A Perfect World in N.Y. City

Fascists, Socialists and Communists have many things in common and one of them is removing all guns from their people; only Hitler, Stalin and Mao and their supporters had firearms in their perfect world. 

Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, the presumptive Democrat nominee for mayor of N.Y. City describes himself as a Democrat Socialist while President Trump labels him a Communist.  Mamdani also wants NY City to be a perfect world and he wrote in a May 24, 2022 tweet, “We need to ban all guns.”    

New York City is noted for its slooowww pace in approving pistol permits.  Many would not believe it could get slower.  Guess again.

On the other hand, some of Zohran Mamdani’s programs would seem to say New Yorkers will need more guns.  Let’s explore some quotes from Mamdani which would seem to support the idea that more guns will be needed.

Did you think ‘Defund the Police’ was dead?  Think again.

Per Mamdani: Queer liberation means defund the police. We don't need an investigation to know that the NYPD is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety.  What we need is to #DefundTheNYPD.  NO to fake cuts – defund the police. 

And apparently the key to reducing crime is keeping criminals out of jail.

Per Mamdani: We will support existing decarceral legislation that will:

End cash bail

Decriminalize sex work
Legalize marijuana
Permit safe injection sites
        mandatory licensing of semiautomatic rifles;
        banning civilian purchase of body armor
        restrictions on gun dealer advertising and required warning signage in                    retail stores.
        expanding New York’s “Red Flag” laws;
        forced disclosure of social media accounts for concealed carry applicants.

He wants to empty jails because: "Violence is an artificial construct."

Per Mamdani: “conflating (sex) trafficking with consensual sex work won't help anyone.  DA Katz must listen to sex workers & their demand for full #decrim.

But if you happen to be one of the criminals ‘victimized’ by being put in jail, your life will get easier.

Per Mamdani: Restrict solitary confinement; Enact elder parole; Re-enfranchise incarcerated Nyers; Make all calls and emails to and from people incarcerated in state jails and prisons free.

In Mamdani’s N Y City, when you are in danger, a social worker will be minutes away.

Per Mamdani’s campaign web site: …centralize, expand, and invest in community-based violence intervention programs through the Crisis Management System, including gun violence interrupters…deploying teams of violence interrupters to respond immediately to instances of gun violence.

He wants to emulate a Richmond California program that… deploys trained outreach workers to people identified as active firearm offenders.  (Emphasis added),

Crime in the transit system?

Mamdani’s web site calls it “A Critical Place for Intervention” and, instead of more cops, his web site says he will be: “Creating dedicated outreach workers in our subway stations.”

History is a prelude to the future.  Here is how Mamdani voted as a N.Y. Assemblyman (via VoteSmart):

Voted for:

Supported:

Decide for yourself.  Will Mamdani’s gun free New York City be a place where guns are not needed for personal defense or will guns be even more of a necessity?

And since N Y City is the ‘1,000 pound gorilla’ in the N Y legislatures, expect a spill over into the rest of N Y State.  Especially in the area of financing all these ‘progressive’ programs.

The Good the Bad and the Dumb

Originally, the U.S. Senate version of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ (BBB) completely removed suppressors and short-barrel rifles from both NFA taxation and required registration.  But the Senate’s parliamentarian rejected the inclusion of that specific language on a technical reason.

The GOP-controlled Senate then added language to Trump’s BBB reducing the $200 tax on suppressors and short-barrel firearms to zero ($0).   

Although the tax is removed, NFA registration is still required.

The Senate voted to advance President Trump's BBB and start debate on the sweeping tax and immigration package.  In a 51 to 49 vote, all but two Republicans voted to advance the bill and all Democrats voted against it. 

Not a big deal in NY State, since NY is one of only eight states where suppressors are still illegal.  But a nice win for the 2nd Amendment - if it stays in the bill’s final version and is enacted into law.

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Early in June, California’s State Assembly passed Assembly Bill 1127, supported entirely by Democrats and opposed by nearly all Republicans.  It is a gun control measure aimed at outlawing firearms that can be easily converted into machine guns.  It targets the exact technical features that define pistols like Glock handguns. The bill’s language is so technical and specific that it’s no accident that the law aims to ban what may be the most popular handguns sold in America.

Easily converted means “readily converted by hand or with household tools” into a fully automatic weapon because of what the sponsors label a “dangerous design flaw” that gun manufacturers have known about for decades and done nothing to stop it.

However, Alisha Curtin, co-host of Gun Owners Radio revealed Glock already took steps to prevent future conversions in their newer pistol designs. 

Curtin also notes that the bill introduces an entirely new term: “machine gun convertible pistol.”  AB1127 makes it sound like converting a Glock to full-auto is as simple as replacing a battery, when in reality it requires a mix of illegal tools, know-how, and intent.”

This is pushing California towards a total ban of Glock pistols.

In response to the BBB easing laws on suppressors, some of the anti-2A U.S. Senators displayed their lack of factual knowledge about suppressors.

Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) posted to X, “A hidden provision of the bill…wait for it…legalizes gun silencers!! What?? So now criminals will be able to hide their crimes and police will lose the ability to respond to mass shootings.”

Then Murphy added, “Mass murderers use silencers so their targeted victims can’t hear the gun shots, and they can kill more people who don’t flee when the shooting begins.”

Not to be undone in a race to the bottom, our own less than beloved Senator Chuck Schumer said, “The only people who want silencers are criminals because they don’t want people to hear their bad, horrible, deadly deeds.”

Of course, these Senators must be correct since in the movies the suppressed guns only go poof.  But in the non-cinematic world, suppressors/silencers lower the decibel level of guns, but do not make them silent. They can still be heard and most are not hearing safe even at the lower decibel levels. 

And in another approach, Senator Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) claimed that suppressors would effectively negate “ShotSpotter” gunfire detection systems used by law enforcement in cities to triangulate gunfire for responding police.

“These silencers circumvent that system.  That system will no longer be effective when a gunman has a silencer.”

SoundThinking is the company that owns ShotSpotter and their fact sheet says,

“The ShotSpotter sensors are designed to pick up the sound of gunfire from suppressors…”

One has to wonder if these politicians are that uninformed or if they are just liars?

June 2025 SCOPE President Activities

June 2025 was an exceptionally active month for SCOPE initiatives.  The Erie County Chapter of SCOPE was reestablished under the leadership of Mr. Mark Drews.  SCOPE President John Elwood served as the guest speaker at multiple gun clubs and SCOPE chapters, including the Niagara County Second Amendment Forever organization, the Schuyler County Chapter of SCOPE and the Ulster County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs.  In June, meetings and coordination efforts included two sessions with the SCOPE Social Media Plan Committee and a meeting with an H&R Block representative regarding sales tax on potential future online merchandise sales by SCOPE.  As the 2025 legislative session concluded on June 16, 2025, the SCOPE legislative committee convened to review and assess SCOPE’s Top Ten Most Egregious Firearms Legislation debated in the New York State Legislature.  Banquet coordination efforts continued Sunday, June 22, 2025, as the SCOPE Chairman and President attended a Cayuga County GOP event to meet with Congressman Michael Lawler and invite Congressman Lawler to speak at the 2025 SCOPE banquet.  Expanding SCOPE chapters in New York State is essential.  The organization’s President is currently prioritizing Niagara, St. Lawrence, and Putnam counties. Finally, preparations were made for the Jefferson/Lewis County Chapter of SCOPE as its members volunteered to participate in the Lewis County Fair 15-20 July 2025.

Erie County Chapter of SCOPE.  The Erie County Chapter of SCOPE was officially reestablished on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, under the leadership of Mr. Mark Drews.  Approximately 45 SCOPE members attended the meeting, which was held in Blasdell, New York.  Mark Drews opened the meeting by welcoming attendees and outlining the chapter’s future direction.  SCOPE ‘s President also addressed the group, discussing the organization’s five key priorities and its strategic path in 2025-2026.  The chapter plans to hold meetings monthly.

Niagara Second Amendment Forever Organization.  The SCOPE President served as the guest speaker at the Second Amendment Forever organization, with the goal of outlining SCOPE’s efforts to protect and defend the Second Amendment, presenting the organization’s key priorities, and encouraging new membership.  The SCOPE President also was the guest speaker at the Schuyler County Chapter of SCOPE on Thursday, June 5, 2025. 

SCOPE’s Social Media Plan Committee.  The committee began work developing a course of action for a SCOPE social media plan.  Proposed actions include launching multiple social media accounts – such as X, Reddit, and Rumble – developing additional “Alert Messages,” and potentially starting a podcast.  Once a proposed course of action is outlined, the committee will present it to the SCOPE Board of Directors for approval.  The plan will detail key elements such as the concept, costs, and required resources.  Upon approval, a dedicated SCOPE Social Media Task Force (SMTF) will be established to implement and manage the social medial strategy. 

H&R Block and Sales Tax.  To assess the feasibility of establishing a fourth revenue stream through online merchandise sales, research was conducted to determine whether a 501 c (4) organization is required to collect and remit sales tax in New York State.  A SCOPE official met with a senior executive from H&R Block to clarify whether sales tax would be required.  A sales tax is required for a 501 C (4) organization in New York State.  If the SCOPE Board of Directors approves the development of an additional revenue stream through online merchandise sales, several steps must be taken.  First, SCOPE would need to get a New York State sales tax vendor number, followed by applying for an online services agreement.  Sales tax would be remitted quarterly covering the periods March – May, June – August, September – November, and December – February.  Even if there were no sales during a quarter, a sales tax report is required.  Additional research is still needed before a final decision can be made.

Update To SCOPE’s Top Ten Most Egregious Firearms Legislation Debated in the Legislature. The 2025 legislative session officially ended on June 16, 2025, when the New York State Assembly adjourned. At the start of the session in January, SCOPE personnel reviewed 69 firearms-related bills introduced in the legislature and identified the "Top Ten Most Egregious Firearms Bills" for focused monitoring and opposition. One of these bills, Senate Bill S00362—which mandates a ten-day waiting period from the initial contact with the New York State National Instant Background Check System (NYS NICS) before a firearm, shotgun, or rifle can be delivered—passed the Senate through a full floor vote. However, its companion bill in the Assembly, A03233, did not advance out of the Codes Committee during the 2025 session.

With the session concluded and Senate Bill S00362 advancing, several SCOPE members met and began updating the "Top Ten Most Egregious Firearms Bills" list in preparation for the 2026 legislative session. Two additional bills are being considered for inclusion on SCOPE’s updated list. The first is Senate Bill S00399 / Assembly Bill A00199, which would make it illegal for certain individuals to possess or sell a "pistol converter" or a "converted pistol." The term “convertible pistol” is defined as any semi-automatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar that can be readily converted into a machine gun—either by hand or using common household tools—through the installation or attachment of a pistol converter. The second is Senate Bill S04954 / Assembly Bill A01089, which would prohibit the use of lead ammunition when taking wildlife on state-managed lands, including wildlife management areas, state forest preserves, state parks, and other state-owned lands open to hunting. The ban would also apply to lands that contribute surface water to the New York City water supply.

Banquet.  Banquet planning is ongoing. On Sunday, June 22, 2025, the SCOPE Chairman and President attended a Cayuga County GOP event held in support of Congressman Michael Lawler, who is currently exploring a potential run for New York State Governor against Governor Hochul in 2026. During the event, Congressman Lawler was invited to be one of the featured speakers at the upcoming SCOPE Banquet, scheduled for Saturday, September 27, 2025, at the Palmyra VFW in Palmyra, New York. 

Fundraising Season. SCOPE county chapters are actively planning and carrying out their summer and fall fundraising efforts. For example, the Jefferson/Lewis County Chapter is participating in the Lewis County Parade and hosting an informational table at the county fair. Activities at the event include playing “Plinko" game for a gun raffle, public education on current firearms legislation, and the distribution of U.S. Constitutions and voter registration forms. Proceeds from these efforts help fund legal challenges in support of the Second Amendment and contribute to local high school shooting sports programs. Successful fundraising strengthens SCOPE’s ability to protect and defend Second Amendment rights against ongoing efforts by gun control advocates.

Fourth of July. What a day!  Friday, July 4, 2025, marks the 249th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. It’s a day to reflect on and celebrate the enduring significance of our nation’s independence. For nearly 250 years, our freedoms have been preserved through the dedication and sacrifice of generations of patriots who came before us.

We owe our liberty to the courage and perseverance of individuals like G.I. Joe and Rosie the Riveter—symbols of the countless men and women who gave their all for the country. As we celebrate this Independence Day, let us remember the meaning behind it and honor those who made our freedom possible.

Thank You! I want to thank each member of SCOPE for volunteering to support and defend the Second Amendment with your time, talent, and treasure.  The world is full of examples of what happens to its citizenry when they lose their right to self-defense.  In 1787, when Mrs. Elizabeth Willing Powell asked Benjamin Franklin, "What do we have, a republic or a monarchy, Benjamin Franklin said, "A Republic, if you can keep it".  Enjoy your family and friends during your celebration of the Fourth of July and stay safe!

John
SCOPE President

Farming, Hunting and Animal Rights

Over the four years of the Biden administration and as far back as the Obama administration, anti-2nd Amendment, anti-hunting and animal rights groups have been pushing banks towards a policy of denying banking services and financial products to the firearm and ammunition industries.

Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Humane Society International blogged: “It is therefore immensely important that considerations of animal welfare and a shift toward plant-forward food systems are integrated into core financing and investing strategies.”  Basically, they want us to become vegetarians!

However, the Trump administration has put up a detour sign and is tearing that avenue up.

While speaking at the World Economic Forum 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, just four days into his second term, President Donald Trump urged major banking institutions to abandon their previously held politics-based lending protocols that discriminated against the firearm and ammunition industries.

As a result, Citigroup announced it was no longer implementing its long-held policy of discrimination against the firearm industry

Shareholder resolutions related to animal welfare were introduced at both Bank of America and Citigroup board meetings.  Both boards opposed the proposals and signaled no intention to address the issue publicly.

So, these anti-2nd Amendment, anti-hunting and animal rights groups are paving another road.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) created a gun-related Merchant Category Code (MCC) for credit and debit card companies to use to track purchases of firearms and ammo. When most banks announced they would NOT be moving forward with implementing the code, Democrat run states like New York passed or are proposing laws to force banks to adopt these codes, paving the way for a gun registry.

Animal rights activists, the Wilberforce Institute, is connected to Washington, D.C., lobbyist Marty Irby who spent years as executive director of Animal Wellness Action (AWA). AWA’s spent huge amounts to defeat pro-hunting conservatives and electing anti-hunting and gun control supporting progressives, (according to OpenSecrets.)

The Wilberforce Institute’s political goals include banning traditional ammunition for hunting and using frivolous lawsuits to tie up businesses. (For example: in New York and other states, proposed bills target lead ammunition; the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled against Mexico’s attempt to sue the firearm industry but Mexico is rumored to be trying a different tactic toward that same end; many Democrat run states are passing laws to work around federal laws and allow frivolous lawsuits against the firearm industry.)

When voters reject their activist agendas and banks shrug off their financial discrimination demands, the anti-2A, anti-hunting, anti-science animal rights activist turn to the courts.

Animal rights group Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) attempted to have judges rule that elephants, that are in the care of zoos, have “personhood” rights. That attempt was defeated. 

If the courts had decided that the elephants, or any other animal in monitored and beneficial care, possessed personhood rights, the flood gate would open for future lawsuits against other zoos, farms and even pet owners.

Gun owners must be aware that these groups will use the courts, the ballot box and major banking institutions to push their radical anti-2A, anti-hunting, animal rights agenda. The societal and economic costs are of no concern to them.  When one door closes to them, they open another.

Hunters should obviously be concerned about their 2A rights and farmers need to ally with 2A organization such as SCOPE.  And those not interested in becoming vegetarians might consider joining us, too.

Around the East Coast

New York State seems to attract every gun control bill imaginable.  We are not alone.  The same types of bills bounce around states where there is a heavy Democrat presence – which is, basically, the Northeast.. 

SCOPE did a search titled ”anti-gun in (state name)” to compile the information below on upper East Coast states.  Some of these bills have not been passed but they give you an idea of what is being tried.  Many should seem familiar.

The Rhode Island House and Senate passed S.359A along party lines. The approval sends the bill to the Governor (D), who was endorsed by both Everytown and Giffords and has already included money for the ban in his 2026 proposed state budget. 

The bill says: No person shall manufacture, sell, offer to sell, transfer, or purchase a ‘prohibited firearm’, except as otherwise authorized under this section.  A "Prohibited firearm" means:

A semi-automatic shotgun that has a fixed magazine capacity exceeding six (6) rounds;

Any shotgun with a revolving cylinder; 

A semi-automatic rifle with a fixed magazine capacity exceeding ten (10) rounds;

A semi-automatic rifle that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine, and has at any one of six common cosmetic features including: a folding or telescopic stock; a pistol grip; a thumbhole stock; a flash suppressor, a threaded barrel, a barrel shroud. 

Punishment includes imprisonment of not more than ten (10) years, or a fine up to $10,000.

Maine lawmakers took up more than a dozen bills related to firearms.  Here’s a closer look at some of them.  (Only a dozen?  Pikers compared to NYS.)   

Maine’s House and Senate rejected proposals that:

would have allowed someone to carry a concealed firearm in a state park,

would have reduced the age limit that a person can carry without a permit.

The House voted for an amended bill that would require serial numbers for so-called ghost guns (made with a 3D printer.) It would also prohibit undetectable firearms that can’t be spotted with a metal detector (which are already illegal under federal law.)

Initially the Senate passed but then reconsidered and tabled a bill which prohibits financial institutions and merchants from creating a de facto gun registry by using firearm codes to track purchases. The House still has not taken up the bill. 

Democrats in Hartford Connecticut passed and the governor signed what one lawmaker considers to be the "worst anti-Second Amendment piece of legislation in the Connecticut General Assembly’s history."

The ‘Firearm Industry Responsibility Act’ aims to permit the filing of a civil action against a firearm industry member who fails to "exercise reasonable control" over firearm industry products. It is designed to shortcut the defense provided by the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) that shields the gun industry from frivolous lawsuits. 

State Senator Rob Sampson accurately described it when saying: “This bill represents a concerted national effort to effectively litigate the firearm industry out of business… There are vague and subjective terms – trap doors – throughout, which are a dream for anti-gun activists and litigators looking to harm the industry with meritless cases. This is simply a political bill disguised as an effort to keep people safe."

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (D) signed one of the most extreme gun control bills, H4885. The 116-page radical gun control package implements sweeping gun bans, magazine restrictions, mandatory registration of all firearms, extreme training requirements, and more.

In addition, Massachusetts proposed bills S1653 and H2672 state:

(a) A firearm industry member shall: establish and implement reasonable controls regarding the manufacture, distribution, importation, marketing, and sale of firearm industry products; and take reasonable precautions to ensure the firearm industry member does not sell or distribute a firearm industry product to a downstream distributor or retailer of firearm industry products that fails to establish and implement reasonable controls.

(b) A firearm industry member shall not manufacture, distribute, import, market, offer for wholesale, or offer for retail sale a firearm industry product that is:

(1) designed, sold, or marketed in a manner that foreseeably promotes conversion of legal firearm industry products into illegal firearm industry products; or

(2) designed, sold, or marketed in a manner that is targeted at minors or individuals who are legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms;

In 2024, Maryland Governor Moore signed two anti-gun bills into law.

House Bill 947 allows civil causes of action to be brought against firearm industry members. The law has the potential to bankrupt local firearm industry members through a litany of lawsuits, inflating business costs in such a fashion that it severely limits opportunities to lawfully purchase firearms, ammunition, and components.

House Bill 583 utilizes taxpayer dollars to fund a state-level program to push the Governor's gun control agenda (that parallels President Biden's Office of Gun Violence Prevention.)  Like Biden’s office, the likely reality is the center seeks to employ gun-control advocates and activists and utilize the center as a radical, anti-gun propaganda tool.

Other Maryland gun control measures were defeated - but will return: 

House Bill 935 and Senate Bill 784 sought to impose an excise tax at a rate of 11% upon all transactions involving firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition. 

House Bill 430 would have required those with a wear and carry permit to obtain liability insurance.

House Bill 1473 was an attempt to phase out lead ammunition across the State of Maryland.

Bucking the trend in the Northeast, New Hampshire passed a law protecting manufacturer liability!

In New Jersey, lawmakers want to:

Increase the penalties for the manufacturing and distributing so-called “ghost guns” and 3D-printed firearms from second-degree to first-degree crimes,

make it a crime to possess digital instructions to use a 3D printer to make a gun, firearm receiver, magazine or firearm component,

buying parts to make a gun without a serial number,

making a covert or undetectable firearm,

transporting a manufactured gun without a serial number,

require businesses that sell guns and ammunition to use the merchant category codes for processing credit, debit, or prepaid transactions.

establish criminal penalties for selling or possessing "machine gun conversion" devices that can turn semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic firearms,

permit the court system to take additional time to consider pretrial release or pretrial detention when firearm offense is involved. (Gun owners could be detained indefinitely for mere possession charges while a judge considers whether they're eligible for pre-trial release.) 

Pennsylvania SB209 deals with licenses, liability insurance and the sale or transfer of firearms

And more bills in the hopper. 

Gun Owners of America-Pennsylvania says, “…we’re tracking 36 anti-gun bills, including Red Flag Gun Confiscation Orders, “Ghost Gun” bans, universal registration checks, mandatory safe storage laws, and semi-automatic rifle bans (to name a few).”

Rabidly anti-gun House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D) is pushing for more gun control.

Existing Delaware law bans specific models such as the AK-47, AR-15, and Uzi. The law also restricts firearms based on design features, including semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines that have: pistol grips; folding stocks; or flash suppressors.

Delaware also restricts certain firearm accessories and modifications such as silencers, short-barreled rifles, and sawed-off shotguns, and high-capacity magazines holding more than 17 rounds

Vermont bills that would have disarmed law abiding citizens but are dead (this year) include:

H.45 would have prohibited carrying firearms in establishments serving alcohol,

H.368 would have banned carrying firearms in government buildings,

H.381 would have banned purchasing or possessing commonly owned semi-automatic firearms,

H.392 would have banned firearms in state-owned buildings and lands,

Not to be forgotten, H.418 would have implemented an 11% excise tax on the purchase of guns and ammo.

HR 38   ( https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/38/text )

Federal proposed bill HR 38 says that if you have a concealed carry permit in your state, it’s valid in other states (with below restrictions.)

To qualify to carry concealed in a non-resident state, a person:

must not be prohibited by Federal law from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm,

must carry a valid identification document containing a photograph of the person,

must have a valid license or permit issued pursuant to the law of a State, that allows the person to carry a concealed firearm or is entitled to carry a concealed firearm in the State in which the person resides.

The firearm must have been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.  (The feds, not the states, regulate interstate commerce.)

This does not include a machine gun or destructive device.

The non-resident state in which a person can carry must:

have a statute under which residents of the State may apply for a license or permit to carry a concealed firearm,

or

the state does not prohibit the carrying of concealed firearms by residents of the State for lawful purposes.

It’s not ‘Constitutional Carry’ but it’s a very big step in that direction and well worth supporting.

The bill has 168 co-sponsors in the House and – to no one’s surprise - all of them have an ‘R’ after their name.  The co-sponsors include New York Congresspersons:

Claudia Tenney,

Nick Langworthy,

Elise Stefanik,

These above three are reliable defenders of the 2^nd Amendment.

Republican Congresspersons not co-sponsoring the bill include:

Nicolas LaLota                    (NY 1 – Long Island)

Andrew Gabarino               (NY 2 - Long Island)

Nicole Malliotakis              (NY 11 – Staten Island & Brooklyn)

Michael Lawler                   (NY 17 – NYC northern suburbs / Hudson Valley)          

If you live in their districts, you might consider dropping them a line and asking why they are not co-sponsoring the bill.

Lawler is frequently mentioned as considering a run for governor in 2026.  He seems to fall in to a trap that many Republican candidates fall into – they try to appeal to Democrats but alienate their Republican base and that base fails to show up on election day; they might get a few Democrat votes but lose even more Republican votes.  But hey, they’ve got paid campaign managers advising them while we are just the voters.

Proposed Legislation in D.C. and New Jersey

SCOPE tries to keep you updated on the never-ending attempts in New York State to void the 2nd Amendment.  Once in a while we need to look beyond our borders to see what else is happening.

2nd Amendment defenders can’t help but notice the difference between Republican dominated legislatures and Democrat dominated legislatures.

For instance, at the federal level, where the Republicans have a majority:

The Firearms Policy Coalition reports that the Senate Finance Committee has proposed firearm and tax reforms as part of the budget reconciliation package, including:

Removing suppressors, short-barreled rifles (SBRs), short-barreled shotguns (SBSs), and “any other weapons” (AOWs) from the definition of firearm under the National Firearms Act. (NFA)

Redefining the term “Firearm” to include only machineguns and destructive devices!

Eliminating the legal basis and requirement for taxing, registering, or restricting these items under the NFA!

Eliminating the government’s authority to classify shotguns as destructive devices

Eliminating the $5 transfer tax for AOWs

Preempting state and local registration or licensing laws that rely solely on NFA classification, so long as the owner acquired the item in compliance with federal (GCA) requirements

Ensuring that owners of SBRs, SBSs, and AOWs don’t run afoul of state and local laws requiring registration or licensing requirement under the NFA as long as they lawfully acquire or possess them under other federal laws!

Then there are the Democrat dominated state legislatures: Anti-2A legislatures have a habit of following each other’s lead, so what we see in Democrat run states like California or New Jersey is probably not far from New York.  The Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs (ANJRPC) reports and describes the following list of gun bills being voted on by the NJ Senate, on Thursday:  S3894 creates a crime for possession of digital instructions to illegally manufacture firearms or firearm components. (You don’t have to produce a gun or component, just have a digital file on your computer.)  S3895 establishes the crime of reckless discharge, which is a swipe at concealed carry. Every time a firearm is used, even in legitimate self-defense situations, prosecutors will have more tools to harass law-abiding gun owners.   S3896 This bill is another attempt to criminalize lawful self-defense with a firearm. It allows possible prosecution for self-defense where a firearm is discharged.  S3706 mandates the use of Merchant Category Codes. This can be used to create a firearms registry or discriminate against gun owners and lawful businesses.  (We already have this in NY State.)  S3900 When someone is accused of a firearms’ crime, it allows imprisonment, while awaiting trial, for an unlimited amount of time.  (Do these people ever read the US Constitution, which supersedes New Jersey State laws?)  S1558 Makes it a first-degree crime (up to 20 years in jail) to transport, ship, or dispose of a firearm without a serial number. No exception for previously owned historical firearms that were lawfully manufactured and lawfully acquired without a serial number. (Ex post facto laws are laws that retroactively change the legal consequences of actions that were committed before the law was enacted, and they are prohibited by Article 1 Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution.)

S3893 This legislation creates new crimes for possessing or selling a machine gun "conversion device."  This could mean that previously-lawful devices that cause a semi-automatic firearm to cycle more rapidly (rather than changing the way the trigger functions from semi-automatic to fully automatic) are illegal.  It also opens the door to prosecution of vendors from other states who sell devices lawfully elsewhere, but which end up in New Jersey.

Bunker Hill

SCOPE wrote, last week, that many important events that occurred 250 years ago, during the Revolutionary War, were passing without enough fanfare.  Here is another.

Two hundred and fifty years ago yesterday, the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775. 

The majority of the battle was fought on the adjacent Breed’s Hill, so why is it called the battle of Bunker Hill?  Because Bunker Hill was the original objective of the British troops.

The British were besieged in Boston when they decided occupy Bunker Hill, for strategic reasons.  They attacked, uphill, an entrenched position.  Two assaults on the colonial positions were repulsed with significant British casualties but the redoubt was captured on their third assault, after the defenders ran out of ammunition and retreated.

As a result, the British suffered 1,054 casualties (226 dead and 828 wounded), and a disproportionate number of these were officers; about 100 commissioned officers were among the dead and wounded. The casualty count was, reportedly, the highest suffered by the British in any single encounter during the entire war.

The 1,200 colonial defenders suffered about 450 losses, in total, of whom 140 were killed.

British Commander General Clinton remarked in his diary that "A few more such victories would have shortly put an end to British dominion in America.”

Many things done have unintended consequences and although the battle, itself, was not terribly significant, their losses effected British strategy in future battles. The British adopted a more cautious planning and maneuver execution in future engagements, which was evident in the subsequent battle in New York City where the British had a chance to destroy Washington’s army but hesitated and allowed Washington to escape, eventually to Valley Forge.

The engagement also convinced the British of the need to hire substantial numbers of Hessian mercenaries to bolster their strength in the face of the new and formidable Continental Army.  You may remember that those Hessians also ended up at Valley Forge.  (But that’s a year away.)

So much for mass shootings being uniquely American!

A letter to the editor sent by Bohdan Rabarsky.

It’s been impossible to find any American newspaper giving the facts surrounding the tragic mass school shooting that just took place in Graz Austria on Tuesday, June 10th.  The attack at the BORG Dreierschutzengasse High School claimed nine lives with the shooter apparently taking his own life. We’re always led to believe that shootings like this only happen in the United States because of our “lax gun laws and our popular gun culture that breeds a sense of wild west in every gun toting citizen.” 

Austria has more restrictive gun control laws than we have in America, but as is in America, it’s a sign that there’s a breakdown in society and morals.  

The BBC is reporting that the alleged shooter used two legally obtained firearms. Gun ownership in Austria requires a registration and purchasing a firearm involves a three day waiting period. Handguns may only be purchased by persons over the age of 21 who hold a firearm license. Anyone wanting to own a firearm in Austria must first provide a reason for the purchase, such as “sports shooting or self-defense”

The 21 year old suspect used a handgun and a shotgun and had a required firearm license, so the notion that a waiting period, registration and licensing will reduce such mass shootings is somehow debunked. Gun restrictions in Austria did not prevent this attack and calling for more gun control would not guarantee this will not happen again

Anti-gunners that want you to believe mass shootings are something unique to America, are lying to you. They happen everywhere but are only reported in a way to fit a narrative to scare you into thinking it can only happen here unless the government passes more gun control, bans guns all together or an Article V Constitutional Convention repeals the 2nd Amendment.

The Revolution and Fathers’ Day

Something important is happening without enough fanfare.  Two hundred and fifty years ago the American Revolution was being fought!  It is an important anniversary to Americans and to the rest of the free world that we have been defending.

The planning for this celebration should have been occurring during the Biden administration.  But that would have entailed celebrating America.

What 250th anniversaries have passed, so far, without enough fanfare?

On April 19th 1775, there was a skirmish at Lexington and Concord followed up by a British retreat to Boston.  It is referred to as “The shot heard round the world.”  It signaled the start of The Revolution and should definitely have been celebrated.

On May 10th 1775, Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain boys captured Fort Ticonderoga, here in New York State.  It was an American morale builder and the cannons captured in this victory were eventually transferred over the mountains to Boston where they threatened the British and forced them to abandon Boston. 

Call me catty, but NY Governor Kathy Hochul could not find time on May 10th to travel a few miles north to celebrate the occasion.  Congresswoman Elise Stefanic was there.

Tomorrow, Saturday, the 14th, we celebrate Flag Day which was enabled by the American Revolution. 

A crucial anniversary is coming up this weekend; Sunday the 15th is Fathers’ Day.  Something important occurred on that day in 1775, which gives increased meaning to this year’s Fathers’ Day and seems like more than a coincidence. 

On June 15th 1775, George Washington – the appropriately named ”Father of our country” – was chosen by the Continental Congress as commander of the Continental Army.  Washington would be at the very center of American events for the next twenty-two years, and it all started on that June 15th; a Virginia planter started on the road to being the “Father of our country.”   

Washington truly was the indispensable man.  Think of how American and world history would have been changed without his leadership, wisdom and unselfishness at the birth of the United States. 

Probably, there would not be a United States.

The Continental Congress made mistakes over the course of The Revolution, but they got that “Big One” right. 

When we honor our fathers on this Sunday, take a minute to remember the “Father of our country” and thank God for giving us George Washington.