The people of this country have shown they are fed up, they’ve had enough of politicians’ lies and deceitful ways. But never has a NH politician shown just how bad it is before Senator David Pierce entered the competition to become the nation’s worst offender.
Senate Bill 336 is a piece of legislation written to end nearly 100 years of discriminatory practices over who can and cannot wear a coat or a blouse over a pistol or revolver. While it is already legal in NH to carry a firearm that everyone can see, if it’s cold or if a lady prefers to hide her accessory, she needs permission, she needs to be found “suitable” by her local authority, typically the police chief.
But here’s the rub: for nearly 100 years, the definition of “suitable” has been in eye of the beholder and the hands of those who holds the power – the local police chief.
The press has been more than willing these days to publish the realities faced by women when confronted by those who see police powers as something to enhance their appeal to the opposite sex or see it as reason to abuse the trust of the community. We have all read the story of the NH police chief who had women come in to take nude, or partially nude, photos in exchange for reduced charges, or for making charges – like DUI – disappear altogether. We have read the story of a teen girl who joined the Police Explorer program only to be used for oral sex, an example – one might presume – of what the police officer saw as the responsibilities of female officers. We see a NH chief indicted for false witness given, we are told, to help hide an improper affair happening and another NH chief who abused a female subordinate after an extramarital affair didn’t go as planned
The people described above want you to believe they can make a judgment about your “suitability” and Senator Pierce agrees.
How so? Senator Pierce played one of the nastiest political tricks ever on his constituents and on members of the public who came, in good faith, before the legislature to once and for all propose an actual definition for the word “suitable”. Many came to the public hearing to explain why a person vetted under the NICS system was “suitable” to purchase and possess a firearm, that NH goes even further by tracking domestic violence situations and, orders denying possession can be enforced. After listening, we thought, to those who came to be part of the government “process”, Senator Pierce constructed a bi-partisan amendment that directed a police chief to issue a concealed carry license to anyone “not prohibited from possessing a handgun by state or federal law“. All were happy, especially those who actually had to take a day off from work in order to be part of the government “process” to try and make their laws work for them. Some of us even thanked him after the amendment passed the committee
Senator Pierce had no intention, of championing his amendment or constructive discussion among the women and the constituents who came to be a part of the process; turns out, he had other ideas.
Senator Pierce is an attorney. As such, he knows how to play the games we often see politicians play on TV. On session day, Senator Pierce prepared a floor amendment to not only undo his amendment which had been heralded by those who came to the public hearing, but to essentially remove the rights of women and men to be honest citizens. His floor amendment – permitting local government to adopt “any written criteria…regarding the determination of eligibility for a license” – would have allowed any chief to deny any citizen who – for example – spoke against raises, or a new fleet of cars, or a new public safety complex, to be found not “suitable.” And Senator/Attorney Pierce set this “booby trap” in a venue not open for public input or discussion but in a venue most people, including his constituents, could never witness: he did it on the Senate Floor.
He did not, however, get away with it. Senator Pierce was defeated by those who believe the constitution is a document to live by and by those who believe a public hearing is not held for the amusement of the Senator but instead to ensure the public’s wishes are upheld, that laws are not made for the powerful simply to gain more power over the citizens they swore to serve.
Senator Pierce has shown himself for who he truly is, a politician laughing in the backroom with his friends, devising ways to perpetuate discrimination, ways to keep women from being ready and able to defend themselves from sexual assaults and “unsuitable” law enforcement. Instead of defining “suitable” once and for all, he would have created as many as 234 different definitions.
Even those of us in the cheap seats can see the mendacity and compelling reasons to replace him and those who agree with him. Thankfully, it’s an election year and there won’t be enough time to make us forget what it is you really stand for and how you drag your Senate caucus along with you.