Grass Roots North Carolina

Uncategorized

GRNC Alert: School Safety Is Up To NC House Republicans

July 17, 2019 by

Rep. Larry Pittman (R-Cabarrus, Rowan) is planning to offer a substitute amendment to the NC Senate’s S 5 – School Safety Omnibus. It would create the position of volunteer school faculty guardian. Requirements would be a 16-hour training course from the NC Criminal Justice and Training Standards Commission, drug testing, and possession of a NC Concealed Handgun Permit. It would only apply to those who are either full or part-time faculty or staff of a school. The substitute is based upon his HB 216.

GRNC says, and I agree, that it is time to push Republicans in the proper direction on school safety.

From the alert:

SCHOOL SAFETY IS UP TO
NC HOUSE
REPUBLICANS


Pro-gun stalwart to offer full school protection bill as an amendment…

If you follow GRNC’s alerts, then you know that GRNC 4-star statesman, Rep. Larry Pittman
(Cabarrus,
Rowan), can always be counted on to stand for your gun rights. In fact,
he not only stands for them, he takes strides to advance them, and
advance a
pro-gun bill is exactly what Rep. Pittman intends to do, with your help.

Studies Show

Studies by the Crime
Prevention Research Center (CPRC), with respected researcher Dr. John Lott at its helm, have concluded that schools that allow educators and
administrators to be armed are much (much) safer than their gun-free counterparts.  To read more about the CPRC’s study, click here. Incidentally, thanks to GRNC’s hard-working volunteers, NC’s House Republicans have been made well aware of this
study and its results, so any legislator’s claimed ignorance of this truth is not viable.

Help Rep. Pittman
Help North Carolina
Rep. Pittman intends to offer House Bill 216 (H216) (School Self-Defense
Act), in its entirety, as an amendment to Senate Bill
5 (S5) (School Safety Omnibus), which is quite alive, but has just
been sent back to the Rules Committee. We must encourage the Rules
Committee
members and other House Republicans to either allow a full hearing for
H216 or to move forward with S5, with H216 as an amendment. 

Note that the addition of language
from H216 to S5 (or the passage of H216 by itself, in its entirety)
would make school protection complete—entirely practical and most
importantly: effective. The uniting of these two bills (or H216 alone)
would be a great development, however, Rep. Pittman needs your help if
this is
to happen.

Push Republicans in the Right Direction
Below,
see how you can easily contact the House Republican caucus to insist
they do the right thing. To give them the push they need, please use the
information provided below to send them a message.  (Note: GRNC will be
tracking legislators’ votes on this, and it will go down on
their gun-rights record—for better or worse).

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IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

  • EMAIL THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE CAUCUS: Apart
    from a few reliable pro-gun statesman, the copy/paste email list(s)
    below will allow
    you to send your message to all House Republicans. For the message body,
    use the copy/paste text provided in the ‘Deliver This Message’
    section, also below.

  • PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO GRNC: Help us fight gun control while we promote Second Amendment principles. Please CLICK HERE to contribute. Bear in mind that GRNC is an all-volunteer organization, so you can be sure your
    donations are put to the best possible use. Any amount helps, and any amount is appreciated.
NC House Republicans Copy/Paste Email *Lists(s):

Dean.Arp@ncleg.net;
Lisa.Barnes@ncleg.net; John.Bell@ncleg.net;
Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net; Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net;
William.Brisson@ncleg.net; Mark.Brody@ncleg.net;
Dana.Bumgardner@ncleg.net; Jerry.Carter@ncleg.net;
Debra.Conrad@ncleg.net; Kevin.Corbin@ncleg.net; Ted.Davis@ncleg.net;
Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net; Josh.Dobson@ncleg.net; Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.net;
John.Faircloth@ncleg.net; John.Fraley@ncleg.net;
Edward.Goodwin@ncleg.net; Holly.Grange@ncleg.net; Destin.Hall@ncleg.net;

Kyle.Hall@ncleg.net; Bobby.Hanig@ncleg.net;
Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net; Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net;
Cody.Henson@ncleg.net; Craig.Horn@ncleg.net; Julia.Howard@ncleg.net;
Chris.Humphrey@ncleg.net;
Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net; Frank.Iler@ncleg.net; Steve.Jarvis@ncleg.net;
LindaP.Johnson@ncleg.net; Brenden.Jones@ncleg.net;
Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.net;
David.Lewis@ncleg.net; Pat.McElraft@ncleg.net; Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net;
Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net; Tim.Moore@ncleg.net; Gregory.Murphy@ncleg.net;

Larry.Potts@ncleg.net;
Michele.Presnell@ncleg.net; Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.net;
David.Rogers@ncleg.net; Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net; Jason.Saine@ncleg.net;
Wayne.Sasser@ncleg.net;
John.Sauls@ncleg.net; Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net; Phil.Shepard@ncleg.net;
Carson.Smith@ncleg.net; Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.net;
Larry.Strickland@ncleg.net;
John.Szoka@ncleg.net; John.Torbett@ncleg.net; Rena.Turner@ncleg.net;
Harry.Warren@ncleg.net; Donna.White@ncleg.net;
Larry.Yarborough@ncleg.net;
Lee.Zachary@ncleg.net

*
Spam filters and the limitations of some
email programs may require you to send this message to a smaller list of
recipients. If necessary in your case, the above email list is
conveniently
split into multiple parts to allow you to easily send this message more
than once—once to each list.

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE
Suggested Subject: “Republicans Must Protect School Children Now”  
Dear Representative,

I’m delighted to have learned of the push to amend S5 (School Safety Omnibus) with the entirety of H216 (School Self-Defense Act).
The uniting of these two bills would be a wonderful development and is
exactly what is required to protect North Carolina’s school children in a
practical and effective manner. I have also been informed that S5 has
been sent back to the Rules Committee, which would allow for a committee
hearing for S5 in the coming days.

With the protection of the children in our state’s schools in
mind, I must insist that one of two things occur:

1) H216, in its entirety, should be heard on the House floor and receive a vote; or

2) SB5 should be heard in the Rules committee, and H216 should subsequently be allowed as an amendment.

Through the work of the Crime Prevention
Research
Center, with respected researcher Dr. John Lott at its helm, we now have
unambiguous, academic studies showing schools that allow teachers and
faculty
to be armed are much, much safer than their gun-free counterparts. There
is just no way around it, allowing adults who are on scene to protect
their
students in a practical, immediate manner is the only way to effectively
save the lives of school children, should the worst occur.

With this in mind, Representative,
whose
side are you on? I know which side I’m on, the side that puts children
under an umbrella of genuine protection, an umbrella provided by the
responsible adults who surround them.

Our state’s school children must be protected. To make this
good and proper sentiment a reality, I insist that you push for the
uniting of H216 and S5, or a full hearing and vote for H216, that you
vote for them in committee (where that may apply), and on the House
floor,
ultimately voting in favor of protecting school children.

I’ve been informed that GRNC will be
tracking votes on the amendment and on the amended bill. Of course, gun
owners will also be watching, but perhaps most importantly, concerned
parents will be watching.

I’ll be monitoring your actions on this matter through alerts from Grass
Roots North Carolina.

Respectively, 
Uncategorized

A Jim Crow Law Loved By NC Sheriffs And The Demanding Moms

June 24, 2019 by

The North Carolina pistol purchase permit is an archaic law that has its roots in segregation. As I’ve written many a time about its history, the law was designed to keep blacks, populists, and union leaders disarmed and at the mercy of the KKK and racist Democrats. It is still supported by the North Carolina Sheriffs Association and the gun prohibitionists.

The permit came to fore again as the NCSA tried to hijack a bill concerning church security to increase the price for a pistol purchase permit and, oh yes, include the “good moral conduct” requirement in our concealed handgun permits. The time for permit to go is long gone by. Why we even have a law on the books that was implicitly meant to discriminate against one race is beyond me.

Grass Roots North Carolina agrees and is saying it is time again to contact your legislators to demand this archaic, racist, and ineffectual law be eliminated. I agree.

A RACIST LAW NEEDS TO END

The
latest round of shenanigans by the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association
and our state legislature leave no doubt that the only proper course of
action
is to put North Carolina’s racist Jim Crow-era pistol purchase
permitting in the trash bin.


Enacted during the Jim
Crow era as a way to prevent African Americans from purchasing handguns,
North Carolina’s pistol purchase permit system has long been sold as a
“public safety measure,” when it is anything but. Not only did it give
sheriffs wide latitude to deny someone the right to purchase a
handgun, but it also creates a dangerous safety loophole that allow
criminals to circumvent point-of-sale background checks.

The right to keep and bear arms can never be subject to the
whims of elected officials, and Grass Roots North Carolina has worked
tirelessly to ensure that the permitting process (like the concealed
handgun permitting process) remains “shall issue” (meaning that a
sheriff can not arbitrarily deny a permit.) The well-funded anti-freedom
movement has worked hard to perpetuate this racism under the auspices
of
“public safety,” and it’s now clear that the North Carolina Sheriffs’
Association pays the same lip service to the second amendment as does
the proliferation of Bloomberg-funded anti-gun astroturf groups.


Here’s the irony: the pistol purchase permits create
a massive loophole for criminals to purchase firearms through legitimate
channels of commerce. A pistol purchase permit is good for 5 years, and
there
is absolutely no mechanism in place through which a permit can be
revoked if the bearer becomes, for instance, a convicted felon. The
permit allows
the purchaser to completely circumvent the NICS FBI background check
normally done at the point of sale.

A
racist law
that makes us less safe … one has to wonder why some politicians and
the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association keep supporting this terrible
legislation. Is it the profit motive for the sheriffs? Is it the mere
desire for control? Do these groups want criminals to get
guns?

Isn’t it time that our politicians and the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association speak up and tell us the
truth?

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IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

  • POINT: Send an email to the Republican members of the NC Senate letting them know exactly how you feel about the
    Pistol Purchase Permit.

  • PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO GRNC: Help us fight gun control while we promote Second Amendment principles. Please CLICK HERE to contribute. Bear in mind that GRNC is an all-volunteer organization, so you can be sure your
    donations are put to the best possible use. Any amount helps, and any amount is appreciated.
CONTACT INFO

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE
Suggested Subject: “Repeal NC’s Racist Jim Crow Pistol Purchase Permit NOW!”  
Dear Senators:
I write this letter to you today to demand that you work to repeal North Carolina’s
racist, Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permitting system.


The pistol
purchase permit system provides
criminals with a dangerous loophole: since there is no mechanism for a
Sheriff to revoke a pistol purchase permit, someone could be convicted
of a
felony and still circumvent the NICS background check with a pistol
purchase permit in hand. Furthermore, we have seen how deeply-pocketed
special
interests like Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun organizations and the North
Carolina Sheriffs’ Association will try to further their elitist agenda
with
the same capriciousness that Jim Crow-era sheriffs used the pistol
purchase permitting process to deny African Americans the right to keep
and
bear arms.

North Carolina is no place
for dangerous, racist legislation like this, and the people of this
state
deserve nothing less than a full repeal of this Jim Crow law.

I will be monitoring your actions on this issue
closely through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina.

Respectfully,
Uncategorized

NC HB216 – School Self-Dense Act

June 12, 2019 by

Rep. Larry Pittman (R-Cabarrus) introduced HB 216 in February of this year. The School Self-Defense Act would create the position of volunteer school faculty guardian. This would apply to either full or part-time faculty and staff who possessed a valid NC Concealed Handgun Permit. The school faculty guardian would also have to take a special 16-hour training class, submit annual certification of marksmanship and of possessing a CHP to the chief administrator of the school system, keep the handgun concealed unless responding to an act of violence, and submit to an annual drug testing. School systems would have the opportunity to opt out of this program.

Grass Roots North Carolina is urging that people contact Republican legislators and urge them to bring this bill forward. Their alert is below.

DEMAND REPUBLICANS
PROTECT NC’S
SCHOOLS


H216 is a bill that will
allow the true protection of schoolchildren…

The anti-gun crowd is content to posthumously praise the
brave souls who throw themselves in front of innocents, or charge wicked
gunmen
in order to save the lives of others. Save lives these courageous people
do, and heroes they are.

Yet, anyone with exceptional sense would be hard-pressed to come up with
a
reason why these heroes must always be unarmed, only to be seriously
injured or killed while carrying out their valiant acts. Why must the
fruitfulness of these acts be so limited?

The answer is simple: political leaders and activist
groups have set it up that way. Those hostile to the Second Amendment
are proud
of having disarmed the good guys by creating “gun free” zones in schools
and elsewhere, leaving adults and the children in their care to
fight psychotic leviathans with staplers and pencils. Well, it doesn’t
have to be this way.

H216: Genuine School Safety

Pro-gun stalwart and GRNC four-star Representative Larry Pittman
(Cabarrus, Rowan), is once again at the forefront of the push for a
practical and appropriate solution to this societal concern.

For the sake of protecting schoolchildren, Rep. Pittman is imploring his Republican
colleagues to advance H216 (School
Self-Defense Act) to once and for all put responsible adults, those nearest to the schoolchildren during daytime hours, in a position to
actually protect those children in a practical and effective manner, should it be necessary.

On a
volunteer basis, H216 would allow educators to carry concealed firearms
to
deter mass killings in schools. It is modeled after a federal program to
arm professional airline pilots as “Federal Flight Deck
Officers.” Have questions? Below are some facts related to this
proposal:

  • 25 states allow schools or districts to give permission to individuals to
    carry guns    :
    Alaska,
    Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky,
    Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, Ohio,
    Rhode
    Island, South Carolina, Texas, New Jersey, New York, Utah, Vermont, and
    West Virginia.
  • At least 14 states allow concealed carry in schools: The states include Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Missouri,
    Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Washington.
  • At
    least 9 states specifically allow school employees to carry guns on school property    : The states include: Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee,
    Texas, and Wyoming.
  • Florida created a school marshal
    system    :
    Florida created a
    $67 million “school marshal” program to arm teachers in classrooms, in
    response to the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High
    School.
  • Arming faculty reduces school
    shootings    :
    A new study
    entitled “Schools that Allow Teachers to Carry Guns Are Extremely Safe:
    Data on the Rate of Shootings and Accidents in Schools that Allow
    Teachers to Carry found that:

    • Zero school
      shootings at schools with armed faculty      : During hours when armed teachers would logically be present, none of the schools with armed faculty experienced
      school shootings.
    • A significant increase in school shootings at schools which do NOT
      allow armed faculty      : Between 2001 and 2018, the number of school
      shootings at schools which did not allow armed faculty more than doubled      .


You Can Help Protect Schoolchildren

Representative Pittman and the other sponsors of H216 need your
help. They want to shepherd H216 through the legislative
process and get down to the serious (and very sensible) business of
actually
protecting children in schools, rather than doing everything under the
bureaucratic sun to stall. Enough blue-ribbon panels, enough useless gun
control proposals.
If
you’re
a parent, you know what parents really want, parents who have real-life
children in real-life schools (and incidentally, parents who
vote). You want your children protected—really protected—Now! Another
“Governor’s Select Committee” isn’t going to cut it.

Below,
see how you can easily contact Republicans in the NC House to demand
that they
stop stalling, and get to the serious business of protecting children in
schools—now! Insist they do whatever is necessary to move H216 through
committee, on to the floor for a vote, so it can move to the NC
Senate.  


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IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

  • EMAIL REPUBLICANS IN THE NC HOUSE: Use the copy/paste email list provided below, and the copy/paste message
    provided under ‘Deliver This Message’ section.


  • PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO GRNC: Help us fight gun control while we promote Second Amendment principles. Please CLICK HERE to contribute. Bear in mind that GRNC is an all-volunteer organization, so you can be sure your
    donations are put to the best possible use. Any amount helps, and any amount is appreciated.
*NC House
Republicans Copy/Paste Email List(s):
Dean.Arp@ncleg.net; Lisa.Barnes@ncleg.net; John.Bell@ncleg.net;
Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net; Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net;
William.Brisson@ncleg.net;
Mark.Brody@ncleg.net; Dana.Bumgardner@ncleg.net; Jerry.Carter@ncleg.net;
Debra.Conrad@ncleg.net; Kevin.Corbin@ncleg.net; Ted.Davis@ncleg.net;
Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net; Josh.Dobson@ncleg.net; Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.net;
John.Faircloth@ncleg.net; John.Fraley@ncleg.net;
Edward.Goodwin@ncleg.net;
Holly.Grange@ncleg.net; Destin.Hall@ncleg.net; Kyle.Hall@ncleg.net;

Bobby.Hanig@ncleg.net;
Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net; Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net;
Cody.Henson@ncleg.net;
Craig.Horn@ncleg.net; Julia.Howard@ncleg.net; Chris.Humphrey@ncleg.net;
Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net; Frank.Iler@ncleg.net; Steve.Jarvis@ncleg.net;
LindaP.Johnson@ncleg.net; Brenden.Jones@ncleg.net;
Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.net; David.Lewis@ncleg.net; Pat.McElraft@ncleg.net;
Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net;
Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net; Tim.Moore@ncleg.net; Gregory.Murphy@ncleg.net; 
Larry.Potts@ncleg.net; Michele.Presnell@ncleg.net; 

Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.net;
David.Rogers@ncleg.net; Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net; Jason.Saine@ncleg.net;
Wayne.Sasser@ncleg.net; John.Sauls@ncleg.net; Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net;
Phil.Shepard@ncleg.net; Carson.Smith@ncleg.net; Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.net;
Larry.Strickland@ncleg.net; John.Szoka@ncleg.net;
John.Torbett@ncleg.net;
Rena.Turner@ncleg.net; Harry.Warren@ncleg.net; Donna.White@ncleg.net;
Larry.Yarborough@ncleg.net; Lee.Zachary@ncleg.net

*
Limitations of
certain email programs and spam filters may require you to send this
message to smaller lists. If that is necessary, the above email list is
conveniently split into three parts to allow you to easily send this
message three times—once to each list.

DELIVER THIS
MESSAGE
Suggested Subject: “Enough is enough. Pass H216 to
Protect Schoolchildren”  
Dear Representative:

I am writing today to make it clear
that I’ve had it “up to here” with blue-ribbon panels,
governor’s select committees, and useless gun control proposals. Every
second that ticks by is another second that schoolchildren in North
Carolina are not protected in any effective manner from mass shooters.
You have the power to change that, and I demand that you do.

Right now, H216 (the School
Self-Defense
Act) is in a position to receive a committee hearing and then move to
the floor for an up-or-down vote. This bill would allow educators to
carry
concealed firearms to deter mass killings in schools, and is modeled
after a federal program to arm professional airline pilots as “Federal
Flight Deck Officers.” Below is some information that greatly
strengthens the case for H216:

–
25 states allow schools or districts to give permission to individuals
to
carry guns.
– At least 14 states allow concealed carry in schools.

– At least 9 states specifically
allow school employees to carry guns on school property.

– Florida created a school marshal system in response to the mass shooting at
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
– Arming faculty reduces school shootings. Note
there have been zero school shootings at
schools with armed faculty. During hours when armed teachers would logically be present, none of the schools with armed faculty experienced school shootings. There is a significant increase in school
shootings at schools which do NOT allow
armed faculty. Between 2001 and 2018, the number of school shootings at schools which did not allow armed faculty more than doubled.

The Republican Party still holds a majority in the
General Assembly and the excuses are wearing thin. I demand that you do
whatever it takes to shepherd H216 through the legislative process.
Unfortunately, there is always a lingering possibility of a school
shooting. With that in mind, I insist that you do everything you can to
make it
possible for teachers to protect the children under their care.

I will be monitoring your actions
on this matter through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina.

Respectfully, 
Uncategorized

Asheville Gun Show Needs Volunteers

May 3, 2019 by

Grass Roots North Carolina issued this alert on Wednesday and I’m late putting it up. If you live in Western North Carolina or will be visiting the weekend of May 11th and 12th, you should come to the Asheville Gun Show. If you could donate a couple hours of your time to help work the GRNC booth, I know a guy who get you into the show for free.

Go to a decent gun show, help out gun rights, save some money on admission. It works.

ASHEVILLE GUN SHOW
NEEDS
VOLUNTEERS


Volunteers are needed to help man the
GRNC table at the upcoming Asheville
Gun & Knife Show, in Asheville, on May 11 and 12, 2019. The show will be held at WNC Agricultural Center, located at
1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher,
NC, 28732.

Help
defend Second Amendment freedom and join GRNC in expanding North Carolina gun rights!

Potential
Volunteers should contact John Richardson at 828-768-3520 or by email at
jpr9954@gmail.com.
Uncategorized

A Dating Partner Of The Respondent?

April 3, 2019 by 1 Comment

The proposed red flag for North Carolina, HB 454, includes in its definition of “family or household member” as someone you are dating. Thus, someone you go out with on a blind date would be eligible to seek an “Extreme Risk Protection Order” which would order the police to take all your firearms. They could do this electronically, with no court costs, and, if they possessed a valid “Address Confidentiality Program” authorization card, could keep their address secret.

Do we really need the modern day equivalent of the Star Chamber?

I say no and so does Grass Roots North Carolina which issued the following alert:

GO ON A DATE, LOSE YOUR GUNS












Like everyone else, Gun Owners have the Constitutional right to due
process and the presumption of innocence. House Bill 454 would change all of that, allowing anyone in an ever-expanding circle
of people, including a ‘dating partner,’ to decide you are ‘imminently dangerous’ and direct the authorities to confiscate
your guns.

H454 doesn’t
define ‘dating partner,’ ‘imminent’ or what makes someone a ‘danger to themselves or
others’.  But keep in mind that those who would deny your Second Amendment rights often consider any gun
owner to be
‘dangerous,’ and they would be able to force the confiscation of your
guns without your foreknowledge (through an ex parte hearing).


So let’s say you go on a casual
outing with someone who knows you have guns, and they decide to
“report”  you, for revenge, out of spite or whatever (due to unrequited
interest, for example). They can honestly claim to be a
‘dating partner,’ a term entirely undefined by H454, and have your
property confiscated at the point of a gun.

On top of all of this, the authorities can charge you
a storage fee for keeping your guns and ammunition. They take your guns against your will and in violation of your rights, and you get to
pay for the privilege! Nothing in the
proposed law would stop the authorities from test firing your guns for a
ballistics database to see if they were used in a crime, or doing
anything else with them for that matter. While you may have to undergo a
‘mental health’ or ‘chemical dependency’ evaluation to keep what you
already own, your accuser has the option of staying anonymous under the
‘Address  Confidentiality  Program’. How nice for the accuser who will never have to confront you in court, in blatant
violation of the 6th Amendment.

Laws
already exist for
Involuntary Civil Commitment, and these provide due process, but
apparently, these aren’t good enough for the gun grabbers. In addition
to
being unconstitutional, clearly this new form of government overreach
isn’t effective, as research shows that these new laws
do not work as advertised.

Please Contribute to GRNC-PVF

It’s going
to be a busy year in the world of freedom-fighting. At the same, time
multiple special elections approach, House and Senate bills, both good
and bad, are being filed in the General Assembly. Funds and volunteers
are
already stretched thin, and we’re still climbing toward peak activity.
Now more than ever, this all-volunteer organization needs your support.
Anything you could spare will help GRNC-PVF and would be greatly
appreciated, and let’s face it, with all that’s coming our
way, donations are nothing less than an investment in the future of gun freedom in our state. Please CLICK
HERE to donate to GRNC-PVF. 



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IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

  • EMAIL BOTH PARTY’S LEADERS IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
    Below, find the copy/paste contact
    information you need to tell the party leadership that this
    unconstitutional gun control bill must not receive a hearing. Use the
    copy/paste text
    provided under the ‘Deliver This Message’ section.


  • PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO GRNC-PVF: Help us fight gun control while we promote Second Amendment principles.
    Please CLICK
    HERE     to contribute. Bear in mind that GRNC is an all-volunteer organization, so you can be sure your donations are put to the best
    possible use. Any amount helps, and any amount is appreciated.
NC General Assembly
Leadership copy/paste email list:
Tim.Moore@ncleg.net;
Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.net; John.Bell@ncleg.net; Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net;
Darren.Jackson@ncleg.net; Cynthia.Ball@ncleg.net; Deb.Butler@ncleg.net;
Carla.Cunningham@ncleg.net; Garland.Pierce@ncleg.net;
Amos.Quick@ncleg.net;
Phil.Berger@ncleg.net; Harry.Brown@ncleg.net; Dan.Blue@ncleg.net;
Jay.Chaudhuri@ncleg.net; Rick.Gunn@ncleg.net; Jerry.Tillman@ncleg.net;
Ted.Davis@ncleg.net; David.Lewis@ncleg.net

DELIVER THIS
MESSAGE
Suggested Subject: “Stop H454,
the Gun Confiscation Bill“
Dear Republican Leader:

I
am writing today because I am outraged
over H454’s attempted erosion of Constitutional liberties, in
particular, the right to due process.  With just the word of a ‘dating
partner’ (an undefined term), someone’s firearms can be forcibly
confiscated by law enforcement. This confiscation would be based on
‘dangerous behavior,’ another term that the bill doesn’t define.



Those
who are hostile to the Second Amendment often (and
absurdly) consider gun owners dangerous by their mere existence.
Considering that, and the fact that anyone, out of spite or revenge,
would be
able to have a citizen’s guns forcibly taken from him or her, these
constitutionally abhorrent orders will, in essence, legally codify the
practice of
‘SWAT-ing’ anyone who owns or is believed to own a gun.

For these reasons, I’m insisting that you take whatever legislative steps necessary to halt this freedom denying measure.

Do
the right thing:
use your position to take active steps to make sure this ominous gun
control bill will never have a hearing, and never receive a vote. I will
be
closely monitoring your actions regarding this gun control bill through
alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina.

Respectfully,

I think Black Rifle Coffee has captured the type of “dating partner” who might file for a ERPO if they knew you possessed a firearm in the video below. Yes, it is a spoof but the reality is that there are men and women like that out in society.

Uncategorized

Town Hall In Charlotte On Wednesday

April 1, 2019 by

Spectrum News is holding a town hall in Charlotte this coming Wednesday, April 3rd, to view a documentary entitled “Gun Violence and Gun Control in the Carolinas”. This will be followed by a discussion period with those attending the town hall. I think you can reasonably expect the gun prohibitionist lobby to be there in full force wearing their Bloomberg-provided red shirts.

Grass Roots North Carolina is reaching out to those who can be in Charlotte on Wednesday evening to attend. If you live in Charlotte, a surrounding county, or even in South Carolina, and you value your constitutional rights, it would be useful to attend.

GRNC released this alert on the event:

Attend Town Hall Mtg with GRNC’s President

ATTEND THE TOWN HALL MEETING!

Spectrum News is airing a
documentary on the “state of gun violence and gun control in the
Carolinas,” then hosting a town hall meeting immediately afterward…


Join GRNC’s President at a Town Hall 
F.
Paul Valone, GRNC’s President, will be one of the few (if not the only)
pro-gun-rights member of the panel at Spectrum’s town hall discussion.
Fortunately, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions
of the panel. That’s where you come in. The gun rights
community needs you to be there to ask reasonable questions, those that
will not get asked if only the anti-gun crowd is in attendance.

Help End the Echo Chamber
If
you are in the Charlotte area (or can be) on Wednesday, April 3rd, at
7:30 pm, please join Paul Valone along with other GRNC supporters to
help make sure this town hall meeting is conducted in a fair-minded
fashion, and therefore, actually has a chance to be productive, and not
just an echo chamber for the anti-gun crowd.

Below you’ll find
details about the town hall meeting. Your attendance is needed, so
please do join us. If you are indeed going to be there, please email
GRNC’s Director of Development to let us know:  directorofdevelopment@grnc.org. 


IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

 

  • ATTEND THE SPECTRUM NEWS TOWN HALL MEETING ON GUN VIOLENCE/GUN CONTROL: 

    This
    Wednesday, April 3rd, this town hall meeting will immediately follow
    the 8:00 pm documentary on “Gun Violence and Gun Control in the
    Carolinas.” It’s best
    if you arrive in time to watch the documentary so you can secure a seat,
    and the program will surely offer context for the discussion. Arrive by
    7:30 if you can    .

    You ought to have the
    opportunity to ask questions of the panel. GRNC can provide you with
    appropriate questions, those that will mesh with the specifics discussed
    in the documentary, and particular topics to be discussed by the
    panel.

    Spectrum News has stated that they would like to “shine a
    light on feasible ways to prevent gun violence without infringing on
    Second Amendment rights or interfering with law-abiding citizens or
    hunters who would never use a gun to commit a crime.”

    The address for the meeting is below. If you can attend, please inform GRNC’s Director of Development as soon as possible so we know you’re coming. This will make it easier for us to touch base with you before or at the meeting. Use this email address: directorofdevelopment@grnc.org 

MEETING LOCATION:  Spectrum News Studios
316 East Morehead Street
Charlotte, NC  28202 
MEETING DATE/TIME: Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Please arrive by 7:30 pm 
Documentary at 8:00 pm
Town Hall immediately follows
TIPS:
 Email GRNC ahead of time (as soon as you can) to let us know you’re going to attend: directorofdevelopment@grnc.org. If you’d like, GRNC can provide you with questions to ask the panel.
Arrive early (7:30 or earlier) to allow for parking and to make sure you get a seat. 
Please dress for the press. Kindly dress professionally, with no inflammatory slogans or symbols on clothing.
Uncategorized

Give Thom A Call This Morning

March 18, 2019 by 1 Comment

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) has been equivocating on red flag laws in his letters to constituents (like me!). Tillis is also a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee which is holding hearings on red flag laws. Now is the time to send Thom a message regarding red flag law. Grass Roots North Carolina is asking for people to give his office a call this morning to let him know this ain’t OK.

Tillis, by the way, is up for reelection in 2020 so he is in that part of his term where he needs to play politician 100% of the time. We need to use that to our advantage.

From the GRNC alert:

STOP ‘RED FLAG’ LAWS:
CALL THOM TILLIS
On
Friday night, GRNC alerted supporters to the fact that US Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC)
looks to be capitulating to his
anti-gun colleagues in Washington. Tillis has telegraphed his support
for “Extreme Risk Protection Orders” (or “Red Flag” laws) by
supporting S. 7. This
bill would allow
the word of an accuser, voicing “concerns,” to strip a citizen of
several of the Constitutional protections guaranteed by the Bill of
Rights—without due process. Yet, in Senator Tillis’ recent
correspondence with concerned constituents, he did not address any
of the glaring and very serious problems with S. 7. Telling the “whole”
truth is to tell the truth. Omitting critical details on such an
important matter is, well… something else. This does not inspire voter
confidence in Tillis’ resolve to support the Bill of Rights.

Unfortunately, it looks like the
Judiciary Committee, of which Tillis is a member, will conduct a hearing on S. 7 on March 26. Human rights are non-negotiable, and
therefore, Tillis must not vote for this bill—but he seems poised to.

As part of
Friday’s alert, we asked gun owners and other supporters of the Bill of
Rights
to phone Thom Tillis’ DC office on Monday morning
(3/18/2019), and this alert is a friendly
reminder to do just that. Below, in the Immediate Action section, find
details on how to reach Tillis and demand that he stand for the 2nd,
4th, 5th
and 6th Amendments, not against them. 

To read more about “Red Flag” laws, and Thom Tillis’
willingness, to cozy up to them as a member of the powerful Senate
Judiciary Committee, click to read Friday’s
alert, and/or click to read a previous alert on
the topic.

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IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

  • PHONE SENATOR THOM TILLIS: On
    Monday morning     (3/18/2019), please phone Thom Tillis’s DC office at this number: (202) 224-6342.
    If you
    can’t call in the morning, please call as soon as you can after that.
    Deliver the following message to Tillis’ staff or his voice-mail.
     
Hello,
I am calling about the senator’s recent correspondence on the topic of
Senate Bill 7, “Extreme Risk Protection Orders,” sometimes called, “red
flag” laws. In this correspondence, he conspicuously
failed to address the severe Constitutional problems with red flag laws;
the establishment of ex parte hearings is just one of many examples. In
fact,
these laws threaten Second, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendment
protections—at least.

I am quite
troubled by Senator Tillis’ effort to dance around the major problems
with red flag laws and I expect him to be more candid, indeed more
honest, with me in the future. As a North Carolina voter and a gun
owner, I also
expect the senator to live up to his oath of office, to the Republican
Party’s platform, to the pro-Second Amendment statement on his own
website, and to do everything in his power to defeat this revolting,
un-American bill, and any other bill like it. Thank
you.
Uncategorized

NC Bill Allowing For Armed Teachers Makes Fox News

March 12, 2019 by

NC Senate Bill 192, the School Security Act of 2019, was introduced in the General Assembly last week. It would allow for teachers who have completed the Basic Law Enforcement Training program to become “teacher resource officers”. They would get a bonus for serving as a teacher resource officer in addition to their normal teaching duties.

As the gun prohibitionists like to say about any gun control bill, “It’s a good first step.” However, in this case it is the first step in allowing some teachers to be armed in an effort to protect students. The BLET requirement is overboard in that it requires the teacher resource officer to be trained in many things that would be extraneous to actually protecting students. For example, there would be no need for a teacher resource officer to know anything about motor vehicle laws, law enforcement driver training, or traffic crash investigation. That said, it gets our foot in the door.

Retired NC teacher and USMC veteran Jean Fitzsimmons was interviewed on Fox and Friends First regarding arming teachers. Here is what he had to say. Kudos to him to him for getting up that early in the morning and for the mention of Grass Roots North Carolina.

Watch the latest video at foxnews.com

Uncategorized

GRNC Alert On US Senate Gun Control Hearings

March 11, 2019 by

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) who suddenly grew a spine during the Kavanaugh hearings may be backsliding a bit. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee he plans to hold hearings on gun control including on red flag laws. The Brady Campaign is crowing about it in an email and set up a special alert so as to pack the hearing room.

Grass Roots North Carolina took notice of the hearing a bit earlier and sent out their own alert. This is one that readers from anywhere can use to contact Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee. If you are from a state where one of your senators is a member of the committee, make sure to use their email contact form. Just modify the one GRNC composed to be sent to Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC).

From GRNC:

THE GOP THREATENS A
GUN CONFISCATION
SCHEME
Is the old Lindsay back? According to US Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC), so-called “red flag” laws are an area where
Republicans may just reach across the aisle…


As you review the details below, please keep a few things in mind:
  • “Red Flag Law” and “Extreme Risk Protection
    Order” are simply euphemisms for the unlawful suspension of a person’s constitutional rights, absent any due process    , based
    solely on hearsay from an accuser who has neither witnessed a crime, nor been victimized by one.     

  • The US House is currently held by Nancy Pelosi’s extremely anti-gun party. This means the Senate may be the
    only reliable road block to extremist gun control bills. Yet, we now see influential Republican senators suggesting they just might send a
    “red flag” bill to Speaker Pelosi for her party’s rubber stamp    .

  • If it can pass the Senate, it’ll breeze through the House, and then it’s on to the
    President, who unfortunately, seems
    open     to unconstitutional ‘red flag’ laws    , and who gets along great with Lindsay Graham.

This is Serious

Wednesday,
speaking on CNN as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee,
Senator Graham confirmed that the powerful
committee will hold a hearing on gun control. The hearing is expected to
cover “extreme risk protection” orders (“red flag”
laws). Gun control is a topic usually shunned by members of the
Republican held senate, and rightfully so. This is why their sudden
interest in a gun
control hearing is an ominous sign. 


Click here to read the CNN story, a
story that quotes Senator Graham (emphasis ours):

“I think there’s a lot of common ground

[with Democrats] on enrolling people in
the background system who
are a
danger to themselves or others.”
It’s probably safe to assume that you
don’t want to be “enrolled” in anything concocted by Lindsay Graham and approved by Nancy
Pelosi, especially when it comes to infringements on your Constitutionally guaranteed rights.

The CNN Story goes on:

Graham, a supporter and strong ally of President Trump also says he has spoken with the President about it.

(See the last bullet point,
above).
Say NO to Ending
American Due Process

It is critical that
each of us contact the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Particularly North Carolina’s own, Senator Thom Tillis. Below,
see how you can reach each member, starting with Senator Tillis, and let them know that you expect them to stand for due process, for
gun rights, and against “red flag” laws. 

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IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

  • SEND AN EMAIL MESSAGE TO US SENATOR THOM TILLIS
    (R-NC)    : Tillis is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Use the link provided below, under ‘Contact Info,’ to
    visit his Senate contact form. Use the copy/paste message provided below, under ‘Deliver This
    Message    .’   

  • PHONE ALL SENATE JUDICIARY REPUBLICANS: Use the phone numbers provided below. Tell them you
    are calling about the Judiciary Committee’s upcoming gun control hearing (March 26), and make the following points:

    • “Red
      flag” or “extreme risk
      protection” laws are a blatant violation of the due-process rights
      guaranteed to each citizen by the Constitution, not to mention a
      violation
      of Second Amendment rights themselves.      ”
    • The Senator surely knows that the term “red flag law” is simply a euphemism for the unlawful suspension of Constitutional
      rights, and the suspension of these rights is based on hearsay from someone who was neither a witness to, nor a victim of, a
      crime.
    • Supporting this type of legislation would be a violation of the senator’s oath of office and would
      be a severe breach of the trust the senator has earned from the voters. 
    • No American lawmaker could support this sort of law and still
      claim to be a supporter and protector of the Bill of Rights. Therefore, I demand that the senator lend
      precisely zero support to any gun control legislation, particularly “red flag” bills.




  • PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO
    GRNC    : Help us fight gun control while we promote Second Amendment principles. Please CLICK HERE to contribute. Bear in mind that GRNC is an all-volunteer organization, so you can be sure your
    donations are put to the best possible use. Any amount helps, and any amount is appreciated.
Republicans on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee: 
Committee Member Contact Info
Sen. Thom Tillis (NC)

(Please phone & email Sen. Tillis. Copy/paste text below.)
 (202) 224-6342
web contact form
(email): 
www.tillis.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me
Sen. Lindsay Graham (SC) (Chairman) (202) 224-5972
n. Chuck Grassley (IA) (202) 224-3744
Sen. John Cornyn (TX) (202) 224-2934
Sen. Mike Lee (UT) (202) 224-5444
Sen. Ted Cruz (TX) (202) 224-5922
Sen. Ben Sasse (NE) (202) 224-4224
Sen. Joshua Hawley (MO) (202) 224-6154
Sen. Joni Ernst (IA) (202) 224-3254
Sen. Mike Crapo (ID) (202) 224-6142
Sen. John Kennedy (LA) (202) 224-4623
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (TN) (202) 224-3344

DELIVER THIS
MESSAGE
Suggested Subject: “NO to Unconstitutional ‘Red
Flag’ Laws!”  
Dear Senator Tillis:

It has come my attention that the Senate
Judiciary Committee intends to hold a gun control hearing on or around
March
26. I also understand that the committee chairman has expressed a
willingness to work with Democrats on gun control, specifically
so-called “red
flag” laws.

“Red flag” or “extreme risk protection” laws are a blatant violation of
the due-process rights guaranteed to each citizen by
the Constitution, not to mention a violation of Second Amendment rights
themselves. Because of this, supporting this type of legislation would
be a
violation of your oath of office and would be a severe breach of the
trust you’ve earned from the voters you serve. 

You know as well as I that “red flag
law” is simply a euphemism for the unlawful suspension of (several)
Constitutional rights. The suspension of these rights is based on
hearsay
from someone who was neither a witness to, nor a victim of, a crime. No
American lawmaker could support this sort of law and still claim to be a
supporter and protector of the Bill of Rights.

Therefore, I demand that you lend precisely zero
support to any gun control legislation, particularly “red flag”
bills. Rather, I expect you to speak against “red flag” laws, exposing
them for what they are.

I will be monitoring your actions on this
matter through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina.

Respectfully, 
Uncategorized

Last Chance For Constitutional Carry In NC

November 28, 2018 by

Permitless concealed carry passed the North Carolina House of Representatives over a year ago. Since then it has been bottled up in the State Senate and has not gotten a hearing nor a vote. Now that the Republicans have lost their supermajority in the General Assembly, any action on permitless concealed carry has to happen now. There is not a chance in hell that Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) won’t veto it and there is also no way for it to get passed without the Republicans sticking together and overriding that veto.

Grass Roots North Carolina is asking North Carolinians to contact Senate President Phil Berger and demand that a vote be taken. Their alert is below:

PERMITLESS CONCEALED CARRY

CAN HAPPEN—RIGHT NOW
There is a season for everything. A time to pass HB-746, while a Governor’s veto can still be overridden, is upon us. . . 

Senate Leadership’s Past Inaction
In recent months, North Carolina’s Republican senate leadership disappointed us with their inaction. Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger’s ostensibly pro-Second Amendment party had the numbers necessary to override a governor’s veto. To pass HB-746 (Permitless Concealed Carry and more), the NC Senate certainly had the support of the people. In fact, North Carolina gun owners, and other pro-civil rights citizens, were not only supportive of the bill, they downright demanded it. Yet, Senator Berger and Senate Rules Committee Chair, Senator Bill Rabon, didn’t deliver. They decided not to shepherd this excellent pro-gun bill through the NC Senate (it has already passed the NC House).

The Future Looks Freer
Fortunately, today is a new day—the past is the past. Rather than lamenting Senator Berger’s and Rabon’s past missteps, it’s time we offer solutions for a brighter future, and we at GRNC see Permitless Concealed Carry headed this way.

At this point in time, until January, Republicans still maintain a veto-proof majority in the NC Senate, just as they do in the NC House. Any perceived impediments to making HB-746 the law in our state are just that: perceived—but not real. At this moment, no obstruction is solid, and none can stand in the way of HB-746. Only Republican leaders themselves can stop it. Of course, the clock is ticking…
Senators Berger and Rabon must act
now to make this happen

Preparing for Future Victories
Should Senator Berger, Rabon and other senate leaders once again fail to act, it would only be another demonstration of the behavior that caused the loss of their veto-proof majorities (starting in January). Becoming squishy on gun rights, inaction and half-measures—these are the things that cause voters to sit home on Election Day, and this surely influenced the lackluster election results. Bold action, adhering to campaign rhetoric, and sweeping advances of the people’s rights—these are the things that victories are made of, and we can only hope that Senator Berger and others have learned this lesson, and have already started preparing for future victories. (Hint: passing HB-746 would be a good start). 

Demand the NC Senate Pass HB-746
Below, you’ll find information about how you can urge senate leader Phil Berger to act fast, pass HB-746 and then override the governor’s likely veto.  There is no reason this can’t be done, and it absolutely should be.

The only politicians who can stop
HB-746 are NC Senate Republicans  
 
 
Immediate Action Required!
  • PHONE NC SENATE PRO TEM PHIL BERGER: Use this number, (919) 733-5708, and the short text provided below to leave a message with staff (or on voice-mail). Suggested phone message:
 
Hello, my name is ____________, and I am calling to insist that Senator Berger utilize the veto-proof majority that Republicans still maintain in order to pass the omnibus gun bill, HB-746, and then override the governor’s likely veto. In the recent past, senate leadership disappointed voters on this bill, and on gun rights in general. However, Mr. Berger and other leaders now have a golden opportunity to make up for this and stand for gun rights. Of course, the clock is ticking on the supermajorities, so please tell Mr. Berger to act now, pass HB-746, and override the Governor’s likely veto. Thank you.

  • EMAIL NC SENATE PRO TEM PHIL BERGER: Use the email address and the copy/paste text provided below, under ‘Deliver This Message,’ to send a strong message about advancing our civil rights at every possible turn.
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE
Email to: Phil.Berger@ncleg.net
Suggested Subject: “Pass HB-746 While You Still Can”  
Dear Senator Berger

I am writing to insist that you utilize the veto-proof majority that Republicans still maintain in order to pass the omnibus gun bill, HB-746, and then override the governor’s likely veto.

In the recent past, senate leadership disappointed voters on this bill, and on gun rights in general. However, you and other leaders now have a golden opportunity to make up for this past disappointment and stand for gun rights. At this point, there is nothing to lose, and any perceived impediments to making HB-746 the law in our state are just that: perceived—but not real.

Of course, the clock is ticking on the Republican supermajorities, so please act now, pass HB-746, and override the Governor’s likely veto.

I will be monitoring your actions on this matter through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina.  

Respectfully,