Greg Camp writes [via ammoland.com]: The badly named New York SAFE Act continues to make the life of the state’s law-abiding gun owners difficult. Residents who are deemed worthy of a pistol permit – permission to own in their homes, to carry to hunting or target shooting, or carry generally, depending on the good graces of law enforcement – that were issued prior to January 2013 must get them renewed or risk having their weapons confiscated.
Governor Cuomo believes that “when they write the history books they’re going to say, ‘New York got it right,’” whoever “they” might be – perhaps he is preparing copy for the Ministry of Truth. The state legislature predictably placed the burden of getting the word out on county law enforcement agencies, and those people who live in New York City or surrounding counties can’t use the state police website to renew.
The law was passed in a hurry over the objections of sheriffs and county clerks. The original seven-round magazine capacity limit got tossed out in court, while most of the provisions have taken effect. But many owners of so-called assault weapons in the state are refusing to register them, suggesting that the spirit of liberty is alive even in one of the worst states for gun owners.
In the same way that the USA PATRIOT Act was a knee-jerk response to 9/11, the NY SAFE Act came as an effort to look busy after the Sandy Hook school shooting, an example of politicians’ belief that punishing people who did no wrong will somehow prevent such incidents in the future.
If the non-compliance in New York isn’t enough to show that a total ban and mandatory confiscation of “assault weapons” would fail, consider the fact that there are millions of AR-15s in circulation alone, not to mention the many other models of semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines out there.
And if by some perverse miracle good people could be convinced to hand in their guns, Americans who are already criminals aren’t likely to change their ways by being asked, and enough of them specialize in bringing contraband into the country to make effective control of “assault weapons” a pipe dream. Those pipes could be filled with the drugs that are used to conceal guns as they cross the borders.
The reality that gun control advocates refuse to admit is that the only outcome of their demands would be increased harassment of people who aren’t harming anyone. It’s hard not to believe that this is exactly the purpose of such proposals.
We live in a nation that is the main stage of security theater, the promise that if we will take off our shoes to get on an airplane, hand over our drivers’ licenses to buy cold medicine, and tolerate bans and restrictions on a constitutionally enumerated right to save the children, the Millennium will arrive, and we will all be at peace.
Except that plenty of nations have strict gun control and homicide rates that are far higher than ours. And some nations with strict gun laws have rates that are lower than ours. The classic saying is that correlation doesn’t prove causation, but when correlation doesn’t exist, there certainly isn’t evidence for a cause.
This doesn’t stop the advocates of control, and it’s up to those of us who care about rights to say no, to remind our elected leaders that their jobs depend on protecting rather than violating those rights.
To Review: if you have a pistol permit in NY acquired before 2013, no matter how many years ago you received it, you need to reapply by the Jan. 31, 2018, deadline or lose your permit. Contact your local county clerk’s office and thank Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the New York SAFE Act next time he is up for vote.
PS: Did I mention that with your new application you also have to include a list of all pistols and revolvers you currently possess, including the associated make, model, caliber and serial number(s), you know for the safety of the children…
About Greg Camp
Greg Camp has taught English composition and literature since 1998 and is the author of six books, including a western, The Willing Spirit, and Each One, Teach One, with Ranjit Singh on gun politics in America. His books can be found on Amazon. He tweets @gregcampnc.
We keep all the stupid people in New York.
It’s just common sense.
2017 is almost over but we’re neck and neck for the stupid trophy this year. If only we got that ammo ban enacted in 2018.
They think they’re God…..they are kinda right…Gang Of Douchebags.
“We keep all the stupid people in New York.”
There’s about 12 million you missed here in Florida.
*Please* hurry and come get them…
And with 40 million in Californistan, that would mean another 30 million in this state (10 million of us do quite fine thanks)
Almost every day I find a reason to be glad that I don’t live in a fascist hell hole like NY. I will fight tooth and nail to keep their bigoted, dangerous, full retard policies from coming to my town.
Lots is out of context here.
There is no “renewal” at the county clerk. It’s a recertication (which is stupid) and it’s done through the state police.. If it was a renewal, a pistol judge would be reconsidering your license and restrictions. That’s not what’s happening.
One good thing about this is that some stubborn counties are starting to understand (thanks to the NYSP actually READING the law) that your license doesn’t expire if you move out of state. You can continue to recertify from out of state and you should still be able to amend a license from out of state.
Yes, for decades, many stupid counties thought your license was invalid when you moved out of state… morons.
As far as the areas around NYC, they don’t recertify because their licenses are 5 year licenses (since 1965) except NYC, which is 3 years.
Westchester is a local recertification.
Nassau is a money grab but no renewal application.
Suffolk is a $10 fee and a new photo by mail. So since a new background check is conducted by these local licensing authorities, no NYSP recertification is necessary because of the lifespan of those 4 jurisdictions licenses.
Only NYC makes you fill out the intrusive application for renewal, but it’s NYC, who would want to live in that toilet?
@HP
But the state’s cancellation of your county issued license at the threat of confiscation isn’t a big deal?
NY have collectively said, we’re going to show you how to do “America” better with tyranny. The rest of us have promised to break it off in your a_ _es to keep you from exporting your stupid when we teach you that America’s doin just fine without you, and the History written will be the same cautionary tale as America’s cumulative previous history rejecting that sh_t.
This is a POS communist (D) problem, and they need to fix their sh_t out there, because us fixing it means a guerilla civil war with the NEWLY UNARMED stupid POS (D) voters out there, and the war crimes trials for making us do it are going to be held outdoors at the landfill on Staten Island.
So, you’ve ALWAYS had to tell Caesar what arms you own, and that makes it OK?
A “pistol judge” is really a thing? Are you f-ing serious?
Since about 1931 or so.
From 1911 to 1931 the Sullivan Act only required you obtain a pistol license from any county clerk.
They were valid statewide.
It wasn’t until 1931 that pistols had to be registered on the license and that licenses issued outside of NYC weren’t valid in NYC. Thanks FDR.
Even 80 years ago, no one cared about the 2A in NY, if they did, they would have revolted against NY laws long before any of us were born.
Please north Korea, bomb new York too
I have a 7 letter statement for them…. It starts with an F and ends with an off.
All I can say is that this story reminds me to some degree of a conversation that takes place in Rogue One where K-2SO says “Why does she get a blaster and I don’t? …You’re letting her keep it!? Would you like to know the probability of her using it against you? …It’s high… It’s very high.”
I sort of get the feeling that someone says similar things to Cuomo from time to time.
I just looked up that clip -““Why does she get a blaster and I don’t? …You’re letting her keep it!?”
Great. That’s just *great*.
That ‘Glorious Future’ where androids do all the drudgery? If we have to listen to them piss and moan incessantly that’s a future I don’t think I want any part of it. We have that *now*, with the worthless meat-bags that are already *here*.
“They promised us flying cars. They gave us ‘Facebook’…”
What was it, like yesterday, or the day before? When I made the comment about how NY is going to start confiscations, using domestic convictions as a “warm up.” Well, Shit. Here we are. Guess I’m the next Nostradamus.
WTF? Connecticut and NY had a knee jerk reaction and wanted to out do each other… remember if you want to confiscate, you have to send in the brothers and sister of the law abiding that have suddenly been made into felons by the signature of a pen… why not send in the politicians that passed these BS laws to confiscate?
Because the politicians are useless cowards who know that when they start that war they will be at the top of the target list.
In fairness, NY had a “knee jerk” reaction in 1931.
When “they” write the history books, it will be said the traitors hung by piano wire from lamp posts on street corners as object lessons in what happens to tyrants to deny citizens their rights under the constitution and seek to usurp powers, abuse the electorate and otherwise violate rule of law. They hung there so long they collapsed into piles of bones and ragged clothing the rats picked over and feral dogs dragged off.
Sic semper tyrannis.
No they won’t.
Damn I thought Illinois sucked(it does). I don’t need a permit but I do have a FOID. And I can get a CCL. I’ve said it before that the courts may be the only savior for crappy states…
The foid is better than having to go get permission from the county sheriff to purchase a firearm and then give them the serial number. I looked into moving to Michigan and I would have to bring all firearms to the sheriff’s office to get a permit for each one.
While the democratic peoples republic of illinoisastan is a f##kup mess it beats some other places
That’s actually a myth about Michigan. Michigan has never had a law requiring registration as an element of possessing a pistol. The police “FAQ’s” are wrong and the ignorance of MI gun laws goes all the way to the top at the MSP and Attorney generals office.
Moving into the state, you aren’t required to register anything.
MCL 28.422(5) and MCL 28.422a(2) only require registration (Unless exempt) when you “purchase” “or otherwise acquire”
If you don’t, then it’s the equivalent of a parking ticket.
Tell the head greaseball in Albany to go phuque himself
If it’s a law it must be adhered too. Otherwise your breaking that law.
Perhaps. But that statement sounds much better in the original German. 😉
Need to watch what NY, CA, CN and MD do to see what will happen in Virginia in 2018. Remember: Dems won the governorship and took 17 seats in the House.
They are going to try to pass something awful for the People of the Gun. Virginia is in the Fourth Circuit too, a federal court that has sustained Maryland’s ridiculous “assault weapon” laws that require registration of allowable handguns and calls handguns with removable 10-shot or greater magazines “assault pistols” and bans them entirely. Of course they banned semi-auto rifles that hold more than 10 shots or have removable magazines.
Except for their police, of course. It’s perfectly acceptable for the police to have “assault pistols” while the underclasses are limited to cap-and-ball.
Maryland didn’t do that. I live in Maryland. Hell, I still buy AR15’s here. AK’s are gone though. I have one, actually an AMD65(SBR’rd to original spec) and it’s still legal. I even have 20-30 round mags for all my rifles. And regular capacity mags for my pistols. All legal. And I still get new mags all the time. I just have to go to VA to buy my mags. See the law here is pretty stupid. I can’t buy, sell or transfer anything over 10 in the state. Out of state is ok. Possession of hi-cap is legal. My Ruger SR9 is not considered an assault pistol. My AR’s are all cash and carry now, no registration. As looooong as the barrel doesn’t have the M4 profile. Must be “hbar”. So a dealer will transfer as long as there isn’t a cutout and it isn’t a pencil barrel. So no, 10 round or more mags are not banned. And really, pistols have always been “registered” when you bought them and filled out the MSP paperwork to purchase. The new shit thing they actually did was make you have a handgun qualification card to buy pistols. And the lack of buying some nice shit like a roller lock rifle like the PTR91’s and the such. They have a list. But whatevs. Hopefully one day that will go away. Oh, ar10’s? Legal as hell all day. Mine all have 25 round gen3 pmags I just bought about a month ago. All legal.
Sounds like you’re making excuses for some really thick and sticky stupid.
Sounds like our Federal reps are all hoping “National Reciprocity” is the green lights to as many states as possible to each single handedly shitcan the 2A / RTKABA for them.
Lots of BAD there.
Not as terrible as I thought.
But I still see enough “MA-Compliant”-models of both handguns and rifles that it would be prohibitive for me to live there. I’ve visited Baltimore and DC a few times and enjoyed just that -visiting. From what I’ve seen from The Wire, I would have to insist on being able to arm myself with firearm(s) of my choice for exactly one of the reasons the article highlighted: do you think for a second that criminals follow gun laws? To quote from The Wire, “SHIEEEEEET..”
The potential repurcussions faced when dealing with law enforcement are just as terrifying. I remember someone in DC was facing a significant prison sentence for having a .22 casing in their trunk that was found during a traffic stop. Lemme see if I can find it.
**EDIT: here’s the story. It wasn’t a traffic stop but an actual search warrant executed on a home because of an unfounded tip from an ex-wife. His name is Mark Witaschek; do some searching on his name if you want to become furious and raise your blood pressure.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/28/former-dc-resident-found-guilty-for-violating-city-gun-laws-for-owning-fake.html
It’s time to start using the weapons for what they were intended for.. killing those that would criminally deny our freedoms protected under the US Constitution.
long overdue mate. i was saying in 1990 that we needed o do that here…. before our semi auto gun ban for most people. no they are not banned for everyone but even as a professional pest controller or land owner they are very hard to get and impossible for anyone who is not either of those categories. no one believed me and now look where we are…. getting worse and worse restrictions put on us all the time. admittedly i was only 16 then but even so i saw it clear as day where most did not. lots of people here have said i should have been born in the US because of my views on liberty and tyranny
Its an Orwellian sad thing that the UK which codified natural rights and liberty is now at the front of the line to destroy them. Good luck Sir from Texas.
I knew someone who traveled to NYC all the time and he carried his weapon with him and carried while walking around NYC. His attitude was “F them”, my right to protect myself supersedes their silly laws. I told him a NYC jury of idiots would probably consider any thug who attacked him the “victim”.
That is exactly the purpose. Of virtually ALL gun control laws.
Coming to Virginia at some point. VA is a target of their ire because it is right next to DC and MD providing easy access to guns. PA is a bit of a drive as is Delaware.
if you think the ‘Patriot’ act was a knee jerk reaction to 9/11 then I admire your naiveté.
That piece of work was written a long time before 9/11 and pulled out of a drawer and tossed in front of Congress like meat to starving dogs. they would have passed anything that session under the guise of protecting Americans (at the expense of our rights)
You don’t write a bill like that in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. you have it polished and appealing long before. wait for the next ‘act’ (Freedom and liberty? Safety for Everyone?) with an innocent and appealing name to miraculously appear following the next attack.
“they would have passed anything that session under the guise of protecting Americans”
That’s pretty much the definition of knee-jerk.
23,847 New Yorkers registered 44,485 “assault weapons” before the deadline. The non-compliance rate is quite high. FUAC.
We have something called the Fifth Amendment in this country.
So the law abiding can be required to register their guns, but if it’s illegal for you to have the gun, it would be a violation of your right not to incriminate yourself to penalize you for failing to register.
Now ask yourself why the NY government needs a list of the innocent gun owners but not the criminals.
Andrew “Sour Puss” Coumo just ended violent crime in NY!! Proclaim it throughout the land…
This was written by somebody unfamiliar with NY pistol permits.
The state has ALWAYS (well, for the last 80-some years, at least) had a list of all owned handguns. You have to register every last one when you buy it. The state is just checking up to see if its data from the counties is correct or not — they have a tendency toward the latter (ask a local gun owner who got dragged through the mud because the NYSP didn’t file the county data in Albany, and then “accidentally” reported the guy got arrested to the media when he wasn’t).
Renewal is free. Took 5 minutes online for me. At least my county has snazzy plastic cards, as opposed to others that still use a sheet of paper wadded up in the wallet to record all this stuff.
I hate much of the SAFE Act, but a 5-minute free recertification every half decade isn’t exactly the end of the world to me compared to the rest of it. At least the ammo buying background check got taken out.
I know many in law enforcement are cowards and will f**k over the law abiding citizen who simply want to protect themselves. You guys and girls need to say you are not going to follow these laws and you are not going to arrest these people.
Register all your weapons so we can f..k you over and take them in the future with this new list.
We will not comply. We will not register. Cuomo is a tyrant.
Molon labe asshole!