Conference foundr::firearms

    Just read the front page of the Nashua Telegraph.  I found some
    disturbing news.
    
    As it reads, there is a new bill before our legislature to allow the
    creation of a new gun law which will create "a lifetime permit to OWN a
    handgun".
    
    At first glance, I thought, "Oh good, a lifetime carry permit would be
    nice.  Then the word "OWN" whacked me upside the head, "not good".
    
    A republican from Hudson authored the bill and if the media got the
    story right, it does mean "OWN" and not "CARRY".  This constitutes a
    further infringement on our second amendment rights and opens a back
    door to handgun registration in our state.  Currently, we do not need a
    permit in the Live Free or Die state to OWN any firearm.
    
    I have not read the rest of the story and can't tell yet if there are
    any inconsistencies in the wording beyond the first few paragraphs.
    
    Somebody please correct me if I am wrong.
    
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -X

    Steve,
    
    Can you post more information about the bill?  Who sponsored it, is it
    in the senate or house, what's the bill number, etc?
    
    Your note prompted me to contact an extremely reliable source, and
    this sounds a lot like Senate bill 66, sponsored by Senator Gary
    Francouer, which passed the senate by a comfortable margin with
    help From Senator Dave Wheeler.
    
    It mandates that New Hampshire residents may obtain a life-time
    right to a concealed-carry license, eliminating the 4-year renewal
    period and fee currently in place.  It is NOT a "right-to-purchase"
    or "right-to-own" permit, so the TeleTrash got it wrong if that's 
    what they wrote.  Was the article written by Kevin Liedagain?  ;^)
    No license is or will be required at the state level to purchase,
    just to carry concealed.
    
    Anyway, don't panic over this one, it's a good bill.  There are bad
    ones pending, however, (e.g. SB193 and SB 195 - call your senators
    and voice strong opposition to these two bills) so remain ever vigilant...
    
    For those who have not yet joined, SB66 was sponsored and passed
    with a lot of support and encouragement from GONH, so join now and
    support their ongoing efforts to preserve your rights!
    
    Cheers!
    

    I'll post some clarification on this article shortly, if that is
    possible from the article.  I read the whole article during lunch.  The 
    writer and possibly some who were interviewed, quoted and paraphrased 
    were very careless about their choice of words.  One paragraph referred 
    to the current concealed carry laws and permits.  The next paragraph 
    referred to ownership permitting, followed by one referring to concealed 
    carry etc.  It is impossible to determine exactly what the subject of the 
    article is if you have no prior familiarity with what is being dealt with.
    It does seem that the subject is concealed carry, but that conclusion would
    be an educated assumption only.
    
    I blame the so called journalist for the confusion.  It seems that the
    writer had no idea of the subject matter and just figured the best idea
    was to cover all the possibilities or actually had no idea that each
    paragraph related to a completely different subject.
    
    As a high school English assignment, it would be no higher than an "D".
    
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -X

    re. .12
    
    " A proposal to issue lifetime permits for New Hampshire residents to
    own a handgun cleared the State Senate on Thursday."
    
    	Nashua Telegraph
    	Friday, March 7, 1997
       
    	Article Titled, "State Senate approves lifetime gun permits"
    	By Kevin Landrigan 
    	Telegraph Staff
    
    Excerpted:
    
    "Sen. Gary Francoeur, R-Hudson authored the Bill (SB66) that was a
    priority of the Gun Owners of New Hampshire group."
    
    I have not seen the follow up to this article if there is one, and I've
    been wondering how things turned out.  Does passage by the State Senate
    make it law now?
    
    Thank you,
    
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -X

    re: .-1
    
    Steve,
    
    As I thought, based on the amount of incorrect information in that
    article, it was written by Kevin Landrigan (whom I call Kevin
    Liedagain), whose "reporting" is extremely sloppy and
    poorly-researched, to be charitable.
    
    o SB66 extends the CONCEALED CARRY license to lifetime, eliminating
      the 4-year renewal cycle.
    
    o It has nothing to do with the PURCHASE or right to own firearms,
      only the ability to carry concealed.  No new state-level restrictions
      are imposed on NH residents to purchase or own firearms.
    
    o A similar bill must now pass the House.  Then it must be signed into
      law by the Governor.  I don't want to think about how our new
      politically-correct Clinton/Swett-loving Democrat governor will
      receive this bill.  Remember from a recent posting that she does not
      believe in the Constitution or Bill of Rights and does not think the
      Second Amendment recognizes the right of the INDIVIDUAL to rkba.
      I may have to make up some new Barf Bags...
    
    o Those who are pushing this issue (e.g. GOA, GONH) insist on calling
      the piece of paper you get a "LICENSE", not a "PERMIT".  It may sound
      like a moot point, however a permit implies you have to grovel before
      your local law enforcement people and beg for permission to exercize
      your constitutional rights; a "license" does not carry quite the same
      negative connotations.
    
    Finally, I urge people who buy the Teletrash to switch to the Union
    Leader - every penny that goes to the Teletrash indirectly promotes
    the kind of fact-free liberally-biased dis-information that Kevin
    Liedagain so routinely spews out.  Not that I'm opinionated or
    anything...  ;^)
    
    Cheers, and let's be careful out there!
    

    
    Any idea if this bill includes out-of-state permits?
    
    ed