Posted by Cape Cod Daily News via Hyannis News
Saturday September 21, 2024 (1 month, 3 weeks ago)
HYANNIS, MASSACHUSETTS – [HN VIDEO NOTES & MULLINGS] – Earlier this evening, HN spoke with Toby Leary, co-owner of Cape Gun Works, about a troubling new, 116-page gun law that will soon potentially turn law abiding, licensed gun owners into felons in the near future if they are not extremely careful. The new law recently signed by Governor Maura Healey is lengthy and confusing, to say the least. It’s a troubling law because it apparently targets people who have historically been lawful, law-abiding gun owners. The only people not restricted by this new law are individuals deemed “approved” by our government… such as certain “approved” police officers, on or off-duty. (Or the security protecting our Governor whenever she’s out and about…)
The law is so confusing and overreaching, that civil rights and especially 2nd Amendment advocates have tried to answer common questions and have created summaries so that ordinary, responsible people do not become felons overnight. For example, there are now new (when the law takes effect this year) strictly prohibited areas where individuals historically and lawfully licensed to carry can no longer be armed. In other words, citizens who once lawfully carried a firearm for necessary protection related to their work and livelihood, will no longer be able to protect themselves or their loved ones in certain restricted areas, while “approved” members of law enforcement will still be able to protect themselves and their loved ones whether on duty or not. This is unfair and unconstitutional… and as Toby Leary explains, “There’s [now] a two-tier justice system in Massachusetts – there’s [now] two classes of people.” People “approved” by Massachusetts Government will be able to legally and fully protect themselves, while the second class will not be able to legally and fully protect themselves.
The way this lengthy new law is written is extremely troubling. It targets people who have historically obeyed the law. And it will not likely deter people who have no trouble breaking our laws.
The following is a summery on one small segment of the new law prepared by GOAL.org:
Section 124: Prohibited Areas
– Inserts a subsection to ch. 269 § 10 that would punish anyone who knowingly possesses a firearm in a prohibited area with a fine up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment in the HOC for up to 2 ½ years.
Defines prohibited areas as:
– Any place owned, leased or controlled by the state, county or municipal government used for gov admin, judicial or court admin proceedings, or correctional services including the building, grounds including parking lots (excludes public land available for hunting)
Any place used for polling, while being used for polling, also qualifies including within 150 feet of that building
– Allows municipalities to exempt their buildings from the statute
LTC, FID and Temporary LTC holders can store their firearm in a locked container in a vehicle within the prohibited area.
– [“Approved” members of] Law enforcement are exempt
The following HN Video shows an interview with Toby Leary. Toby talks about an ongoing signature drive that, with the right number, will put this disturbing new law onto a ballot, so that it may be debated, discussed and voted upon. In short, we cannot have a two-tier justice system… we cannot have two classes of law-abiding citizens, those who can lawfully protect themselves and those who cannot.
[HN VIDEO – PRESS PLAY]
