Language can be a powerful but cunning tool. Change words slightly and presto, the context changes beneath ones feet.

For example, have you noticed how the language regarding guns has evolved recently? Its no longer gun control; instead its gun safety. What a clever shift. No one can object to gun safety, right? Its just plain reasonable. If you criticize it, you must be one of those crazy gun nuts.

The latest language shift is the characterization of open carry of firearms as a loophole. Obviously, if the Founding Fathers had any idea that citizens might run around carrying firearms openly, they would have forbidden it. Its perfectly clear to reasonable people that open carry is a loophole they forgot to close. But never fear, we can make this minor fix to the Second Amendment for the safety of all.

Of course, the open carrying of firearms is not a loophole in the Constitution. At the time, virtually all firearms were carried openly. It wasnt possible to carry them any other way. It wasnt until firearms became compact enough to conceal that concealed carry became an issue. Consequently, laws were drafted to require permits to ensure that the scary person next to you couldnt be carrying a hidden firearm unless properly screened and trained. (We can debate the constitutionality of such regulations another time.)

My point is, we need to read between the lines to avoid the snares set by clever shifts in language.

Mark Sherbine

Portage

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Letter to the editor | Don't be fooled by changes in language - TribDem.com

Chief Justice John Roberts arrives to preside over the impeachment trial for President Trump at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., January 22, 2020.(Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

The conservative wing of the Supreme Court reportedly declined to take up a case dealing with Second Amendment rights after Chief Justice John Roberts indicated that he would vote with the courts liberal justices.

In June, the justices rejected petitions from 10 challenges relating to state restrictions on firearms after Roberts signaled he would not vote with them, depriving the courts conservatives of the fifth vote needed to overturn gun regulations, CNN reported Monday.

In December, the Court heard a challenge to a New York City handgun regulation but ultimately determined that the challenge was made irrelevant when the New York City law involved was altered. The case revolved around whether licensed handgun owners may take a locked and unloaded handgun to locations outside the city, such as second homes or upstate firing ranges. The justices returned the relevant provisions of the challenge back to a lower court.

The four most reliably conservative justices were not confident that they would get a fifth vote from Roberts on the case or similar cases addressing the Second Amendment, according to unidentified sources cited by CNN.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh penned an unsigned opinion that was overseen by Roberts for that case in which six justices agreed that the case should be relegated to the lower court. In a separate statement that Kavanaugh signed, he said that the Supreme Court should address soon the issue of varying interpretations of the Second Amendment.

Roberts became a frequent deciding vote on the Supreme Court after Justice Anthony Kennedy retired in 2018. Since then, the chief justice has voted frequently with the Courts four liberal justices and most recently cast the decisive vote last month to block the Trump administration from ending the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which prevents immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children from being deported.

Send a tip to the news team at NR.

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Conservative Justices Declined to Take Up Second Amendment Case after Roberts Signaled He Would Side with Liberals: Report - National Review

FridayJul31,2020at12:01AM

I would like to thank Caitlin Taylor from The Monroe News for her summary of a candidate running for Park Township supervisor in the Aug. 4 primary, Jim Chiodo, who previously served the township as a trustee (2012-16).

During his single term, he did little to help bring our township together. In fact, Jim did very little as a trustee overall other than fueling political infighting. We do not need a repeat of those ugly days and we certainly do not need more attitudes of division, and certainly not in a demanding supervisory role.

Chiodos history and outreach seeking our votes have significant overtones based in hatred and can only fuel the divide in our country. He has vowed to "fully investigate" the Park Township Airport situation; however, it is my opinion, and based on his track record, he will not do his homework and will not fully reveal the results. Maybe it is time we let the voters and taxpayers have the last say on that topic and not some want-to-be politician.

Chiodo speaks of upholding and defending the Constitution, yet his threat against The Sentinel resulted in a 2017 personal protective order against him. The court revoked his CPL. I like full disclosure and transparency and while he espouses similar beliefs, he seems to avoid such difficult topics when it does not suit him. Im all for Second Amendment rights, unless you are waving them at the press for expressing their First Amendment rights or the judge for doing her job.

Please join me in voting for Jim Gerard. You may not agree with Gerards position on the airport, but Jim and the other six standing trustees brought the topic to voters, which allowed us to decide. I am convinced Gerard will do his homework, will be productive and will do what he believes is best for the township not himself!

Jeff Pfost

Park Township

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Letter: Chiodo will bring nothing but division - Opinion - HollandSentinel.com

CASPER A growing group of Wyoming lawmakers including the vice president of the Senate are coming after one of the states most aggressive gun rights groups after it lodged efforts to discredit incumbent Republican lawmakers in a number of vulnerable districts ahead of next months Republican primary.

The group, Wyoming Gun Owners, has been a consistent presence in Wyomings politics, presenting itself to residents as an uncompromising and unapologetically aggressive proponent for the Second Amendment in Cheyenne.

Throughout the last two weeks, however, the organization has focused on pitting its often aggressive campaign tactics and extensive digital operation against out-of-favor politicians.

Established lawmakers like Cheyenne Sen. Tara Nethercott and Kemmerer Rep. Fred Baldwin have come under Wyoming Gun Owners microscope this summer, even with Nethercott running unopposed in her primary this year. Michael Von Flatern a moderate Republican senator from Gillette has received the most attacks over the years, dubbed the organizations Biggest Enemy to Gun Owners in Wyoming and regularly disparaged outside of campaign season.

The organization has also taken strides to actively influence legislative races across the state by running videos attacking the voting records of legislators facing challenges from candidates it endorses.

Rep. Dan Kirkbride, R-Chugwater, has attracted the ire of the organization as he faces off against the Wyoming Gun Owners-backed Jeremy Haroldson, while Cheyenne Republican Sen. Affie Ellis was recently targeted by the organization in her primary race against Dan Young.

Incumbents in highly competitive districts like House District 24, currently occupied by Rep. Sandy Newsome, have come under some of the most withering attacks from the organization, depicted by Wyoming Gun Owners as lapdogs of legislative leadership while they face intense competition from candidates on the right wing of the Republican Party who have pledged to back all of the organizations legislative priorities.

She hasnt been in office long, Aaron Dorr, the organizations policy director, said in a recent video opposing Newsome in favor of her opponent, Nina Webber. But shes quickly made a name for herself as a do-nothing moderate who the leadership team can always count on to oppose any gun bills that come along, and to be a safe leadership vote.

Newsome has consistently declined to fill out the organizations candidate survey and voted last year against a bill proposing to ban gunfree zones in places like the University of Wyoming campus.

But she has hardly mounted an opposition against ones right to bear arms.

In the last session alone, Newsome voted for a bill to ban gun buyback programs, voted in support of legislation to protect those who keep firearms in their vehicles at the workplace and even backed legislation to protect law enforcement officers who refuse to comply with federal laws seen as in conflict with ones Second Amendment rights.

Even Devils Tower Sen. Ogden Driskill, the vice president of the Senate, has come under fire from the organization in recent weeks, labeled by Wyoming Gun Owners as a Republican in Name Only and a swamp monster for speaking out against the organization and its tactics despite, in his own words, being among the most Second Amendment-friendly legislators in Cheyenne.

To call me an ultra-moderate gun hater is probably a pretty good stretch for anybody that knows me, Driskill said in an interview with the Star-Tribune. They use tactics that remind you of Washington, D.C., or out-of-state politics. Ive been proud that really dirty, nasty politics has not come to Wyoming, and this is opening the door to that style of politics.

People in Cheyenne have known the name of Wyoming Gun Owners and its leader, Dorr for many years now.

Founded by now-Sen. Anthony Bouchard in 2010, Wyoming Gun Owners has played an outsize role in the states politics for a number of years. While most of its infrastructure is based out of state, the organization maintains the veneer of a high-powered Wyoming lobbying organization, with an instate field coordinator, a mailing list of hundreds of individuals and a number of legislative victories to its credit, including the passage of the states controversial stand your ground bill in 2018 and a massive opposition campaign that aided in the pulling of a piece of mental health reporting legislation prior to the 2020 session.

While the on-the-ground following of the organization is very real, Dorr and his family have come under increasing scrutiny over the last several years for running a network of right-wing Facebook pages and gun rights organizations in states such as Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri that critics say intend only to stoke fear and anger in an effort to elicit donations to enrich the family.

In April, national news organizations like NBC News and the Washington Post tied the Dorr family to a number of anti-quarantine protests in cities around the United States, including ones the brothers did not reside in.

Earlier this year, The Daily Beast published an expose on the brothers Second Amendment lobbying efforts, quoting an Iowa state lawmaker describing Aaron Dorr as a scam artist using unfounded accusations in an effort to gin up donations for his organization.

If youre sending this guy money, Im asking you to stop. It is time for his scam to end, Matt Windschitl, the Iowa state representative, was quoted as saying on the floor of the Statehouse in April 2017. You need and you deserve the truth: Aaron Dorr is a scam artist, a liar, and he is doing Iowans no services and no favors.

As the organizations attacks against incumbent lawmakers in Wyoming have begun to escalate, a growing number of conservatives have begun lobbing their own attempts to discredit the organization, highlighting the flow of cash seen in other states to the brothers own consulting firm.

Theyre not here for Second Amendment rights, Driskill said. Theyre here to stir controversy and raise money.

As news about the organization began circulating among Wyomings political community on social media over the past week, Dorr has released a series of videos defending the organization and its practices, arguing he and his brothers organization is a multi-state bulwark for individual liberty wherever the fight is worth fighting.

Ive been involved in the fight for gun rights in five states for the last 12 1/2 years now and, of course, Ogden Driskill is angry about that because of course no one who was not born and raised in Wyoming has the right to fight for freedom, Dorr said in a recent video on the groups Facebook page.

Wyoming Gun Owners has always been a Wyoming-run member-driven organization, and it always will be, Dorr said in a text message to the Star-Tribune. Ogden is mad because we are exposing his dirty financial deals in Cheyenne and because we are exposing his Swamp buddies like Michael Von Flatern, one of the states leading voices for mental health gun control. Frankly, if we didnt have moderate politicians howling during the primary season, we would not be doing our jobs right!

But the group has been put on defense as of late, even releasing a video explaining why it opposed a hard-line piece of gun legislation called the Second Amendment Preservation Act (which was sponsored by hardcore gun rights supporters like Rep. Tim Salazar, R-Riverton, and Rep. Mark Jennings, R-Sheridan) after being pushed on it by Driskill. While the organization argues that the legislation was weak and lacked a means of enforcement, Driskill says the group fought to kill the bill because it was backed by their rival, the National Rifle Association, and included lawmakers it didnt like including Driskill as co-sponsors.

He says thats the same reason several of Wyoming Gun Owners chosen candidates voted against it as well.

Youll hear him say now that it was a bad bill, but they forgot to tell all the rest of the people about it, Driskill said. The people that killed HB-118 were Sen. Bouchard, Sen. (Tom) James, and all of the Democrats in the Wyoming Senate. Their hated Sen. Von Flatern, their hated Sen. Baldwin, the list goes on and on. All the people that they claim are soft on guns all voted together with Anthony Bouchard, their superstar, to kill a piece of gun legislation.

While pressure on Wyoming Gun Owners has been mounting, the organization itself is looking to ramp up its aggressive campaigns in the coming weeks. In a fundraising email July 15, the organization said it hoped to raise more than $52,000 to target 16 races around the state while defending favored candidates in vulnerable seats this summer, including Bouchard and Rep. Dan Laursen, R-Powell.

WYGO has released multiple ads in this election cycle exposing notorious gun grabbing Republicans like Michael Von Flatern and Dan Furphy that have been seen by tens of thousands of gun owners, Dorr wrote in a text message. We will be rolling out additional spots over the coming two weeks.

But Driskill who says he supports much of what the organization is fighting for is tired of the negative campaigning, and says that there are greater issues to judge candidates by than a less-than-perfect record on the Second Amendment or their refusal to fill out the groups candidate survey, which includes numerous questions asking lawmakers to sponsor or co-sponsor bills they favor.

As I started looking through it all, (Wyoming Gun Owners) are really savage against candidates like Ed Cooper, Mike Bailey, Erin Johnson. They have all come out and say that theyre very strong pro-Second Amendment gun rights, Driskill said. Theyre all on record. But they didnt meet the litmus test for WYGO.

I guess from my end as a voter, its up to me to decide what a candidate does, he added. Do we want single-issue candidates, or do we want well-rounded politicians that are really listening to their constituents and taking care of issues in their area? My answer is always I want to respond to constituents, not someone who is bound by a survey to vote a certain way.

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Gun rights group draws ire of top lawmaker - Wyoming Tribune

On Tuesday, July 28, 2020 the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or the Board) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the National Federal Register. With its latest foray into rulemaking, the Board is looking to make two amendments to the current rules governing representation elections held under the National Labor Relations Act. Both these amendments are subject to public comment for sixty days following the published notice.

This is the third set of amendments the NLRB has made to the election rules in the past twelve months. In December 2019, the Board issued a proposed rule that would make sweeping changes to election rules and processes by eliminating many of the quickie election rules issued in 2015. As you may have seen, a federal judge blocked implementation of some of those rules, holding they failed to comply with the APA by circumventing the notice-and-comment procedure. The Board has since appealed that order, and implemented the rules that were unaffected by the order. The Board also announced changes to the Boards blocking charge policy, timing and notice requirements attendant to voluntary recognition, and 9(a) recognition in the construction industry in April. Implementation of those rules was delayed until July 31 due to COVID-19.

The first amendment announced on July 28 seeks to eliminate the Boards requirement that employers provide available personal email addresses and home and cell phone numbers of all eligible voters to the Regional Director. The Board believes that the current requirement does not protect employees privacy interests, and eliminating this rule would better advance these important privacy interests.

The second amendment seeks to provide absentee ballots to employees currently on military leave. In light of congressional policies that protect service members employment rights and provide them with the opportunity to vote in federal elections, the Board believes it should seek to accommodate service members during representation elections. Additionally, the Board believes it can do so without impeding the resolution of these elections.

These two most recent proposed changes to NLRB representation election rules will not only protect employee privacy, but will also bolster enfranchisement for workers who are out of the workplace on military leave when an election occurs. We will certainly track the progress of this most recent round of proposed rules and will keep you posted of any significant updates.

[View source.]

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National Labor Relations Board Announces Another Proposed Rule Regarding Representation Elections - JD Supra

Its not enough that President Trumps dark vision of American carnage is being made manifest by his own actions in a politically motivated war on the nations cities. Now Trump is saying that his Democratic rival for the presidency, Joe Biden, is at war with the suburbs.

In tandem with the occupying army of federal troops he sent to Portland, Ore., Seattle, and elsewhere, Trump has opened up a new front in his flailing reelection campaign. His tweets and campaign ads now try to portray the former vice president as a dangerous undercover agent for a left-wing mob that wants to abolish the suburbs along with the Second Amendment, religion, and anything else Trump thinks his base holds dear.

Joe Biden and his bosses from the radical left want to significantly multiply what theyre doing now, Trump said in a meandering speech earlier this month. And what will be the end result is you will totally destroy the beautiful suburbs. Watch out, soccer moms: Joe Biden is coming for your gas grill and your white picket fence.

Trump is right to be concerned about the suburban vote, since no Republican presidential candidate has won without that bloc since at least 2004. And he is currently losing them badly to Biden in opinion polls. Trumps most transparent appeal to these voters came in late July, when he tweeted: The suburban housewives of America must read this article. Biden will destroy your neighborhood and your American Dream! The tweet linked to an article by conservative columnist Betsy McCaughey blasting an Obama-era zoning reform.

Coincidentally (or not) McCaugheys article came after several weeks of Trump telegraphing his intent to dismantle the fair housing rule. He raised the specter of integrated multifamily housing, bringing who knows into your suburbs and causing home values to drop like a rock.

Never mind that, in the last five years, suburban home prices have only increased. Or that the Obama rule which requires communities seeking federal aid to study whether discriminatory housing practices exist in their towns and devise a plan to mitigate them is relatively modest. Trumps message is clear enough: Only he can protect suburban (read: white) women from the lawless mayhem overtaking American cities.

In fact, Trumps tirades reveal how little he understands about todays suburbs, not to mention todays women. Over the past few decades, the suburbs have shed their Donna Reed image and become more like small cities: more diverse racially, with public transit, denser housing, and walkable downtowns. Even in red states, cities tend to vote Democratic, and the lines defining the suburban rings around them are blurring.

As to the housewives, they may have more in common with the wall of moms who have come out in solidarity with the Portland demonstrators than Trump imagines. The issues they worry about how to control the coronavirus, how to return their children safely to school, how to earn a decent wage or find affordable childcare, how to live in peaceful and just communities have been ignored in favor of stoking anger and resentment. The majority of workers on the front line of health care crisis are women. Trumps bullying everyone to reopen schools and businesses amid a spiking death toll doesnt make them feel safe.

Trump may be fueling the unrest in cities all run by very liberal Democrats as a desperate tactic to save his candidacy. But he also feeds on violent spectacle. Trumps rallies often have the vibe of a British soccer match, with their undercurrent of hooliganism. In a 2016 rally, he said of a heckler, Id like to punch him in the face. Speaking about protesters at another event in Iowa, he suggested to the crowd, knock the crap out of them, would you? With the COVID-19 disaster sidelining his rallies, teargassing mothers in bicycle helmets may be the next best thing.

Trumps entire worldview is rooted in combatively exploiting divisions: native against immigrant, rich against poor, and now city against suburb. But his mounting failures in leadership, judgment, and basic human empathy are greater than any superficial divides.

Rene Loths column appears regularly in the Globe.

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Trump pitches fear to the suburbs - The Boston Globe

Wednesday nights political forum sponsored by The Northeast Georgian and 107.7 The Breeze gave voters one final chance to hear from candidates participating in the Aug. 11 runoff election.

Despite all candidates remaining civil during the forum, the portion between incumbent Natalie Crawford and challenger Bruce Harkness for Habersham Countys District 4 commission seat did feature some debate over the countys biggest infrastructure needs.

Crawford pointed to the countys roads and bridges as the biggest infrastructure need.

Ideally you would be on a cycle where youre replacing and resurfacing these roads and bridges every 20 year cycle, but were more than 40 years out due to budget constraints, Crawford said. I would applaud our county employees for their ingenuity and the work they do to do that as low cost as possible and still have quality roads and bridges. Additionally we are able to secure somewhere upwards of $1.5 million per year in grants to help us stay on as strong of a cycle of refinement and resurfacing that we can be on.

Harkness disagreed with Crawford, as he believed the countys infrastructure were some of the best roads and bridges in the state of Georgia. Instead, Harkness pointed to the lack of a water and sewer plan to combat future growth as the countys biggest infrastructure concern.

We have not got one plan in this county for future growth, and growth is coming, Harkness said. I dont want growth, but we have to be prepared and we have to be ready for it. And I say water and sewer is our biggest problem and issue.

Crawford later rebutted, saying the lack of a countywide water strategy was a little misleading, as there is a monthly countywide meeting by a water group to discuss the countys water plan.

We have a monthly water group that talks about the countywide water plan, and they have been meeting every single month for five years, Crawford said. The city of Demorest has been to maybe five of those meetings, including during my challengers tenure on the city council. So to say we dont have a countywide water strategy is a little misleading.

Along with discussing the countys biggest needs in infrastructure, the two were also asked how they would help Habersham County meet its goals without increasing taxes even with a reduced budget for the 2021 fiscal year due to the economic downturn from COVID-19.

If elected, Harkness vowed to take a close look at the budget to cut out any unnecessary spending.

We need to look at the whole budget and revamp things, Harkness said. In our budget its calling for $750,000 for overtime When we train these employees, keep them, appreciate them and pay them correctly, then we wont be paying $750,000 per year in overtime.

On the other hand, Crawford expressed her support for focusing on strengthening the countys industrial base to offset the budget shortage.

Things that weve accomplished that are going to help us reach those [budget] goals is the creation of the Economic Development Council, the buildout of the industrial park so that better recruit industries that fit in this community to that industrial park, Crawford said. So continuing to focus efforts on strengthening our industrial base and balancing that tax digest is how we do that.

COUNTY DISTRICT 1

Bruce Palmer and Jeffrey Lunsford, the two candidates vying for the District 1 county commission seat, spoke on a variety of issues during the forum, including their plans for working with Habersham Countys municipalities and how they would work to balance growth with preserving the rural way of life.

Habersham County has never had a sewer system or a sewer treatment system, and thats going to be one of the big things to draw business and industry, Palmer said. Habersham County is going to have to work with one or more of the cities to provide sewer into the unincorporated areas of the county that way we can expand business and industry out into the county, and in doing that it will help offset the tax burden from the citizens who currently shoulder about 68% of the taxes.

Lunsford agreed with Palmer, adding that he has noticed cooperation dwindle between the countys municipalities and he hopes to rekindle that if elected.

The cities and county have always worked together great until here recently. Weve all had the same common goals. Im not sure where along the lines weve lost that ability and lost our cooperation, but we need to reach out and start communicating, Lunsford said. I think a lot of it is a lack of communication between [the city and county]. We need to start trying to work together for the mutual interest of everybody.

Lunsford also spoke on Habersham Countys zoning rules as the reason it will be able to balance industrial growth with its rural quality of life.

Habersham County has always had really good zoning laws where everything is based on smart growth, Lunsford said. The biggest thing we need to be careful of is allowing changes to the zoning and looking at the impact its going to have in the future.

Palmer instead pointed to the Georgia state Route 365 corridor overlay as a way to manage the influx of people and industry projected to come to the county in the near future.

The county has developed a corridor overlay project for [state Route] 365. The whole point behind that project is to kind of say where business, industry and even some larger residential areas would be in that area, Palmer said. I think thats a way we can control where out growth is going. That way the other areas of the county that are residential and farm areas can stay that same way.

GEORGIA HOUSE DISTRICT 10

In the race for Georgias District 10 House of Representatives seat, Victor Anderson and Robert Crumley answered questions on the most prevalent issue constituents had mentioned to them while campaigning.

For Anderson, a Habersham County native and former chairman of the county commission, he said the biggest issue brought to him by constituents was COVID-19, and how he would work to move them out of the pandemic if elected.

Right now, I think the biggest thing is safely going out of the coronavirus crisis that were in, and restarting our economy, Anderson said. [How we do that safely] is a critical question. Its a question that kind of falls on the shoulders of our governor but its up to our state legislators to assist him and back him up. It also takes people who know that process and can speak confidence to him and his staff.

For Crumley, a former Trump campaign worker and sheet metal salesman, the biggest issue raised by constituents to him were the lack of jobs and affordable housing in the area.

As we turn into more of a touristic community, our industries are leaving, our textile mills are leaving, everybodys leaving and nobodys coming into the community. So people are losing their jobs, but they cant afford to commute from their houses here to Atlanta, and they cant afford the taxes to start their own small businesses.

With both candidates mentioning jobs and the economy, both then fielded questions on their opinions of the states COVID-19 pandemic response and what alternate revenue sources they would consider using to offset the tax revenue shortfall caused by the pandemic.

For both, the answer was to reopen the economy fully to allow businesses and individuals to support themselves and naturally come out of the pandemic.

Given the opportunity our economy will come back strong, it will come back fierce, Anderson said. All the industry and backing people I talk to say that this time next year we will be back at about 125% of production and economic impact that we were at before this hit if we can get a handle on whats going on with COVID-19.

The state could utilize its revenue stream by opening back up the economy. The economy was probably the No. 1 infringement on the states revenue upon the states revenue that had been done, Crumbly said. We fortunately and unfortunately overreacted [with the shutdown], but luckily Im supportive of Gov. Kemp for opening our state back up.

SENATE DISTRICT 50

In the tightly contested race for Georgias District 50 Senate seat, candidates Stacy Hall and Bo Hatchett almost immediately jumped in to discuss COVID-19 and the states handling of the pandemic.

As far as how the stats handled the coronavirus, Im very proud of Gov. Kemp for being a leader in the nation and opening the economy when he did, Hatchett said. We were the lighthouse state for the rest of the nation and I think that speaks volumes to his leadership and to his vision of governments roles in peoples lives, which is limited.

Hall echoed this, adding that as chair of the county commission, he also made the tough decision to keep businesses open despite pressure to close them at the beginning of the pandemic.

Right before the statewide shelter-in-place by Gov. Kemp, we got a lot of pressure to shut down all the businesses, and I resisted, Hall said. I never want to take a man or womans ability away to provide for their family. I think its a delicate balance between maintaining the health of everybody and making sure people can provide for their living.

Along with pandemic response, the pair also voiced opposition to legalizing gambling as an alternate revenue source to offset the losses from COVID-19.

I would never be in favor of gambling or casinos. I dont judge folks who do gamble, but for me personally, thats not something I would ever support in any capacity, Hall said. They sell you on the revenue, but my beliefs arent for sale. There are certain things I will not budge on - pro-life is one of them, the constitution including the second amendment, and Im not going to support gambling and casinos.

Hatchett echoed this, saying he did not support legalizing new means of gambling, but he was in favor of keeping the lottery around as it is to continue supporting the HOPE Scholarship.

I would never support bringing casinos or expanding our gambling in the state, Hatchett said. As far as casinos and sports betting, thats against my values and I dont think theres a place for that here. But I would never work against the lottery. I think it has done a lot of good for education.

With the two being pro-life, pro-Trump conservatives and in lockstep about so much, Hall closed the forum by stating the main differences between the two was experience.

I believe the biggest difference between the two candidates is life experience. I have worked with the state through my position as county chairman with many departments, Hall said. I just think my 12 years in education, 18 years in business, my role as chairman of the hospital authority, my role as chairman of the county commission, and all the other charity and boards I have been on have equipped me to serve as a state senator, and I think thats a very important distinction.

Hatchett conceded this, but added that his time as a law student at the University of Georgia and working under former Gov. Nathan Deal has well-equipped him to be District 50s representative in the Senate.

Youre electing someone to go down to Atlanta to read, write, interpret and vote on laws. I was educated at the University of Georgia law school, and I learned Georgia law there, Hatchett said. I think it very well prepared me to be your next state senator. I think that combined with my experience on the state level will help me make a difference for Senate District 50 on day one.

U.S. CONGRESS 9th DISTRICT DEMOCRATS

The race for Georgias 9th District seat in the U.S. Congress will feature runoffs on the Democratic and Republican tickets.

On the Democratic ticket, Brooke Siskin and Devin Pandy are set to face off in the Aug. 11 runoff.

At the forum, the two were first asked their thoughts on transparency in government and how they planned to ensure transparency and accessibility to better serve constituents if elected.

Accountability starts with speaking with and answering to the people who elect you I believe in town halls, I believe in having an open door, I believe in answering emails and letters and returning calls, and I believe in making sure that on the representative website will be my [information], Pandy said.

Siskin echoed this, adding that her core issue would be transparency and openness. She added her goal would be to have an open-door policy to constituents.

Right now I believe our current congressman doesnt offer an open-door policy for his constituents to come in and speak, Siskin said. So transparency is an important issue I have; an open an honest government, one that can be for the people, by the people, is something I feel strongly about.

The two also voiced a commitment to working across the aisle with lawmakers from other parties to pass laws and do whats best for constituents.

I would try to find bipartisan support for bills, and we could work on special issues when it comes to healthcare, housing or issues regarding womens rights, Siskin said. So I want to work with my colleagues across the aisle so we can agree and disagree on some good questions and try to help our constituents and try to get valid questions answered for what they need.

Pandy echoed this and added that partisan politics are not good for this country.

One of the first things I want to do is make alliances on both sides, Pandy said. I really do not like the idea of parties working alone.

U.S. CONGRESS 9th DISTRICT REPUBLICANS

The nights final forum was a showdown between the two Republicans running to represent Georgias 9th District, Andrew Clyde, a 28-year veteran and gun store owner, and Matt Gurtler, a member of the Georgia House of Representatives.

To begin the night, both Clyde and Gurtler expressed their opposition to an additional COVID-19 stimulus package, as it would sink the country further into debt.

Continued borrowing is going to put our nation farther and farther into debt. And government does not create jobs, the private sector creates jobs, Clyde said. I think the solution here is to open us back up completely and have businesses go back to work. Across the country, I think we need to open back up and let the private sector bring those jobs back.

Gurtler added that the previous stimulus package pushed the nation debt to $26 trillion, and he spoke on the need for people to fight against additional debt for the country.

We need true fighters in congress that are going to stand up to debt and actually get back to running the government, and the only way to do that is to lead by example, Gurtler said. I have proven that in my time as a Georgias most conservative legislator over the last four years by opposing those big government policies, and Ill do the same thing as a congressman.

Among constituents, Gurtler said that the national debt is one of the main concerns brought to him along with pro-life and second amendment issues.

Pro-life issues are really big in this district. As Christians, we know life begins at conception and we should always work to protect and defend life, and I have a record of doing that at the state house, Gurtler said. Second amendment issues, upholding our God-given and natural rights [are a big issue], and Ive done that as well with the most pro-gun legislation on constitutional carry.

For Clyde, the biggest concern to constituents hes talked to has been over-reach in government.

I think over-reach in government is what Ive heard from voters. That can be broken down into a number of different areas, Clyde said.

He also mentioned hearing 9th District constituents voice concerns over pro-life and second amendment issues.

To listen to each forum in its entirety, visit The Northeast Georgians Facebook page.

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Candidates make pitches as election nears - Northeast Georgian

AUSTIN, Texas It was not unusual for Garrett Foster to be at a protest against police brutality on a Saturday night. And it was not out of character for him to be armed as he marched.

Mr. Foster was carrying an AK-47 rifle as he joined a Black Lives Matter demonstration blocks from the State Capitol in Austin, Texas. Gun-rights supporters on both the left and the right often carry rifles at protests in Texas, a state whose liberal gun laws allow it.

Mr. Foster, wearing a black bandanna and a baseball cap, bumped into an independent journalist at the march on Saturday, and he spoke matter-of-factly about the weapon that was draped on a strap in front of him.

They dont let us march in the streets anymore, so I got to practice some of our rights, Mr. Foster told the journalist, Hiram Gilberto Garcia, who was broadcasting the interview live on Periscope. If I use it against the cops, Im dead, he conceded.

Later that night, Mr. Foster was fatally shot, but not by the police. The authorities said he was killed by a motorist who had a confrontation with protesters.

The police and witnesses said the man in the car turned it aggressively toward the marchers, and Mr. Foster then approached it. The driver opened fire, shooting Mr. Foster three times. He was rushed to a hospital and was later pronounced dead.

Austins police chief, Brian Manley, told reporters on Sunday that as the motorist turned, a crowd of protesters surrounded the vehicle, and some struck the car. The driver, whose name has not been released, then opened fire from inside the car as Mr. Foster approached. Another person in the crowd pulled out a handgun and shot at the vehicle as it sped away.

Minutes after the shooting, the driver called 911 and said he had been involved in a shooting and had driven away from the scene, Chief Manley said. The caller told dispatchers he had shot someone who had approached the drivers window and pointed a rifle at him.

His account is that Mr. Foster pointed the weapon directly at him and he fired his handgun at Mr. Foster, the chief said of the driver.

Both the driver and the other person who fired a weapon were detained and interviewed by detectives. Both had state-issued handgun licenses and have been released as the investigation continues, Chief Manley said.

The shooting stunned a capital city where demonstrations and marches are a proud and commonplace tradition. A GoFundMe page to help Mr. Fosters relatives with his funeral expenses had already raised nearly $100,000 by Sunday evening.

And while Mayor Steve Adler and other officials expressed their condolences on Sunday, at least one police leader criticized Mr. Foster.

On Twitter, Kenneth Casaday, the president of the Austin police officers union, retweeted a video clip of Mr. Foster explaining to Mr. Garcia, the independent journalist, why he brought his rifle. In the clip, Mr. Foster is heard using curse words to talk about all the people that hate us, but are too afraid to stop and actually do anything about it.

In his tweet, Mr. Casaday wrote: This is the guy that lost his life last night. He was looking for confrontation and he found it.

Mr. Garcia, who has filmed numerous Austin demonstrations in recent weeks, captured the chaotic moments of the shooting live on video. Protesters are seen marching through an intersection when a car blares its horn. Marchers appear to converge around the car as a man calls out, Everybody back up. At that instant, five shots ring out, followed shortly by several more loud bangs that echo through the downtown streets.

Mr. Foster, who had served in the military, was armed, but he was not seeking out trouble at the march, relatives and witnesses told reporters. At the time of the shooting, Mr. Foster was pushing his fiance through the intersection in her wheelchair.

Mr. Foster and his fiance, Whitney Mitchell, had been taking part in protests against police brutality in Austin daily since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Mr. Foster is white, and Ms. Mitchell, who is a quadruple amputee, is African-American. She was not injured in the shooting.

He was doing it because he feels really strongly about justice and hes very heavily against police brutality, and he wanted to support his fiance, Mr. Fosters mother, Sheila Foster, said in an interview with Good Morning America, adding that she was not surprised he was armed while at the march.

He does have a license to carry, and he wouldve felt the need to protect himself, Ms. Foster said.

In Texas, it is lawful to carry rifles, shotguns and other so-called long guns on the street without a permit, as long as the weapons are not brandished in a threatening manner; state-issued licenses are required only to carry handguns.

The presence of Mr. Fosters weapon could play a key role in the case if the driver claims that he shot Mr. Foster out of fear for his life, a defense allowed under the so-called stand your ground law in the state.

The shooting reignited a long-running debate in Texas about the open carry movement, in which many men and women carry their rifles and other weapons in public places.

Gun-control supporters say the movement that encourages such displays seeks to intimidate the police and the public, while gun-rights activists defend it as a celebration of their Second Amendment rights.

In a 2016 attack on police officers at a downtown Dallas demonstration, several marchers carried AR-15s and other military-style rifles, and local officials said their presence created confusion for police officers. A single gunman, Micah Johnson, a former Army reservist, killed five officers.

There are multiple layers to this tragedy, but adding guns to any emotional and potentially volatile situation can, and too often does, lead to deadly violence, Ed Scruggs, the board president of Texas Gun Sense, a gun legislation reform group, said in a statement about the Austin shooting.

C.J. Grisham, founder and president of the gun-rights organization Open Carry Texas, defended the practice of bringing rifles to rallies and marches, particularly after numerous attacks around the country in which motorists have driven their cars into demonstrations and injured or killed protesters.

Protesters are under attack from a wide variety of people, Mr. Grisham said. Its unfortunate these days that if youre going to exercise your First Amendment rights, you probably need to be exercising your Second Amendment rights as well.

The shooting occurred shortly before 10 p.m. James Sasinowski, 24, a witness, said it seemed the driver was trying to turn a corner and did not want to wait for marchers to pass.

The driver intentionally and aggressively accelerated into a crowd of people, Mr. Sasinowski said. We were not aggravating him at all. He incited the violence.

Michael Capochiano, another witness, had a slightly different account of what happened. He said he was marching with other demonstrators when he saw a motorist honk his horn and turn toward the crowd, forcing people to scatter.

You could hear the wheels squealing from hitting the accelerator so fast, said Mr. Capochiano, 53, a restaurant accountant. Im a little surprised that nobody got hit.

The car came to a stop after turning from Fourth Street onto Congress Avenue and appeared to strike a traffic pylon. As people shouted angrily at the driver, Mr. Foster walked toward the car, with the muzzle of his rifle pointed downward, he said.

He was not aiming the gun or doing anything aggressive with the gun, Mr. Capochiano said. Im not sure if there was much of an exchange of words. It wasnt like there was any sort of verbal altercations. He wasnt charging at the car.

David Montgomery reported from Austin and Manny Fernandez from Houston. Bryan Pietsch contributed reporting from Andover, Minn.

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Garrett Foster Brought His Gun to Austin Protests. Then He Was Shot Dead. - The New York Times

I read the letter Mr. Charles W. Yueckstock wrote that was published in the Daily News on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. By writing his letter, Mr. Yueckstock exercised his First Amendment right to free speech, but in his letter he expressed the idea that we should all give up our Fourth Amendment right of freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, as well as our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. All in the name of .....saving lives (maybe).

As a former educator Mr. Yueckstock should educate himself by studying the events that led to the writing of the U.S. Constitution, with special attention to the Federalist Papers which help explain the reasoning used in its writing.

Further, Mr. Yueckstock claims to be a military veteran, tho he doesnt mention where, when, or how he served. As a combat veteran, I served in the Vietnam War (1969-1970) and once found myself in a gun battle without a gun. From my experience, I would emphatically state its better to have a gun and not need one than to need a gun and not have one!

The idea of confiscating weapons isnt a new one, the Lexington/Concord incident prior to the Revolutionary War was an attempt by the British to disarm colonists.

If one wants to see what happens when responsible citizens are deprived of their right to protect themselves one only has to look at Mexico where only police are allowed guns but the cartels have all they want.

Frank Walkley

Castile

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Letter: Responsible citizens should not be deprived of constitutional rights - The Daily News Online

Editor:

After Scott Tiptons tepid primary performance, lets talk about some true firepower for Congressional District 3. Diane Mitsch Bush is the highest caliber candidate to represent this western third of Colorado.

For one thing, her bullet points (at https://dianeforcolorado.com/on-the-issues/) are right on target. They deal directly with the lives of people in this district health care and costs, jobs and our economy, public land and water rights, civil and human rights. This district covers a lot of territory with many different needs, from the Western Slope to Pueblo, Aspen to the San Luis Valley.

As a straight shooter, Diane Mitsch Bush is clear that she supports the Second Amendment. And, like the majority of both Republicans and Democrats, she believes in commonsense gun ownership.

Her record as a state legislator demonstrates her commitment and ability to work across the aisle for the benefit of her constituents. Diane Mitsch Bush is ready to undertake programs for job creation and retraining as well as helping farmers, ranchers and small business owners. She has her sights set on what most benefits District 3 and its citizens, not big money interests or D.C. dazzle.

Its the mettle of the person inside, not a holster, that gets the job done. Vote for Diane Mitsch Bush.

Yvette Roberts

Grand Junction

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Mitsch Bush will get the job done | Opinion | aspendailynews.com - Aspen Daily News

RICE LAKE, Wis., July 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Henry Repeating Arms Company announced that it is voluntarily recalling all H015-series Single Shot Rifles and Single Shot Shotguns manufactured prior to July 1, 2020. Henry has recently discovered a potential safety issue wherein, under certain conditions, it is possible that some of these models may discharge without the trigger being pulled if the hammer is partially cocked and released. To prevent the possibility of death or serious personal injury, you should immediately stop using all H015-series Single Shot Rifles and Single Shot Shotguns and not load or fire them until they have been upgraded.

The safety issue leading to this voluntary recall was discovered internally while testing the existing fire control system for a trigger pull upgrade. This is the first product safety recall in the company's nearly 25-year history. Although not every Henry H015-series firearm may be affected, Henry Repeating Arms is requesting that all Single Shot Rifles and Single Shot Shotguns be returned to be upgraded free of charge pursuant to this recall to prevent the possibility of the firearm discharging without the trigger being pulled. All H015 owners should visit the Henry H015 Recall website at HenryUSA.com/recall, email [emailprotected], or call 1-866-200-2354 (M-F, 9am ET-5pm ET) to obtain additional information and begin the upgrade process.

Henry Repeating Arms will upgrade all returned Single Shot Rifles and Single Shot Shotguns in the order in which they are received. Henry Repeating Arms is ready to begin performing the upgrade as the firearms are received. Information on the current turnaround time for firearms returned to be upgraded will be provided at HenryUSA.com/recall. Henry Repeating Arms will make every effort to minimize the amount of time required to upgrade and return your firearm. As a sign of appreciation to its customers, Henry Repeating Arms will also perform an unrelated performance upgrade to improve the trigger pull on all firearms returned pursuant to this recall free of charge.

About Henry Repeating Arms:Henry Repeating Arms is one of the leading rifle and shotgun manufacturers in the United States and a world leader in the lever action category. The company motto is "Made in America, or not made at all" and its firearms come with a lifetime guarantee backed by award-winning customer service. The company is also known for its charitable endeavors under its Guns For Great Causes program, which focuses on sick children, both individual cases and children's hospitals, veteran and wounded veteran organizations, Second Amendment and wildlife conservation organizations. The company currently employs 535 people and has 250,000 square-feet of manufacturing space in its Rice Lake, Wisconsin and Bayonne, New Jersey facilities. The company is named in honor of Benjamin Tyler Henry who invented and patented the Henry rifle in 1860 the first repeating rifle, the lever action rifle, which is America's unique contribution to international firearms design and is one of the most legendary, respected and sought after rifles in the history of firearms. Visit Henry Repeating Arms online at http://www.HenryUSA.com, on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/HenryRepeating, and on Instagram @Henry_Rifles.

SOURCE Henry Repeating Arms

http://www.henryusa.com

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Henry Repeating Arms Issues Safety Warning And Recall Notice Of Henry Single Shot Rifles And Shotguns - PRNewswire

With less than 100 days to go until Election Day, President Donald Trump is campaigning like he did the first time, as a challenger running against the sitting president, who this time happens to be himself.

In speeches, ads and tweets, he attacks crime and urban unrest that presumably would explode in "Joe Biden's America," but uses video clips from President Trump's America.

He boasts of having completed "more than 200 miles of powerful border wall" with Mexico, when all but 3 miles of the almost 216 miles built since Trump took office only replaced old fencing.

And four years after promising grandly to "repeal Obamacare," the Affordable Care Act, and replace it with "something better," Republicans in Congress remain as divided as ever about any possible replacement, especially when Trump usually seems to have forgotten about it.

The main reasons for his woes appear increasingly to be two crises that, unlike most of his crises, Trump did not generate himself. One is the coronavirus pandemic. The other is the national racial "reckoning" ignited by the choking death of George Floyd beneath a Minneapolis police officer's knee.

After a mid-March surge in the polls as the American public rallied in our national fight against the virus, unity melted away amid a flurry of mixed messages from the president that showed the administration's response to be anything but firm.

Result: We, the most powerful nation in the world, have one of the world's worst infection rates.

Meanwhile, the president's approval ratings have been sinking since March in a manner that reminds me of a famous line from Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" when one character asks another named Mike how he went bankrupt: "Two ways," says Mike. "Gradually, then suddenly."

Since late March, Trump's approval rating has dropped from 46% to 40% in a FiveThirtyEight poll. Worse, approval of his handling of the virus fell during the same period from 45% to 34%, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll, while Biden's approval on the issue grew from 43% to 54%

The virus also has depleted the big bag of tricks that helped to put Trump over the top in 2016. He's canceled rallies and the big Jacksonville, Fla., component of the Republican National Convention mainly because the coronavirus, which he used to say would "just disappear," has spread, killing more than 150,000 Americans.

Even his favorite social network, Twitter, has turned against him, in his view, by footnoting or blocking tweets it judges to be out of bounds.

Instead, he has turned to the very conventional tricks of culture-war politics: respond to one national emotionally charged crisis by pumping up another one.

Trump's administration set the tone by sending law-enforcement help to mayors who did not request it. Most dramatically, paramilitary units from Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection landed unannounced in Portland, Ore., in a federal crackdown on protests against police violence.

Instead of de-escalating violence and tempers, local officials say the arrival of federal troops actually increased the numbers of protesters.

Trump is employing another old trick from four years ago: rebranding his opponents.

He morphed "Sleepy Joe" Biden into an opponent who, Trump says, wants to abolish the police, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Second Amendment and the suburbs. Biden denies the accusations.

Yes, the ever-important suburbs, which amount to about half of the presidential electorate and voted mostly for Trump in 2016, have moved heavily to Biden's corner this year. Reversing that trend may be asking a lot of the Trump campaign, with an electorate that already seems quite exhausted by the president's daily and unpredictable displays across all news and social media.

By this point in the campaign cycle four years ago, Trump told his rally crowds, "You'll be seeing so much winning that you'll get tired of winning."

Now an electorate, "tired of winning" his way, is looking away.

Clarence Page's columns are distributed by the Tribune Content Agency.

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Pandemic, unrest, recession fear Biden? What? - News from southeastern Connecticut - theday.com

Tony Mauro, Opinion contributor Published 6:02 a.m. ET July 30, 2020

Democratic lawmakers and even descendants of Confederate leaders are urging official removal of Confederate monuments at the center of a politically fraught national debate. (July 21) AP Domestic

The relevance of the Bill of Rights to todays divisions is clear and deserves recognition.

Amid the turmoil over taking down Confederate monuments and others ranging from Christopher Columbus to Theodore Roosevelt, heres an idea that that almost everyone can get behind: How about erecting monuments that celebrate the Bill of Rights?

Yes, the Bill of Rights: 10amendments to the Constitution, ratified in 1791, that spelled out the individual freedoms Americans have enjoyed ever since including the freedom to protest against things like monuments (thanks to the First Amendment.)

A campaign to place Bill of Rights monuments in state capitols in all 50 states is already underway, albeit moving slowly. Arizonas Bill of Rights monument was built in Phoenix in 2012, and plans for an OkIahoma monument in Oklahoma City are progressing. A smaller scale monument can be found in Montezuma, Iowa.

Its the brainchild of Chris Bliss, a comic by trade who has made the Bill of Rights his side project. Comics, after all, benefit greatly from the First Amendment. His campaign began nearly two decades ago, when there was controversy over monuments that celebrated the Ten Commandments, also often placed in state capitols.

Bliss envisioned erecting Bill of Rights monuments as a way to comparison shop with the Ten Commandments, he sayswhimsically. He also wants the monuments built near state capitols because every kid goes to state capitols on school field trips. He estimates that 40,000 students a year have visited the Arizona monument.

As he delved into the project, Bliss found that the Bill of Rights was something of a forgotten document, rarely taught in schools. People knew about a patients bill of rights or a bill of rights for airline passengers. But it was hard for people to grasp the abstract principles of the constitutional Bill of Rights, Bliss says, and therefore hard to turn those principles into marble or limestone.

Donations and support for BlissBill of Rights project havebeen sporadic over the years, with comedians like Lewis Black and the late Dick Gregory helping out. The Bill of Rights has no preexisting constituency, Bliss says, unlike other organized groups that can lobby successfully for building monuments.

A campaign to place Bill of Rights monuments in state capitols in all 50 states is already underway, albeit moving slowly(Photo: Getty Images)

But in the aftermath of the recent protests nationwide that involve monuments and civil liberties, hehopesto jump-start his project and hasten the building of Bill of Rights monuments nationwide. This is a very positive moment, Bliss says.

The relevance of the Bill of Rights to todays divisions is clear and deserves recognition. The Bill of Rights fosters freedom of expression, religion, due process, fair trials, protection against unreasonable government intrusion or excessive fines, among other important rights.

The 10amendments are not without controversy. Interpreting the religion clauses of the First Amendment, the right to bear arms in the Second Amendment,and the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the Eighth Amendmenthas been a contentious task for centuries.

And there are parts of the Bill of Rights that are quirky, to say the least. The Third Amendment, for example, prohibits soldiers from being quartered in homes without the consent of owners. It was a big issue at the time of the founding, but not now.

Bliss saysthere is no better remedy for monument controversies than to commemorate the Bill of Rights, which he callsthe most powerful and successful assertion of individual rights and liberties ever written.

He adds, The ideas were radical at the time, but now, people say, Of course. There is not an exclusionary phrase in the entire document. It is time for us to rediscover our own Bill of Rights and to elevate it to the position of public prominence it richly deserves.

Tony Mauro, a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors, covered the Supreme Court for USA TODAY from 1982 to 2000.

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Here's a monument all Americans can rally around: Let's celebrate the Bill of Rights - USA TODAY

OAKLAND The Oakland Town Council will meet at 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3.

The meeting will be conducted online via Zoom. Members of the public wishing to view the proceedings must email the town hall in advance for the meeting code at townofoak@gmail.com.

On the agenda are a public hearing and final reading of an ordinance that would place restrictions on obstructing sidewalks. There also will be the introduction of an ordinance amending Broadford Park regulations. Linda Costello of the Garrett County Health Department is scheduled to discuss the overdose epidemic.

OAKLAND The Board of Garrett County Commissioners will meet at 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3.

Updates are expected to be heard on the Second Amendment Resolution, as well as from Garrett County Health Officer Robert Stephens on the local COVID-19 situation.

OAKLAND The Mountain Maryland Hemp Alliance will hold its August meeting at the farm of Levi Lantz at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5.

MMHA was founded this spring to support those interested in producing, processing and marketing industrial hemp.

McHENRY The Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Areas Mini Grant Program is now accepting applications.

The mini-grant program is a one-to-one cash or in-kind matching grant for up to $2,000 designed to provide funding for non-capital projects including innovative exhibits, tours, events, planning and projects which build upon interpretive themes identified in the Heritage Areas Management Plan. These include transportation, man and nature, historic recreation and cultural uniqueness.

We are pleased to once again offer the mini-grant program to the local community, said Kim Folk, Heritage Area and Groups director. These projects will help foster heritage tourism and boost awareness for our residents.

Projects should seek to attract cultural and heritage tourists to the region. Nonprofit organizations and local jurisdictions are eligible. Individuals and businesses with proposals fitting the guidelines may apply in partnership with nonprofit organizations. Applications and guidelines are available online at http://www.garrettheritage.com. The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. Sept. 30.

An online informational meeting will be held via Zoom from 3-4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, for anyone interested in learning more about the program. Registration is required to receive a link for the meeting. Register at bit.ly/3fNBbmA, or contact Folk at kim@garrettchamber.com or 301-387-5238 for more information or to find out how your project fits the criteria.

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Around the community | Community - WV News

Posted on Jul 30, 2020

By Tom Travis

The City of Flint will no longer auction off confiscated guns,Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced at a press conference at police headquarters Wednesday. Since 2017, when the City began that practice, 4,539 guns have been auctioned generating $200,000.

The revenue generated was put back into the police budget, Neeley said. However, Chief of Police Phil Hart, reiterating Neeleys words, said, We will no longer put these weapons back out on the street. Its just not worth it.

A press release from the Mayors office stated, The decision will immediately dispose of 250 guns that previously had been on Flint streets. They said they would be given to the Michigan State Police who will melt them down.

The previous administration with support of Flint City Council began auctioning off seized firearms in 2017, selling hundreds of guns to the highest bidder. Included in the sales were semi-automatic rifles as well as handguns, pistols and shotguns. While gun auctions are legal and serve lawful gun buyers, Mayor Neeley said his administration will not permit the auctioning of firearms to ensure none of these deadly weapons again fall into the wrong hands.

Mayor Sheldon Neeley announcing at Police Headquarters that the City will no longer auction off guns. (Photo by Tom Travis)

Standing at a podium in front of a display of 30 guns from small hand held guns to long rifles and assault weapons. Pointing to the table of guns Neeley said, We have displayed here guns collected off the streets in the last seven days. Looking somberly at the table of guns, Neeley added, These are weapons of destruction.

Noting the loss of revenue as the city stops auctioning guns Neeley added, We have to ask ourselves how much is a life worth?

30 guns recently seized by Flint Police in routine traffic stops will no longer be auctioned off. The guns displayed will be destroyed by the Michigan State Police. (Photo by Tom Travis)

Neeley stated, In the first eight months of this administration we have been doing a lot of clean up work to convey a more positive and productive mood.

Beginning in 2017, under the Weaver administration, guns collected by the police department were auctioned off.

Neeley added, To me and Chief Phil Hart and my administration we are going to stop that practice now. It shows a gross lack in critical thinking when you say were gonna fight crime and battle crime and take weapons off the streets and then to circulate weapons back into activity where people get a second chance at doing something they shouldnt. We will not give opportunity to recirculate back into society, even though he added, We believe in the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms.

Hart says the newly formed Special Investigative Unit targets Citys hot spots

Hart said the newly formed Special Investigative Unit picked up the guns over the past seven days. The Special Investigative Unit has been going to hot spot areas. Hart added most of the guns displayed on the table before him were confiscated in traffic stops. He clarified that the types of traffic stops were speeding, running a stop sign, and reckless driving.

Hart stated, As you can see by the guns before you they are some pretty extreme weapons. Hart noted some were brand new and added, We are investigating why there so many new guns out on the streets. Im working with our partners, both federal and local, to see which institutions are putting these guns out and ending up in the hands of people who shouldnt have access to them. All that is being looked at.

Chief of Police, Phil Hart, speaks at a press conference with Mayor Neeley announcing the City will no longer auction off guns. (Photo by Tom Travis)

Hart noted, We are going out nightly to shooting scenes and this past weekend was horrible for all of us. Referring to multiple shootings at Hallwood Plaza on Clio Road last weekend Hart added, Wed like for nothing like that to ever happen again.

Noting the impact of gun violence on society Hart said, We have to think about the cost of this and so we can get into safety and well-being and what it does to our economy. The cost of seizing the weapons and re-seizing the weapons and the cost of medical procedures by the people impacted by these weapons. Its extreme.

At Flint Police Headquarters, Chief of Police, Phil Hart and Mayor Sheldon Neeley look over a table of 30 guns seized over the last 7 days in routine traffic stops. (Photo by Tom Travis)

Hart said, according to a U.S. Congressional report estimate, gun violence costs about $6.9 billion in Michigan. Which is about $696/resident per year. I can think of much better reasons to use our money than this kind of a thing.

In a press release, Hart added, Based on that average, the cost of gun violence in the city of Flint is at least triple the revenues the gun auctions.

Hart also noted that the Police Department has received more than 70 applications for 14 vacant positions. Last year the City Council approved funding for the positions, and in June the Council approved additional 2 mils funding for added police services.

Anti-Gun Violence Activist Joseph Pettigrew says gun violence is a public health crisis

Joseph Pettigrew, whose father Sidney Pettigrew, was murdered in 2018, was invited to speak from the podium by Mayor Neeley. Pettigrew said, gun violence is a public health crisis. Since his fathers murder Pettigrew has begun an organization called Communities Against Gun Violence.

Anti-Gun Violence activist Joseph Pettigrew invited by the Mayor to speak at a press conference at Police Headquarters. (Photo by Tom Travis)

Pettigrew said the organization is made up of himself and other anti-gun violence activists in the city. We started it in March to bring attention back to the issue of violence in the city of Flint.

It takes people who have been through this type of tragedy to really step up and really let people know how it impacts peoples lives daily Pettigrew said.

Pettigrew added, referring to the Citys decision to no longer auction off guns, This is definitely a step forward.

Neeleys administration has a three-point plan to combat crime

In a press conference earlier this week Mayor Neeley and Chief Hart laid out a three point plan for the City to combat crime:

Neeley said the gun buy back locations have not yet been announced. Neeley said, my wife and I will be donating the first $1000 to the buy back program. We will also be asking others with like minded thinking to do the same.

EVM assistant editor and city beat reporter, Tom Travis, can be reached at tomntravis@gmail.com

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We will no longer auction off guns, Mayor Neeley announces. It's just not worth it. Chief Hart says - East Village Magazine