I was thrilled to receive a 'highly favorable' rating from Genesee County S.C.O.P.E.

I was a guest speaker at their October 13th meeting at Calvary Baptist Church in the Town of Batavia. We talked about the Second Amendment and what it means to local hunters and sportsmen. You see, I grew up in Alexander where it is still an expected and acceptable practice for some students to take a few mornings off from school in the fall to go hunting with family members. It's the same all over Genesee County and I believe it is of the utmost importance for folks who hold elected office (all the way from local governments to the Federal government) to respect the values and traditions of our citizens.

Gun ownership rights have been at the forefront of many a political battle over the years and so I decided to do a little experiment during that S.C.O.P.E. meeting. First I asked the folks in attendance to raise their hands if they were hunters. All of the hands in the room went up. Next I asked them to raise their hands if they were collectors or hobby shooters. Most of the hands in the room went up. Last, and I believe most importantly, I asked them to raise their hands if they had ever been convicted of a violent crime. Not a single hand went up.

That little experiment got us to the crux of the issue. When we're talking about gun control legislation we have to remember that targeting the responsible, respectable gun owner will get us nowhere; instead, our focus should always be getting weapons out of the hands of criminals.

After my experiment I opened the floor to questions and we had a great conversation about opening the lines of communication between government and concerned citizens. They advised me of a few local issues that they've been working on and we had what I thought to be an exciting and engaging back and forth.

I left that meeting feeling like I had learned something from the members of S.C.O.P.E. and that's really what I think government is about. Listening to the people you represent and then doing your level best to elevate their issues should be the core function of any elected official.

I spoke with the Genesee County S.C.O.P.E. Chapter President today and when I said 'Thank you for giving me the great rating.' He said, 'We didn't give it to you, you earned it.'

Here's hoping I can continue to 'earn it' from folks in the 8th District and all over Genesee County.

Congratulations Chris.
Our fair booth was across from S.C.O.P.E. this year.
While greeting people and handing out literature, a few people did make a comment about having the "enemy" across the way.
It was a comment that was easy to counter. I, personally, don't consider them the enemy. I have no quarrel with S.C.O.P.E. There are many Democrats who hunt with and/or collect guns in Genesee Co. There are many who enjoy the sport of shooting skeet and target practice.
The choice to persue any of those activities is, in my opinion, not tied to one party or another.
Once again, congratulations. Well done!

Nice to see some Democrats support the 2nd Amendment. You seldom see this at the national level. The "left" is notorious for wanting to get rid of guns for law abiding citizens. If more Dems would support 2nd Amendment rights it could sway me to support some of them. Christian always has my support because she is a non-comformist (and 2nd Amend supporter) who really doesn't care what the good old boys say. She does what she thinks is right for her constituents. Only someone from the "south side" could have them qualities.

I wonder what the raffle winner got? Silver tipped bullets or a submachine gun would be my guess.

I wonder what the "education" entails..

Posted by Charlie Mallow on October 29, 2009 - 6:17am
I wonder what the raffle winner got? Silver tipped bullets or a submachine gun would be my guess.

I wonder what the "education" entails..

aww, Charlie.
I would be more inclined to believe the raffle winner won a beautifully checkered and engraved black powder rifle. Black powder, Charlie, hardly the same as a semi automatic.

Either Charlie did not read the whole article, was joking, or has no idea what black powder is.

John,
I'm going with he was joking.
I'm sure Howard had a late night typo, Thompson makes beautiful black powder muzzle loaders.

Mallow probably isn't joking. This is a true leftist at his best.

Bea, I hate to say it, but guns, hunting, etc... is a party issue (fact). We don't notice it that much at the local level because we live in semi-rural New York. In larger cities/voting districts that carry states, the majority of Dems hate guns. I always look at these stats. Do some research if you get a chance and see how many high profile Dems really support gun rights (you won't find many). They are always looking to make more restrictive gun laws instead of implementing the ones on the books now. It's a huge party platform for the Dems. All 2nd Amendment advocates need to wake up to this.

Ken,

Sadly, you're right. Big city politicians' experience with guns tends to stem from street crime and illegal weapons, not the wonderful hunting and shooting traditions of the rural districts. That's why I think the Shooter's Committee on Political Education is doing good work. They have taken it upon themselves to educate folks about guns and gun ownership from a responsible, rural perspective.

I didn’t see the description of the prize when I read it.

I thought I was joking but, now after reading what Ken wrote, it might be that my true leftist, socialist nature is shining through. I knew that watching that MSNBC for prolonged periods of time was dangerous. I’ll have to do some soul searching and report back to you all at the end of the day.

P.S. I don't want to disappoint Tim by not focusing on work today, since he's keeping track of my time this week.

Ken,
I understand how gun control is perceived in the cities and on a national level. I was speaking from a personal level.

I don't advocate that every citizen should be armed with a semi automatic. Nor can I accept the premise that carrying guns (however legal) to a public forum where our elected officials are speaking is appropriate. There is a common sense element there that is missing.

I can't wrap my head around the fact that taking guns away from law abiding citizens is going to deter criminals from getting firearms. As a private citizen (and, yes a Democrat)I would fight that tooth and nail.

We are semi-rural. I still maintain that here, in the GLOW area, there are as many Democrats as there are Republicans who hunt; collect; and enjoy the sport of marksmanship. Once again, this is just my take on it.
It is a personal choice not dictated by partisan politics.

Bea,
Too bad you are not running this year. You would have been good.

John,
That is somthing I'll NEVER do!
It takes far more political savvy and knowledge of local issues than I'll ever have.
I'm thrilled with the young men and women who are stepping up to the plate this year in both city and county races. They have the energy, enthusiasm, vision and desire to make a positive difference.
It was apparent that they want to invest in our city and county as I watched them come into Notre Dame last night for the Meet the Candidate night. They brought their children - our future. They are in for the long haul. Ready to face the challenges of today to make a better tomorrow not only for their own families but for everyone in our area.

Great job Chris! The libertarian in me is thrilled with your stance! Protecting our Rights is very imporatant to me at every level of governmnet!

During the fair, I had the opportunity to meet and speek with members of S.C.O.P.E and fully give them my support. I'm not a hunter and don't even own a weapon, but I strongly believe in the constitution that has made our counrty great. I also agree that most of our gun control laws do very little to stop illegal activities, instead just impead law abiding citizens.

I'm glad to see Chris shares those views!

Maybe S.C.O.P.E. will post the questions they asked. Sorry Ed didn't bother to respond.

FYI -- I've confirmed, it should have read "black powder rifle."

Thanks Bea!

You're dead on and I appreciate all the support that you have given us!

Where do they stand on hand guns and "Assault Rifles"? Why wont the Judge in Genesee county issue a carry conceal permits without restrictions?, when counties around us do?

I urged SCOPE members to invite the judge in question and teh Sheriff to one of their meetings and to offer up the statistics. A candid and open conversation could go a long way here.

For the record I'm on the side of Genesee County SCOPE when it comes to the concealed carry permit issue; I was proud to sign their petition. I don't see any rational reason to honor other county's permits while placing restrictions on our own. A little continuity goes a long way. I can't say for sure, but I believe that particular issue is why I received a higher rating than my opponent.

As far as assault weapons go, I told SCOPE members the same thing I wrote in my initial comment. Handguns and semi-automatic rifles in the hands of responsible, respectable gun owners are not the problem.

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Bea,

I think what CJ was getting at was the current movement by some lawmakers to classify semi-automatic (single pull, single fire, no manual reload) firearms as assault weapons.

I want an Assault rifle to be able to fight government force. Not to mention they are cool and fun to shoot.

But the fact that I want one is enough.

Chris, you got my vote.


yes im talking about semi automatic rifles, not Assault rifles, which are illegal in NY.

I'm glad to hear it CJ do you live in the 8th District by any chance?