Colorado Gun Owners - Don't Surrender!

[iraiam]

I no longer feel any loyalty to my home state of Colorado whatsoever, it will likely take me a couple years to put myself into a position to move to another state, but I am willing to do so at this point. I have carried out life plans that were more detailed and took longer than that.

Colorado is not just more anti-gun than the past, but far more liberal in general. Without getting into politics, I'll just say that I would leave Colorado because Colorado left me first.

I contacted my State representative several times leating up to the vote on these 4 anti-gun bills and never got a single response. Not until he voted yes on all four of them and I voiced my extreme dissapointment with some polite but strong language did I receive the following response.

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Hello Ira,
Thank you for your email and for sharing your views with me. I fully support the language of the Second Amendment but also believe we need meaningful action to keep our communities safe from gun violence.
I followed my district and my conscience and voted for these common sense gun safety bills. These proposals seek a well-rounded approach to strengthen public safety including making our campuses safer, providing support for mental health, and modernizing out background check system. The first four bills concerning gun safety have passed out of the House on February 18th and will now be taken up by the Senate.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any further questions.
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The basic response of "I voted my district" has been the same on other issues that are not firearm related so I won't discuss them here, but clearly I no longer share similar views as the district in which I live.

[MLeake]

Just in time for these pending bills, particularly the one on campus carry; just in time for Joe Salazar's idiotic comments on women seeing rapists behind every corner, and shooting innocent men - and being safer running to the campus call box...

... you guessed it, a friend over here in Afghanistan has a college student daughter who just started receiving threatening messages from a stalker ex on a Colorado campus.

Her mother is furious, and will let Salazar have both barrels in the near future, I suspect.

Meanwhile, the daughter is going to file a police report, apply for a carry permit, and start taking self-defense lessons.

What's that saying about statistics don't provide much comfort, when one is the statistic?

[jimpeel]

iraiam,

Simply read the response thusly: Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any further questions.

[pgdion]

Everyone needs to keep an eye on their state. Some representative in MN introduced a bill (HF241) with all kinds of limits and junk in it.

I contact my state rep. with my concerns and why I felt MN needed no such thing. His response was he's fully supportive of gun rights and has no intention of letting this bill through. I sent a thank you letter and told him he will have me and my families full support next election, I told him this was by far my most important issue.

I also sent a letter to my state senator in case it got through the house. Her response was disappoint (and quite frankly was what I thought she would say. I thanked her for her time, told her I was disappointed. She needs to do what she thinks is right but that she will not have my vote or my support at the next election. I also told her that this is my number one concern and that I plan to make sure it is very visible at the next election along with who voted which way (regardless of whether the bill passes or not). I'm hoping the impact sinks in over time.

I also contact Michelle Bachman at the US level and expressed my concerns to her. Although this is a state issue, her office is influential and similar legislation may be coming through the federal level as well. Cover all bases. I still have to email Franken but I hoping the house will stop the bill in it's tracks.

I the letter at the local levels I took a short paragraph to explain why gun rights bare important to me and that it's not just about hunting and it's not just about personal protection. It's also about recreational shooting, sporting competitions, and collecting. No different that the guy with the den full of Green Bay Packers stuff, or the guy who likes to go out bowling all the time. Want to try to get people to see all the sides.

[Hiker 1]

Keep up the pressure folks: Hickenlooper is wobbly. check out this recent statement after Magpul made it clear that they are definitely leaving:

While Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, for example, has said it's time for new limits on some guns and ammunition, threats by a major Colorado arms manufacturer, Magpul, to take hundreds of jobs out of state if the governor signs such laws appears to have given Mr. Hickenlooper some pause.
After the House passed four specific gun control bills recently, including limiting the kind of magazines that Magpul builds, Hickenlooper has not yet signaled whether he'll sign the measures into law. (TheColorado Senate has yet to vote on the package.)
“We haven’t taken a specific position on that bill yet,” Hickenlooper said this week, as reported by Colorado Public Radio, “but I from time to time have said contradictory things on it.”

http://news.yahoo.com/firearms-maker...190524297.html

[iraiam]

I can't say for sure, but my Democrat Senator (Kerr) definitely seems like he's on the fence, particularly on the magazine ban. I have been writing him for about 2 months and his stance on the magazine bill has definitely softened.

I'm not terribly optimistic, but we might have a slim chance to defeat 1 or 2 of these bills in the senate.

[Hiker 1]

^ agreed. We may not win them all but we'll keep up the pressure.

[doofus47]

I'm with Hiker1 and Ira. My roots are too deep.; this one's worth fighting.

[Hiker 1]

Keep up the pressure on your state senators!

[doofus47]

http://www.timescall.com/news/longmo...-battles-state

Check out this little gem hidden near the bottom:

Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith has urged state legislators to fill what he sees as a safety loophole and require gun owners in Colorado to register their firearms with the government.

Hey Larimer County, time to change sheriffs...

Call, write, email your senators.

[jimpeel]

Recently, the Colorado senate conducted hearings on firearms control. One of those who testified was Amanda Collins who was raped in full view of the campus police station. Why didn't they come out to help her? They were closed for the night.

When she testified that she would have been able to thwart the attack and save the other two victims of the rapist, one of whom was murdered, Sen. Evie Hudak told her that the chances were that the perp would have taken the firearm from her and used it on her ignoring the fact that the rapist was already armed with a firearm. SOURCE

The Hudak statement is HERE.

Amanda Collins had a CCW but was not allowed to have it on campus.

Amanda was interviewed on Cam & Company recently. HERE is the link to that interview.

My letter to the editor of the Denver Post.

Re: “Colorado Sen. Evie Hudak responds to criticism over comments to rape victim,” March 6 news story.

In the recent Senate hearings on campus concealed-carry legislation, Amanda Collins — who was raped on her college campus — testified before the committee. In response to her testimony on her attack, Sen. Evie Hudak stated, “[C]hances are that if you would have had a gun, then he would have been able to get that from you and possibly use it against you.” My question to the senator, and all others inclined to vote for this legislation, is: How is it morally superior for you to disarm me to prevent an attacker from disarming me?

That simple question frames the debate.

Jim Peel, Longmont

This letter was published in the March 7 edition.

[Hiker 1]

Two bills (CC on campus and liability for certain weapons) killed by their own sponsors!

Keep up the fight on the others. Call and email your state senators (not your US senators).

Don't give up!

[iraiam]

An executive producer for the outdoor channel said they would be forced to shoot elsewhere.

Link to story

[Al Norris]

"These laws are so poorly drafted and so designed to trap otherwise legal citizens into a crime...that it is simply too dangerous for us to film here."

This!

Funny that others see what these anti-gun lawmakers are up to. One would almost think they are following the script as laid out in "Atlas Shrugged..."

[Rob228]

I watched about 5 hours of the proceedings for the magazine ban. The vote went straight down party lines. The Republican Senators put up an amazing fight, and I have emailed each and every one of them with thanks. Senator Lundberg said something right before the vote along the lines of "Enjoy your power while it lasts, because you won't have it forever".

[budoboy]

HB13-1229(universal background checks) just passed the Senate.

Despite mounds of questions and REAL facts presented, the Senate voted to pass this ridiculous bill.

When they have to add amendment after amendment to add exemption after exemption into the bill to "infringe less" on the people, you would think that it would become apparent to the supporters that it may not be the best idea after all.

I guess the only "fact" these supporters may be interested in is that several of them will not be in office after the next election.

[jimpeel]

Time wounds all heels. We shell see what happens here in 2014.

And Clinton said that passing the 1994 federal assault weapons ban “devastated” more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers in the 1994 midterms — and cost then-Speaker of the House Tom Foley (D-Wash.) his job and his seat in Congress.

“I’ve had many sleepless nights in the many years since,” Clinton said. One reason? “I never had any sessions with the House members who were vulnerable,” he explained — saying that he had assumed they already knew how to explain their vote for the ban to their constituents.

[thallub]

And Clinton said that passing the 1994 federal assault weapons ban “devastated” more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers in the 1994 midterms — and cost then-Speaker of the House Tom Foley (D-Wash.) his job and his seat in Congress.

In all, 34 house incumbents (D) lost their seats in the 1994 elections. Both Tom Foley and majority leader Jack Brooks were sent packing. US Rep. Mike Synar of OK was beat in the 1994 primary by an NRA member who spent $75 on his campaign.

[Davey]

Colorados mag ban hb1224 passed in the senate, 18-17

[budoboy]

HB13-1224 High Cap Magazine Ban just passed in the Colorado Senate

Does nothing to improve public safety - Check
Turns law-abiding citizens into criminals - Check
Encourages criminal behavior - Check
Drive millions of dollars and several business out of Colorado - Check
Is unconstitutional according to DC vs Heller - Check
Bans basically all detachable magazines - Check
Destroys tourism and hunting in Colorado - Check

I can't see anything wrong with this bill(sarcasm dripping).

[seeker_4]

Colorado Senate Passes Gun-Control Bills. I don't envy you guys at all! What I am asking is how these folks got elected to begin with? And it says what needs to be done next time. The silent majority needs to quit being silent and campaign for those who respect your rights.
Common sense values just went out the window. Geez, heard that term before with another democrat. It did say some of the folks will intentually violate the magazine capacity.
It still has a couple more steps but the govenor is saying he will sign the bills as well.
I know my friend in Commerce City already called real estate folks. And I enjoyed visiting CO but looking forward to spending some time in Idaho now. It just seems 2A would over rule? I love going through CO, and yes I will miss it.....

[Tbojo]

Colorado is not the same place it was even 5 years ago. Like so many states with rural counties, we are now the victims of the populated fringe in Denver\Boulder. Even once conservative Ft. Collins is now a yuppie haven and I see little chance of any of these places reverting back to there conservative roots. Simply said, we have become outnumber by new residents from other states that are far left. Funny how those people came to a very conservative land from there liberal fairytale lands only to change our state into the same thing they wanted to leave? We are just day's away from having gay marriage (they are calling it "civil unions" to avoid the state constitution that says no gay marriage) - illegals will be getting in state tuition rates and we will finally be safe because no one will have any firearm with more than 15 rounds. Hey, at least we can go down to the corner store and buy a few joints to drow-- I mean smoke our troubles away! Lived here for over 40 years, never thought I would be so ashamed of my home state!

[budoboy]

Having come from Illinois, I see now that Colorado is becoming like my former state. Denver metro is trying (and succeeding in many cases) to control the rest of the state. Chicago is a great model for that. And they wonder why there have been actual proposals in Springfield to annex Chicago from the rest of the state.

[raimius]

Dang, and I once though Colorado would be a nice state to retire to.
I hope you guys can get these things shot down in the courts or repealed after firing the...(trying to think of something polite, but failing) politicians who voted for these stupid laws.

[seeker_4]

California recieved extra moneies they are using to hire more agents to confiscate legal and illegally owned guns. In the situation described, Illegal because the wife was mentally commited for 2 days and one of the handguns was "registered" to her. Two other handguns were "registered" and legally owned by the husband, whom was legal, but they could not be in the residence of which she lived. He was not given an option to take them out of the residence, and they were confiscated.
California rep stated California is the new model for the country, and they were able to find them because of the cross references to the registration and mental records. It added they are actively going after 20,000 more firearms in the state that are owned by individuals who are no longer allowed to own them. The main justifications were mental instability, restraining orders in domestic relations and recent convictions. If a person resides in the household where one person is not allowed possession of a firearm, the law allows them to confiscate all firearms in the residence as well.
I hope this isn't where CO is headed as well.