S22 is back after some politicians got together Lautenberg style and did what politicians do. That is compromise away your rights while attempting to cover their tracks with meaningless window dressing so that you think that they are actually representing your better interests.We know better though. Read on …
An Important Message From Gun Owners Of America
— Land grab bill coming back, again
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 16, 2009
Do you agree with people like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, who treat
the Second Amendment as if it were written only to protect your ability
to go hunting and target shooting?
Or do you agree with Gun Owners of America, George Washington and Thomas
Jefferson, who believe that the Second Amendment protects a pre-existing
fundamental right that is essential to the preservation of liberty?
Well, a whole lot of people in Congress are claiming to protect your
Second Amendment rights, but all they’re really doing is protecting your
hunting season.
We’re talking about the Omnibus Public Lands Act. You helped to defeat
this bill last week in the House, but Congressional leaders have vowed
to bring it up again soon.
S. 22 is an enormous package of over 190 bills lumped together with a
price tag of $10 billion. The bill will greatly expand the amount of
land controlled by the National Park Service, thus spreading the
agency’s unconstitutional gun regulations to more areas.
Fear of upsetting gun owners — who helped elect many members of
Congress from both parties — kept this bill off the floor for several
weeks.
Then, in a meeting last Tuesday, not held in an open committee hearing
but behind closed doors, House leaders brokered a deal with some
supposedly pro-gun Democrats.
They said they were concerned about your gun rights. They said they
were going to “fix” the bill.
But they did not address the NPS anti-gun regulations that prohibit
carrying a firearm for self defense without a government issued
concealed carry permit.
What did they do? They added language to the bill to say you can still
go hunting.
That’s right. Many Congressmen claimed to be protecting the Second
Amendment, when all they were really doing was thumbing their noses at
self defense.
Here is the entire “pro-gun” amendment that was considered in
the House.
Judge for yourself if this really protects your Second Amendment rights:
“Nothing in this Title shall be construed as affecting the authority,
jurisdiction, or responsibility of the several States to manage,
control, or regulate fish and resident wildlife under State law or
regulations, including the regulation of hunting, fishing, trapping, and
recreational shooting. Nothing in this Title shall be construed as
limiting access for hunting, fishing, trapping, or recreational
shooting.”
They may as well have called it the “Elmer Fudd Protection Act.”
A lot of people who voted for this bill campaigned for office as
champions of gun rights. They said “Send me to Washington; I’ll fight
for the Second Amendment.” And this is what we get? Pathetic.
But let’s be clear. The issue is not just about the NPS gun
restrictions, as bad as they are. And whether or not you personally use
federal land is not the point.
What is important is the disdain with which legislators hold your Second
Amendment rights.
It is imperative that you speak up on this issue. The outcome of this
battle will be a preview of what we can expect for the next two years.
Will your gun rights be comprised away little by little? Or will we
stand together and hold legislators accountable to their campaign
promises to uphold the Second Amendment?
This week there may be several votes in both the Senate and House on the
Omnibus Land bill.
Congressional leaders plan to act quickly in an attempt to ram this down
the throat of the American people without a fair and open process. They
desperately want to avoid any amendment that would truly protect your
gun rights.
Congress hopes to leave the gun ban in place, and enlarge the areas
affected by it. For example, the bill expands existing park land,
creates new national trails that will fall under the gun restrictions,
and authorizes the federal government to buy more land adjacent to
national parks and trails.
House and Senate leaders plan to move on this bill rapidly, although
they are ambiguous about the process.
But our message to Congress is simple: Stop playing around with our
Second Amendment rights!
We don’t care about the process. We care about the Second Amendment.
And we mean ALL of the Second Amendment, not just hunting.
Tell Congress you expect them to protect your right to keep and bear
arms without compromising. Please take a few seconds and send the
pre-written message below.
When you’re done, become a force multiplier. Send this alert to a few
friends.
It is important that you take this action because right now GOA is the
only gun rights organization speaking out for ALL of your Second
Amendment rights.
We’ve all forwarded jokes or funny pictures to our friends. How about
forwarding a message to help protect our God-ordained constitutionally
protected right to keep and bear arms?
And please do not think your voice won’t be heard. Remember, this bill
failed to pass the House by just two votes last week because people like
you took action.
Congressmen need to know that their votes in the coming days will impact
YOUR vote next year. But if they don’t hear from you and they think
you’re not looking, many will treat your rights with contempt.
We’re not alone in this battle. In the Senate, pro-gun champions such
as Sens. Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint are prepared to lead the fight
against this bill.
In the House, Reps. Paul Broun, Rob Bishop and Doc Hastings are among
those fighting hard for your gun rights.
In fact, there are many in Congress willing to stand up for the Second
Amendment, but they are repeatedly squashed by the anti-gun leadership
or undermined by pro-gun compromisers. Pro-gun Congressmen who want to
repeal the gun ban are being told, in effect, to “Shut up and
vote!”
Friends, we know we’ve asked for a lot of action from you already this
year.
Unfortunately, that is not going to stop. But we will all draw the line
at some point. Let’s work together and do it now.
Thank you for working with Gun Owners of America. Our effectiveness in
Washington depends on your activism. PLEASE try to get your pro-gun
friends and family involved. Now more than ever, every voice is
critical.
ACTION: Please use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at
http://gunowners.org/activism.htm to tell your Representative and
Senators to reject the lands bill (S. 22) unless your Second Amendment
rights are protected. Per usual, a pre-written letter is provided for
your convenience.
—– Pre-written message —–
The Omnibus Public Land Act of 2009 is expected to come to the floor
soon.
I urge you to oppose this bill if, as expected, the leadership does not
allow an amendment to repeal the anti-gun regulations of the National
Park Service.
Recent changes made by the Interior Department only allow persons with a
concealed carry permit to possess a self-defense firearm on NPS land.
Non-permit holders are still prohibited from carrying a firearm for
their protection.
And please don’t be fooled by a supposedly pro-gun amendment to
“fix”
the bill that was brought up last week during the House debate on S. 22.
That language only modestly protects hunting and recreational shooting.
While protecting the rights of sportsmen is important, the Second
Amendment is NOT about hunting rights. I am more concerned about my
ability to defend my life, and the lives of my loved ones, than I am
about plinking cans.
Congressional leaders have been ambiguous about how this legislation
will come to the floor, but my message to you is clear: protect ALL of
my Second Amendment rights.
Please OPPOSE final passage on any land bill that does not repeal the
NPS gun ban.
Sincerely,
****************************
Pratt on Fox
Once you have contacted your legislators, please consider checking out
GOA Executive Director Larry Pratt’s recent appearance (along with noted
author Dr. John Lott) on Judge Andrew Napolitano’s show “Freedom
Watch.”
Fox has posted the video on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQEZoknylIA
“The NPS announcement demonstrates either complete ignorance or complete arrogance as to the effect that this policy will have on hunters,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox.
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