Categories
RKBA

National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Vote Imminent

Vote on Right to Carry Coming Soon
— Please urge your Senators to vote YES!

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
Friday, July 17, 2009

A vote to protect your right to travel out-of-state with a firearm could
come to a vote next week — even as early as Monday!

Senators John Thune and David Vitter are the sponsors of S. 845 — a
bill that will establish concealed carry reciprocity amongst the several
states.

Senators Thune and Vitter offered the bill as an amendment (#1618) to
the Department of Defense authorization bill (H.R. 2647).

This provision will use the constitutional authority allowing Congress
to enforce “full faith and credit” across the country, so that each
state respects the “public acts, records, and judicial proceedings” of
every other state (Article IV).

The benefit of the Thune/Vitter legislation is that — unlike other,
competing measures — it would protect the right of any U.S. citizen to
carry out of state (regardless of whether he possesses a permit), as
long as he is authorized to carry in his home state. This is important
because of states like Vermont and Alaska, where residents can carry
concealed without prior approval or permission from the state… in
other words, without a permit!

ACTION: Please urge your Senators to vote YES on the Thune/Vitter
concealed carry reciprocity amendment that will be offered to the
Department of Defense authorization bill and NO on any modifying
amendments. This vote could come as early as Monday, so please act on
this right away!

You can use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Senators the
pre-written e-mail message below.

—– Pre-written letter —–

Dear Senator:

Please support the Thune/Vitter amendment to the Department of Defense
authorization bill. This amendment will protect the right of citizens to
carry firearms outside of their home state without violating the rights
of the other states. Thus, the reciprocity 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 Thune/Vitter concealed carry amendment and to
oppose any modifying actions that seek to weaken their amendment.

Sincerely,


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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RKBA

Your Right to carry a Knife is in Danger!

FORWARDED MESSAGE:
==================================================================

I don’t usually do this, but letters need to be in the mail within the next week or so.
The following alert from the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is urgent and time sensitive.
It is a long letter so I’ll summarize:
US Customs and Border Protection has decided to reverse some past decisions and redefine what constitutes a “switchblade.”
Under their new definition just about any folding knife could be considered a switchblade – especially knives designed to be easily opened with one hand – like the one in your pocket.
Most state and local laws base their own definition of a switchblade on Customs’ definition so if Customs tightens up their definition it could easily result in tighter state and local laws as well and you could suddenly be committing a felony for crossing a state line with that same handy little knife you’ve been carrying for years.  Domestic manufacturers could also have their businesses seriously disrupted.
CBP was doing this kinda quietly and only allowed for a 30-day window for comments from the public – written on paper and sent to them through the US Mails.  The deadline for their receipt of comments is June 21 (which is a Sunday so the real deadline might be June 20.)
[By the way I am scheduled to guest-host Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk radio program on the 21st so be sure to tune in.]
We are encouraging people to submit comments to CBP telling them not to create all sorts of potential problems by trying to solve a problem that isn’t a problem at all.
We also ask that you start pinging on your Senators and Representative demanding that they rein in CBP and then fix the issue permanently by repealing the useless ban on switchblades. (Legislators just shouldn’t be allowed to watch West Side Story.)
KnifeRights.org is the lead organization in this and they have sample letters at their web site – linked below.
I think the hype in the following is a bit heavy, but this is important none the less and I hope everyone will take immediate action.
Jeff

The U.S. Government Is Trying To Take Away Your Pocket Knives!

SAF and CCRKBA Joins with Knife Rights

The Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms have joined with Knife Rights to help fight this unwarranted knife grab by Customs. Alan Gottlieb CCRKBA Chairman noted, “we stand with Knife Rights in their support of Americans’ right to own and carry the knives of their choice.”

And, just a reminder, the Second Amendment doesn’t say “Firearms,” it says “Arms,” and knives are clearly covered.

The U.S. Government is after your Pocket Knives! In a sneak attack, U.S. Customs has proposed revoking earlier rulings that assisted opening knives are not switchblades. The proposal would not only outlaw assisted opening knives, its overly broad new definition of a switchblade would also include all one-handed opening knives and most other pocket knives!

U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) on May 21st proposed revoking earlier rulings that assisted opening knives are not switchblades. The proposed new rule would not only outlaw assisted opening knives, its new broad definition of a switchblade could also include one-handed opening knives and could be easily interpreted to cover most other pocket knives, even simple old-fashioned slip-joints.

At this point, one-hand opening and assisted opening knives are 80% of U.S. knife sales. For most knife companies, they represent all or the majority of their product lines. These are the knives Americans take with them to work and to play everyday.

Note, please, that CBP’s interpretation of the Federal Switchblade Act forms the basis for national, state and even local law and judicial rulings in many cases. This ruling by CBP is NOT limited to just imports. This WILL affect virtually everyone who carries a pocket knife, no matter the type!


CBP came up with this absurd proposal and then tried slipping it into their regular notices, apparently hoping nobody would become aware of until too late. They provided for only the minimum 30-day comment period, and there’s no email comments allowed. Just yesterday CBP rejected numerous requests for an extension to the unduly short comment period. Obviously, they’d just as soon not hear from us. We’re intending to disappoint them in that.

CBP’s proposal would have effects far beyond that suggested in the title of the proposal, “Proposed Revocation Of Ruling Letters And Revocation Of Treatment Relating To The Admissibilty [sic] Of Certain Knives With Spring-Assisted Opening Mechanisms,” which would be bad enough even if it only did that. However, this proposal would likely make it illegal for the estimated 40 million law-abiding Americans who own and carry pocket knives to do so. It would also cost this country dearly in destroyed businesses, lost jobs and ruined families.

Thousands of jobs and billions of dollars would be lost. CBP clearly appears to not have considered the consequences of this unnecessary, inappropriate and even illegitimate action. Since CBP is not required to consider the effects of their actions, only Congress or the courts can rein them in. If left to the courts, the industry and our rights will be devastated and America will lose much, regardless of who wins the legal fight.

The definition of what is a switchblade has been clear and settled for the most part since the Federal Switchblade Act was passed in 1958 and has been reaffirmed by many years of legal decisions. The Act is very clear that a switchblade must have an activating button on the handle. Without a button, it is not a switchblade and this has been upheld by numerous cases on many levels over the years. CBP’s convoluted reasoning in their proposal to reach back beyond the law and to expand their regulatory purview by rationalizing “intent” as justification for this new interpretation is a stretch, at best, and illegitimate at worst. It simply doesn’t meet the common sense test.

CBP’s reaching beyond the clear language of the Act in making this proposal is particularly questionable and irreconcilable because it flies in the face of virtually unanimous recent state court rulings (including several cases in California, Texas, Illinois and Michigan) where the issue of assisted-opening knives has already been decided in favor of the existing clear interpretation, that they are not a switchblade. They cherry-picked a few bizarre and untypical rulings from New York state from some years ago to provide support for their proposal, ignoring the many more recent rulings.

Beyond that, their significantly expanded interpretation of gravity and inertia knives, also included in the Act, would clearly make one-hand opening pocket knives illegal and according to industry sources, 80% of pocket knives sold today are one-hand or assisted openers. Beyond even that clearly excessively broad seizure of authority, we know from past unfortunate experience in many cases over the years that this sort of misinterpretation leads to potential abuse by law enforcement where even the most simple and innocuous Boy Scout folding pocket knife can be opened one-handed by use of dangerous and unsafe tricks, so that these too would be covered under this expanded federal definition. This ruling would therefore make almost all pocket knives subject to being considered switchblades.

The impact of this CBP ruling would go far beyond just imported knives because this “agency determination” will be used by domestic courts and law enforcement to determine what is a “switchblade” under both federal and state laws. Many states do not themselves define switchblades and simply rely on the federal definition and interpretation, which is only found in rulings by CBP. Since interstate commerce in switchblades is prohibited, except under very limited conditions, simply driving across a state line with a pocket knife in their possession would make someone a federal felon.

Knifemaking in the U.S. has enjoyed a renaissance in the past decade or two as the genius and innovation of American knifemakers, designers and manufacturers has created a booming and vital American industry with thousands of exciting new knife designs that improve the function, utility and safety of the lowly pocket knife, one of man’s oldest and most useful tools. Millions of Americans have responded to this innovation, creating a vibrant industry. For the most part these are family owned businesses that are American success stories, the core of America’s economic strength. This proposal by CBP would destroy all that for no good reason. That’s a heck of a stimulus package.

The knife industry tells us they employ nearly 24,000 Americans and have a nearly 6 billion dollar annual impact on our nation’s economy. Those are very conservative numbers. If this proposed ruling is allowed to stand, thousands of jobs will be lost at the direct cost of billions of dollars. That doesn’t even begin to cover the enormous cost to the country of those that would become unemployed, the ruined businesses, foreclosed homes, years of litigation by both industry against CBP and who knows how many criminal trials and appeals as law-abiding Americans fight this abusive attempt to take away their knives, as well as many other devastating unforeseen effects of this ill-considered proposal. Thousands of American citizens lives would be ruined. Millions of Americans would be impacted. The cost would be tragically huge, more so because it is neither necessary, nor desired by the vast majority of Americans.

Knife Rights www.KnifeRights.org is the organization that is heading the grassroots effort to stop Customs’ pocket knife grab. We are supporting their efforts to safeguard our rights. As they point out, the Second Amendment doesn’t say “Firearms,” it says “Arms.” Clearly the founding fathers expected that knives would be included.

Knife Rights has provided Model Letters to make it easy for you to make your feelings known. We are in for the fight of our lives to save our Pocket Knives. We can only win if you do your part. You have to write!

We need your help to make an impression on CBP. They figured that they could slip this by everyone with little notice. We need to let CBP know that they are not going to get away with it; that we noticed and we are not happy and that we will not stand by while they take away our pocket knives.

We need you to write CBP NOW! Their June 21, 2009, deadline is fast approaching and these letters must go via postal mail (or Fedex/UPS) and be RECEIVED (not postmarked) by that date. Click below for a Model Letter you can send to CBP. You MUST write TODAY!


http://www.kniferights.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=29
or
http://tinyurl.com/q7w8tm

However, the reality is that CBP isn’t required to listen to our demands, but they do have to answer to Congress. After you send a letter to CBP, giving them notice they are not going to sneak this by us, the next step is to inundate Congress with emails and letters.

If you want to be free to carry your pocket knives in the future, you need to write your Senators and Representative TODAY! Click below for a Model Letter you can send to Members of Congress. Only your efforts will stop this and save our Knife Rights!

http://www.kniferights.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=29
or
http://tinyurl.com/qqvmns

Help us stop this ill-conceived effort by Customs before it puts thousands of more Americans out of work and destroys one of Americas oldest industries, causing great harm to our nation and many American families. Help us stop these faceless, heartless bureaucrats from destroying our essential American freedoms. This nation has many more important issues that need our attention and energy in this time of crisis.

NOW IS THE TIME WE MUST DO BATTLE! WE HAVE NO TIME TO WASTE.!


GET ON YOUR COMPUTERS AND SEND THESE LETTERS and EMAILS.!

Write Customs & Border Patrol NOW!


http://www.kniferights.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=29
or
http://tinyurl.com/q7w8tm

Write your Senators and Representative TODAY!


http://www.kniferights.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=29
or
http://tinyurl.com/qqvmns

DO IT NOW! DO IT TODAY! DON’T WAIT!


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

Copyright © 2009 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 98005 Voice: 425-454-4911
Toll Free: 800-426-4302
FAX: 425-451-3959
email: InformationRequest@ccrkba.org

_______________________________________________

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2nd Amendment

Police Fatalities for ’08 Prove CCW Laws no Threat to Cops, Says CCRKBA

NEWS RELEASE

POLICE FATALITIES FOR 08 PROVE CCW LAWS NO THREAT TO COPS, SAYS CCRKBA

BELLEVUE, WA Another bogus argument of gun control extremists that sensible concealed carry laws create an increased threat to police officers has been refuted by statistics from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and published by USA Today.

The number of officer fatalities due to gunfire is the lowest in 50 years, noted Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. A report out Monday said that this year, 41 officers have died from gunshot wounds, down 40 percent from the 68 who died by gunfire in 2007. Yet the number of concealed carry permits issued by the states has risen, dramatically in some areas, in the past 12 months.

Better training and equipment have contributed to this decline, Gottlieb stated, but it must be noted for the record that growing numbers of legally-armed citizens have not resulted in more police slayings. That has been one of the many lame arguments offered by gun control fanatics over the past few years when they fought against expanded concealed carry rights.

The death of one police officer is a tragedy, he continued, but common sense right-to-carry statutes have no relation to the criminal slayings of police officers, and anti-gun rights extremists know it.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reports that more officers have died in traffic-related incidents than in shootings, same as last year, Gottlieb noted.

There are, today, more legally-armed citizens than ever before, he commented, and more privately-owned firearms than ten or even five years ago. More Americans own semiautomatic sport-utility rifles, growing numbers of women own guns for personal protection and more citizens are involved in shooting sports.

None of these law-abiding citizens pose any threat to public safety, and especially to the safety of our local police, Gottlieb concluded. We expect the new Congress, and state legislatures around the country, to keep this in perspective as the gun ban lobby mounts new attacks on firearm civil rights in 2009.

These Dogs Don’t Hunt: The Democrats’ War on Guns

This book is a must read for every gun owner concerned about the election results.
Buy now at a discount
from www.amazon.com


< 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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2nd Amendment RKBA

Disarmed Victims in Virginia

I was going to write something similar but Jeff Knox says it more eloquently than I would have. If just one person had a Weapon they could have stopped this person. Laws preventing law abiding citizens from carrying weapons for self defense and defending themselves just turn them into victims. Such stupid laws do NOTHING to stop someone like the person who shot up Virginia Tech. A teacher or guard, even a student could have stopped this person if they weren’t prohibited from carrying weapons on campus even if they do have a CCW. Weapons free zones are nothing more than disarmed victims waiting zone. If you think the police are there to protect you this incident should be a lesson to you, they only take reports after the fact..

DSS

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

Please reply to feedback at FirearmsCoalition.org (using appropriate email
format).

Thirty three dead after shooting rampage at Virginia Tech. All of the
victims were unarmed. The murderer killed himself.
Virginia Tech forbids students and faculty from possessing firearms on
campus, even when they have valid concealed weapons permits.
News is still sketchy but it appears that a lunatic went on a rampage
at Virginia Tech University this morning killing some 32 people before
killing himself. Early reports indicate that the shooting started shortly
after 7:00 this morning in a co-ed dormitory housing some 800
students. The gunman avoided apprehension after that incident and it is
speculated that the same gunman then walked into a classroom building two
hours later and began shooting students in classrooms.
Reports indicate that the gunman first chained the doors to the building
from the inside and was wearing a vest with numerous magazines attached to
it. The only firearms mentioned in any of the reports were two 9mm
handguns supposedly carried by the gunman, but those reports are so far
unsubstantiated.
The campus Police Chief says that officers entered the buildings
immediately upon arrival but that there was never any exchange of gunfire
between the gunman and police.

The Virginia Citizens Defense League has sponsored legislation in the
last two sessions of the Virginia legislature aimed at forcing state
schools like Virginia Tech to abandon their policy of forbidding students
and faculty from possessing guns on campus. Representatives of the
colleges argued that their campuses were safe and have little crime…
As always happens in incidents like this, the media is casting about
for someone or something to blame for this tragedy other than the
criminal. Most of the criticism so far has been pointed toward the schools
response to the first shootings. They are asking questions like, “Why
wasn’t the campus locked down at that time?” and “Why weren’t students
notified not to go to classes?”. So far no one in the mainstream media has
asked the question we want answered: “Why do you force law-abiding students
to disarm when on campus?”
When asked what could be done to avert a tragedy like this, the
president of the University responded that, “We obviously can’t have an
armed guard in front of every classroom every day.” To which the Firearms
Coalition responds: If you admit that you can’t protect people, why do you
insist on taking away people’s ability to protect themselves?
Eyewitness accounts of the shooting suggest that the shooter was firing
very rapidly, precluding any opportunity for students to overwhelm him with
force and numbers. The only thing that could have mitigated this tragedy
would have been one or more persons armed with firearms within close
proximity when the shooting started.
Instead of pointing out this simple, practical truth, it won’t be long
until the media takes up the cries that have already begun from the
anti-gun forces and start blaming the tools and using this tragedy as an
excuse to pursue more restrictions on firearms. It is up to the pro-gun
majority to bring this back to the facts of personal protection – that an
individual’s security is that individual’s responsibility and it is
inexcusable for anyone to ever take away anyone else’s right to their
chosen means of affecting that protection.

We will keep you posted as this story develops.

Yours for the Second Amendment,

Jeff Knox
Director of Operations
The Firearms Coalition


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