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John Willett

NJ SAFE Conference 2017

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Hi guys!  Registration for NJ SAFE 2017 opened up earlier this month.  Tickets are $20.  You can sign up here! The Conference is being held at the Princeton Marriott at Forrestal on September 23rd. It's a great looking venue and probably the most functional space that we will have used to date. I am very proud of the lineup of speakers we are putting together. Many of our favorites from last year will be returning, including Cam Edwards of Cam & Co. on NRATV! He'll be joined by Evan Nappen, Anthony Colandro, Scott Bach and Daniel Schmutter. Also, we have some new speakers who will be joining us, like Jef Henninger. We have more speakers in the hopper that we'll be announcing as we get closer to the event.

In addition to the conference we have a line up of great training courses available on September 22nd. They include Firearms and Mental Health taught by Evan Nappen and Dr. Gianni Pirelli, Utah CCW presented by ROC Training, and NJ Self Defense/Citizen Use of Force presented by Justifiable Force Training.  

If you want to learn more, visit us at NJSafeCon.net

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A+++++++ dude!

3 minutes ago, John Willett said:

Hi guys!  Registration for NJ SAFE 2017 opened up earlier this month.  Tickets are $20.  You can sign up here!  The Conference is being held at the Princeton Marriott at Forrestal on September 23rd.  It's a great looking venue and probably the most functional space that we will have used to date.  I am very proud of the lineup of speakers we are putting together.  Many of our favorites from last year will be returning, including Cam Edwards of Cam & Co. on NRATV!  He'll be joined by Evan Nappen, Anthony Colandro, Scott Bach and Daniel Schmutter.  Also, we have some new speakers who will be joining us, like Jef Henninger.  We have more speakers in the hopper that we'll be announcing as we get closer to the event.

In addition to the conference we have a line up of great training courses available on September 22nd.  They include Firearms and Mental Health taught by Evan Nappen and Dr. Gianni Pirelli, Utah CCW presented by ROC Training, and NJ Self Defense/Citizen Use of Force presented by Justifiable Force Training.  

If you want to learn more, visit us at NJSafeCon.net

 

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I signed up for this not long ago... umm... 20 bucks? Why not? I'll be interested to hear what the line-up of speakers have to say. Besides, it's healthy to get AWAY from the keyboard on occasion! :D

(And honestly, I'm just posting this to give the thread a little "bump" - I'm sure the organizers/sponsors are working hard to pull this event together - but this thread is getting buried on here - it should be a little more visible, I think).

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I'll be there for the third year in a row.  Virtually anyone that matters as far as 2A goes will be there.  If I don't see ya before this event, stop at our booth to say hello!

http://www.cnjfo.com 

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On 8/17/2017 at 4:08 PM, Mrs. Peel said:

I signed up for this not long ago... umm... 20 bucks? Why not? I'll be interested to hear what the line-up of speakers have to say. Besides, it's healthy to get AWAY from the keyboard on occasion! :D

(And honestly, I'm just posting this to give the thread a little "bump" - I'm sure the organizers/sponsors are working hard to pull this event together - but this thread is getting buried on here - it should be a little more visible, I think).

Thanks!  Glad to have you on board!  I do my best not to be spammy :)  We are a little over thirty days away, so I think you might be hearing more from us as everything firms up with speaker schedule, etc.  

On 8/17/2017 at 9:57 PM, Smokin .50 said:

I'll be there for the third year in a row.  Virtually anyone that matters as far as 2A goes will be there.  If I don't see ya before this event, stop at our booth to say hello!

http://www.cnjfo.com 

And we are glad to have you man!  I am really excited for this year as we are breaking out to have more non-firearms industry businesses and organizations wanting to participate.  We have printing companies, not to mention mechanical and construction contractors, as sponsors and cigar shops exhibiting.  Should be a lot of fun.

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Seems that I managed to get my dad and brother to sign up. :B:): Neither are gun owners, but are anything but antis. I think in most other states they'd own, but I'm hoping this will spur them both on to  finally go get their FIDs. 

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As per usual in NJ we eat our own.

 

We couldn't have a gathering without calling out the groups not in attendance and complaining about what's been done of late by them.

 

We have the same goals. Why can't we focus on doing something together.

 

 

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2 hours ago, leadunderpressure said:

As per usual in NJ we eat our own.

We couldn't have a gathering without calling out the groups not in attendance and complaining about what's been done of late by them.

We have the same goals. Why can't we focus on doing something together.

 

Granted, I probably haven't been around these issues as long as you... but I really didn't see it that way! If you're referring to that one criticism offered by Scott Bach (which sounded as though it may have some legitimacy BTW)... well, he was answering a very specific, pointed question by someone in the audience. If he really believes that the actions of another 2A group made a situation MORE difficult --- for a prospective range owner --- he has the right to state that opinion. (I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he's offered that criticism privately in the past and been ignored). Besides, that was maybe TWO negative minutes out of a multi-hour conference during which speakers where overwhelmingly cooperative and in lockstep. 

 

4 hours ago, Darrenf said:

The diversity panel was fantastic.

I agree. And SMART too! Gotta pull in new faces from all communities.

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I completely agree that the majority of the conference was excellent. It was just sad that we spend the entire time saying how we need to stand together to defeat Phil Murphy and then we attack our own.

I'm satisfied as to the explanation given by Scott as to why he felt it was the wrong play and why the NRA wasnt getting involved but I couldn't help but notice how many of the presented "facts" were presented in a way to make a party who wasn't there and unable to respond look bad. 

Overall, a great array of people showed up for 2A education. That's awesome and I hope that this continues to grow.

Probably the highlight of the day was the "New Germany" Freudian slip made by one of the speakers. I think everyone had a good laugh.

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As expected it was an excellent conference. Very lively discussions.

The attorney presentations were great (Daniel Schmutter could have passionately talked for hours - and was fascinating).

Anthony was even well behaved.

The diversity panel was very interesting (I have to buy a Black Guns Matter orange sweatshirt like Maj was wearing).

NJSP FIrearm Unit DSG Bloom (and NRA Life Member) was back to answer questions.

And as Scott mentioned those NRA-ILA emails we send do have a large impact so everyone should be doing it.

And of course Loretta got her boos and hisses at the mere mention of her name!

Next year we need more people to turn out for this event! Come on guys and gals, it is just one day per year.

A big thanks to John for putting on the event (and you did great speaking to the group).

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This was my first time at NJ SAFE, and overall I thought it was good (thanks John!). I can't speak for my brother or father, but there's a good chance I'll attend next year's event (assuming there will be one, of course). 

Some breakdown of each main section:

  • The NRA Marksmanship program will give me something new to do at the range. I'm not sure why I didn't already know about this, but I guess I can't know everything.
  • It was great to hear from DSG Bloom and how they are working to improve the FID/P2P system. It would be wonderful if they can eliminate or minimize the township/barracks involvement with an online system. It might actually be less of a pain!
  • The community building discussion panel was interesting, but I wish there was a bit more of it. As much as I liked hearing everyone's intros, some took quite a bit longer than others and it didn't leave enough time to hear from the panel.
  • Facing threats to our freedom, property, and identity was okay. It started off good with April's section, but after that it kind of felt like commercials. Of course, when you figure how much an event like this costs to put on vs entry fees, we should expect some of that. Admittedly though, I was getting hungry at this point, so my opinion may have been skewed by constantly wondering "what's for lunch?". :lol:
  • Hearing from NRA lobbyist Darin Goens was good. It's nice to know that my emails to our legislature actually do something. Maybe the NRA/ANJRPC should periodically have us send mass emails to the legislature and shut down their server to remind them we exist?
  • It sounded like Schmutter could have gone on for quite some time. This was good for me, as someone who wants carry, but might have been over a newer person's head. I could sense my brother and father kind of getting antsy.
  • The election discussion panel was interesting, but quickly devolved into putting Scott on the stand about the Ramsey range. While I can see how people would side with NJ2AS on this issue (they are making headlines and "getting stuff done"), Scott's answer left me with the impression that NRA and ANJRPC are playing chess, while NJ2AS is playing checkers. Also, it was a little awkward having the Libertarian candidate there, when we all know our best chance to stop Murphy, like it or not, is with Kim.
  • I enjoyed Cam's keynote. Admittedly, Virginia is/was one of the places I have been looking to relocate to, and now I'm questioning whether it should be on the short list or not. :o 
  • Evan Nappen is pretty much always great, and he didn't disappoint.

 

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It was a good conference again overall and John did a great job as always.  The Libertarian candidate was awkward on the election panel  I kind of felt the conference could have been compacted a bit since I got there at 9AM not knowing the agenda so there was a bit of free time.  Solid move bringing a cigar vendor in so I got to smoke a few while enjoying the sunshine.  But, it would have been nice to get out earlier and enjoy the weather.

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BTW, no one commented on this one aspect... the NJSP firearms unit rep, DSG Bloom, was quite open about saying that if you're denied for concealed carry due to inadequate "justifiable need" (your threat is deemed not bad enough, etc.) - it does NOT count against you if you try again at a later date. In fact, he was ENCOURAGING people to do just that. I think that's pretty eye-popping, don't you?

I know @Smokin .50 has mentioned that idea before - getting a LARGE mass of people to apply for concealed carry all at once. Of course, the overwhelming majority would get denied... revealing the TRUE nature of NJ's scheme... and showing that justifiable need is merely a ruse to deny 2A rights to ordinary citizens who don't have political connections. With DSG Bloom's statement (on tape, no less!) - where's the risk? Maybe the time is drawing near to do that exact plan...??  I would imagine the best strategy would be to get one of the 2A groups to pledge their legal support in advance and to have a class action lawsuit all drawn up and ready-to-go once the inevitable denials have rolled in. 

Just an observation!

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BTW, no one commented on this one aspect... the NJSP firearms unit rep, DSG Bloom, was quite open about saying that if you're denied for concealed carry due to inadequate "justifiable need" (your threat is deemed not bad enough, etc.) - it does NOT count against you if you try again at a later date. In fact, he was ENCOURAGING people to do just that. I think that's pretty eye-popping, don't you?
I know [mention=3464]Smokin .50[/mention] has mentioned that idea before - getting a LARGE mass of people to apply for concealed carry all at once. Of course, the overwhelming majority would get denied... revealing the TRUE nature of NJ's scheme... and showing that justifiable need is merely a ruse to deny 2A rights to ordinary citizens who don't have political connections. With DSG Bloom's statement (on tape, no less!) - where's the risk? Maybe the time is drawing near to do that exact plan...??  I would imagine the best strategy would be to get one of the 2A groups to pledge their legal support in advance and to have a class action lawsuit all drawn up and ready-to-go once the inevitable denials have rolled in. 
Just an observation!

I like it. Let me know when to start filing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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22 hours ago, leadunderpressure said:

As per usual in NJ we eat our own.

 

We couldn't have a gathering without calling out the groups not in attendance and complaining about what's been done of late by them.

 

We have the same goals. Why can't we focus on doing something together.

 

 

An article was published attacking two of our speakers and their respective organizations by name, and insinuating collusion with another who is widely assumed to be another of our speakers (basically gossip dressed up as scandal).  There were a couple of folks with questions that prompted a response to those attacks, which out of context might have felt like attacks themselves.  The decision for me in allowing the question to open the door was in terms of "do we address it and then move on or do we ignore it and allow it to fester without reply?"  I chose the former.  

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Thanks for the full review!

Quote

Facing threats to our freedom, property, and identity was okay. It started off good with April's section, but after that it kind of felt like commercials. Of course, when you figure how much an event like this costs to put on vs entry fees, we should expect some of that. Admittedly though, I was getting hungry at this point, so my opinion may have been skewed by constantly wondering "what's for lunch?". :lol:

Completely valid criticism.  I would like to be clear that no one can pay to be on stage. I did offer that the first year, and did not like the results.  I make all decisions about content based on my interest and what I think would be valuable for the folks attending.  Some of them were absolutely more "pitchy" than I intended.

Quote

The community building discussion panel was interesting, but I wish there was a bit more of it. As much as I liked hearing everyone's intros, some took quite a bit longer than others and it didn't leave enough time to hear from the panel.

I agree the community panel should have been longer based on our panelists, we had a late addition after the schedule was largely locked in.

Quote

It sounded like Schmutter could have gone on for quite some time. This was good for me, as someone who wants carry, but might have been over a newer person's head. I could sense my brother and father kind of getting antsy.

I try to ensure that there is content that is stimulating for folks with different levels of interest or expertise.

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An article was published attacking two of our speakers and their respective organizations by name, and insinuating collusion with another who is widely assumed to be another of our speakers (basically gossip dressed up as scandal).  There were a couple of folks with questions that prompted a response to those attacks, which out of context might have felt like attacks themselves.  The decision for me in allowing the question to open the door was in terms of "do we address it and then move on or do we ignore it and allow it to fester without reply?"  I chose the former.  
I'm very glad it got addressed. Thank you for allowing that to get brought to the open forum. I wish the actual people involved could have responded as well.

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1 hour ago, Mrs. Peel said:

BTW, no one commented on this one aspect... the NJSP firearms unit rep, DSG Bloom, was quite open about saying that if you're denied for concealed carry due to inadequate "justifiable need" (your threat is deemed not bad enough, etc.) - it does NOT count against you if you try again at a later date. In fact, he was ENCOURAGING people to do just that. I think that's pretty eye-popping, don't you?

I know @Smokin .50 has mentioned that idea before - getting a LARGE mass of people to apply for concealed carry all at once. Of course, the overwhelming majority would get denied... revealing the TRUE nature of NJ's scheme... and showing that justifiable need is merely a ruse to deny 2A rights to ordinary citizens who don't have political connections. With DSG Bloom's statement (on tape, no less!) - where's the risk? Maybe the time is drawing near to do that exact plan...??  I would imagine the best strategy would be to get one of the 2A groups to pledge their legal support in advance and to have a class action lawsuit all drawn up and ready-to-go once the inevitable denials have rolled in. 

Just an observation!

I can't believe I glossed over that! Having a bunch of people apply and get denied may be just what we need to expose it for what it is. I guess my mind is conditioned to "no carry in NJ". :blush:

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One thing to keep in mind as pointed out by DSG Bloom is that if you are denied the permit then forever after you have to answer YES on the application for a FPID/P2P for the question:

(27) Have you ever had a firearms purchaser identification card, permit to purchase a handgun, permit to carry a handgun or any other firearms license or application refused or revoked in New Jersey or any other state? If yes, explain

Failure to answer YES can bar you in the future.

Currently this is how the scheme works but who knows what Loretta and Murphy come up with in the future.

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On 9/24/2017 at 3:39 PM, leadunderpressure said:
On 9/24/2017 at 3:08 PM, John Willett said:
An article was published attacking two of our speakers and their respective organizations by name, and insinuating collusion with another who is widely assumed to be another of our speakers (basically gossip dressed up as scandal).  There were a couple of folks with questions that prompted a response to those attacks, which out of context might have felt like attacks themselves.  The decision for me in allowing the question to open the door was in terms of "do we address it and then move on or do we ignore it and allow it to fester without reply?"  I chose the former.  

I'm very glad it got addressed. Thank you for allowing that to get brought to the open forum. I wish the actual people involved could have responded as well.

Of course!  Part of our mission is about bringing members of the community together. It certainly would have made for more of an exchange. 

Those that lobbed those bombs have been invited numerous times over the years. However, they clearly indicated that they would need to have the conference operate "under" their "banner" to "protect their brand".   The conference is specifically not owned by any group so that all groups might be encouraged to participate.

Their lack of participation has been their choice, no one else's.

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Sorry I'm a bit late to the party on replying.

I attended until about 1pm with a friend (I had a bachelor party to attend to, which did involve a range trip). 

The panels were of mixed quality, of what I saw. The best ones I attended were the NJ State Police rep and the community building panel. I thought both were too short. The identity theft protection one was real bad, boring, and was quite a bit of a sales pitch. I wish I could have stayed longer to see some of the other speakers later in the day.

I attended last year's as well, and thought the talks were on average better. I remember them being longer and more detailed. 

If I can, I'll be attending next year as well. I'd love for there to be fewer talks, focusing on the higher quality ones. 

Thanks, @John Willett for putting this on!

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34 minutes ago, Cecil Harvey said:

Sorry I'm a bit late to the party on replying.

I attended until about 1pm with a friend (I had a bachelor party to attend to, which did involve a range trip). 

The panels were of mixed quality, of what I saw. The best ones I attended were the NJ State Police rep and the community building panel. I thought both were too short. The identity theft protection one was real bad, boring, and was quite a bit of a sales pitch. I wish I could have stayed longer to see some of the other speakers later in the day.

I attended last year's as well, and thought the talks were on average better. I remember them being longer and more detailed. 

If I can, I'll be attending next year as well. I'd love for there to be fewer talks, focusing on the higher quality ones. 

Thanks, @John Willett for putting this on!

Thanks for the feedback.  It's very much appreciated.  Glad to hear you were able to hit the range too that day!

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