Minnesota Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance
You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January 2010.
"The protesters [against Iran's dictatorship] are in the streets,
but they don't have the guns."
John Bolton
Former US ambassador to the United Nations
On the Ronn Owens Show
(9 a.m.: John Bolton, former UN Ambassador, assesses the state of
foreign affairs as we look back at the first year of the Obama
administration.)
KGO radio (San Francisco)
January 25, 2010
http://www.kgoradio.com/sectional.asp?id=25704
(Go to relevant Podcast)
Utah Defensive-Display Bill Introduced: More guns may be making appearances in confrontations across Utah, adding intensity, for better or worse. Newly proposed legislation would be a green light for concealed-gun owners to openly carry firearms and, if threatened, draw or exhibit their weapons and verbally threaten deadly force… The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, said HB78 clarifies existing law with “affirmative language” that would provide gun owners another option to defend themselves or others around them. “This allows a gun owner to not have to go all the way and actually fire his gun,” Sandstrom said. “This would still be the very last resort, however. It doesn’t give you the right to just flash a gun at anyone who makes you mad.” The proposal officially allows Utahns to openly carry firearms and inform others that they are carrying a gun, not currently illegal, but not codified in law. The bill only applies to individuals who have concealed weapons permits, and “brandishing” a gun for anything less than self-defense will still be illegal…
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705359364/Guns-could-be-easily-brandished-under-proposed-law.html
Important Message for All Minnesota Carry Permit Holders!
In early December, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher sent a fund raising letter to Ramsey County carry permit holders, using names and addresses that were improperly taken from the Sheriff’s permit to carry database. The letter invited carry permit holders in Ramsey County to a shoot in a private outing at the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office indoor firearms range.
If you received such a letter from Sheriff Fletcher inviting you to shoot at his charity event, your privacy rights have been violated. GOCRA urges you to join in a criminal complaint filed with the St. Paul Police Department. Sheriff Fletcher violated Minnesota Data Privacy Laws by using permit to permit to carry files for activities that were not official business.
The text of the letter is available here: http://www.gocra-mn.org/news/ramsey-county-illegal-invitation/
On the surface, this may look harmless. It might even seem like a “nice” thing to do. However, this is a serious violation and needs to be addressed.
First, using this data for such a purpose is in direct violation of the law!
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/getpub.php?type=s&num=624.714
Subd. 14. Records. (a) A sheriff must not maintain records or data collected, made, or held under this section concerning any applicant or permit holder that are not necessary under this section to support a permit that is outstanding or eligible for renewal under subdivision 7
The translation: permit holder data is only to be used for issuing or renewing permits. Any other use is illegal. A Sheriff should know this. Further, this data is specifically classified as private criminal justice data per MN Stat. 13.87, Subd. 2. This is clearly a misuse of the data.
In the late 1980s, Chief Judge Douglas Amdahl of the Court of Appeals did, in essence, the same thing and was disciplined for his use of public position, stationary, stamps, etc. to benefit his favored charity groups. He targeted lawyers who appeared before his court. In essence, that is the same misuse of power that Fletcher is attempting to do.
Second, and equally important, such actions put personal, private data on permit holders out into the public domain – with potential for unchecked abuse.
So, what can we do? What we must do is:
If you are a resident of Ramsey County, GOCRA urges you to join the complaint filed with the St. Paul Police Department. The case number for the complaint against Sheriff Fletcher regarding the misuse of carry permit holder data is CN 09273/732.
The St. Paul Police Department (www.stpaul.gov) is located at:
367 Grove Street St Paul, MN 55101-2296 (651) 291-1111.
After joining the complaint, forward a copy of it to the Ramsey County Attorney and the Ramsey County Board.
Do it now! Your rights are hanging in the balance.
GOCRA is now accepting donations through Gunpal, a Paypal-like service that does not discriminate against gun owners. The donation button can be found on the left side of every page on the GOCRA website.
[snip]Shooting incidents in London have almost doubled compared with
the same period last year, prompting grave concerns that gun crime in
some areas is out of control.
Scotland Yard has admitted a 17% rise in overall firearms offences,
although the Metropolitan police chief, Sir Paul Stephenson, has put
that down to a blip.
They reveal that the number of actual shootings has almost doubled
from 123 to 236 in the last six months compared with the same period
last year, a rise of 91.8%. Serious firearms offences have risen by
47% across the capital.
Those discharging the firearms and those being shot at are young
teenagers involved in “respect shootings” to settle petty disputes
with little thought of the consequences, say police and community
leaders. [snip]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/nov/03/london-gun-crime-shootings-rise