Hello all.
First of all, introductions. I'll admit, I'm relatively new to firearms, but growing up in a family where guns = the devil kept me from even handling one until about six months ago. Since then I have applied for my carry permit, and have signed up for/intend to take several training courses in the near future. I'm committed to being a safe and responsible member of the legal gun carrying community. I plan on showing up tomorrow at the capitol to show my support for the new bill, and have sent letters to my representatives. I must thank you all for giving me the backbone for this letter and allowing me to plagiarize from some earlier letters. I look forward to joining in the discussions on this forum.
Here is the letter I wrote:
Dear Representative [last name],
On Feb 1, about 9PM, a woman was walking on the 2700 block of Humboldt Ave., not an area considered "high crime". She was abducted by a stranger at gunpoint, and forced into a car. Her attacker forced her to
withdraw money from several ATMs, then took her to her own apartment, where he raped her and ransacked the place. Her ordeal lasted for upwards of three hours, and I'm sure she will bear the wounds from it for the
rest of her life. The MPD did an excellent job in eventually arresting the assailant, but this does her little good after the fact.
http://www.startribune.com/local/15467256.html
On Wednesday, October 24th of last year, Katherine Olson was reported missing after responding to a CraigsList add for a nanny. She was pulled into the house by a 19 year old boy, Michael John Anderson who shot her in the back because, according to his testimony to police, he "thought it would be funny". She was found two days later in the trunk of a car.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/ ... S._3431322
Both myself and my girlfriend were personally affected by these tragedies, as we know/knew both of these unfortunate women and are/were friends with them. Given these two events, plus a multitude of other tragedies in our social bubble, both my girlfriend and I have applied for our Minnesota carry permit and intend to legally carry a firearm for self defense. It is exceedingly important to me that should it become necessary to defend myself or those I love, my rights to do so are protected by law.
With stories like these, and in the context of the rash of mass killings at shopping centers, colleges, and the murderous rampage by a police officer in Wisconsin
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/07/wiscon ... index.html), we need to take a common sense approach to violence in our society.
Banning guns doesn't solve the problem, as has once again been proven at Northern Illinois University, another supposed "gun-free" zone somehow made into a killing field. Law abiding citizens should be allowed to protect themselves with lethal force if necessary, and should further be protected by legislation. This would allow Minnesotans to take greater responsibility for their own safety.
Before the House is a bill to do exactly that, HF 0498, authored by Rep. Cornish. A similar bill, SF 0446, authored by Sen. Pariseau, is before the Senate. Laws similar to these sensible bills have already been enacted in several other states, and with good results.
[Rep. first name], I want you to know that I and my girlfriend, both St. Louis Park residents, both support this legislation, and we strongly urge you to do so as well. Rather than be prosecuted for using lethal force in response to a threat on one's life, we as law abiding citizens believe we have a right to defend ourselves. We also believe that you, as our representative, have a responsibility to support this legislation so that we would not be victimized again by prosecution or lawsuits in the event that we are forced to defend ourselves.
Permit holders have proven themselves to be very responsible and law abiding, which is a far cry from what the media and anti-gun lobby were predicting. With that in mind, I ask that you support pro-gun legislation that protects law abiding citizens from unfair prosecution and civil lawsuits that could arise from the defensive use of firearms. It is bad enough having to deal with the horror of shooting someone. It is worse to think that we may also be criminally charged by an anti-gun, politically motivated prosecutor and also face civil lawsuits from the criminals or their families. The cost of defending yourself in these instances is astronomical. Please don't think this cannot happen; it already has in multiple instances nationwide. That is why I ask that you support "Castle Doctrine" legislation. This is not "shoot first" legislation and the sky is not going to fall when it is enacted, as the anti-gunners want us to believe. This legislation merely prevents law abiding citizens from further victimization. It is time to stop protecting criminals!
The purpose of Castle Doctrine is to remove any ambiguous interpretations that prosecutors can make with regard to the actions taken by the victim in protecting himself from a criminal. It also gives notice to would-be burglars, rapists and other criminals that it is the resident or homeowner who has the support of the law.
"Castle Doctrine" law basically does four things:
One: It establishes, in law, the presumption that a criminal who forcibly enters or intrudes into your home or occupied vehicle is there to cause death or great bodily harm, therefore a person may use any manner of force, including deadly force, against that person.
Two: It removes the "duty to retreat" if you are attacked in any place you have a right to be. You no longer have to turn your back on a criminal and try to run when attacked. Instead, you may stand your ground and fight back, meeting force with force, including deadly force, if you reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to yourself or others.
Three: It provides that persons using force authorized by law shall not be prosecuted for using such force.
Four: This bill also prohibits criminals and their families from suing victims for injuring or killing the criminals who have attacked them.
If you have never shot before I extend a hand to show you the sport. We are not the blood thirsty, short fused savages that the media and the anti-gun lobby wants you to believe that we are. Permit holders are in the vast majority an intelligent, law abiding, conscientious group of people.
[Rep. first name], please vote to support this legislation, and don't hesitate to contact me for any further information.
Thank you for your support,
