Time To Stand Up For “Stand Your Ground”

I got this from the Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance this morning; Tony Cornish’s “Stand Your Ground” bill comes up for debate in the Senate tomorrow.

I’m going to start with the call to action, and let you read the rest of it later.

Here’s What We Need To Do:  If you are a Minnesotan who supports the human right of self-defense, here’s where it starts:

• Call Your Senator – Or send them a snail mail.  Or at the very least, an email. Here’s a full list.  Tell them, politely and concisely, that you support the human right of self-defense, and that you want them to support SF1357.  For the Republicans, remember – we shooters supported the GOP in 2010; they need to earn that support.  For Democrats outside the Metro, remind them how many shooters are in their district (lots!).   For Metrocrats?  Call anyway.  And then call a real Senator.
• Join the Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance – GOCRA is the single best source of information on Minnesota gun issues there is.  They were fighting for Minnesotans’ gun rights long before most Minnesotans knew it was cool.  And they have been among the most effective grass-roots (as in real grass-roots) political groups anywhere.  And it’s because of people like us.  So join the group.

What’s So Important About The Bill? – This is from Andrew Rothman at GOCRA:

HF1467/SF1357 Summary

HF1467/SF1357, the Defense of Dwelling and Person Act of 2011, brings “Stand Your Ground” protections to Minnesota, restores the presumption that a person using self defense is innocent until proven guilty, enhances Castle Doctrine, prevents the state from seizing guns during an emergency (remember Hurricane Katrina?), improves carry reciprocity with other states and requires the government to do its job to serve law-abiding citizens.

The full text of the bill can be found here: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H1467.2.html&session=ls87

Here’s some more detail about the bill:

Adds Stand Your Ground

HF1467 brings “Stand Your Ground” protections to Minnesota, removing the requirement that an intended victim of violent crime must retreat from a place where he has a right to be before using deadly force in self defense.

Enhances Castle Doctrine

The bill also strengthens Minnesota’s “Castle Doctrine,” clarifying when and under what circumstances individuals can legally use deadly force to protect themselves in their homes and vehicles. In addition, it creates a presumption that, when faced with an apparent home invasion, carjacking or kidnapping attempt, a person may use deadly force in self defense.

Adds Universal Carry Permit Acceptance

Of particular interest to carry permit holders, the final article of the bill updates our carry permit reciprocity standards, allowing people holding carry permits from any other state to carry in Minnesota (under Minnesota law, of course). This should result in a large increase in the number of states where Minnesota permit holders can carry, since many states allow other states’ permit holders to carry on a reciprocal basis.

Prevents Gun Seizures During a State of Emergency

Taking a lesson from the problems in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, the bill also bans government agencies from seizing guns or ammo, revoking permits to purchase or carry, closing gun shops, or otherwise suspending our constitutional rights during a civil emergency — or at any other time. It also prohibits law enforcement officers from seizing a person’s gun, unless the person is arrested, or the gun is evidence of a crime.

Enhances Purchase Permit Rights

The bill also borrows a page from the Permit to Carry law, providing a more robust appeal process for denied purchase permits, and requiring that police chiefs and sheriffs whose purchase permit denials are overturned must pay the applicants’ legal costs.

This important stuff.

Oh, yeah – one more thing:  We shooters used to be really, really good at focusing our votes.  When Concealed Carry Reform was wending its way through the legislature for those nine long sessions (1995 through 2003), we voted a lot of soft-on-guns outstate legislators out of office; literally, we shooters (organized by GOCRA), swung Minnesota politics.

We need to do it again.  Minnesota’s anti-gun crowd is getting restless. We need to slap them down at the ballot box.  Anti-gun legislators – and other elected officials – need to find out how serious we are by being sent into political retirement.  Which is another reason to please, please join GOCRA.