Concerns about PA Gov. Tom Ridge as Secretary of Homeland Security

Josey1

Concerns about PA Gov. Tom Ridgeas Secretary of Homeland Securityfrom Kim Stolferactivist@sgi.netFirearms Owners Against CrimeAllegheny County Sportsmen's League, Inc. September 25, 2001In light of the recent developments of the President appointing Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge to the newly created Cabinet-level post of the "Office of Homeland Security", we offer the following observations and concerns.We have a deep and alarming fear regarding the appointment of Tom Ridge to this very visible and powerful position in our government. We fear, with Tom Ridge's record on gun rights and civil liberties that he is the wrong man for this job, and we are concerned that our liberties will be in jeopardy.We all need to support the President in these very serious times foisted upon us by the attacks on America with the killing of thousands of American citizens in the destruction of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the heroic actions by passengers who lost their lives on flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania at the hands of the the world wide terrorist movement. However, we believe that he has made a critical mistake in appointing Tom Ridge to this cabinet level position.We must maintain constant vigilance were our liberties are concerned, and it must begin when Tom Ridge takes office. Remember, the words of Benjamin Franklin in 1787, which is etched in a wall next to the steps leading into the Pennsylvania Capitol building, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"If asked, even I could have come up with a better list of Americans that would have been better suited for this job. The novelist Tom Clancy, I believe, has a better understanding of terrorism than Tom Ridge.Keep in mind, in 1994 Tom Ridge was the pivotal vote for the so-called "Assault Weapons" ban while serving as the Congressman from the 21st District in Pennsylvania. In 2004 this ban will expire, and there are those in the Congress who will be all too willing to work to make it permanent. Also, this could be the perfect launching pad for Tom Ridge to replace Dick Cheney as the President's choice for Vice President in 2004. We have known for sometime that Ridge's aides have been leaving and taking jobs in the Bush Administration to prepare the way to Tom Ridge to serve in some capacity. There have been rumors that he would resign before the end of his term for some time now.We have been tracking Tom Ridge's record since he became Governor in 1995. We invite anyone who is interested to read Tom Ridge's record on firearms and civil rights issues as Governor of Pennsylvania by visiting the following web sites.Firearm Owners Against Crime's Analysis of the Ridge Record on Firearms and Rights. http://www.hhi.com/foac/ridge/Ridge_new_982.html Gun Registry Law Suit - ACSL et. al. vs. Tom Ridge http://www.nauticom.net/www/acsl/register/registration.html NRA-ILA Staffers Keep Silent on Gun Legislation?(Ridge's Refusal to fund Compliance Audit on Pennsylvania Instant Check System to protect State Police registry) http://www.nauticom.net/www/acsl/alerts/alert_no_2_SB 1444.htm If anyone has any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.Kim Stolfer(412) 221-3346 Home Phone(412) 257-1099 Home FaxFirearms Owners Against Crime http://www.hhi.com/foac/ Allegheny County Sportsmen's League, Inc. http://www.nauticom.net/www/acsl/ Mike SlavonicLegislative Chairman of the ACSL and Secretary of FOACacsl@nauticom.net (412) 882-9115

Andrew Adams

I'm amazed by this article.Tom Ridge is a man who I've sat and talked to on a number of occasions and consider to be a friend. While he's not as conservative on some issues as I would prefer; he is as ardent a patriot as there is in this country.He graduated from West Point, he served three tours of duty in Vietnam, he served my district nobly in the United States Congress, and he has been an admirable governor.I happen to think that having a single office coordinating the FBI, CIA, DIA, NSA, FAA, and INS anti-terrorism divisions is a good idea. I realize that the black helicopter crowd is opposed to any idea that might strengthen federal law enforcement; but then the black helicopter crowd also spawned Timothy McVeigh.I urge anyone who is opposed to the office of Homeland Security to read John Locke's Two Treatises on the function of government. This document, and the Natural Rights philosophy it lays out, are the major philosophical underpinnings of our constitution. If you read this, you will find out that the proper function of a government is to secure the safety of its citizens; in fact, Mr. Locke saw the protective role of a government as its only reason for existence.In accord with its philosophy, the office of Homeland Security is exactly in concert with the entire philosophical underpinning of our constitution, and I know of no man who I would rather have running it than Tom Ridge.