September 15, 2008
Matt Simon
There are a lot of gun rights groups in New Hampshire, and most of them are pretty respectable. We have Gun Owners of New Hampshire (GO-NH), Pro-Gun New Hampshire (PGNH), the Second Amendment Sisters (SAS), and even the Pink Pistols (PP).
I may have left a few groups out, there are so many, but the one I intended to leave out is the New Hampshire Firearms Coalition (NHFC). In light of recent events, respectable gun owners should immediately withdraw their support for this organization and hope it folds like a cheese omelet.
In 2007 and 2008, Rep. Jason Bedrick was one of the most consistent and effective spokespersons for liberty in the NH House. He was named 2008 legislator of the year by the NH Liberty Alliance, and he serves on the Board of Advisors for Pro-Gun New Hampshire. Bedrick is a staunch supporter of the individual right to keep and bear arms, and he is exactly the sort of legislator the NHFC’s constituency should be eager to support. However, the NHFC’s primary election voter guide assigned Bedrick an “F” grade.
Why? Because the NHFC clearly doesn’t understand how the legislature works. After Bedrick (along with other pro-gun legislators) filed two bills to protect shooting ranges in NH, he then realized the bills (as drafted by “Legislative Services”) could have unintended consequences. Bedrick and the other pro-gun sponsors withdrew their support, and both bills died. Unfortunately, Bedrick’s response apparently wasn’t good enough for the NHFC, who have since done everything possible to destroy his reputation among gun owners. The full story can be pieced together from open letters posted at the PGNH website.
If the NHFC’s goal was to see a champion of gun rights go down in his primary, they appear to have succeeded. In the 13 seat district composed by the towns of Salem and Windham, Bedrick finished in a tie for 14th with 898 votes, one vote behind the 13th place finisher. Although I doubt very many voters rely entirely on guidance from the NHFC, it is quite likely that Bedrick’s “F” cost him two or more votes Sept. 9.
A recount may save Bedrick, but no set of excuses can save the NHFC from its foolish decision to misrepresent a legislator’s views.