MD GunLaw Hearing (Senate Version)

The coverage is a joke.

I went to Annapolis yesterday to speak out against the proposed gun legislation. I filed written testimony, then got in line to sign up to testify in person. I stood in line for 5 hours, and was STILL a couple hundred people from making it to the sign up sheet in front of the hearing, when Sen Frosh (super liberal from PG County/DC Area) closed the testimony to new participants. As of 10:00am they had over 250 hours of testimony already signed up, with everyone getting only 3 minutes to speak their peace. There were literally a thousand people still behind me in line at 3:00pm, and the hearings began at 1:00pm. All of the people that I could see were Pro Gun, 90% had blue stickers that read "GUNS SAVE LIVES."

At roughly 3:30pm there were so many people there to testify, that building had to be closed to additional entrants; something that has never happened before. New sign books were made and placed in front of the building, allowing much of the line to disperse from the building and sign up to testify at a later date.

On my way home at 3:51pm, I read an article written by Brian White of the AP, that states "hundreds of Marylanders came out to testify on the bill," and that Sen Mike Miller had given the quote that "we have enough support in the Senate that we're going to go through with passing the bill." This morning, I read the same thing in regards to there being only "hundreds" in my local paper, in coverage actually written by writers from the Capitol Press. Further than that, the article covered the Governor's testimony, another senator who is Anti Gun's view on the bill, and then part of Beretta's President's testimony where he threatened to take his plant to another state. The Baltimore Sun did report the "thousands" that were there, but again focused almost solely on the governor's stance.

THIS is why this country is turning into an idiocracy. Sen Mike Miller was going to go through with the bill, despite 90% of the testimony hadn't been heard yet. Enough people signed up to testify to require more than 500 hours to listen to it all, even with a testimony limit of 3 minutes per person.

Do our leaders listen to us? Nope.

 

I hope the mid term and local elections result in all these guys getting booted

 

We are going through hearings right now in MN too. We have had decent turnouts opposing the 14+ bills here but I don't think we have had turnouts in the thousands like you.
When are we going to reach a breaking point and stop letting these thugs in office take our rights away?:down:

 

you are not alone.

http://www.kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=17362

 

They won't. The districts of Baltimore City, PG County and Montgomery County RUN the state of Maryland. The rest of the state is the equivalent of the people battery plants in the movie The Matrix. We are just used for our supply of manpower and tax revenue. PG and Mont aren't the problem, as they vote roughly 60/40 against the rest of the state that votes 60/40 in the opposite direction; Baltimore City votes 98% Democrat. With the backing from PG and Mont, the rest of the state has no chance.

* A fun fact: Baltimore City schools receive $11,995.00 per student, per year in state funding (as of 2011). The next highest is below $9,999.00 per student. Baltimore City has the second worst performing students in the state. Talbot County receives the lowest in state funding, $3,500.00 per student and has the second highest performing students. Performance ratings were based on testing figures, the amount of students accepted into college, and their grades in college. *

The vast ignorance of gun-related facts is just mind blowing. Example: The Brady Campaign website's "report card" function. That function, combined with even minimal effort research into crime statistics, will lead you to the fact that gun laws <> logical conclusions.

 

My friends and I got in line to sign up to testify around 10:30. I was finally able to sign the book at 3:30! Frosh announced later that 1000 folks had signed up to testify. We went to one of the overflow rooms to watch a few people testify, then went around to all of the Judicial Committee members' offices to sign an additional petition opposing SB281. We then went over to the House and met with our Delegates. I and my one friend live in Baltimore, in a super-liberal district, so as predicted our words pretty much fell on deaf ears. It was however, very empowering to be able to meet with my elected government officials to register my concerns and opinions. We actually had a very good hour-long meeting with Del. Clippenger who was completely against our position, and for more gun control. I found him to be highly intelligent, open-minded, and fair. We were able to educate him on a couple of things that he wasn't aware of, and I think he came away from the meeting realized that gun owners can be intelligent, well-spoken, and passionate about our Constitutional rights.

We never did get to testify. I'll keep putting up the good fight, but I'm afraid we're going to lose the war in the freedom-hating State of Maryland.

The "Free State".

Laughable.

 

Seems the general population doesn't agree with the politicians. Here are the NICS numbers for Jan
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/20130205_1998_2013_monthly_yearly_totals.pdf


I suspect the numbers would have been higher too if the inventory didn't run out at so many businesses.

 

You must have been about 200 people in front of me! I had the blue sweater and the large picture/poster of my baby boy. I was at the end of the wall, about to start around the open circle when Dwyer announced no one else would be allowed to testify and there were new sign up sheets outside.

 

You were the guy in the blue sweater? I saw you.

 

I was the tall, bald guy with two even taller guys!

Thanks for doing your part to fight for our rights. I just wish more folks would take a stand and tell the gov that will no longer sit idly by as our rights are slowly stolen from us. We had 3000-4000 of us there yesterday, but I'm afraid that's just not enough to convince these elitist, arrogant bastards that we are serious. I plan to attend all the upcoming House hearings as well.

 

Wait, you guys saw Speedy E? Did he have a racoon on the leash or an asian?

 

Had an Asian Raccoon (red Panda) there





I was going to a Asian seafood supermarket once a week all summer to get shrimps for my coons, pretty much no English speaking people there. Cashier says to me

why woo aways buy so many swimp?
> I got pet raccoons

Pet wawooms?
>Pet Raccoons

Wawooms?????
>RED PANDAS!!!!!

ohhhh....wed pandas ....yeeees wed pandas vewy cute

 

In my defense, I was the only person on the second floor in a bright blue cashmere sweater, with a bigger than life sized poster of his kid!!!

 

I just joined Maryland Shall Issue, and right now I'm spreading the word about the written testimony deal. I'm going to the next one, hopefully with a van full of written testimony to turn in! I have to get all of the rules, but hopefully you can turn them in via proxy; OR perhaps set up a town/district meeting where the delegates can verify/certify the testimony so that it may be turned in.

 

No one called the fashion police?

 

Heck no man! I looked good!

 

Senator Jamie Raskin playing chess during the testimony against the Anti Gun Bill he co-sponsored.

 

Pretty effed up huh? There is a lot of hate coming down on him right now over on MDS. Since you've joined MSI, I'm assuming you're familiar with MDS.

Folks are very pissed off. Many, many people took off a day of work for this. Some drove three hours each way to attend the hearings. They then spent 3-6 hours standing in a line. Then they waited several more hours to testify, which btw, most never even got to do. All of this effort and sacrifice for what? To have a member of this committee, Jamie Raskin, who is paid to represent his constituents, and is sworn to uphold the Constitution-whose job it is to listen to the concerns and opinions of Marylanders-to sit there bored, and play a video game during testimony.

What a fucking tool.

 

Exactly dude. That is a picture of liberty dying. The really stupid part is, I'm guessing MOST of his constituents will never hear (or CARE) about it. Especially considering the issue is gun control, and so many people are completely ignorant on the subject.

I am relatively new to guns and gun control (bought my first gun 2 years ago), but I've done a ton of research on ballistics, gun design, and policy (an ADD hyper-focus thing; I do it with everything I like) and the most surprising thing about the current gun issue is the lack of knowledge, accompanied with the "reasonable"/"common sense" proposals from the same ignorant people. It is immensely frustrating, and my neck hurts from shaking my head so much.

 

Booger. did you see where Del Frank Turner (Ellicott City) sent out an email that reads, "The real challenge is how to collect the thousands of assault weapons already in circulation....?"

Now they're confiscating guns.