MAAPS AND SAFR-PAC ATTEND AG INAUGURAL BALL
The 5th of January 2007 we attended the Attorney General's Inaugural Party or Ball if you will. There were 8 of us representing our MAAPS (Michigan Automatic Arms Preservation Society) group and 2 representing the SAFR PAC (Shooters Alliance for Firearms Rights Political Action Committee). We're known as the "gun guys" by a few of Cox's staffers whom I've come to know quite well. In other cases we, - at least myself and Chuck Madurski have been known to tell people who ask that "we're the pro-gun lobby - or the gun lobby" - LOL.

I ran into or noticed quite a number of prominent officials other than the AG such as father and son Judges from Macomb both Viviano's, Republican leaders Rusty Hills and Chuck Yobb, Paul Hillegonds to name a few. From our own group prominent Attorneys Kerry Morgan and Dean Greenblatt, Chuck Madurski - writer (Small Arms Review), Bill Poynter aka Dr. Dremel C&R FFL, Matt Poe C2/07 FFL, Peter Kuzma and myself. From Shooters Alliance PAC -  Brad and Pam Benzing.

SILENCER UPDATE
We took a group photo with AG Cox and we approached the AG with various questioning about the silencer opinion of which most of you guys are really interested in. Here's the bottom line from the horses mouth. There are 2 competing silencer opinions of which the technical legal details are being debated by the AG's "Opinion Review Board". Mike is giving his board the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to resolve the issues they may have prior to exercising any executive intervention that might be required to dislodge a final opinion from the board. Mike did not elaborate as to any problems there might be with the opinions as he has freely admitted he's not as familiar with the laws surrounding silencers as he was with the laws regulating machine guns. I expect the silencer opinion does not come up on Mike's radar all the time and is not the most important thing he has to address every day. I can tell you this - Mike understands that we are concerned with getting an outcome. He has heard our inquiry. We are recognized every time we attend one of these functions. Sometimes the wheels of government do move slooowly! I expect we will be waiting for quite some time before we get a result. How long? Who knows?

Other technical considerations are the fact that our State Rep Leon Drolet has moved on due to term limits and is no longer in place to receive an AG opinion. Myself and Kerry have talked about resubmitting the opinion request to both a state rep and a state senator for maximum effect and to assure there's a pipeline to get an opinion back in our hands when it does get decided.

So there you have it - the most up to date information on the silencer opinion and directly from the horse's mouth. I say keep the faith. It took 29 years for somebody to free up transferable machine guns and an AG with the balls to sign such a thing. If it takes us a bit longer to get this taken care of so be it. In the mean time buy more ammo or another MG or AOW while you're waiting.

EXPANDING OUR POLITICAL INFLUENCE
Other things we're thinking about is campaign contributions and how we handle them. Somebody suggested we all write a check and we will collect those checks and present them from our group - or groups as the case may be for donation to the AG's election campaign fund. I think this is important and I think we should do it soon and at least once or twice a year. Continue to become involved and attend the Cox functions and fundraisers, this demonstrates our dedication and support. Got to remember Cox may very well be our next Governor in 4 years! We're talking about forming an alliance with the SAFR-PAC to collect campaign donations for distribution in the next election cycle to pro-gun candidates. A dinner meeting for our group or groups has been suggested. Continued expansion of our MG email base so if you know somebody who's into MG's and you want them included on this list please advise me of their email address. There are things in the works.



From left to right front row: Brad and Pam Benzing (SAFR), Attorney Kerry Morgan, AG Mike Cox and Attorney Dean Greenblatt.

From left to right back row: Matt Poe, Chuck Madurski (SAR), Bill Poynter and Peter Kuzma





This just in from the Metro Times - Boobs Of The Year - Kid Rock's Flops And Other Lows Of 2006. This past weeks Metro Times Jan 3-9, 2007 printed a rehash blurb about the MG opinion as copied and pasted below. I get lumped in with the Kid and other misdeads of 2006. Getting transferables legalized was the high point of my year! I raided a Metro Times news box and have extra copies of the issue if you'd like one! Or go find a Metro Times Box right now!

metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=10028





Wait'll you see the flamethrower-and-swimsuit competition

Here we have an example of government truly working for the interests of the people: Michael Sessa Jr., Harrison Township resident and founder of Gun Owners of Macomb County, asked the state government to look at its 1977 state ruling relegating Michiganders to antique or relic machine guns. Sessa said the ruling was too strict and asked Cox to overturn it. Cox complied. This now meant Sessa could get his hands on machine guns made before the 1986 federal ban on the ownership of newly manufactured versions of the weapons. So why did Sessa originally want a machine gun made after 1977 but before 1986? So he could better compete in the twice-annual Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot contest in Kentucky. But it wasn't just selfish competition that drove him — it was also a deeper sense of duty to his fellow residents. As he told The Macomb Daily, "Now, we'll be able to own slightly newer machine guns." Which is just what the world needs.

Thanks for all your hard work on this, Mike.

Looking forward to finally meeting you the 20th.

I know that you have your own intrest in this Opinion about the Silencers (or at least I think you do) but i Hope you also Know That along with constently chirpping in your ear like baby birds to you about it, we Also appreciate all that you have done to keep us all up to date about it.

Zar

Thanks for all the work you do and for keeping us updated.  As far as the Metro times, theres no self serving agendas to be found in their rag, not ever.

Thanks for the update and all the work you have done.
It`s greatly appreciated!

Well its funny how things go. But I wrote the staff of metro times......


Dear Metro Times Staff,
               
I can say I am disappointed and ashamed of the article written about Mike Sessa and his extremely hard work to help with OUR second ammendment rights. While to you a Legal automatic firearm is of no importance, to some of us collectors and military enthusiasts it is. You battle with your freedom of speech, just like we battle for our 2nd ammendment. Its people like Mike Sessa that stand up for what our forefathers fought and died for and thats our constitutional rights. Which includes YOUR freedom of speech. I guess I am really disappointed that the narrow scope of the small article is slanted towards a total negative aspect, with no fore thought that next in line could very well be total ban of freedom of speech.

While I can guess that this letter will mean nothing as its coming from a firearm enthusiast, but it will be the last time I pick up a metro times for information. Because an article like that printed about the Firearms is not information I believe your qualified to write about. Its articles like this that keeps the idea that guns kill people , not people kill people, alive.

"Which is just what the world needs". That is exactly what the worlds needs, for someone ( Mike Sessa ) to stand up for themselves instead of being told whats right for you and me, by someone that doesnt have our best interests at heart.  I just hope for you and your staff ,that when the time comes to totally censor and ban your freedom of speech, you have a "Mike Sessa" on your side to help you with your battle.

" If guns kill people , can I blame my pencil for mispelled words ?"

Totally Disappointed
Todd M

Well quick response from Metro Times:

"We at Metro Times appreciate that you took the time to share your
thoughts about our recent article. We'd like to put your letter in the
hopper for possible use in the Letters to the Editor column, but we
need:

* Your full name
* A phone number for verification
* Your town or city of residence
* Any institutional or organizational affiliation, if applicable

The place of residence runs with the letter; the phone number is for
internal use only.

Can you e-mail those things back to this address? If it’s easier, call
Michael Jackman, Metro Times copy editor, with the information at
313-202-8043.

Thanks! "


Suprised they even emailed me back.

Good job on the letter!  I too have always believed that Second Amendment is the key amendment because it guarantees the others.  With out the Second the others are just words on paper.  I use point in just about any debate with news people.  I agree to that "Why should I worry about supporting your First Am. rights when you campaign against my Second Am. rights?" agruement is a good one.

Thanks Bustoff... The Natives were getting restless!

Quoted: "Well its" If guns kill people , can I blame my pencil for mispelled words ?" Totally Disappointed Todd M

"Mispelled"

A little play on words inside a great quote!

Thanks for the kudos and support once again guys. Nice letter Todd. Yeah I got a personal stake in this fight for suppressors especially since I bought a Gemtech Viper 45 brand new for a chunk of change that I can't take delivery of so I'm with everybody else.

I'm not up for alienating the AG or anything like that because he hasn't acted fast enough or because we might not think he's totally pro NFA. Like I said it took 29 years to get what we got and we wouldn't have got it without Mike.

We simply must support and build up our pro gun leaders when we find a good one and I think we've found a good one in Mike Cox. So let's build him up. I also continue to advocate we support our pro gun leaders with campaign contributions. What makes the grass grow ladies?

MIKE COX FOR GOVERNOR IN 2010