Firearms Friday: Knowing Where And How To Travel

Traveling can sometimes come with a whole host of issues… at least for those of us that have a concealed carry permit or just enjoying going to the range every now and again. Even traveling within your home state can be problematic if you find yourself venturing into urban areas. This is why it is important to know the laws and regulations of the place to which you are traveling.

When I am traveling within the Commonwealth, I know that there are certain areas where the legal concealed carry of a firearm will bring undue attention, and attempts at legal action, from residents and local authorities. While an uncomfortable predicament in certain areas, I do abide by the regulations outlines in those more densely populated areas. Further, even when in a firearms friendly part of the state, I do pay close attention to the signage posted by proprietors. After all, they have a right to ban firearms from their establishment and I have the right to not give them my business.

For those who have a concealed carry permit that are traveling beyond the borders of your home state, the first step is to find out which states will honor your rights. For me, the states that will honor (through reciprocity agreements) my Pennsylvania concealed carry permit are as follows:

• Alaska
• Arizona          
• Arkansas        
• Colorado        
• Florida
• Georgia          
• Idaho  
• Indiana           
• Iowa   
• Kansas
• Kentucky       
• Louisiana        
• Maine 
• Michigan        
• Mississippi      
• Missouri         
• Montana         
• New Hampshire         
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• South Dakota 
• Tennessee       
• Texas  
• Utah   
• Vermont         
• Virginia          
• West Virginia 
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

It is a surprisingly extensive list given the “Shall Issue” status that Pennsylvanians enjoy in this current political climate… it goes to show the authority that a State Constitution should have in granting rights to citizens. What is not surprising is the fact that many adjoining states will not recognize my right to carry (i.e. Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York) so when planning my travel I must take the appropriate steps to make sure that I am not in violation of the laws in those states. Of course, I try to limit my exposure to such intolerant climates.

And that is the most important thing to remember when traveling and being a supporter of the second amendment in general. While we are members of the majority in this country, there are many that will insist on relegating us to the role of second class citizens. They would prefer to segregate us from the rest of the entitled population and attach derogatory labels and unfounded allegations on us in an attempt to promote their intolerant message in the hope to strip us of our rights.

Well, that isn’t going to work as we are law abiding citizens that promote and the defend the rights of all people and want nothing more than to prevent violence rather than incite it as the anti-gun movement has done for years. However, those motives speak to the importance for us to be diligent in our observation of state and local laws. The last thing we want is to give them the ammunition because while they may oppose our rights, they will shoot you every chance that they get.  

Put Them Away!

Photo from the dedication of the Brad Fox Memorial. 

As many of you have read on this blog in the past, I am not a proponent of gun laws that don’t make any sense. Specifically, laws that go after those who LEGALLY purchase and own firearms. The people that we need to go after are those who hold the law in complete disregard. This is why I was thrilled to read the news this week that a woman was sentenced under the Brad Fox Law. We don’t need ‘gun laws’ we need criminal laws like this one.

Just over two years ago, in September 2012, Plymouth Township Police Officer and Marine Corps veteran, who served two tours in Iraq, Bradley Fox was shot and killed in the line of duty. The criminal behind the heinous act illegally bought the murder weapon in a straw purchase. The law, signed by Governor Corbett in January 2013, establishes a minimum five-year prison sentence for anyone convicted of multiple straw purchases.

This law is a step in the right direction and is already having a positive impact on the judicial system. However, this law, while well intentioned, is tremendously flawed. If we are to honor Officer Fox and all those who fall victim to criminals, we must change this law and truly make the penalties a deterrent.

The first issue that I have with this piece of legislation is that it applies to ‘multiple’ straw purchases. The penalties should be applied to every straw purchase. If you buy a single firearm for someone who is not allowed to legally own a firearm, you should be put away for a long time.

This brings me to the second issue that I have with the law… the sentencing guidelines are too lenient. Five years is not enough. If someone violates federal gun laws (specifically referring to the ATF) there is a minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and up to a $10,000 fine. While much of the ATF regulations and NFA laws are outdated and complete crap, the penalties are in line with what should be handed down to someone who knowingly violates laws involving firearms.

In the end, the problem does not lie in the inanimate objects or the law abiding citizen, it is in the black hearts and twisted minds of individuals. These people, those who commit the crimes and, as in this instance, those who help to facilitate these crimes, need to be deal with and done so harshly. After all, we don’t have a ‘gun problem’ in this country we have a people problem and a public that is too willing to blame anything and anyone else rather than looking the problem right in the face and sending them to prison for a very long time.

Bringing Equality To The Courtroom

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

I have been keeping an eye on the state legislature for the past couple of weeks in the hope that actions would be taken to uphold previously passed legislation designed to curb the plethora of firearms regulations that are constantly being debated across the state under the public and media radar. While firearms preemption has long since been enacted, these state measures have largely been ignored by those who refuse to understand firearms and insist on restricting our rights. This week the Pennsylvania legislature took a step forward by providing additional means for citizens of the commonwealth to protect their second amendment rights. You can imagine my relief when I received the following email from the NRA Institute for Legislative Action:

After four years of effort, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives finally passed critical firearms preemption legislation. Yesterday, the state House voted to concur on the Senate amendments to House Bill 80 by an overwhelming 138 to 56 vote. HB 80, when signed into law, will strengthen the state firearms preemption statute to further ensure that firearm and ammunition laws are consistent throughout Pennsylvania.

State firearms preemption was originally enacted by the Pennsylvania Legislature to avoid the possibility of 2,639 separate firearm laws across the Commonwealth. However, over recent years, more than fifty localities have enacted gun control ordinances in violation of the current state firearms preemption law, creating a myriad of local gun laws that make compliance difficult for responsible gun owners. HB 80 will provide a way for responsible gun owners to hold these municipalities responsible for infringing on our Second Amendment rights.

Contrary to reports from the Philadelphia Inquirer and statement made by other politicians, this is NOT a means of weakening the laws that we all agree must be enforced against straw purchasers. That is NOT what this legislation is designed to do and this is not how it should be applied. We all agree that those who break the law should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Additionally, the vast majority of firearms owners support stiffer penalties for those who are found guilty of breaking those laws especially those found guilty of illegally purchasing firearms.

The problem lies in that those who support “common sense firearms legislation” don’t have any common sense when it comes to firearms or the second amendment. Law abiding gun owners are constantly going out of their way to accommodate state, local, and federal laws no matter how absurd they really are but this is not enough for the Bloomberg devotees. There are already enough laws on the books that we abide by, many of which we disagree with but follow, and we should not face further regulation and restrictions of our rights.

So, ignoring the liberal hype and media mongers, what is the real purpose of this legislation? Essentially, the law allows citizens of the commonwealth to bring suit against local and state agencies with the assistance of national organizations such as the NRA, 2^nd Amendment Foundation, National Association for Gun Rights, etc. Laws and regulations are ever changing in the commonwealth thanks to the actions of irrational hoplophobes and this strengthening legislation is a means to even the legal playing field as many of us do not have the means to defend our rights in the courtroom. After all, we are only looking for equality, the ability to exercise our rights without fear of the repercussions and a means of support if we are refused those rights and we are forced to fight for them. Of course, there is also this little piece of legislation in Pennsylvania law which can be found in Article I, Section 21 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which states the following:

“The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.”

Feeding The Animal House

The only day that is dreaded more than April 15^th is October 15^th. This is the last chance day for those of us that, for one reason or another, were unable to file our taxes in the spring. This is the day that we have been hoping that would, somehow, never come or that the calendar would just simply skip a day. And for some of us it is not just a day of inconvenience, it is a day when we take on an additional financial burden (some greater than others).  

Every day that passes and every hour I sit at my desk, I know that I will never receive my full salary for that day. It is the price we are forced to pay, and pay, and pay again in the seemingly infinite deductions that are pried from our pockets to fund things that we would never support on our own. Don’t get me wrong, there are many things that we must contribute something to, but there are many, many things that we should not be forced to pay.

This happens each and every day as we watch about a quarter of our salary evaporate (for some it is a much higher percentage). However, it doesn't end there as when we finally get that money in our pocket it continues to be chipped away throughout the day as we are forced to pay more taxes… service, sales, gas, real estate, etc. Given all of these tax attacks, it is safe to say that the average person loses about 40-50% of their pay just to taxes. The remainder, of course, has to cover all the costs of living including the bloated Obamacare costs that have recently latched on to our wallets.

If we see a few extra dollars in our bank account at the end of the year we feel as though we might have won that round. However, the government has one final punch to throw to see if it can take us down. While many take it on the chin and get it over with as soon as possible but there are a few of us that duck and weave until we can no longer put it off. For most, more than anyone would care to admit, this final poaching is what takes us down and determines our losses for the year. This is where we find ourselves now… trying to get up before the referee counts to 10. Next year, another round, and more money being sent to the animal house to never be heard from again!

The Extras Are What Get You…

As you know, my days are full of work and other activities which translates to more work. With this schedule occupying most days of the week, sometimes the smallest addition can throw the entire calendar off kilter. What’s worse is when other things are put on my schedule that require me to either work from home or take the day off.

Lately, as you have read, much of this has been caused by issues in the apartment and the attempted wrangling of management and maintenance. While I am not the one that has had to actually fix the problem it has been a constant time suck over the past two and a half weeks with 5 minutes here and 20 minutes there. This of course is on top of the fact that it has put my wife and me in less than pleasant moods.

While it may seem like an odd time of year, taxes are also messing with the little time I have to relax as I have to submit local, state, and federal tax forms all stemming from the work that I do at the lodge. Keep in mind that the forms are not by choice but rather the quarterly schedule is required by each. Can’t wait until the end of the year when there is an additional stack of forms that needs to be filled out. Yay!

However, next week will be the biggest waste of time for the year as I must report for jury duty. Yes, I am most likely have to burn one of my vacation days driving to the court house in Norristown and sit in a room until they realize that they really don’t want me on a jury. This is after burning a little pocket of productive time filling out the questionnaire online this week.

Of course, the last gripe may be moot as I was honest in my responses on said questionnaire and unless their objective is to specifically waste my time and their own I should be dismissed rather quickly and that is if I have to show up at all. I really don’t want to burn a vacation day for this crap! But, for now, next week has a big steaming pile filling up my Thursday and all I can hope for is that the apartment will be done by then so that I am not returning to a three week cluster. One can only hope.

I Hate When Cleaning Leads To Taxes

Every once in a while my wife and I find ourselves in desperate need to do some cleaning around the apartment. With our schedules the way they are and other projects taking priority, things just seem to build up over time until we get to the point that we can’t take it anymore. It is a slow build but one that we see happening and keep planning on taking care of which in itself is a process that can take weeks.

There are also projects that keep getting put off. Mostly they involve reorganizing different areas or shifting things around from one location to another. A prime example is the reconfiguration of our kitchen. When we first moved in we set up a kosher kitchen and kept it that way for well over a year. However, in the early part of last year we decided to adjust our observance level and at that point stopped keeping kosher. Since that time we have been meaning to consolidate some of the utensils and free up some counter space. Today that finally happened.

Later in the evening, after my wife had gone to bed for the night, I shifted my focus to the office. Paperwork of any kind is tedious but especially when it is a matter of organization. I first went through the existing files and pulled out all of the items that made me say “why the heck is this getting saved” and threw it into the overflowing shred box tucked under my desk against the wall. I guess I am going to have to make another trip to Staples in the near future.

Once I was able to consolidate and sort the overabundance of papers in the filing cabinet I was finally able to focus on the piles that had taken over my desk. This is when I came to the realization that most of the papers were either paid bills or magazines. While the magazines have been consolidated into a single stack the bills were a little bit more involved. Some went into a miscellaneous bills folder but the vast majority ended up in the dreaded tax folders.

Yes, I said folders. Plural. If there is ever a reason to hate this time of year it is for the simple, yet complex, reason of pulling together all of your documents, receipts, and forms and filing your taxes. While I closely watch, track, and itemize every year I have never gotten a significant amount back. In fact, last year, I owed an amount of money which didn’t make sense whatsoever… during a financially red year the government still wanted more… more of what we didn’t have. We managed, barely, to pay the bill and now we have to go through the same process again.

Just like cleaning and organizing, taxes seem like a zero sum game but we all eventually end up having to deal with it. I can already tell that this is going to be a long first part of the year. Maybe after April I will be able to breathe… but I think that is going to depend on the financial outcome on in the middle of that month. I guess we will just have to wait and see.  

Lincoln Stood Proud With His Party

Wednesday (yes, I'm late with this writeup) was another Commonwealth Club day but it was a little different this time around. It was nice walking into the room sure of myself and, for the first time since I joined, happy with my job. That factor really does permeate your life. If you doing like going to work it is going to be had to flick the switch when you go somewhere else.

And I will tell you it is a really good thing that I enjoy where I’m working again because I brought my new boss as my guest to the luncheon in the Lincoln Room at the Union League in Philadelphia. Can’t say that there were a lot of people at my previous PR firm that would have joined me in fact I can think of a couple who would have probably been standing outside with something written on a piece of poster board. But that is the past I am determined to enjoy the present and look forward to the future.

This is why I was particularly interested to hear State Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi speak. In the midst of the shutdown what is happening on the state level is made more difficult and some of the important items are overlooked by the same people it would impact the most including the state budget. There are many other items that are being discussed that the people of this commonwealth should be taking note of. Pay attention to what is happening on the local level, that is where the immediate impact is going to come from.

We are in a good financial state where new jobs are streaming in. Believe me, I know what it’s like to not feel that is the case but the commonwealth’s job growth is indeed a reality. Fiscal responsibility on the state level is what has minimized the impact of the shutdown and will allow for a solvent state beyond the capabilities of many.

After a very nice lunch and some wonderful words from the guest and hosts alike, it was time to get up and mingle. It was time to circle up with acquaintances which are slowly becoming friends and to introduce my guest to those I have gotten to know this past year. As in the past, everyone has proven to be genuine and friendly regardless of the position, occupation, race, gender, activism, etc of the person with whom they were speaking. It really was a lunch spent in the city.

Now I will simply wait for the next meeting which should be a more convenient night meeting. I am curious to find out who the guest speaker will be as well as hear the recap of the elections which are approaching fast and will surely be before the next meeting. Until then I will continue to yell at the radio, shake my head at the television, and berate the newspaper.

Time To Get Out Of The Kitchen

Sometimes the most interesting things you come across in a museum are not what you see but what you read. The titles and descriptions that summarize exhibits say a lot about both the period being presented and the time when the exhibit/museum was constructed or overhauled. This was the case last weekend when my wife and I visited the State Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

As we turned the corner we came across various household items demonstrating the progression of technology and convenience that the industrial revolution brought about at first and what electricity accelerated. It was quite an interesting exhibit with many items that we had seen and some that we were experiencing for the first time. However, what struck us as a little outdated was the title, in big bold capital letters, at the top of one of the dividers:

“MACHINES BEGIN TO FREE THE HOUSEWIFE’S TIME”

Of all the items in the museum, this simple slogan seemed to be the mostly antiquated as it said nothing to elaborate upon the overall convenience that technology has brought into homes for the entire family. It was indeed gender specific and one that wasn’t offensive it was just plain odd as it demonstrated the age not of the artifacts but of the museum itself. It was like stepping inside H.G. Wells’ mind after he took a hit of acid; it kind of made sense but at the same time you were disoriented and wondering where you were and what year it was.

In addition to the vernacular of decades past, the evolution of the commonwealth seemed to come to a screeching halt sometime in the 1980’s. I half expected to see a DeLorean parked out in front of the building as we left. It really was kind of sad that the museum had been left to a time done by neglected by technology and without pride in one’s commonwealth. No wonder I don’t ever recall having taken a school trip to see the history of our state.

Given the needed strictures placed on our economy maybe it is time to explore other options as a way to maintain these facilities. I don’t know what specifically needs to be done but I know that something should be done. I say all this without a thought through solution in mind but with the hope that we can rejuvenate this and other facilities throughout the state so that our history is not forgotten for when the keystone crumbles the rest of the structure will surely follow.

Give Your State Capitol A Chance!

For our last overnight trip of the summer we decided to go to visit the capitol of our commonwealth (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania). I can’t remember the last time I was in the city and there were a couple of things that piqued our interest namely the state museum and the state archives. So with those two things on the agenda we made the two hour drive to the seat of Commonwealth politics.

Fortunately, our drive was uneventful and we made great time getting to the hotel. The Crowne Plaza was packed on Friday night and it took a little bit of weaving through the lobby to check in but once we got up there things went smoothly and we were on our way to the room. When we walking into the lobby we noticed immediately that it seemed a little dated but it was well maintained and clean so it really wasn’t an issue and when we got to the room we were downright amused. Opening the door we were immediately transported back to the mid 80’s which led me to give the establishment its new nickname, the “Back to the Future” hotel.

We didn’t stay in the room long before we were back out the door as I had arranged for a quick meeting a few blocks away. It only took us about 10 minutes to make our way to State Street and while Samantha was simply humoring me, I enjoyed the very quick tour of the State Republican Headquarters located a block away from the capitol building. After about 15-20 minutes we were out the door and on our way again. This time we headed to a more recent addition to our agenda that we came across the previous week when we picked up some brochures at one of the many rest stops we have visited over the last few months, The Midtown Scholar Bookstore, a new and used book store on North Third Street.

While my wife was unable to find any books that she wanted to pick up, I was able to find a few volumes that I know I will be using in the near future both as free reading and for genealogy research. I picked up a couple of Samuel Hazo poetry collections, my favorite poet, and a collection of Civil War naval correspondences both of which I am looking forward to reading. We did eventually find a book for my wife – it wasn’t Wizard of Oz but it was by Baum. A pretty good, and inexpensive, haul.

Books in hand and camera at the ready, we decided to walk across to the Susquehanna River and walk along the bank back to the hotel.

The streets and paths were beginning to quiet down…

…the bridges seemed almost void of cars…

… and the paddle boat set sail for a final lap along the coast (as you may recall we took a different paddle boat cruise on the Susquehanna River during our trip to Williamsport).

It was a perfect evening for walking…

…as the summer heat had faded to something that felt more like late September rather than early August…

 

…the breeze was swaying the trees along the river’s edge…

…and the sun highlighted both the water and the sky with yellow and orange hues.  

That was our evening entertainment as we made our way down the winding coastal path. As we turned back in toward the reenergized city center the quiet of the river dissolved into the distance. Soon we found ourselves back at the hotel and after a not so quick dinner we headed off to bed to rest up for the next day.

The following morning we got off to a nice easy start by going down to the lobby for breakfast before heading over to the misnamed State Museum of Pennsylvania located across the street from the capitol building. After checking out and leaving our luggage at the front desk, we made our way out the front door and over to Third Street. This is when we discovered that Harrisburg turns into a ghost town on the weekend which was a bit eerie but it made for a pleasant stroll and the freedom to stop and take pictures every once in a while without getting run into by other people.

When you enter the museum you are immediately greeted by a large statue of William Penn…

…with a mural wrapped around his shoulders on the second floor landing.

After paying the admission fee we climbed up to the third floor (of three exhibit floors) and started making our way down. The first series of showcases focused on the natural aspects of the land such as topography, geology, and the wildlife that was and is part of the commonwealth. For us, this is not of much interest so we made our way rather quickly from one end to the other and took the escalator down to the second level where we spent much more time going from one display to the next.

Beginning with the Indian tribes that lived in this land we walked through full sized models of dwellings and cases of artifacts collected and excavated from various parts of the state. One interesting example of bead work clearly demonstrates the modern day bastardization of what once had a completely different meaning and definition. What was once used by tribes to represent a wandering clan (Hopi)or as a symbol for a whirling log (a sacred image used in healing rituals by the Navajo) is now associated with one of the greatest forces of evil that this world has ever known.

Moving forward in time, the exhibits shifted into a more modern era as different modes of transportation were on full display ranging from the classic Conestoga wagon…

…to Andrew Carnegie’s opulent coach…

…with its plush interior and ornate details…

…to an electric powered ice truck.

And, of course, there was a rather large room set aside to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. I will limit the details as this was the central topic to my previous travel post and, because flash photography was prohibited, many of the pictures did not fare well in the poorly lit room. So I will simply leave you with another picture of a cannon which greeted us as we passed through the threshold and into the unique collection.

Having one more stop to make in the day we sped things up a bit and made our way down to the ground floor and into the art gallery (no pictures) and through the colonial street recreation which was a very dark night type scene.

This led us back to the entrance and after a quick walk through the gift shop we made our way next door. Overall, the museum is a decent overview but is in dire need of an overhaul both in content and concept as many research developments have been made and public interests have changed since 1972.  

The rest of our afternoon was spent at the State Archives with the purpose of both familiarizing ourselves with archive work and attempting to do some genealogical research. While we feel much more comfortable with the process and have a better understanding of the time it takes to sift through the panels, pages, and files of records we didn’t find much in the way of family documents. We will be making some local county trips in the near future to further our research.

With a few photocopies in hand it was time to head back to the hotel, pick up our bags and our car, and go home. It wasn’t the best trip we’ve been on and it certainly wasn’t the worst. And just like many other destinations we have been to over the year, it may not have been the most beautiful place to go but it had its moments.