LEARN THE TRUTH – DON’T BE FOOLED!
Protecting What Matters:
The Civil Rights Coalition needs you to join us and Vote NO. It’s time to Protect Your Rights!
We are parents, workers, neighbors, and friends who care deeply about our communities. But the recently enacted H4885, An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws, now called Chapter 135, unfairly targets law-abiding citizens while failing to address the root causes of violence that harm us all.
Massachusetts voters face a tough reality: under our Constitution, laws can’t be fixed piece by piece. It’s all or nothing. This means that if we don’t take action, H4885/Chapter 135 will remain on the books, with all its harmful consequences. It’s a poorly written law that doesn’t have a single sentence dealing with Violent Crime.
This sweeping law, passed under the pretense of modernization, puts everyday people in impossible situations:
- No Increased Jail Times: There are ZERO-line items that increase prison time for Crimes committed with Guns.
- Plea Bargaining Gun Charges are still allowed. District Attorneys have zero restrictions on plea bargaining out Gun Offenses, which are often the first charges dropped by DA’s.
- Prohibits Non-Resident Junior Hunting. How does that stop violent crime?
- Approximately 21,000 Law Abiding Residents have now been retroactively declared Felons. Previously, to own a semi-automatic shotgun or rifle for duck hunting, required a Firearms ID Card. As of October 2, 2024, those people now need a License to Carry.
- Mandatory firearm registration—even for family heirlooms or antique hunting equipment.
- Bans on legally owned magazines, penalizing responsible citizens for items they’ve legally owned for decades.
- Overcomplicated licensing processes, with limited access to live-fire ranges for training.
- Extensive, Intrusive tracking databases, targeting lawful citizens while failing to address violent crime.
- Chemical Defense Sprays need a Firearm License. Why make young women defenseless against attacks?
Why This Affects Us All
This effort isn’t just about firearms—it’s about fairness and freedom. Imagine being told how you can speak, where you can worship, or who you can gather with. This law sets a dangerous precedent for government overreach, making it harder for law-abiding people to exercise their rights.
As Toby Leary, Chairman of The Civil Rights Coalition, says:
“We can’t fix a law that’s fundamentally flawed. H4885 isn’t about safety—it’s about control. And we must stand together to repeal it in its entirety.”
Real People, Real Impacts
This law unfairly targets people like you—neighbors, parents, and working families:
- A father and his teenage son, visiting from a neighboring state to go hunting, now face the possibility of fines or worse.
- Families in urban areas, already struggling financially, now face expensive fees and barriers to legally protect themselves.
- Two teenage girls who bought a two-pack of self-defense spray could end up in jail—for trying to stay safe.
These are not criminals. They’re ordinary people trying to live their lives without government interference.
The Bigger Picture
Massachusetts is facing real challenges—violence, addiction, and repeated crime devastate families and communities. But H4885 doesn’t solve these issues. Instead:
- 10 times more people die from opioid overdoses than from firearms in our state.
- Almost 2x as many people die from rope and strangling then from firearms.
- Legally owned firearms, used in Crimes, are extremely rare. Hammers are responsible for more deaths.
- Violent criminals are released on low bail and often reoffend, while the law burdens everyday people with complex regulations.
- Prosecutors drop gun charges during plea bargains, allowing repeat offenders to walk free.
- We allow Criminal Illegal Aliens into our State as a “Sanctuary” State, with no registration, no background checks, give them taxpayer EBT Cards… and then when they commit violent offenses, even with illegally obtained guns, release them back into the communities. This is Insanity!
Does this sound like a fair solution? We think Massachusetts deserves better.
Why Repeal Matters
Because the Massachusetts Constitution requires us to repeal the entire law, we have no other choice. H4885 is fundamentally flawed. It penalizes responsible residents while failing to address the real issues that lead to violence. Repealing it sends a clear message: laws that hurt everyday people won’t be tolerated.
A Call for Fairness and Common Sense
This isn’t about politics. It’s about protecting the freedoms we all value—freedom to live safely, to protect our families, and to be treated fairly. H4885 punishes responsible citizens instead of addressing the real problems.
We’re asking you to join us in saying NO to this harmful law and YES to meaningful solutions that keep our communities safe.
What You Can Do
Let’s come together as one community to ensure fairness for all. Join us today to protect your rights, your family, and your neighbors. Together, we can work toward real solutions and build a safer, fairer Massachusetts for everyone.