A Jim Crow Law Loved By NC Sheriffs And The Demanding Moms

The North Carolina pistol purchase permit is an archaic law that has its roots in segregation. As I've written many a time about its history, the law was designed to keep blacks, populists, and union leaders disarmed and at the mercy of the KKK and racist Democrats. It is still supported by the North Carolina Sheriffs Association and the gun prohibitionists.

The permit came to fore again as the NCSA tried to hijack a bill concerning church security to increase the price for a pistol purchase permit and, oh yes, include the "good moral conduct" requirement in our concealed handgun permits. The time for permit to go is long gone by. Why we even have a law on the books that was implicitly meant to discriminate against one race is beyond me.

Grass Roots North Carolina agrees and is saying it is time again to contact your legislators to demand this archaic, racist, and ineffectual law be eliminated. I agree.

A RACIST LAW NEEDS TO END

The latest round of shenanigans by the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association and our state legislature leave no doubt that the only proper course of action is to put North Carolina's racist Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permitting in the trash bin. Enacted during the Jim Crow era as a way to prevent African Americans from purchasing handguns, North Carolina's pistol purchase permit system has long been sold as a "public safety measure," when it is anything but. Not only did it give sheriffs wide latitude to deny someone the right to purchase a handgun, but it also creates a dangerous safety loophole that allow criminals to circumvent point-of-sale background checks. The right to keep and bear arms can never be subject to the whims of elected officials, and Grass Roots North Carolina has worked tirelessly to ensure that the permitting process (like the concealed handgun permitting process) remains "shall issue" (meaning that a sheriff can not arbitrarily deny a permit.) The well-funded anti-freedom movement has worked hard to perpetuate this racism under the auspices of "public safety," and it's now clear that the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association pays the same lip service to the second amendment as does the proliferation of Bloomberg-funded anti-gun astroturf groups. Here's the irony: the pistol purchase permits create a massive loophole for criminals to purchase firearms through legitimate channels of commerce. A pistol purchase permit is good for 5 years, and there is absolutely no mechanism in place through which a permit can be revoked if the bearer becomes, for instance, a convicted felon. The permit allows the purchaser to completely circumvent the NICS FBI background check normally done at the point of sale. A racist law that makes us less safe ... one has to wonder why some politicians and the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association keep supporting this terrible legislation. Is it the profit motive for the sheriffs? Is it the mere desire for control? Do these groups want criminals to get guns? Isn't it time that our politicians and the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association speak up and tell us the truth? Support "Rights Watch International" Learn more about Rights Watch International You shop. Amazon Gives. (What is Amazon Smile?)

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

POINT: Send an email to the Republican members of the NC Senate letting them know exactly how you feel about the Pistol Purchase Permit. PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO GRNC: Help us fight gun control while we promote Second Amendment principles. Please CLICK HERE to contribute. Bear in mind that GRNC is an all-volunteer organization, so you can be sure your donations are put to the best possible use. Any amount helps, and any amount is appreciated. CONTACT INFO John.Alexander@ncleg.net; Ted.Alexander@ncleg.net; Deanna.Ballard@ncleg.net; Phil.Berger@ncleg.net; Dan.Bishop@ncleg.net; Danny.Britt@ncleg.net; Harry.Brown@ncleg.net; Jim.Burgin@ncleg.net; Warren.Daniel@ncleg.net; Jim.Davis@ncleg.net; Chuck.Edwards@ncleg.net; Carl.Ford@ncleg.net; Eddie.Gallimore@ncleg.net; Rick.Gunn@ncleg.net; Kathy.Harrington@ncleg.net; Ralph.Hise@ncleg.net; Rick.Horner@ncleg.net; Brent.Jackson@ncleg.net; Todd.Johnson@ncleg.net; Joyce.Krawiec@ncleg.net; Tom.McInnis@ncleg.net; Paul.Newton@ncleg.net; Jim.Perry@ncleg.net; Bill.Rabon@ncleg.net; Norman.Sanderson@ncleg.net; Vickie.Sawyer@ncleg.net; Bob.Steinburg@ncleg.net; Jerry.Tillman@ncleg.net; Andy.Wells@ncleg.net

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: "Repeal NC's Racist Jim Crow Pistol Purchase Permit NOW!"   Dear Senators: I write this letter to you today to demand that you work to repeal North Carolina's racist, Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permitting system. The pistol purchase permit system provides criminals with a dangerous loophole: since there is no mechanism for a Sheriff to revoke a pistol purchase permit, someone could be convicted of a felony and still circumvent the NICS background check with a pistol purchase permit in hand. Furthermore, we have seen how deeply-pocketed special interests like Michael Bloomberg's anti-gun organizations and the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association will try to further their elitist agenda with the same capriciousness that Jim Crow-era sheriffs used the pistol purchase permitting process to deny African Americans the right to keep and bear arms. North Carolina is no place for dangerous, racist legislation like this, and the people of this state deserve nothing less than a full repeal of this Jim Crow law. I will be monitoring your actions on this issue closely through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina. Respectfully,

What Is Good Moral Character?

North Carolina HB110 and SB90 as currently written were meant to allow the protection of a religious congregation that rented a school building for their services. It was even titled, "The Religious Assembly Security and 6 Protection Act of 2019." It would allow those with a concealed handgun permit to carry a handgun on school property after school hours while in a building used for religious services. In other words, a person could serve as church security.

The NC Senate Judiciary Committee in its infinite wisdom is proposing to gut the bill and change it into one dealing with pistol purchase permits and concealed handgun permits. It would change the cost of a pistol purchase permit from $5 to $25 but would now allow unlimited numbers of purchases on the same permit for five years. That proposal has the anti-rights forces such as NCGV in an uproar because there was no limit on how many handguns you could buy with one background check.

More importantly, the proposed committee substitute would apply the same "good moral character" requirement for a pistol purchase permits (now called a Class B Handgun Permit) to the NC Concealed Handgun Permit. What is good moral character? We don't know because it is such an amorphous phrase. It is right up there with "justifiable need" as many May-Issue permit states use as a criteria. Does someone who writes angry letters to the editor or has a Confederate flag hanging in their basement lack good moral character? Would an avowed atheist be considered to lack good moral character if the local sheriff was a deacon in his or her fundamentalist church?

The proposed committee substitute which isn't even published on the General Assembly's website is being pushed by the North Carolina Sheriffs Association and their director Eddie Caldwell. It is a power move on their part as all revenue from all permits would now go to the sheriff rather than being shared with the NC Department of Public Safety. Thanks to dedicated volunteers in Grass Roots North Carolina who keep their ear to the ground we even know about this PCS. The staff attorney prepared this bare bones summary which omits the key issue regarding the good moral character requirement.

This proposed committee substitute must be stopped as it would convert our shall-issue permit into a may-issue permit through the "good moral character" requirement. Grass Roots North Carolina has prepared the following alert asking people to both call and write the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee as well as Republican leaders and say NO.

SHERIFFS GRAB POWER TO DENY PERMITS

Links for social media: https://tinyurl.com/y3w7syp9 OR https://www.grnc.org/defend-your-rights/recent-grnc-alerts/1068-senate-republicans-to-gut-concealed-carry This is not a drill, and this is not a joke. Republicans in Raleigh are in the process of gutting NC’s “shall issue” concealed carry permit application structure... Regarding concealed carry permit (CHP) applications, we are furious (yes, furious ) to be forced to announce that the Republicans you sent to Raleigh have snuck language into the Proposed Committee Substitute (PCS) of a bill that would, in essence, transform North Carolina from a “SHALL ISSUE” state into a “MAY ISSUE” state. We at GRNC are incensed and you ought to be as well. As you know, GRNC engineered NC's "shall issue" concealed carry law in 1995. Since then, GRNC has been instrumental in greatly improving it with restaurant carry, limited school/campus carry and more. We're not about to stand by and watch a naked power grab by NC's sheriffs, aided by Republican senators, roll back all of our progress. Are You of “Good Moral Character?” Last week, in Raleigh, Republicans snuck new language into a PCS for Senate Bill S90 ("Protect Religious Meeting Places") (=H110), and it’s worth noting that, initially, S90 was not even written to deal with the concealed carry application process. It’s also worth noting that before the poisonous PCS, S90 was a promising pro-gun bill. Yet, the PCS language strips “shall issue” status from the people and confers “may issue” power to your county sheriff. According to the PCS, a sheriff can deny CHPs by claiming applicants are not of “Good Moral Character,” the same shameful Jim Crow-era language that still exists on Pistol Purchase Permit applications, which GRNC has been fighting to eliminate. And you’ve probably guessed already: there is no strict definition for “good moral character,” and truly, no definition would suffice in this context anyway. Therefore (and conveniently), lacking “good moral character,” grounds for denying a CHP, is an open-ended label that any sheriff could attach to any applicant for any reason. Shifting Power from Citizen to Sheriff Lest you wonder, “good moral character” has nothing to do with an applicant’s criminal history. Exhaustive, indeed intrusive, criminal and medical background checks, and (de facto) long waiting periods are already part of the CHP application process. The sheriff’s personal, subjective and nebulous analysis of your character can have no legitimate purpose. The only clear purpose of this language in S90’s PCS is to take power away from you, the law-abiding citizen, and hand it to your county sheriff to lord over you, so he can withhold your rights at will. Perhaps you’re thinking, “Sheriffs would never use this new power to deny permits to qualified people.” Yet, if they’d never use their newfound power, why enshrine it in our state’s laws? It can have only one purpose, and if there is no intention to use it (now or later), it would not have been proposed as substitute language for S90. What You Can Do Are you prepared to live in a state that treats gun rights the way California does—like “gun privileges?” Are you ready to cede your Natural rights to your county’s sheriff, so he can ration them back to you as he sees fit? If not, please join other gun rights supporters in putting an immediate halt to this attack on your gun rights (from the Republicans no less!). Once again, we must remind these politicians who “brung ‘em” to the dance, and it looks like we’ll have to be more stern than usual. Below, see how you can easily contact Senate Judiciary Committee members (and Sen. Berger) to tell them, emphatically, that any vote, indeed any support whatsoever, for S90’s Proposed Committee Substitute will be considered a severe and blatant anti-gun action!  Support "Rights Watch International" Learn more about Rights Watch International You shop. Amazon Gives. (What is Amazon Smile?)

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

EMAIL MEMBERS OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Use the copy/paste email list provided below and the copy/paste text provided under ‘Deliver This Message.  PHONE REPUBLICAN LEADERS & YOUR SENATOR: This is serious and so phone calls to committee chairs and to your own senator are just as important as sending an email message. Call today and leave a message; call Monday and call Tuesday. That's how important this is. Please use the phone numbers provided below to contact Judiciary Committee leaders. Also, please call your own senator (find contact details below). When you reach each senator's office, tell him or her: I am a gun rights voter, and I am enraged that Republicans are seeking to force a huge step backwards for gun rights in our state. The ostensibly pro-gun party should be ashamed to be identified as the party that introduced Senate Bill 90's PCS language, which would grant "may issue" power to sheriffs for Concealed Carry Permits, stripping citizens of the unalienable portion of unalienable rights. Any Senator supporting this PCS will be considered anti-gun, and will pay at the polls. Thank you. ATTEND TUESDAY'S COMMITTEE HEARING: The presence of gun rights voters at this meeting is critical. Committee members must know that we see what they're trying to do, and that we're serious about stopping them. Please attend Tuesday's committee meeting. You may have an opportunity to speak, so arrive early in case you need to sign up. Find details below. PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO GRNC: Help us fight gun control while we promote Second Amendment principles. Please CLICK HERE to contribute. Bear in mind that GRNC is an all-volunteer organization, so you can be sure your donations are put to the best possible use. Any amount helps, and any amount is appreciated. NC Senate Judiciary Committee, Copy/Paste Email List: Dan.Bishop@ncleg.net; Dan.Blue@ncleg.net; Danny.Britt@ncleg.net; Harry.Brown@ncleg.net; Jim.Burgin@ncleg.net; Warren.Daniel@ncleg.net; Jim.Davis@ncleg.net; Toby.Fitch@ncleg.net; Kathy.Harrington@ncleg.net; Rick.Horner@ncleg.net; Brent.Jackson@ncleg.net; Jeff.Jackson@ncleg.net; Natasha.Marcus@ncleg.net; Mujtaba.Mohammed@ncleg.net; Paul.Newton@ncleg.net; Terry.VanDuyn@ncleg.net; Phil.Berger@ncleg.net Senate Member Phone Senator Danny Britt, Jr. Senate Judiciary Committee Co-chair (919) 733-5651 Senator Warren Daniel Senate Judiciary Committee Co-chair (919) 715-7823 Senator Phil Berger Senate President Pro Tempore (919) 733-5708 Please call your senator, too. Need name/contact information? Click Here and select the 'NC Senate' option to find your senator. Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee Attend to Stop the Gutting of Concealed Carry WHEN:  Tuesday, June 18, 2019, 10:00 am WHERE:  NCGA Legislative Building Room 1124/1224 16 West Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601 IMPORTANT NOTES: Please arrive early to allow extra time to park and to get through building security. 60 minutes early is recommended. Please dress for the press. Business attire preferred. Please no inflammatory slogans on clothing or otherwise. Please bring a roll-up paper sign with the following message on it: "SENATOR BERGER: DON'T GUT CONCEALED CARRY"

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: "Don’t Gut Concealed Carry"   Dear Senator: I have just learned of the Republican Party’s effort to transform North Carolina’s concealed carry permit (CHP) application structure from “shall issue” to “may issue.” I see that Senate Judiciary Committee members have snuck language into S90’s Proposed Committee Substitute (PCS) that would grant sheriffs unchecked power to deny concealed carry permits to any applicant, any time, for effectively any reason. The PCS’s language, which poisons an otherwise pro-gun bill, allows a sheriff to declare that an applicant, any applicant, is not of “good moral character.” This is the same shameful Jim Crow-era language that still exists on the Pistol Purchase Permit application, language that ought to be removed (not added elsewhere). Of course, “good moral character” has no particular definition, nor would any be satisfactory given the context. Exhaustive and intrusive background checks and (de facto) long waiting periods are already part of the CHP application process. The sheriff’s personal, subjective and nebulous analysis of an applicant’s “character” has precisely zero legitimacy. Clearly, its only purpose is to wrest power from the law-abiding citizen and hand it to our county sheriffs to lord over the citizens, so sheriffs can withhold Natural rights by fiat. This is unacceptable! I am incensed that the committee members, especially those in the Republican Party, would even consider such an anti-gun scheme. North Carolina is not California, it is not New York, and gun voters will not allow this state to transform into one of these states in the context of the Second Amendment. Be warned: Any favorable vote, even the slightest measure of support for S90’s PCS, with its “good moral character” clause, will be perceived as a threat to every gun rights voter in this state, myself included. Do not doubt it, backing S90’s PCS will be recorded as an extreme anti-gun action! Put a stop to S90’s anti-gun PCS now. I will be monitoring your actions on this critical matter through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina Respectfully,

UPDATE: My sources in GRNC tell me the bill has been pulled from the committee calendar. It appears the committee heard from you.

HB 86 - A Bill To Californicate North Carolina Gun Laws

House Bill 86 - Gun Violence Prevention Act - was introduced into the North Carolina House of Representatives yesterday. The date was chosen to coincide with the Parkland shootings of a year ago. The primary sponsors of the bill are Rep. Christy Clark (D-Mecklenburg), Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford), Rep. Marcia Morey (D-Durham), and Rep. Shelly Willingham (D-Edgecombe and Martin).

The bill is a laundry list of gun control wish items. However, having read the bill I see nothing in it that actually would reduce the criminal misuse of a firearm. Instead it impacts the legal ownership of firearms in such a way as to discourage firearms ownership.

The bill would:

1. Require a permit for the purchase of any pistol, "assault weapon", or long gun. I see no exemptions in the bill other than a NC CHP for receipt of a firearm. In other words, as a Curios and Relics FFL I would still need a permit or my CHP to receive a firearm.
2. Imposes a 3-day waiting period after purchase "or agreement to give away or transfer, the pistol, assault weapon, or long gun."
3. Defines an "assault weapon" to include the usual list of ARs, AKs, etc. It does add Saiga 12 shotguns, any semiautomatic centerfire rifle that has one or more of the "evil features" such as a pistol grip or adjustable stock, any semiautomatic pistol that accepts a magazine outside of the pistol grip, semiauto shotguns that can take a detachable magazine, and those shotguns with a revolving cylinder.
4. Modification of the pistol purchase permit to include "assault weapons" and long guns.
5. Bans sale, possession, or carrying "assault weapons" by those under the age of 21 with certain exceptions.
6. Bans bump stocks and trigger cranks including those possessed prior to December 1, 2019.
7. Requires safe storage of all firearms except when being carried or used by the owner or legally authorized user. Violation is a Class A1 midemeanor and would add punitive damages in civil lawsuits.
8. Repeal universal concealed handgun permit reciprocity. North Carolina currently accepts any out of state CCW as valid for carry within the state.
9. Requires the reporting of any stolen firearm within 48 hours. It makes it a Class 3 misdemeanor for the first violation and a Class I felony for the second violation.
10. Requires liability insurance for all gun owners of not less than $100,000.
11. Limits magazine size to 15 rounds for pistols and rifles; limits shotgun magazines to 8 shells; limits shotgun tubes to no more than 8 shells. Bans "large capacity" magazines and requires all new magazines made in NC to have date of manufacture imprinted on them. Grandfathers pre-December 1, 2019 magazines so long as continuous ownership is maintained.
12. Repeals state preemption of local firearm regulations.
13. Mandates destruction of seized firearms.
14. Adopts the California Roster of Handguns and adopts their testing requirements. If your handgun is not on the roster, it can only be sold to either a sheriff or a FFL. No mention of microstamping in the bill's language though that is a feature of the California Roster.

The full bill can be read here.

Rep. Christy Clark (D-Mecklenburg), the lead primary sponsor, is a first-term representative who was one of two politicians to get the Everytown for Gun Safety endorsement in North Carolina. She was also a chapter leader for the Demanding Moms. I'm still looking over her contribution list for funding from Everytown. She was cited by the State Board of Elections for failing to properly identify donors who gave more than $50.

Omnibus Gun Reform Bill Introduced In North Carolina

House Bill 61 - Omnibus Gun Changes - was introduced into the North Carolina House of Representatives yesterday. The primary sponsors of the bill are Rep. Larry Pittman (R- Cabarrus and Rowan), Rep. Larry Potts (R- Davidson), and Rep. Keith Kidwell (R- Beaufort and Craven).

The most salient thing this bill does is to reintroduce permitless concealed carry into North Carolina. As open carry of firearms is a constitutional right in the state, this bill would extend it to concealed carry of firearms. Concealed Handgun Permits would still be available and the bill has language that encourages people to obtain them if they plan to travel out of state or want to facilitate the purchase of a firearm.

The bill would also make it an infraction as opposed to a misdemeanor to carry concealed on posted private property. It would remain a misdemeanor to carry while one has alcohol or a controlled substance in his or her bloodstream. Exceptions are made for controlled substances that have been prescribed and are being taken in therapeutic amounts.

Much of the bill just reiterates where one can or cannot carry a firearm such as courthouses, the grounds of the Legislative Buildings, or the Executive Mansion. It goes on to state that one can carry open or concealed at state rest stops and state parks.

Finally, the bill orders the State Board of Education to develop an elective course on comprehensive firearms safety in consultation with law enforcement agencies and "firearms associations". This course would be an elective to facilitate the learning of STEM principles. The bill also orders the State Board of Election to develop another elective course on wildlife conservation based upon the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Consultation for the course development would be with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, the Division of Marine Fisheries, and the Wildlife Management Institute.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

H. 61 is similar to H. 746 which was the last sessions' bill that authorized permitless carry. As you may remember, it passed the House in 2017 but stalled in the State Senate when the spineless Republican leadership failed to even schedule hearings of the bill. Ostensibly the Republicans wanted to preserve their super-majority. Given the 2018 election results, that was a failure on their part as they lost their super-majority anyway.

We Don't Want To Be California

With apologies to my good friends in the gun rights movement from California, we don't want to be you. You have things we in North Carolina just don't want and this includes your California Handgun Roster. This should be patently obvious to every legislator, Democrat or Republican, in the North Carolina General Assembly but sadly it is not.

Representatives Verla Insko (D-Orange), Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford), and Marcia Morey (D-Durham) have introduced HB 1060 which would establish a handgun roster for North Carolina. Actually, it goes further and straight out adopts the California Handgun Roster in its totality.

Development; Prohibition. – The Department shall develop a roster of handguns determined not to be unsafe based off the California Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale. Except as provided in subsections (d) and (e) of this section, it is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to (i) manufacture, sell, give, loan, import, or otherwise transfer a handgun that is not listed on the roster as of January 1 of the calendar year in which the handgun is to be sold, given, loaned, imported, or otherwise transferred or (ii) own or possess a handgun that is not listed on the roster as of January 1 of the applicable calendar year, unless the person, firm, or corporation lawfully owned or possessed the handgun prior to that date.

It goes without saying that this is nothing but a political stunt by these anti-gun Democrats as the General Assembly has a Republican super-majority. While I am pissed at the Republican leadership for dragging their feet on permitless concealed carry, I am reasonably sure that they won't let any gun control bill like this see the light of day.

Of the three representatives, only Pricey Harrison is a North Carolinian born and bred. Insko was born in Arkansas and grew up in California while Morey is from Illinois and educated there. Morey, it should be noted, was appointed and not elected to the House as she replaced a representative who had died. Of note about Harrison, she is the great-granddaughter of Julian Price who founded the Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company which through mergers is now known as Lincoln Financial. Her grandparents were well-known philantropists in Greensboro. My point is that Harrison grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth and somewhere along the way adopted the leftist orientation that many of those who never had to struggle seem to adopt.

HB 1039 - North Carolina's School Self-Defense Act Introduced

House Bill 1039 - School Self-Defense Act - has been introduced into the North Carolina House of Representatives. The bill will have a formal unveiling at a press conference to be held this coming Tuesday at 10:30am in the Legislative Building. The authors of this bill include many pro-gun legislators. Moreover, they sought the input of Grass Roots North Carolina in their drafting of the bill.

From the GRNC Alert:

PRESS CONFERENCE: SCHOOL SELF-DEFENSE ACT

Children will only be safe when adults are permitted to protect them … This Tuesday, the sponsors of the “School Self-Defense Act” (HB 1039) will be publicly introducing the bill, and you’re invited. GRNC was involved in creating this bill as well as directing input to the offices of the Speaker and the House Rules Chair, and we’re excited about its introduction. This is GRNC's answer to all of the counterproductive, and worse, gun-grabbing "solutions" proposed by the left. We all have a stake (an understatement) in protecting school children, so GRNC and the sponsors of this bill would like for those closest to the issue, parents and particularly teachers to attend this unveiling. Parents and especially teachers, please attend this press conference. HB 1039 This bill, sponsored by Representatives Mark Brody, John Blust, George Cleveland, Larry Pittman and Michael Speciale, would allow certain members of school faculty or staff to carry a handgun on school grounds to respond quickly to acts of violence and imminent threats of violence. Finally, a few courageous legislators are stepping outside of the circular rhetoric and are proposing a practical and effective solution that will actually protect the children. Calling All Teachers and Parents It is very important that you attend this press conference. Seeing you there will help the General Assembly members recognize that the people are serious about this, and your presence may even help the politicians develop spines. Please see below for details.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

EMAIL THE SPEAKER AND THE RULES COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN. Use the copy/paste details provided under 'Deliver This Message' to insist on a hearing for this bill. ATTEND TUESDAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE: As soon as you can, please contact GRNC at this email address, directorofdevelopment@grnc.org, and let us know you're coming. More details below. This Tuesday, June 5, at 10:30 AM, meet GRNC representatives here: Legislative Building Printed Bills Office 16 W. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601 A couple of notes: It’s probably best to arrive in Raleigh by 10:00 AM to make sure you find parking. Please “dress for the press.” Professional attire preferred. Firearms are not allowed on the grounds of the General Assembly.

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Send to:  Tim.Moore@ncleg.net; David.Lewis@ncleg.net Suggested Subject: "The School Self-Defense Act Must Receive a Hearing"     Dear Speaker Moore and Chairman Lewis: I am writing to insist on a hearing for the "School Self-Defense Act" (HB 1039). I was quite elated when I heard that several courageous legislators have stepped forward to develop a practical and effective solution to the school safety issues we are currently facing. It's about time we stepped out of the endless cycle of rhetoric, and took actual steps to defend our children. This bill, HB 1039, does just that.  Due to the potentially imminent nature of this problem, time is short. Please do not position yourself as the one standing between school children and their safety. Rather, make sure the School Self-Defense Act receives a hearing immediately. NC Parents and Teachers need this, school children need it even more, and that's why I'm insisting on it. I will be monitoring your actions on this issue through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina.  Respectfully,

GRNC Alert About Legislative School Safety Meeting

As a follow-up to my earlier post regarding the meeting on Wednesday of the NC Joint Legislative Committee on School Safety, here is an alert from Grass Roots North Carolina with more information and a request to email committee members if you can't attend.

HELP DEVELOP NC'S SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN

Wednesday, state legislators are hearing arguments that will inform life-and-death decisions regarding school security. Please be there … 
This Meeting Needs Your Voice
At the state legislature, the House Select Committee on School Safety will be meeting on Wednesday at 9:00 AM. There may be opportunities for public comments, and it is critical that this not be a one-sided discussion. We all know that the anti-gun-rights crowd will have people there to demand policies that will only make things worse. Due to the deadly serious nature of this topic, ineffective, feel-good schemes cannot be allowed to take hold. Please make every effort to attend these meetings. Below, find details on the upcoming meetings.

Gun-free Zones: the Psychotic-Killer Loophole
The most effective way to reduce mass public shootings is for our elected officials to wise up and eliminate dangerous gun-free zones (GFZs). Documented evidence tells us that criminals and psychotics carefully choose GFZs to commit their heinous acts, because they know they will not be met with timely armed resistance.

All but two of U.S. mass shootings since 1950 have occurred in so-called
“gun-free” zones.
That’s 98%!

Along with improved security provisions, such as fewer unlocked entrances and generally beefed up security, the most effective way to protect school children is to proclaim that any attack will likely be met with rapid armed resistance from an unpredictable source; that source would be teachers and other school personnel. 

Remove the Shackles
Of course, teachers who do not want to carry defensive weapons should not be required to. However, the shackles must be removed from those willing to mount effective resistance should the worst occur. Some seem very concerned about teachers using weapons during a dire emergency, but consider the alternative: bullets flying in only one direction and resulting in the deaths of many innocent and helpless people. Any objection to evening those odds seems entirely unreasonable. Let’s demand that legislators close the psychotic-killer loophole!

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

EMAIL THE REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE MEMBERS: CLICK HERE to generate one of two email messages, and then CLICK HERE to send an email to the other half of the committee Republicans. After each click, check your email program. An email should have been generated for you. Simply add you name to the bottom and hit ‘send.’  (This 'click' method likely won't work with gmail. Please use the delivery method/information listed under 'Deliver This Message' if using gmail). If an email was not generated automatically, or wasn’t generated properly, send the email using the copy/paste email list and the copy/paste text provided below, under ‘Deliver This Message.’ ATTEND THE SCHOOL SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING: It’s critical that the public be involved in these meetings, especially because it’s the safety of the citizenry’s own children that is being debated. Practical and effective solutions from concerned citizens like you must be discussed, and ought to dominate the conversation. But without you there to speak, or at least to support the speakers by your presence, that may not happen. Please attend. Find the meeting details below.  MEETING DETAILS: WHAT: House Select Committee on School Safety WHEN: Wednesday, March 21, 9:00 AM (arrive an hour early if possible) WHERE: Legislative Office Building, Rm. 643 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC (directions: https://www.ncleg.net/help/directions.html)     NOTES: Dress for the press. Please dress professionally with no inflammatory slogans or the like on clothing.   Arrive early. To deal with any parking issues, and to make sure you get a seat. Arriving at least one hour early is recommended.

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Copy/Paste email List(s): 

Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net, Bill.Brawley@ncleg.net, Brenden.Jones@ncleg.net, Chris.Malone@ncleg.net, Cody.Henson@ncleg.net, Craig.Horn@ncleg.net, Dana.Bumgardner@ncleg.net, David.Lewis@ncleg.net, Donna.White@ncleg.net, Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.net, Harry.Warren@ncleg.net, Holly.Grange@ncleg.net, Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net, Jason.Saine@ncleg.net, Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.net,

Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net, John.Bell@ncleg.net, John.Faircloth@ncleg.net, John.Torbett@ncleg.net, Josh.Dobson@ncleg.net, Justin.Burr@ncleg.net, Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net, Larry.Strickland@ncleg.net, Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net, Nelson.Dollar@ncleg.net, Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net, Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.net, Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net, Ted.Davis@ncleg.net

*Due to the limitations of some email programs and some spam filtering systems, it may be best to send this email in multiple groups. Use the copy/paste emails above, as separated into groups, to send the message to the respective set of recipients.

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Suggested Subject: 

"For School Safety: End Gun-Free Zones"  

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Dear Committee Member:

I am writing today in reference to your service on the House Select Committee on School Safety.

Since the recent disturbing events in Florida, all the usual gun-control voices have called for all the usual ineffective and unconstitutional schemes. None of these useless and ominous notions are acceptable, and I insist that you not lend them credence during your upcoming committee meetings. I do expect you to discuss school security concepts that are actually effective and will truly result in the protection of school children.

Removing the shackles from school employees who have concealed handgun permits would be the simplest and most effective solution. The legislature could do this almost immediately by removing the dangerous gun-free zone (GFZ) status from school buildings and grounds. Teachers and other school staff are no danger to students. If they were, we wouldn’t allow them unfettered, daily access to our children. Yet, the threat of swift armed resistance from an unpredictable source is a highly effective deterrent. This is why a full 98% of all mass public shooting since 1950 have occurred in so-called “gun-free” zones. Should the worst occur, teachers defending their students with deadly force is not such a terrible thing when you imagine the alternative. Indeed, no imagination is necessary, as recent events have shown us exactly what the alternative looks like.

A large number of teachers are already willing and ready for classroom carry. A recent Elon University Poll of North Carolina teachers (which skewed heavily Democrat) revealed that roughly 20% of teachers are open to the idea of concealed handguns in the classroom. Consider that the number of every day citizens who legally carry a gun in our state is something less than 10%. This means the number of teachers willing to consider classroom carry is at least twice the number in the general population who already carry a handgun. This is great news, and further evidence that dangerous GFZs have run their course. 

Our children’s very lives are at stake. I demand that your time on the School Safety committee be used to consider and implement only practical and effective policies. I will be monitoring your actions on this matter through Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.

Respectfully,