Winter 2011 The Wisconsin Gun Owner Page 8 Constitutional Carry: Barometer of Change By Corey Graff, Executive Director concept to them — this notion of things. But look at the events that how in places like Vermont, the coalesced from 1865 through 1870 A Publication of Wisconsin Gun Owners, Inc. Winter 2011 Vol. VI No.4 government actually does not step on in the War Between the States — its citizens’ inalienable right to bear un owner “Our first efforts to introduce arms. It was like trying to describe the concept of Constitutional Countdown to Constitutional Carry life on an alien planet — a place Carry fell on deaf ears, but today Democrats flee the state as gun owners set sights on concealed where people are free to carry their Mission carry legislation private property without government our pro-gun message seems To restore and defend the right welcomed — and legislation Gto keep and bear arms through permission slip. More than one on-target strategy, and to hold Madison, Wis. — While the Wisconsin After many years of pushing, elected official exclaimed, “That’ll is being discussed.” accountable all those who legislature debates the budget, gun perceptions begin to budge never happen in Wisconsin!” Others surrender that right owners prepare for their own protests pounded their fists on the table and merely five years — events that through compromise. if movement is not swift to repeal turned red. I’m talking about the brought about massive philosophical Wisconsin’s ban on carrying concealed arack Obama ran his reaction we got from republicans — changes to the political landscape. weapons. presidential campaign on can you imagine the treatment from Wisconsin’s ban on carrying In the wake of the chaos broiling over B the promise of change. But democrats? concealed weapons came on the in Madison, WGO leadership engaged the only change he had to offer was heels of that conflict amidst a in talks with legislators to support from the big government socialism Contempt and Ignorance of the catastrophic sea change in political constitutional (Vermont-style) carry. of neoconservative republicans, to Issues power. That the CCW ban happened Such a bill would not require any permit, the big government socialism of in 1871 was no coincidence — it fees, background check, fingerprinting or democrats. And that’s hardly change Every election cycle, WGO surveys didn’t appear out of thin air. the establishment of criminal databases to write home about. However, candidates for the legislature with Where does that leave us today? to carry a weapon for self-defense. Will Governor Walker support let me tell you a story about real a series of tough questions that go After being fleeced by globalists and Continued Page 2 a repeal of Wisconsin’s ban on change. beneath the usual surface-level centralized bankers, and with our carrying concealed weapons? One maxim steering good political inquiry like, “Do you support financial backs against the wall in strategy is that the extremes concealed carry?” a crumbling economy, the political Wyoming Passes Constitutional Carry determine the middle. Emboldened The first year the survey deployed, “Wisconsin’s time to winds of change are blowing in The Badgers gear up to follow the Cowboys in the fight to restore by our knowledge of this, we we asked specifically about uphold its citizens’ anew, with fresh attitudes about founded WGO (now almost eight Vermont-style concealed carry. Second Amendment the right to self-defense — Page 2 freedom. years ago) and launched onto the That is, does the candidate support rights is now, and there is Our first efforts to introduce the scene with both barrels blazing. citizens going armed without a no reason what-so-ever concept of Constitutional Carry We showed up at the State Capital permit, background check, and that it shouldn’t be in the fell on deaf ears, but today our pro- and immediately earned the ire of mandatory training? Six legislators gun message seems welcomed — form of a Constitutional the institutional gun lobby as we answered yes. Many scribbled notes and legislation is being discussed. Concealed Carry bill.“ proceeded to lobby for Vermont- on the survey indicating they’d never — Bill Cramer Wyoming has just become the fourth style concealed carry — a notion heard of “Vermont-style carry.” See more comments online at state to restore this right. Wisconsin thought frankly to be “too extreme.” How could that be, we wondered? wisconsingunowners.org is next. And that, as they say, is The kicker is, we were doing this Had the establishment gun lobby change you can believe in. Inside while a vote was going down on a completely failed to educate them • Get Ready for Carry Bill really bad permit-to-carry bill. We on this foundational issue? We were Published by • Pratt: CCW By Right got lots of angry looks. We were off making friends left and right. Wisconsin Gun Owners, Inc. • Judge Strikes CCW Ban to a dandy start. PO Box 329 As Providence Turns the Tide Waupaca, WI 54981 • WGO Media Impact The cold welcome continued. tel 888.202.1645 • C4L on Concealed Carry We’d meet with legislators and Eight years of effort isn’t a drop fax 866.208.1346 • High-Cap Mag Ban Alert www.wisconsingunowners.org discuss what was obviously a foreign • ATF Tactical Shotgun Ban in the bucket in the big scheme of Wisconsin Gun Owners, Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)4 tax exempt organization and is a registered lobbying principle with the Wisconsin Ethics Board. Page 2 The Wisconsin Gun Owner Winter 2011 Winter 2011 The Wisconsin Gun Owner Page 7 WGO and Concealed Carry need a license to exercise freedom (WyGO). “The plain and simple Continued from Page 1 of the press and people don’t need truth is when push came to shove, Milwaukee: Judge Rules Concealed Carry Law to undergo background checks to it was your phone calls and emails If you can legally buy the gun, attend the churches of their choice. that pushed this freedom-restoring Unconstitutional you can carry it, said WGO. Likewise, the right to bear arms is bill through the legislature. According to a report in the Feb. 13, few other choices. While a time frame for introduction an inalienable right.” To read more “This legislation marks a fantastic 2011 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “a “Watts’ ruling comes as gun of a bill is expected soon, gun of the story with a link to the full first step toward restoring your right Milwaukee County judge has ruled rights advocates expect the new owners are urged to contact their report, visit wisconsingunowners. to self-defense in Wyoming. Now the state’s ban on concealed weapons Republican-controlled Legislature legislators now and urge them to org. is the time for us to forge ahead and unconstitutional as applied to a man to allow concealed carry in stand united with Wisconsin Gun repeal the numerous criminal safe who had an unloaded, encased gun Wisconsin, one of two states, along Thank You! Owners for constitutional carry. Wyoming Becomes Fourth zones in Wyoming. under his car seat three days after he with Illinois, that ban it entirely. At To all the members who generously Leading this fight with WGO State to Pass Constitutional “Even though the Jennings-Jaggi had been robbed at gunpoint in the least one Wisconsin prosecutor last supported our emergency office equipment upgrade. Thanks to your are Campaign for Liberty, Gun Carry bill has made it possible to carry same area of the city. year declared he would not enforce Owners of America and the a firearm without going through a “In an eight-page decision and the current concealed carry ban in generosity, we were able to secure On Wednesday, March 2, 2011, a new machine, which will allow National Assoc. for Gun Rights. laborious permit process, we are order, Circuit Judge J.D. Watts light of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Wyoming Governor Matt Mead us to increase our effectiveness in Other groups, including the still a long way from being done. agreed that for Jeremy Pinnow to that overturned Chicago’s handgun signed Constitutional Carry into defending our gun rights! United States Concealed “Wyomingites are still exercise his right to bear arms for ban.” Carry Association and not allowed to defend security and self-defense, he had Wisconsin Carry have themselves in their places publicly expressed their of worship, where they support for constitutional teach their children, or carry. And while the NRA even when out to eat with has stated that Vermont their family. That is simply and Alaska will be used wrong. as the “Model” for a “Our Constitution doesn’t carry bill, NRA-ILA State come with a list of places lobbyist Jordan Austin where our rights no longer continues to refuse to apply. That’s why Wyoming answer simple questions Gun Owners’ number one from NRA members priority is eliminating these about the organization’s Left to right is National Association for Gun Rights Executive places where criminals are intent on this issue. Director Dudley Brown, WyGO Director Anthony Bouchard, armed, but the law demands Senator Kit Jennings, Representative Lorraine Quarberg, you to be unarmed.” WGO Media Impact Is your WGO Membership law while saying his office had been current? Renew or join online at WGO lead a recent statewide clogged with emails and phone calls wisconsingunowners.org! media blitz with impact in a story from people demanding he sign by Jim Coller writing for Gannett the Jennings-Jaggi Constitutional media. The story, Proponents hope Carry bill. concealed carry issue finally gains “The anti-gun crowd fought this approval in Wisconsin, ran in the legislation every step of the way,” Appleton Post Crescent, Oshkosh said Anthony Bouchard, Executive Northwestern and online.