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.
“pot and guns are no problem. do you know where we could get some books?”
“boys, i need a volunteer to go indoors and play parlor games with your fragile cousin agnes.” (2nd and 3rd kids from left each take one step back).
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.
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.
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.
If it’s the states that set their own requirements for gun ownership, then why do libs, from Shannon to DiFi, want to impose fed-level bans, etc.
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…
They have just so much stupid on their side. The left should be denied their 1st amendment rights, since they want to deny our 2nd, under the guise of mental disorder. They definitely have mental issues. So let us play their game. No freedom of the press if you have mental issues. No freedom of speech, etc….
If the 2nd doesn’t cover all states then gay marriage doesn’t even get close to all states argument. Use their own ammo against them.
She actually only moved a bb gun off her seat and the tow truck driver flipped. News went crazy and misreported what the tow truck driver stretched. I know her personally. She made a mistake, but it absolutely isn’t the story above.
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.
Lines like “the answer to gun madness is not more guns” are the best gun sales booster.
ALL COD GAMES SUCK!!!! Sad that MOH, Brothers in Arms, and Wolfenstein didn’t take off as expected… Worst of all COD will get a free pass and we’ll all hear how it is the best FPS game out there while other titles get shit all over for every little thing or called a COD rip off. Personally I like Fallout 4 better with the Modern Weapons and Modern Sidearms mods installed but for a straight FPS with no mods I think I’d go with Far Cry. Just like for my GTA type game fix I go with the Mafia series instead of Rockstar’s ultimate sandbox. I’m just weird like that I even preferred Medal of Honor War fighter over COD Modern Warfare 1 & 2.
“I used to be an Astronaut. Now I look like Michael Moore’s uncle, with political views to match”
Standing athwart “progress” shouting “Stop!” wouldn’t be nearly as necessary, or valuable, if y’all weren’t so reeactive, stupid n wrong.
Maybe try proposing things less bad for health, safety, n sanity, and we’ll have time for a conversation about what will actually help. As it is, stopping yoh from making things worse is a full-time job.
Btw, “pro-gun” folks have tons lf proposals, starting from maybe in a country with 100s of millions of guns(*), with 10s of millions of owners, where we’re not all dead … the issue isn’t guns. Maybe get the wax out of your ears, n you’d hear things. Just a thought.
(*) These numbers hold for “high power” arms well beyond “Musket” Morgan’s pseudo-comfort zone. And still … we’re not all dead.
How low does the number have to go for gun owners to qualify as a protected minority. (Asking for a friend.)
36-40% that’s low and Mikie knows it. As I have said before, I know 20-30 guys at work who own firearms and would NEVER admit it to some pollster. As for younger gun owners, I bet they don’t go to gun shows. The younger generation I’m betting shops on line…you know computers. When I was younger and single, I had a 1911 and a 9mm (both gifts from my Dad), and two rifles. Then for the next 25 years I had a family a raise, guns were not a priority. Now, my goal is to be a SUPER owner! Thanks Mike, you just gave me a goal!
Congress should pass laws to prevent states from making unconstitutional laws or enforcing laws on the books that are unconstitutional now. Maybe they should make it a Constitutional Amendment?
What do you think?
We will not comply. We will not register. Cuomo is a tyrant.
Molon labe asshole!