Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Best Decision I've Ever Made - Affirmed!

I had occasion yesterday to add some evidence to the best decision I have ever made, in fact, WAS, the best decision I have ever made!
That decision was made 12 years ago - and that decision was to pull my roots all up and move from the only place I have ever lived and the place I had lived for 49 years, and MOVE TO MONTANA!
The vehicle that brought the additional evidence of my good decision to me was a local (state) television program that informs Montana residents regarding the synopsis of the weeks legislative action on the state level!
Most of the program dealt with a proposed new law that would impose upon all Montana residents a whole new batch of GUN RIGHTS!
The law passed the 100 member legislative body by a vote of 58 to 42!
I was not aware of all the additional gun rights that this bill included until I saw this program.
Some of them stunned me!
And I am not stunned easily!
Of these many new rights proposed (and now passed) one stands particularly out and above the rest - and IT illustrates better than anything ONE of my main motivations for moving away from (out of!) Washington state!
This new right EXPANDS the right of any Montanan to carry his or her chosen gun IN FULL VIEW on their person not just in rural Montana (as is now the law!) but with the passage of this bill said Montanans can carry their favorite arm exposed and on their person inside ALL city limits!
One of the 42 democrats that argued against this law (and shortly thereafter voted against it!) quoted in literature FROM the National Rifle Association - "Montanans right now ENJOY the most Second Amendment friendly state laws in ANY of the United States and by virtue of that ranking then also IN THE WORLD" even without this new law!
She went on to state that this expansion of gun rights and her opposition to it would jeopardize her previous and present "B" and sometimes "A" ratings from the NRA!
A pro-legislation Republican member of the state legislature countered her hesitancy with the new bill by saying the last time the state legislature passed laws affirming the citizens right to keep and bear arms there were dire predictions - and in fact since then the opposite has occurred, including diminished crime rates, lower murder rate and etc!
There were tears in my eyes when the 50 Republicans and the 50 Democrats (coincidental split of this body by the way!) voted 58 to 42 for the bills passage! I even marveled at the even handed coverage of this news event as represented by the TV special!
In my previous life I seldon if ever saw any of that even handedness when it came to news coverage of proposed Second Amendment legislation!
I came from a city in which it was not unusual to have 5 bank robberies in a week!
Since I moved to this town (which has 5 banks and one credit union that I know of!) in SW Montana I have learned the last bank robbery here was 108 years ago!
And that "bank robber" was unsuccessful because his horse slipped on some ice at the beginning of his escape and the horse broke its leg!
The bank robber was taken into custody by a couple of armed citizens thereupon!
Back to the TV program - it went on and on about the citizens new and re-affirmed rights under this bill - I won't bore you with all the details, but will say this, if you like guns and you enjoy your gun rights then you should move to Montana!
And I am NOT saying that lightly - I know exactly how hard it was to uproot two school children aged 12 and 11 and take them to a strange state and a strange city and how big a step it was to bring along a city girl wife who had never lived anywhere but in Seattle, Washington herself, and I know what a huge step it is to move away from the bosom of ones family and friends and caring workmates!
But now after 11 full years I say this with even more conviction than I have in the past - moving to Montana was THE BEST DECISION I have ever made in my life!
Period!
SO take this advice or leave it - but I feel I must honestly express it to you all - pack up and move here to Montana!
You ONLY live ONCE!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
NRA Benefactor Life Member

Whats the llama population like?

I liked your post, but I want to rip the exclamation point of of your keyboard.

Whats the chance this passes the other chamber and is signed into law?

Always good to hear from someone happy with past decisions.
Good for MONTANA!
We do Ok next to you here in Idaho, hopefully we will follow Montana's lead.
Now if the rest of us would take a lesson from Wyoming's not caving in to the feds over this wolf thing,,,,,

Pretty good right now, I'm thinking of guiding some extreme Llama hunting adventures this fall


Odds of the gun rights bill becoming law are pretty good, since the elected officials in MT are heavily stacked in favor of gun rights.

Glad you are happy with your decision, where did you move from?

I'm surprised that there is a 50-50 split in Montana.

Barkoff: Our "democrat" state representatives are a far cry from the "democrats" I learned to curse out in Washington state!
They are a "different breed" entirely!
Indeed our democratic Governor got the endorsement of the NRA and an "A" rating when he ran for office!
Exclamation points added for emphasis!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

What rights do you have now that were not covered by the second amendment!

g

We left Washington in early 1997, after living under their socialist rule for far too many years. We had also intended to settle down in Montana but we were going so fast, getting away from Washington, we were almost in South Dakota before we could whoa up.

We're still here and even tough we don't really like the seven and eight month winters, it sure beats the constant pressure of oppressive taxation and erosion of freedoms along the Wet Coast.

There's law pending in Montana legislature right now that basically says if you live in Montana and are a resident of Montana, purchase a gun made in Montana, ammo made in Montana you do not have to comply with any federal gun law nor do the businesses. The law say that it supersedes federal law because it is in compliance with Montana Constitution.

The purpose of this law is thwart any new gun laws coming out of Washington. Even though Montana is a Democrat state, there is a real move to exert state sovereginity.

As private individuals we cannot stand up very long against the Feds but states can. Sage Brush rebellion anyone?

Well here's one for you. Our state constitution says if you commit a state felony as a resident of Montana and compile with all of Montana's requirements as to punishment, when you are set free you can own a firearm again. Even the US Attorney says there is nothing the Feds can do about that.

The US Constitution ranks pretty high as far as laws are concerned. <grin> It surprises me that Montana Constitution can over turn the US Constitution.

"a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

This little gem, short and sweet, appears to touch all the bases.

g

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That's the way it should be -once you've paid your debt to soceity you're good to go..

One less than it used to be.

Now wait just one minute! I have two llamas and I am about as far to the right as one can get. The llamas guard the sheep and chickens. They will gladly stomp a coyote to mush just for fun. We have not lost even one lamb and the only chickens we have lost have been out of the fence where the llamas live. We have a coyote freeway less than 50 yards from our livestock. Plus, the llamas were free. Not all llama owners are liberals.

Priceless!!!!!




Yer' just cracking me up lately W4B.........



Casey

Problem is......lamas don't fare too well with cougars--and a lion will wade through a herd of sheep to taste a lama........


Casey

LLamafahma's, many of them I've come across frequently in Montana. What a great way to ranch, with llamas. I love them animals..
Just another wonderful offering of Montana. I'm glad that Montana has gotten sensible with open carry.

Is Montana going to institute a militia connected state armory for manufacture of firearms?

Are there any arms manufacturers in the state?

Sounds great actually...

llama farming,must be a Montana thang.Don't laugh we have emu and alligator farmers.