What the Castle Doctrine Means to Arkansas
By Dennis Snow
E-mail: snowmanrocks@live.com
What the Castle Doctrine Means to Arkansas
By Dennis Snow
E-mail: snowmanrocks@live.com
Well, common sense indicates that you should defend yourself and your family. But, not so fast! In the great state of Arkansas, you currently have only one legal option: the “duty to retreat!” In other words, the law currently states that you should turn your back on this armed criminal and try to RUN! I don’t know about you, but I find this totally illogical and unacceptable.
Are you going to live your life in fear every time you leave your home? Legally, you cannot defend yourself, even when bodily harm is imminent. If you do decide to defend yourself and meet deadly force with equal force, you are subject to lawsuits by the victim and his or her family!
However, if you happen to be camping in Oklahoma and the same armed intruder attacks you, the action you can take is totally different, logical and legal because of the Castle Doctrine. The Castle Doctrine is an awesome law that puts you and your family on equal terms with the armed criminal. Basically, you can defend yourself and your family with force, up to and including deadly force!
Here is what the Castle Doctrine will do for Arkansans:
1. It establishes, in law, the presumption that a criminal who forcibly enters or invades your home or occupied vehicle is there to cause death or severe bodily harm, so you may use force, including lethal force against that person.
2. It removes the “duty to retreat” if you are attacked in any place that you have a legal right to be. You no longer have to turn your back on a criminal, or try to run away when attacked. Instead, you will be able to “Stand your ground an fight back.” You will be able to meet force with force, if you have reason to believe that is necessary to prevent death or severe bodily harm to yourself or other people around you.
3. The Castle Doctrine provides that persons using force authorized by the law to defend themselves cannot be prosecuted for using such force. It also prohibits criminals and their families from suing victims for injuring or killing the criminals who have attacked them. In essence, it gives rights back to the law-abiding citizens and forces judges and prosecutors to focus on protecting victims.
To me, it is apparent that we need the Castle Doctrine to be part of Arkansas’ law. We MUST band together and pass this law as soon as possible. What we can do to make this legislation a reality is simply contact our lawmakers and let them know that we want this to protect and defend people in the Natural State.
To make this easier for you, I have attached contact information for all Arkansas representatives and senators. Please take a moment to contact your state representative and senator and stress the importance of making the Castle Doctrine a reality in Arkansas. Don’t underestimate the power of your voice and your vote! Do it today! Then tell every other law abiding gun owner in Arkansas to do the same. We must unite in this effort; this is your right to be able to defend yourself and your loved ones from attack. This law can save your life and save you the cost and hassle of frivolous lawsuits that clog our judicial system. It evens the playing field of self-defense during the turbulent times.
Once we pass this into law, the criminals will know that they no longer have the upper hand. Hopefully, it will deter criminals from committing acts of violence if they realize that their force may be met with equal and possibly lethal force. The most important thing is that you will be able to legally defend yourself and your loved ones and I guarantee that fact alone will make you sleep better at night.
Contact your lawmakers today and be proud.
The following is a list of Arkansas state and U.S. senators and representatives, along with other state offices. We appreciate our listeners in Oklahoma and throughout the country (and world), and hope to soon have a more complete list of repesentatives in the future. Please check the High Caliber Radio web site for updates and contact us with any information that you have.
God Bless You & America!
How to contact your elected officials:
Arkansas House of Representatives
http://www.arkansas.gov/house/reps.php
You can click on individual counties to find your representative or use the pull down list of the Districts and Representatives.
Contact information about each representative is provided. You can also find current information about bills, committees, events, etc.
Arkansas Senate
http://www.arkansas.gov/senate/senators.html
You can also find information about committees, weekly updates, etc.
Arkansas Governor’s Office & More
http://www.arkansas.gov/government_exec.php
This has address, phone numbers and links to more contact information for Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, Governor Mike Beebe, Lt. Governor Bill Halter & more.
108 E Huntington
Arkansas Office
Local Telephone Numbers:
Lowell Office:
Fort Smith Office:
Harrison Office:
El Dorado
Hot Springs
Pine Bluff
Prescott
Washington
How to Register to Vote
A few tips on contacting your elected officials:
No matter what you may think of politicians, they are human beings and will be more receptive to what you have to say when you present your information with respect and professionalism.
US Congressman Marion Berry
1st District, Arkansas
http://www.house.gov/berry/biography.shtml
2305 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4076
Jonesboro, AR 72401
(870) 972-4600
(800) 866-2701
US Congressman Vic Snyder
2nd District of Arkansas
http://www.house.gov/snyder/
1330 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-2506
Fax: 202-225-5903
E-mail: snyder.congress@mail.house.gov
1501 North University, Suite 150
Little Rock, AR 72207
Phone: 501-324-5941 TDD: 501-324-5922
Fax: 501-324-6029
Conway Co.: 501-354-0606
Faulkner Co.: 501-336-9000
Perry Co.: 501-889-5242
Saline Co.: 501-776-1133
Van Buren Co. 501-745-5611
White Co. 501-268-3000
Yell Co.: 501-495-3000 & 501-229-1604
US Congressman John Boozman
3rd District of Arkansas
http://www.boozman.house.gov/
1519 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4301
Fax: (202) 225-5713
213 W. Monroe, Suite K
Lowell, AR 72745
Phone: (479) 725-0400
Fax: (479) 725-0408
4943 Old Greenwood Road
Suite 1
Fort Smith, AR 72903
Phone: (479) 782-7787
Fax: (479) 783-7662
Northwest Arkansas College
303 North Main Street
Suite 102
Harrison, Arkansas 72601
Phone: (870) 741-6900
Fax: (870) 741-7741
US Congressman Mike Ross
4th District of Arkansas
http://ross.house.gov/
Union County Courthouse
Suite 406
101 North Washington Street
El Dorado, AR 71730
(870) 881-0681
(870) 881-0683 Fax
300 Exchange Street, Suite A
Hot Springs National Park,
AR 71901
(501) 520-5892
(501) 520-5873 Fax
2300 West 29th Street
Suite 1A
Pine Bluff, AR 71603
(870) 536-3376
(870) 536-4058 Fax
221 West Main Street
Prescott, AR 71857
(870) 887-6787
(870) 887-6799 Fax
314 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
1-800-223-2220
(202) 225-1314 Fax
US Senator Blanche L. Lincoln
(D - AR)
http://lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4843
US Senator Mark L. Pryor
(D - AR)
http://www.pryor.senate.gov/contact/
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2353
(in Arkansas)
http://www.votenaturally.org/all_about_voting.html#1
By Karen M. Little
E-mail: highcaliberwebmaster@live.com
As a journalist for daily newspapers and a writer for other publications, I have found that whether you're talking to a presidential candidate or the mayor of a town of 34 people, they appreciate being treated with respect. Here are a few tips on how to deal with politicians:
- Do your homework. No one wants to look like an idiot. Make sure you’re in their District if it is an issue that only affects people in your district. Make sure you know what they’re talking about and how the official feels about the issue. Just because they voted one way in the past doesn’t necessarily mean they will vote that way in the future.
- Keep it short and simple. No matter what your opinion is of elected officials, the reality is that they have very busy schedules. Keep your letters, e-mails, phone messages short and to the point.
- Be direct. Don’t ramble on and on. Tell them why this bill or issue is important to you and to other constituents. Use specific examples to illustrate your point. Tell them why this issue is so important to you.
- Be polite. They are a lot more likely to listen to what you have to say if you do it in a polite and professional manner. Remember, they aren’t necessarily a bad person if they just don’t agree with you. Some people have their reasons. But most elected officials are at least willing to listen to constituents who are polite, respectful and concerned about an issue.
- Be persistent but patient. Again, keep in mind that these people do have busy schedules. It may take them several weeks to respond to a letter or call, especially if they have been out of town. (Keep in mind; it can take a while for your information to even make it to their desktop). If you haven’t heard anything in weeks or months, you probably want to follow up with their office.
- Get on their good side. Some people are morning people. Some people aren’t.
You can find out from the best way and time to contact the senator or representative by calling their friendly office staff (who are paid to try and make their boss’s life better). Some politicians set aside specific time slots to talk to their constituents.
Find out if they prefer e-mails or letters. You can find out from their office staff when they might be having a local town hall meeting.
- Enlist the help of your family and friends. Strength can be displayed in numbers, especially numbers of people who vote for elected officials. And if a politician sees that a lot of people in his/her district and a neighboring district feel strongly about an issue, he/she is more likely to take notice and respond.
- Remember, your vote counts. So do the votes of your family and friends. First of all, register to vote and then when the time comes VOTE. If you don’t vote, don’t complain.
- Be realistic. The legislative process is designed with good checks and balances; but understand that change can be painstakingly slow. Don’t expect your Congressman to magically be able to change the world overnight. Even when a Bill finally passes, it may look different from the original draft.
- Election time is coming. If you’ve got a candidate who just isn’t listening, don’t give up hope. There are always more elections. Use the power of your vote to get the people you want in office (and out) of office.
Karen was a reporter for The Augusta Chronicle in Augusta, Ga., and covered political races for the larger daily newspaper in Georgia and South Carolina. She also interviewed presidential candidates, Georgia and South Carolina gubernatorial candidates and covered controversial political issues for more than a decade. Karen is currently a freelance writer and graphic designer.