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Today's Poll: What do you think of New York's new gun law?

By Howard B. Owens
Doug Yeomans

All it does is become a pain the the neck for people who legally own firearms. The law changes do not mean a thing to criminals. Wake up, Americans. We're being slow cooked.

Jan 16, 2013, 10:13am Permalink
Michael Caton

You are exactly right this takes away a little does nothing so a horrific event happens again and we take more until they 2nd Amendment is gone. Then there is noway to stand up to your government when the start taking the rest of them such as the 1st Amendment freedom of speech. So you either wake up now or pay very heavy in the end. There was no need for stronger gun laws in NY we already some of the most harsh.

Jan 16, 2013, 10:49am Permalink
Christopher Wierda

Doug, you consider a felony charge a "pain in the neck"? Interesting. "The law does not mean a thing to criminals". No, the law means YOU are the criminal. If you refuse to give up your semi-automatic that holds more than 7 rounds, then you are considered of the same culpable mental state as the Newtown shooter. Well, maybe not the same, "same", but since you decided to hang on to that semi-automatic we can't take any chances and need to force you into a mental evaluation or lock you up because, after all, you're a criminal.

Jan 16, 2013, 12:02pm Permalink
Doug Yeomans

Chris, I get your meaning, but please don't twist my words around. I'm pretty sure everyone is aware that law abiding citizens were instantly turned into criminals with the stroke of a pen and a secret meeting.

Jan 16, 2013, 12:26pm Permalink
Kyle Couchman

Chris...dont generalize, the charges in the law are misdemeanors, as for the 7 bullet rule if legal glock owners remove all but 7 bullets. Then they are in compliance with the law. Its is a load of political crap and nothing more. A placebo to placate the people ignorant of guns and media blinded by anti gun rhetoric.

Jan 16, 2013, 12:29pm Permalink
Jason Crater

I'm confused. I thought there was to be a grandfather clause...if you already had a gun that holds 10+ rounds, or is deemed an "assault rifle" you're ok. I thought you just couldn't buy a noncompliant firearm after the bill was passed?

Jan 16, 2013, 1:36pm Permalink
Michael Caton

there is a grandfather on the 10 round clips but you may have know more then 7 rounds in them. also you can keep your gun but it may have 2 many feature on it and have to remove to comply and recertified every 5 years and if you have clips which were pre 1994 and grandfather in last round of gun control you have a year to get ridded of them out of state. Not to mention the tracking of ammo if you buy in any quanity.

Jan 16, 2013, 3:51pm Permalink
Rich Richmond

Andrew Cuomo and his willing accomplices shoved this bill through in the middle of the night. He did it to upstage the President in pursuit of the same, much as Obama used children as props to promote his agenda.

It will do nothing to stem the flow of violence as criminals by their very nature won’t comply. It will make criminals of honest innocent men and women.

The Governor like the President’s Secret Service has an entourage of heavily armed bodyguards (State Police) to protect him and his family. No expense is spared to save their lives and keep them safe. He does not restrict the rounds in their bodyguard’s guns. Both men exempt themselves from the laws they impose on others; Millionaire career blue-blood politicians the new American Royalty. They mirror each other's hypocrisy.

Both of these mentioned men are cut from the same elitist cloth; their politics mirror one another.

Here is a direct quote from Obama’s speech; “We should get tougher on people who buy guns with the expressed purpose of turning around and selling them to criminals. And we should severely punish anybody who helps them do this.”
Does “Fast & Furious” come to mind, President Obama?”

Jan 16, 2013, 7:05pm Permalink
Christopher Wierda

Kyle, unfortunately you are incorrect. A person does not have to take law (I have) to understand the syntax here:

* § 265.01-b Criminal possession of a firearm.
<strong> A person is guilty of criminal possession of a firearm when he or she:
(1) possesses any firearm</strong>
or;
(2) lawfully possesses a firearm prior to the effective date of the chapter of the laws of two thousand thirteen which added this section subject to the registration requirements of subdivision sixteen-a of section 400.00 of this chapter and knowingly fails to register such firearm pursuant to such subdivision.

<strong>Criminal possession of a firearm is a class E felony.</strong>
* NB Effective March 16, 2013

The NY State Assembly website is already updated.

This means that you are considered a felon first, just for the possession, and then the burden is on you to prove you are legal. [guilt before innocence]. This is different than §265.01, which was Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 4th, which included switchblades, etc, which might have been the misdemeanor you were referring to. Now they have distinguished the possession of the firearm and other weapons, as a class E felony. You also need to follow the §400.00 to review licensing, and understand that all this is enough for probable cause to search your house, just like the "War on Drugs". I would not want to be the one to find out if that encompasses warrant-less searches.

Jan 16, 2013, 7:06pm Permalink
John Woodworth JR

AMEN Richard! GOV Cuomo is doing it for a presidential bid. This had to be the fastest BILL put into effect in New York State history. If, they are truly worried about children's and people's safety then why, could not other BILLS be established as quickly as this BILL (Child Abuse Laws, Anti-Bullying Laws, Illegal Drug Laws, etc...?) As a Law Enforcement Officer, GOV. Cuomo has put a target on all Law Enforcement Officers' (Federal, State and Local) chest. We are the ones who have to enforce the laws not him, we are the ones who will have to take (Or Attempt) weapons away from people because, their 2ND Amendment Rights are being violated not him and they are not in compliance with GOV. Cuomo's laws. Once again they are attacking this issue in an incorrect manner. They are not attacking the issue at hand. However, it is easier to establish a law on an object rather than a person.

MY GOD, when will POLITCIANS have common sense? These people that have gone out to conduct mass killings "DID NOT GAIN THESE WEAPONS LEGALLY!" These laws will not protect us from criminals completely! For all you internet buffs, apparently there is a YOUTUBE video made from the news coverage from Connecticut and the individual allegedly has coverage of additional suspects fleeing from police and that they actual found the assault rifle in the trunk of the suspect’s car. If this is true then it will make me wonder if, there is a conspiracy out there. Funny that PRES. Obama who in his previous four years did not pursue the weapons issue as he is now. Funny how this event timed itself shortly after the elections. (Yes I know it could have happened at any time, just ironic it happen when it happened.)

Honestly, I am tired of the remark who needs an assault rifle to hunt with. Once again the 2ND Amendment was not established for one’s hunting rights. It was established for the American People to defend themselves against foreign invasion and against domestic (Abusive Government) attacks. Not to mention, protection of our Constitutional Rights! We are already seeing a growing number of the public unhappy with our government and their policies. How our government makes laws for us but, they are not included.

Honestly limiting magazine/clip capacity is fine but, really will not make a whole lot of difference since, it takes less than a couple seconds to reload and I know individuals that can do it in a second. All these gun laws do is screw the law abiding citizens of this nation and allow for our rights to be violated. Not mention, it will allow criminals to flourish more in their violent ways.

Jan 16, 2013, 7:36pm Permalink
Kyle Couchman

Is History repeating itself again? I know everyone nails the Nazis for doing this in Germany a generation ago (almost 2 now) But in our generation the turkish did this to the armenians in their country, it also occured in several south and central american govtsjust before they became dictatorships.

Jan 17, 2013, 7:03am Permalink
JERRY CONDELLO

If you don't know any better let me tell you that a bad man with an assault rifle doesn't have a pistol permit. A bad man with high capacity magazines is not about to surrender them. A bad man doesn't care if the rules call for only a 7 round clip. Once again the legitmate armed citizen is punished because of a bad man. Once again the bad man is laughing at us all. The only thing that can stop a bad man with a gun, is a good man with a gun.

Jan 17, 2013, 4:24pm Permalink
John Woodworth JR

That is common sense Jerry but, again the politicians are blind to that fact or they do want to disarm American Citizens. What I am curious about is how do my LE brothers and sisters feel about this issue. I was at the "Countering Violent Extremism" at Hilbert College. Was a little dry since, I already know most of the informations and I was disappointed with the last segment of the day on "Violent Extremism in America" which was informative on a single individual but, not on the extremism groups in America. The LE Officer that I met all have concerns about the target GOV. Cuomo put on our chest. This issue may have open a Pandora Box which is about to get ugly for all LEOs. STAY SAVE BROTHERS AND SISTERS!

Jan 17, 2013, 9:15pm Permalink
Rich Richmond

I saw a comment, an analogy, on the internet about Cuomo’s approach to gun control that I wish I thought of. I changed it slightly.

A small town Mayor wants to be re-elected however he has the problem of teenagers speeding through his town at 90 miles an hour in a posted 30 mile per hour zone. His solution is lower the speed limit to 5 miles an hour to promote public safety and then strictly enforces it by throwing everyone in jail that disobeys even if they are only 1 mile over the speed limit.

Jan 17, 2013, 8:30pm Permalink

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