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A SPECIAL NOTE TO MARYLAND GUN OWNERS
(October 7, 2002) The terrorist attacks that plague our region obviously raise alarm for us all. Unfortunately, it now appears that gun owners may have to be just as concerned about government's reaction to the attacks. Politicians are already playing their games, and law abiding gun owners must pay.

County Executive Doug Duncan and his crew have waved rifles in the face of TV cameras telling viewers "report to the police anyone who has one of these." People are responding accordingly, with neighbors turning in neighbors based only on the knowledge that they own guns.

The witch hunt is on, driven more by the need to condition views of an electorate about to vote than by sound police investigative procedures.

Whether because of this or from dealers giving up their customer lists, police are going door to door to interview people solely based on their suspicion of owning a rifle. The source of our angst is the wanton politicizing of a crisis, leading to apparently unconstrained police activity. Law-abiding citizens may now fall under the veil of suspicion simply for a disinterest in humoring a detective looking for any rifles he can get his hands on. We have credible reports of citizens being asked to voluntarily give over their property for police analysis as well.

A terrorist crisis such as what we face is the most important time for us to honor the Constitution, Bill of Rights and our system of government --- not suspend them.

In the interest of helping our readers avoid becoming incidential victims sacrificed on the altar of Doug Duncan's anti-gun ambitions, we asked Howard J. Fezell, a lawyer practicing in Maryland, to give us a quick summary of how to respond if police come to your door looking for your rifles. His reply is appended. We encourage you to think through what you'll do before dealing with a police visit. Bring this up with your lawyer and make sure you have sound advice ahead of time. -- Editor.

1. All contacts should be on your front porch. Nobody gets inside of the house. Better yet, talk to them through the screen door, with the screen door locked.

2. It would be a good idea to make mental notes of where you were at the time of these attacks. If they inquire about this, tell them where you were.

3. If they want to know what kind of firearms you own, just tell them to check the databases maintained by the MSP and BATF.

4. If they want to examine any firearm you own, politely decline. If they persist, then you should insist that they obtain a warrant. (It would be at this juncture that you give them the name and phone number of your lawyer, inviting them to make all further contacts through him. Politely excuse yourself and go inside.)

Howard J. Fezell, Esq.
301 846 0241
fezell @ fred.net