Freedom-
To be free is to be bound in the fetters of
obligation... To live in a free country... and be... the plaything of vicious desires, is to be a slave.
-Morris Joseph
Pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it.
-John Stuart Mill
A liberty to follow my own will in all things, when the rule prescribes not, and not to be subject to the inconstant, uncertain unknown, arbitrary will of another man. -John Locke
I would not have thought it possible in this great State, but one of our most basic human rights- the right of self-defense, is under attack.
Alabama Constitution of 1901
Article I
That the great, general, and essential
principles of liberty and free government
may be recognized and established, we declare:
Section 1
That all men are equally free and independent; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Section 26
That every citizen has a right to bear arms
in defense of himself and the state.
Code of Alabama, 1975
Section 13A-11-75
License to carry pistol in vehicle or concealed on person - Issuance;
term; form; fee; revocation.
The sheriff of a county may, upon the application of any person residing in that county, issue a qualified or unlimited license to such person to carry a pistol in
a vehicle or concealed on or about his person within this state for not more than one year from date of issue, if it appears that the
applicant has good reason to fear injury to his person or property or has any other proper reason for carrying a pistol, and that he is a suitable person to be so licensed. The license shall be in triplicate, in form to be prescribed by the Secretary of State, and shall bear the name, address, description and signature of the licensee and the reason given for desiring a license. The original thereof shall be delivered to the licensee, the duplicate shall, within seven days, be sent by registered or certified mail to the Director of Public Safety and the triplicate shall be preserved for six years by the authority issuing the same. The fee for issuing such license shall be $1.00 which shall be paid into the county treasury. The
sheriff may revoke a license upon proof that the licensee is not a proper person to be licensed.
(Acts 1936, Ex. Sess., No. 82, p. 51; Code 1940, T. 14, §177; Acts 1947, No. 616,
p. 463, §5; Acts 1951, No. 784, p. 1378; Code 1975, §13-6-155.)
In October of 1999 the Alabama Supreme Court enacted a security plan for all county courthouses. Elements of this plan include closing all but one point of entry, placing an attended metal detector at that point, and
checking everyone entering the building.
Now there are at least three proposals in the legislature that would turn the above 'security plan' into a recipe for tragedy.
The first two, HB 106 and SB 69 are actually a Siamese twin.
Except for the sponsor names, these bills are practically identical.
Full texts may be found at: www.legislature.state.al.us/searchableinstruments/2000rs/bills/hb106.htm www.legislature.state.al.us/searchableinstruments/2000rs/bills/sb69.htm
"This bill would prohibit a person from carrying or possessing a pistol or
other firearm into a county building or facility regardless of whether the
person has a permit to carry a concealed pistol."
and-
"Also, a person may not carry a weapon on the premises of a public school with intent to do bodily harm. A person with a pistol permit is exempt from this provision. This bill would remove this exemption."
Concerning the first part and courthouses, this should only apply to courtrooms. There is a lot more to the courthouse than court.
Who wishes to go for a license photo, new car tag, or ask the extension agent about lawn and garden tips then be taken hostage or killed by an escaping prisoner or crazy? What if your children are with you?
Think you're safe in past the 'check point'? They did at the U.S. Capitol
building in 1998:
"The suspect apparently entered the Capitol on the building's East side, near the House of Representatives. He sidestepped a weapons
detector, drew a .38-caliber revolver and opened fire. The shots fatally wounded [Jacob] Chestnut, an 18-year veteran of the force. Later, inside Majority Whip Tom DeLay's office, [John] Gibson, an 8-year veteran was shot. They also wounded tourist Angela Dickerson, 24, who was released from
the hospital Saturday." www.npr.org/news/national/1998/Jul/980726.shooting.html
There will be no one to protect you and yours at the moment of truth; not the metal detector, not the guards, and if either of these bills pass not a concealed carry holder, or yourself if you have a carry permit. It would seem that the state Supreme Court and the legislature do not trust the citizens of Alabama or the sheriffs that we elect. What have the people of this state done to deserve such mistrust?
The next part of the bill(s) is Orwellian at best. ("Alex, I'd like ThoughtCrimes for $1000 please.")Implied is that whoever has a carry permit can legally intend to hurt
someone at a school. Also implied is that keeping schools free of legally carried firearms will create 'havens of peace and safety'. That is what the Gun Free School Zone Act of 1996 was supposed to do.
When was the last multiple shooting in a police station?
Reason?
Upon passage, even permit holders would become criminals for having a firearm when bringing or picking up their children at school. Which shooting at a school was done by a parent? Which was done by a legally carried firearm?
The third bill, SB 340, full text at: www.legislature.state.al.us/searchableinstruments/2000rs/bills/sb340.htm
"This bill would establish the crime of possession of a firearm or dangerous weapon in a courthouse and would provide for exceptions for certain persons."
Passage of this bill would make exercise of a God-given right guaranteed by not one but two constitutions a felony. Exempt from this 'crime' would be: "...an officer, agent, or employee of the United States, the state, a
county, or municipality of the state, or an officer, agent, or employee of another state or county or municipality of another state, who is authorized by law to engage in, or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, a violation of law or the detention, probation, or
parole of a person accused of, or convicted of, a violation of law. ...a judge of a court of the state, bailiffs, or other law clerks, court appointed referees or masters, or private security officers while employed
to provide security within the courthouse."
Public servants seem to have an elevated opinion of themselves these days. When people elected to office, clerks, rent-a-cops, and someone from another state have more rights than the citizens who elect and hire them-
something is terribly wrong. Again, any restriction should apply to courtrooms only.
If these measures pass we may very well lose part of what many have suffered for and died to protect. The tragic events of the recent past could be repeated at the heart of where we live.
Most will support these measures in the name of 'safety'. Those who go about their business within the law might be safe. Criminals intent on murder and mayhem will be a whole lot safer. It is a dirty little secret that the police are not legally required to protect the individual:
"There is no constitutional right to be protected by the state (or Federal) against being murdered by criminals or madmen. It is monstrous if the state fails to protect its residents against such predators but it does not violate the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, or, we suppose, any other provision of the Constitution.
The Constitution is a charter of negative liberties: it tells the state (gov't) to let people alone; it does not require the federal government or the state to provide services, even so elementary a service as maintaining law and order"
-US Federal Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit Bowers v. DeVito, 1982
The Alabama Constitution of 1901 states in
Article 1, Section 14:
"State not to be made defendant.
That the State of Alabama shall never be made
a defendant in any court of law or equity."
How very convenient- you might not be protected, there is no obligation for protection, and won't be allowed to protect yourself. On top of that, if you are placed in a situation where armed self-defense would have been possible, but was denied, the state
cannot be held accountable. How safe does that feel?
If the supporters of these bills are solidly behind them, why not remove the exceptions to the rule? Those people are servants of the
public not masters, and they are sworn to preserve, protect, and defend the constitutions that guarantee us a means of self-protection.
We elect our senators and representatives to go be our voice in the affairs of state. They are to represent the will of the people. There are seven names on the aforementioned bills. Seven individuals out of the sixty-seven counties of this state wish to rob us all of a basic God-given right.
If that doesn't bother you, maybe the next right, or the next, or the one after that won't be a problem either. That's fine, go back to sleep.
If that does bother you, remember the State motto: "We dare defend our rights." Wake up before it's too late. Now is the time to defend our rights- before they are gone.
Call and/or write your state Senators and Representatives. Tell them to resist these freedom stealing proposals. Tell your family and friends to tell family and friends.
Speak out.
Dare to defend our rights.
pack_rat says:
Hang on to those Liberties, you may need
them someday.
---------------------------------------------
If the future's looking dark
We're the ones who have to shine
If there's no one in control
We're the ones who draw the line
Though we live in trying times-
we're the ones who have to try
Though we know that time has wings-
We're the ones who have to fly
-
Music by Lee and Lifeson/Lyrics by Peart
To be free is to be bound in the fetters of
obligation... To live in a free country... and be... the plaything of vicious desires, is to be a slave.
-Morris Joseph
Pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it.
-John Stuart Mill
A liberty to follow my own will in all things, when the rule prescribes not, and not to be subject to the inconstant, uncertain unknown, arbitrary will of another man. -John Locke
I would not have thought it possible in this great State, but one of our most basic human rights- the right of self-defense, is under attack.
Alabama Constitution of 1901
Article I
That the great, general, and essential
principles of liberty and free government
may be recognized and established, we declare:
Section 1
That all men are equally free and independent; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Section 26
That every citizen has a right to bear arms
in defense of himself and the state.
Code of Alabama, 1975
Section 13A-11-75
License to carry pistol in vehicle or concealed on person - Issuance;
term; form; fee; revocation.
The sheriff of a county may, upon the application of any person residing in that county, issue a qualified or unlimited license to such person to carry a pistol in
a vehicle or concealed on or about his person within this state for not more than one year from date of issue, if it appears that the
applicant has good reason to fear injury to his person or property or has any other proper reason for carrying a pistol, and that he is a suitable person to be so licensed. The license shall be in triplicate, in form to be prescribed by the Secretary of State, and shall bear the name, address, description and signature of the licensee and the reason given for desiring a license. The original thereof shall be delivered to the licensee, the duplicate shall, within seven days, be sent by registered or certified mail to the Director of Public Safety and the triplicate shall be preserved for six years by the authority issuing the same. The fee for issuing such license shall be $1.00 which shall be paid into the county treasury. The
sheriff may revoke a license upon proof that the licensee is not a proper person to be licensed.
(Acts 1936, Ex. Sess., No. 82, p. 51; Code 1940, T. 14, §177; Acts 1947, No. 616,
p. 463, §5; Acts 1951, No. 784, p. 1378; Code 1975, §13-6-155.)
In October of 1999 the Alabama Supreme Court enacted a security plan for all county courthouses. Elements of this plan include closing all but one point of entry, placing an attended metal detector at that point, and
checking everyone entering the building.
Now there are at least three proposals in the legislature that would turn the above 'security plan' into a recipe for tragedy.
The first two, HB 106 and SB 69 are actually a Siamese twin.
Except for the sponsor names, these bills are practically identical.
Full texts may be found at: www.legislature.state.al.us/searchableinstruments/2000rs/bills/hb106.htm www.legislature.state.al.us/searchableinstruments/2000rs/bills/sb69.htm
"This bill would prohibit a person from carrying or possessing a pistol or
other firearm into a county building or facility regardless of whether the
person has a permit to carry a concealed pistol."
and-
"Also, a person may not carry a weapon on the premises of a public school with intent to do bodily harm. A person with a pistol permit is exempt from this provision. This bill would remove this exemption."
Concerning the first part and courthouses, this should only apply to courtrooms. There is a lot more to the courthouse than court.
Who wishes to go for a license photo, new car tag, or ask the extension agent about lawn and garden tips then be taken hostage or killed by an escaping prisoner or crazy? What if your children are with you?
Think you're safe in past the 'check point'? They did at the U.S. Capitol
building in 1998:
"The suspect apparently entered the Capitol on the building's East side, near the House of Representatives. He sidestepped a weapons
detector, drew a .38-caliber revolver and opened fire. The shots fatally wounded [Jacob] Chestnut, an 18-year veteran of the force. Later, inside Majority Whip Tom DeLay's office, [John] Gibson, an 8-year veteran was shot. They also wounded tourist Angela Dickerson, 24, who was released from
the hospital Saturday." www.npr.org/news/national/1998/Jul/980726.shooting.html
There will be no one to protect you and yours at the moment of truth; not the metal detector, not the guards, and if either of these bills pass not a concealed carry holder, or yourself if you have a carry permit. It would seem that the state Supreme Court and the legislature do not trust the citizens of Alabama or the sheriffs that we elect. What have the people of this state done to deserve such mistrust?
The next part of the bill(s) is Orwellian at best. ("Alex, I'd like ThoughtCrimes for $1000 please.")Implied is that whoever has a carry permit can legally intend to hurt
someone at a school. Also implied is that keeping schools free of legally carried firearms will create 'havens of peace and safety'. That is what the Gun Free School Zone Act of 1996 was supposed to do.
When was the last multiple shooting in a police station?
Reason?
Upon passage, even permit holders would become criminals for having a firearm when bringing or picking up their children at school. Which shooting at a school was done by a parent? Which was done by a legally carried firearm?
The third bill, SB 340, full text at: www.legislature.state.al.us/searchableinstruments/2000rs/bills/sb340.htm
"This bill would establish the crime of possession of a firearm or dangerous weapon in a courthouse and would provide for exceptions for certain persons."
Passage of this bill would make exercise of a God-given right guaranteed by not one but two constitutions a felony. Exempt from this 'crime' would be: "...an officer, agent, or employee of the United States, the state, a
county, or municipality of the state, or an officer, agent, or employee of another state or county or municipality of another state, who is authorized by law to engage in, or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, a violation of law or the detention, probation, or
parole of a person accused of, or convicted of, a violation of law. ...a judge of a court of the state, bailiffs, or other law clerks, court appointed referees or masters, or private security officers while employed
to provide security within the courthouse."
Public servants seem to have an elevated opinion of themselves these days. When people elected to office, clerks, rent-a-cops, and someone from another state have more rights than the citizens who elect and hire them-
something is terribly wrong. Again, any restriction should apply to courtrooms only.
If these measures pass we may very well lose part of what many have suffered for and died to protect. The tragic events of the recent past could be repeated at the heart of where we live.
Most will support these measures in the name of 'safety'. Those who go about their business within the law might be safe. Criminals intent on murder and mayhem will be a whole lot safer. It is a dirty little secret that the police are not legally required to protect the individual:
"There is no constitutional right to be protected by the state (or Federal) against being murdered by criminals or madmen. It is monstrous if the state fails to protect its residents against such predators but it does not violate the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, or, we suppose, any other provision of the Constitution.
The Constitution is a charter of negative liberties: it tells the state (gov't) to let people alone; it does not require the federal government or the state to provide services, even so elementary a service as maintaining law and order"
-US Federal Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit Bowers v. DeVito, 1982
The Alabama Constitution of 1901 states in
Article 1, Section 14:
"State not to be made defendant.
That the State of Alabama shall never be made
a defendant in any court of law or equity."
How very convenient- you might not be protected, there is no obligation for protection, and won't be allowed to protect yourself. On top of that, if you are placed in a situation where armed self-defense would have been possible, but was denied, the state
cannot be held accountable. How safe does that feel?
If the supporters of these bills are solidly behind them, why not remove the exceptions to the rule? Those people are servants of the
public not masters, and they are sworn to preserve, protect, and defend the constitutions that guarantee us a means of self-protection.
We elect our senators and representatives to go be our voice in the affairs of state. They are to represent the will of the people. There are seven names on the aforementioned bills. Seven individuals out of the sixty-seven counties of this state wish to rob us all of a basic God-given right.
If that doesn't bother you, maybe the next right, or the next, or the one after that won't be a problem either. That's fine, go back to sleep.
If that does bother you, remember the State motto: "We dare defend our rights." Wake up before it's too late. Now is the time to defend our rights- before they are gone.
Call and/or write your state Senators and Representatives. Tell them to resist these freedom stealing proposals. Tell your family and friends to tell family and friends.
Speak out.
Dare to defend our rights.
pack_rat says:
Hang on to those Liberties, you may need
them someday.
---------------------------------------------
If the future's looking dark
We're the ones who have to shine
If there's no one in control
We're the ones who draw the line
Though we live in trying times-
we're the ones who have to try
Though we know that time has wings-
We're the ones who have to fly
-
Music by Lee and Lifeson/Lyrics by Peart
