CITIZENS
for
Limited Taxation
Post Office Box 408     Peabody, Massachusetts   01960     (508) 384-0100
E-Mail:  cltg@cltg.org       Web-page:  http://cltg.org

CLT Update
Wednesday, March 10, 1999

"Having received Intelligence, that a Quantity of Ammunition, Provision, Artillery, Tents and small Arms, have been collected at Concord, for the Avowed Purpose of raising and supporting Rebellion against His Majesty, you will March with the Corps of Grenadiers and Light Infantry, put under your Command, with the utmost expedition and Secrecy to Concord, where you will seize and destroy all Artillery, Ammunition, Provisions, Tents, Small Arms, and all Military Stores whatever."

Orders of General Thomas Gage
to "Lieut. Coll. Francis Smith,
10th Regiment Foot"
April 14, 1775

"In the ranks of the minute men and militia nearly every town that was present took casualties: Framingham, Newton, Beverly, Cambridge, Westford, Watertown, Salem, Danvers, Medford, Roxbury, Concord, Needham, Lynn, Dedham, and Menotomy. Twenty-eight provincials were killed, at least ten were wounded, and three captured."

The Minute Men - The First Fight:
Myths & Realities of the American Revolution
By Gen. John R. Galvin

"(The bill's) passage means we can continue to honor the leading role Massachusetts played in the fight for democracy, when ordinary people took part in extraordinary events that changed the face of world history."

State Sen. Susan Fargo, D-Lincoln

"The shot heard 'round the world can echo again to remind us of the sacrifices that our forefathers made to give us liberty and democracy,"

State Rep. Jay Kaufman, D-Lexington

Those poor, sorry, historically-challenged pols up in the thin air of Beacon Hill just don't get it. Our independent-minded, freedom-loving forefathers did not revolt against the deprivation of a ban on reenactments or parades by His Majesty -- they revolted against the government's attempt to disarm them!

Disarm them, just like our legislators and governor did to us last year with such fanfare.

But, in the name of "liberty and democracy," they have deigned to restore the Bread-and-Circus reenactments -- even if not our constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear arms that our revolutionary forebears died to retain -- one of the "very extraordinary" things which "changed the face of world history." Changed it at least for a while.

What silly, pathetic excuses we have elected to allegedly represent us.

We may have lost our rights, but fear not: Reenactments reign -- even if we've forgotten or rejected the true reason for the original event.

Chip Ford --

The Concord Journal
March 4, 1999

Legislature approves bill for re-enactments
By Steve LeBlanc
STATEHOUSE BUREAU

BOSTON -- The British are coming after all.

Tuesday both the Massachusetts House and Senate unanimously approved legislation designed to fix a glitch in the state's Assault Weapons Ban which could have unintentionally prevented popular reenactments of Revolutionary War battles, including those fought in Concord and Lexington.

Under a strict reading of the original law, the men and women volunteers who stage the reenactment with 18th and 19th century muskets would be subject to the same gun codes as owners of modern rifles and firearms.

That law requires trigger locks and locked storage bins for all guns.

The new legislation, which is expected to be signed by Gov. Paul Cellucci today, specifically exempts antique and replica guns manufactured before 1899.

A special preamble to the bill guarantees it will become law as soon as Cellucci signs it. Supporters were eager to push the bill forward in time for a planned reenactment of the Boston Massacre on Friday.

State Sen. Susan Fargo, D-Lincoln, sponsored the bill in the Senate. Fargo's district includes Concord and Lexington.

Fargo said the measure is a victory not only for all citizens of the state, but for the thousands of reenactors and tourists expected to convene on the Lexington Green in the year 2000.

"(The bill's) passage means we can continue to honor the leading role Massachusetts played in the fight for democracy, when ordinary people took part in extraordinary events that changed the face of world history," she said.

State Rep. Jay Kaufman, D-Lexington, who backed the proposal in the House, said the bill will help the state preserve its links to the past.

"The shot heard 'round the world can echo again to remind us of the sacrifices that our forefathers made to give us liberty and democracy," Kaufman said.

Critics, including gun activists, said the need for the new bill shows lawmakers were too eager to pass the Assault Weapons Ban in the first place. They said the so-called Musket Bill should prompt legislators to take a second look at the entire law.

In addition to making life easier for the historical reenactors, the bill also allows the state Senate to remove bright orange trigger locks fastened to the two antique muskets in the Senate chamber. The locks will be removed after Cellucci signs the bill into law.

NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

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