Donate to the NRA-PVF

Via e-mail, all emphasis original:

URGENT!

Help Keep NRA-PVF Ads on the Air Until Election Day!

OUR RIGHTS ARE IN SERIOUS JEOPARDY, BUT VICTORY IS STILL WITHIN REACH!

With only a few short weeks left, we are facing what could be, if we do not act now, a disaster for our Second Amendment Freedoms!But we have the power to stop it!

Tracking polls tell us that if the election were held today, not only would Barack Obama become the most anti-gun politician ever elected President of the United States, gun owners would be facing losses of between 20-30 pro-gun votes in the U.S. House and as many as 8 in the U.S. Senate!

This is a very serious situation. Gun owners were able to weather the storm in 2006 and maintain their narrow majorities in Congress. In 2008, those majorities are in danger of being erased!

But we have the ability to turn this around by telling the truth about Barack Obama s radical anti-gun record!

The good news is that NRA-PVF is already having an impact! The message NRA-PVF is delivering to the voters is so effective, the Obama campaign is trying to silence it. They are using strong-arm tactics to threaten the FCC licenses of radio and television stations that run NRA-PVF ads!

Obama s lawyers are using cease and desist letters to intimidate station managers in an effort to force them to take down NRA-PVF ads. In Missouri, Obama has gone so far as to recruit law enforcement officials and prosecutors to abuse the powers of their public offices to harass media outlets!

But NRA will not allow your voice to be silenced!

NRA-PVF must keep up the pressure by staying on the air all the way to Election Day! To do that we must have your help! Take action now! Please click here to donate to NRA-PVF today!

What can we expect if we don t take action now? We can expect an assault on our Second Amendment rights!

In the past, Obama has supported gun bans, one-gun-a-month restrictions, gun owner licensing, and gun registration. He opposed your right to self-defense, even in your own home! He opposes right to carry laws and he wants new federal restrictions on gun sales and gun owners. If he has anti-gun majorities in Congress, there is no limit to the damage Barack Obama could do to our Second Amendment rights.

We must remember, when asked about gun registration or other gun restrictions, Obama does not say he opposes these radical proposals, he says he "does not have the votes to get that done." Well, the nightmare scenario where he DOES have the votes is staring us right in the face!

But there is good news!

There is time to turn this around!

And there is better news!

Gun owners can have a major impact on this election!

That s right, gun owners are the key. We hold the future of our freedoms in our hands. We control our own destiny.

There is no doubt that Barack Obama knows this as well. That is why he has worked so hard to hide his record and to convince gun owners he is not the threat we know him to be. He knows if the truth is told, and gun owners vote to protect their rights, Obama loses!

BUT WE MUST ACT NOW!

NRA-PVF is ready to continue taking the bold steps needed to educate gun owners across the nation, and especially in the key battleground states, about the real Obama record.

NRA-PVF can counter the lies and tell the truth about the Obama record.And, NRA-PVF can do the hard work of get out the vote programs and help organize the work that has to be done in the final days of the campaign.

But NRA-PVF cannot do this alone. We need your help. Your donations WILL make the difference in this election. With your help, NRA-PVF WILL be able to keep the pressure on Obama and his allies.

The ads that tell the truth about Obama s record are ready. But we need your support to keep them on the air.

With your donation, NRA-PVF will be able to run ads in the key battleground states.

We need your help today! A donation of $25, $50, $100, $250 or $500, or as much as you can afford will allow NRA-PVF to make certain that gun owners know the truth.

Now is the time to stand up!

Now is the time to make your voice heard!

Now is the time to take action to protect our freedoms!

Gun owners have the votes to decide the outcome of hundreds of elections all across the nation, including the election of the next President of the United States!

Take action now! Please

click here to donate to NRA-PVF to help protect our freedoms! Take action now to protect the future of the Second Amendment!


.

Continue Reading

Election 2008 and the Long Road Ahead

Via email:

Election 2008 and the Long Road Ahead

Click here to take this week's poll about gun shows and the presidential election.

The 2008 elections are over, and America has spoken. While many of the results were not what we hoped for, this year's election does show how NRA members have truly changed politics in America.

Across the country, from the presidential race, to the U.S. Senate and House, to state legislative races, one thing was missing this year: ads proudly proclaiming candidates' anti-gun credentials.

The gun control lobby must be distressed that many Democratic gains occurred only because the party has run so far from the gun control issue. While they fondly look back to how actively Bill Clinton campaigned for gun control in 1992 and 1996, they also remember the lesson that gun owners taught an anti-gun Congress in 1994, Al Gore in 2000, and John Kerry in 2004. This was a lesson taught by the National Rifle Association that has changed the politics of our issue across the country.

"Yes We Can . . . Ban Guns"--Obama Announces Gun Ban Agenda Before The Final Vote Count Is In: Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign slogan, "the audacity of hope," should have instead been "the audacity of deceit." After months of telling the American people that he supports the Second Amendment, and only hours after being declared the president-elect, the Obama transition team website announced an agenda taken straight from the anti-gun lobby--four initiatives designed to ban guns and drive law-abiding firearm manufacturers and dealers out of business.

Special Deal on Sights: Aimpoint and MidwayUSA Team Up to Help NRA-ILA: Aimpoint, Inc. and MidwayUSA will donate $100 to the NRA Institute for Legislative Action for every Aimpoint CompM4 electronic red-dot sight package purchased by NRA members from MidwayUSA through the end of 2008.

The Founder's Second Amendment: Origins of the Right to Bear Arms, by Stephen P. Halbrook--Donate to NRA-ILA and Get Your Copy Now! Stephen Halbrook's The Founders' Second Amendment is the first book-length account of the origins of the Second Amendment, based on the Founders' own statements as found in newspapers, correspondence, debates, and resolutions. Mr. Halbrook investigates the period from 1768 to 1826, from the last years of British rule and the American Revolution through the adoption of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the passing of the Founders' generation. From the British seizure of guns in Boston to the Founders' own use of guns in their private lives, his book offers the most comprehensive analysis ever of the arguments behind the drafting and adoption of the Second Amendment, and the intentions of the men who created it.

To contribute to NRA-ILA and receive your copy of this remarkable book, please click here.

Help Defend Your Gun Rights One Easy Click At A Time: We now have a revolutionary yet simple tool that will allow you to stay connected to NRA-ILA and raise valuable contributions to defend our Second Amendment rights without spending a dime! It's the NRA-ILA Toolbar, and you can make a difference by downloading and using it.

STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)

ARIZONA: Volunteers Needed to Clean Public Lands in Table Mesa Recreation Area on Saturday, November 8! The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is hosting a cleanup event off of Table Mesa Road, north of Phoenix on Saturday, November 8. This area receives a tremendous amount of recreation, including target shooting. This alert is being sent to encourage NRA members who recreate in the Table Mesa area, or live in that part of the state, to volunteer for this event. NRA knows that its members understand the importance of keeping public lands open to the public by helping to clean up what the careless and thoughtless leave behind. Directions: From the Phoenix area, travel north on Interstate 17, exiting at Table Mesa Road (exit 236). On-site registration and cleanup begins at 8:00 a.m. BLM requests that those who wish to volunteer contact Chris Gammage at (623) 580-5512 or Mary Skordinsky at (623) 580-5500 to let them know you are coming. For more information, please click here.

Pro-Gun Input Needed as BLM Prepares Recreation Plan for Table Mesa Area! The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is preparing a recreation plan for the Table Mesa area, north of Phoenix. This is a very poplar recreation area, especially for target shooting. The BLM wants to know what types of recreation and road access are important to people who recreate in this area. They want to hear from hunters and shooters about what areas are important to them for target shooting. It is critical that recreational shooters who use the area participate in this process in order to counter the radical environmental and anti-gun forces who want to end all recreational shooting in Arizona. There is little doubt that they will be active in this public input process. The agency will be holding two public meetings and it is critical that hunters and shooters who use this area attend one of the meetings. The first meeting will be on Tuesday, November 18, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Deer Valley Senior Center located at 2001 West Wahalla Lane in Phoenix. The other meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 20 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Anthem Community Center at 41130 N. Freedom Way in Anthem. Following the public meetings, the BLM will prepare a Recreation Activity Plan/Travel Management Plan and release it for public comment. Should you have questions about the planning process, you may contact Tom Bickauskas, Project Manager, at 623-580-5502.

WASHINGTON: Lead Ammunition Still in Danger in Washington State! In September we sent you several alerts pertaining to the draft Lead Chemical Action Plan (CAP) released by the state's Department of Ecology (DOE) for public comment. Through our political contacts in Washington, we learned that they have received more than 1,000 emails and phone calls from NRA members. In response to comments received from NRA members, the DOE was initially insisting that, "There is no proposed ban on lead ammunition in the draft Lead CAP." A follow-up NRA alert pointed out specific references to lead ammunition prohibitions. Subsequently, DOE issued a "correction" to the draft Lead CAP that deleted only one of the references to a prohibition on lead shot. One change in the document does not cure the problem! The DOE continues to state that it is not recommending a lead ammunition ban, only a voluntary conversion to non-lead alternatives. The draft Lead CAP, however, is still replete with statements that unmistakably direct the reader and importantly, state legislators and regulators, to the conclusion that lead ammunition should be banned. The comments that the NRA filed with the DOE can be viewed by clicking here. We encourage you to continue your communication with Governor Chris Gregoire (D) and the DOE and respectfully request that all reference to lead ammunition be removed from the draft Lead CAP before it is released as a final document. Contact information can be found by clicking here.

.

Continue Reading

NRA Alert

**** Alert *** Alert *** Alert ****

Dear Fellow NRA Member,

In the next few days, you'll receive your new NRA membership card.

The moment you receive it, I urge you to validate your new membership card as soon as possible. More than ever, we need you to stand with NRA and fight to save our Second Amendment freedoms.

Because Barack Obama's campaign promise
not to take away our guns is a lie.

He's not even in office, yet he's fired the opening salvos in a war against the future of the Second Amendment, our hunting and shooting traditions, and YOU.

Obama's FIRST attack on YOU: Appointing Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel to be White House Chief of Staff. In Congress, Emanuel earned an "F" rating from NRA, and while working in the Clinton Administration, he was known as the "point man on gun control." He is an avowed enemy of the Second Amendment and will wield enormous power in the battle for the future of our firearm freedoms.

Obama's SECOND attack on YOU: If Hillary Clinton is confirmed as Secretary of State, she'll rip the Second Amendment right out of the Bill of Rights. She'll be our nation's top diplomat with the power to determine whether the United Nations will pass, and Obama will sign, a global gun ban treaty that will surrender our Second Amendment rights and our national sovereignty.

Obama's THIRD attack on YOU: Nominating ex-Senator and former Majority Leader Tom Daschle-an avowed enemy of NRA-to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. NRA was responsible for defeating Daschle when he ran in South Dakota for re-election to the Senate. If Daschle is confirmed, he could hold the ultimate power to declare guns a "public health menace" and regulate away our essential liberties.

Obama's FOURTH attack on YOU: Nominating Eric Holder to be Attorney General. As former Assistant Attorney General, Holder was a key architect and vocal advocate for the Clinton era's sweeping gun ban agenda. He supported national handgun licensing, mandatory trigger locks, and ending gun shows as we know them.

Just recently, Holder opposed the District of Columbia's Heller decision that declared the Second Amendment an individual right. Holder also called for reviving the Clinton gun bans and, as Attorney General, would fight in court to prevent the landmark Heller decision from being made applicable to state and local governments.

Worst of all, if Holder is confirmed as the nation's top law-enforcement officer, he would control BATFE and wield enormous power to harass gun owners and sue America's arms makers out of existence.

Obama's FIFTH attack on YOU: In the job application for the Obama Administration, he made it clear that gun owners are second-class citizens and told 80 million gun owners not to even bother applying for a job. In the "White House Personnel Data Questionnaire" he asked:

"Do you or any members of your immediate family own a gun? If so, provide
complete ownership and registration information. Has the registration ever
lapsed? Please also describe how and by whom it is used and whether it has
been the cause of any personal injuries or property damage."

This chilling notice to gun owners-that they are not welcome to serve in his Administration-shows the deep hostility for Americans' Second Amendment Freedoms that Obama and his Administration have in their hearts.

On its face, that question endorses gun registration-a mandate in only five states in our nation-and buys into the anti-gun premise that firearms are inherently dangerous and gun owners are prone to misusing them.

That's an outrageous mindset, especially for the President-elect whose sworn duty will be to uphold the U.S. Constitution, including our right to keep and bear arms.

Obama CLEARLY wants to make gun registration the law of the land.

First for employees under his control...AND THEN FOR YOU.

Working with a Congress dominated by gun haters like Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, John Conyers, Henry Waxman, and Charles Schumer!!!

Rubbing salt in gun owner wounds is the Brady Campaign, which just issued a completely bogus poll claiming that two-thirds of the Americans-including 60% of all gun owners-favor gun registration, licensing of firearm owners, and other sweeping restrictions on our firearm freedoms!

Add it all up and you have the potential
for a Second Amendment disaster that's unlike
any other NRA members have ever battled.

That's why we need the strongest possible commitment from EVERY NRA member, starting today. That's why I'm hoping you'll validate your new NRA membership card the moment you receive it.

Because our greatest strength is you.

Only by working with you can NRA hold the line against these threats from every quarter. We are the one force that has the strength to keep Americans free and our rights intact for future generations. With you at our side, we will fight and we will prevail against all odds.

Thank you for your loyalty to NRA and the cause of Freedom.

.

Continue Reading

Good Points

It's funny how the reaction to Joaquin Jackson's comments (which I talk about here) has moved more to the function and purpose of the NRA than to Mr. Jackson's statements.

That's a good thing.

I let my membership lapse after the 1994 AWB went into effect, figuring the NRA had let me down. Hindsight being what it is, maybe the NRA didn't let me down as much as I thought it had.
Yes, it was a federal ban on guns that looked cool, and it was totally unconstitutional. However, the political climate at the time was very anti-gun, and without the sunset provision, we'd be listing the AWB along with all those other things in the right sidebar we feel need changing. The NRA got that provision in the bill, and in a "big picture" sense, it was the right thing to do.

When Jackson story first broke, Sebastian warned everybody: let's not get unhinged over this. Good advice. Truthfully, I haven't read anything I'd call "unhinged" outside of JG's silly trolling comments (no link there, no way), but there's a good discussion on the NRA's roles/responsibilities/shortcomings.

A few things that got me thinking:

In comments to this post KdT makes a good point:

...and without the "absolutist" GOA and JPFO, the NRA would be like the NRA of Great Britain - yelping about "hunting" issues because that's all there'd be left to yelp about.

That's true. While we can call them "extremists" or "absolutists", they have a genuine focus on the issues and can lend valuable insight. Also, if the British NRA has been reduced to hunting issues, they're losing ground (Fox hunt? Not anymore, old chap).

This brings me to a comment in a post by Sebastian by David Codrea (emphasis mine):

I agree that the "extremists" need to join NRA, not leave it, and also think that much of the complaining comes from people who, by not doing this, have sidelined themselves from being able to effect change.

Face it: if we can't even generate the clout to affect an NRA election, how can we expect to be effective on a larger political scale?

That last comment was, for me, a reality check. I mean, I can sit here and blog to my heart's content, but other than that, I'm powerless. I always tell people to gripe about politicians "If you didn't vote, don't gripe.", and now I find myself in the same boat.

Does that mean I'm joining the NRA? No, not at this time.

It does mean I'm considering it.

. Continue Reading

NRA License Plates for Tennessee?

Depends on how many people apply for one:

The Tennessee specialized NRA license plate provides an ideal opportunity to showcase your pride as an NRA member and your steadfast dedication to preserving our cherished Second Amendment freedoms. Your support of this program will help ensure hunting and shooting traditions in the Volunteer State for generations to come.

The NRA has begun collecting applications for specialized NRA license plates in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Revenue, Vehicle Services will only produce the NRA license plates if it receives a minimum of 1,000 applications. The application fee is $35.00.

Upon receiving the 1,000 applications prior to June 30, 2009, the National Rifle Association will submit a check for $35,000 to the Department of Revenue, Vehicle Services. At this time, Vehicle Services will begin processing the specialized plate, which can take up to 3 to 6 months. Upon completion of the specialized plate, the Tennessee Department of Revenue, Vehicle Services will mail a letter to each of the 1,000 applicants stating that the plate is ready to be picked up at their local County Clerk’s office. Please retain the letter for your records, it may be required by your County Clerk’s office upon receipt of the Tennessee specialized NRA license plate.

If you are interested in becoming one of the first NRA supporters in the State of Tennessee to receive a specialized license plate, please complete the application, accompanied by a check in the amount of $35.00 made payable to NRA-ILA. A copy of the application can be found by visiting http://www.nraila.org/media/PDFS/tn_nra_plate.pdf.

Information as to where to send the application is on the form itself.

. Continue Reading

Knock Me Over With a Feather

You could have, after I read this:

Chris Peck: Why I'm a member of the NRA

Chris, you see, is the editor of our local puppy trainer, The Commercial Squeal, noted for its consistently anti-gun messages. He doesn't really convince me he's for gun rights. He does address the NRA's recent victories, but then he says this:

The NAACP, once as powerful and well-oiled a public-interest group as the NRA, struggled to stay relevant after the civil rights battles of the 1960s. The NAACP won the legal battles that eventually led to less-segregated schools, more access to the polls for African-Americans, and blazed a path for a new generation of young people who blithely assumed their more tolerant world was the way it has always been.

Yet these very victories, along with the bruises that came with them, set the stage for a difficult and ongoing transition for the 21st century NAACP. Some people suffered from diversity fatigue. Others simply concluded the work of the NAACP was largely done.

Could a similar struggle be ahead for the NRA?

Highly doubtful, Chris, for this one reason: the NAACP refused to change with the times. It refused to give up its original focus and kept crying "RACISM" in the face of societal change.

Also, the NRA does a lot, lot more than fight political battles. You'd know that if you knew ANYthing about the NRA.

I noticed that at no point does Chris say he's a member because he believes in the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

I have a feeling he's a member of the NRA for the same reason I get updates from the Brady Campaign - know thy enemy.

UPDATE: Shootin' buddy, for the win:

Chris, we are not stopping until you can buy handguns in vending machines at airports, gun classes are mandatory in junior high and high school, and owning an M16A2 (or whatever the line weapon of the U.S. Militree is) is mandatory.

LOL.

.

Continue Reading

AHSA in the News Again

While Google Alerts are showing a veritable smorgasboard of PSH-filled reporting, I found something from Jeffrey Birnbaum that's even more astounding, a balanced report on gun groups (emphasis mine):

New Pro-Gun Group Hopes to Draw From the NRA

The American Hunters and Shooters Association is the latest organization to try to dethrone the NRA as chief spokesman for people who care about guns. The association positions itself as an NRA alternative, a group that likes guns and those who shoot them but believes the NRA is too absolutist, especially when it comes to opposing almost any curb on the right to bear arms.

Too absolutist? What's the GOA, then, chopped liver?

As proof of his gun-toting credentials, Schoenke says he likes nothing better than heading to Maryland's Eastern Shore and shooting a duck, then cleaning it, cooking it and eating it. "I own guns," he boasts. "I have guns everywhere."

Schoenke hopes this macho, carnivorous image will make pro-gun voters more open to accepting "common sense" limits on gun buying. Such changes can't be so bad, he wants gunners to say, if fellow enthusiasts also support them.

Gunners aren't saying what you think they are. They're saying "These guys are full of crap." As for macho and carnivorous, well ....

Later in the article, there is balance achieved:

The NRA also asserts that Schoenke's association is a thinly veiled front for gun-control advocates, and offers as proof Schoenke's $5,000 donation to Handgun Control Inc., predecessor to the main anti-gun lobby, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Schoenke rejects the assertion; he says he was only trying to help a cause important to his wife.

Suuuure you were.

Unfortunately for Schoenke, the Brady Campaign basically agrees with the NRA. "I see our issues as complementary to theirs," Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign, says about Schoenke's association. "They're a positive group."

The kiss of death? I certainly hope so.

UPDATE: Uncle and Bitter have more.

Pretty bad when the MSM is busting you out. Continue Reading

Bryan Miller, Telling the "Truth"

Spies and lies - How the NRA rolls (vol 1)

Having faced the opposition of the National Rifle Association to Ceasefire NJ's campaigns to reduce gun violence for over a decade, I've come to know the NRA and its ways all too well. I've been frustrated, at times, by the attitude of many non-NRA folks, who believe the NRA is an honest citizens' lobby, acting with good will and intent. Such mistaken beliefs make the NRA's job - protecting the sales and profits of the gun industry - far easier than the truth.

I'm sure the all-powerful gun lobby of 1871 cooked up the whole thing, Bryan. It had nothing to do with the end of the Civil War and the realization that many men couldn't shoot very well.

Of course, reading the next paragraph in his story (which is what it is, a story), you'd think he'd qualify that statement, wouldn't you?

Nope.

He just launches into the Mary McFate thing, pissing and moaning about how underhanded the NRA is.

Rather than address it, I'll let Thirdpower (who is on a roll with this) tell it for me:

"Those of us working to make America's homes, schools and communities safer from gun violence are not a secretive lot."

Except when you use hidden cameras to secretly film gun shows, create false flag organizations to trick firearm owners into supporting gun bans, put gun control legislation into bills under different names, and intentionally misrepresent firearm capabilities and statistics.

That's what you call a link filled face beating, Bryan. But I'm sure you're used to that by now.

Here's something that almost made me laugh:

To Mary and her backers I say: Shame on you. Shame for placing the profits of the gun industry above the bereavement of her former friends and colleagues.

To which Sebastian replies:

No, this is about preserving our Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Damn skippy.

This statement is laughable:

But, her broad and deep insinuation into our movement certainly made McFate/Sapone privy to our legislative strategies, messaging plans and ideas, even legal documentation critical to a US Supreme Court case, and more.

I hate to break it to you, Bryan, but we don't need a spy to figure out what "messaging plans" your kind have. It's all the same: Appeal to emotion, misrepresent the facts, obfuscate and lie.

Not that hard to keep up with, really.

.

Continue Reading

A Liberal Take on Gun Lobbying - Updated

Brian Morton, a columnist for the Baltimore City Paper, talks about "Gun Lobbying":

It was surprising but not necessarily a surprise when Mother Jones magazine recently uncovered the true identity of a woman, Mary Lou Sapone, who spent the better part of 10 years as a paid spy inside the anti-gun violence movement.

No, Brian, it's simply the "Anti-gun movement". Violence has nothing to do with the agenda of the above named groups. No matter how much lipstick you put on that pig, it's still a pig.

It wasn't a surprise to me that the National Rifle Association would do such a thing, because during my two years working for Jim and Sarah Brady, and then a year as a board member of what is now Maryland Ceasefire, I saw the gun lobby's antics up close and in my face.

Do tell.

Nearly any time we put on any kind of public event, the NRA would send its hired-gun "PR firm," the Mercury Group, to stake out our press conferences, report releases, or fundraisers with their camerapeople. And just like Bill O'Reilly's ambush producers, they would try and disrupt the event by shouting leading questions based on studies from their favorite researchers. Quite often they would yell things like, "Considering John Lott's study that the availability of guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens reduces crime, why do you . . . ?"

In other words, they wanted facts instead of emotional rhetoric and fantastic exaggerations? Amazing.

The surprising thing about this is that even as the NRA is getting just about everything it ever dreamed of--George W. Bush signed the law immunizing gun manufacturers against lawsuits, and the Supreme Court overturned Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban, citing an "individual rights" interpretation of the Second Amendment--it still acts like the paranoid guy under the stairs and pays money to spy on its political opposition. It's kind of sad.

No, it's called "doing what you're here to do", and that means keeping up with anti-gun bigots like yourself who would like nothing more than to repeal the Second Amendment. Just because some truly "common sense" gun laws have been passed, it doesn't mean more anti-gun legislation isn't in the works. It is, and we know it.

When 58-year-old Jim Adkisson got tired of all the liberals he felt were taking away jobs and wrecking society, he allegedly loaded up with 76 shells and a shotgun he bought at a pawnshop and headed for a liberal Unitarian church in Knoxville, Tenn., to shoot it up. It's the sort of crime the NRA, months from now, will argue that could be prevented "if you let law-abiding citizens carry guns to church."

[snip]

But the NRA won't be saying anything right now because, when there are senseless mass shootings, the NRA doesn't answer the phone.

More like "the NRA doesn't dance in the blood of the dead", like those organizations you mention above. All it takes is one loon with a lot of firepower, and your people break out in song, the conga line grows by the minute, all in an effort to get more money.

I'm hoping, now that the Supreme Court has overturned D.C.'s gun ban, the city passes real gun licensing and registration for all handguns in the city. Register all the weapons, license all the owners (just like cars), and require testing and safe storage, and then see the gun lobby's head explode.

Just like cars? Here's a quick quiz for ya, sparky: What's the difference between a gun and a car?

Answer: Driving is not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution. That's because it's not a right, unlike keeping and bearing arms.

"Criminals will still get guns," they'll scream. "All this will do is inconvenience law - abiding citizens," they'll holler.

Scream and holler? Not likely. There's no reason to scream and holler when your facts are right. And, they are. Those statements are true, and they always will be, until we do the right thing and get those who misuse guns off the streets and into jail, where they belong.

Update: Thirdpower has more.

.

Continue Reading

Hardy and Young at NRA Show

Robb has already posted this up, but what the heck, I will too. The more exposure the better.

Hardy and Young will be Giving 'em Heller at NRA Exhibits Booth 1551

Those attending the 2008 NRA Annual Exhibits at the Kentucky Expo Center will have a unique and special opportunity this year as the Supreme Court considers the meaning of the Second Amendment in the DC vs Heller gun ban case. The Second Amendment Films booth (#1551) will have two notable independent Second Amendment scholars in attendance, David T. Hardy and David E. Young, both of whom have links to the Heller case.

David Hardy, attorney, author, and producer will be promoting his new documentary film, In Search of the Second Amendment, which is available on DVD. In addition to authoring the sourcebook, Origins and Development of the Second Amendment, and many law review articles advancing the individual rights nature of the Second Amendment's protection, David Hardy is a co-author of the amicus brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in the current DC vs Heller case by Academics for the Second Amendment, and he attended the oral arguments before the Court.

David Young, historical scholar, editor, and author will be promoting his new definitive history of the Second Amendment, The Founders' View of the Right to Bear Arms, as well as The Origin of the Second Amendment, the complete Constitutional Era document collection that he edited and published. Mr. Young's books have been cited to the U.S. Supreme Court a total of fifty-five times in various briefs filed in the current DC vs Heller gun ban case, and his document collection was extensively relied on in prior appeals court pro-rights decisions leading to the current case.

Anyone attending the NRA Annual Exhibits who is interested in the Second Amendment's history or the legal ramifications of the current DC vs Heller case before the U.S. Supreme Court will be able to ask questions and discuss their points of interest with these two independent pro-rights Second Amendment scholars, each of whom has a completely different background. David Hardy, legal professional, views the entire subject from a legal perspective, while David Young, historian, relies entirely on period historical sources.

Second Amendment Films will be selling DVD copies of David Hardy's new documentary, In Search of the Second Amendment, as well as copies of David Young's new book, The Founders' View of the Right to Bear Arms, and his document collection, The Origin of the Second Amendment, at NRA Exhibits Booth 1551.

For anyone attending the 2008 NRA Exhibits, stop by, have a chat, and pick up the very latest and most complete Second Amendment related information available anywhere.

Continue Reading

Amendments and Freedom

In a "better late than never" moment, the NRA (via SayUncle) calls out Jayne Lyn Stahl on her Opinion piece (of shit) Another Poster Child for the NRA (which I talked about here) and can still be found here)

The article was published by the Atlantic Free Press here. One reason for the outcry this time around was the Atlantic's use of an NRA symbol with a picture of the Wisconsin mass murderer in the middle.

However, now the symbol is gone and the article has been prefaced with an admonition/paranoid screed that starts out like this:

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Read the First Amendment once again - it's one that you claim you defend with your guns.

I find it lame beyond belief when someone writes up something as objectionable as the article mentioned above, then invokes the First Amendment. I realize this is a "Publisher's Note", but what is it really? A bunch of whining sissies who got their nose bloodied and are running to mommy.

Just as the NRA bases its political activity on the principle that gun ownership is a civil liberty protected by the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights, The First Amendment to the United States Constitution (which prohibits the federal legislature from making laws that infringe the freedom of speech and infringe the freedom of the press) protects the right of Jayne Lyn Stahl to express her OPINION.

It also protects the rights of those who find her opinion silly, paranoid or downright odious to express their OPINION. Freedom, meet responsibility.

Some of you who have written in claim that NRA members are law abiding, etc but others, at the same time, have made some pretty serious threats via email - which negates the other claims completely.

No it doesn't, it just shows diversity of opinion. That's a good thing, right? You shouldn't be making faulty and inflexible generalizations. That would be stereotyping.

Furthermore, the image was not chosen and created by Stahl but rather the editorial team.

Then you all are a bunch of assholes.

Our publication is not USA-based and we reserve the right to print what we want (our laws protect Freedom of Speech as well)

Not USA based? I don't care. You can be from the second ring of Saturn for all I care. Print what you want? Sure thing, sunbeam. I write what I want as well. Unlike you, I'm man enough to take any criticism that comes my way because of it.

whether or not we fully agree with what has been published.

I'm sure you fully agreed with what was published. It fits your world view.

I'm not going to address the rest of the "publishers note" for two reasons. One, you're not from the USA, so your opinion of my country does not interest me in the least. Second, anyone who refers to an administration as a "plutocratic kleptocracy" isn't worth any more of my time. Get back to me after you start shaving.

On another note, I don't fault the NRA for being two weeks late to this dance. They have their own way of doing things.

Finally, anyone who threatened the life of Ms. Stahl via e-mail or any other means should be subject to all applicable laws. Killing someone for being stupid is against the law.

. Continue Reading

NRA Goes After Another One

NRA Files Suit Against Winnetka, IL

NRA did not file suit against Winnetka at the same time as their lawsuits against Chicago, Oak Park, Evanston and Morton Grove, because they indicated their openness to studying and repealing the ban. The Village Attorney has confirmed the Village Council has planned no action on the ban in the near future.

Looks like the NRA was dealing with them in good faith. Silly NRA.

. Continue Reading

But I Thought the NRA Was Rendered Ineffective...

... as a result of the 2008 elections:

NRA VICTORY IN SAN FRANCISCO LAWSUIT

SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC HOUSING OFFICIALS DROP ILLEGAL BAN ON FIREARMS POSSESSION IN PUBLIC HOUSING

Fairfax, Va. – An NRA-led coalition of self-defense civil rights groups including the Second Amendment Foundation and the California Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA) has prevailed in a Second Amendment lawsuit challenging a ban on firearm possession in San Francisco public housing residences.

I guess there's more to this NRA thing that Paul Helmke would lead us to believe.

Thanks to the NRA's Rachel Parsons for the pointer.

. Continue Reading

Andrew Arulanandam Scroos the Pooch

The NRA director of public affairs is unclear as to what a "right " is (that bit is at the end).

Jed at FreedomSight already addressed it, and in doing so, said "The rest of that article needs a good fisking." So, that's what I'm doing here (all emphasis mine).

Mayors band together against guns

Guess who figures prominently in this story? Hint: it's the high-profile NY politician not presently sleeping on the couch these days.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Interstate 95, which runs up the U.S. East Coast, is known to cops as the "Iron Pipeline" -- the conduit of choice for gun smugglers to move their hardware from the southern United States to New York city.

That's about as dramatic a moniker as I've seen in print. It should be said in detective Joe Friday's voice: "This is the pipeline, the Iron Pipeline. Mayors live in fear of all the evil guns travelling along this conduit of terror." Even I'm scared.

"Where is the outrage in this country? Well, mayors see it," said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "We're the ones who have to go to the funerals. We're the ones that have to look somebody in the eye and say your spouse or your parent or your child is not going to come home."

I can smell the bullshit a mile away, can't you? The mayor of You Nork city does death notifications? Yeah, right. And I'm Albert Einstein (happy birthday, btw, Al). The only outrage here is your sanctimonius ass pretending to give a damn about us"little people".

Since Bloomberg became mayor in 2002, every gun homicide in the city -- including the killing of eight police officers -- has been committed with an illegal gun, police say.

Well no shit, Sherlock. When you outlaw guns, they become illegal. When you outlaw gun possession, possession of guns make them illegal, too*. Wow, do people really let this stuff slide?

Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino founded Mayors Against Illegal Guns two years ago...

Their goal is to help police stop the flow of illegal guns used in crimes, and they want data on guns used in crimes to be made available to the public.

But that data is already available to the police, how do you intend to help? By suing gun stores and manufacturers till they're forced out of business?

"I don't think that the Founding Fathers envisioned people carrying automatic weapons under their coats in a central city," Bloomberg said.

Automatic weapons? Where? Sure does sound scary, and coupled with the fact that you folks like to link "assault weapons" to machine guns so the general public doesn't know the difference, I say you're not telling the truth.

"America has this freedom and it's very difficult for non-Americans to understand why we feel so passionately about it. It is the most unique freedom ever given to a people," said Andrew Arulanandam, director of public affairs for the NRA.

I'll quote Jed on this, as he did an excellent job:

Mr Arulanandam needs to understand that statements such as this support the mistaken notion that the Bill of Rights “grants” rights to the citizens. Or, worse, that somehow the government “gives” us this right. I hope that someone at the NRA will take a few moments with him to explain the foundational argument (see various Heller amici for reference) that the RKBA derives from the natural right of self preservation which was recognized by the founders as existing prior to, and without reliance upon, the ordination of a government, or its sanction by any government.

The mistaken notion that any true right can be given (and thus taken away) is a significant philosophical front in our fight against gun bans, and those who would institute them. We can’t afford to validate any portion of errant thinking in re. our rights.

Damn skippy. You'd think the NRA dude would have known this.

* - Yes, I know that technically, some people can have guns and carry permits in You Nork city, but they are few and far between. I, for one, could never get either if I lived there. Continue Reading

NRA Statement on McDonald

Statement by Wayne LaPierre Executive Vice President, National Rifle Association Regarding U.S. Supreme Court Decision McDonald v. City of Chicago

Today marks a great moment in American history. This is a landmark decision. It is a vindication for the great majority of American citizens who have always believed the Second Amendment was an individual right and freedom worth defending.

The Supreme Court said what a majority of the American public believes. The people who wrote the Second Amendment said it was an individual right, and the Court has now confirmed what our founding fathers wrote and intended. The Second Amendment -- as every citizen’s constitutional right -- is now a real part of American Constitutional law

But, Supreme Court decisions have to lead to actual consequences or the whole premise of American constitutional authority collapses. Individual freedom must mean you can actually experience it. An incorporated freedom has to be a real freedom.

The intent of the founding fathers -- and the Supreme Court -- was to provide access. Words must have meaning.

The Supreme Court has now said the Second Amendment is an individual freedom for all. And that must have meaning. This decision must provide relief to law-abiding citizens who are deprived of their Second Amendment rights.

I’m a practical guy. I don’t want to win on philosophy and lose on freedom. The end question is, can law-abiding men and women go out and buy and own a firearm? Today the Supreme Court said yes – anywhere they live!

This decision cannot lead to different measures of freedom, depending on what part of the country you live in. City by city, person by person, this decision must be more than a philosophical victory. An individual right is no right at all if individuals can’t access it. Proof of Heller and McDonald will be law abiding citizens, one by one, purchasing and owning firearms.

The NRA will work to ensure this constitutional victory is not transformed into a practical defeat by activist judges, defiant city councils, or cynical politicians who seek to pervert, reverse, or nullify the Supreme Court’s McDonald decision through Byzantine labyrinths of restrictions and regulations that render the Second Amendment inaccessible, unaffordable, or otherwise impossible to experience in a practical, reasonable way.

What good is a right without the gun? What good is the right if you can’t buy one? Or keep one in your home? Or protect your family with one?

Here’s a piece of paper – protect yourself. That’s no right at all!

Victory is when law abiding men and women can get up, go out, and buy and own a firearm.

This is a monumental day. But NRA will not rest until every law-abiding American citizen is able to exercise the individual right to buy and own a firearm for self defense or any other lawful purpose.

Sent to me via email from the lovely & talented Rachel Parsons of the NRA - ILA.
.

Continue Reading

NRA Website Solicits Member Hunt Reports

Again, via email:

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

INCORPORATED 1871

11250 Waples Mill Road - Fairfax, VA 22030

NRA Website Solicits Member Hunt Reports

Did you have an exceptionally good hunting trip last season you'd like to share with other NRA members?

NRAhuntersrights.org is accepting brief reports and photos from members who want to tell others about their recent hunting experiences. We're looking for information that could help your fellow hunters plan an exciting experience afield, with a great outfitter and guide, as well as sort through any confusing regulations you may have encountered or travel issues along the way. Don't think of it as writing an article - think of it as telling your hunting buddies what the trip was like.

All we're looking for is about 500 words, but you can go longer if you need to. We have to have a good, sharp photo from the hunt, contact information for the guide and outfitter, plus any other information about the hunt you want to give us.

How to Submit a Report: It's easy. Just write it up in your own words and send it to huntersrights@nrahq.org. Write "Hunt Report" in the subject line. We'll consider it, and if it meets our criteria we'll post it and let you know when it's up.

Submission of a Member Hunt Report does not guarantee it will be posted, and there is no payment.

If you have not visited http://www.nrahuntersrights.org/ recently, here are a few headlines you've missed:

California: Statewide Ban on Lead Ammo Weighed

HSUS Files to Stop Colorado Elk Culling

Conservation Groups Urge Obama to Delist Gray Wolves

Should South Dakota Hunters Have to Pay for Road Repair?

Diverting Hunters' Dollars Unfair - and Shortsighted

Keep up with how NRA is defending your freedom to hunt at http://www.nrahuntersrights.org/.

I'm such a shill. =)

Continue Reading

A Letter to the Editor...

... talking about gun regulation tops the Miami Herald's page today. Let's take a look, shall we?

Gun regulation needed

Re the May 18 letter Ban on guns, freedom: The assault-weapons ban, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994, was not, as the letter writer stated, ''ineffective'' and therefore "allowed to sunset.''

Actually, the ban was highly ineffective and allowed to sunset. I'd like to see you provide evidence to the contrary.

President Bush, despite his assertion that he would keep it in place, allowed the bill to expire, backed by a Republican-led Congress. As early as 1996, the National Rifle Association pushed the U.S. House of Representatives to vote to repeal the ban, but the Senate would not follow suit. The NRA listed opposition to renewal of the law as one of its criteria on its 2002 election candidate questionnaire.

The President had no control over whether to allow the ban to expire or not, that fell solely to congress. He also didn't assert he'd keep it in place, he said he'd sign it if it came across his desk. It didn't.

The reason the House voted to repeal it wasn't solely the work of the NRA. It was also the voters in the various districts who voted out the Democrats who enacted the ban. It became a huge issue after the fact and people objected, simple as that.

An attempt by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to extend the law by 10 years was defeated by that same Congress. It was a political move then, not a practical one, that killed the assault-weapons ban.

No, it was a political move that enacted the ban in the first place, not a practical one (see link above). It had no effect on crime, mainly because "assault weapons" weren't used in crimes in the first place.

The NRA's argument that attempts to regulate guns somehow impede one's freedom always has puzzled me. Freedom to do what? Shoot your dinner at Publix?

No, freedom to keep and bear arms. You know, that little thing called the Second Amendment.

Is your freedom to drive impinged upon by the state's licensing or automakers' safety codes?

Yes, actually it is. Well, it would be, if I were to get caught drunk behind the wheel. Besides, there is no right to drive, it's a privilege. Right vs. privilege. Apples and oranges.

Do you want to be operated on by someone unlicensed to practice medicine because his ''freedom'' was violated at being regulated?

There are plenty of unlicensed doctors doing business in the US. That doesn't mean I'm going to go to one. Again, apples and oranges.

Yet we are breathless in our outrage at any attempt to put even the mildest of controls on something even more inherently and purposefully deadly.

An outright ban is far from "the mildest of controls" m'dear, and a gun is only as deadly as the person using it.

Please do spare me the rhetoric about predators and criminals. How fearful do we all have to be before the NRA is happy?

Hmmm. Rhetoric. I assume you mean "the undue use of exaggeration", like when you call a ban on weapons that look similar to military assault rifles "the mildest of controls". As to predators and criminals just take my challenge, then get back with me.

I would suggest that those of us wishing for some sanity in gun regulation do have an ''agenda.'' It's called common sense. And I am hopeful that the Supreme Court in interpreting the Second Amendment for our modern world will show some.

SUSAN WALSH, Coral Springs

If what you've written passes for common sense in Coral Springs, I'm glad I'm here instead of there.

. Continue Reading

Interesting NRA Fact

The NRA of the United Kingdom is 12 years older than the American version:

NRA of the UK - established 1859

NRA of America - established 1871

Too bad the UK seems to have forgotten their rich shooting heritage.
. Continue Reading

NRA to Make Major Announcement Tomorrow

Via email:

Fairfax, VA. - The National Rifle Association's (NRA) Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre and NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) Chairman Chris W. Cox will be traveling to Pittsburgh, Pa., Springfield, Mo., Colorado Springs, Colo. and Reno, Nev. Thursday, October 9 for a series of press conferences where they will make a very important announcement regarding the 2008 Presidential elections.

Members of the media are invited to attend these events. Locations and times of events are as follows:

Pittsburgh, Pa. - 8 A.M. EDT Radisson Hotel, Pittsburgh Green Tree
101 Radisson Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15205

Springfield, Mo. - 11:15 A.M. CDT University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center
333 John Q. Hammons Parkway
Springfield, MO 65806

Colorado Springs, Colo. - 2:15 P.M. MDT Radisson Hotel, Colorado Springs
1645 North Newport Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80916

Reno, Nev. - 5:30 P.M. PDT Grand Sierra Resort
2500 East 2nd Street
Reno, NV 89595

Endorsement time?

Update: Yep

Now, why didn't they just say that in the email?. Continue Reading

NRA News for Tennessee

Via email. Emphasis mine:

TENNESSEE: City of Crossville Capitulating on Right-to-Carry Assault The city of Crossville has postponed a city ordinance that would ban concealed carry on city-owned property. Thanks to your phone calls to voice your concern, the city of Crossville has decided to reconsider this ordinance. Currently they have simply moved the final reading to a later date while they review the proposed legislation one more time. Please continue contacting the members of the City Council to voice your opposition. Contact information can be found here.

Show Your Pride With an NRA License Plate! The Tennessee specialized NRA license plate provides an ideal opportunity to showcase your pride as an NRA member and your steadfast dedication to preserving our cherished Second Amendment freedoms. Your support of this program will help ensure hunting and shooting traditions in the Volunteer State for generations to come. To learn how to get one of these special license plates, please click here.

Nice to see Crossville showing signs of common sense.

. Continue Reading