carrying a firearm, they got seriess. They asked me why I had a baseball bat in the back seat!

Well, I had a license to to carry in MA... but not in CT.

MA police chief took my license... CT took my 9mm.

Game over... cops don't want armed, decent civilians. They want a docile, flock of sheep.

[OldPossum]

you may argue that these are misdemeaners, and thats ok

There's the problem, sir. It is not a matter of these people being socially repellent, it's a matter of changing the law from prohibiting gun ownership and possession on the basis of a person having committed a felony to having committed a misdemeanor. This is something under the governance of the legislature, not a city council.

[merak]

Prohibit people convicted of theft or a theft-related crimes twice over the last 10 years from selling or trading property to pawn brokers and dealers of secondhand jewelry.

I've got no use for gun control, but you have to like that one.

[Pablo64]

"2. CCW permits do not seem to be exempted."

That's because Nebraska does not allow concealed carry of firearms. There have been several attempts to get legislation passed allowing them, but all have failed to date. When I first moved here, I rented a house from a guy who was a State Patrol officer. When we were getting the keys and giving him our first month's rent, I showed him my CC Permit from Colorado and asked him who should I see in Nebraska to get one. He got a real funny look on his face and made it very clear that I should not carry concealed in NE, since they do not allow it for any circumstances (at least for civilians).

I heard on the radio that there was going to be another attempt this next session to introduce a Concealed Carry Permit law, but we'll have to see how far that gets.

[merak]

The right to firearm ownership is a basic civil right guaranteed by the constitution. Back when the United States was a free country, 100 years ago or thereabouts and on back, if somebody was too dangerous to own firearms, they locked him up, simple as that. Anybody who was not in prison was allowed to own firearms.

What other bsaic civil rights would you deprive somebody of for tresspassing, jaywalking, fornicating, or any of the myriad things which are technically illegal in one jurisdiction or another in America?

[OldPossum]

The article is a big unclear to me, too. The seventh sentence talks about "possession" without defining what the heck they mean. One could "possess" a gun on his person or at home.

This article needs some editing.

Your point about making gunowners look bad by forcing them to defend people with some unsavory backgrounds is well-taken. That may be the hidden agenda behind most of this.