New Hampshire –-(Ammoland.com)- I’m both elated and concerned at the same time. The summer is over and the bill filing period has opened and that means legislators may submit bills for the 2018 Session of the General Court. While I don’t want to rush to judgment, there are a few titles, sponsored by those Representatives who have in the past been hostile to your right to bear arms, which have me concerned.
Rep. Delmar Burridge, (D-Cheshire 16) wants to prohibit the open carry of firearms. Rep. Janice Schmidt (D-Hillsborough 28) wants to take away the Second Amendment rights of tenants. She is sponsoring a bill, the title of which says:
“prohibiting tenants from possessing firearms under the terms of the lease.”
Representative Schmidt even sent me an email asking for NHFC’s help to pass the bill. That is the height of arrogance, to ask a leader in the pro-gun movement to help pass a gun ban! After I read her email I asked an NHFC member who lives in her district to contact her and ask about her bill. She wrote that:
“This bill is a desperate cry for help from a street full of citizens frightened for their and their children’s safety. When open carry was made law a man in Nashua decided to take it literally and now marches up and down his street fully loaded and looking for someone to address him. The police can do nothing, the citizens are afraid of retribution if they try to talk with him. They’re scared to let children out of the house for fear of his behavior, as he has a bad temper and has been in trouble with the police before.
This was the last hope for them, that their community could weed out people who haven’t the slightest idea of how to be a responsible gun owner.”
All I can say is WOW! Open carry has been the law in New Hampshire for over 200 years; she just noticed? She doesn’t seem to understand that the simple act of carrying a gun, concealed or openly is not now and has never been a crime in New Hampshire. Actions such as assault, criminal threatening and destruction of property, now those are crimes. Carrying a gun is not a crime.
Representative Schmidt thinks its OK to take away the Second Amendment rights of tenants. Whats next? Where will she stop? This anti-gun scheme must be stopped.
Rep. Schmidt wants her “fears” to trump your civil right to be armed. This is like someone saying that I am afraid that there will be a car crash tomorrow and therefore no one can have a car. Or I am afraid of this religion or that race and therefore they need to be prohibited from our society. We would never allow those actions, so why would we allow her to let her radical gun control thoughts trample our rights.
If you have grave concerns about her goals, you may want to call or email her. Be polite but firm when you ask her to withdraw her LSR 2018-2112 (Legislative Service Request) for this radical bill. Rep. Schmidt’s contact information is:
11 Pope Circle
Nashua, NH 03063-3307
Phone: (603)880-6060
email: [email protected]
But as I said above, I am also elated. I am elated because earlier this week, there was a Special Primary Election for State Representative in Hillsborough 15 and Al MacArthur won. Mr. MacArthur returned his NHFC survey on time and 100% pro-gun while his opponent returned the survey late and it included several anti-gun comments. I wasn’t surprised. Mr. MacArthur is truly one of us. He is a certified firearms instructor and a Board Member of the Wilson Hill Pistol Club.
NHFC will send out another Candidate Grade sheet before the November 7 General Election. We expect turnout to be heavy due to the hotly contested Mayoral Race in Manchester. NHFC can only inform and educate you about the views of the candidates. It is up to you, the law abiding firearms owner to decide whether or not you value your civil right to be armed enough to get involved. When gun owners stick together and stand up to the anti-gun candidates, beneficial legislation can be passed, when we are complacent and let the other priorities in our lives take over, we end up with anti-gun legislators.
Earlier this summer, when many folks were busy with their private lives, there was a Special Election in Senate district 16. There were two good choices running for office and one anti-gun zealot. Unfortunately, the anti-gun zealot was elected.
If you do not want that to happen again, if your Constitutional rights matter, please take the time to find out what is happening during these off season elections and get involved.
I am also elated because several of our friends in the legislature will be introducing bills to repeal the requirement to obtain a license to carry a pistol on a snowmobile or ATV as well as other pro-gun reform legislation. But to make these bills a reality and to stop the Burridge / Schmidt gun ban agenda I need your help. I expect heavy resistance from the anti-gun activists in the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and Fish and Game Commission and their apologists in the Legislature like Representative. Robert L’Heureux, (R-Hillsborough 21) Gene Chandler (R-Carroll 1) and James Webb (R-Rockingham 6).
But with your help we can win! See above…. I will continue to rely on the volunteer efforts of
If you are an NHFC Member you can help by renewing your membership early. This will save us the cost of printing and mailing you a renewal letter. Funds that I would rather use to stop the Burridge / Schmidt gun ban agenda. To renew you membership early just click here to sign up. All “new” memberships are checked against our list and processed as a renewal if a person is already an NHFC member.
If you are not an NHFC Member but have been receiving our alerts, please click here to join. We really need your support. NHFC is only as big and strong as our membership.
Thanks for your support!
Although I agree with the right to carry as you please, I personally prefer concealed. In many situations open carry may mark you as the criminal’s first target. I would rather it be a complete surprise when he is experiencing bullet reception when threatening others. Just my preference not a criticism of others.
As far as I know, there are absolutely ZERO documented cases of a criminal “shooting the open carrier first”.
There are however, scientific studies that show that open carry acts as a deterrent to crime.
Criminals are pretty much lazy cowards by definition. Otherwise they would get a real job like the rest of us.
They don’t want to risk getting shot or killed in a shootout with their intended victims. Why risk going after they know is armed, and possibly well trained, when they can just move on to a target they know is probably not armed?
So some in NH want to become like Massachusetts or Maryland. They’re not worthy to live under their State Motto – Live Free Or Die. So here’s hoping they die, they die lingering painful deaths.
Beware! Many other states (Connecticut, New York, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, et al.) assumed that the logic and thinking that had always prevailed, would continue to protect their right to keep and bear arms. Then they were confronted with an organized, aggressive anti-gun campaign staffed and funded by Bloomberg and his minions (the “Mommies”) and found themselves trying to fight their way out of a hole of anti-gun legislation that was on the ballot before they even knew they were in a fight. Do not fall into that trap! These anti-gun zealots are experienced, organized, and well-funded (you can thank Bloomberg… Read more »
I completely understand the frustration of these good folks in NH. As a neighbor, we see the same idiot moves that you are. But we are all used to having the 2A accepted, and it is even written into our state constitution. Stay strong my friends and neighbors. Point out these fools at every chance.
I’m hoping this anti-2nd amendment movement in NH is stopped in it’s tracks. I am in the process of escaping the Democrat controlled socialist state of CT, who passed the most oppressive and unconstitutional gun law in the history of our Republic. NH is where we have decided to move for it’s beauty, and so far living up to it’s motto, “Live Free or Die”. If they fall, the anti-freedom cancer spread by the liberal socialist Democrats will destroy NH as well.
As one of the many CT expatiates… Welcome to NH. I hope more would make the move to NH especially those who like myself support the CCDL’s 2ndA efforts in CT for those who can not relocate.
Unlike CT, majority of NH state reps are pro 2nd A . Move from CT in ’08 doing a lot better on less $. Should have done it in 1988 when I had the chance, would have been even further ahead. I’ll be just one of CT expats that says.. Welcome home.
Duncan, there’s no link to the NHFC, so I’ll provide one:
https://www.nhfc-ontarget.org/