Maryland Delegate Reveals His Hopes for Gun Confiscation

COLUMBIA, MD, February 10, 2013 (Press-News.org) In a December 21, 2012 email, Maryland State Delegate Frank Turner wrote a constituent that "There will be many bills in January to address the problems stated above. The real challenge is how to collect the thousands of assault weapons already in circulation..."

The email became public during a hearing in Howard County Maryland on February 7th as the constituent who received the email testified. At first, Turner claimed that the statement was taken out of context, but when the constituent offered to read the entire email to the gathering, Delegate Turner admitted that he had indeed written the email.

"The national message surrounding gun legislation has been 'don't worry, we don't want to take away your guns," said Matthew Levine, a Howard County resident. "But clearly, the agenda is exactly the opposite. The agenda is a gradual chipping away at the Second Amendment to eventually arrive at gun confiscation."

Delegate Turner's email mirrors a 1995 interview that Senator Dianne Feinstein did with 60 minutes in which she famously stated "If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States, for an outright ban, picking up [every gun]... Mr. and Mrs. America, turn 'em all in."

Maryland has become the latest battleground in gun control legislation. In January, Governor Martin O'Malley introduced the most sweeping piece of anti-gun legislation in the country. On Wednesday, February 6th, almost 4,000 people packed a square in Annapolis to protest SB 281 and its companion bill HB 294. After the rally, the protesters marched to the Senate building where the legislation was to be heard by the Judiciary Committee. At one point, people were stopped from entering the building because it had reached capacity. Various gun advocates braved a chilly wind, standing in line as much as four hours to sign a sheet saying they were against the various pieces of legislation.

"It is disturbing," said Levine. "We have representatives who arbitrarily decide which of the Constitutional Amendments they will or will not uphold. That's not what our Founder's envisioned."

Below is the full text of the December 21st email sent by Delegate Turner.

From: "Turner, Frank Delegate" Frank.Turner@house.state.md.us
Date: December 21, 2012, 11:07:05 AM EST
To: (email address removed)
Subject: Gun issues..........................
Thank you for contacting me concerning possible legislation to help control the proliferation of gun violence.

As you may be aware, I have supported a ban on the sales of assault weapons and large capacity magazines and for instant background checks on all gun sales and for a ban on carrying concealed weapons.

There will be many bills in January to address the problems stated above. The real challenge is how to collect the thousands of assault weapons already in circulation and the need to add more state and federal funding to mental health issues.

I appreciate hearing your comments and concerns surrounding these many difficult issues that need to be addressed.

Best wishes,
Frank
Delegate Frank S. Turner
House Ways and Means Committee
Chairman, Finance Resources Subcommittee
District 13 - Howard County
Room 206, HOB
410-841-3246/301-858-3246

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