Commonwealth Second Amendment (Comm2A)

07/08/2026

This is the work we do, not for fame, not for glory, but for one person, hoping against hope that one case will be a catalyst for large scale change.

GOAL and Comm2A Attorney File Appeal in Boston Licensing Delay Case

https://www.goal.org/baasthomas2026

Following the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s denial of certiorari of Baas-Thomas v. Cox, and their remand of the case, Attorney Jason Guida has filed pleadings with Suffolk Superior Court. This appeal centers around a violation of the 40-day processing period for Licenses to Carry in the City of Boston. In the initial decision denying Mr. Baas-Thomas judicial review of the significant delay of his LTC application, the district court judge ruled that since the 40-day time clock had no significant punitive measure attached to it, that it could simply be disregarded. GOAL and Comm2A took extreme exception to that and ensured that Mr. Baas-Thomas would continue his case with the proper resources and representation with Attorney Jason Guida.

These pleadings are the continuation of that case to make sure the Commonwealth sees the error of their ways and stops treating the Second Amendment like a “second class right” by the Commissioner of the Boston Police Department and other licensing authorities throughout the state. “The Commissioner’s response to this litigation demonstrates a continuing indifference to the 2nd Amendment rights of the people he is sworn to serve," said Attorney Jason Guida in response to the Boston Police Commissioner.

“What bothers me the most is that the City of Boston attributes their backlog to the new online portal going live. We all know this is an unfiltered, unapologetic falsehood. To treat a civil right like this is unconscionable and exactly the sort of unjust infringement that the court system is supposed to make right,” said Chris Martel, President and Executive Director of Comm2A. “I am obviously not holding my breath, but with the way some attitudes are turning in courtrooms, even in the Commonwealth, there may actually be light at the end of this tunnel.”

“Honestly, I would have thought that the court’s initial ruling is outrageous enough to justify heading to the SJC, but these are Second Amendment rights in Massachusetts we’re discussing here,” said Mike Harris, Director of Public Policy for GOAL. “GOAL has been saying for years that the lack of an enforcement mechanism in the 40-day time clock would need to have some sort of reckoning and it looks like that time is here. It is just the indifference and hostility that the state government top-to-bottom treats a constitutional civil right that is so outrageous, the system is designed to hurt it citizens and that needs to stop.”

If all goes well, Attorney Guida expects oral arguments to be sometime this fall, likely September or October. GOAL and Comm2A will continue to keep you informed on this case’s progress.

01/16/2026

I read. I read more than most people I know. As the President and Executive Director of Comm2A, I read caselaw. I read court filings. I read the life stories of people stuck and chewed over by all three branches of government in the Commonwealth stacked against them.

Sometimes I am surprised by what I read, sometimes I am shocked, often I am dismayed.

I am working through a long held favorite book of mine and came to this passage.

“To read" actually comes from the Latin reri "to calculate, to think" which is not only the progenitor of "read" but of "reason" as well, both of which hail from the Greek arariskein "to fit." Aside from giving us "reason," arariskein also gives us an unlikely sibling, Latin arma meaning "weapons." It seems that "to fit" the world or to make sense of it requires either reason or arms.”
― Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves

True or not, the author struck a nerve with me.

To find the path through the world as it sits today, arrayed against the individual and with the shouts of the many drowning out the voice of reason, the only way the folks in the middle will be able to stand against the cacophony of the rabble is to either be better educated, or be able to defend their positions with more than words alone.

Send a message to learn more

01/09/2026

This is interesting. Somehow, we didn't break community standards with any activity, however, we are restricted from being suggested to new folks.

Someone make this make sense.

12/10/2025

Hello Folks,

Comm2A and Gun Owners' Action League are in need of people who have applied for LTCs or FIDs in Boston since August.

https://comm2a.org/comm2a-and-goal-refer-ltc-delays-to-doj-for-civil-rights-investigation/

Comm2A and GOAL have spoken with folks at a higher level who are keenly taking a look at the fi****ms licensing process here in Massachusetts and have asked us to get as many impacted folks and their details over in a consolidated list though one of our attorneys.

If you are at all interested in sharing your story with them and helping us make changes here in Massachusetts, please reach out to the below email address with your details.

[email protected]

Times, dates, extra steps, please share as much as you can.

Thank you!

Comm2A filed Robinson et al v Mawn to halt delays in LTC processing enforcement of new training reqs before training was published

11/21/2025

Glad to be part of this.

SAF has filed a motion for summary judgment in Escher v. Massachusetts, challenging the state’s ban on 18–20-year-old adults possessing commonly owned fi****ms.

Our brief shows that young adults were part of the armed citizenry at the Founding, were legally required to keep arms, and cannot be carved out of “the people” under the Second Amendment.

Read the brief here -https://saf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Escher-MSJ-11.20.25.pdf

11/16/2025

Call to Action Regarding LTC/FID Delay Data Boston

Hello Supporters & Defenders of the Second Amendment,

Comm2A and Gun Owners' Action League are reaching out with an urgent request.

In light of some of our recent joint outreach activities, we are seeking folks who have applied for an LTC or FID within the City of Boston to come forward and share just what they went through to apply.

Timelines, dates, steps, delays, communication from the Licensing office, whatever you have, along with your contact information.

If you are willing to stand with us and make your voices heard, please reach out to us at your earliest convenience so we can work to get you in touch with some of our legal folks for some data gathering.

It will cost you nothing but a few minutes of your time.

[email protected]

Send a message to learn more

10/28/2025

Hi folks - our President and Executive Director joined GOAL's Mike Harris on a little podcast session to talk about what makes our organizations similar, and what makes us different, and how we continue to work together to preserve and protect our Second Amendment Rights.

Give it a watch if you have a chance!

In this first official episode of GOAL's Partners in Liberty, Mike speaks with Chris Martel the President and Executive Director of Commonwealth Second Amend...

09/11/2025

Since I am sure folks are looking for organizations to make a statement, here are my thoughts as President of Comm2A.

I don't agree with everything Mr. Kirk said, and that is the beautiful thing about a free and open exchange of ideas. We can agree on some things and disagree on others but still shake hands.

I do agree with his methods.

More than anyone else in America on the right or the left—he constructed his platform making a good faith effort to model civil political discourse and debate in the public square.

His entire project was built on reaching across the divide and using speech, not violence, to address and resolve the issues.

Were all of his views something I could get behind? Honestly, no.

Were his methods something I could get behind

Absolutely.

The right way to fight folks with evil ideas is to debate them in the public square so the community at large can reject their evil and hopefully help them see reason.

If all you do is repress ideas and shout them down, all you do is get them to go underground and fester and rot and become a deep infection that will take a lot more than words, with a lot more effort and pain to eliminate.

This was an overtly evil act that is only going to put more escalation of violence on the table.

Violence should never be the answer until all other reasonable avenues have been exhausted, or if you are responding to direct physical violence against your person or an innocent person. (Although, I could also easily argue for violence to stop someone abusing an animal)

Mr. Kirk wasn't perfect. The movement he started, one of critical thinking and discourse is something we should all be able to get behind.

I hope the person or persons responsible for this reprehensible evil are brought to justice and I condemn in the strongest way possible any further acts of violence.

Let's do the right thing and talk things out.

Chris Martel

08/06/2025

Comm2A & GOAL have jointly funded an appeal to the SJC challenging the unconstitutional and unconscionable delays Boston subjects people to when applying for an LTC.

One domino at a time.

Joint Release from Comm2A and GOALAugust 6, 2025 Comm2A and GOAL Help Bring Licensing Delay to MA High Court after District Court Judge rules license processing timeline mandates have no teeth. Baas-Thomas v. City of BostonWestborough, MA – Attorney Jason Guida, with the full support of Comm2A and...

06/05/2025

(Administrative Note) I am remote at the moment, so can't update the website and I will need to redact some personal information from documents.)

We had a gentleman contact us after he filed for an LTC in January but Boston has not fingerprinted him yet.

He was prepared to go Pro Se (no lawyer) but given the stakes, Comm2A secured the support of Attorney Jason Guida at our expense to help navigate the hearing which was held this morning.

The case was before Judge Maureen Flaherty, and she seemed reluctant to issue a ruling without additional time to consider all the facts.

In short, the licensing officer under oath, said that Boston is in clear violation of the relevant statutes governing issuance of fi****ms licenses although he feels those laws are outdated, and, through the attorney for Boston, effectively said "so what, the court has no right to do anything about it"

We will be getting the transcripts as soon as possible.

​One domino in the chain.

The Expert on Massachusetts Fi****ms Laws and Regulations