Kansas a wake up call for you to act on

[rojawe]

CALL or EMAIL HOUSE LEADERSHIP NOW
HB 2685 MUST BE MOVED
TO HOUSE FLOOR BY THURSDAY!
 
Please contact the Leadership members of the House of Representatives NOW and urge them to move HB 2685 to the House floor for debate and vote no later than Thursday March 25th.  If this bill is not placed on the agenda by Thursday, it will be dead.

Majority Party:

Republican Speaker of the House Michael (Mike) O'Neal

Speaker Pro Tem Arlen Siegfreid

Majority Leader Ray Merrick

Assistant Majority Leader Peggy Mast

Majority Whip Robert (Rob) Olson

Minority Party:

Democrat Minority Leader Paul Davis

Assistant Minority Leader Jim Ward

Minority Whip Eber Phelps

To assist you in formulating a letter, following is the content of my letter to the leadership.  Please do not just copy and paste.  That will have little effect.  Write your own letter.  I am providing my letter so you have an idea what to write about.

Dear Representative XXXXXXXX:

I am writing to urge you to move HB 2685, an act concerning public security, to the House Floor for a vote at the earliest possible opportunity.

This is a building security issue. Do we trust law abiding Kansans who are licensed to carry concealed? Are we willing to allow our citizens to protect themselves and others when they must be in publically owned facilities?

As I'm sure you are aware, concealed carry permit holders are law abiding citizens who have passed and complied with stringent criteria, including a thorough national criminal background check for obtaining a permit and gone to great expense to obtain proper training and pay permit fees. As an instructor for concealed carry I can assure you that students are taught the serious responsibility of carrying firearms. I have trained several thousand people and they take their training very seriously and understand the grave consequences of making a decision to use their firearm.

A provision was made in the concealed carry law requiring any business or property owner to post a state approved sign if they do not want to allow concealed carry in their buildings. The same provision applies to all State, County and City buildings as well as schools. This provision specifically prohibits the posting of parking lots, hiking trails, parks or public greenways. Only buildings may be posted.

We need to understand that criminals will not abide by the law or the signs. Those signs are disarming only law abiding permit licensees. In fact, we need to recognize that posting such a sign only indicates to the criminal that they have an easy location to perpetrate their crimes and that no one will have the ability to challenge them or protect themselves at that location. That posted location becomes the first choice of a criminal when selecting where to commit a crime. If we look at the history of violent criminals and some of the spree shootings that have been making the news recently, and in past years, we see that all of those violent crimes have taken place in locations that have been deemed "gun free" zones. Posting the no carry sign is paramount to placing a bullseye on that facility. It only provides a risk free victim rich environment for criminals. Laws that disarm honest citizens and provide risk-free environments for criminals and lunatics are at fault, not guns, and it begs the question that if someone is attacked by a criminal in that posted building, who is liable for preventing us from using lawful force to protect ourselves. Isn't the ability to defend ourselves a God given or natural right? I believe it is.

Restrictive gun laws do not prevent determined perpetrators from getting their hands on guns and those signs prohibiting concealed carry do not prevent criminals from entering the premises, but they do prevent law-abiding citizens from having the tools to defend themselves.

I have great respect for our law enforcement officials. Some of my best friends are police officers and one is even a Federal Judge. For many years they have encouraged me to be able to protect myself. They have told me that they cannot be there to save me. Consider that a typical response time when calling 911 can be several minutes depending on the location. I think we can all agree that only a few seconds is all it takes for a criminal to take our life or do great bodily harm to us.

We can choose not to do business with merchants who post those signs. However, we cannot always choose not to enter a State, County or City building. When I must enter a posted facility I am forced to leave my gun behind in my car. I ask you, is leaving my gun unattended in my car the best option? I don't think it is. If you feel you must post buildings such as this one, then you are putting me at risk for having my gun stolen and removing my security while I walk through the parking lot to the entrance and while I am in the facility with no means of defense. Can you guarantee my safety? I don't think you can. In my opinion, I am the only one who can guarantee my best defense. If you must disarm me, then at least provide adequate security from the point I must be disarmed. Is it not your responsibility to assure me that a criminal with a gun will not be on these premises while I am here if you are going to post those signs? I believe it is.

Please, I urge you, move this bill to the floor for a vote.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXXXX