LiveFreeAndComply.org

Amidst the Selectmen’s latest firearms foibles, one Tamworth resident shared an experience he had at the town offices in which he described the actions of Anne Abear and Cassandra Pearce – the two secretarial drones in the Selectmen’s office. Easy-going Tamworth resident Bob Abraham stated he was at the town offices, invited behind Anne and Cassandra’s wall of security glass, on personal business. Firearms being a hot topic at the Selectmen’s meeting that day, Anne Abear reportedly inquired multiple times if he was carrying a firearm – he relented that he was. Bob was reportedly asked by Anne multiple times to show his holstered firearm; he stated that he reluctantly obliged and lifted his shirt slightly. Bob stated he was then promptly asked to leave Anne’s office – he complied to the sight and sound of her door being locked and her window shades being drawn shut behind him.

On his way out, Bob stated he heard Cassandra on the phone to Police Chief Dan Poirier to report that “there are people with guns” at the town offices. Turns out there were several other peaceful and responsible folks with firearms at that evening’s Selectmen’s meeting. Local officer Penny Frechette was observed in the hall later in the evening during the firearms discussion at the Selectmen’s meeting – Chief Dan Poirier refused a public records request for the specifics of his department’s call logs and reports for that evening, stating that he “doesn’t think that’s public information”.

Anne and Cassandra may want to ask themselves why they’re so concerned that people would be so mad at their actions that they think they need to be throwing local self-defense-minded gun owners out of their offices fortified with taxpayer funded security glass.

The Tamworth Selectmen voted 2-1 to get rid of their offending employee policy. Tom Abugelis stated that he supports the principle of the policy, but preferred the town not get wrapped up in legal problems sorting this issue out. Willie Farnum skewed the issue from the rights of the dozens of town employees to have the means to defend themselves whilst on town property to some odd perception that town firefighters were going to be operating in a quasi-police role on fire calls. John Roberts reversed course from his previous outlook on the issue, and stated that he “doesn’t think the Board of Selectmen are in a position to decide who does and who doesn’t carry a firearm. I don’t think we can be, and I don’t want to be.” – hat’s off to John for that.

With the stubbornness of an ornery donkey in heat, Selectman Willie Farnum let out one last political gasp after the Selectmen voted to remove the offending policy, declaring that he’d like to formally have added to the town policy that the Selectmen “respectfully request” that town employees not possess firearms at work. Update: Abugelis and Roberts steer clear of more firearms problems, turning down Farnum’s suggestion for a “respectful request” from the Selectmen at their subsequent meeting.

Selectman Tom Abugelis wrapped up the discussion: “I think this is an example of a town operating with openness and responsibility out of care and concern…I’m very proud to work with my two fellow Selectmen because of the degree of thinking and thought and care that they put into every issue. To me, it’s an example of really effective local leadership.” Christ, if this Selectboard in general, and their smarmy response to the firearms issue in particular, is a fine example of “really effective local leadership”, Tamworth is in some real trouble.

Update: The Conway Daily Sun reports on Selectmen’s latest woes resulting from their anti-gun position. The article describes Selectman John Robert’s political career unraveling with residents who support gun rights and oppose government spending, and goes on to refer to Tamworth as “a bastion of uninhibited freedoms in the increasingly regulated Live Free or Die state” (Amen!). LiveFreeAndComply.org is cited as “a self-professed pro-liberty Tamworth site”. The Carroll County Independent also published a follow-up to their previous article below, stating the Tamworth Selectmen said they really, really will stop sitting on their hands on the firearms issue.

Update 2: In a win for liberty in Tamworth, the Selectmen beat a retreat on the firearms issue and removed their policy. Pro-Gun New Hampshire’s website declares “Reason and Law Defeat Prejudice in Tamworth“, describes Selectmen as having the enthusiasm of a “9-year-old going in for a root canal” in removing their employee policy.

The Carroll County Independent today published an article covering the melee over gun rights in Tamworth at the last two Selectmen’s meetings, specifically covering the firefighter’s initial objections, the illegality of the town policy, and the gun-toting town’s folk open-carrying firearms to the last Selectmen’s meeting to show the bureaucrats “that peaceful and responsible gun owners are not a problem”.

As well, the following e-mail from Ossipee Selectman and former NH State Representative Harry Merrow is reportedly making its way around the region:

From: Harry C. Merrow [mailto:{omitted}@myfairpoint.net]
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2009 12:47 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Tamworth Guns

Take a look at the attached web site. What is happening in Tamworth goes against present state law (which I supported) and is clearly illegal. If the town reg. is enforced and/or expanded I will not be able to support or vote for John [Roberts] if he runs for a second term as a State Rep. unless he takes a clear stand against the town reg. on guns. Go to    livefreeandcomply.org

Harry

Tamworth Selectman and New Hampshire State Representative John Roberts was asked tonight to follow up on his previous statement that the Selectmen would publicly review their unlawful and unethical threat to fire town employees who carry firearms for self defense on town property in October when Selectman Abugelis returned to the board. Tonight was the Selectmen’s last meeting for October, with Selectman Tom Abugelis at his third October Selectmen’s get-together in a row. Roberts responded that he really meant that the policy will be reviewed in October of 2010, thus making clear his intentions to side with inaction and against peaceful and responsible gun owners in town. Classy, John.

Update: Selectmen schedule November meeting to discuss, and use that meeting to put it off for another two weeks. When prodded by two members of the public to release their apparently secretive legal brief on their plan of attack with regard to the employee policy, Abugelis stated “maybe”, and Roberts said the board keeps all briefs that their taxpayer funded attorney writes away from public eyes.  Roberts stated that he wants to put the issue behind him…er, next meeting.

5+ 8+ weeks, two five Selectmen’s meetings, and still no removal of Tamworth’s unlawful and unethical written threat to fire employees packing heat, so to speak, for self defense on town property.

Most recently, Selectman Willie Farnum stated that he still thinks the town policy is a legitimate and enforceable rule. When asked if he and the Board of Selectmen were willing and interested in pursuing defending their disarmament of New Hampshire residents through lengthy and expensive legal proceedings at the taxpayer’s expense, Farnum stated he would not be willing to go this route and the matter is apt to “be resolved in favor” of peaceful and responsible gun toting town employees. Farnum continued that had he known it was going to be such a contentious issue, he “probably wouldn’t have put that in there”. Farnum stated, rather vigorously, that the Selectmen have been busy with other matters for the past 5+ 8+ weeks and that’s why they haven’t taken care of the problem yet: busy with urgent government tasks including seizing a woman’s property from her, paying the town’s “welfare director”, and many tax levies to sign off on – give those Selectmen a break, they’ve got a lot on their plate for goodness sake!

Selectman John Roberts did not stick around after the meeting for the discussion, nor has he stated anything further on the matter publicly since his initial comments expounding upon how he views gun owners, who have never caused a problem, as a threat and a liability to the town, and at the subsequent Selectmen’s meeting, stating the matter would be reviewed at some vague point in the future. [Update: John Roberts reportedly stated to a reporter for the Carroll County Independent that the Selectmen would take up the issue again when Tom Abugelis returned back to being a full-time Selectman in October - as of this writing, it's October and Tom Abugelis is back at tonight's Selectmen's meeting] It is our understanding of town politics that folks inclined to vote for Willie Farnum would respond with incredulity as to why anyone, especially town employees, would need a gun at all. However, it would seem that John Roberts would have the most to lose, from a political perspective, by alienating his voters who have a sincere objection to politicians in positions of power and control that see gun owners as a threat and a liability, especially as he is willing to speak out publicly in support of restricting those gun owners in circumstances that he and the town government think they have control over.

What happens if Selectman Farnum, Selectman Roberts, and Police Chief Poirier think they control more than just town employees on town property in the future, as has shown to be the case in other big-government jurisdictions? Would peaceful and responsible gun owners be any less of a threat and a liability in their eyes? This is the crux of the issue, and if the Selectmen and Police Chief are going to hold the view that peaceful and responsible gun owners are a threat and a liability, they ought to at least think twice in the future about acting and speaking out upon these odd views – removing their unlawful employee policy would be a good first step towards showing they understand resident’s objections to their negative view of gun owners.  Dodging the matter Reflecting upon the matter for 5+ 8+ weeks is a politician’s way of handling issues: either stick to your guns, fellows, and publicly state that the unlawful policy will be staying on the books, or bite the bullet, and remove it.

Tamworth Selectmen Willie Farnum and John Roberts chose to keep in place unlawful and unethical firearms restrictions in town at this evening’s Selectman’s meeting, stating that they will be reviewing the town policy at some point in the future and would not be taking any action on the matter at the meeting. Tamworth Police Chief Dan Poirier, an avid participant in last meeting’s denunciation of peaceful and responsible firearms owners, had a conveniently scheduled vacation and was not present.

This is the second meeting in a row that the Selectmen have been given an opportunity to simply say “Oops, that’s an unlawful and unethical policy, let’s fix that”, and to hopefully apologize for their public statements indicating that they view responsible armed folks, who have never caused a problem, as people who are to be treated as a public threat and a liability to the town. Instead, the Selectmen resorted to the only means of governance that they are apparently comfortable with: 1+ hours of discussions closed to the public on the matter, “future discussions”, “forthcoming policy review”, and the like.

For a Selectboard so concerned about some phantom firearms liability that has never actually occurred in town, Selectmen Willie Farnum and John Roberts are sure not in a hurry to resolve their actual liability problems [1] [2] with their unlawful firearms restrictions. For a change, guys, stop inviting lawsuits and causing problems for people who aren’t bothering anyone: simply remove the employee policy.

Following up on: [Town Government: We Don't Like Good People With Guns]

Seeing as the Tamworth Selectmen and Police Chief responded so negatively to mere citizens objecting to their illegal enforcement of unlawful anti-gun regulations in town, prominent state gun rights group Pro-Gun New Hampshire has now joined the fight against Selectmen Willie Farnum and John Roberts along with Police Chief Dan Poirier.

In an excellent letter to the town bureaucrats, CC’ed to the NH Department of Safety and the NH Attorney General’s office, the folks at PGNH remind the Selectmen and Police Chief yet again that their rule prohibiting firearms on town property when carried by town employees is not only unlawful, but that they may personally be held criminally and civilly liable for enforcement of it under RSA 643:1, Official Oppression.

Update: Primary legislative sponsor of RSA 159:26 and former NH state trooper writes to town Selectmen regarding their anti-gun rules.

Hats off to Sam Cohen, Elbert Bicknell, and Atty. Evan Nappen, as well as the rest of the fine people at Pro-Gun New Hampshire, for lending their name, time, and energy to help keep the town bureaucrats at bay on this issue. We’ll see what the Selectmen and Police Chief do at their next meeting – they’re going to be hard pressed to stick to their guns, pun intended, on this one.

Update 2: Tamworth Selectmen remove employee policy, Pro-Gun NH declares “Reason and Law Defeat Prejudice in Tamworth“

Following up on: [Unlawful Firearms Restrictions On The Books In Tamworth].

The volunteer firefighters in town are less than enthusiastic about their firearms rights being suspended whilst being on town property. This would all be a valid discussion if the Town of Tamworth were a private business, who may regulate firearms or anything else on their property as they please, but as a government entity, this position doesn’t apply morally, nor per state law, the latter of which the town government likes to follow some of the time, when it suits them.

The volunteer firefighter’s concern brought to light the clear anti-gun mentality of the town government in Tamworth, of which every hard-working gun-toting good person in Tamworth ought to object to. Below is a bevy of shocking quotes coming out of the most recent Selectmen’s meeting showing utter contempt for firearms possession by peaceful people:

Tamworth Selectman Willie Farnum
“Every time you volunteer, you give up a right…Unfortunately, that’s the way it is.” – Next week, your first amendment rights are on the chopping block. And we’ll just work our way down the list of the Bill of Rights if you’re a really nice person and volunteer a lot.

“If a fireman goes into a situation and he’s got a pistol on his side and decides that I’ve got a pistol on my side and that guy’s in my way and I’m gonna tell him to get out of my way and starts pushing him around and the other guy grabs his pistol, guess who’s going to get sued.” – And if a purple elephant got angry with a flying lemur and prompted the flying lemur’s pet hamster to attack with a gun…guess who’s going to get sued. That’s a bit of a stretch, Willie.

“Our job as Selectmen is to protect the financial interests of this community.” – Might consider reducing spending and lowering taxes a bit then, eh Willie?

“I will not condone firefighters and rescue personnel, unless there is a shown direct cause and reason, why they need to be armed, to be armed while they’re serving the town of Tamworth. If there’s a cause and a reason, let’s address that. If there’s no cause or a reason, they should not have a weapon.” – Apparently Tamworth has now turned into a “may issue” jurisdiction, rather than “shall issue”.

Tamworth Selectman and State Representative John Roberts
“I don’t want them in the station with [their firearm] on, or riding around in the town equipment, the fire trucks or anything, for that matter.” Farnum continues: “Highway equipment, or any equipment. It’s town property.” – And we Selectmen are doing our darndest to keep guns off town property, over which we preside with our infinite wisdom.

“We as the Board of Selectmen are telling them that they are [in violation].” – Alas, the state of New Hampshire begs to differ.

“That weapon could still go off. Even if that body burned, that weapon could go off. We don’t want that to happen, but it could.” – Can’t you just feel the deep concern for the charred remains of the volunteer firefighter?

“If you’re coming down to the station, I would rather you would leave [your firearm] at home.” – We’d really rather you Selectmen stay at home: if you’re not meeting, you’re not getting anything done. And if you’re not getting anything done, good people are getting left alone.

Tamworth Police Chief Dan Poirier
“They have a right to carry a gun, it’s their right. But it’s also a violation of town policy.” – Clearly not much of a right, in Dan’s eyes then, now is it?

“When that weapon discharges…” And yet Dan’s SigSauer made it through the whole meeting without discharging: seems that firearms don’t actually have a mind of their own.

“I’m just giving you my opinion as Police Chief: I don’t want firefighters showing up on scene with a weapon.” – Nice to know the armed representative of our local government has such contempt for peaceful folks being armed.

“There are a lot of your volunteers that, frankly, I would quiver if I saw them carrying a gun.” – This is the most scary quote of the discussion: the Chief of Police has a personal litmus test for firearms possession. Also a pretty offensive statement to the guys and gals volunteering their time.

“I just see it as a huge liability…huuuge liability.” – Ask Dan how many hours of training he and his officers partake in, what rifles they’re issued in their vehicles, and how many training rounds they’re issued every month. Then we can talk about the town’s liability.

Administrative Bureaucrat Cassandra Pearce
“If they’re bringing their firearm in a town building, then they are in violation.” – Thank goodness we’ve got over-paid career bureaucratic secretary Cassandra to keep on top of all the rules.

Hero Of The Meeting, Jim Bowles, Representing The Gun Toting Volunteer Firefighters
“I’m not sure why the town ever adopted [the employee policy prohibiting firearms]. It looks like it came from Massachusetts, if you ask me.”

“Some silly policy that ought not even be in this state; that’s Massachusetts stuff.”

“I think some of the guys will still have a problem giving up their rights, to volunteer.” Farnum: “Every time you volunteer, you give up a right.” Bowles: {sarcasm} “Yeah, thank you, thank you for your time [volunteering].”

Good for you, Jim.

Head’s up to any New Hampshire citizen who receives a paycheck from the town of Tamworth: the Selectmen think that your state-protected firearms rights are subject to their whim.

From the Tamworth town employee’s manual:

Disciplinary action up to and including dismissal may be initiated for reasons which include, but are not limited to, the following…(k) Possession of a firearm on Town property, unless written permission to possess a firearm on Town property has been obtained from the Board of Selectmen.

RSA 159:26, in pertinent part:

…the state of New Hampshire shall have authority and jurisdiction over the sale, purchase, ownership, use, possession, transportation, licensing, permitting, taxation, or other matter pertaining to firearms, firearms components, ammunition, or firearms supplies in the state. Except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, no ordinance or regulation of a political subdivision may regulate the sale, purchase, ownership, use, possession, transportation, licensing, permitting, taxation, or other matter pertaining to firearms, firearms components, ammunition, or firearms supplies in the state.

Update: [Town Government: We Don’t Like Good People With Guns]