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Boulder's lobbying agenda takes on national issues

oldgoat

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May 20, 2009
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100
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Sulphur, Louisiana, USA
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_16535708

Snip--->"Gun control

The city's agenda also steps into another national issue -- gun control.

According to the proposal, the city would oppose any legislation that would expand Colorado's "Make My Day Law," which provides a legal defense for people who use force, including deadly force, against intruders on their property.

The city might also oppose legislation that limits the ability of local governments to prohibit the open carrying of firearms in public facilities. The city cannot restrict people with permits from carrying handguns concealed in places such as the Municipal Building, but it can restrict open carry.

"The open carrying of weapons is alarming to many people and can create logistical issues for the police department," according to the city's proposal, which was drafted with input from the Boulder Police Department.

Also on the table is supporting federal legislation that would close the federal gun show loophole. While Colorado requires people who buy guns at gun shows to undergo a criminal background check, some states do not.

"In order to ensure that guns are not placed in the hands of criminals, a federal law eliminating the gun show loophole is necessary," the city's proposal reads.

Steve Bertram, owner of Bertram & Co. gunsmiths in north Boulder, said most of the city's gun-related policies seem "completely sane."

But he takes issue with the city stepping into the affairs of other states by advocating for a national gun show law.

"I think it's more media blown up that that's where the criminals are getting the guns," he said of gun shows.

He said Colorado's gun show laws -- put into place following the Columbine High School shootings -- had the effect of adding red tape and increasing wait times for guns purchased from private sellers. He said existing laws about who can legally own a firearm should prevent criminals from purchasing them.


Read more: Boulder's lobbying agenda takes on national issues - Boulder Daily Camera http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_16535708#ixzz14WVfxl78
DailyCamera.com
 

since9

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Jan 14, 2010
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Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
From the article: "The open carrying of weapons is alarming to many people..."[/quote]

That's grossly overstated. It's only alarming to the few, but very loud radical anti-gun nuts who're incapable of understanding sound thinkers like Thomas Jefferson:

‘‘Laws that forbid the carrying of arms... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.’’ - Thomas Jefferson

Unfortunately, although it's not alarming to the masses, to the half of our population who're in in the middle, comments from the alarmed anti-gun extremists sound like a siren's song, and for a very good reason: They're as tired of crime as we are.

That's the hook that convinces the swing vote, guys and gals. It's not "protect our 2A rights," as the middle masses don't care about our (or their own) 2A rights. They do care about crime, if all they're hearing from the left is "guns kill people, let's get rid of the guns!" then that's what'll start to assuage their fears on crime.

We know that OC and CC are not a "return to the Wild West," but that's the way we've been mischaracterized by the antis.

The message that'll swing the vote back in favor of reduced crime is to pitch the following facts:

1. 90% of us are honest, law-abiding citizens. 10% of us are not.

2. When you disarm the 90% of us who are honest, law-abiding citizens, you remove the deterrence against the criminal element.

3. You can't disarm the criminals, as they'll simply carry anyway. Why? They're law-breaking criminals, and that's what criminals do: they break laws.

4. Disarming various state populations in the 70s, 80s, and 90s resulted in serious increases in crime (averaging roughly 30%), while rearming other populations in the 80s, 90s, and 00s have resulted in serious decreases in crime (averaging roughly 30%).

5. During interviews with criminals serving prison terms for violent crime, all of them reported the one thing that scared them most was the privately-armed citizen. However, they don't keep a lookout for individuals who concealed carry, as that's absurd - their firearms are concealed. They keep a lookout for individuals who open carry, and avoid them.

6. Disarming citizens does NOT decrease crime. It encourages and emboldens the criminal, thereby increasing crime.

7. The simplest and most effective way to fight crime is to remove any and all restrictions against the 90% of us who're law-abiding citizens, some of us whom choose to exercise our 2A rights.

As for Boulder... Academic institutions are largely removed from mainstream society. They're inhabited largely by those who either work or attend the university. The criminal element still exists, but it's significantly different than everywhere else. Furthermore, many people who work in academia have a fairly utopian view of how the world "ought to be," rather than how the world really is. Thus, the "conclusions" reached by folks in Boulder do not apply well in the real world. They are skewed from reality, even within Boulder's city limits.
 

entartet17

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Jul 6, 2008
Messages
206
Location
Aurora, Colorado, USA
We know that OC and CC are not a "return to the Wild West," but that's the way we've been mischaracterized by the antis.

I love when antis bring up the "Wild West." If they actually knew what they were talking about, they would know that the Wild West of Hollywood westerns is a myth. The Wild West was much safer than our cities are today (and everyone owned guns). If only it was more like the "Wild" West. :D
 

Gunslinger

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Mar 6, 2008
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3,853
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Free, Colorado, USA
With an increasing population and voter base and therefore influence in the CO General Assmebly, I think we all should.

There are more than enough right thinking people in CO. We need to energize them to counter the neo-PDR accolytes in Boulder and let's not forget the machine politics of Denver. As stated elsewhere by me, the GOP needs new leadership in this state to field electable candidates, not ready targets for the mudslingers and new age herd of hippies in enemy territory. And we need candidates who will take the gloves off to combat the lies and half truths that is the new reality of the democraps and their union toadies. That is change we (in Colorado) can believe in. Still, **** Boulder on general principles.
 
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since9

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
6,964
Location
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
Some population states to keep in mind:

Colorado: 5.0M (100%)

Denver Metropolitan Area: 2.4M (48%)

El Paso County: 604.5k (12.1%)

Boulder: 100.2k (2.0%)

It's not Boulder we have to worry about. It's the DMA. Boulder's just mouthing off, compared to the votes coming out of Denver.

Our real challenge is getting State Legislators elected who will push through the Colorado State Supreme Court's deadlocked decision for "home rule" areas. That'll pull the rug out from beneath Denver's OC ban, as well as Boulder, and other cities attempts to do the same.
 
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