Happy New Year!

Dang this is the third time at least that I've started a post and lost part or all of it... third times' the charm.

I hope everyone's 2007 went well, and I hope everyone has a great 2008.

Now that it's a new year it's important to start the year off right, by reminding our Senators and Congressmen that they're only in office to represent their constituents.

I thought I'd like to alert you to some of the most notable acts that need to be acted on of 2007.

One of the best resolutions introduced in 2007 is HR 4900 which was introduced just before the winter recess of 2007. It's called, The “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act of 2007".

For too long the BATFE has has been able to make and change it's own rules and has had to answer no-one. Hypothetically speaking if one were to convert a firearm to an illegal machine gun it would be illegal. However, if an employee of the BATFE were to convert a firearm to an illegal machine gun and mail it (illegally) to a private citizen the private citizen would be guilty of possessing a machine gun while the BATFE would be exempt from any repercussions.

However ATF abuses aren't just hypothetical situations, just ask Red's Trading Post (Interviews 1, 2) and KT Ordnance (Alert, Interview, Newstory). In addition to these two businesses many others have been targeted unfairly or even lost their FFL (Federal Firearms Liscense) completely as a result of small paperwork errors.

Among some of the more noteable provisions are:

• Requires BATFE to establish clear investigative guidelines.
• Clarifies the standard for “willful” violations—allowing penalties for intentional, purposeful violations of the law, but not for simple paperwork mistakes.
• Permanently bans creation of a centralized electronic index of dealers’ records (read as a list of who to confiscate from)
• Repeals the Brady Act’s “interim” waiting period provisions, which expired in 1998

While this act isn't perfect, it's a good start.

Please be sure to contact your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121, and urge him or her to cosponsor and support H.R. 4900, the “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act of 2007.”


Secondly, there are two other bits of legislation which desperately need to be acted upon and passed so they do not die like in past sessions of Congress.

These two are the Senate S. 388 (govtrack.us) and the Congress' H.R. 861 (govtrack.us), National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2007.

I've had my concealed carry permit for several years now.

Like every other legal concealed carry permit holder of The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I've never been convicted or found guilty of a violent crime or felony; I've never renounced my citizenship; I am a legal resident of the United States; submitted myself to background checks; I am not an unlawful user or addicted to any drugs or alcohol legal or illegal; I've submitted several character references; and I've had the approval of my county's Sheriff in order to receive my Concealed Carry Permit.


However, while my driver’s license that bestows me the privilege to drive (automobile related deaths are nearly twice as high as firearm related deaths, and nearly 5 times as high for deaths of children) is recognized by every state of the union; several foreign countries; and our own federal government the same is not true for my Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms with legalizes me to exercise my Constitutional Right.

Unfortunately, none of the states which share a border with Pennsylvania recognize Pennsylvania’s License to Carry Firearms; that means that I have to remove my firearm and leave it at home to legally travel to neighboring states.

The notion that I need to be disarmed before I can legally travel to a neighboring state is ridiculous and frankly it discourages me from visiting those other states. After all, I stand a much larger chance of dying as a result of a violent crime when I'm disarmed so why would I want to put myself at risk?

Please read the NRA’s fact sheet regarding concealed carry and these two pieces of legislation.

Please be sure to contact your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121, and urge him or her to cosponsor and support H.R. 861, the “National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2007.” Also, please contact your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121, and urge them to support S. 388, “… to provide a national standard in accordance with which nonresidents of a State may carry concealed firearms in the State.”