Maine Voices: NRA, conservative lobbyists rush extreme gun bill through Legislature

[jpak]

http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/nra-conservative-lobbyists-rush-extreme-gun-bill-through-legislature_2012-04-28.html

PORTLAND - The tragic shooting death of Trayvon Martin has brought to light the role that the American Legislative Exchange Council and the National Rifle Association play in writing state laws across the country. In 2005, the NRA pushed for the controversial "stand your ground" law in Florida. It then teamed up with ALEC to help pass similar legislation in 24 other states.

ALEC, a conservative lobbying group backed by the billionaire oil industry brothers Charles and David Koch, drafts "model" legislation, bills that not only push ALEC's conservative social agenda but also directly benefit the huge corporations that support ALEC. These bills are then taken by state legislators and introduced, often word for word, into statehouses.

A number of gun bills are on ALEC's agenda, and one of them came to Maine this session. An Act to Protect Firearm Ownership During Times of Emergency was submitted as an after-deadline bill by state Rep. Michael Shaw, D-Standish.

The bill removes the ability of law enforcement officials or the state from prohibiting or restricting the "possession, use, carrying, transfer (sale), transportation, storage or display" of guns during a declared state of emergency.

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The wretched spawn of racial hatred spasm that gripped white conservative America after the "horrors" of Katrina - which never occurred.

Except for the police gunning down unarmed black people trying to flee.

yup

[Clames]

1. Like you would know.

The wretched spawn of racial hatred spasm that gripped white conservative America after the "horrors" of Katrina - which never occurred.

So you deny the fact police confiscated firearms from private citizens without cause during the aftermath of Katrina? I wonder what other historical events you deny occurring...

[orpupilofnature57]

3. That were wandering around like Zimmerman?

[gejohnston]

10. No, they were in their homes

in mostly African American neighborhoods and lower income white neighborhoods. The cops and Blackwater went house to house.
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2009/08/secret-history-hurricane-katrina

Some of the details about guns are inaccurate, but the overall story is good.

[orpupilofnature57]

12. ' Mother Jones ' opened my eyes as a lad

Their word is good enough for me.

[mvccd1000]

2. Never occurred?

So all of the news reports and investigation results of seized firearms were false?

Thank you, jpak. I do feel a sense of relief knowing GWB's government would never stoop to the level of confiscating legal firearms. I'm sure he appreciates such support, as well.

[orpupilofnature57]

4. There wasn't Anything Shrub

didn't Stoop to ,it's in his genes.

[PavePusher]

5. Shrub gave the order for firearms confiscations?

Cite, please?

Look I'm certainly not a Bush supporter, but there's plenty to hold him accountable for without making shit up.

[orpupilofnature57]

8. Sorry , if I ever unduly accuse anyone

let it be the biggest Misanthrope ever to Mislead this country . And I didn't accuse him of anything ,but being capable of Stooping to anything ,save the confiscation debate for free pressers.

[rl6214]

17. So in other words you ain't got shit

[orpupilofnature57]

20. No , I just took a

SHRUB !!!!!

[orpupilofnature57]

21. CITE 4-U

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act

[PavePusher]

6. Why should the Citizens be restricted in their self-defense...

in a time when government is least able to defned them?

[Pacafishmate]

7. I don't see anything wrong with the bill.

[ileus]

9. This sounds like a great bill...Emergency shouldn't = disarming the people.

Emergency should not equal suspension of human rights.

[spin]

11. In the aftermath of an emergency like a hurricane ...

you are often totally on your own.

You may have no means of contacting the police or even if you can, they may be unable to reach you.

[GreenStormCloud]

13. Obama voted for the same bill as a Senator.

The Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006 does the same thing at a federal level as that bill does at a state level.
Obama voted for it, it passed, and was signed by Bush.

[ladjf]

14. Please,someone tell me what is the agenda of the NRA gun people? nt

[PavePusher]

25. Restoration/expansion of a Constitutional Right, primarily. n/t

[ladjf]

26. What constitutional right are you referring to? nt

[PavePusher]

30. Hmmmmm.....

[GreenStormCloud]

15. More frontlash! Yeah! N/T

[jpak]

16. More GOP cheerleading!!111 Yeah!!!111

yup

[pipoman]

19. Apparently you missed this?

An Act to Protect Firearm Ownership During Times of Emergency was submitted as an after-deadline bill by state Rep. Michael Shaw, D-Standish.

Are you accusing this Dem of being GOP?

[ManiacJoe]

18. The article makes the law sound like a good one.

Anyone have a link to the actual text of the law?

[pipoman]

22. Why would anyone proclaim this a GOP bill?

It is clearly sponsored by a Democrat..

[shadowrider]

23. Didn't you get the memo?

Any Democrat, regardless of positions on other issues, is a stooge for the right wing NRA and therefore obviously attached to the GOP. Any Democrat that supports 2A isn't really a Democrat at all. They're a closet right-winger.

[slackmaster]

24. Limiting police power by prohibiting them from violating the Constitution is "extreme?"

Sure it is.

[friendly_iconoclast]

27. Certain posters here just love overweening police power if non-.gov guns are involved.

Shit, just look at the love Michael Bloomberg gets here from some of them...

[DonP]

28. Maine! In spite of all of your grass roots work - not possible

You've been working for years to reverse the trend in your home state, away from looser gun regulations.

I can't believe that a Democrat would introduce a bill to undo all of your hard work.

I'm assuming you are starting petitions to primary that tool of the NRA/GOP/ALEC/Koch Bros with a false "D" behind his name, right?

Please let us know what you are doing about this travesty in your own backyard. I'm sure you won't take this insult sitting on your ass in front of a keyboard the way some people might.

[Glaug-Eldare]

29. Maryland Constitution, Declaration of Rights, Article 44

"That the provisions of the Constitution of the United States, and of this State, apply, as well in time of war, as in time of peace; and any departure therefrom, or violation thereof, under the plea of necessity, or any other plea, is subversive of good Government, and tends to anarchy and despotism."

From what I see in the bill, its content reflects the healthy belief that "emergency powers" are inescapably risky, and must be restrained. If a state of emergency allows the government to suspend or ignore Supreme Law without action of the legislature, it means the end of legitimate government. This behavior is not without precedent, and I decline to believe that we are so racially or culturally pure that we are immune to it.


"Emergencies are by their very nature chaotic situations. Do we really want to limit the ability of the Führer and local law enforcement to determine the best course of action to take during a state of emergency? At the very least, shouldn't we have had a comprehensive discussion on this and fully examined possible ramifications?"