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RKBA

FW: I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.

—– Original Message —–

Sent: Monday, June 29, 2009 2:47 PM
Subject: I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.

Clint Smith, Director of Thunder Ranch, is part drill instructor, and part stand up comic. Here are a few of his observations on tactics, firearms, self defense and life as we know it in the civilized world.

“The handgun would not be my choice of weapon if I knew I was going to a fight…I’d choose a rifle, a shotgun, an RPG or an atomic bomb instead.”

“The two most important rules in a gunfight are: always cheat and always win.”

“Every time I teach a class, I discover I don’t know something.”

“Don’t forget, incoming fire has the right of way.”

“Make your attacker advance through a wall of bullets. I may get killed with my own gun, but he’s gonna have to beat me to death with it, cause it’s going to be empty.”

“If you’re not shootin’, you should be loadin’. If you’re not loadin, you should be movin’, if you’re not movin’, someone’s gonna cut your head off and put it on a stick.”

“When you reload in low light encounters, don’t put your flashlight in your back pocket. If you light yourself up, you’ll look like an angel or the tooth fairy…and you’re gonna be one of ’em pretty soon.”

“Do something. It may be wrong, but do something.”

“Nothing adds a little class to a sniper course like a babe in a Ghilliesuit.”

“Shoot what’s available, as long as it’s available, until something else becomes available.”

“If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That’s ridiculous…if I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid for?”

“Don’t shoot fast, shoot good.”

“You can say ‘stop’ or ‘alto’ or use any other word you think will work but I’ve found that a large bore muzzle pointed at someone’s head is pretty much the universal language.”

“You have the rest of your life to solve your problems. How long you live depends on how well you do it.”

“You cannot save the planet. You may be able to save yourself and your family.”

“Thunder Ranch will be here as long as you’ll have us or until someone makes us go away and either way it will be exciting.”

More Excellent Gun Wisdom… The purpose of fighting is to win.
There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.

1. Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.

2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.

3. I carry a gun cause a cop is too heavy.

4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.

5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him ‘Why do you carry a 45?’ The Ranger responded, ‘Because they don’t make a 46.’

6. An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity.

7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. ‘Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?’ ‘No ma’am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my rifle.’

8. Beware the man who only has one gun. He probably knows how to use it!

If you believe in the 2nd Amendment, please forward.

‘The true Soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.’ -G. K. Chesterton

A people that values its privileges above its principles will soon lose both.

‘Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.’

‘I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house.
To which I said I did. She said, “Well, I certainly hope it isn’t loaded!”
To which I said, “of course it is loaded, can’t work without bullets…”
She then asked, “Are you that afraid of someone evil coming into your house?”
My reply was, “No, not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching afire either, but I have fire extinguishers around and THEY ARE ALL LOADED.” ‘

Scott’s website
Scott Blog


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Politics RKBA

Obama Pushing Treaty To Ban Reloading

Obama Pushing Treaty To Ban Reloading
— Even BB guns could be on the chopping block

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, April 21, 2009

Remember CANDIDATE Barack Obama? The guy who “wasn’t going to take away
our guns”?

Well, guess what?

Less than 100 days into his administration, he’s never met a gun he
didn’t hate.

A week ago, Obama went to Mexico, whined about the United States, and
bemoaned (before the whole world) the fact that he didn’t have the
political power to take away our semi-automatics. Nevertheless, that
didn’t keep him from pushing additional restrictions on American gun
owners.

It’s called the Inter-American Convention Against Illicit Manufacturing
of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other
Related Materials. To be sure, this imponderable title masks a really
nasty piece of work.

First of all, when the treaty purports to ban the “illicit” manufacture
of firearms, what does that mean?

  1. “Illicit manufacturing” of firearms is defined as “assembly of
    firearms [or] ammunition… without a license….”

Hence, reloading ammunition — or putting together a lawful firearm from
a kit — is clearly “illicit manufacturing.”

Modifying a firearm in any way would surely be “illicit manufacturing.”
And, while it would be a stretch, assembling a firearm after cleaning it
could, in any plain reading of the words, come within the screwy
definition of “illicit manufacturing.”

  1. “Firearm” has a similarly questionable definition.

“[A]ny other weapon” is a “firearm,” according to the treaty — and the
term “weapon” is nowhere defined.

So, is a BB gun a “firearm”? Probably.

A toy gun? Possibly.

A pistol grip or firing pin? Probably. And who knows what else.

If these provisions (and others) become the law of the land, the Obama
administration could have a heyday in enforcing them. Consider some of
the other provisions in the treaty:

  • Banning Reloading. In Article IV of the treaty, countries commit to
    adopting “necessary legislative or other measures” to criminalize
    illicit manufacturing and trafficking in firearms.

Remember that “illicit manufacturing” includes reloading and modifying
or assembling a firearm in any way. This would mean that the Obama
administration could promulgate regulations banning reloading on the
basis of this treaty — just as it is currently circumventing Congress
to write legislation taxing greenhouse gases.

  • Banning Gun Clubs. Article IV goes on to state that the criminalized
    acts should include “association or conspiracy” in connection with said
    offenses — which is arguably a term broad enough to allow, by
    regulation, the criminalization of entire pro-gun organizations or gun
    clubs, based on the facilities which they provide their membership.
  • Extraditing US Gun Dealers. Article V requires each party to “adopt
    such measures as may be necessary to establish its jurisdiction over the
    offenses it has established in accordance with this Convention” under a
    variety of circumstances.

We know that Mexico is blaming U.S. gun dealers for the fact that its
streets are flowing with blood. And we know it is possible for Mexico
to define offenses “committed in its territory” in a very broad way.
And we know that we have an extradition obligation under Article XIX of
the proposed treaty. So we know that Mexico could try to use the treaty
to demand to extradition of American gun dealers.

Under Article XXIX, if Mexico demands the extradition of a lawful
American gun dealer, the U.S. would be required to resolve the dispute
through “other means of peaceful settlement.”

Does anyone want to risk twenty years in a sweltering Mexican jail on
the proposition that the Obama administration would apply this provision
in a pro-gun manner?

  • Microstamping. Article VI requires “appropriate markings” on
    firearms. And, it is not inconceivable that this provision could be
    used to require microstamping of firearms and/or ammunition — a
    requirement which is clearly intended to impose specifications which are
    not technologically possible or which are possible only at a
    prohibitively expensive cost.
  • Gun Registration. Article XI requires the maintenance of any records,
    for a “reasonable time,” that the government determines to be necessary
    to trace firearms. This provision would almost certainly repeal
    portions of McClure-Volkmer and could arguably be used to require a
    national registry or database.

    • ACTION: Write your Senators and urge them to oppose the Inter-American
    Convention Against Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms,
    Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials.

    Please 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:

    I am urging you, in the strongest terms, to oppose the Inter-American
    Convention Against Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms,
    Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials.

    This anti-gun treaty was written by international bureaucrats who are
    either stupid or virulently anti-gun — or both.

    This treaty could very well ban the ability to reload ammunition, to put
    new stocks on rifles lawfully owned by American citizens, and, possibly,
    even ban BB guns!

    There are too many problems with this treaty to mention them all in this
    letter. The rest can be read on the website of Gun Owners of America
    at:
    http://www.gunowners.org/fs0901.htm

    Please do not tell me the treaty has not yet been abused in this way by
    the bevy of Third World countries which have signed it. We do not
    expect the real ramifications of the treaty to become clear until the
    big prize — the U.S. — has stepped into the trap.

    For all of these reasons, I must insist that you oppose ratification of
    the treaty.

    Sincerely,

    What’s Your Current GOA Status?

    Obviously, we now face years of invigorated attacks on our gun rights.
    Shutting down gun shows, prohibitions on specific calibers, another
    semi-auto ban, and the anti-gun extremists’ Holy Grail of mandatory
    federal licensing and registration of all gun owners — these are just
    some of the horrors that we already know we’ll have to defeat head-on.
    Not to mention this treaty nonsense. Meanwhile, we’ll take every
    opportunity to go on offense and advance the Second Amendment.

    It can’t be done without every single voice being counted. That’s why
    we are asking you to consider making the commitment of becoming a Gun
    Owners of America Life Member. By doing so, you put the politicians on
    notice that neither you nor GOA is going away — that no matter who’s in
    the White House, there is always going to be a solid wall of resistance.

    Now is a perfect time to become a Life Member. And if you aren’t a GOA
    member at all, isn’t it time you became one?

    Please go to http://gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm to upgrade your
    participation in GOA.

    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
    http://www.gunowners.org/ean.htm on the web. Change of e-mail
    address may also be made at that location.

    To unsubscribe send a message to
    gunowners_list@capwiz.mailmanager.net with the word unsubscribe in
    the subject line or use the url below.

    Problems, questions or comments? The main GOA e-mail address
    goamail@gunowners.org is at your disposal. Please do not add that
    address to distribution lists sending more than ten messages per
    week or lists associated with issues other than gun rights.


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    Categories
    RKBA

    Watch this CNN anti-gun YouTube video and SAF’s rebutal

    Watch this CNN anti-gun YouTube video and SAF’s rebutal

    Watch the YouTube link below to see CNN anti-gun rights bias and my on air knock out punch to them.

    YouTube – CNN Rick Sanchez ‘SLAMS’ FOX News’s Gun Fear Mongering with guest Alan Gottlieb of the Second Amendment Foundation.

    With your help we can make this the most watched video on YouTube.

    Thanks for all your help and support in protecting our right to keep and bear arms.

    Sincerely yours,

    Alan M. Gottlieb
    Founder, Second Amendment Foundation

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

    Copyright © 2009 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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    Categories
    RKBA

    [Fcalerts-list] Weekly Knox Update

    Three items for this weeks update:

    1. Rights Activists Shooting Themselves in the Foot
    2. No More Land for Gun Banning NPS
    3. You Are a Radical Extremist and a Potential Terrorist (because you’re a good citizen)

    The Myth of Mandatory Training

    (March 12, 2009) Rights activists are shooting themselves in the foot whenever they advocate for mandatory training for concealed carry, and they’re shooting themselves in the foot a lot lately. There is absolutely no question that all gunowners, especially those who choose to carry in public, need to take their responsibilities seriously and seeking out quality training is just the beginning of the responsibility.
      But legislating training is a seriously bad idea.  If it is reasonable and prudent to mandate training for concealed carry, why would it not be reasonable and prudent to mandate training for open carry?  If that is reasonable, what about mandating training for anyone wishing to even own a firearm, and mandatory training for anyone who lives in a home with a firearm?  If mandatory training makes sense, then what is the argument against mandatory storage requirements?  The bottom line is that firearm safety is a matter of personal responsibility and that responsibility can not and should not be legislated by government. Personal responsibility is, by definition, personal.
     The idea of mandatory training stems from the huge and disturbing assumption that the people have no common sense of their own and must be led to sensible behavior by the government.
      To read the entire article, go to the following link:
    http://www.firearmscoalition.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=360&Itemid=37
    or just go to our home page at: http://www.FirearmsCoalition.org

    No More Land to National Park Service
    There is a major lands bill pending in the US House which would add a bunch of land to the National Park Service.  The bill has already passed the Senate and has come up a couple of times in the House only to be beaten back by gunowner’s objections. 
    As long a the National Park Service maintains its anti-gun policies and regulations they should not be given authority over one more square inch of US soil.
    Contact your Representative and tell them to oppose S.22 – No more land to the NPS until they adopt gun regulations similar to those of the National Forest Service and BLM.
    Gun Owners of America has taken the lead on fighting this legislation.  More information can be found at their web site:
    http://www.GunOwners.org

    You Are a Dangerous Extremist!


    A state-sponsored law enforcement “intelligence” organization in Missouri has apparently produced a document vilifying virtually anyone who disagrees with the government about taxation, gun rights, the Federal Reserve, or any other Constitutional issue. The report leaps from assumption to assumption with the ease of the most adept conspiracy theorist and concludes that since neo-Nazis, skin-heads, and the KKK tend to oppose taxes, support the Second Amendment, and question government authority, everyone who does any of those things is automatically suspect as a racist extremist and a potential terrorist.
    Read more here:
    http://www.firearmscoalition.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=359&Itemid=1
    or just look for the story on our home page at: http://www.firearmscoalition.org

    Please forward this information to people who should be interested and post it on your favorite forums and bulletin boards.

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    If you have issues or questions about this or any message originating from the FirearmsCoalition.org domain, please forward it with all message headers to abuse[at]firearmscoalition.org.

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    Politics

    Gun Ban Repeal Passes Senate — Battle Now In The House

    Senate Repeals D.C. Gun Ban By Large Vote
    — But the fight in the House is just beginning

    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

    Monday, March 2, 2009

    By a resounding vote of 62 to 36 last week, the U.S. Senate has approved
    an amendment, offered by Senator John Ensign of Nevada, to repeal the
    D.C. gun ban.

    Congratulations!

    But the battle is not over.

    This week, the House will take up the D.C. voting legislation. And
    anti-gun Speaker Nancy Pelosi is angling to impose a “gag rule” on the
    House, so that D.C. gets its unconstitutional representative, while
    continuing its draconian anti-gun laws (like microstamping).

    So here’s the deal: The House will be asked to consider a “rule” which
    establishes the time for debate and provides for which amendments may be
    considered — and which may not.

    It is expected that the Pelosi rule will seek to deny the House any vote
    on the D.C. gun ban and thereby strip the repeal of the ban from the
    House bill.

    So what we are asking you to do is to write and/or call your congressman
    and demand that he oppose any rule that strips the D.C. gun ban repeal
    from the D.C. voting bill.

    Just to remind you of how draconian the D.C. gun law is:

    • Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Heller declaring the law to
      be unconstitutional, D.C. made a few cosmetic changes which will, as a
      practical matter, allow it to continue to deny its citizens the right to
      keep and bear arms.
    • Then, the City Council passed a whole series of new anti-gun measures.
      These include a requirement that most guns used for self-defense
      “microstamp” fired casings in two places with a “unique serial number.”

    Aside from being ineffectual with respect to stolen guns or crimes where
    the brass has not been left behind, this microstamping provision is
    intended to make guns so expensive that they won’t be available anywhere
    — including your state.

    ACTION: Write your Representative and urge him or her in the strongest
    terms to oppose any rule which will strip the gun ban repeal from the
    D.C. voting bill.

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

    You can also call him or her toll-free at 1-877-762-8762.

    —– Prewritten Letter —–

    Dear Representative:

    This week, when the House takes up the D.C. voting legislation, please
    vote against any rule that strips the Senate’s pro-gun language and/or
    imposes a “gag rule” on members of the House.

    Just to remind you of how virulently anti-gun the D.C. gun law is:
    Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Heller declaring the law to be
    unconstitutional, D.C. made a few cosmetic changes which will, as a
    practical matter, allow it to continue to deny its citizens the right to
    keep and bear arms.

    But, in addition, the City Council passed a whole series of new anti-gun
    measures. These include a requirement that most guns used for
    self-defense “microstamp” fired casings in two places with a “unique
    serial number.”

    Aside from being ineffectual with respect to stolen guns or crimes where
    the brass has not been left behind, this microstamping provision is
    intended to make guns so expensive that they won’t be available anywhere
    — including my state.

    I urge you, in the strongest terms, to oppose any rule that makes it
    impossible for you to vote on the D.C. gun ban repeal.

    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
    http://www.gunowners.org/ean.htm on the web. Change of e-mail
    address may also be made at that location.

    To unsubscribe send a message to
    gunowners_list@capwiz.mailmanager.net with the word unsubscribe in
    the subject line or use the url below.

    Problems, questions or comments? The main GOA e-mail address
    goamail@gunowners.org is at your disposal. Please do not add that
    address to distribution lists sending more than ten messages per
    week or lists associated with issues other than gun rights.


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    National Geographic TV Takes Aim At Your Guns

    National Geographic TV Takes Aim At Your Guns

    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

    Wednesday, December 17, 2008

    National Geographic Channel ran a show last night entitled, “Gun In
    America.” According to the program, there are millions of misguided
    gun owners across the nation. Why? Because your guns are supposedly
    more likely to harm you than to help you in an emergency.

    “As a society, we’re totally out of control with weapons,” said one
    Philadelphia cop who was interviewed during the show. “You need to
    limit access that people have to these type of firearms.”

    That was the basic thrust of the program. National Geographic
    recited the usual worn-out factoids that are peddled by the Brady
    Campaign. It only cited anti-gun cops. And for every person who was
    filmed stating he or she believed in a right to own firearms for
    self-defense, the program would cite “facts” to prove that such a
    hope was misplaced.

    Gun owners should let the President and CEO of National Geographic
    know that the channel should stick to showing pictures of kangaroos
    and foliage — images that we normally attribute to National
    Geographic’s magazine — and keep his personal, anti-gun views to his
    private conversations around the Christmas dinner table.

    The National Geographic Channel presents itself as an educational,
    unbiased alternative. But “Guns in America” was hardly unbiased, as
    can be seen by the following agenda items that were pushed during the
    program:

    1. “Guns in America” would have you believe that the guns in your
      home are 22 times more likely to kill a family member than to protect
      you. This statistic can (surprise, surprise!) be found on the Brady
      Campaign website, but its source has been highly discredited. The
      factoid originates with Arthur Kellerman, who has generated multiple
      studies claiming that guns are a net liability.(1) But Kellerman has
      been found guilty of fudging his data, and even the National Academy
      of Sciences has stated that his “conclusions do not seem to follow”
      from his data.(2)

    The truth of the matter is actually quite encouraging for gun owners.
    Anti-gun researchers for the Clinton Justice Department found that
    guns are used 1.5 million times annually for self-defense, which
    means that each year, firearms are used more than 50 times more often
    to protect the lives of honest citizens than to take lives.(3)

    Isn’t that strange? You would think anti-gunners wouldn’t mind
    citing a study that was commissioned by the Clinton Justice
    Department! Apparently, the results of the study didn’t fit their
    agenda.

    1. “Guns in America” overstates the number of children who die by
      unintentional gunfire. The program would have viewers believe that a
      child dies by accidental gunfire, once every two days. But you can
      only reach that figure if you count violent-prone teens as
      “children.”

    In fact, when you look at the statistics involving younger children
    (ages 0-14), you see that kids have a greater chance of dying from
    choking on things like the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that
    you feed them.(4) Hmm, why doesn’t National Geographic want to
    report on those killer peanuts?

    1. “Guns in America” portrays twelve times as many negative uses of
      guns as positive uses — even though in the real world, the truth is
      quite the opposite (as guns are used at least 50 times more often to
      save life than take life). The program does start with a
      dramatization of a legitimate self-defense story with an actual 911
      call playing in the background. But after that, every dramatization
      is about drive-by-shootings or cops being shot or gang-related
      warfare.

    The lesson for the viewer is: Guns are bad.

    1. “Guns in America” only quotes anti-gun “authorities,” thus leaving
      the impression that all law-enforcement support gun control. Never
      mind the fact that when one looks at polls of the police community,
      they overwhelmingly hold pro-gun attitudes:
    • Should any law-abiding citizen be able to purchase a firearm for
      sport or self defense? — 93% of law-enforcement said yes.(5)
    • Do you believe law-abiding citizens should be limited to the
      purchase of no more than one firearm per month? — 70.1% of
      law-enforcement said no.(6)
    • Do you agree that a national concealed handgun permit would reduce
      rates of violent crime as recent studies in some states have already
      reflected? — 68.2% of law-enforcement said yes.(7)

    It’s bad enough that a liberal teacher’s union controls the education
    of our kids in the public schools, and that many of them are being
    brainwashed with politically correct thinking. We don’t need
    supposedly neutral programs like National Geographic peddling the
    Brady Campaign’s favorite factoids to an unsuspecting public.

    ACTION: Please contact Tim T. Kelly, the President and CEO of
    National Geographic Ventures (which includes their television
    division), and urge him to steer the NatGeo channel away from
    politics. If the National Geographic Channel can’t run a balanced
    program — where they use real statistics — then they just need to
    stick to filming those cute little animals that helped make their
    magazine so famous.

    You can go to http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/contact
    to cut-and-paste the sample letter below into their webform. Since
    you will need to select a Topic, please choose “I have a complaint.”
    And for “Department,” we would suggest selecting “Factual Questions”
    or “General.”

    —- Pre-written letter —-

    Dear Mr. Kelly:

    I will think twice before ordering the National Geographic magazine,
    because I don’t want to help you fund any more anti-gun propaganda.
    Your Explorer show entitled “Guns In America” — which has run
    several times this month — was heavily slanted to the gun control
    position. The show used fallacious statistics without rebutting
    them, all in an effort to demonize firearms.

    For example, “Guns in America” falsely claimed that guns in the home
    are 22 times more likely to kill a family member than to serve as
    protection. That is simply not true. The author of this study,
    Arthur Kellerman, has been discredited many times (by groups such as
    the National Academy of Sciences), so it’s shameful that your channel
    would even cite his work.

    Second, “Guns in America” overstates the number of children who die
    by unintentional gunfire. In fact, when you look at the statistics
    involving younger children (ages 0-14), you see that kids have a
    greater chance of dying from choking on things like the peanut butter
    and jelly sandwiches that you feed them. Can I expect to see a show
    in the near future highlighting the danger of feeding children?

    Third, “Guns in America” portrays twelve times as many negative uses
    of guns as positive uses — even though in the real world, the truth
    is quite the opposite. According to statistics from the Clinton
    Justice Department in 2007, guns are used at least 50 times more
    often to save life than take life.

    Finally, “Guns in America” only quotes anti-gun “authorities,” thus
    leaving the impression that all law-enforcement support gun control.
    Never mind the fact that when one looks at polls of the police
    community, they overwhelmingly hold pro-gun attitudes. (Please see
    the poll results on the website for the National Association of
    Chiefs of Police.) Why were none of these authorities ever cited?

    The National Geographic Society’s purpose is “to increase and diffuse
    geographic knowledge while promoting the conservation of the world’s
    cultural, historical, and natural resources.” I would submit to you
    that pushing gun control is far afield from your stated purpose.

    Sincerely,

    ENDNOTES:

    (1) Arthur Kellerman has generated multiple studies that claim gun
    owners are more likely to be injured by their guns than to use those
    guns in self-defense. His results range from 3 to 22 to 43 times
    more likely to be injured by a gun in the home. His methodology has
    been debunked, however, many times over. (See endnote 2.)

    (2) See http://www.gunowners.org/sk0701.htm . Also, see Charles F.
    Wellford, John Pepper, Carol Petrie, Firearms and Violence: A
    Critical Review (National Research Council of the National Academies,
    2004), p. 118.

    (3) See http://www.gunowners.org/sk0802.htm

    (4) See “Children Accidental Death Rates (Ages 0-14),” Gun Control
    Fact Sheet (2004) at http://www.gunowners.org/fs0404.htm

    (5) National Association of Chiefs of Police, 20th Annual Survey
    Results (Survey questions sent to Chiefs of Police and Sheriffs in
    the United States: 2008).

    (6) National Association of Chiefs of Police, 15th Annual Survey
    Results (Survey questions sent to Chiefs of Police and Sheriffs in
    the United States).

    (7) Ibid.

    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.

    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
    http://www.gunowners.org/ean.htm on the web. Change of e-mail
    address may also be made at that location.

    To unsubscribe send a message to
    gunowners_list@capwiz.mailmanager.net with the word unsubscribe in
    the subject line or use the url below.

    Problems, questions or comments? The main GOA e-mail address
    goamail@gunowners.org is at your disposal. Please do not add that
    address to distribution lists sending more than ten messages per
    week or lists associated with issues other than gun rights.


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    End of the Year Report

    GOA Members Win Key Battles in 2008
    — While gun rights advanced this year, the prospects for next year
    look very tough

    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/ordergoamem.htm

    “The best Second Amendment defense organization in the country is Gun
    Owners of America.” — Joseph Farrah, founder and CEO of

    WorldNetDaily.com, September 2008

    Tuesday, December 9, 2008

    Change.

    That’s what the next four years are going to bring. More government
    regulations… more government spending… and more battles over gun
    control.

    Once Barack Obama takes his oath of office in January, he will
    become, without a doubt, the most anti-gun President this nation has
    ever seen.

    How are gun owners responding to the oncoming Obama presidency? By
    the tens of thousands, they are pouring into gun stores all across
    the country and stocking up on guns and ammo, fearing the worst.
    Many buyers include first-time gun owners.

    And while that is not a bad idea, it’s a short term solution to a
    long-term problem that does nothing to defend our Second Amendment
    rights from being eliminated by a Congress controlled by people like
    Ted Kennedy, Chuck Schumer, Carolyn McCarthy and other notorious gun
    grabbers.

    That’s why we need you to stand with Gun Owners of America next year.
    If you have never become a GOA member — or you’ve let your
    membership lapse — we need you on board so that we have the
    ammunition necessary to fight every gun control bill that comes our
    way.

    It takes less than five minutes to go to
    http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm and sign up. By doing so,
    you will be joining — in the words of WorldNetDaily’s founder — the
    “best Second Amendment defense organization in the country.”

    We need you now more than ever, as we are surely in for the fight of
    our lives!

    Even so, despite all the hurdles that we see ahead, one should not
    forget that 2008 was a real improvement for gun rights in many
    respects. Gun Owners of America experienced victories in the
    courts… in the Congress… over federal bureaucracies… and in the
    states.

    The following victories are just a few of the accomplishments that
    GOA was able to achieve this year with YOUR HELP. So let’s take a
    look at our work together, month by month.

    January – February

    • As the new year dawns, President Bush signs the Veterans
      Disarmament Act (a.k.a. the NICS Improvement Amendments Act). This
      legislation codifies illegitimate procedures that, over the past
      decade, had already resulted in almost 150,000 veterans being denied
      the right to buy guns because battle-related stress has supposedly
      rendered them unable to manage their own financial affairs.

    GOA was able to win some significant concession in the bill, even as
    we were trying to kill it outright. Unfortunately, the bill passed
    both houses of Congress last year without a vote. Republican Senator
    Jim DeMint of South Carolina later complained that the Democrat
    controlled Senate had passed 94 percent of its bills this year
    without a recorded vote.

    • An Associate Director in the U.S. Interior Department defends the
      National Park Service ban claiming that “parks are safe places” and
      that right to carry laws “do not reduce crime” or protect people
      against dangerous wildlife. GOA responds by generating thousands
      upon thousands of postcards into the Oval Office, asking President
      Bush to put the squeeze on Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to get
      the NPS ban reversed — a reversal that will come about in May.
    • The U.S. Solicitor General files a brief with the U.S. Supreme
      Court in the D.C. v. Heller case arguing that categorical gun bans of
      virtually all self-defense firearms are constitutional if a court
      determines they are “reasonable” — the lowest standard of
      constitutional review. This view could justify a national ban on all
      firearms, including a ban on all hunting rifles.

    GOA works with Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) and helps him to quickly get
    57 additional congressmen to oppose the Solicitor General’s opinion.

    • Because of generous contributions from its members, GOA is able to
      submit a very unique amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in
      defense of Dick Anthony Heller, who was denied the right to own a gun
      in the nation�s capital as a result of the draconian gun ban which
      exists there.

    In this hard-hitting brief, GOA takes aim at the weak arguments put
    forth by both the DC government and the Bush Administration. But
    more than that, GOA examines the favorable text and context of the
    Second Amendment in great detail, while also documenting the pro-gun
    history that formed the backdrop of its inclusion into the Bill of
    Rights.

    March – May

    • After looking at all the briefs which have been submitted in the
      Heller case, the editors at USA Today decide to use GOA for the
      opposing voice on March 19. The paper’s editors tell our attorneys
      that GOA had an argument that was clearly distinctive, as we were the
      only ones to argue that the words “shall not be infringed”
      invalidated all federal gun control laws.
  • In the states, GOA helped Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming to pass
    Emergency Protection bills throughout the country. These bills
    repeal laws that allow police to confiscate firearms during a
    declared emergency, such as what occurred in New Orleans after
    Hurricane Katrina decimated the city in 2005.

    • The sponsor of the Utah legislation, Senator Mark Madsen (R), thanked
    GOA in March for the help we offered in helping pass the legislation
    in his state.

    “GOA supplied me with video that documented the plight of decent gun
    owners in New Orleans who had their guns stolen by police after
    Hurricane Katrina,” Madsen said. “The DVD was very helpful in
    educating other members of the Utah legislature, and my bill to
    protect Utah gun owners from gun confiscation, SB 157, passed by
    overwhelming margins.”

    Sen. Madsen’s new law is one of the best in the country. If someone
    were to have his gun illegitimately confiscated, that person could
    not only sue for damages, but could hold the offending officer and
    his superior personally liable.

    • GOA’s attorneys uncover a proposal in April to keep gun owners from
      shipping replica or inert munitions through the mail. GOA
      immediately submitted a blistering critique to the U.S. Post Office
      and contacted thousands of grassroots activists so they could submit
      their own comments as well. To date, the agency has backed off of
      its original gun control proposal.
  • The Bush administration, after more than seven years, has finally
    issued regulations permitting the carrying of firearms in national
    parks! Beginning in 2009, gun owners will be able to carry firearms
    according to the laws of the state in which the park is located.

  • GOA learns about Pastor Phillip Miles of South Carolina, who was
    sentenced to three years in a Russian prison for carrying a single
    box of hunting ammo in his luggage, intended as a gift. GOA urges
    President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to intervene on
    Miles’ behalf, as the sentence definitely did not fit the “crime.”
    Russian authorities succumb to the outcry shortly thereafter… Miles
    is released in June and returns to the United States.

    • June – August

    • The Supreme Court strikes down the DC gun ban! While not perfect,
      the Court’s decision recognizes that the Second Amendment protects an
      “individual right” and states that the decades-old ban in the
      nation’s capital is unconstitutional.

    GOA’s brief had countered both the DC government and the Bush
    Administration — as the latter had asked the Court to use the DC
    case as a justification for all sorts of gun control. GOA is pleased
    that the Justices heeded our admonition to limit the Court’s holding
    to the case before it, thus shooting down both the DC government and
    the Bush Administration in their quest to validate other firearms
    restrictions.

    • GOA Executive Director Larry Pratt escorts David Olofson to a
      federal prison in Minnesota. Olofson was convicted in federal court
      of transferring a malfunctioning semi-automatic firearm which the ATF
      claimed was machine gun — a determination that should concern every
      gun owner who owns a semi-auto.

    Gun Owners of America becomes the lead gun organization fighting
    against the ATF’s persecution of Olofson. In taking on this case,
    GOA is also defending the rights of gun owners who could be
    prosecuted for owning a malfunctioning firearm. For the ATF, a gun
    that misfires is an excellent opportunity to rack up an easy
    conviction on an illegal machine gun charge.

    In Olofson’s defense, GOA submits an appeal challenging his
    conviction at the district court level, and sets up a relief fund to
    help pay for his family’s mortgage and car payments.

    September – November

    • David Olofson’s wife, Candy, thanks GOA and its members for helping
      their family. Candy tells GOA Executive Director Larry Pratt that
      because of the financial help that GOA members have given, she has
      not had to get a second job, so she is able to spend time being a
      Mom.
  • GOA’s Larry Pratt travels to the Big Easy to award a brand new
    handgun to Patricia Konie — the New Orleans resident who was tackled
    and disarmed by police in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Konie was
    forced to evacuate her home in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005,
    and until recently, had remained disarmed. To this day, she has
    never gotten back her stolen gun.

  • GOA tells its email activists how the ATF was trying to prevent the
    distribution of an electronic 4473 Form. This software has been
    developed by a private firm, Coloseum Software Corporation, and is
    intended to protect dealers against the “mistakes” that have allowed
    the ATF to prosecute or harass them into giving up their licenses.

    • GOA issued a grassroots alert in mid-October explaining how the ATF
    had been dragging its collective feet for months — keeping Coloseum
    from distributing its software, even while the ATF was developing its
    own competing software (and possibly, violating the copyright which
    belonged to Coloseum).

    After GOA asked gun owners to contact the Bush Administration, the
    owner of Coloseum contacted us shortly thereafter to tell us that our
    alert had been a tremendous success: “After the GOA alert put the
    spotlight on criminal activity by the BATFE, they quickly provided us
    [Coloseum Software Corp] with the required documentation for the new
    Form 4473 which we had been asking for months.”

    Sign up with GOA… the battle lines are now drawn!

    GOA is on the front lines, fighting to defend your rights. Even if
    you have already renewed your membership in GOA, we hope you will
    consider making an additional contribution.

    With your extra support in 2009, we will fight off every new attack
    on our gun rights. And we will remind the Democratic Congress what
    happened to their majority the last time they followed an anti-gun
    President down this path.

    This next year is going to be our most difficult year in a long, long
    time. Already, President-elect Obama is surrounding himself with
    virulent anti-gunners:

    • His pick for Attorney General went to a committed gun grabber in
      Eric Holder. Holder signed on to an amicus brief in the Heller case
      which SUPPORTED the DC ban on handguns and the ban on using any
      firearm for self-defense in a person�s home. Holder’s brief also
      argued that the Second Amendment protects a “collective” right, not
      an individual right (as the Supreme Court eventually ruled).
  • And based on his pick for Chief of Staff, you can be sure that the
    Obama administration will use any “crisis” it can to push its gun
    control agenda. Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, told the Wall
    Street Journal recently that, “You never want a serious crisis to go
    to waste…. [A] crisis provides the opportunity for us to do things
    that you could not do before.”

    • Get it? Every time a crackpot goes on a shooting spree, the Obama
    administration is going to use that “crisis” to come after your guns!

    So please make the decision to stay with us in the upcoming year, as
    it will be critical for America’s gun rights. Whether you can help
    us out with your gift of $35 or $3500, your contribution will be put
    immediately into the fight to preserve and restore all of our gun
    rights.

    Please go to http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm and stay with
    us in 2009!

    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
    http://www.gunowners.org/ean.htm on the web. Change of e-mail
    address may also be made at that location.

    Problems, questions or comments? The main GOA e-mail address
    goamail@gunowners.org is at your disposal. Please do not add that
    address to distribution lists sending more than ten messages per
    week or lists associated with issues other than gun rights.


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    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

    Gun Rights Week Coverage on Glenn Beck – Tune In

    Dear Fellow NRA Member,

    In honor of NRA’s upcoming annual meeting and his keynote address to our annual banquet on Saturday May 17, Glenn Beck is holding “Gun Rights Week” on both his radio and T.V. shows.

    These shows will be broadcast on the Premiere Radio Network’s 280 stations from 9 a.m. to noon, Eastern, and on CNN Headline News Network every night at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

    Each day, Glenn will feature a new gun rights segment on his shows. I’ll be his guest on Tuesday, and NRA-ILA’s Chris Cox will be the featured guest on Wednesday. And each day for the rest of the week, there will be another firearm freedom expert talking to Glenn and millions of his listeners.

    The toll free call-in number for Glenn’s radio show is 1-888-727-BECK. So if you have a question or comment about the elections, Right-to-Carry, crime, the Supreme Court Heller case, Castle Doctrine, or any Second Amendment issue, CALL!

    For more information on broadcast times, stations and special guests, visit www.GlennBeck.com and click the “radio” or “T.V.” banners. Glenn will also be providing transcripts and video links to all the interviews and segments in his free daily email newsletter, which you can sign up for on his site.

    As one more favor to me, be sure to tell every gun owner you know about these important broadcasts. Please take a moment today, while you’re sitting at your computer, to forward this e-mail to your contact list.

    Also, be sure to keep your eyes on the national news this Friday between 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern, when NRA kicks off our weekend-long event with our Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum.

    Confirmed speakers include Kentucky Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo, T.V. personality Ollie North, political strategist Karl Rove, former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Senator Mitch McConnell, Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell, Governor Mike Huckabee, Governor Mitt Romney, and John McCain.

    Over 10,000 NRA members will attend, making this the largest political event in NRA’s history.

    All the major national news outlets will have cameras and reporters on hand to cover this event. Live, for over four hours on Friday afternoon-and in thousands of broadcast hours, and electronic and print pages to follow-NRA and our election-year defense of Second Amendment will dominate the news.

    Thanks again for your support of NRA and thanks for helping spread the word about these important broadcast events!

    ———————————-

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

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    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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