Now going to over 17,800 people every week! 
November 8, 2013
Gun Owners' Action League.

We are the largest civil rights organization in Massachusetts and   
we have been part of the fabric of Massachusetts since 1974
. 
 
GOAL News - Events and More

  

  • DCR Hearings - Please Attend! See below for more information.
  • Swampscott Nonsense - See below, Swampscott residents need to stop this selectman.
  • Board of Directors Meeting - GOAL HQ - Open to GOAL Members Only.
    2013 Schedule: November 14. All meetings start at 6:30pm
  • The Lucky 20 Raffle, 20 Guns - 20 Chances to Win! Support GOAL and you might win a great gun!  Scroll down for more information!
  • Follow GOAL on Social Media! Click the logos below and get the newest news first.
     

 

ALERT!  MA DCR Hearings - Please Attend 1 of Remaining 3

Please attend a public hearing - please submit written testimony!

 

11/8/13 Update on the first two hearings.  The first hearing in Lawrence had very light attendance, approximately 10 people were in attendance.  The people who did show up did a great job speaking out against the proposed CMR.  The second hearing, held last night in South Carver had much better attendance and many people spoke out against the CMR, doing a great job discussing the many issues with the drafts anti Second Amendment and anti hunting language.  Please see below for information about the remaining public hearings and what action you can take to help stop the CMR.

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GOAL has received notification that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation has scheduled 5 public hearings regarding the adoption of a new CMR which will regulate what the public can do while visiting DCR park and recreational facilities across the Commonwealth.  It should be noted that DCR property can include grasslands, reservations, parks, forests, beaches, tidelands, pools, skating rinks, golf courses, campgrounds, rail trails, bike trails, forest roads, forest ways, ponds, lakes, parking areas, trailheads, parkways, boulevards, roadways, facilities, and structures.

 

If passed these regulations would make it illegal to possess or use firearms, would make it illegal to possess or use bows and arrows and would make it illegal to hunt or trap on the above mentioned DCR lands, for the full list of properties affected please click here and scroll down to page 27.

 

 

The hearing dates are as follows, all begin at 7:30 P.M.

  • Tuesday, November 12, 2013 - Community Rowing Inc.  20 Nonantum Road, Brighton, MA.  02135
  • Thursday, November 14, 2013 - DCR Watershed Division, John Augustus Hall, 180 Beaman Street West Boylston, MA. 01583
  • Thursday, November 21, 2013 - Mount Holyoke Range State Park, The Notch Visitors Center, 1500 West Street (Rte. 116), Amherst, MA.  01002
Please note: Verbal and written testimony may be presented at the public hearings; however, parties are requested to provide written copies of their testimony.  Written comments will be accepted beginning November 4, 2013 until 5:00 p.m. E.S.T. on Friday, December 6, 2013.  Please submit written comments to Laura Dietz via mail to Department of Conservation and Recreation, 251 Causeway Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA.  02114 or via e-mail: [email protected]

 

If passed this CMR will drastically reduce where we can legally possess/carry firearms in the Commonwealth - it will have no effect on criminals, nor will it reduce crime.

  

A couple of bullet points for your testimony: 

  • 12.11 (10), which pertains to restriction of the second amendment right to carry firearms on DCR land - please request the complete elimination of this section.  Note: violent crime in the Commonwealth committed by licensed gun owners is virtually non-existent. Given that a MA resident has to pass background checks, take mandatory training and follow the law to the letter, why would the DCR wish to disarm any citizen that has gone through so much trouble to be legally licensed?
  • 12.11 (3), which pertains to additional restrictions of hunting on DCR lands, as compared to the current in-force regulations would include new restrictions at Harold Parker State Forest, Lowell Dracut State forest, and Willowdale State Forest.  Please eliminate all new restrictions in this section.  Note: Hunting is an important part of maintaining ecological balance. With numerous reports of coyote attacks on humans and pets, as well as an explosion in Lyme disease propagated by deer ticks, there is ample reason to retain hunting in as many public lands as possible.
  • The areas affected are vast and vague all at the same time.  If passed into law this CMR would place an undue burden upon licensed gun owners.  These are public lands paid for by our tax dollars, as mentioned above, we have to jump through all sorts of hoops to be able to lawfully carry, making that illegal will only endanger the law abiding.
  • Criminals will be undeterred by the CMR if passed.  

GOAL urges all of our members to attend these hearings and to provide testimony as requested above.

Attention Swampscott Residents
It's time to go to town meeting!

"Selectman Barry Greenfield (pictured at right) would like to give police the authority (to) inspect gun safety at people's homes...
 
Selectman Barry Greenfield introduced an enforcement discussion Wednesday that he hopes will lead to the safeguarding of guns in town - keeping them out of the hands of children...
 
The problem, he said, is that police do not have the authority, granted by a local ordinance, to enforce the law and inspect the safeguarding of guns at the homes of the 600 registered gun owners in town."   Read the full article here.
 
As you can see from the above text, Selectman Greenfield has begun the process of further eroding your civil rights. 

This kind of proposal must be stopped early.  If you are a Swampscott resident please take a moment to contact Selectman Greenfield, let him know that law abiding MA gun owners already have numerous storage laws which we must follow.  Additional mandatory inspections are an unnecessary assault on our 4th Amendment civil right.  In addition, this proposal, should it become law, would place an undue burden upon the Swampscott Police Department who surely have better things to do than inspect over 600 homes on a regular basis.

Also, please note, Selectman Greenfield's term is up in 2014.
Congratulations State Senator-Elect Humason!

 

Representative Humason Wins Election to State Senate!

 

GOAL would like to congratulate State Senator-elect Humason on his Special Election victory this week.  We would also like to thank all of our members who helped support Don in his campaign.

 

Thank you and great work GOAL members.

 

Senator-elect Humason, we look forward to working with you!

 

GOAL

The Lucky 20 Raffle is Back!

 

Enter and YOU might win a UTS-15 12ga Shotgun (stock photo, not actual gun)

GOAL's Lucky 20 Raffle is back - 20 Guns - 20 Chances to win!

 

 

 

 

The Lucky 20 Raffle is unique in that each ticket purchased has up to 20 chances to win.

The GOAL Lucky 20 Raffle is a great way to support GOAL's continuing mission to protect and defend freedom in Massachusetts while giving you an opportunity to win some great guns!

 

Here is the list of guns: 

  1. UTS-15 12ga Shotgun
  2. Anderson Arms AM15 .223 Rifle
  3. S&W 686 .357 Revolver
  4. S&W M442 .38 Revolver
  5. Kahr Arms P9 9mm Pistol
  6. Ruger LC9 9mm Pistol
  7. Sig Sauer 1911 .45ACP Pistol
  8. Walther P22 .22 Pistol
  9. S&W 1911 .45 ACP Pistol
  10. Rossi Circuit Judge .45/.410 Rifle
  11. Cricket 240B .22 Rifle
  12. S&W MP15-22 .22 Rifle
  13. Magnum Research .22 Rifle
  14. Mossberg ATR 30-06 Rifle
  15. Savage M11 .243 Rifle
  16. Savage MKII .22 Rifle
  17. Auto Ordnance M1 Carbine .30 Rifle
  18. Ruger 10/22 .22 Rifle
  19. Remington 870 20ga Shotgun
  20. Mossberg TR O/U 12ga Shotgun
Tickets are also available for purchase in person at GOAL 361 W. Main St. Northboro MA. 01532 

or via phone, 508-393-5333

 

Cost $10 per ticket 3/$20 or 10/$50. There is no limit to the amount of tickets you may purchase. Drawing will be held at noon on 12/27/2013 Winning tickets will be put back in the barrel for a chance to be drawn again.

 

Odds of winning are based on the number of entries. You need not be present to win. All federal and state gun laws apply. All guns are to be claimed within 60 days in Worcester, MA. Firearms may be shipped to another FFL at winner's expense. Please note that we can not send ticket stubs as it is a violation of federal law.

Join GOAL - Now More Than Ever

This e-mail and everything we do is made possible by GOAL Members. If you find information in this e-mail, or anything we do to be helpful, please consider joining, supporting, and or donating to GOAL.

 

"Protecting Your Freedom Begins Here"
Why You Should Join GOAL: Every intrusion on our Second Amendment Rights is an intrusion on all rights. The Constitutional rights and freedoms that you enjoy - and may take for granted - are becoming more fragile each day. Secure your rights for yourself, your family and future generations.

Join GOAL and become part of the solution today. 


 

 

GOAL Education: New Dates 
GOAL Training, take a class today and support GOAL

We've added new dates for select 2014 classes. Including: Basic Pistol, Utah Non-Resident CCW, Basic Metallic Cartridge Reloading and Precision Rifle Reloading with Jim Finnerty.

 

Also, we still have openings for our ever popular Art of Concealed Carry on December 5th, NRA Basic Pistol Course on December 17 and Intro to the Modern Sporting Rifle/AR15 on November 5th Don't miss out!

 

Click here to view the schedule - class listing.   

 

To register for any course, call Angela Fisher at 508-393-5333 ext 20.

Club Events

 

  • Nipmuc Rod & Gun for the Club - Annual Turkey Shoot November 24th - Shoot a 22 rifle, handgun or try your hand at a bow. Prizes for the best scores for juniors and adults. 88 Fiske Mill Road Upton, MA from 10-2 pm more info (508) 473-9778.  Nipmuc is also a 2013 Toys for Tots collection center, bring your unwrapped gifts and help a kid have a better Christmas! 

  • Fitchburg Sportsmen's Club - Trap shoots on Wednesdays at 6:00 PM. These are open to the public - the Club is located at 289 Rindge State Road, (Route 119), Ashburnham, MA. For  more information please contact Keith Maynard via email [email protected]. We usually have some hamburgers and hodogs available along with soda for purchase at a very reasonable price. 
  • The Tewksbury Rod & Gun Club's SCTP trap shooting program This competitive shotgun program is for youth shooters, no experience necessary, in grades 5 thru 12. Please contact Steve Stella, Tewksbury SCTP Head Coach at [email protected] or call 978-328-2120 for more info. The team is waiting to meet you!  

  • Wrentham Sportsmen's Association - November 3 - Military Rifle (Keith's Shoot) Sling Allowed - $20.00 entry fee. 1:00 pm start.   
  • Petersham Gun Club - Sporting Clays course open every Wednesday at 12 noon. Sundays open 10am till 1pm. Hot lunch served every Sunday. Contact   [email protected].

If your club has an open to the public event you would like to promote, please email the info to [email protected] 

 

 

Final Thought: Gun Licensing Does Not Improve Public Safety
There is no evidence that gun licensing improves public safety. 
 
As a matter of fact the 4 states that require no license whatsoever are among the safest places in the country to live. 
 
Look at New England as an example, VT and NH are statistically much safer places to live than Massachusetts and neither state requires a license to purchase a firearm. 
 
Additionally, it should be noted that MA changed our licensing system in 1998, making it more draconian, since that time violent crime has climbed by almost 200%. 
 
It should also be noted that 42 of 50 states are "shall issue" states for licensing. In other words the state issues a license to anyone that is not a federally prohibited person (there is no "chief's discretion").  
 
The bulk of these 42 states have changed to the "shall issue" system in the last two decades, during this time violent crime has dropped by almost 20% nationwide. 
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Thank you for reading the Friday News, remember, this email and everything GOAL does is made possible by our membership.  If you are not a member, please get in the fight and join GOAL
 
Sincerely,
 
Mike Sweeney
Communications Manager
Gun Owners' Action League