ASSOCIATED GUN CLUBS OF BALTIMORE, INC.
LEGISLATIVE OFFICE
|
|
|
Annual Machine Gun Registration Form is Now Online at AGC's Website
In a effort to simplify the annual machine gun registration process, the AGC has modified the Maryland State Police registration by making a PDF with "fillable" data fields. The use of this form has been verbally approved by Major John Simpson of the Maryland State Police.
The operation is quite simple:
- Download the form from the AGC website and save it to your computer
- Input the Year as 2011
- Input your personal and firearm data
- Print as many copies as necessary (usually you will want a copy to keep with each gun)
- Sign and date the form
- Mail copies to the MSP - ask for all but 1 copy back as proof of registration (if you don't have a stamped copy from the MSP, you cannot prove you registered your guns)
- Next year, open the form, change the dates, and repeat the steps above
Click here for the AGC modified MSP Annual Machine Gun Registration Form
|
|
Attorney General Gansler Weighs in on the Woollard Case
As the case of Raymond Woollard, et. al., v. Terrence Sheridan, et. al., continues it slow journey in the United States District Court, Attorney General (AG) Douglas Gansler filed a MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS' CROSS-MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND IN OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFFS' MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Attorney General's memorandum is the contention that Maryland's firearms laws are reasonable. Further, the Attorney General asserts (page 7) that a citizen can wear and carry a long gun outside the home.
It would be most interesting if Maryland citizens, armed with the AG's statement began open carry their AR-15's slung over their shoulders. Most certainly they would find themselves confronted by a police officer who responded to a "person with a gun" to the local 911 Center. This would be especially true if they were to enter a Toys-R-Us store (see article below).
Excerpts from the AG's Memorandum (pages 6-7)
II. MARYLAND'S FIREARMS LAWS
Maryland's firearms laws are "reasonable firearms regulations" that reflect the State's concerted effort to "devise solutions to social problems that suit local needs and values," McDonald, 130 S.Ct. at 3046, while protecting the rights of law-abiding Marylanders to keep and bear arms in their homes for self-defense, id. at 3050.
B. Maryland Does Not Require a Permit to Wear and Carry a Long
Gun Outside the Home.
Outside of limited exceptions, Maryland does not require a permit to wear and
carry a long gun outside the home.
***
Click here for the original filing on the Woollard lawsuite Click here for the Maryland Attorney General's filing Click here for the case record |
|
NRA's Response to the Eric Holder & the ATF's Project Gunrunner Debacle
| Holder: "I Frankly Don"t Know" | | | | Friday, May 06, 2011 | | | |
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Project Gunrunner program was intended to stop the alleged flow of guns to criminals in Mexico. That didn't happen. Instead, the program may have facilitated the illegal smuggling of thousands of those guns, some of which actually turned up at the murder scene of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in December 2010.
As the probe into Project Gunrunner heats up, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Senate Judiciary Committee want to determine if high-ranking officials in the Department of Justice knew about and approved Project Gunrunner. To that end, this week, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was called to testify before both committees.
When questioned by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) on Wednesday, Holder said that he does not know how guns allowed to "walk" during the federal gun sting operation ended up at the U.S. Border Patrol agent's murder scene. "I frankly don't know," Holder said.
When Grassley asked the whereabouts of the estimated 1,300 -- 1,500 guns that BATFE allowed "straw purchasers" to buy (even after suspecting they were working for Mexican drug cartels), Holder again could not answer. "I'm not in a position at this time to answer that question," Holder said. "I don't know."
The day before, Holder faced questioning by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) during the House Judiciary Committee hearings.
During the exchange between Issa and Holder on Tuesday, Rep. Issa did not mince words:
"We're not looking at straw buyers, Mr. Attorney General, we're looking at you. We're looking at your key people who knew or should have known about this and whether or not your judgment was consistent with good practices and whether or not, instead, the Justice Department is basically guilty of allowing weapons to kill Americans and Mexicans. So will you agree to cooperate with that investigation, both on the House and Senate side?"
Sen. Grassley and Rep. Issa feel that Holder and the Department of Justice are deliberately stonewalling thier investigation. "I am extremely disappointed in the Justice Department's response to my inquiry," Grassley said Wednesday. "The ATF also clearly knew that these guns were being exported south of the border to Mexico."
During his speech at Saturday's Annual Meeting of Members in Pittsburgh, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre had this to say about Holder's role:
"Eric Holder said he didn't know about the operation. He's the U.S. Attorney General. He's supposed to be in charge, and he didn't know? Who's minding the store over at the Justice Department? Because if Holder didn't know, Holder's got to go."
|
|
|
Texan Convicted for Selling a Gun to an Illegal Alien with a Texas Driver's Licenese
From the Internet:
In Federal District Court on July 20, 2010, the ATF won a conviction from an Austin jury that defies logic and reason. In a trial before Federal Judge Sam Sparks, government lawyers conceded Texas resident Paul Copeland did not know his buyer was an illegal alien, but told the jury they should convict him anyway because he "had reasonable cause to believe" he was selling to an illegal alien because the two men and a boy who were present at his table at the time of the sale: 1) were Hispanic, 2) spoke Spanish, and 3) wore cowboy clothing. And the jury did as asked. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Freel acted as lead prosecutor in the case.
The firearm transaction at issue occurred on January 16, 2010, at a gunshow at the North Austin Events Center, at 10601 N. Lamar Blvd., in Austin, Texas. Undercover ATF agents followed Mr. Huerta, his son, and another Hispanic male, Hipolito Aviles, around the "Texas Gunshow" that day, and claimed to observe Huerta's transaction. Austin P.D. used Copeland's case as the reason to close down the gunshow, leading to a protest by Austin residents in front of APD headquarters on January 25.
Mr. Copeland is a 56 year old Cedar Creek resident and Vietnam veteran who liked to buy, sell, and trade firearms as a hobby. On January 16, however, he had the misfortune to sell a handgun to Leonel Huerta Sr., who spoke both English and Spanish. Huerta Sr. negotiated his purchase from Copeland in English, showing Copeland his Texas Driver's License. At Copeland's trial Huerta admitted on the witness stand, that he is in the country illegally, (Huerta Sr. had previously admitted this fact to Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Leo Buentello). ATF Agent Shawn Kang claimed he saw Huerta later hand off the gun to Aviles. Despite these admissions, Huerta Sr. was never arrested, charged, or deported. Instead, his presence at the gunshow was used to entrap an American citizen into an unwitting violation of a federal gun control law. Huerta Sr., who is a resident of the City of Austin, appeared as a witness at the trial, admitted he was in the country illegally before federal prosecutors and a federal judge, yet he was allowed to leave the courtroom under his own power. To date Huerta Sr. has not been prosecuted for his purchase, possession, or disposition of the handgun he bought from Copeland, while Copeland is now a convicted felon.
"Instead of busting the illegal alien for buying, they bust the citizen for selling," commented Paul Velte, attorney and founder of Peaceable Texans for Firearms Rights, a gun-owners rights advocacy group from Austin. Velte asked, "who was in a better position to know the buyer's immigration status, the buyer or the seller?" He also said, "What happened to Paul Copeland should enrage all Americans. The Federal Government is using illegal aliens to entrap citizens lawfully exercising their right to sell firearms. The illegal alien walks free, but the citizen gets convicted. The same government charged with controlling immigration is the one using illegal immigrants to attack its own citizens. Does this make any sense? It makes no sense unless the purpose is to discourage attendance at gunshows and frighten citizens from selling their firearms to other citizens."
Velte pointed out that "There is no way for a citizen to know who is here legally or not. In fact, under Austin's 'sanctuary city' policy, not even the police officer at the door of the gunshow was allowed to ask a person's immigration status, yet the average Texan inside the show is expected to assume that a person standing before them with a Texas driver's license is in the country illegally just because they look Mexican and speak Spanish." Velte noted that the federal government's lawsuit against Arizona was based on that very type of conduct: Concluding someone could be here illegally based on their looks or their language.
Judge Sparks sentenced Copeland on August 27 to six months confinement and 24 months of probation, and called Copeland "a liar" for not admitting guilt. ATF confiscated Copeland's entire gun collection and initiated forfeiture proceedings. Copeland was also fired from his job due to the indictment, and he would have lost his home to foreclosure, if not for his family stepping in to pay his mortgage while he serves his sentence.
|
Del. Neil Parrott's Effort to Petition Illegal Alien Tuition Law to Referendum
Several days ago, Governor O'Malley signed into law a measure to allow illegal aliens to pay instate tuition rates. The Governor justified this by stating that the bill would produce a better educated work force in Maryland. This disconnect is that it is against the law for an employer to hire an illegal alien.
In response, Washington County Delegate Neil Parrott (R-2B) is leading an effort to gather enough signatures to petition the issue to a referendum vote in the next election. In order to place this issue on the ballot. almost 19,000 validated signatures are needed by the end of this month, and a total of 56,000 validated signatures are needed by the end of June.
While this issue does not directly impact our 2nd Amendment Rights, the nexus of guns and illegal aliens has become a springboard for proposed new regulations and at least one conviction for unknowingly selling a firearm to an illegal alien.
It is no surprise that the very same elected officials who support gun control for law abiding citizens also support in-state tuition for illegal aliens.
Readers who oppose making Maryland more attractive to illegal aliens can participate in the referendum drive in the following ways:
- Mail the completed forms to:
- MDPetitions.com
c/o Neil Parrott
PO Box 32
Funkstown, MD 21734
Click here to find out how your elected representative voted on this issue
|
|
SAF CHALLENGES INTERSTATE HANDGUN SALES BAN
BELLEVUE, WA - The Second Amendment Foundation today filed suit in U.S. District Court in Virginia challenging the constitutionality of federal and Virginia provisions barring handgun sales to non-residents.
SAF is joined in the lawsuit by Michelle Lane, a District of Columbia resident who cannot legally purchase handguns because there are no retail firearms dealers inside the District. The Supreme Court's 2008 Heller ruling struck down the District's handgun ban, confirming that individuals have a constitutional right to possess handguns.
SAF and Lane are represented by attorney Alan Gura of Gura & Possessky, PLLC, who won both the Heller ruling and last year's Supreme Court victory in McDonald v. City of Chicago. Named as defendants are Attorney General Eric Holder and W. Steven Flaherty, superintendent of the Virginia State Police.
"This is an important issue in the era of the national instant background check," said SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. "The NICS check should allow law-abiding citizens like Miss Lane to exercise their Second Amendment rights regardless their place of residence."
"Americans don't check their constitutional rights at the state line," said Gura. "And since Michelle Lane is legally entitled to possess firearms, forcing her to seek a non-existing D.C. dealer to buy a handgun is pointless when perfectly legitimate options exist minutes across the Potomac River."
"The Supreme Court has ruled that District residents have an individual right, protected by the Constitution, to have a handgun in their home," Gottlieb noted. "The high court has also ruled that the Second Amendment applies to the states. Existing state and federal statutes violate both the spirit and letter of recent court rulings and the Constitution, and our lawsuit seeks to remedy that situation."
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers and an amicus brief and fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right.
Click here for the Washington Times' Editorial on SAF's Lawsuit
|
|
|
|
Toys-R-Us: Bring Us Your Money - But Leave Your Gun at Home
 | | Towson Marketplace - Putty Hill Avenue & Goucher Boulevard, Towson, MD |
|
 National Museum of the Marine Corps - AGC Bus Trip
The next AGC bus trip will be a guided tour of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, VA. A catered buffet lunch will be included. Trip Date: Saturday, July 30, 2011 Time: 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM Official announcement and details to follow. Mark your calendar! Note: AGC Bus Trip & Tour List members receive first notice! Click on the "update email preference" link below to join the AGC Bus Trip & Tour list. |
Keep Your Email Address and Profile Up to Date!
You can update your email address and interest profile (sublists such as AGC Newsletter, Gun Shows, Bus Trips, Hunting, Concealed Carry, etc.) at any time by clicking on the "Join Email List Icon below. A as current list member, you will be sent an automated email asking you to log on to the server and update your information.
|
John H. Josselyn, Legislative Vice President
Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc.
P.O. Box 20102
Towson, MD 21284-0102
Email: [email protected]
Webpage: www.associatedgunclubs.org
Article 1. That all Government of right originates from the People, is founded in compact only, and instituted solely for the good of the whole; and they have, at all times, the inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish their Form of Government in such manner as they may deem expedient. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
