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What is it with civilian disarmament advocates and false claims of victory? Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (a wholly owned subsidiary of Mayors Against Illegal Guns) proclaimed success when Starbucks issued a letter asking customers to leave their gats at home – a request entirely without force of law. More recently, Shannon Watts’ mob took credit for the removal of a pro-gun billboard in Chicago – when the ad’s lease had simply expired. And now that Americans for The Final Responsible Solutions reckons it’s a victory because they carved-out campus carry from Georgia’s pro-gun legislative package. Wrong. The bills that are due to be signed by the Governor will . . .

– Remove fingerprinting for renewal of Georgia Weapons Licenses (GWLs)

– Remove the total restrictions on GWL holders legally carrying a firearm in churches and bars, leaving this decision to private property owners.

– Allow GWL holders to carry in non-secure government buildings

– Prohibit the state from creating and maintaining a database of GWL holders.

– Prohibit a ban on firearms in public housing, ensuring that the right to self-defense should not be infringed based on where one calls home.

– Codify the ability to legally carry, with a GWL, in sterile areas of airports.

– Lower the age to obtain a concealed GWL 21 to 18 for active duty military, with specific training.

– Allow for the use of firearm sound suppressors while hunting.

– Create an absolute defense for the legal use of deadly force in the face of a violent attack regardless of where you are.

– Remove the portion that allows the governor to restrict law-abiding gun owners from carrying their firearms during a declared emergency by executive order through Emergency Powers protection.

– Include a provision that would have the state report those persons who have been involuntarily hospitalized or have been adjudicated mentally deficient to the NICS system while also providing an ability for relief through an application process to the court system for the purpose of restoration of rights.

– Strengthen current firearms preemption statutes through further clarification of the regulatory authority of local governments, excluding firearm discharge ordinances.

– Repeal unnecessary state-required license for a firearms dealer, instead requiring only a Federal Firearms License (FFL).

I score that a solid win for firearms freedom and utter fail for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and their paymasters (Mayors Against Illegal Guns), Americans for Responsible Solutions and any and all other civilian disarmament proponents in the Peach State and beyond. And hey, look at this:

(courtesy Facebook)

Georgians who carry firearms are “gun offenders.” The above images are incendiary to those who cherish their natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms, but it’s hard to get worked-up about losers claiming victory when you’re winning. If you know what I mean. [h/t georgiacarry.org]

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65 COMMENTS

    • It is especially when you realize that Governor Deal and the Senate Republicans did everything they could to dilute and kill this bill. Unfortunately, gun-rights in Georgia is not likely to make any more progress in the next 4 years since the cast of characters will remain and will not have re-election issues to worry about.

      I attended the hearings and even testified at one of them. The demanding mommies did have a role in the defeat of full church carry and campus carry. The mommies gave cover for Governor Deal and the Republican Senators who did not want church or campus carry. They did this two ways:

      1) The co-head of demanding mommies is married to the managing editor of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC). The AJC did a poll that found 80% of Georgians didn’t want campus carry (surprise). Thus they created the image for the fence sitters that campus carry is opposed by the public. The poll was set up for that result by the way. Plus remember, only 11% of adult in GA have a carry license so for 89% they aren’t allowed to carry a gun anywhere (you need a license to open and conceal carry)

      2) The mommies teamed up with a group called Moral Monday. They brought in Dr. Martin Luther King’s sister to testify against Church Carry. They also brought in alot of people to testify at the hearings. They outnumbered the pro-gun people by seemingly 3 times. Most of the anti-gun people there looked to be retired and on social security. The gun crew generally were in their 20’s and 30’s, so hopefully we have a demographic trend on our side.

      When campus carry started moving in the final hours against the wishes of the Senate Republicans, Governor Deal went to the Legislature and “suggested” that it not be included:

      From the AJC, “Deal said in an interview he had “indicated all along that I prefer that campus carry not be in any legislation.” His staff has been quietly hashing out a compromise between dueling House and Senate bills that would loosen gun restrictions.” http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2014/03/20/the-death-knell-for-campus-carry-this-year/

      The Republican Senators and the NRA are claiming this is the biggest gun bill in history. That is just a smoke screen to cover up how they defended gun-control in Georgia.

      If you are a Georgia voter, please know your Republican Senator, Lt.Gov Cagle, and Gov. Deal want send you to jail for up to a year for simply carrying a firearm in a church and on campus. They are not pro-gun like they claim.

    • It was great to watch. The Senate I believe thought they had effectually killed it by amending it with the opt in requirement for churches and the existing suppressor language that had some opposition in the House from DNR, expecting the House to reject the church opt in substitute and send it to conference committee.

      By the morning of Sine Die the general consensus among 2nd supporters was that HB60 even with church opt in rather than stricken from off limits, and the hunting suppressor language from the Senate which the House opposed, SB was too good to risk burying it in committee, and they sat on it.

      Frigging brilliant move. It gave the House the entire day to attempt to work campus carry into another bill, in conference knowing that even if the effort fails there is HB60 to be approved and sent on to the governor.

      It is an election year in GA, but I believe Gov. Deal will be blasted with communications urging veto more than he’s ever seen, because it is coming in nationally.

    • Another bill in GA which passed Thursday was HB826. It brought sanity to non firearm weapons brought to school giving the school system control vs. the DA being forced by law to charge a felony with zero tolerance. We’ve all read the horror stories of a Swiss Army knife left innocently in a backpack or glove box.

      Plus, it clarifies code that already existed in GA to give control to local school boards and similar governing authorities of private schools for determining who is allowed to have a weapon on campus K-12.

      I don’t have the exact wording because I wasn’t following this bill as closely as HB60.

  1. This is a war for hearts and minds.
    Information, disinformation, facts, propaganda and lies are the conventional weapons.

      • “We must keep fighting until the Infringement Lobby is completely, utterly, and irrevocably defeated.”

        I wouldn’t say so much “defeated” as “denied.” The line must be drawn. There must be zero compromise. The Right of The People to Keep and Bear Arms Shall Not Be Infringed. Every encroachment on that creator-given right is a crime against Nature, and is an infringement on the Constitution! Why are so many people letting themselves be all wishy-washy and essentially negotiating with terrorists? We have all the cards, we have the moral high ground. We have the Constitution on our side, for Cry Sakes!

        We need to stop putting up with their bullshit!

    • No kidding. With compromises like this happening at the federal level, we’d see SBRs, SBSs, AOWs and silencers redefined as Title I firearms before the end of the Obama presidency. “But because of supporters like you we defeated machine guns!” Sure, and with the registry back open and all other firearms and silencers off of it, it would take all of a few months to receive approvals to convert all my guns to select fire. Perish the thought.

  2. Yup. We “rammed” that bill thru in just over 2 years of legislative volleyball. It didn’t just magically appear Thursday night. And with a vote of 112 to 58, two thirds of our legislators “get it”.

  3. As a new Georgia resident, this pleases me greatly. Too bad campus carry wasn’t passed though. I’ve never understood how and why potentially vulnerable female students don’t deserve the opportunity to take whatever steps they deem necessary to protect themselves.

    Tom

    • This is just hypothetical and I think gun free zones are wrong, but what if we put up a bill to prevent colleges from disarming girls? Legalize girls carrying firearms on campus. Just girls. Why would you oppose that, why would you want girls raped? What kind of monster are you? Make a catchy name for it, like the RAPE (Restricting Armed Person Exceptions) Act or AWARE (Arming Women Against Rapists Everywhere) Act. Or call it Obama-CARE (Concealled-carry Against Rapists Existing) or the MAIG Second Amendment Protection Act (how’s that for double negative irony?)

      This is just a camel nose of course, since after it’s passed you bring up the law suit that its totally arbitrary and applies to everyone on campus.

    • Progressive liberals ruined this country gradually over the last 100 years, getting what they want by taking small steps towards their goals. It can be reversed the same way.

    • As someone who works on college campuses routinely, it sure would be nice to be able to do so with a modicum of protection. Georgia Tech students are mugged about once a quarter, and Georgia State doesn’t do a lot better. Usually it seems the perps come up from Clayton County. I would be happy with incrementalism, no guns for students at first but non-student GWL license holders can, then when there are zero GWL deaths for a year or two, peel it back to students as well.

  4. As a mom with two girls at two different state universities I am more than a little concerned about the constant drive to ensure they have no way to protect themselves.

    Now that IL has CCW I’d really like to get campus’ opened up for carry – because I’m selfish and I’d like my girls to have a defense.

    Anyone notice that rape on campus continues to rocket? you can see clearly LE hasn’t gotten a handle on a major crime bracket for this age group.

    Is the fact that campus is a gun free zone a related statistic? doubtful.

    • On the upside, most of the Illinois public schools have tons of off campus residence options. Not as good as campus carry, but at least they can have protection at home.

  5. I’m confused… Churches are X’ed out but it looks like the law would allow the decision to be made by the private property owner.

    My guns get very offended when I have to leave them at home.

    • Churches are kind of off limits. They got changed to “opt-in” at the last minute. All other private property in GA is opt-OUT and signs have no force of law, so it’s a trespassing matter. So unless you get permission from the owners of the church, it is still an off limits place. But it is a $100 civil fine if you get caught. However there is some debate about whether or not you would then also lose your GWL for 5 years.

      • Thanks for setting that straight. As I understand it, churches are opt-out like other businesses in Texas, but I’m not sure. The only one that I have attended with any kind of regularity of late is happy to have attendees with concealed firearms, some of the staff even carries. But I asked to make sure, because I wasn’t quite sure if churches were opt-out (have to post a sign prohibiting) or opt-in (you can carry there as long as you have permission from the folks in charge of the premises). Maybe Giffords and Co should have just put one slash thru the church symbol? But as noted elsewhere, accuracy isn’t one of their cardinal virtues.

  6. So, is it the contention of MDAMAIGMOUSE that it is WRONG to “sneak legislation through in the dead of night”?

  7. Its is sick beyond words that they feel good about denying the right and ability of self defense on college campus and yet they claim we are waging a war on women..anyone else feel this way?

    • Yup. It seems to me progressive liberals pass legislation against the best interests of those they claim to cherish. Minorities, women, children, and the impoverished.

    • Yes, and if we could successfully campaign that denying women the right to defend themselves and/or by discouraging them from defending themselves they are actually instigating a “war on women” we’d get a huge win.

      You’d have to get a lot of feminists on board, though, and most are very committed to the Progressive agenda.

  8. “Gun offenders”?? But I suppose they would say, “Of course we support the Second Amendment, we only oppose those extremists…” Like people who actually legally carry guns.

    • Holy crap is that “gun offenders” thing offensive, misleading, and ENTIRELY incorrect. The bill is about concealed carry permit holders and these folks go through extensive background checks to get those permits. They are in no way offenders of ANY legal sort! In no way would the bill allow anybody not capable of receiving a permit for whatever reason to carry a gun in any of these places or any-freaking-where in the first place. What a horrible, deceitful, lie-through-your-teeth, and fully and patently offensive graphic! It goes to show that not only are they fully willing to lie, but all of the placating about “we believe in the 2nd Amendment but…” stuff is FALSE. They are not against “illegal” guns or against criminals with guns. THEY ARE AGAINST YOU WITH A FIREARM.” ALL guns are illegal guns in their minds.

      • Well, not ALL guns–They like the ones THEY own. Anybody know if Mark ever turned that AR over to the cops like he promised he would?

    • Oops, just googled the group and saw that it is Giffords and Kelly’s outfit. Of course they claim to support the 2A. Sent a sincere e-mail asking how they could square that claim with that “gun offender” language. Am not holding my breath waiting for a response.

    • I was less concerned with the word “offenders”, as I imagined that this term meant those who use guns to start conflict and kill others, than I was with “allow”.
      None of this legislation, passed or not, will “allow” any homicidal person to do or not do anything. People will do it if they want, as we all know. “Allow” implies that there is the ability to force something to not happen.

      Then again, “gun offender” could mean a non-homicidal person with a gun (ex: me), but I think the idea is to create the image of an active shooter “allowed” in.

  9. I saw Moms Demand Attention called this the most dangerous bill they had ever seen. I wonder, what happens when nothing happens? Will they stop the hyperbolic cry wolf rhetoric? Do they even have any credibility left to lose?

    • I don’t believe it matters. I honestly think that gun nuts are the only people that follow MDAMAIGAFRS. No one else is listening

  10. “- Include a provision that would have the state report those persons who have been involuntarily hospitalized or have been adjudicated mentally deficient to the NICS system while also providing an ability for relief through an application process to the court system for the purpose of restoration of rights.”

    There’s the loophole you can drive a Mack truck through. “involuntarily hospitalized?” They can take anyone they want, haul them away, and tell the world “it’s for his own protection from himself” and there’s some obscure application for relief from the courts. If the courts were doing their job in the first place, there wouldn’t ever have been any gun control at all!

    • In GA “Involuntary commitment ” means the three step process where:
      A person is brought or comes to an emergency room.(1)
      Has demonstrated that they are a danger to themselves or others(2)
      Refused or been judged not able to receive voluntary treatment(3)

      Then a GA form 1013 is signed by a physician ordering involuntary commitment.

      This is already part of the NICS system.

      • “This is already part of the NICS system.”

        It’s still an infringement. If it’s not safe to let a person out on the streets alone and armed, then that person needs to either be in a cage or have a 24-hour attendant. The Constitution is quite clear: “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”, not “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed as long as the agents of the Ministry of Approved Medicine deem you “competent” to carry what’s allowed by the Ministry of Gun Crime.”

        • I was just saying it’s not new. They have been doing it for permit holders in GA for years. They do a criminal backround check and a State Mental health database check. This was a 5 year prohibition before this bill. Now (supossedly) there is an appeal process.

    • Not Watts–Giffords. You know, “I’m a gun owner, I support the Second Amendment” Giffords and her AR totin’ hypocrite husband Mark.

  11. So the Space Cadet is claiming victory Georgia. By his logic, Robert E. Lee defeated the Union army at Gettysburg.

  12. This is a great law and a great victory for pro gun Georgians. The gun grabbers can leave the state by any border they choose, but we prefer the water one. Just keep walking east until you find your anti gun utopia…Russia, China…..whichever one you want. They will love to have you. We don’t want you. Leave and don’t come back.

  13. Thank you GeorgiaCarry.org and thank you NRA for helping to get a good gun bill since 2010 finally passed in Georgia!

    While churches are not cleanly decriminalized, at least a church’s governing board or authority can “opt-in” and allow licensed carriers to legally carry.

    Be sure to get it in writing from your church that licensed carry is allowed, to make sure you’re covered. Although the fine is only $100, you could lose your license for 5 years if you violate this provision of the new law.

  14. “What is it with civilian disarmament advocates and false claims of victory?”

    Simple. You can’t fix stupid, as comedian Ron White often states.

  15. Is it gun grabbers’ propaganda? Of course, it is, but what the heck? Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and call it optimism. After all, between all of the legislative, judicial and recall successes the POTG have enjoyed lately, that’s a whole lot of manure the anti’s are trudging through. Can’t really blame them for at least pretending to believe there must be a pony in there somewhere.

  16. Yeah. And Cheers beat Old Towne Tavern in that Halloween trick-off. What a load of horseshit. The term “gun offenders” is downright offensive. Seriously, everyone who carries should be considered a criminal now? These people are insulting AND stupid. Intellectual offenders. Or something.

  17. Even though the fingerprinting requirement is gone, I assume some background check is done with renewals?

    The only reason I would urge retaining that is that a CCW only exempts from the Federal Gun Safety Zone nonsense if it required a background check. I don’t know what Georgian law is about carrying near or at schools (in CA of all places a CCW exempts even in the school…if you can get one).

    I am actually somewhat torn about Churches. Historically they and a few other locations have been “sanctuary from violence” and forbade weapons, at least back to the Truce of God days in the 10th and 11th centuries. But I suppose that notion is rather obsolete now (just as a Church as sanctuary from law ended with Elizabeth I and so we never had it in the US, except in California and other Soutwest states)

    Of course just as old Italian mafiosos and some of the Mexican gangsters have some reverence for at least a Catholic Church, it is equally true that most of society, especially criminals, nowadays don’t. So yeah obsolete. But, for me at least, sadly so.

    • I am actually somewhat torn about Churches. Historically they and a few other locations have been “sanctuary from violence” 

      Don’t fall into their rhetorical trap of equating weapons with violence.

      • It is simply historical facts, weapons were not to be carried into such places because they were sanctuaries from violence.

        There were always exceptions, both ceremonial and in connection with the attempt to control knights and turn them to good. But the rule was that no dispute, legal or otherwise, would happen on this ground. No feud, duel, arrest, etc.

        Yes archaic and obsolete. But there is something charming about the age of faith where even some of the worse sinners honored such things. (of course by the 16th century it became more honored in its breech)

        • “It is simply historical facts, weapons were not to be carried into such places because they were sanctuaries from violence.”

          And back then, it was OK because the custodians of the sanctuary took responsibility for keeping their occupants safe.

  18. The prohibition on church carry has nothing to do with it being a sanctuary. It is so the kkk could burn black churches and know they couldn’t defend themselves. By contrast for wire a while mass had a law demanding you bring your gun to church”in case of Indian attack”

  19. That’s my kind of “common sense” gun laws. If this is what Shannon has been talking about the whole time, maybe we have her all wrong.

    Please suggest to the 112 Georgian legislators that voted yes for this bill, that they are welcome to vacation in California anytime, preferably within walking distance of the State Capitol. We have cookies.

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