aj45acp
Regular Member
Hello everyone,
My name is Tony, I live in Hammond, WI. I am a Wisconsin Carry & an ICarry member. I open carry whenever I can and I also carry in Minnesota as I have a Minnesota Carry Permit.
I would like to have a cook out at my home to show the people in Hammond that law abiding citizens that carry firearms are not the enemy.
This is the short version of course:
Last December I applied for a Federal Firearms License to run a retail sales business from my home because I love firearms and I thought why not make some extra money doing something I love? So I filled out the F.F.L. application, paid the $200 fee, got finger printed, took my picture and sent it in. After the sixty day background check had been completed by the ATF, I received a phone call from an ATF agent by the name of Matt Peterson. He called to set up an appointment to come to my house to discuss the federal laws of selling firearms and to instruct me on proper book keeping for firearms sales. Well, in our phone conversation Matt asked me if I had checked into and was following all local and state laws regarding firearms sales. I told him that I had already called the state and a couple local gunsmiths and that there were no laws or regulations required by the state and that I was in the process of contacting the Village Of Hammond.
I contacted the Village Of Hammond and I was told at first that there would be no problem and that there were no restrictions with running a business from my home. A few days later a received a call from Kelly at the Village and she told me that she had talked with the Village attorney and that he said that I would have to fill out a conditional use permit because I was going to run a retail sales business from my home. There was a $150 non refundable permit fee and that the Village would have to post a notice in the paper that there would be a public hearing to discuss my business model and idea.
At the first public hearing about a half dozen of my neighbors showed and they could not wait to get up and talk about their opposition to my business. They didn't want to hear any information about what or why I wanted to have a business they were just dead set against it, period! They made claims that they were concerned for their children's safety because of the "extra traffic" my business would bring into the neighborhood, "how would we regulate the traffic and the speeding?" Concerns about where people would park, concerns about "ALL" of the firearms that would be in the neighborhood and "ALL" of the firearms that would be in my home. Concerns about if my home was broke into and my inventory stolen that their children would all be shot by the people who had stolen the inventory and the neighborhood turned into a war zone. Concerns about how their property values would decrease and how they would have to purchase additional home owners insurance because of liability issues because of my business. Statements like "I would not have bought my house if I knew you were selling guns from your house." & "My kids get off the bus at 3:30 and will be playing in the middle of the street by the time you open for business at 5."
Needless to say, the meeting did not go well. I was attacked with full opposing forces both personally and professionally. I was even accused of illegal activity. The board did not vote either way on my permit and this contuned for six months. The last board meeting was held May 9th and within about two minutes of announcing my name, the board voted no in granting me my permit solely based on the petition that was made by all of the people living in the development where I live. My neighbors had no facts or evidence to back up their claims or concerns and my business was shot down.
I found out about two weeks after the very first hearing from a retired neighbor who gets loose lipped when he has a couple that the only reason why ALL of my neighbors were against my business was because I openly carry a firearm. In his words, "When they all saw you walking around the neighborhood and mowing your lawn with your gun on your hip, they were pissed! So they banded together to prevent you from having your business." He even went so far as to tell me that I'm a minority living in this neighborhood and that someone like me shouldn't be living here because I'm single, no kids, older and everyone else is younger and married and has kids. Yeah.
So, I would like to have a cook out to show them that firearms and the law abiding people who own and carry them are NOT bad people. We are just the same as they are. We have families and husbands and wives and children and boyfriends and girlfriends (I don't have a girlfriend....yet) and we go to work just like they do. So join me in support of our Constitutional rights.
I have a gas grill to cook up whatever you bring. Bring your own beverages and perhaps snacks to share. Bring chairs to sit on and of course your firearms. Open carry is welcome but not required.
Thanks for you time.
Tony
My name is Tony, I live in Hammond, WI. I am a Wisconsin Carry & an ICarry member. I open carry whenever I can and I also carry in Minnesota as I have a Minnesota Carry Permit.
I would like to have a cook out at my home to show the people in Hammond that law abiding citizens that carry firearms are not the enemy.
This is the short version of course:
Last December I applied for a Federal Firearms License to run a retail sales business from my home because I love firearms and I thought why not make some extra money doing something I love? So I filled out the F.F.L. application, paid the $200 fee, got finger printed, took my picture and sent it in. After the sixty day background check had been completed by the ATF, I received a phone call from an ATF agent by the name of Matt Peterson. He called to set up an appointment to come to my house to discuss the federal laws of selling firearms and to instruct me on proper book keeping for firearms sales. Well, in our phone conversation Matt asked me if I had checked into and was following all local and state laws regarding firearms sales. I told him that I had already called the state and a couple local gunsmiths and that there were no laws or regulations required by the state and that I was in the process of contacting the Village Of Hammond.
I contacted the Village Of Hammond and I was told at first that there would be no problem and that there were no restrictions with running a business from my home. A few days later a received a call from Kelly at the Village and she told me that she had talked with the Village attorney and that he said that I would have to fill out a conditional use permit because I was going to run a retail sales business from my home. There was a $150 non refundable permit fee and that the Village would have to post a notice in the paper that there would be a public hearing to discuss my business model and idea.
At the first public hearing about a half dozen of my neighbors showed and they could not wait to get up and talk about their opposition to my business. They didn't want to hear any information about what or why I wanted to have a business they were just dead set against it, period! They made claims that they were concerned for their children's safety because of the "extra traffic" my business would bring into the neighborhood, "how would we regulate the traffic and the speeding?" Concerns about where people would park, concerns about "ALL" of the firearms that would be in the neighborhood and "ALL" of the firearms that would be in my home. Concerns about if my home was broke into and my inventory stolen that their children would all be shot by the people who had stolen the inventory and the neighborhood turned into a war zone. Concerns about how their property values would decrease and how they would have to purchase additional home owners insurance because of liability issues because of my business. Statements like "I would not have bought my house if I knew you were selling guns from your house." & "My kids get off the bus at 3:30 and will be playing in the middle of the street by the time you open for business at 5."
Needless to say, the meeting did not go well. I was attacked with full opposing forces both personally and professionally. I was even accused of illegal activity. The board did not vote either way on my permit and this contuned for six months. The last board meeting was held May 9th and within about two minutes of announcing my name, the board voted no in granting me my permit solely based on the petition that was made by all of the people living in the development where I live. My neighbors had no facts or evidence to back up their claims or concerns and my business was shot down.
I found out about two weeks after the very first hearing from a retired neighbor who gets loose lipped when he has a couple that the only reason why ALL of my neighbors were against my business was because I openly carry a firearm. In his words, "When they all saw you walking around the neighborhood and mowing your lawn with your gun on your hip, they were pissed! So they banded together to prevent you from having your business." He even went so far as to tell me that I'm a minority living in this neighborhood and that someone like me shouldn't be living here because I'm single, no kids, older and everyone else is younger and married and has kids. Yeah.
So, I would like to have a cook out to show them that firearms and the law abiding people who own and carry them are NOT bad people. We are just the same as they are. We have families and husbands and wives and children and boyfriends and girlfriends (I don't have a girlfriend....yet) and we go to work just like they do. So join me in support of our Constitutional rights.
I have a gas grill to cook up whatever you bring. Bring your own beverages and perhaps snacks to share. Bring chairs to sit on and of course your firearms. Open carry is welcome but not required.
Thanks for you time.
Tony