Spent a lot of time reading the content on here for a few weeks. Good to find a place to lament our local problems.

 

I lived my whole life in NJ except for my first year out of college when my internship took me full-time to a position in CT. I had their carry permit. I worked in a horrible city (Bridgeport) and without going into details, I am so thankful I had the right to do so there as it kept me safe more than once. I worked closely with over 100 retail stores in bad and good neighborhoods and I saw many young people die in my short time there due to gang violence. Every single storeowner is armed to the teeth (legally and illegally) and some of the stories from these people will make your head spin.

 

CT does it right. A reasonable background check to filter any potential criminals with prints, fees, etc. No bias from some government bureaucrat or police chief who "doesn't like your face" or doesn't think you have a good enough reason to carry: if your record is clean, you get a permit, case closed. And once you have that card, you are free to buy anything and everything you ever want, without limitation, with the ability to carry concealed anywhere in the state. No nonsense restrictions.

 

The job environment was so dangerous I decided enough was enough and took a job back home in NJ, and since then I've lived in a few towns back in the Garden State. After CT, I felt absolutely naked walking or driving around Newark and Paterson without a ccw. It's ridiculous how your mind changes when you know your defenses are incredibly limited. Meanwhile, the same thugs I see walking the streets in these cities are just as illegally armed as the thugs I saw committing crimes in Bridgeport. The only difference between NJ and CT is that the good guys are helpless here , and of course I oblige by following the law (There was an unspoken brotherhood amongst CC people while I was up in CT, you would see guy's pistols printing on their clothes with their CCW at the supermarket with their wives, and you give each other a sort of unintelligible head nod. It's pretty cool). My interactions with police officers in CT were actually pleasant because once they saw you had a CCW permit, they knew you couldn't be some screwball knowing you submitted to all those background checks and hold the license in good standing. Here apparently, you go to jail if you stop at McDonald's on your way to the range...

 

As New Jerseyans, we tolerate a lot of bureaucracy, high taxes, and non-sensical laws. But the one injustice that I am most passionate about, and that I find the most unacceptable, is the notion that free, law-abiding citizens must choose to be a victim in public should they be attacked. I take it back: I'm not passionate...my blood BOILS with anger...thinking there are politicians and celebrities that tell us we are too dumb to be trusted with a CCW, while they roll around with armed State Troopers or armed private security 24/7. The same coward senators and representatives that talk a huge anti-gun game, but who would never in their right mind set foot in one of New Jersey's urban neighborhoods after 10PM without a massive, armed police presence around them. They are the ultimate hypocrites, and it must be transcended that anti-gun activists are pro-death activists. They would rather you die than afforded the ability to defend your life.

 

I loathe the fact that we are classified as a "may issue" state: what a crock. We "may" issue it to you if you are some congressman's son, celebrity, or LEO connection.....which gives the statists the ability to say "see!!! we have CC provisions in NJ!! you can't complain!" I would rather they just call it what it is, no issue, without insulting our intelligence.

 

And so here I am, frustrated with the state of affairs in our state. And since it looks like my professional career will have me staying here for a while, I figured I'd join up with like-minded people to change the state of affairs. Sent out an email to NJ2AS about fighting the May Issue laws in NJ, but never heard back from them. But figured I would start posting here and join this community of fine people with a wealth of great information.

 

If there are any other CC advocacy groups specifically local to NJ, let me know. I know Alan Gura right now is combatting the May Issue policy for Maryland and it looks like they may soon turn the corner on this ridiculous, arbitrary, and discriminatory practice of requiring a "justifiable need" for your right to defend yourself.

Welcome to the forum and back to NJ. NJ2AS http://www.nj2as.com is one group working towards improving the gun laws.

Thank you, I did reach out to them but they never answered me. Perhaps I will try again.

Welcome

Welcome, Luso. If you have any questions about the NJ2AS, feel free to email them - Frank is the president - president (at) nj2as (dot) com

Welcome to the forum from Manahawkin...

Welcome to the forums

Hi, welcome.

 

I also wish they would stop claiming that NJ is a right to carry state. The constant refrain of "Illinois is the only state where people can't carry" irritates me every time someone spews it.

Welcome

Welcome to the forums.

Thanks all for the kind words

 

I agree Malsua

 

We should have journalists (my field, and no one will ever do this) at every HR 822 hearing, and the other two current reciprocity bills circulating whose numbers I can't remember...anyway, we should have journalists following every single senator and congressman who does not support an individual's right to carry, demanding they relieve all firearms from any officer protecting them. If they don't do it, they are hypocrites who believe they are royalty and you are scum. I don't understand how sensible people , especially this modern day entitled "occupy" youth movement that don't latch on to this aspect of rebelling against politicians. All they seem to care about is free stuff. To me, this is where the vitriol should be focused, not at the Donald Trumps and Bill Gates of the world. The same people demanding our new found health care scheme don't seem to get so angry when their politicians insist they don't have to abide by the same terms. The same should hold with firearms.

 

 

Demand the politicians take the same medicine they decree is best for us. I would love to see one bleeding heart congressman go do speeches in Paterson or Camden about all the free goodies they pledge to give out on our dime without one armed police officer to protect their despicable selves. Those cowards would never set foot there again, no matter how many votes it costs them.

CT does it right. A reasonable background check to filter any potential criminals with prints, fees, etc. No bias from some government bureaucrat or police chief who "doesn't like your face" or doesn't think you have a good enough reason to carry: if your record is clean, you get a permit, case closed. And once you have that card, you are free to buy anything and everything you ever want, without limitation, with the ability to carry concealed anywhere in the state. No nonsense restrictions.

 

Wow, all that an 5% income tax... why do I live here again? They got Cannoli up in CT, right?

Welcome to the forums. Great post on the general feeling here amongst forum members and many who have yet to find NJGF. I also find myself occasionally passing through certain "lovely" areas of our fine State and feel I am the only one not armed (thus defenseless) because I follow the law whilst the rest of the populace in those places do not.

Wow, all that an 5% income tax... why do I live here again? They got Cannoli up in CT, right?

 

Yes, I didn't find their laws that bad at all. Granted, there is still a lot of other nonsense wrong with CT that is typical of any northeastern state, but just in terms of firearms, I thought CT was fair. My only gripe is that they are very protective of out-of-staters being able to carry there. I believe they recognize no other states if my memory serves me right.

 

Once I had that card, I could buy any handgun, and rifle, any ammo, no limits, no questions. Carry as you please. I will readily deal with the initial application process if it means they never have the right to bother me or hinder me ever again after that, provided I do not commit a serious crime and remember to renew it every 5 years.

 

CT was a very nice state, Fairfield county has all the glitz and glamour of Bergen county, can still commute to a NYC job, they got casinos, and the northern part is more quaint and country. The only surprising things is how truly horrible Bridgeport and Hartford are when it comes to crime. All the cops I knew in Bridgeport were Marines, they were some of the few ballsy enough to roam those streets

Hello and welcome to the Forums!

 

Welcome to the forum..

Welcome from Cape May County