Fort Wayne, IN Mayor is anti-gun
This is the standard anti-gun, anti-constitution talking points letter that I received in response:
Dear Mr. Alberson,
Thank you for sharing your concerns about Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG). Because we have had so many inquiries about the mayor’s involvement with this coalition, Mayor Henry asked me to respond to you by sharing accurate information about MAIG and its purpose and goals. As with any heated issue, misinformation can inflame those passions. When you strip away the misinformation and misunderstanding, you’ll find that goals of Mayors Against Illegal Guns are similar to the goals of most, if not all law-abiding gun owners: protect the right of Americans to own guns, but keep criminals and terrorists from possessing guns illegally. So, here is the truth about Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
The most important thing to understand about Mayors Against Illegal Guns is the fact that this coalition of about 450 mayors supports the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners and gun dealers. MAIG supports legal gun ownership and is complimentary, not contradictory to gun owner rights and the Second Amendment. This group of mayors includes gun owners, including several National Rifle Association (NRA) members. One of those MAIG/NRA members is Mayor Richard Ward of Hurst, Texas. You can read an op-ed piece he recently wrote for the Fort Worth Star Telegram by clicking this link: http://www.star-telegram.com/242/story/1639282.html
The focus of Mayors Against Illegal Guns is one thing and one thing only – law enforcement. As mayors, the most important function of the members of MAIG is to ensure public safety by upholding the law in their respective communities across America. The group’s sole purpose is to keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists. It’s that simple.
Let me address some specific concerns raised in a recent NRA mailing:
The idea that the coalition opposes concealed carry permits is simply not true. What the mayors oppose is federal legislation that tramples existing state laws. This is a state’s rights issue for the coalition. Mayors Against Illegal Guns supports the rights of cities and states to adopt their own concealed carry requirements. Police chiefs, state police and law enforcement agencies across the country agree with this position.
The concern that the coalition wants to shut down gun shows is also inaccurate. The only reason the coalition supports requiring background checks on gun sales at gun shows is to keep criminals and terrorists from buying guns there. Colorado, Pennsylvania and Oregon all require background checks at gun shows, and gun shows continue to thrive in those states. The only thing that has been shut down is the ability of criminals and terrorists to use gun shows as a way of avoiding detection.
Finally, the notion that the coalition advocates the repeal of gun owner privacy rights is perhaps the biggest myth of all. The Tiahrt Amendments have restricted police access to gun trace data, information that is critical to identifying patterns of illegal gun trafficking. The coalition supports reforming the Tiahrt Amendments only to the point that they would give our police the tools that need to catch criminals – not to violate the privacy of gun owners. Not only have hundreds of police chiefs and dozens of law enforcement organizations supported such reform, this year Congress is considering reforms of some of the restrictions on police access to trace data – a move that is supported not only by Mayors Against Illegal Guns but by the National Rifle Association, too.
Mayor Henry appreciates the fact that protecting the rights of law abiding gun owners is an important issue that many people are extremely passionate about. When you understand the truth about what Mayors Against Illegal Guns really stands for, you’ll understand that the only people who need to be worried are criminals and terrorists.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your concerns.
Sincerely,
Vince Robinson
Director of Public Information
City of Fort Wayne/Office of Mayor Tom Henry
(260) 427-6957
vince.robinson@cityoffortwayne.org
www.cityoffortwayne.org
October 11th, 2009 at 2:19 am
THIS IS PART OF THE RESPONSE THAT I AM SENDING:
I am sorry to hear that Mayor Henry has chosen this stance and chooses to ignore his constituents’ wishes.
I always find it convenient that when it comes to an individual constitutionally protected right, as defined by the Second Amendment and backed by the Supreme Court, anti-gunners want to argue for states’ rights. However when it comes to states rights issues like gay marriage, cell phone bans, or no smoking laws, which are legitimate states rights issues not protected by the Constitution, you seem to forget all about the states’ rights argument.
I guess political expedience is more important than legitimate states’ rights, or protecting our constitution.
I have attached a letter from an Ohio mayor that actually has taken the time to research MAIG and now understands that Bloomberg and Menino are staunch anti-gun advocates. They always have been, and more than likely will always be anti-gun. Their goal is simply to place the blame for violent criminals on law abiding citizens and ignore individual rights. PERIOD.
-Russ Alberson II
October 15th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Hello from Russia!
Can I quote a post in your blog with the link to you?
October 15th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
As long as you credit me, I do not have a problem with that.