Posted on 08/01/2002 12:00:01 PM PDT by pabianice
In 1998, Massachusetts passed the most viciously punitive, anti-Second Amendment set of laws in the United States. Known as “Chapter 180 of the Laws of 1998,” they made lawful ownership of any firearm (didn’t touch illegal ownership, of course) difficult and getting a license to carry firearms almost impossible. Along with over 60 pages of technical details that not one legislator in 100 read or understood, the anti-gun hysterics gave to local police chiefs absolute and unappealable power to grant or deny a license to own a long gun or handgun; each of Massachusetts’ 351 police chiefs can do whatever he or she damn well wants. If he doesn’t like Jews and you’re a Jew, no LTC. If she doesn’t like NRA members and you’re an NRA member, no LTC. And 180 makes this unappealable – you cannot as a part of the process elevate a denial to court. If you own a firearm, you are not permitted to move without first notifying, via registered mail, your new town’s COP, your old town’s COP, and the Massachusetts Criminal Records Bureau (if you own a firearm lawfully in MA the new law automatically makes you a criminal). The state supreme court has already ruled that it is unconstitutional to make convicted child molesters register with the police, but they think it's just fine to do the same to lawful gun owners. There’s more, but you get the picture.
Well, 180 is so egregious and so unconstitutional that many state legislators and senators have pushed for common-sense modifications. One would make the permit the size of a driver’s license (the current permit is purposefully made too big to fit into your wallet – more harassment). Another change would allow people who were in a fight in high school 30 years ago to get a permit now. The current law prohibits you from getting a permit for life if someone took a swing at you in the lunchroom in 1970 and someone subsequently filed a complaint. One Vietnam vet was denied a permit as “unsuitable” because, in 1970, just back from Vietnam, he got into a fight with a hippie who called him a “baby killer” and then threw a punch at him. There are more such common-sense changes proposed in a piece of legislation.
The state house passed the changes recently, and the bill went to the senate. And there, it was killed by one man, Senate President-for-Life Thomas “Baby Doc” Birmingham. Birmingham is owned part and parcel by the gun-grabbers and they ordered him not to let it come to a vote in the senate. So, despite having the votes to pass in the senate and thus become law, Birmingham refused to let it come to a vote and it has died. Four years’ work by thousands of well-meaning people down the toilet because Mr. Birmingham is owned by special interests. Thomas Birmingham is Massachusetts’ clone of Thomas Daschle – both senate leaders who are so power-hungry and mean-spirited that the only things they care about is (1) their own power and (2) $$ from the Liberal special interest groups (Massachusetts is near the top of the 50 states in money given to Democrats by Liberal special interests from both in and out of state).
Calls to Mr. Birmingham’s office on this issue (Room 332, State House, Boston, MA, 02133, Telephone: (617) 722-1500, Fax: (617) 248-3840) are blocked by office drones who demand to know what town you are calling from (presumably for pay-back for your having the nerve to challenge the emperor).
If ever there was evidence why the current system of MA state government needs to be flushed, Mr. Birmingham is it.
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