While I agree that the Obama administration and liberal legislators are using the Sandy Hook tragedy as the impetus for their attack on the 2A, all citizens, regardless of political orientation, should be alarmed. If you love the First Amendment, you had better support the Second.

Gun laws only affect law abiding citizens, restricting our God given right to protect ourselves, our homes, and our families. Criminals do not follow the law and we already have some of the most restrictive gun laws in this state, along with CT. The false narrative about so called "assault" weapons is particularly offensive, as a very small percentage of crimes are committed with these types of weapons. Most gun violence is committed with ILLEGAL handguns.

Gun control advocates never address the question: Why do cities and states with the strictest gun laws have the most gun violence? And, why aren't people shooting each other up in places where citizens are free to carry?

I am a mom and a professional. I recently joined the NRA and NJ2AS. I've applied for my FID and have gone to the shooting range to begin learning proper gun safety and use. I've only recently become passionate about this issue, as i witness the government's hunger to revoke even more of my rights. I hope this post reaches others who my not have considered that we are at a crossroads. I will definitely be at the rally.

Part of your statement is only surface truth. High population areas have high violence rates, no doubt and the weapon is most often a handgun. But for gun deaths, it's in linearly related to the number of guns. States with less guns per capita have lower rates of gun deaths. It's hard to ignore the lower rates of gun deaths in countries who have had strict gun laws for years and given the laws time to truly have an impact. People believe their second ammendment right is unlimited, but the case law clearly shows that it is not. We are at a crossroads, one where we can bury our heads under a false understanding of a law, or look to the reality of today's world to attempt to move from the top of the list in the world's death by gun rate. If you study the history around the time of the second ammendment the framers likely had the primary intention of maintaining and upholding the legality of regulated state militias. At the time the second ammendment was written, there were already some 30 laws on the books in various states limiting where and who could own a weapon. Tommy guns were outlawed in the 30's and the US as we know it did not cease to exist. Rational gun enthusiasts recognize universal background checks & mandatory registration and tracking of sales as responsible citizenship. You can be as enthusiatic about guns as you'd like, it doesn't mean you are, or ever were entitled to unregulated gun use by the second ammendment.

Jo, Gun use is hardly "unregulated", and that is especially true here in New Jersey.

Whereas the vast majority of states issue concealed carry permits and do not restrict magazine size, NJ effectively not only hardly ever issues concealed carry permits, restricts us to 15 round magazines, it doesn't even recognize the 2nd Amendment in our state's constitution.

NJ gun owners are subject to felony charges if we stop for gas on the way to or from the range with our guns, even if we transport them unloaded and in the trunk, in a locked container. And not only must we go through not one, but two pre-purchase background checks (and often wait months) in order to purchase a handgun, but we also have to go through the NICS (National Instant Criminal Check System) at the point of sale, which now takes up to an additional week and two trips to a Federally licensed firearms dealer.

New Jersey's firearms laws are antiquated and do nothing to enhance public safety compared to the vast majority of other states. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fC2iu3CTPc for more information.

Actually we do have lower per capita death by gun than less regulated states. I do not believe NJ needs stricter gun laws...a good portion of the rest of the nation is a different story. Do you know it ISN'T illegal to fire a gun drunk in some states? Do you oppose universal backgrounds checks and a national registry? If you do we are on the same team. Are you a Reagan fan? Because he strogly supported a ban on military style weapons. How about Colin Powell? He is all for universal background checks. Please read this article. After you look at the data, how can you not want to try something different than what we are doing? http://www.businessinsider.com/shooting-gun-laws-2012-12

Jo, Our country's gun violence rate is largely a product of inner cities, where gangs and social issues are involved. Chicago, for example, - where handguns are banned - has experienced dramatic increases in murders involving handguns.

Our laws are not the problem.

And developed nations that have restricted guns, such as Britain, have enormously GREATER violent crime rates than we do (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196941/The-violent-country-Europe-Britain-worse-South-Africa-U-S.html).

Clearly, restricting the right of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms does nothing to enhance public safety. In fact, it only serves to make us easier targets.

That is why we in New Jersey are working to restore our rights, and resisting their further erosion.

Sorry Mr. Soussa, but you are incorrect about GB. The metrics that statitsic compares are bogus. They compare a stat GB uses that includes simple burglary there as well as a range of crimes not consider or included as violent crime in US stats. Do 5 seconds of research. GB is much lower than us when u compare apples to apples. When u mow down 10,000 people a year with guns, its hard to catch up.

SockPuppet, please have some knowledge about the subject before you speak. Whatever you feel about the number of guns in the US and in other states, the process of obtaining a firearms permit in New Jersey is lengthy, frustrating and worst of all, often politicized. You are subject to redundant criminal and mental health background checks (done once by police when applying for a permit then again at the time of each purpose when run through the Federal NICS system) that slow the process to a crawl. While this is done instantly by computer at the time of purchase in other states, it involves a time consuming and lengthy process involving lots of police man hours doing unnecessary paperwork, taking them away from more important tasks like solving crimes and protecting people. If you live in an urban area where politicians lean on local police to drag their feet granting firearms permits, you are often subjected to unreasonable wait times of nearly a year even though the firearms statues on the books insist that the process should only take 30 days. In New Jersey, the right to keep and bear arms is nothing more than a state granted privilege, subject to revocation at any time. A right delayed is a right denied.

Please watch this clip about the Battle for Athens, then try and buy the movie and watch the whole thing. Very hard movie to get off the internet for some reason. Hollywood is trying to keep it off the shelves. Watch this clip and you will see why.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9tUQxsrQGw

I do not own a gun, or have a desire to own one right now. That may change. I have seen the peaceful non-violent protests of workers, political activists (Occupy most recently) and have witnessed the brutality of the police. Because our society is crumbling...the rich and corporates taking over the economy, the poor struggling to feed their families, the working poor struggling to not become homeless, the working class struggling to pay their mortgages and rents and other utlilities....I see a revolution brewing.....I abhore violence...but if the police (lackies for the 1%) want to squash my right to protest the vagrant inequalities of our society by the rich (1%)I want a gun to defend my right to protest.

To all the anti Second Amendment people.....yes you the anti gun movement...If you don't like guns don't buy one.....If you don't like the Constitution and The Bill of Rights.....Please feel free to leave the country! Pretty simple!

Hey Socky, leave us guidos out of it. We have enough problems, with all these yahoo 'mericans who came in off the Mayflower.

Yo John. If you feel you need a gun for protection, that's fine with me and the feds. But what you don't need is a modified piece of military weaponry. Sorry, the 2nd amendment was hijacked by gun manufacturers in the '80s. Since then, every one has LUSTED after the "black gun". It's a weapon of war.

R. Nixon,
I am glad it was a good experience for you. It is not for people in MOST towns in this state. While the process was written by legislators to be uniform throughout the state, it was not implemented that way. I don't know what the turnaround time was for your permit (think about how many other fundamental rights you need to wait weeks for), but it was never less than 6 months for me when I lived in Jersey City. It is running over a year for applicants in Paterson and Elizabeth. In Highlands, I applied and NEVER got it in the 2 1/2 years I lived there. The law states that only certain forms are to be used. Many townships illegally force you to fill out extra paperwork (i.e. spousal consent, housemate notification, seeing if your job thinks you should own a gun, etc) in order to process it. We follow the law. Why shouldn't Government? It took me moving to Middletown to finally deal with professional people who do their job according to the law. Ironically, in some of the towns one MOST needs to defend oneself, legal self protection is the hardest to obtain. I know several folks that have had to get mayors, town councilmen, and even Assemblymen involved in their FID application process. If you think that the process is NOT politicized, I suggest you speak to gun owning friends in towns other than your own.

And SockPuppet, WE (i.e. you, me, other citizens) are the Militia. And the 18th century meaning of "well regulated" translates into "well practiced" in today's vernacular. While the pro gun folks here have been making arguments, you have been making assertions and calling names. I think you are a perfect representative for your cause. Emotionally based arguments, not backed by statistics or facts. You should probably consider public office. In North Jersey or in our urban hellholes, you would go far.

Thank you Chris Gardes. Responding with facts and logic, to the puppets and others who hide behind screen names and assorted lies, in a very well written manner is a rare talent.

If you're not already aware, www.NJ2AS.com has made "Operation Establish Compliance" - which requires municipalites (through methods including litigation) to comply with, and not exceed, NJ's already onerous and restrictive firearms regulations. Some towns were making up their own rules; requiring credit reports, letters from employers and spouses, and dramatically exceeding the statutory response period. Fortunately we are starting to make some progress.

Oh, and Sock Puppet, a "militia" was formed on September 11, 2001 over eastern Pennsylvania, where a group of citizens fought back against the islamist terrorists who intended to murder as many innocents as possible.

The "militia" is "We, the people". We are the last line of defense against enemies, foreign AND domestic, who seek to enslave us or destroy our liberties and freedom.

TENS of millions of innocent lives have been extinguished in the 20th Century alone by governments who managed to disarm their citizens. WE, the people, are all that stands in the way of it happening again.

See "Innocents Betrayed" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40lqavdk7A8) for a history refresher.

This is for sock puppet <--- what you don't have a name?.... anyway.... History lesson for you....

In United States v. Miller, After reciting the original provisions of the Constitution dealing with the militia, the Court observed that “with obvious purpose to assure the continuation and render possible the effectiveness of such forces the declaration and guarantee of the Second Amendment were made. It must be interpreted with that end in view.” The significance of the militia, the Court continued, was that it was composed of “civilians primarily, soldiers on occasion.” It was upon this force that the States could rely for defense and securing of the laws, on a force that “comprised all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense,” who, “when called for service . . . were expected to appear bearing arms supplied by themselves and of the kind in common use at the time.”

That was the Supreme Courts ruling .... The key things are "composed of “civilians primarily "....." were expected to appear bearing arms supplied by themselves and of the kind in common use at the time.” I think that is pretty explanatory

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