by John J. Petrolino III
New Jersey – -(Ammoland.com)- Carol Bowne was a Berlin Township woman. A regular, taxpaying citizen, working as a hair stylist. People that knew her described her as being caring and friendly. People that knew her were also worried about her safety.
Bowne was in a relationship that went south with Michael Eitel. When things started to get bad, after breaking them off with Ethel, Bowne had a security system installed at her home. Her worries persisted and she approached the local police department about getting a restraining order, which was filled. Even with a restraining order, harassment by Eitel continued and Bowne approached her local police department regularly seeking help and protection.
That plea went unheard.
Bowne finally decided she needed more protection in her life so she applied for a Permit to Purchase a Pistol. New Jersey law states that a Pistol Permit is to be issued or denied within a 30 day time period. 42 days after applying for a Pistol Permit, Bowne was slaughtered by Michael Eitel in her driveway. The restraining order she applied for, her pleas to the police and her application for a pistol did not protect her while Eitel stabbed her to death. Bowne was never issued her NJ permission slip.
New Jersey employs the Justifiable Need clause in our administrative code. This means the anyone that wishes to get a permit to carry must show there is a “serious and specific threat.” After the Bowne massacre, former Governor Christie, through his executive power made a small and incremental change to this code that a threat could be “serious or specific.” This code change would be enough for women like Carol Bowne to be able to secure a permit to carry in the state. Governor Murphy recently had this change reversed in the name of public safety.
On March 26, 2018 you are scheduled to vote on A2758. This bill is only going to take the code that Christie and Murphy have both changed through executive fiat and make it statutory law.
Not only is this dangerous to women like Carol Bowne, it is also unconstitutional. The Heller decision outlined that a right can not be regulated on a case by case basis. This is the principal of the Cheesman lawsuit that is now in motion.
Vote “NO” on A2758. Further, demand that victims like Bowne, minorities and other people that have serious risks and threats in their lives be given back their rights to keep and bear arms by allowing the issuance of concealed carry permits.
Our laws do need to be overhauled, however, they need to be changed to protect the law abiding citizen and punish the criminal. Not the other way around.
John Petrolino is a US Merchant Marine Officer, writer, author of Decoding Firearms: An Easy to Read Guide on General Gun Safety & Use and NRA certified pistol, rifle and shotgun instructor living under and working to change New Jersey’s draconian and unconstitutional gun laws. You can find him on the web at www.johnpetrolino.com on twitter at @johnpetrolino and on instagram @jpetrolinoiii