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2nd Amendment RKBA

FW: AUSTRALIAN GUN LAW UPDATE

The only way you can take a citizen’s rights is to steal them like a thief in the night.

Australian Gun Law Update

Here’s a thought to warm some of your hearts . . ..

From:   Ed Chenel, A police officer in Australia

Hi Yanks, I thought you all would like to see the now available data from Down Under.

It has now been one year (12 months) since gun owners in Australia were forced by a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by our own government, a program costing Australia  taxpayers more than $500 million dollars.

The first year results are now available:

Australia-wide, homicides are up 6.2 percent;

Australia-wide, assaults are up 9.6 percent;

Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent);

In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent as compared with the last one year period when private ownership of a firearm was legal.

(NB: the law-abiding citizens did turn in their personal firearms, the criminal element did not and thus criminals in Australia still possess their guns.)

While data for the 25 years preceding the confiscation of privately owned guns showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months as criminals now are assured their victims will be unarmed.

There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly, while the resident is at home.

Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in ‘successfully ridding Australian society of guns.’

This story of well intentioned government intervention in the rights of lawful individuals to own and possess firearms won’t be seen in the mainstream US media or on the American evening news.     Senator Obama who advocates a similar confiscation in the US will not be reporting any of this to you.

But, the Australian experience speaks for itself.     Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Americans may want to take note before it’s too late!

FORWARD TO EVERYONE ON YOUR EMAIL LIST.

DON’T BE A MEMBER OF THE SILENT MAJORITY.

BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE VOCAL MINORITY WHO DOESN’T WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED IN AUSTRALIA HAPPEN IN THE US !



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2nd Amendment RKBA

Post election gun ban alert

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

Dear Fellow NRA Member,

 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.

Forward this E-Mail to Friends
and Urge Them to Join NRA Today!

———————————-
National Rifle Association * 11250 Waples Mill Road * Fairfax, VA 22030



Categories
2nd Amendment RKBA

CCRKBA Calls on Obama to Repudiate, Reject Brady Campaign Endorsement

NEWS RELEASE

CCRKBA CALLS ON OBAMA TO REPUDIATE, REJECT BRADY CAMPAIGN ENDORSEMENT

BELLEVUE, WA If Democrat Barack Obama truly supports gun rights and the Second Amendment, he should immediately repudiate and reject today s endorsement by the anti-gun Brady Campaign, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said.

By accepting an endorsement from the nation s leading gun ban organization, said CCRKBA Legislative Affairs Director Joe Waldron, Barack Obama would be declaring to every gun owner in America that he has lied to them all these months during the presidential campaign. If he accepts this endorsement, Obama may as well spit on the Second Amendment.

The Brady Campaign announced its endorsement Monday by noting that Obama and his running mate, anti-gun Sen. Joe Biden from Delaware, will strengthen the Brady Law, and would once again outlaw commonly-owned semi-automatic sport/utility rifles.

The Brady Campaign wants to completely eliminate certain types of firearms, Waldron noted, which is precisely the kind of thing that was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court s Heller decision in June. They claim that Barack Obama is the man who can get that done. This is hardly the kind of endorsement that will earn points among target shooters, hunters and gun collectors, who have harmed nobody and broken no laws.

But the Brady Campaign would make these people criminals on paper simply because they own certain types of firearms, he added. Their endorsement of the Obama/Biden ticket to accomplish that goal is tantamount to a home invasion robbery of every gun owner in the United States.

If Barack Obama thinks gun owners should give him their votes after this endorsement, it is an insult to their intelligence, Waldron observed. That seems to be nothing new, however, after he s had one so-called hunter s and shooter s group shilling for him on the campaign trail, to say nothing of his selection of Joe Biden as his running mate.

Obama should tell the Brady Campaign to get lost, or gun owners will say that loud and clear to him on Nov. 4, Waldron concluded.

-END-


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Copyright © 2008 Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, All Rights Reserved.
Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
James Madison Building
12500 N.E. Tenth Place
Bellevue, WA 98005Voice: 425-454-4911
Toll Free: 800-426-4302
FAX: 425-451-3959
email: InformationRequest@ccrkba.org



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2nd Amendment RKBA

‘Acorn Uses Public Funds to Steal Elections , Now Your Gun Rights,’Says SAF



NEWS RELEASE

ACORN USES PUBLIC FUNDS TO STEAL ELECTIONS, NOW YOUR GUN RIGHTS, SAYS SAF

BELLEVUE, WA ACORN, the publicly-funded national organization linked to voter fraud in several states is now actively interfering with the exercise of firearm civil rights in New Jersey, and the Second Amendment Foundation is calling for an immediate federal investigation.

ACORN has, since 1998, received an estimated $31 million in government funding, said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb. Now they have intervened in a New Jersey gun rights case in defense of an illegal Jersey City one-gun-a-month ordinance that violates the state preemption statute.

For the past few election cycles, Gottlieb noted, ACORN has clearly grown more partisan toward the political Left. ACORN S PAC has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president. That s hardly surprising since he used to serve as their legal counsel and he taught the group about community organizing. ACORN and Obama are lockstep in seeking to destroy our Second Amendment rights.

The organization is currently under FBI investigation over allegations of voter fraud in several states, he added. Bad enough that ACORN is implicated in fraudulent activities in several states, but now an ACORN chapter in the Garden State is working against the ability of New Jersey gun owners to exercise a constitutionally-protected individual civil right to own a handgun.

It is an outrage that this group has intervened to defend an anti-gun ordinance that has already been declared illegal by the court, he observed. So long as ACORN accepts one penny of public funding, the organization should remain absolutely neutral on social issues, political campaigns and especially legal actions defending the right to keep and bear arms.

We call upon the FBI to expand the scope of its ACORN investigation and focus on the group s involvement in the Jersey City case, Gottlieb stated. We support Ohio Congressman John Boehner s request that the White House immediately block all federal funding of ACORN activities until this group s questionable activities are fully investigated. We want to know how they are paying for attorneys, and why Seton Hall s Center for Social Justice and the Public Interest Law Center are providing legal assistance to ACORN for this effort.

This is still the United States, not a socialist gulag Gottlieb concluded. Public money should not be given to private organizations which then turn around and utilize that funding to usurp the electoral process and erode constitutionally-guaranteed civil rights.

-END-



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Copyright © 2008 Second Amendment Foundation, All Rights Reserved.

Second Amendment Foundation
James Madison Building
12500 N.E. Tenth Place
Bellevue, WA 98005 Voice: 425-454-7012
Toll Free: 800-426-4302
FAX: 425-451-3959
email: InformationRequest@saf.org



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GOA 2008 Voter Guide Update

With the Elections Just Two Weeks Away…
GOA’s Voter Guide is now more user-friendly than ever!

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

The GOA Political Victory Fund website is now hosting GOA’s voter guide ratings. If you haven’t checked out the ratings for the candidates who are running for Congress in your state, now is the time to do so.

You can go to http://www.goapvf.org to check out the new face lift.
Congressional and presidential ratings are all in one place now, and users will find the information they’re looking for in a much timelier manner.

The election is now just two weeks away! And while most candidates are running from the gun issue, GOA’s ratings hold their feet to the fire.

You owe it to yourself to check out the record of those who are trying to represent you in Congress, and to encourage others you know to check out the ratings as well.

GOA hopes you will make use of this valuable tool and share it with yourfamily and friends. Please distribute this e-mail far and wide. Thank you!


Are You A Bitter Clinger?– 3XL Now Available

Who is a Bitter Clinger? According to Sen. Barack Obama, who was recorded unawares at a San Francisco fundraiser, bitter clingers are
voters who are bitter because of their economic frustration and so cling bitterly to their Bibles and their guns.

If you are a bitter clinger, Gun Owners of America has a T-shirt for you!

You can proudly proclaim your membership in this class of people so looked down upon by the elites in our country.

To see the Bitter Clinger T-shirt, and for ordering information, go to:

http://www.gunowners.org/merch9066.htm


Please do not reply directly to this message, as your reply will
bounce back as undeliverable.

To subscribe to free, low-volume GOA alerts, go to
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address may also be made at that location.

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2nd Amendment RKBA

[Fcalerts-list] Clearer Choice

========================================================

Please reply to feedback [at] FirearmsCoalition.org using appropriate email format.

For months GunVoters have been frustrated by party politics as usual with an inexperienced, ultra-liberal, anti-gun, Democrat pretending to be a moderate, pro-Second Amendment, pragmatist; and a “maverick,” moderate, inconsistent on guns, Republican running hard toward the middle and doing little to reassure GunVoters.

Now that both candidates have introduced their choices for Vice-President, the picture has cleared up substantially.

Barack Obama’s choice is Joe Biden of Delaware. Biden is an old-school, party machine, liberal Democrat with a long and unvarnished record of support for virtually any legislation restricting the rights of gunowners. Biden brags that he was one of the original architects of the “assault weapons” ban, and has been on the wrong side of almost every gun vote in his extremely long career in the Senate. That lifetime membership in the most exclusive millionaires’ club in the world – the U.S.Senate – also throws a bit of a wet rag on Obama’s ‘new politics, changing Washington’ rhetoric. Biden’s foreign policy experience includes several votes and positions that are in direct conflict with Obama’s votes and positions, and that is going to become an issue before November.

On the other side of the card, John McCain went out on a limb and tapped a first-term governor from Alaska, Sarah Palin. Palin is a no-nonsense, staunch conservative with a reputation for having the courage of her convictions and for holding politicians and bureaucrats responsible for their actions regardless of their party affiliations. Palin hunts and fishes and is a strong supporter of gunowner rights. While her lack of experience raises some questions, the fact that she is running in the back seat with almost as much experience as Barack Obama, makes it tough for the Democrats to be too critical. McCain can be expected to draw a comparison between an experienced pilot commanding a plane with a rookie co-pilot, and putting a rookie in command. Ready to lead versus ready to step in if needs be is a pretty dramatic difference. Of course that’s a difference that was completely lost on New York Senator and anti-gun zealot, Chuck Schumer. Schumer immediately pounced on McCain’s pick as inexperienced and not ready to lead…

Obama’s choice of Biden should erase any doubt as to the Democrat’s position on guns and individual rights, and it should raise doubts about his commitment to change in Washington.

McCain’s choice of Palin should seriously bolster the lackluster support he’s received from the conservative base and particularly invigorate pro-gun, pro-hunting, and pro-life activists. At the same time, Palin broadens the tent simply by the fact that she is a woman.

The bottom line is that these VP candidates make the choice for President much clearer than it has been to this point and should make this a much more interesting race.

As always though, we must keep in mind that the President can only do as much harm or good as the Congress allows. It is critical that GunVoters get involved and active in the races for Senate, House, state legislatures, and Governor. As Obama and Palin both dramatically highlight, little politicians grow up to be big politicians so a candidates position on gun rights matters in every election at every level.

As the political season heats up, it is more important than ever that you go to www.GunVoter.org and share the information you have about candidates and learn what you can about others. GunVoter.org can be an invaluable resource in this and future elections, but only with your help.

The latest edition of the Hard Corps Report is at the printer’s and should hit mailboxes in a couple of days. If you don’t subscribe yet, send us your snail-mail address and we’ll let you sample it for free. Just drop a note to info at FirearmsCoalition dot org.

Please forward and repost this alert as widely as possible.

Yours for the Second Amendment,
Jeff Knox
Director, The firearms Coalition


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Platform Comfirms Dems Still ‘Don’t Get it’ About Gun Rights, Says CCRKBA

NEWS RELEASE

PLATFORM CONFIRMS DEMS STILL DON T GET IT ABOUT GUN RIGHTS, SAYS CCRKBA

BELLEVUE, WA The 2008 Democratic Party’s draft platform confirms that the party still doesn’t get it about Second Amendment gun rights versus the Utopian fantasy that gun control laws will somehow make neighborhoods safer, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

While promising to preserve our Second Amendment rights, said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, the party platform demonizes semiautomatic sport utility rifles and wants them banned, calls for anti-gun show legislation and proposes so-called common-sense gun laws. Many Democrats believe bans on most guns are common sense and they still support the handgun ban in Barack Obama’s hometown of Chicago. Boiled down, all it really means is that the Democrats are still the party of gun control no matter how they try to re-package the rhetoric, and they know it.

Gottlieb, co-author of a new book called These Dogs Don’t Hunt: The Democrats War on Guns, said the party is shamelessly telling American gun owners that they embrace the rights of millions of shooters, hunters and gun collectors, but there’s a caveat.

The party’s gun control platform plank puts the lie to everything they say, he added. As Democrats descend on Denver to nominate a candidate who is on record in opposition to sensible concealed carry laws, we encourage gun owners across the country, and especially in Colorado, to remind the party that the Supreme Court in June held that gun bans are unconstitutional. Yet here they are, calling for a ban on so-called assault weapons even after years of experience tells us that Bill Clinton’s ban accomplished nothing, and cost the party control of Congress in 1994.

Democrats want to regulate gun shows out of business, he continued, even after a study done for the Justice Department found that gun shows are rarely the source of firearms used by criminals. Gun shows provide a forum, a gathering place for law-abiding gun owners to discuss ideas and issues, and share constitutionally protected freedoms of speech, assembly and the right to keep and bear arms. Increasingly, Democrats seem averse to the exercise of these rights by anyone who does not share their philosophy. And this is the party of inclusion?

Democrats have an opportunity to reject and repudiate this platform, Gottlieb concluded. If they do not, that tells American gun owners everything they need to know about Democrats as November approaches.

-END-


< Please e-mail, distribute, and circulate to friends and family >

Copyright © 2008 Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, All Rights Reserved.
Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
James Madison Building
12500 N.E. Tenth Place
Bellevue, WA 98005Voice: 425-454-4911
Toll Free: 800-426-4302
FAX: 425-451-3959
email: InformationRequest@ccrkba.org



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Concealed Carry Reciprocity In Congress!

Senator Vitter To Offer Concealed Carry Reciprocity Amendment
— Action needed right away!

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Senator David Vitter (R-LA) has filed a pro-gun amendment to HR 980, and it
could be voted on as early as tomorrow!

This amendment would protect the right of citizens to carry concealed
weapons (outside of their home state) in states that allow concealed carry.

Sen. Vitter explains that his amendment does not violate the rights of
states as it “does NOT establish national standards for concealed carry, nor
does it provide for a national carry permit.”

In other words, the Vitter amendment specifically says that state laws
concerning specific types of locations in which firearms may not be carried
shall be followed. “My amendment will not federalize concealed carry
permits but simply requires concealed carry permits to be recognized in
other states that allow concealed carry permits,” Vitter said.

This is a real reciprocity provision which grants citizens the “full faith
and credit” protection that is guaranteed in Article IV of the Constitution.
Section 1 of this article says:

Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts,
Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress
may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records, and
Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

Vitter says that this constitutional provision authorizes the Congress to
pass legislation forcing each state to recognize the “public Acts” of other
states. So if states are not willing to recognize another state’s laws,
Congress has the authority to pass laws to require recognition of those
measures.

It’s just like with driver’s licenses. If certain states refused to honor
the driver’s licenses of citizens in other states, Congress could pass
legislation (under Article IV) to require every state to honor all licenses.

ACTION: Please urge your Senators to vote for the Vitter amendment to HR
980 to protect the right to carry concealed firearms outside of your home
state.

You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Senators the pre-written
e-mail message below. And, you can call your Senators at 202-224-3121 or
toll-free at 1-877-762-8762.

—– Pre-written letter —–

Dear Senator:

Please support the Vitter amendment to HR 980. This amendment will protect
the right of citizens to carry firearms outside of their home state without
violating the rights of other states. Thus, the Vitter language masterfully
protects the principle of federalism while also promoting Second Amendment
rights.

A person’s right to defend himself and his family should not end at the
border of his state.

I urge you to vote for the Vitter concealed carry amendment.

Sincerely,


Defend The 2nd Amendment Through Creative Giving…

As we confront the challenges of the future, we know that the generosity of
those who assist us will make all the difference in our success. That’s why
GOA seeks your long-term support.

Please call 703-321-8585 during regular business hours or e-mail
goamail@gunowners.org to request information on how to keep control of your
assets and make a gift at the same time through:

  • a bequest
  • a retirement plan
  • a will, living trust, or insurance policy

Requests for information are confidential and do not represent an
obligation.


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week or lists associated with issues other than gun rights.

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Ramifications Of The Veterans Disarmament Act

Q&A On The Veterans Disarmament Act
— How the new law will affect you and where we go from here

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

As most Americans were preparing for the Christmas holidays last
month, the U.S. Congress pulled another fast one when only few people
were watching.

It was December 19. Most Congressmen had left town and were either
at the airport or in the air returning home. They weren’t in
Washington, DC, because their party leadership had told them that all
the major votes were over… that the only legislative business left
related to non-controversial issues, such as when Congress would
return from Christmas break, etc.

But it was then, with most of the Congress gone, that the House and
Senate passed the Veterans Disarmament Act without a recorded vote.
It was a huge deja vu, as this was the method that a previous
Democratic Congress used — together with compliant Republicans — to
pass the original Brady Law in 1993.

WHO IS TO BLAME?

In the fury that resulted from this “fast one,” many Americans have
wanted to blame the entire lot of them… all 535 congressmen. And,
to be sure, there is an extent to which they all share some blame.

But to be fair, no one congressmen can camp out on the floor of the
House or Senate chambers, every day, 24/7. It’s a physical
impossibility, which is why members of each party rely on their
leadership to protect their interests and keep them informed. And
that’s where the betrayal occurred.

No Unanimous Consent agreement can pass the House or Senate without
the leaders of both parties signing off. And on December 19, the
leaders of each party sent their members home for the Christmas
holidays, while forging Unanimous Consent agreements in each chamber.

As such, the immediate ire should be directed at the following
legislators: Democrats such as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
(D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV); Republicans such
as House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Minority
Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Obviously, the backers of the Veterans Disarmament Act should be held
to account, as well. Most of the lead sponsors were Democrats —
such as Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

But there were a few key Republicans who helped cosponsor the
legislation: Representatives Michael Castle (DE), Christopher Shays
(CT) and Lamar Smith (TX). And dishonorable mention goes to Tom
Price of Georgia who was physically present on the House floor on
December 19. It was Rep. Price who asked for the Unanimous Consent
agreement to pass the Veterans Disarmament Act without a vote.

Finally, many of you know that Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) held up the
bill in the Senate for several months. His intentions were laudable
as he desperately wanted to protect Second Amendment rights and cut
unconstitutional spending.

Unfortunately, not one pro-gun senator chose to stand with Coburn…
not one. In fact, GOA felt just as alone as Coburn did. While two
veterans groups (and several pro-gun state groups) sided with us, GOA
was the only pro-gun group at the federal level that actively fought
this legislation week after week, while another and bigger
organization was working behind the scenes to help pass the Veterans
Disarmament Act.

Standing alone, Senator Coburn decided to negotiate for a better
bill. GOA was asked for input and made a few contributions to the
bill, but not enough to justify support for the Veterans Disarmament
Act.

Add to this fact that GOA was prevented from seeing the final version
of the bill before the brokered Schumer-Coburn compromise was taken
to the floor under a Unanimous Consent agreement.

As a result, Senator Coburn spoke in favor of the compromise bill on the floor of the Senate — something that was a huge mistake, for many of the glaring problems with the bill still remained untouched.

So chalk up a victory for Chuck Schumer… and for Carolyn McCarthy
as well, as she told CBS News, “This is the best Christmas present I
could ever receive.”

WHAT DOES THE BILL DO IN GENERAL?

It would be a mistake to under-react — or over-react — to the
passage of the Veterans Disarmament Act. On the bad side, this bill
statutorily validates BATF regulations which could potentially disarm
millions of Americans. This is a VERY DANGEROUS turn of events which
will have huge ramifications over the next several decades.

The extent to which its unconstitutional potential will be realized
will be clear only over time — and perhaps a long time — and will
depend on whether pro-gunners or anti-gunners are in power. For
example, it took a full thirty years for language in the 1968 Gun
Control Act to be used to disarm veterans.

On the other hand, GOA was able to secure a few modest concessions
which should provide some protection to gun owners — though NOT
NEARLY ENOUGH PROTECTION TO JUSTIFY SUPPORT of this bill.

So having said that, what are the implications of this legislation
for Americans with psychiatric diagnoses?

Although we succeeded in forcing the deletion of the ratification of
the BATF regulations, per se, section 101 (c) (1) (C) contains new
language which could make you a “prohibited person” (unable to own a
gun) based solely on a medical finding (by a psychiatrist or
psychologist), provided:

  • That you had “an opportunity for a hearing by a court, board,
    commission or other lawful authority”; and
  • In the future, that you had notice that you would be made a
    “prohibited person” as a result of the agency action (section 101 (c)
    (3)). [NOTE: This was added pursuant to negotiations over GOA’s
    objections to the bill.]

However, even these modest gains have severe limitations. Up to
140,000 veterans had their gun rights taken away as a result of a
diagnosis of a mental disorder such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD). But this new law does not require two important things for
those 140,000 people:

  1. The new law does not require that a veteran needed to have any knowledge of the ramifications of the “diagnosis” in the past — and the fact that this diagnosis could disarm him or her for life. How many veterans suffering from PTSD simply went to Veterans Affairs, hoping to get treatment, but now face a lifetime gun ban because of the new law?
  • Also, the act does not require that the disarmed vets even knew
    they had a right to appeal their diagnosis. Many of the 140,000
    Americans who have now lost their Second Amendment rights first
    received a letter from Veterans Affairs telling them that, due to
    their diagnosis, a “guardian” was being appointed for them to handle
    their affairs. As stated above, how many vets realized that this
    action would deem them as “mental defective” under the 1968 Gun
    Control Act and strip them of their gun rights?

  • Moreover, how many vets realized they could challenge this action by
    appealing the diagnosis? If they didn’t realize the significance of
    this VA letter, most likely, the vets did nothing, as they were more
    concerned with getting the monetary benefits that such a diagnosis
    would bring. But, whether they knew these things or not, this new
    law would still validate the removal of their Second Amendment
    rights.

    HOW WILL THE BILL AFFECT ME?

    If you have been subject to a psychological or psychiatric diagnosis,
    the following may be helpful:

    • A diagnosis by your private doctor — with no government
      involvement — will probably cause you no problems.
  • The biggest danger remains the danger for veterans. Although the
    language of this bill could conceivably disarm adults who were
    diagnosed as kids with ADHD in connection with the IDEA program,
    seniors on Medicare with Alzheimers, etc., we know of no active
    efforts to disarm persons in these cases — yet.

  • The likelihood that new classes of people will be disarmed will be
    directly related to the ease of accomplishing this though a computer
    keyboard. If your file exists only on microfiche in a dusty basement
    cabinet, you are relatively safe for now — although, keep in mind,
    the new law calls for monies to be spent on collecting and updating
    records like this.

  • Obviously, the question of whether a gun hater or Second Amendment
    supporter is in the White House on January 20, 2009, will have a lot
    to do with how vigorously this new statute is enforced.

  • WHAT CAN I DO IF I’M ILLEGITIMATELY PROHIBITED FROM BUYING A GUN?

    In the unlikely event that you can get your diagnosis “set aside,”
    “expunged,” or found to no longer exist, you can regain your rights.
    [See section 101(c)(1)(A)&(B).]

    The McClure-Volkmer “relief from disabilities” provisions which have
    been blocked by sponsor Schumer for 15 years have been reinstated and
    expanded — so that they will now exist in the broader range of state
    and federal agencies which this bill will allow to make you a
    prohibited person. Pursuant to negotiations over GOA’s objections,
    we were able to secure very modest improvements which:

    • Would allow you to sue to get your rights restored if the agency
      sat on your appeal for 365 days;
  • Would allow you to get your legal fees if you prevail against the
    agency in court;

  • Would prevent Schumer from defunding these efforts in the same way
    he defunded McClure-Volkmer — by requiring the 3% of state funds under this bill be used for these “relief from disabilities” programs.

  • But here’s the major loophole in all of this. What minimal gains were granted by the “right hand” are taken away by the “left.” Section 105 provides a process for some Americans diagnosed with so-called mental disabilities to get their rights restored in the state where they live. But then, in subsection (a)(2), the bill stipulates that such relief may occur only if “the person will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that the GRANTING OF THE RELIEF WOULD NOT BE CONTRARY TO THE PUBLIC INTEREST.” (Emphasis added.)

    This language sounds similar to those state codes (like California’s)
    that have “may issue” concealed carry laws — where citizens
    “technically” have the right to carry, but state law only says that
    sheriffs MAY ISSUE them a permit to carry. When given such leeway,
    those sheriffs usually don’t grant the permits!

    As we have predicted before: liberal states — the same states that
    took these people’s rights away — will treat almost every person who
    has been illegitimately denied as a danger to society and claim that
    granting relief would be “contrary to the public interest.”

    WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

    GOA is devising strategies with House and Senate members to restore
    veterans’ rights. Please stay tuned.


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    Categories
    2nd Amendment RKBA

    Beware Holiday Season Ambush

    Beware Holiday Season Ambush


    If that eery silence about H.R. 2640 (the Veteran Disarmament bill by Carolyn McCarthy) makes you uneasy, it should: the best time for our opponents to slip gun control through the legislative process is when it’s quiet, and everyone’s occupied by other business.

    It’s no coincidence that gun control often gains steam close to the Holiday season, when Americans are busy with filling that deer tag, going to Christmas plays, shopping and getting the basement room ready for Grandma.

    Some good news:

    • Sources at the Gun Rights Policy Conference reported that when NRA-ILA Federal Affair lobbyist Chuck Cunningham spoke, he was assaulted with questions about why the NRA was supporting McCarthy’s bill. Immediately after that woodshedding, Wayne LaPierre canceled his speaking appearance at the event — none of LaPierre’s handlers wanted the “face of the NRA” to be caught on video defending their support of gun control.

    Friends, that is encouraging: the NRA is feeling the heat on this issue, and if they back off of the bill, H.R. 2640’s support on Capitol Hill will lose votes faster than Obama at a John Birch Society straw poll.

    And though that is good news, we have bad news:

    • Expert sources on the Hill are telling us that politicians took notice of the firestorm that struck their offices late this summer and early fall, but now believe the heat is off and are once again eyeing the passage of HR 2640.
    • An NRA insider has told us that yet another deal is in the works between the NRA and Congressional offices, something designed to pass the bill while giving the NRA cover to continue their support.

    This confirms what we know: there’s a lot of deal-making happening in Washington on this issue, and it’s very dangerous to our rights. These next few weeks — until the end of 2007 — are pivotal.

    If history repeats itself (and it often does), this Holiday season is a likely spot for our rights to be ambushed.

    What you can do:

    1) Call Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Bunning and tell them to join Senator Coburn in opposition to H.R. 2640, the McCarthy/Leahy Gun Control Bill.

    Call Senator Mike Crapo s office at (202) 224-6142. To e-mail senator Crapo go here: http://crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.

    Call Senator Bunning’s office at (202) 224-4343. To e-mail Senator Bunning go here: http://bunning.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

    2) Call or e-mail the NRA and tell them to stop schmoozing with Sarah Brady and Chuck Schummer and oppose H.R. 2640.

    Call (800) 392-8683 or e-mail the NRA s federal lobbyist, Chuck Cunningham at chuckc@visi.net and Federal-Affairs@nrahq.org.

    For NAGR s extensive analysis of H.R. 2640, go here: http://www.nationalgunrights.org/hr2640.shtml


    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    National Association for Gun Rights

    P.O. Box 7002

    Fredericksburg, VA 22404

    Website: www.NationalGunRights.org

    Email: contact@nationalgunrights.org

    Phone: (888) 874-3006 Toll-Free

    Fax: (202) 351-0578

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