Mediaboss Marketing

MOUNT OLIVE TWP. Mayor Rob Greenbaum doesnt want the town to be a Second Amendment Sanctuary but Township Councilman Alex Roman thinks its a good idea.

"I want to make sure that the state doesn't impose any more restrictions on our Second Amendment rights," Roman said on Friday. "It's slowly being eroded away. Restricting legal gun users doesn't improve safety."

At Roman's request, the council will consider the designation at the Tuesday, Feb. 4, meeting.

The designation is included in a proposed resolution forwarded by the newly-formed Morris County chapter of NJ2ASanctuary. The group is part of a statewide and nationwide pushback against gun control laws.

The Morris County chapter forwarded a sample, non-binding resolution to the township, asking for officials to adopt the sanctuary designation in opposition to gun controls. Similar resolutions have been adopted in a few towns in the state. The Gifford Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence reported that New Jersey has the second toughest gun laws in the nation, behind California.

"It's pretty much to tell the state that we're legal gun owners and the government of Mount Olive will support legal gun owners," Roman said.

Assemblyman Parker Space, R-Morris, and at least a dozen members of the New Jersey sanctuary group attended a rally in Richmond, Va., on Monday, Jan. 20, that attracted thousands of gun owners who want officials to defend Second Amendment Rights. There were no major incidents despite fears of violence by supporters and opponents of gun laws.

Roman did not attend the rally but spoke about it at the Jan. 21 council meeting.

"I was mostly appalled by the media characterization leading up to and including during the (rally)," Roman said.

He said media reported that "white nationalist, extremist, the all nine yards" were expected at the rally.

"And it turns out that like most Second Amendment gun owners, nothing happened," he said. "People who follow the laws are generally peaceful."

The mayor won't support designating the township as a "Second Amendment Sanctuary" but he said he does support Second Amendment rights.

I do support Second Amendment rights but I am not in favor of bringing Mount Olive to this politically charged issue, Greenbaum said previously.

Council President Joe Nicastro said that he supports the Second Amendment but doesnt like the connotation of a sanctuary town. Many people might confuse it with the sanctuary city movement that offers protection to immigrants without legal documents, he said.

Nicastro said he supports some gun controls such as the Red Flag law which allows authorities to seize weapons from people that a judge has deemed a danger to themselves or others.

Sanctuary has the connotation of providing a refuge for breaking laws, Nicastro said.

Mark Cheesman of Washington Township in Gloucester County is involved in the statewide sanctuary movement. He helped write the sample resolutions and said they no longer contain the word sanctuary. It now refers to Second Amendment Friendly towns.

Nicastro said he doesnt understand why a person would need a high-round or large capacity magazine or a semi-automatic assault style rifle. Semi-automatic weapons are prohibited in New Jersey and in 2018, the state passed a series of gun laws including banning magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Ive been struggling with this, Nicastro said. Im not against all gun controls. I favor Red Flag laws but I dont understand the need for a high-bullet magazine.

Cheesman said that the gun control effort wants to stay focused although it has drawn people calling for the recall of Gov. Phil Murphy, who support President Trump and those who are against mandatory vaccinations in schools. The Recall Governor Phil Murphy Facebook page refers to the mayors support for gun controls, undocumented immigrants and taxes.

We dont want anything to do with the recall, Cheesman said. We wont allow recall Murphy people to be on our Facebook or our coat tails.

Cheesman said the gun control laws in New Jersey have became gradually tougher, beginning with laws in 1970 prohibiting concealed handguns to restrictions on magazines.

Our goal is to incrementally restore what has been taken away from us, said Cheesman who was part of a lawsuit filed in federal court in 2016 that overturned New Jerseys ban on possession of stun guns. .

Cheesman said he attended the Jan. 20 rally in Virginia

The rally was very, very peaceful, Cheesman said. My biggest problem was finding a cup of coffee.

Martin B. Welzmuller of Mount Olive helped organize an initial meeting of sanctuary supporters on Thursday, Jan. 23, at Franks Pizza in Flanders. More than 44 people attended.

Remember everyone who came out tonight send your resolutions in by this Saturday to the Freeholders and the one to your town clerks office, Welzmuller said on the groups Facebook page.

Among those attending was William J. Hayden of Branchville, a gun control opponent from Branchville who describes himself on Facebook as a strong supporter of President Trump and a Skylands Tea Party President, patriot, horse owner, bmx racer, tiger tamer!

The Morris County Freeholders and the Morris County Sheriffs Department have not received requests to declare sanctuaries.

The all-Republican Cape May Freeholders voted on Jan. 14 to declaring the county to be a Second Amendment/Lawful Gun Owner Sanctuary.

The Sussex County Freeholders heard public comments on Wednesday, Jan. 22, from people who oppose and support gun laws. Speakers included Assemblyman Space and Hayden, who both attended the Virginia rally.

A draft resolution on declaring the county as Second Amendment Sanctuary is expected to be considered at the Freeholders next meeting on Feb. 5.

Read the original post:
'Second Amendment Sanctuary' proposal on Mount Olive agenda - New Jersey Hills

HURST -- Jack Wilson stood before 600 churchgoers Sunday for a different kind of service, one that emphasized the need to train armed parishioners in case they ever confront an attacker like Wilson did at his church in White Settlement.

Theres no question, Wilson, 71, advised the crowd gathered at North Pointe Baptist Church in Hurst. If you see someone and they display a gun, its time to act.

The event marked the first time Wilson has spoken at a major church safety seminar since he shot the assailant who opened fire Dec. 29 in West Freeway Church of Christ and killed two worshipers. Hes received at least 20 more invitations to address similar trainings that are surging in popularity after a series of deadly church shootings.

Wilson, a firearms instructor who trains his congregations volunteer safety team, used his platform to emphasize the importance of practice and preparation. He also warned of an attack on the Second Amendment, specifically criticizing Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg, who has made addressing gun violence a focus of his campaign.

If we were operating under Bloombergs position, we wouldnt have had any guns in there, Wilson said in an interview. The outcome would have been extremely more severe than it was.

Wilson said the attacker, who police identified as 43-year-old Keith Thomas Kinnunen, had seven more rounds in his shotgun and three more in his pocket.

"Mr. Wilson certainly acted bravely, but the killer had a history of violence and mental health issues and under Mikes plan, he would never (have) had a gun, Elizabeth Lewis, a spokeswoman for his Bloombergs campaign, said in a statement Monday.

As Wilson now finds himself in a position of public fame, it remains to be seen whether he will use his clout in the political arena. He is running as a Republican for Hood County commissioner in the March 3 primary and firearms will likely emerge as a campaign issue. Addressing gun violence in wake of mass shootings in El Paso and Midland-Odessa is expected to be a priority when state lawmakers return to Austin in 2021.

Wilson has been praised by Republican leaders such as Gov. Greg Abbott as a hero and example of a good guy with a gun." Advocates for gun control, however, have questioned whether the attack would have occurred if stricter laws had been in place.

Ed Scruggs of the advocacy group Texas Gun Sense recently told The Dallas Morning News that the attacker in White Settlement, who he noted had a criminal history and showed signs of mental instability, was a walking poster for the need for a red-flag law.

Those laws generally allow judges to temporarily remove guns from those deemed a danger to themselves or others. The policy, however, has faced fierce pushback in Texas from gun rights advocates, including Stephen Willeford, who confronted the gunman in the Sutherland Springs church attack. Wilson also opposes them.

If somebody wants a gun, he said, they can get it whenever they want, red flag laws or not.

Wearing a black cowboy hat and a grey suit coat, Wilson was something of a celebrity at the Sheepdog Seminar on church safety Sunday.

A few men asked Wilson to pose for selfies with them, which he did. Other parishioners shook his hand or clapped him on the back, offering words of thanks. Most of the time Wilson was flanked by a volunteer security team member, who was there for the event and wore a collared shirt, a sidearm and an earpiece connected to a radio.

After Wilson answered a few questions at the start of the four-hour program, those in attendance rose among the wooden pews to give him a standing ovation.

I hope the outcome of all this is getting people to become aware of their surroundings, to become aware they are responsible, in a large part, for their safety and well-being, whether they are in church, a grocery store, or wherever, Wilson said in an interview.

Such awareness was on full display Sunday, when the seminars leader, pastor and retired police officer Jimmy Meeks, asked for prayers for Wilson and his church.

Were going to ask you to pray differently from here on out, Meeks said. Do not bow your heads. He instead asked congregants to keep their heads raised to remain alert.

Wilson said he noticed Kinnunen at church that Sunday because of the fake beard and long coat he was wearing. Wilson asked that one of the church cameras, usually used to stream the days service online, be focused on the man. A member of the volunteer protection team, 67-year-old Richard White, positioned himself behind Kinnenun, who sat in one of the back pews.

When the man turned his gun on parishioners Anton Tony Wallace and White, Wilson drew his firearm.

I know Gods hand was on mine when I did take the shot, he said. It was meant to be and thats how I am handling the situation.

Since the shooting, nearly 20 members of the congregation have approached Wilson, saying they want to get their license to carry. Members of the churchs volunteer security team are still training on the firing range, some with an even greater focus, Wilson said. Last week, Whites wife came to shoot, he said.

If you sign up for a security team, practice, train, practice, train, he said, because if you dont do that, when it comes down to the real life scenario, you probably will not react as you need to.

Here is the original post:
Man who stopped White Settlement church shooting warns of attack on Second Amendment - The Dallas Morning News

By DJ Rippert

Sticks and stones? Del. Jeffrey M. Bourne, D-Richmond, has introduced HB1627. The bill is entitled, Threats and harassment of certain officials and property; venue. The proposed legislation strengthens a series of very questionable laws already on the books.

The first few sections of the existing law make it illegal to make threats in written communications to kill or do bodily injury to a person in a variety of occupations and situations. For example, threats to elementary school, middle school or high school employees are called out in the existing legislation. Similarly, threats made on school buses, on school property, or against health care providers are also explicitly illegal. Beyond wondering why certain classes of people or places deserve extra protection from death threats or threats of bodily harm the existing legislation seems pretty straightforward. Ill-conceived and overly limited but straightforward.

Then comes the section entitled, Harassment by computer, penalty. This section goes well beyond outlawing death threats and threats of bodily harm. It specifically references Virginia state politicians as needing legal protection from such things as threatening illegal or immoral acts.

Snowflake protection act. The existing language of laws to be modified by HB1627 gets very broad when the topic turns to state government officials receiving threats, insults or lascivious language. To wit:

18.2-152.7:1. Harassment by computer; penalty.

If any person, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass any person, shall use a computer or computer network to communicate obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language, or make any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature, or threaten any illegal or immoral act, heshall beisguilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. A violation of this section may be prosecuted in the jurisdiction in which the communication was made or received or in the City of Richmond if the person subjected to the act is one of the following officials or employees of the Commonwealth: the Governor, Governor-elect, Lieutenant Governor, Lieutenant Governor-elect, Attorney General, or Attorney General-elect, a member or employee of the General Assembly, a justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, or a judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia.

RVA. Del Bournes major addition to Virginias existing anti-free speech legislation is apparently an attempt to move the venue for prosecution of the offenses contained in the existing law. HB1627 adds to the Harassment by Computer section of the law A violation of this section may be prosecuted in the jurisdiction in which the communication was made or received or in the City of Richmond if the person subjected to the act is one of the following officials or employees of the Commonwealth: the Governor, Governor-elect, Lieutenant Governor, Lieutenant Governor-elect, Attorney General, or Attorney General-elect, a member or employee of the General Assembly, a justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, or a judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia.

A resident of Annandale saying lascivious things about Annandale based State Sen. Dick Saslaw on the fictional blog Annandale Today would now be tried in Richmond? Having quashed the second amendment and the first amendment our new majority apparently now wants to take aim at the sixth amendment (a jury of ones peers). How many amendments are left?

Thought crimes. Once again we see existing Virginia law trying to make private human thought a crime. Intent to coerce, intimidate or harass By what magic will Virginia law enforcement officials or courts know whether the person making the statement had an intent to coerce, intimidate or harass? Would Jim Bacons column attempting to solve the Ralph Northam blackface riddle constitute coercion, intimidation or harassment? How about communicating obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious or indecent language? Thats a cornucopia of vague, ill defined adjectives that could mean just about anything to anybody. Does the new Democratic majority hope to stifle criticism of the state government by threatening legal action adjudicated in the cozy confines of Richmond using an umbrella of nonsense words (e.g. lascivious)? Does Del. Bourne hope the mere threat of enforcing vague laws using Richmond as the venue will be sufficient to stifle criticism of the Democratic majority?

Rips Wrap. This proposed bill attempts to take anti-free speech, anti-liberty, anti-American legislation and make it worse. This whole area of existing and proposed law is emblematic of a power-drunk state legislature trying to preserve and extend special privileges for itself and a few chosen groups of special interests. Why is it specifically illegal to threaten school employees or health care providers but not firemen, policemen or accountants? Why should the venue for any charges derived from this law against state politicians or state government employees be the City of Richmond (comprising less than 3% of Virginias population)? The laws that deal with threats of death or bodily harm should be repealed or expanded to cover all Virginians. The sections against the use of lewd, lascivious, etc commentary should be repealed along with an official apology from the General Assembly for ever enacting such garbage in the first place. Oh sorry was that lascivious of me?

Related

Read more:
Finished with the Second Amendment Virginia Dems Now Attack the First (and Sixth) - Bacon's Rebellion

ELIZABETH, W.Va. (WTAP) -- The Wirt County Commission passed a resolution Friday morning declaring the county "a Second Amendment sanctuary," joining Putnam County, Preston County and the community of Fort Gay in Wayne County as the only others in West Virginia to approve the designation.

The resolution cites the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, a past ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court and the West Virginia's state constitution, proclaiming the right to keep and bear arms.

In one clause of the resolution, the commission says it "is concerned about the passage of any law containing language that would unconstitutionally infringe upon the rights of the citizens of Wirt County to bear arms".

Communities in other states, including neighboring Ohio and Virginia, have passed similar resolutions while state lawmakers have considered passing gun laws in response to recent mass shootings.

Read the rest here:
Wirt County approves "Second Amendment sanctuary" resolution - WDTV

To the Editor:

In 1996, the Dickey Amendment was a rider to the U.S.omnibus spending bill. This limited federal spending on gun research and was heavily supportedby the NRA. Reasonable gun owners should all welcome the recent passage into law oflegislation championed by our own Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-Naperville). A total of $25 million was allocated to be split between the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health for this research.

Our community has experienced a mass shooting, children routinely practice school active shooter drills, and police dont know what they face in many interactions with the public. Enough is enough! Our residents and law enforcement officers deserve better.

As a gun owner, I appreciate Congresswoman Underwoods leadership on combating gun violence. This legislation is a small but crucial first step. Underwood needs to know that the community, including many gun owners, will support her and her peers as more sensible requirements to reduce gun violence are introduced.

Sensible reforms can be accomplished without impacting our rights under the Second Amendment.

William Bachman

St. Charles

Continued here:
Letter: Gun law reforms possible while respecting Second Amendment - Northwest Herald