by In honor of the White House’s claim of executive privilege, Sean Sorrentino is bringing back his Gunwalker T-shirts. You can go here to order them.
I have my shirt as does the Complementary Spouse. Shouldn’t you have one, too?
Sean Sorrentino
Twitter Push For HB 111 – You Can Help!
Sean Sorrentino of An NC Gun blog has set up a quick and easy way to send Tweets to both the NC Senate Republicans and NC Senate Democrats. All you have to do is click on it, put in your Twitter log-in, and it will post a Tweet to them.
We really need to pass this and everyone can help regardless of whether you live in the Tar Heel State or not. If you have a Twitter account, you are good to go.
Sean’s post with the link is here. Now let’s go flood their Twitter feeds!
GRNC On Restaurant Carry In North Carolina
As I said in my update on HB 111, Sean Sorrentino at An NC Gun blog has done a great job going over the details of the committee substitute to HB 111 which deals with, among other things, concealed carry in restaurants and eating establishments.
Grass Roots North Carolina has more on the bill as well as some info from the hearing yesterday. From their email alert:
HB 111 is unanimously approved, but moved to another committee…
There were a few modifications made, some good, some not so good, but if enacted our main goal of concealed carry in restaurants that serve alcohol will be achieved!
Additional restrictions to and penalties for weapons possession by felons have been added, along with clarification of park areas wherein carry is permitted.
The modified park language will improve statewide uniformity that has been cynically attacked by several municipalities following enactment of last year’s HB 650.
Improvements include carry specifically allowed on bike paths and walking trails. Disappointing exclusion of carry within certain restroom/dressing/storage facilities has now been added.
If voted into law, restaurant carry becomes effective Jan 1, 2013.
GRNC Volunteers Attend Judiciary II Meeting
A newer member of GRNC’s Assembly watch-dog team, Josette Chmiel gave important testimony in favor of HB 111. Her testimony was so compelling it has been quoted in the News & Observer’s coverage of the meeting. Josette’s powerful words flipped the votes of at least two Senators who, just prior to the meeting, had pledged opposition. As a result, the bill was unanimously passed. Here is brief excerpt of Josette’s testimony:
“Not everyone who frequents a bar or restaurant drinks. I regularly enjoy going out with friends to restaurants that serve alcohol. When I leave that restaurant & walk to the parking garage, I automatically become a potential victim. Look at me. I am your wife, your daughter, your fiancé. And I can be a victim of a crime and not be able to defend myself because I was not permitted to carry in the restaurant. Every time I leave a bar or restaurant, I put myself at risk.”
If you meet Josette, thank her for a job well done!
Turfed to another committee?
Although in our grasp, victory remains uncertain. For reasons we are not yet sure of, HB 111 was routed to yet another committee rather than immediately to the Senate floor where we are confident we have the votes to pass it.
We will have more information about the reasons for this routing and their implications soon. Additional pressure may need to be applied to move this bill the floor for the vote IT DESERVES!
Grass Roots North Carolina Refutes The NY Times Hit Piece On NC CHP Holders
Michael Luo of the New York Times wrote an article that claimed more than 2,400 people holding Concealed Handgun Permits from the State of North Carolina had criminal convictions. He says he came up with this number by comparing the names on the state’s database of CHP holders with criminal records.
Sean Sorrentino of An NC Gun Blog started an email dialog with Luo. If you have been reading Sean’s blog for any amount of time, you know he has been tracking the growth of concealed handgun permits in North Carolina and he has been following the background of those arrested for criminal misuse of firearms. As such, he has as good a feel for this as anyone and Luo’s article struck him as wrong. So he contacted Luo and asked for the data.
After much back and forth, Luo told Sean he’d give the data to either a legislator or to NC law enforcement officials. This was the opening Sean was looking for and he contacted Paul Valone of GRNC seeking a friendly legislator to call Luo’s bluff. The bluff was called with the result you’d expect.
So what do you say to an author who refuses a State legislator the data needed to do his job? When that legislator asked for the data, with a mind to crafting new and better legislation along with demanding answers from the State Bureau of Investigation, Luo refused.
Paul Valone, President of GRNC, has now responded to Luo’s accusations with a point by point rebuttal. Somehow I doubt the “paper of making it up” as SayUncle calls it will respond. They are good about making claims about gun owners but not so good about making corrections.
State Of The Union And The Use Of Social Media
Sean Sorrentino at An NC Gun Blog has come up with a great idea to put some pressure on the Obama Administration over Project Gunwalker.
Senior administration officials will be answering questions submitted on Twitter and other social media. Sean has pre-written Tweets with some pointed questions about Operation Fast and Furious.
Go here to find out more.
– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:State Of The Union And The Power Of Social Media
A Candlelight Vigil? This Is Big News?
The Brady Campaign’s eagerly awaited announcement of what they plan for January 8th is….a candlelight vigil? Could they come come up with something any more lame and trite as this?
Brady Campaign Acting President Dennis Henigan announces a nationwide tribute to loved ones killed with guns. On January 8, 2012, the one-year anniversary of the Tucson shootings that killed six people and injured 13 others including a U.S. Congresswoman, people all across the country will gather for candlelight vigils honoring loved ones lost to gun violence. This intense spotlight on the human toll of gun violence is only the first step in mobilizing Americans to demand change.
As usual, the Brady Campaign is up to their old tactic of censoring dissenting voices. Sean Sorrentino of An NC Gun Blog left a polite message on their Facebook page which has disappeared. They are claiming he has removed his message. Having just spoken to Sean that is incorrect. He didn’t remove it, they did and then went on to block him from being able to comment on their page. Maybe they should just cover their eyes and ears and start singing nursery rhymes as it would be about as effective.
Bitter at Shall Not Be Questioned is as nonplussed about the announcement as the rest of us. I like her final comment on it.
Perhaps the candles will also inject some personality into Dennis Henigan as he reads his script. The candles might also buy them some new audio equipment. If candles can stop bullets, then they can do anything in this season of holiday miracles, right?
UPDATE: As I expected, my post on their Facebook page pointing out that Sean had not deleted his post but it was done by their moderator has vanished into cyberspace. You have to wonder about the strength of their beliefs if opposing opinions are such a threat to them.
GRNC Alert For Garner, NC
The Town of Garner (North Carolina) is holding a meeting this coming Tuesday to discuss amending their local park ordinance to comply with HB 650. Grass Roots North Carolina believes that they will do the bare minimum possible and will attempt to make it as restrictive as the new law allows. Because of this, they have sent out this alert. Sean Sorrentino of An NC Gun Blog and a resident of Garner is heading up the efforts there.
Garner Anti-Self Defense Ordinance
As we have noted recently, the town of Garner is currently considering the issue of their local park ordinances in light of HB 650 which will go into effect on Dec. 1. Recent communications with council members indicate that they intend to offer up the bare minimum mandated by the new law. Meaning they plan to post in the few areas they are allowed to under a weakening amendment which GRNC fought to strip from the law. This allows them to post “recreation” areas. Communications with Council Member Buck Kennedy takes a tone that he believes they are doing you a favor by extending the carry areas as they are required by the new law.
Kennedy seemed unmoved when a constituent asked him to consider the following scenario:
You will say, “well, parents could just sit outside the immediate playground area and be within the law.” I can just see it. “Sorry little Johnnie, Daddy can’t push you on the swing because he would face 6 months and a $500 fine if he did.” Or maybe “Oh, little Julie, I’m sorry you fell off the slide and broke your leg, but Mommy can’t come hold your hand over there until the ambulance comes because she’d go to jail. Drag yourself onto the other side of this sign so I can help you.”
There is also to consider the recent attempted kidnapping of a 3-year old from a Charlotte park. It would be revealed afterward that the criminal in this case had been arrested 102 times. The child’s mother was forced to wrestle the man to the ground in order save her son from an uncertain fate. Her gutsy actions resulted in the man’s 103rd arrest… and that is just in Mecklenburg County. Should a mother be forced to physically grapple with a male felon who has spent time in jail and could well be: 1) physically larger and stronger; 2) armed with a gun or knife; 3) drugged; 4) diseased from his time in prison and habitual drug use? All this to make those with an unreasonable fear of weapons in the hands of the law abiding feel better? Is this reasonable?
The Council of Garner may feel that the bare minimum is good enough but, gun owners want more than the bare minimum. Now it is up to you to attend the meeting and let them know this.
You will need to attend their next meeting on Tuesday, November 22. Contact Sean Sorrentino, who will be coordinating our efforts in Garner at sean@seansorrentino.com for more information.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED:
Contact
You may email or call the following people and let them know in a respectful manner that you wish them to permit more than the minimum that they are legally required to:
Mayor Ronnie S. Williams – 919-773-4404; rwilliams@garnernc.gov
Mayor Protem Kathy Behringer – 919-772-3515; kbehringer@garnernc.gov
Council Member Ken Marshburn – 919-662-0902; kmarshburn@garnernc.gov
Council Member Jackie Johns, Sr. – 919-772-0929; jjohns@garnernc.gov
Council Member Gra Singleton – 919-772-0924; grantraceysingleton@earthlink.net
Council Member Buck Kennedy – 919-624-3696; bkennedy@garnernc.govAttend the Meeting
All citizens of Garner MUST ATTEND the meeting on November 22 at Garner Town Hall, Building B in the Council Meeting Room.
Bring polite but pointed signs with the themes that
- Concealed handgun permit-holders have proven themselves responsible; and…
- People should be able to protect their families.
Off To A Pistol Class This Weekend!
Thanks to the efforts of Sean Sorrentino, I will be joining a handful of bloggers and some others for a Basic Pistol class offered by TigerSwan this weekend. The class will be held near Fayetteville, NC at the TigerSwan Training Collaboration Center and School.
The class will be taught be Sgt Major Brian Searcy, US Army (Ret).
Brian is a 23 year Army Special Operations veteran who culminated 16 years with Delta Force (1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta) as the unit’s Operations Sergeant Major. His leadership experience ranges from serving as a military advisor in Central and South America to serving as the Command Sergeant Major (senior enlisted advisor) for a 1700 person Special Operations Task Force in Iraq. A decorated combat leader, his awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star.
As an instructor in Delta, Brian wrote and taught classes in assault planning, VIP protection, rifle and pistol marksmanship, explosive and mechanical breaching, close quarters battle, vehicle assaults and hand to hand combat. He served as the program manager and primary instructor for the Unit’s shooting and hand to hand programs.
A competitive shooter for over 20 years, Brian has competed at the top levels of competition in both precision and action shooting. Brian is a U.S. Army Distinguished Pistol Shot and has been awarded the President’s Hundred Tab. His other marksmanship accolades include: Overall Winner- 2005 Joint Special Operations Command Small Arms Championships and the 2003 North Carolina Indoor Conventional Pistol Champion.
I’ve got my ammo packed, my Ruger SR9 cleaned, a new heavy-duty gun belt, and, if the USPS cooperates tomorrow, my new Kydex holster. I will have a full after-action report next week. Sean has said that TigerSwan will be providing a photographer to take pictures so we can concentrate on learning. I think they may be as excited about our coming as we are to be taking the class.
There will be light to no blogging tomorrow through the weekend.
They’re Baaaack!
If you were a slacker and didn’t order a Gunwalker T-shirt when Sean made them available, you are in luck. Sean Sorrentino has announced a third run of the famous Gunwalker T-shirt.
I’ve been getting a few inquiries, along with a steady trickle of hits on the Gunwalker T-Shirts. I think now is the time to open the orders again.
Orders open now. Orders close on the first of November. It’s generally a 7-10 day turnaround at the printer, added to about 3 days for shipping and you can expect your shirt in hand by 15 November.
Go to Sean’s site for pricing and to order.
These are the perfect T-shirts to wear to Congressional hearings, Occupy Wall Street counter-demonstrations, or, in my case, Presidential visits to your town.
Happy Blogoversary To Sean
The North Carolina gun blog, An NC Gun Blog, turned one today. I’m not sure what that is in real years but it has to be at least 10!
Congratulations to Sean on a job well done and I look forward to getting together with him and a few other bloggers for our mini-blogger shoot in October.
Happy Blogoversary!