Gun Debate

A sad time in Maryland history is upon us. As most people know, the gun debate has taken center stage since the massacre at Sandy Hook elementary school. Law makers all across the country have made charges to enact stiff gun laws, claiming to eliminate violence from our society.... The debate over such laws has gotten very heated in many states and in our federal legislative system. Maryland has experienced one of the most heated debates on the matter, and one that has made history on many levels. I have personally witnessed a number of firsts in my numerous trips to Annapolis, while attempting to sway legislators to pass common sense legislation. In this letter I wish to share with all of Maryland’s population what I have witnessed, explain how I feel about what I have seen, and ask everyone to make their own decision to stand up for what they feel is right.

This journey of mine pretty much began on February 6th, when there were to be public hearings on the governor’s gun control bill SB281. Having never been politically charged, I had never been to Annapolis during a legislative session. I expected to see a few hundred people from each side of the argument, ready to plead their case. But much to my amazement, and the amazement of the people working there, the turnout was mind boggling. There were estimates as high as six thousand people there to show their opposition to the bill. Far over one thousand signed up to personally testify against the bill, and a mere thirty something to testify for it. I could go on for some time about the proceedings, and how they were improperly handled by Senator Frosh, but that is for another time. In the end the Senate committee, despite very strong opposition, passed the bill.
The next leg of my journey was the House hearings for HB294, a sister bill to SB281, in front of the House of Delagates joint committee several weeks later. Once again, upon arriving I was surrounded by an overwhelming number of people opposing the proposed legislation. Hearings began shortly after lunch, and we watched as ‘professional’ testimony was given by both sides. We watched as Governor O’Malley pleaded his case, with the help of a number of police officers and the State’s Attorney General. Once they were done speaking the Delegates began questioning. It became very obvious to all that the Governor’s case was not supported by any facts what so ever. He wanted to ban what he refers to as ‘assault rifles’ to reduce crime. The facts are, and anyone can verify this through records, these rifles are almost never used in crimes. Nationwide the rifles he was talking about are used in less than one percent of violent crime, and even a lower percentage in the state of Maryland. Another big push was for licensing requirements, and making them very intrusive, time consuming, and costly. They said this was to eliminate the illegal straw purchases, where the purchaser of a gun is buying it for someone who shouldn’t have it. When the Governor’s team was asked how many straw purchases have they ever prosecuted, the answer was none. They could not give one case where they ever tried to so much as charge someone with a straw purchase. Once again, they are trying to fix a problem that by their own admission does not exist. These empty arguments went on for some time. Around 4pm, the House started hearing the public testimony. Each person was allowed one minute to speak, and it took until nearly 4am to hear everyone who stayed. And again, there were maybe four or five people out of them that supported the bill. I gave my short speech shortly before 9pm on why I thought the bill was a bad idea.

So back to Annapolis again, but this time strictly as a spectator for the House Joint Committee vote. This was held on Good Friday, meaning for many it would interfere with family and religious events. Even with that in mind, yes there was a strong showing of people against the legislation. This was probably the largest showing of people in support of the bill, as I counted nine of them there. That day in the Joint Committee I learned a lot. I learned how many Delegates have forgotten their oath to the Constitution and to the people. I learned that the Chairman can ignore Parliamentary procedure if he does not want to hear a Delegate speak about the rights of the people. But above all I learned that the Maryland legislative system is broken and no longer works for the law abiding citizens of Maryland. 

Being a glutton for punishment, I went back to Annapolis for the last reading of SB281 by the House floor. You guessed it, plenty of people in the gallery opposed to the bill. We watched as several Delegates, most from the Shore, tried to pass common sense amendments to the bill. Amendments such as stricter penalties for criminals, and allowing off duty police officers to carry their firearm when on school property. The unreasonable bill supporters would not allow them, and most were shot down by an average voting margin of eighty to forty. Watching these people vote down common sense amendments was sickening enough, but it gets even worse. As I sat on the edge of my seat amazed at the ignorance of many Delegates, I notice one Delegate in particular is shopping for shoes online during most of the debate. Then he decides to pick up his phone and talk for half an hour before shopping online for jackets and browsing photos of himself. This man is voting on laws that shape our state, affect our safety, and decide our future, but only between his time shopping. Now comes a couple of real big kickers that got my blood boiling. When Delegate Rosenberg of Baltimore got up and said ‘no right is inalienable,’ that floored me. When Delegate Smigiel from Cecil county stated that God gave us rights and the Constitution was put there to protect them, nearly every Democrat on the floor began laughing. This is a truly sad time, as well as a scary time. The government has all but completely removed God from everything, and now it seeks to remove the Constitution and our rights. 

As a state we have moved so far left of common sense that I don’t know how we will ever fix things. In this latest session, we have eliminated capital punishment and lessened the punishment for committing the worst of violent crimes. We have raised the gas tax to put more strain on already tight budgets of many Marylanders. We have agreed to give Maryland drivers licenses to illegal aliens, and further flood our roads with uninsured unsafe drivers. We have refused to get tough on violent criminals in any way. And now we are seeking to eliminate the rights of law abiding citizens in the area of firearms. There are so many points that could be made here, but to keep this from being a book I must keep it short. I still oppose SB281, that is by now probably signed by the Governor. I do take comfort in knowing that I am not alone in my opposition, as I have witnessed thousands show up in person to show their opposition. I know that the majority of County Sheriffs in Maryland oppose SB281, as well as various county commissioners, police chiefs, uniformed officers, and many others. I know that SB281 is the product of a broken legislative system that needs to be repaired. I know that the current administration does not believe in our God given rights or the protection provided by the Constitution. I know that if Marylanders do not make a stand now for common sense and what is right, we will loose everything from here on out. As a father, I can not imagine what I would be leaving behind for my children if I didn’t try to make the needed changes now.