Last week, Massachusetts attorney general Maura Healey went rogue, overstepping her authority as the state’s chief law enforcement officer to announce a ban on so-called “copycat assault weapons.”
This past Saturday, hundreds of gun owners from around The Bay State responded by gathering at the steps of the State House to express their ire at Healey’s sudden decree.
“If that woman was here right now, I might tar and feather her,” John Frye, of Tauton, told WCVB.
There has been a lot of confusion over what Healey’s new interpretation of the law means for gun owners.
GOAL, Gun Owners’ Action League, a Massachusetts-based gun rights advocacy group, said in a news alert that Healey has “essentially banned the possession, ownership, or transfer of ALL semi-automatic rifles that utilize a detachable magazine.”
Currently, GOAL is working with a number of attorneys to figure out what recourse gun owners have to challenge Healey’s prohibition.
“I’ll leave that up to the experts we’re talking with. And I’m sure that, hopefully, with a week or so, we’ll make an announcement,” said Jim Wallace, GOAL’s executive director.
Additionally, 58 state legislators sent a letter to Healey’s office expressing “strong concern” about her decision.
“For the last 18 years, the law has been implemented and enforced consistently, both by your office and your predecessors,” states the letter.
“Your new directive, which has been presented by your office as nothing more than a closing of ‘loophole’ in the current law, appears in fact to be much more than that: the enforcement of a whole new law that unfairly infringes on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners in Massachusetts,” the letter continues.
The lawmakers conclude by iterating their objection to Healey’s actions with the hope that she’ll reconsider and rescind the Enforcement Notice.
One shouldn’t hold their breath. Thus far, Healey hasn’t shown any remorse or regret for going rogue. However, her office has tried to set the record straight amongst all the panic and confusion.
“Claims that we are changing the law and taking guns away from law-abiding citizens are inaccurate and misinformed,” Jillian Fennimore, a spokeswoman for Healey, wrote in a statement.
The road forward is unclear. Surely there will be a legal challenge against the Enforcement Notice, but the fate of that challenge is uncertain. So, too, is the fate of any opposition in the Legislature. What is clear is it’ll take time before there is any resolution — how long is anyone’s guess. Meanwhile, many law-abiding gun owners may find themselves — knowingly or unknowingly — in the crosshairs of Healey’s unconstitutional Enforcement Notice.
What I truly can’t understand is how a butt stock that is adjustable to the length of pull of the individual shooter makes a gun more dangerous than a fixed stock. That… And a lot of similar restrictions. Apparently “scary looking” is the new dictation for “safe…” Whatever the hell “safe” means. The people making gun laws should be required to have actually seen a gun before (and shoot and understand function, yadda yadda).
Time to vote the liberals out in Massachusetts, the attorney general and the governor both. Time to send a clear message that we the people have had enough of the gun grabbing liberal nonsense. Vote them out Boys and Girls, it’s time to take a stand! Vote them out now or loose you wrights forever!
It sounds like Healey is looking to ingratiate herself with the Clintons. Maybe she thinks Hillary will make appoint her U.S. attorney general. As long as the good people of Massachusetts continue to elect Democrats to state office, they are going to have to live with restrictive gun control laws.
You fuckers need to got to hell! What don’t you understand about the words SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED IN THE SECOND AMENDMENT??? GO DIE!
Healey,
Have you made your plans to move to Russia? I am sure you will love living in a country where only the government has guns and control your life. Don’t worry, I am sure you will fit right in and you won’t be bothered by having Constitutional rights.
Healey,
Have you made your plans to move to Russia? I am sure you will love living in a country where only the government has guns and control your life. Don’t worry, I am sure you will fit right in and you won’t be bothered by having Constitutional rights.
I always ask the question, do the banners have guns? After Gabby Gifford announced she and Mark’s establishing an organization against guns Mark had gone out the same day and bought an AR-15. Does the Mass. AG have a gun or even bodyguards. If so why? Are they any more in danger than the average citizen? This is all an “I am better than you and my life is more valuable.” That is what drives the abortion industry too.
It’s time the citizens of Massachusetts tell the corrupt politicians in this state WE DON’T NEED YOU TO DO OUR THINKING FOR US….WE CAN DECIDE WHAT’S BEST FOR OURSELVES!!!.Don’t like guns,DON’T HAVE ONE…Don’t like your neighbors having guns,MOVE TO CALI!!!! 🙂
Try to do some real research next time,
The “hundreds” of gun owners was estimated at 5000 by the park police.
Once again, idiot anti-gun, anti-2A legislators go after so-called, “evil guns,” instead of evil people. We have seen recently in the news, that evil people do not need guns to take many human lives, eg.: Nice, France truck terrorist attack, Sagamihara, Japan knife wielding terrorist attack, Rouen, France hostage taking and killing using knives, Mogadishu, Somalia car bombings.
One common thread to all these evil attacks, “good guns” (so-called, semi-auto assault weapons) were used to subdue, put-down, stop these terrorists, and protect those innocent lives remaining. Do you hear this reported in the media? NO. New York’s WTC were brought down by box cutters with 3000+ lives lost.
At a time when American Citizens are under increased terrorist attacks, ask yourself why your government wants to disarm you, and make you a vulnerable victim?
P.S.
Firearms are tools, just like knives, box cutters, trucks, and explosives, and only as good, or evil as the person using them. When the Boston Marathon Bombers were finally subdued, they were brought down by high capacity semi-auto weapons. How would Massachusetts Law Enforcement like being restricted to only the weapons allowed in the MA weapons ban (revolvers, 10 round pistol mag capacity, no detachable rifle mags, etc.)? They would not. They want the best tool for the job of protecting MA citizens.
Why would you want anything less than the best tool for protecting your family?
ABSOLUTELY! Equal treatment for what ever method is used!! If they are going to go after guns when a gun is used, then they should be consistent and go after vehicles or knives, planes or whatever when they are used to commit these horrible crimes. But don’t forget this AG is part of the group of people who don’t realize that laws only apply to law abiding citizens….criminals are criminals…DUH!!!….obviously because they don’t care about laws. Common sense is becoming so rare that it should be considered a super power!!
You need to be writing and explaining your views to politicians. Do it often. Putting comments here will do nothing to help our cause to preserve the 2A.
You need to be writing and explaining your views to politicians. Do it often. Putting comments here will do nothing to help our cause to preserve the 2A.
Roger,
Believe me, my legislators are very familiar with my views from letters and petitions I have sent to them. Unfortunately, I usually get back some form letter that says, “Thanks your for your interest in saving the Great Sperm Whale,” or some such.
I think GunsAmerica is a great forum for sharing our ideas and concepts, and examining the logic and reason of those ideas and concepts (if they are not logical, and reasonable someone will sure point it out to you). I like to remain open minded, but skeptical. Perhaps if we can present our ideas using logic and reason, we can persuade others to do the same, to do their own thinking, and not be fooled by the false rhetoric of those wishing to use our Country for their own ill gains.
Murder is against the law with death as the punishment.
Still doesn’t stop people who want to do bad things.
So what new law can be passed that will all of a sudden change these people’s minds to be law abiding citizens?