Are “Property Use Ordinances” the New Way to Terminate Your Rights?

Take action: Immediately contact the Cabarrus County Commissioners (details below) and ask them to oppose the private property shooting ban proposed for discussion on August 16. Be sure to attend the Public Hearing scheduled for 6:30 pm on Monday, August 16th in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room at the Cabarrus County Government Center, 65 Church Street SE, Concord, NC.

We Need Your Help to Fight the Private Property Shooting Ban!

Two weeks ago, Gun Owners of America learned of Guilford County Democrats’ insidious scheme that uses the mantra of “Gun Safety” to terminate the rights of property owners and focuses on turning law-abiding citizens into criminals using an onerous firearms discharge ordinance.

GOA warned gun owners to unite immediately to STOP this new form of assault on the rights of private property and gun owners, or it would surely snowball across the state.

You responded, and the Guilford County Commissioners received hundreds of emails telling them to put an immediate stop to their plans. Scores of you attended the public hearing, overflowing the Commissioners’ chamber. GOA’s Jordan Stein and I also spoke out condemning the proposal.

The result: Guilford County rescinded action on their ordinance while pleading they never intended to take away the rights of gun owners.

However, this demonstration of resolve has not stopped the assault on property rights and the desire of politicians to prohibit the USE of arms by all except the wealthy few.

Now Cabarrus County Commissioners, who unanimously declared their County a Second Amendment Sanctuary mere months ago, have jumped on the “Discharge Ban” bandwagon.

Their proposed Ordinance will require “set back” requirements of 500 feet making properties of less than 23 acres in size off limits for the discharge of firearms, including defensive handguns. The only exceptions will be for property owners that obtain SIGNED permission slips from the surrounding neighbors. Imagine that. Your neighbors can determine your property rights usage!

Why must this ordinance be fought tooth and nail? Simply put, it and those similar in nature are designed to terminate the rights of property owners and are deviously designed to prevent gun owners from discharging their firearms for training and recreation.

Worse, these Ordinances are inherently discriminatory in nature, as the first groups of people denied their rights are minorities, the young, and those not wealthy enough to acquire the large acreage necessary to comply with the arbitrarily-imposed conditions of compliance.

Why are these conditions of compliance arbitrarily imposed?  Precisely because, by design, they are established to prohibit ALL lawful forms of firearms discharge for training and recreation.

These ordinances set punishing distances of so-called setbacks from occupied structures (in some cases including your own) and/or property lines, and they create a nightmare of conditions to wade through that only those with very large properties can hope to satisfy.

Natural topography and the use of natural and manmade barriers are rarely considered as exceptions for reduction of the “distance from occupied structures” stipulations. These stipulations are often measured in increments of hundreds of yards!

This is effectively a ban on private property shooting for all but the most wealthy.

Gun Owners Must Take Action Again!

First and foremost, attend in person the Public Hearing scheduled for 6:30 pm on Monday, August 16th in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room at the Cabarrus County Government Center, 65 Church Street SE, Concord, NC.  Sign up to speak at the Public Hearing against efforts to impose new restrictions on the lawful discharge of firearms in Cabarrus County.

Next, call the commissioners using the following phone numbers.

Give this message:

Commissioner, I urge you not to impose arbitrary and onerous distance setback conditions that will prohibit the recreational and training use of firearms for all but the wealthiest landowners in Cabarrus County. These 500-foot setbacks will require a minimum acreage of 23 acres or more to comply. Further, the right to use one’s property, regardless of size, ought not be burdened by the requirement to obtain and retain signed ‘permission slips’ from neighbors. The Commission is flirting with a dangerous concept that infringes on both precious property rights and Second Amendment Rights.

Finally, email the Commissioners using these “cut and paste” email addresses:

Steve Morris <[email protected]>

Diane Honeycutt <[email protected]>

Barbara Strang <[email protected]>

Lynn Shue <[email protected]>

Blake Kiger <[email protected]>

Please cut and paste the suggested text below and send to all of your County Commissioners as soon as possible.

Thank you for speaking up and taking action!

Suggested Subject for Letter:

Stop the Private Property Shooting Ban

Suggested Message:

Dear Commissioner:

I cannot comprehend why Cabarrus County would even consider severe limitations on the discharge of firearms on citizens’ privately owned property.  I remind you that this Board, by unanimous resolution, recently declared Cabarrus County to be a Second Amendment Sanctuary. What changed?

I urge you not to impose these arbitrary and onerous distance setback conditions that will prohibit the recreational and training use of firearms for all but the wealthiest landowners in Cabarrus County. These 500-foot setbacks will require a minimum acreage of 23 acres or more to comply. Further, the right to use one’s property, regardless of size, ought not be burdened by the requirement to obtain and retain signed “permission slips” from neighbors.

I will be following this matter via Gun Owners of America Alerts.

Respectfully,

[YOUR NAME]