Archive for the ‘Wordpress Political Blogs’ Category

The Right Not to be Raped or Murdered

February 27, 2013

How about it politically correct hoplophobes and practitioners of misandry? You hate gun owners. We hate your stopping our ability to properly and effectively defend what is ours.

The “Schumer Sell-Out”

February 26, 2013
Anti-gun Sen. Charles Schumer‘s staff is leaking out to the press the Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn is “on the verge” of caving in and agreeing to a ban on private gun sales — and requiring virtually every American to get the government’s approval before exercising their constitutional right to become a gun owner.
According to The Washington Post (2/23/13), the remaining sticking point is Coburn’s reluctance to require a 4473 for every private transaction.  Were this to occur, ATF’s practice of going into gun stores and copying all the 4473’s — a practice which has been documented by GOA — would soon produce a national gun registry.
Schumer’s people have also let it be known that they may have Susan Collins (R-ME), John McCain (R-AZ), and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) in the bag.  (Note to gun owners in these states:  These Senators really need to hear from you!)
Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that the final version of the “Schumer sell-out” prohibits any paperwork from being kept on private gun sales.
Even then, the “Schumer Sell-Out” would still result in one out of seventeen legal gun purchases being permanently and illegally blocked. 
According to scholar John Lott, 8% of all gun purchases are currently blocked by the FBI.  But, according to a recent study by the Department of Justice, only 1.8% of the 8% are blocked because they are “denied.”  That means that 6.2% are neither “denied” nor “approved.”  However, because most gun sellers won’t sell a firearm under these circumstances, even after three days, these legal gun purchasers are permanently denied their constitutional rights by bureaucratic fiat.
Although the FBI is legally required to state a reason for blocking a gun purchase within five days, it NEVER complies with the law — daring purchasers, instead, to “sue us.”  Most purchasers, lack the means to do just that.
What if one out of seventeen lawful voters was illegally turned away from the polls?  What if one out of seventeen innocent men was illegally sent to prison?  What if one out of seventeen newspapers was shut down?  None of these would be acceptable to anti-gun zealots who, with relish, deny the right of legitimate gun purchasers to exercise their Second Amendment rights one out of every seventeen times.
The “Schumer Sell-Out” would still strip 150,000 veterans of their Second Amendment rights with no due process whatsoever.  Sure, there will reportedly be throwaway language, supposedly allowing veterans to get the constitutional rights back.  Schumer fooled Coburn into accepting comparable language on a 2008 law, but it never had any impact.  The problem is not “getting their rights back.”  The problem is preventing their rights from being unconstitutionally stripped — with no due process whatsoever — in the first place.
Under the 2008 Schumer legislation, the Obama administration can use a psychiatrist’s diagnosis to strip veterans and others of their constitutional rights.  No court order is needed.  Soon, under Obama’s Executive Action Number 1, millions of Americans with ADHD, and even post partem depression could have their gun rights taken away with a keystroke by Medicare, Medicaid, and the Department of Education.  Firemen, policemen, and soldiers with PTSD could also lose their gun rights under the “Schumer sell-out,” and there’s nothing they could do about it.
The “Schumer Sell-Out” would exacerbate the problem with NICS system breakdowns during weekends and black Fridays — blocking all gun purchasers.
 
The “Schumer Sell-Out” would strip farmers and Americans in rural areas of their Second Amendment rights.  Sure, there is a possibility that Schumer will accept do-nothing language in the Brady Law protecting remote Alaskan villages.  But millions of Americans would still have to travel hundreds of miles (accompanied by their sellers) in order to transfer a firearm to their next-door neighbor — hoping desperately that they’re not among the 6.2% of Americans who get a non-committal response from the FBI.
The “Schumer Sell-Out” would still be ineffectual to stop Adam Lanza (who stole his guns) and James Holmes and Jared Loughner (who passed background checks).  In fact, an internal Department of Justice memorandum concedes that it would be almost totally ineffectual.
As a result, the main purpose of the “Schumer Sell-Out” remains, and has always been, to “break the back of the gun … lobby” and to serve as a platform for the next round of gun control.
The Sunday New York Times (2/23/13) pointed out what this is all about.  According to the Times, Schumer is jealous to protect the 13 Democratic seats in pro-gun states which will come up in 2014.  Press reports ascribe Coburn’s role as being one who will “provide cover” for Democrats running for reelection.
From a purely partisan standpoint, the GOP should realize that guns will serve as a powerful political weapon for them, unless Coburn’s acquiescence to the “Schumer Sell-Out” takes guns off the table.  In places like Arkansas and Montana, 95% of all voters would no doubt oppose the “Schumer sell-out,” as 95% of NRA members and 96% of 25,000 GOA members did in recent surveys.
Conversely, the “Schumer Sell-Out” will revitalize and engerize the handgun control movement.
 
Finally, the “Schumer Sell-Out” will give Obama the aura of invincibility and make it virtually impossible to stop the rest of his agenda.
If Sen. Coburn really wants to “compromise” with Schumer, he should make Schumer give up some ground and demand that Congress repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act.  Now, that would be a real “compromise” that would save lives!
ACTION:  Contact your U.S. Senators and ask them to oppose the “Schumer sell-out.”  Click here to send a prewritten message to your Senators
Please note that there are two different action responses for you to send, and the system will automatically send that response, depending upon whether your Senator is a Republican or Democrat.

Sequestration: The cure for what ails you..?

February 25, 2013

Sequestration also known as living within your means is a bitter pill to swallow. Through the lips and past the gums lookout stomach! Here it comes!

Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, D-Brooklyn: Stuck on Stupid

February 24, 2013

Insurance so that you can exercise a right? Read on about the nanny stater big government type Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, D-Brooklyn that is, quite simply. Stuck on stupid!

Gun owners would have to buy liability insurance to own a gun under a bill introduced recently by a New York City legislator, a proposal one gun owners group is calling an attempt to ban guns.

The bill has gotten little fanfare in light of the passage last month of the state’s Safe Act gun control legislation.

The bill was introduced by Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, D-Brooklyn.

“This insurance policy will serve as an incentive for firearm owners to implement safety measures in order to conduct the activity as safely as possible and only when necessary,” the bill reads.

The proposal has been introduced in the state Assembly but was without a Senate sponsor as of mid-February. It would require all gun owners in New York to buy a minimum of $1 million in liability insurance, insurance that one expert said would be difficult if not impossible to get and would likely be very expensive if available.

Gun owners who don’t have insurance would see their firearms confiscated under the proposed law.

“Its another outright attempt to ban firearms,” said Tom King, executive director of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association. “Everybody’s talking about this one.”

In the past, gun owners could rely on the state Senate to defeat restrictive gun bills, but that is no longer the case, King said.

Stephen Aldstadt, director of Shooters Committee on Political Education-New York, said the bill was “definitely something to be concerned about.”

He said federal legislators had unsuccessfully attempted to enact a similar law in the past.

He said he doesn’t think the bill will make it into law, however.

“I don’t think it has a legitimate chance,” Aldstadt said.

King, who works in the insurance industry, said finding insurance written specifically for guns would be almost impossible.

Mike Grasso, an executive with Cool Insurance in Queensbury and a gun owner, said homeowner’s insurance policies would generally cover any accidents involving firearms. But any willful or illegal conduct with a gun would generally not be covered by any insurance policy, he said.

“A willful act would not allow an injured person to recover insurance monies, except for a child using the gun when it is determined there was no intent, it was just an accident,” Grasso said. “Currently, if you accidently shoot someone it is covered by your policy because you did not do it intentionally.”

Grasso called the bill “another registration scheme.”

The bill is A3908. It was referred to the Assembly’s Insurance Committee and no vote had been scheduled.

SOURCE

 

Presidential Propaganda: Nothing new here folks, move on…

February 19, 2013

Epic fail obama and sequestration

I listened to that propaganda rant and just had to wonder.
EMS paid for by the Feds..? Only overtime, in a declared disaster.
Same for Firefighters.
Same for local Law Enforcement.
Grants are an entirely different subject.
Teachers..? It’s a stretch, but through D.O.E. there might possibly be some remuneration. However, the last study that I read that had any validity determined that nearly all of those funds went to the Teachers Unions. Imagine that!
Social Security, Medicare, and disability payments will still be made, in full, so that’s yet another scare tactic.

What this is ladies and gentlemen, is not a failure to communicate. It is what has become the primary methodology of this leftest government. Crisis manipulation, and or crisis creation. Remember “Never let a crisis go to waste?”

The Left is not happy at all with Gun Owners of America: Nothing new about that!

February 15, 2013
“It’s people like [Erich] Pratt who could derail even modest efforts to bring a modicum of sanity to the nation’s gun laws,” said The Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart on January 16, 2013.
And then there were the insults that CNN’s Piers Morgan threw at GOA Executive Director Larry Pratt when Morgan ran out of arguments — even calling him an “idiot” and “incredibly stupid.”
The Left is scared that their hopes for greater gun control may fall short.  They are scared that history is going to repeat itself.
Remember the battle in 2004 when we fought the renewal of Feinstein’s semi-auto ban?  The media mourned that:
“GOA’s lobbying probably torpedoed the best chance for [renewing the semi-auto ban] this year.” (National Journal, July 17, 2004).
It’s been almost ten years since we won that battle.  And it’s been even longer since GOA stood alone after the Columbine tragedy — drawing a line in the sand — and told Congress that gun owners would accept NOT ONE WORD of gun control.
Now, here we are in 2013 — and the anti-gunners are hysterical.  They are worried that their attempts to get stricter gun laws this year are about to slip through their fingers.
For us, this is all good news.  But let us make this perfectly clear:  THE BATTLE IS NOT WON YET.
And we have to continue to pound, pound, pound — just as we have done over the past two months.
That said, there are good signs around Capitol Hill that your activism is producing tremendous results:
* Anti-gun radicals have all but given up on their ability to pass Feinstein’s semi-automatic ban and magazine ban.  Instead, they are focusing on their universal gun registry and a trafficking/licensure bill.
* If we can just get 117 Republicans in the House to sign the Stockman-Broun letter insisting that no gun control be brought up in the House without the support of 117 Republicans, it will be difficult for House Speaker John Boehner to bring up any gun control in the House.
* The handful of House liberal anti-gun Republicans seem to be holding firm in opposition to the universal gun registry.  Philadelphia suburban Congressman Meehan -– one of the Left’s two key targets -– yesterday flatly resisted MSNBC’s call for him to endorse the registry.
* Unlike the gun control fight after Columbine -– which we won, with great difficulty -– the pro-gun movement is united.  MSNBC’s Joy Reid lamented on January 25 that NRA had become hard-core in order to “compete with extremist [sic] groups like Gun Owners of America.”
* As predicted, the mainline media has shifted, just a little bit, from gun grabbing to job-destruction and amnesty.
So keep up the good work.  Your efforts have taken us a long way toward victory.  But we are not there yet.  We want to thank you for standing with us and for keeping the pressure on!
In Liberty,
Larry Pratt

Wyoming Poised to Stand up to Federal Bans on Most Guns

February 15, 2013
Law Enforcement Torch Run_IMG_2879

Law Enforcement Torch Run_IMG_2879 (Photo credit: CBP Photography)

At a time when Barack Obama is pushing legislation to ban millions of shotguns, rifles and handguns that Americans legally own — and possibly 100% of all magazines of whatever size — the Wyoming House recently said “no” to Obama’s gun control.
By a vote of 46-to-13, the state House passed House Bill 104, which would:
(1) Prohibit Wyoming law enforcement from enforcing unconstitutional federal gun bans with respect to semi-autos or Wyoming intrastate guns;
(2) Prohibit federal law enforcement from pursuing its unconstitutional ban in Wyoming; and
(3) Allow the state attorney general to defend Wyoming residents unconstitutionally persecuted by the federal government.
The ability of Wyoming to resist unconstitutional federal actions has always been important.
But now, with Obama legislation on the table which would ban most guns –- although Obama won’t admit it -– it becomes critical.
ACTION:  Contact your state senator.  Ask him to support House Bill 104.
HOW TO CONTACT/WRITE YOUR STATE SENATOR:
  1. Go to – http://capwiz.com/gunowners/state/main/?state=WY&view=myofficials
  2. Enter your zip code in the box provided under “enter your zip code”
  3. Scroll down past the alerts till you find “Governor and State Legislators” (on the right) and there are your state senators.
  4. Click on the name of the desired senator
  5. Click on the “contact” tab.
  6. Click on the “<name of Senator> by email”, this will bring up a webmail form. Then, take the pre-written letter below and cut-n-paste this into the editable text box on the page.
  7. Fill out the sender information
  8. Click “Send Message” (blue button at the bottom)
—– Pre-written letter —–
Dear Senator:
At a time when Barack Obama is pushing legislation to ban millions of shotguns, rifles and handguns that Americans legally own — and possibly 100% of all magazines of whatever size — the Wyoming House recently said “no” to Obama’s gun control.
By a vote of 46-to-13, the state House passed House Bill 104, which would (1) prohibit Wyoming law enforcement from enforcing unconstitutional federal gun bans with respect to semi-autos or Wyoming intrastate guns, (2) prohibit federal law enforcement from pursuing its unconstitutional ban in Wyoming, and (3) allow the state attorney general to defend Wyoming residents unconstitutionally persecuted by the federal government.
The ability of Wyoming to resist unconstitutional federal actions has always been important.
But now, with Obama legislation on the table which would ban most guns –- although Obama won’t admit it -– it becomes critical.
Therefore, I am asking you to support House Bill 104.  Please let me know about your position on this critical legislation.
Sincerely,

Owning firearms is a First Amendment exercise, too!

February 8, 2013

By Alan Gottlieb

Following the hysteria generated by gun prohibitionists in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, a nationwide rush on gun stores began as citizens bought semiautomatic modern sporting rifles, handguns and ammunition, in effect “making a political statement” about proposals to ban such firearms.

Making political statements is what the First Amendment is all about.

The so-called “assault rifle” has become a symbol of freedom and the right of the people to speak out for the entire Bill of Rights. Banning such firearms, which are in common use today, can no longer be viewed exclusively as an infringement on the Second Amendment, but must also be considered an attack on the First Amendment.

Many people now feel that owning a so-called “assault rifle” without fear of government confiscation defines what it means to be an American citizen. Their backlash against knee-jerk extremism is a natural reaction to overreaching government.

What should one expect in response to this heightened rhetoric and legislative hysteria? Citizens in other countries react differently to government intrusion into their lives, but Americans are uniquely independent. Among firearms owners, talk of gun bans and attempts to limit one’s ability to defend himself or herself against multiple attackers by limiting the number of rounds they can have in a pistol or rifle magazine turns gun owners into political activists.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) did not intend her gun ban proposal to cause skyrocketing sales of semiautomatic rifles and pistols, but that’s what happened. She must live with the consequences of her shameless political exploitation of the Sandy Hook tragedy.

President Barack Obama never envisioned the rush to purchase rifle and pistol magazines, but telling American citizens they shouldn’t have something is like sending a signal they need to acquire those things immediately.

Vice President Joe Biden never imagined his efforts would result in a tidal wave of new members and contributions to gun rights organizations, making the firearms community stronger and more united in opposition to any assault on the Second Amendment.

Freedom of association is also protected by the First Amendment.

Perhaps they should take a day off and visit the monuments at Lexington and Concord, and reflect on what prompted those colonists to stand their ground. It was the first time in American history that the government moved to seize arms and ammunition from its citizens, and it went rather badly for the British.

Beneath the surface many Americans are convinced that we may be approaching a point when the true purpose of the Second Amendment is realized. Underscoring this is a new Pew Research Center poll that, for the first time, shows a majority (53 percent) of Americans believe the government is a threat to their rights and freedoms.

Exacerbating the situation is a perceived indifference from the administration toward the rights of firearms owners who have committed no crime, but are being penalized for the acts of a few crazy people.

It is time to lower the rhetoric and allow cooler heads to prevail. The demonization of millions of loyal, law-abiding Americans and the firearms they legally own must cease. If we are to have a rational dialogue about firearms and violent crime, we must recognize that the very people who could be most affected have a First Amendment right to be heard.

Recall the words of Abraham Lincoln, who cautioned us more than 150 years ago that “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” A half-century before him, Benjamin Franklin taught us that “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Their spirits are calling to us now.

Alan Gottlieb is founder and executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation.

Democrats at Feinstein press conference lie to Americans: Of course, that’s what they do best…

January 29, 2013

Congress and the American people:

Today, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) pulled out all the stops in holding a press conference to introduce her long-anticipated ban on modern rifles and magazines, including universal registration of all gun sales. And today, you have been fed lies by the same politicians who have been trying to confiscate guns since at least the early 1990’s.

At the conference, Democrats, including Sens. Feinstein, Richard Durban (D-IL), Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) , recycled virtually every cynical distortion used by gun ban advocates in their effort to divide and defeat not only Second Amendment supporters, but all freedom-loving Americans.

 

Lies you are being told

“We don’t want your guns”

Durbin and Schumer appealed to hunters and sportsman, saying: “We don’t want to take your guns.” But their histories and the history of the gun control movement say otherwise. These cynical manipulators of tragedy hope you don’t remember 1994, when passage of the Brady Act, and then the ban on semi-automatic firearms, was immediately followed by “Brady II,” a draconian gun ban which would have given the BATF power to search the homes of law-abiding Americans and would have banned most common self-defense handguns and magazines.

In the present proposal, the “one feature” test for semi-automatic firearms could ban even a .22 caliber rifle if it has a “thumbhole” stock. More importantly, the arbitrary magazine capacity limit will apply to defensive handguns, limiting your ability to protect yourself and your family.

The legislative history of Sens. Feinstein, Schumer and Durbin is that they will take what they can get, and they will not stop in going for the rest. If they pass this ban, more will follow and they will go after your hunting rifle or shotgun. These people have been consistent and clear, they want to prohibit law abiding citizens from owning any type firearm.

 

“No right is absolute”

Schumer said these are “reasonable limitations” to your Second Amendment rights because, after all, “no right is absolute.” He argued that our First Amendment right to freedom of speech doesn’t allow you to yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater. Apparently, however, this Harvard-educated lawyer is unfamiliar with the concept of “prior restraint.” Prosecuting someone for wrongly yelling “fire” represents prosecution of those who abuse their rights. By contrast, gun control is a restraint on the rights of the law-abiding. If the gun control model were applied to freedom of speech, you would be bound and gagged before entering the theater on the premise that you might yell “fire.”

 

“Only the ‘Gun Lobby’ opposes reasonable measures”

As much as those who would restrict your freedoms want you to believe “the NRA” and the “gun manufacturers” are the only ones opposing restrictive gun control, understand that the National Coalition to Stop the Gun Ban represents a grass roots movement of millions of law-abiding gun owners, the vast majority of whom don’t earn a dime from this effort, and take time from jobs and families to fight for your civil rights. Ironically, it is the “anti-gun lobby” which actually comprises a small number of well-funded gun ban activists and their paid lobbyists.

 

“You don’t need an AR-15 to go hunting”

Regurgitated by several anti-gun politicians at the press conference, it was most completely expressed by Philadelphia Police Chief Charles Ramsey, who pointed to an AR-15 and said, “You can’t go hunting with something like that…there would be nothing left to eat.”

But the Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting. In drafting the Bill of Rights, the Framers intended it as the last in a series of checks and balances against abuse of government – perhaps, indeed, the sort of abuse President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Feinstein and others are determined to thrust on the American people.

 

“These ‘assault rifles’ are weapons of war”

The guns being targeted by this ban are not “assault rifles,” which are military machine guns virtually unavailable to the public since 1934. Yet Schumer and others repeatedly called the guns “assault rifles” in order to confuse you about the guns they want to ban which, in reality, differ from common hunting guns only by cosmetic features.

 

“If the magazine ban had been in effect, kids would be alive in Newtown today”

So claimed Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy (both D-CT), in a complete absence of any evidence to that effect. Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho was reported to carry one hundred magazines, and most active shooters carry multiple firearms, making magazine capacity moot. Moreover, contrary to claims by gun ban advocates, the rate of violent victimization in schools during the period from 1994 to 2004, when the last semi-auto ban was in effect, increased by five-fold.

 

Coalition members reject these lies

The thirty-seven (37) participating organizations of the National Coalition to Stop the Gun Ban, representing millions of Second Amendment supporters, reject the lies being told to the American people in order to pass the Feinstein ban.

Some will urge you to “compromise.” The Coalition, however, regards “compromise,” as our opposition defines it, to be a process in which we lose slightly fewer of our rights than under the original proposal. Consequently, any legislation which registers or bans firearms; limits magazine capacity; registers private transactions through NICS; or restricts time, place or manner of self-defense is unacceptable.

Members of Congress who support gun owners by opposing all gun control will, in turn, benefit from support by Coalition organizations. Members of Congress who support gun control by any means, procedural or substantive, will be targeted for defeat by Coalition members. They will be subject to picketing, leaflet drops at events in their districts, phone and mail campaigns, and political action committee opposition. NRA ratings and endorsements will have no impact on Coalition actions.

Do not believe lies promulgated by politicians who exploit tragedy to further their pre-ordained agenda to follow the disarmament path of Britain and Australia. Unlike other countries, the Framers designed our Republic to keep Americans free, and freedom means keeping arms in the hands of the people.

Respectfully,

The National Coalition to Stop the Gun Ban

Signatories

 

Also
The latest Knox Report column has been posted at WND.org.
This week Jeff takes a look at the reality of “Assault Weapons.”
http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/deadly-assault-weapons-what-are-they/
Deadly “Assault Weapons” – What are They?
These “scary-looking” guns are the very type referenced in the Second Amendment
By Jeff Knox

There’s been a lot of talk recently about “Assault Weapons,” but it seems that many of the people doing the talking don’t know anything at all about guns, and that’s causing confusion.

As an Army-certified Small Arms Repairman and a lifelong firearms owner and enthusiast, I know a little bit about guns and assault rifles, so I’d like to set the record straight about a few things.

First off, the term “Assault Weapon” is a made-up name.  There really is no such thing.  The term was coined by some firearm marketers back in the 1970s to describe military-looking, semi-auto firearms.  Anti-gun extremists recognized it as a catchy and scary term and exploited it for all it was worth.  The term was a play on the valid label “Assault Rifle,” which is a lightweight, selective fire rifle or carbine.  The key there is that term “selective fire,” which means the operator can select either single shot or multi-shot modes of fire.  In other words, a true assault rifle can fire one shot for each trigger pull, or it can fire a burst or string of shots for each trigger pull – machinegun mode.

What Feinstein, Obama, and Holder are calling “assault weapons” are not selective fire.  They are not machineguns, and are not capable of selective fire.  Nor are they easily modified to be able to fire like machineguns.  These guns are semi-auto firearms that fire one round each time the trigger is pulled, just like a typical revolver or semi-auto pistol, or the 100-year old Winchester Model 1907.

Read the full article by clicking here.
http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/deadly-assault-weapons-what-are-they/ 
This Update was sent from The Firearms Coalition to our friends and supporters.
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Your elected servants need to hear from You!
Please contact your elected representatives now – by phone, email, letters, and faxes – and contact them every few days until they get the message.
STOP ALL Infringements on our rights – No gun bans.  No magazine bans.  No government interference in private firearms transactions.
Tell them that Violent Crime – including “gun crime” – has gone down by more than 50% in the past twenty years – while gun ownership and guns in circulation have gone through the roof.  Tell them to stop trying to control guns and instead do a better job of controlling criminals and the criminally insane.
If you agree with the work we’re doing and you’d like to help, there are three things we ask you to do:
First, stay informed and contact your representatives on a regular basis.
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Third, join The Firearms Coalition for news, updates, and to add your voice to our efforts.  Contributions – of any amount – are  appreciated.
  
You can contribute online with PayPal or a credit card at www.FirearmsCoalition.org, or you can drop us a check – or just a $5 bill at PO Box 1761, Buckeye, AZ  85326.  If you see value in the work we do, please help us out.  We’ll do our best to give you a good return on your investment.  — Jeff
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Firearms Policy Coalition adds new members

January 26, 2013
BELLEVUE, WA (January 25, 2013) – As the debate over new gun control laws continues to take top billing in state and national news, organizations representing gun owners and Second Amendment rights in five U.S. states have recently joined Firearms Policy Coalition, noted managing director Brandon Combs.
 
New FPC members include Commonwealth Second Amendment (of Massachusetts), Florida Carry, IllinoisCarry, Hawaii Defense Foundation, and Lone Star Shooting Association (of Texas).
 
“In the midst of one proposed gun ban after another, the addition of these outstanding organizations to our Coalition means that those working hard to secure our Second Amendment rights are coming together to tell President Obama and our state legislatures that enough is enough,” remarked CCRKBA founder Alan Gottlieb. “The millions of law-abiding American gun owners have had it with being scapegoated for the crimes of the evil and insane.”
 
“There’s never been a more critical time for all of us fighting for the advancement of Second Amendment rights to work together,” observed Brent Carlton, president of Comm2A. “Our litigation efforts are critically important, but it’s equally important that gun owners be informed and take action every day to oppose those laws which infringe on their rights.” Continued Carlton, “FPC provides an opportunity for Massachusetts gun owners to have an impactful and far-reaching effect, both in terms of their own state’s laws as well as proud Americans who value their federal Constitutional rights.”
 
“This partnership brings Florida Carry to the forefront of the national public policy debate on private firearms ownership,” said Sean Caranna, Executive Director of Florida Carry, Inc. “As Florida’s largest and most active Second Amendment rights organization, we’re proud to be a part of this coalition and through it extend our grassroots efforts to combat gun control laws in Florida and everywhere.”
 
IllinoisCarry spokesperson Valinda Rowe added, “IllinoisCarry is pleased to join efforts with the Firearm Policy Coalition. Not only must we actively work toward beating back irrational gun control laws in our home state of Illinois but we must also work toward protecting and preserving our rights on a national level. This would be a daunting task if not for a nationwide coalition of Second Amendment groups like the FPC. We thank the FPC for creating this opportunity to work together, coast to coast across the nation. Together, we can stand up to those who would strip us of our Constitutional rights and insure the Second Amendment remains strong for many generations to come.”
 
“Over the past two decades, many states have used common sense and protected the civil liberties of their residents, such as through permit-less and accessible shall-issue firearm carry laws,” said Chris Baker, president of Hawaii Defense Foundation. “However, some states just can’t seem to grasp the plain meaning of the Constitution. To those states, we say this: we will fight hard together, we will fight smart together, and we will win together. That is exactly what we and the Firearms Policy Coalition will do.”
 
“While Texas residents may not face the same gun law challenges as those in Massachusetts, California, or Illinois, all Texans are Americans first and know that gun control laws anywhere are an affront to liberty everywhere,” commented Gary Burris, president of Lone Star Shooting Association. “We’re proud to join with FPC and work cooperatively to secure our fundamental rights so that law-abiding gun owners can exercise their rights across our great state and country, in Texas and in Toledo.”
 
“Firearms Policy Coalition has reached millions of Americans since launching in December and we’re looking forward to reaching millions more,” said FPC’s Combs. “The overwhelmingly positive reaction to our message of civil rights and the facts about gun control really drives home how much Americans value their freedom. These new FPC member organizations are key to ensuring that the Second Amendment means what it says.”
 
“While some power-hungry politicians want nothing more than to undermine the Second Amendment and important legal decisions like Heller and McDonald, we’re confident that the Constitution provides the best policy: the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not – and must not – be infringed.”
 
Gun rights organizations interested in joining the Coalition should contact FPC at info@firearmspolicy.org or through the contact form at http://firearmspolicy.org/contact.
FPC’s robust grassroots action tools to engage Congress and the President on proposed gun laws are available at  http://firearmspolicy.org/take-action. More information about FPC can be found at http://firearmspolicy.org/faq. FPC’s Facebook page is located at http://facebook.com/gunpolicy and its Twitter feed can be viewed at  http://twitter.com/gunpolicy.
 
Firearms Policy Coalition (firearmspolicy.org) is a project of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), California Association of Federal Firearms Licensees (CAL-FFL), the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), and The Calguns Foundation (CGF). FPC offers an agile, effective, and scalable vehicle for advocacy, education, and grassroots action to advance Second Amendment civil rights.
 
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (ccrkba.org) is dedicated to protecting your firearms rights. Its role is to educate grass root activists, the public, legislators and the media. CCRKBA’s programs are designed to help all Americans understand the importance of the Second Amendment and its role in keeping Americans free.
 
Commonwealth Second Amendment (Comm2A.org) is a grassroots civil rights organization dedicated to promoting a better understanding of rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Our activities include educational programs designed to promote a better understanding of Massachusetts and Federal firearms laws and rights as well as programs to defend and protect the civil rights of Massachusetts gun owners.
 
Hawaii Defense Foundation (hawaiidefensefoundation.org) was chartered to protect and defend the Second Amendment of the United States and Hawaii Constitution, provide safety and education training on firearms, and help empower Americans with the knowledge and understanding of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.  HDF advocates for all civil liberties, and is currently engaged in Federal litigation regarding the Second and First Amendments.
 
IllinoisCarry (illinoiscarry.com) reaches thousands of pro-Second Amendment citizens with email alerts and legislative actions. In addition to other efforts, IllinoisCarry helps find legal counsel for those whose Second Amendment rights have been violated. Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day (IGOLD), which is co-sponsored by IllinoisCarry, drew over 8,000 Illinois gun owners from across the state to Springfield to march in our yearly parade and engage their elected officials in 2012.
 
Florida Carry, Inc. (floridacarry.org) is a non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots organization dedicated to advancing the fundamental civil right of all Floridians to keep and bear arms for self-defense as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I Section 8 of the Florida Constitution. Florida Carry works tirelessly toward repealing and striking down ill-conceived gun control laws that have been proven to provide safe havens to criminals and be deadly to law abiding citizens.
 
Lone Star Shooting Association (lssa.us) was founded by a group of American and European shooters to build a tool for public and political awareness used to spread legal, responsible possession of firearms and the right to use firearms in a practical manner suitable for self defense. LSSA funds projects for the preservation of gun rights around the world.

 
Contact:
Brandon Combs
info@firearmspolicy.org
425-454-4911