GRNC Alert 11-29-11: Winston-Salem leaders are angered by park carry freedom

The Winston-Salem town council expressed outrage during their November 21st meeting that our state Assembly has “usurped” their “right” to disarm law-abiding citizens within city parks.

THE TOWN’S DISCUSSION WAS LACK OF GOVERNMENT REASON IN ACTION:

• HB 650 was called “Objectionable”, “Unacceptable”, “Unforgivable”.
• The same broken record reason for banning carry in parks was offered by Police Chief Scott Cunningham:

“When a weapon is present the situation could escalate – to a fatal incident instead of bumps and bruises”.

• Chief Cunningham also stated that Winston-Salem concealed carry permittees are, “very much law-abiding.”
• What the Chief didn’t say is that there is no evidence that a permittee has been violent anywhere in NC.
• City Councilor Vivian H. Burke encouraged Winston-Salem citizens to “Occupy Raleigh” to protest HB 650.
• Mayor Allen Joines characterized HB 650 as having, “taken away the ability of city government to regulate its own affairs.”

It is clear that the Winston-Salem Mayor and City Council need a strong dose of reality-inducing reason to understand that the Second Amendment trumps any of their ordinances, and that it is they who serve at the Assembly’s pleasure.

We are just the people to administer this badly-needed medicine.

Contact

• Contact the Mayor and City Councilors of Winston-Salem, NC.
• Cut and paste email list:

danbesse@danbesse.org, vivianb@cityofws.org, denisea@cityofws.org, robertc@cityofws.org, derwinm@cityofws.org, mollyl@cityofws.org, wandam@cityofws.org, jamestjr@cityofws.org, allenj@cityofws.org

Deliver This Message

City of Winston-Salem Representatives,

It is clear from your November 21st meeting that your City Attorney rewrote city ordinances not to comply with state law (HB 650, Castle Doctrine and Concealed Carry Permitted in Parks), but to take every opportunity to “not comply” with this important freedom-promoting new legislation.

The resulting ordinance is an unreasonable infringement of Second Amendment rights that conflicts with the very intent of the new state law to provide state-wide uniformity. It also sends a troubling message of willful lack of cooperation with state government, under which you serve.

HB 650 was intended to increase the ability of law-abiding permittees to defend themselves and their families when visiting North Carolina parks. The need for citizens to be able to effectively defend themselves in Winston-Salem parks was made clear by Chief Scott Cunningham’s admission that crime is a problem in these areas. The severity of these problems across our state was made clear earlier this month by the brutal murder of Leroy Staton in Greenville’s Jaycee park. Based upon these established facts, your criticism of the Assembly’s enactment of HB 650 is inappropriate.

Chief Cunningham’s claim that disagreements will escalate to homicide is unreasonable: across the state over 330,000 permittees have had 16 years of opportunity to become violent and have not. The Chief’s concern is similar to those expressed earlier against “shall issue” laws; there was to be “blood in the street” and “lead flying through the air”. These fears have not been realized and, like concern of disagreements escalating to shoot-outs, are unjustified. The Chief himself admits that, “Concealed carry permittees are very much law-abiding.” Why do you mistrust them?

Your ordinance is illegal, irrational, unjustifiable and a clear example of disrespect for both state law and the Constitutional rights of free Americans.

It must be rescinded immediately.

I will be following progress through Grass Roots North Carolina.

Sincerely,

A concerned NC voter

GRNC is preparing to take appropriate legal action and needs to identify local plaintiffs

Find Your Representatives

NC STATE House & Senate: http://www.grnc.org/contact_ reps.htm

FEDERAL Congressman: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

FEDERAL Senators: http://www.senate.gov/