Here is an email I sent out today to all who have signed the Oklahoma petition for Open Carry,
and who made their email address visible to me (most did not).
If you agree, please act on this and share with others.
Thanks!
email follows ...
SUBJECT: Urge Governor Henry to sign the open carry bill!
You're receiving this email because you support the Petition for Open Carry in Oklahoma at http://www.petitiononline.com/oc4ok/petition.html.
Governor Henry appears to be wavering on whether to sign HB 3354 which would legalize open carry for those holding the Oklahoma license to conceal a handgun. See
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=16&articleid=20100508_16_A15_OKLAHO467687
The Governor has been told that YOU, one of over 11,000 Oklahoma citizens who have signed the open carry petition, might present some sort of danger to our state law enforcement officers if you take your jacket off while lawfully carrying a properly holstered handgun.
This hypothesis has no basis in fact - 43 states allow open carry, most without any need for a license, and no state has experienced threats to police officers by open carriers. In fact, all rank and file police officers in the field know that the true threat to them comes from criminals concealing guns.
Your IMMEDIATE action is need to help persuade Governor Henry to do the right thing and sign HB 3354 - URGENT - we literally only have hours or days to make this happen!
ACTION ITEM: Call AND email Governor Henry TODAY and let him know we want this bill signed!
1. SUGGESTED PHONE MESSAGE - call (405) 521-2342 TODAY and leave a BRIEF voice mail or message with staff - example: "Governor Henry, Please sign HB 3354 to make Oklahoma the 44th state to allow open carry. My name is ____ and I live in ____ here in Oklahoma. Thank you."
2. SUGGESTED EMAIL MESSAGE - go to http://www.ok.gov/governor/message.php TODAY and fill in your contact info.
Suggested Topic: Please sign Please sign HB 3354 to make Oklahoma the 44th state to allow open carry
Suggested message:
Dear Governor Henry:
Please sign HB 3354 to make Oklahoma the 44th state to allow open carry!
Open carry is a valuable individual right and has not endangered police officers in the 44 states that allow it, including in America's great cities, from Atlanta, to Richmond, to Pittsburgh, to Toledo, to Seattle, and beyond.
In fact, police officers in Georgia have recently reported that open carry deterred a violent armed robbery. See http://www.examiner.com/x-5619-Atla...8-Open-carry-deters-armed-robbery-in-Kennesaw
Moreover, rank and file Oklahoma police officers in the field already know what a recent FBI study concluded - that even in open carry states, violent criminals always CONCEAL their guns and don't ever wear holsters. See Anthony Pinizzotto, et al., Violent Encounters: A Study of Felonious Assaults on Our Nation's Law Enforcement Officers, FBI (2006) (finding that violent criminals carefully "conceal" their guns and "eschew holsters"), summarized at http://www.forcesciencenews.com/home/detail.html?serial=62.
As you know, in most states, no permit is required to open carry at age 18, see maps at http://www.opencarry.org/opencarry.html & http://www.opencarry.org/age.html, and this usually includes both US citizens and legal resident aliens alike.
But even after you sign HB 3354, Oklahoma will continue to have some of the most strict handgun carry controls in the United States because the bill only legalizes open carry for persons who are (1) US citizens, (2) over 21 years of age, and, (3) also already holding the Oklahoma Conceal Carry Permit. These are the same trustworthy Oklahomans carrying handguns in public throughout Oklahoma every day.
Over 11,000 Oklahomans have signed the open carry petition. I join them in urging you to sign HB 3354.
This issue is very important to me and many other people. Please let me know what you are going to do.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
and who made their email address visible to me (most did not).
If you agree, please act on this and share with others.
Thanks!
email follows ...
SUBJECT: Urge Governor Henry to sign the open carry bill!
You're receiving this email because you support the Petition for Open Carry in Oklahoma at http://www.petitiononline.com/oc4ok/petition.html.
Governor Henry appears to be wavering on whether to sign HB 3354 which would legalize open carry for those holding the Oklahoma license to conceal a handgun. See
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=16&articleid=20100508_16_A15_OKLAHO467687
The Governor has been told that YOU, one of over 11,000 Oklahoma citizens who have signed the open carry petition, might present some sort of danger to our state law enforcement officers if you take your jacket off while lawfully carrying a properly holstered handgun.
This hypothesis has no basis in fact - 43 states allow open carry, most without any need for a license, and no state has experienced threats to police officers by open carriers. In fact, all rank and file police officers in the field know that the true threat to them comes from criminals concealing guns.
Your IMMEDIATE action is need to help persuade Governor Henry to do the right thing and sign HB 3354 - URGENT - we literally only have hours or days to make this happen!
ACTION ITEM: Call AND email Governor Henry TODAY and let him know we want this bill signed!
1. SUGGESTED PHONE MESSAGE - call (405) 521-2342 TODAY and leave a BRIEF voice mail or message with staff - example: "Governor Henry, Please sign HB 3354 to make Oklahoma the 44th state to allow open carry. My name is ____ and I live in ____ here in Oklahoma. Thank you."
2. SUGGESTED EMAIL MESSAGE - go to http://www.ok.gov/governor/message.php TODAY and fill in your contact info.
Suggested Topic: Please sign Please sign HB 3354 to make Oklahoma the 44th state to allow open carry
Suggested message:
Dear Governor Henry:
Please sign HB 3354 to make Oklahoma the 44th state to allow open carry!
Open carry is a valuable individual right and has not endangered police officers in the 44 states that allow it, including in America's great cities, from Atlanta, to Richmond, to Pittsburgh, to Toledo, to Seattle, and beyond.
In fact, police officers in Georgia have recently reported that open carry deterred a violent armed robbery. See http://www.examiner.com/x-5619-Atla...8-Open-carry-deters-armed-robbery-in-Kennesaw
Moreover, rank and file Oklahoma police officers in the field already know what a recent FBI study concluded - that even in open carry states, violent criminals always CONCEAL their guns and don't ever wear holsters. See Anthony Pinizzotto, et al., Violent Encounters: A Study of Felonious Assaults on Our Nation's Law Enforcement Officers, FBI (2006) (finding that violent criminals carefully "conceal" their guns and "eschew holsters"), summarized at http://www.forcesciencenews.com/home/detail.html?serial=62.
As you know, in most states, no permit is required to open carry at age 18, see maps at http://www.opencarry.org/opencarry.html & http://www.opencarry.org/age.html, and this usually includes both US citizens and legal resident aliens alike.
But even after you sign HB 3354, Oklahoma will continue to have some of the most strict handgun carry controls in the United States because the bill only legalizes open carry for persons who are (1) US citizens, (2) over 21 years of age, and, (3) also already holding the Oklahoma Conceal Carry Permit. These are the same trustworthy Oklahomans carrying handguns in public throughout Oklahoma every day.
Over 11,000 Oklahomans have signed the open carry petition. I join them in urging you to sign HB 3354.
This issue is very important to me and many other people. Please let me know what you are going to do.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
