STATEMENT AT THE PUBLIC HEARING
OF THE PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY HOUSE DELEGATION
REGARDING BILL No. MC/PG 123-01 PROHIBITION OF
GUN SHOWS

By Robert Culver, Co-Chairman
Montgomery Citizens for a Safer Maryland (MCSM)

Delegation, Mr. Chairman and members:

My name is Robert Culver, a resident and voting citizen of Maryland. I am a current Co-Chairman of the citizen group Montgomery Citizens for a Safer Maryland (MCSM). MCSM comprises several hundred participating individuals, primarily from the central part of Maryland, in Montgomery and Prince Georges counties, and additional members from neighboring areas. MCSM members gather to discuss issues they find important concerning individual safety and self defense. As a consequence, that discussion involves all issues relating to firearms.

We meet on regular monthly evenings at the Wheaton American Legion Post. Our members participate in additional area activities which enhance the general public understanding of, and participation in, events which may affect their safety. These activities range from testimony before local and state legislature, to community outreach programs conducted at events like neighborhood clean-up events, community festivals and county fairs. A primary activity includes MCSM staff presentation of educational and political action information at numerous gun-shows in the area.

A brief description of the MCSM volunteer activities at area gun shows will be beneficial.

One primary task is the education of parents, youths and children in the safe appreciation and use of firearms. For families with young children we provide an introduction and source on further information for the Eddie Eagle Child Safety Program. This award winning program has been conducted at schools and other venues nation wide, for over a decade, and has taught millions of young children a simple firearm safety message; If a firearm is found, "Stop, Don’t Touch. Leave the area, Tell an adult."

Adults who seek additional education are provided information by the MCSM staff on local places to practice firearm skills and also obtain professional instruction.

MCSM members at the gun shows provide a repository of information files, documents and personal experience to answer the questions of show visitors and to direct them to other information resources. We tend to focus on timely topics which have included items from gun locks to legislation. At recent community fairs and shows I have personally educated visitors on training and various firearm locks. I have provided a lock, free of charge, to anyone who requested one while also explaining proper use and accompanying problems. The lessons taught by this process is that education and personal responsibility, relating to dealing with firearms, is the safety step which is always available. It is not like a lock that may be lost, broken or improperly installed.

MCSM provides timely information regarding law and pending legislation. An example of this is the legislation in the proposed Bill No. MC/PG 123-01; The M-NCPPC Prohibition of Gun Shows. At recent shows, many attendees visited the MCSM information table where they examined and signed petitions expressing their, "Support for the continuation of gun shows...". A copy set of those petitions is included with this testimony. The petitions number 248 pages with 2,263 individual signatures and addresses. Those signing the petitions represent citizens from around the central Maryland area, outlying counties and even other states.

From these activities at the various public venues, particularly gun shows, it is evident that MCSM, and similar organizations, exercise First Amendment rights of free speech, the right of peaceable assembly and particularly the right of the people to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Gun shows provide a unique environment for our First Amendment activities. There are no other venues where such a firearm interested segment of society would tend to gather. Clearly schools and other public education venues are already prohibited, as it would be impossible to exhibit and trade in the firearms necessary to attract the firearm owners for the related safety training and discussions.

Firearms and their owners have been seriously stigmatized over the past years, so much so that there is no possible public venue where non-firearm activities take place and where firearm owners would also feel comfortable introducing any aspect of firearms. They have been driven to the necessity of meeting only with like minded individuals within their limited sphere of interest. Like people interested in crafts, art, home making, computers, automobiles, and etc., they congregate with individuals of like interest to promote their area of interest.

Removing the gun show venue will thereby eliminate the assembly, discussion and actions that firearm owners undertake within the meaning of the First Amendment. Furthermore, without any other viable or efficient alternative venue, those First Amendment activities will be totally and permanently eliminated.

In conclusion, MCSM states that the various gun shows around the country, particularly those at public venues in Maryland, provide citizens with the ability to gather for the above stated First Amendment purposes. I and MCSM urge the Delegation and M-NCPPC to take no action that might infringe these activities. MCSM offers that a prior restraint or censoring of such activities will constitute an infringement of Constitutionally stated Rights and will meet with substantial objection from the citizens.

Respectfully Submitted,
Montgomery Citizens for a Safer Maryland
____________________________
Robert Culver, Co-Chairman
December 11, 2000