Posts Tagged ‘Gun Owners of America’

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Sleazy politics: it’s worse than watching sausage-making

October 16, 2009
Anti-gun ObamaCare Now Moves to the Senate Floor
— But Obama does not yet have the 60 votes he needs

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

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Well, there’s good news and bad news.

If you’ve been listening to the media, you know the bad news.  Senators voted the Baucus version of the ObamaCare bill out the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, and the legislation now moves to the Senate floor.

So what’s the good news?  President Obama still doesn’t have the 60 votes he needs to overcome a filibuster of his nationalized health care bill.

In brief, the Baucus bill which passed out of committee will hurt you in several ways:

* You will have less money for buying firearms and ammunition. Hopefully, you have $25,900 that you don’t know what to do with — every year.  Because that’s how much the Baucus bill is going to cost an average family of four to pay for a government-mandated ObamaCare policy every year.

That’s right … $25,900 every year!  That will be your cost, according to a Price Waterhouse study of the Baucus legislation.  You will be required to purchase this ObamaCare policy and pay this amount under penalty of law under Baucus’ bill. (Go to http://www.politico.com/static/PPM116_pwc2.html to read the Price Waterhouse study.)

* Anti-gun medical database that can be used to deny your right to purchase firearms. As GOA has warned for several months, the ObamaCare legislation will pump your medical information into the medical database that was created under the stimulus bill earlier this year.

The federal government has already used medical diagnoses (such as PTSD) to deny more than 150,000 military veterans the right to own guns — without their being convicted of a crime or receiving any due process of law.  So don’t be surprised if socialized ObamaCare results in your medical information being used to infringe upon your Second Amendment rights.

* Discrimination against gun owners. ObamaCare legislation in Congress will very likely empower anti-gun bureaucrats to deny medical reimbursements to individuals who engage in supposedly “dangerous” activities, like hunting or keeping loaded weapons for self-defense.  As GOA pointed out in an earlier alert, this type of discrimination against gun owners has already occurred in the homeowner insurance industry. (See documented examples of this at http://gunowners.org/op0231.htm on the GOA website.)

Bottom line:  Don’t be surprised if an Obama-prescribed policy precludes reimbursement of any kind in a household which keeps a loaded firearm for self-defense.

Sleazy politics: it’s worse than watching sausage-making

In order to get a somewhat positive financial analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) kept the details of his health care rationing scheme secret.  He did this by providing the CBO an outline of the legislation, rather than providing real legislative language.

In fact, at the hour that the Senate Finance Committee was being forced to vote on the Baucus bill, the legislative language was still not available!  So the Senate Finance Committee voted on a bill that will take over one-sixth of the American economy without even seeing specific legislative language.

Otto von Bismarck, the first Chancellor of the German Empire, used to say that, “Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.”

That’s still true today.  In order to get this sleazy effort to the Senate floor without anyone knowing what is in the legislative language, the Senate leadership has developed a really contemptible scheme:

* They will take a totally unrelated piece of legislation — perhaps a bill that deals with AIG bonus legislation — and then amend it with a thousand-page health bill that no one, to this date, has been able to read.

* The Republicans will filibuster this attempt to vote on “secret legislation” — requiring the Democrats to muster 60 votes.  If Democrats are successful in doing so, many of them will be free to vote against the health care bill on final passage, since only 51 votes will be needed for the final passage vote.  These switch-hitting Democrats would then be free to tell their constituents that they “opposed” the anti-gun socialized medicine bill because they voted against it on “final passage” — a nearly irrelevant vote that only requires the assent of 51 senators.

But make no mistake:  The REALLY IMPORTANT VOTE is the one that requires 60 votes.  That’s the vote to end the filibuster (or “invoke cloture”) on the motion to proceed to the secret bill.

At this point, it is not clear that Obama has the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster.  Already, one Democrat, Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, has announced he is opposed to the Baucus plan.

And Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa indicated recently that there may be one more Democrat who is leaning against the bill.

That’s why it’s IMPERATIVE that you contact both of your senators.  Don’t think:  “Oh, my Senator is a Democrat and he’s going to support the President.”  We can’t afford to think that way.  All we need to do is pick off one more Democrat Senator and this bill is dead!

At the same time, we need to make sure all the Republicans vote against this anti-gun monstrosity.  Even with liberal Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine defecting, it is still possible to win the war over this legislation.

ACTION: Contact your two U.S. Senators.  Let them know of your disgust for the Baucus bill, and urge them to vote against cloture on the motion to proceed to a “secret” composite bill crafted behind closed doors.

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

—– Pre-written letter —–

Dear Senator:

This may come as a surprise to you.  But most Americans can’t afford $25,900 a year to pay for health insurance under the sleazy bill passed out of the Senate Finance Committee.

According to a Price Waterhouse study, by 2019, the cost of the average family’s government-mandated Obama-drafted health insurance policy — which I would be required to purchase under penalty of law — would be $25,900 A YEAR.  This is a much bigger increase in premiums than if Congress did nothing.

Furthermore, the Congressional Budget Office agrees that premiums would climb faster under the Baucus bill than if Congress did nothing.

Incidentally, please do not try to tell me that the “fines” for not purchasing an ObamaPolicy have been reduced and that I can’t be sent to prison.  This is largely a lie.

An ordinary family would pay $1,500 in fines when the bill fully kicks in.  And, while an amendment added by Senator Charles Schumer says you can’t be sent to prison if you can’t afford the policy, it does NOT say you can’t be sent to prison if you can’t afford the fine.

The next step will be a motion to proceed to a bill which would implement a government takeover of a sixth of the American economy — and put the government in charge of making decisions over whether my family and me live or die.

That motion to proceed will be made at a point when there is no CBO score based on legislation — and possibly no legislative language at all.

I would urge you, in the strongest terms, to vote against that motion to proceed — particularly if there is not a final CBO score BASED ON LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE.

Please do not vote wrong on this crucial cloture vote — and then expect that you can trick me by voting “no” on a meaningless final passage vote which only requires 50 senators.

Sincerely,

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Posted in Economics, Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Hoplophobia, Law, mysandry, News, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | 2 Comments »

Obamacare = Anti Liberty and Freedom

October 9, 2009

You heard it here first!  Obamacare (caps only for grammar purpose’s) The devil, is ALWAYS in the details! Well, the details are starting to roll in, and, as I warned. The obamacare assault on personal freedom and liberty will be a back door attempt at gun control.

Recently, a good friend and fellow bloger has gotten into a spitting match with a Texas Mayor. I have refrained from commenting, as I intend to allow this…. So-called Gun Rights supporter to spew enough rope to hang His-self… And? You knew it was coming! 😀

Most of the comments at my friends website, as well as at a local MSM outlet call for enforcement of all existing laws… Friends, Americans, Liberty Countrymen across the world!

I call for fewer laws that restrict any persons ability to defend themselves…

I call for the repeal of laws that take away anyone’s unalienable rights save conviction of classic felony’s or demonstrated mental incompetence. No more Lautenberg, period. He is a proved traitor to his oath to uphold our Constitution. No more Schumer; he is Lautenberg’s Page. No more Pelosi. We are not her grandchildren. Ex post facto law is immoral, and I don’t give a damn if the Supreme Court endorsed it being the cowards that they are. The list goes on, but those are the main players in the drum roll to abolish freedom and liberty. Not just here, but world wide. The obaminaion is their lap dog.

Read on…

ObamaCare Could be Used to Ban Guns in Home Self-Defense
— Important vote to occur on Tuesday

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

Friday, October 9, 2009

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus has something to say to gun owners:  “Own a gun; lose your coverage!”

Baucus’ socialized health care bill comes up for a Finance Committee vote on Tuesday.  We have waited and waited and waited for the shifty Baucus to release legislative language.  But he has refused to release anything but a summary — and we will never have a Congressional Budget Office cost assessment based on actual legislation.  Even the summary was kept secret for a long time.

But, on the basis of the summary, the Baucus bill (which is still unnumbered) tells us virtually nothing about what kind of policy Americans will be required to purchase under penalty of law — nor the consequences.  It simply says:

* “all U.S. citizens and legal residents would be required to purchase coverage through (1) the individual market…”;

* “individuals would be required to report on their federal income tax return the months for which they maintain the required minimum health coverage…”;

* in addition to an extensive list of statutorily mandated coverage, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius would be empowered to “define and update the categories of treatments, items, and services…” within an insurance plan which would be covered in a policy constituting “required minimum health coverage.”

ObamaCare and gun control

It is nearly certain that coverage prescribed by the administration will, to control costs, exclude coverage for what it regards as excessively dangerous activities.  And, given Sebelius’ well-established antipathy to the Second Amendment — she vetoed concealed carry legislation as governor of Kansas — we presume she will define these dangerous activities to include hunting and self-defense using a firearm.  It is even possible that the Obama-prescribed policy could preclude reimbursement of any kind in a household which keeps a loaded firearm for self-defense.

The ObamaCare bill already contains language that will punish Americans who engage in unhealthy behavior by allowing insurers to charge them higher insurance premiums.  (What constitutes an unhealthy lifestyle is, of course, to be defined by legislators.)  Don’t be surprised if an anti-gun nut like Sebelius uses this line of thinking to impose ObamaCare policies which result in a back-door gun ban on any American who owns “dangerous” firearms.

After all, insurers already (and routinely) drop homeowners from their policies for owning certain types of guns or for refusing to use trigger locks (that is, for keeping their guns ready for self-defense!).  While not all insurers practice this anti-gun behavior, Gun Owners of America has documented that some do — Prudential and State Farm being two of the most well-known.

The good news is that because homeowner insurance is private (and is still subject to the free market) you can go to another company if one drops you.  But what are you going to do under nationalized ObamaCare when the regulations written by Secretary Sebelius suspend the applicability of your government-mandated policy because of your gun ownership?

All of this is in addition to something that GOA has been warning you about for several months … the certainty that minimum acceptable policies will dump your gun information into a federal database … a certainty that is reinforced by language in the summary providing for a study to “encourage increased meaningful use of electronic health records.”

Remember, the federal government has already denied more than 150,000 military veterans the right to own guns, without their being convicted of a crime or receiving any due process of law.  They were denied because of medical information (such as PTSD) that the FBI later determined disqualified these veterans to own guns.

Is this what we need on a national level being applied to every gun owner in America?

Incidentally, failure to comply would subject the average family to $1,500 in fines — and possibly more for a household with older teens.  And, although a Schumer amendment purports to exempt Americans from prison sentences for non-purchase of an ObamaPolicy — something which was never at issue — it doesn’t prohibit them from being sent to prison for a year and fined an additional $25,000 under the Internal Revenue Code for non-payment of the initial fines.

ACTION:  Contact your two U.S. Senators.  Ask him or her, in the strongest terms, to vote against the phony Baucus bill.

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

—– Pre-written letter —–

Dear Senator:

You already know that the phony Baucus bill:

* Is predicated on $283 billion in phony “cuts” which have never, never ever been realized since a similar commitment to cut Medicare costs in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 — and will never, never ever be realized under the Baucus bill;

* Requires massive numbers of Americans to have government-approved insurance which the CBO predicts will be more expensive than current policies;

* Refuses to provide a cost for these policies, making it almost certain that more and more Americans will find insurance beyond their reach;

* Has no legislative language and nothing but a CBO “guesstimate” of the cost and benefits, based on a summary.

On the basis of the summary, the Baucus bill tells us virtually nothing about what kind of policy Americans will be required to purchase under penalty of law — nor the consequences.  It does say that the “Secretary of HHS [Kathleen Sebelius] would be required to define and update the categories of treatments, items, and services…” within an insurance plan which would be covered in a policy constituting “required minimum health coverage.”

This could spell trouble for gun owners.

It is nearly certain that coverage prescribed by the administration will, to control costs, exclude coverage for what it regards as excessively dangerous activities.  And, given Sebelius’ well-established antipathy to the Second Amendment — she vetoed concealed carry legislation as governor of Kansas — I presume she will define these dangerous activities to include hunting and self-defense using a firearm.  It is even possible that the Obama-prescribed policy could preclude reimbursement of any kind in a household which keeps a loaded firearm for self-defense.

This is, of course, in addition to the certainty that minimum acceptable policies will dump my gun information into a federal database — a certainty that is reinforced by language in the summary providing for a study to “encourage increased meaningful use of electronic health records.”

Incidentally, failure to comply would subject the average family to $1,500 in fines — and possibly more for a household with older teens.  And, although a Schumer amendment purports to exempt Americans from prison sentences for non-purchase of an ObamaPolicy — something which was never at issue — it doesn’t prohibit them from being sent to prison for a year and fined an additional $25,000 under the Internal Revenue Code for non-payment of the initial fines.

Please oppose the Baucus bill.

Sincerely,

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Posted in Economics, Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Hunting Fishing and the Great Outdoors, Law, Men's Issues, mysandry, News, Politics, War, Wordpress Political Blogs | 5 Comments »

FCC strikes at those that Blog: endorsements under fire

October 6, 2009

We told you that the FCC was about to begin regulating the internet, and no, not just about child porn and terrorism. It seems that endorsements will be targeted, and yes, by means of force and / or fear. For the moment, it appears that only money making is targeted. Soon though I can see them going after political blogs as well. The devil will be in the details to be sure, the new FCC Czar notwithstanding. To be sure, this has been in the works for some time, and in all honesty I simply cannot blame the current administration for dreaming up this authoritarian camels nose.

So? Full disclosure: I looked at my blogroll and sidebar and found, right there at the top, Front Sight Training. Yes they do charge for their services. They also have more give away programs than I can keep track of. Including a certificate that I was sent that is for a free course, of my choosing which to date I have not availed myself of. Then there is the Gun Owners of America, and the National Rifle Association. Both of which collect dues, and accept donations. I receive nothing from them other than using their “contact my representative” tools, and use some of their works on this blog, or in citations. On occasion I receive a hat or some other trinket. But never any actual money.

So there you have it. How long before the FCC uses the IRS to become their attack dog? How long until a pattern emerges where it will become obvious that Conservative, Libertarian, or Constitutionalists blogs are being targeted while left wing hit sheets like Moveon.org and the notorious Hufpo are allowed to spew hate and vindictive unabated?

Read on…

Bloggers who offer endorsements must disclose any payments they have received from the subjects of their reviews or face penalties of up to $11,000 per violation, the Federal Trade Commission said Monday.

The agency, charged with protecting consumer interests, had not updated its policy on endorsements in nearly three decades, well before the Internet became a force in shaping consumer tastes. The new rules attempt to make more transparent corporate payments to bloggers, research firms and celebrities that help promote a product.

“Given that social media has become such a significant player in the advertising area, we thought it was necessary to address social media as well,” said Richard Cleland, assistant director for the division of advertising practices at the FTC.

Full Story

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Posted in Economics, Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Immigration, Law, News, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | 6 Comments »

Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina

September 15, 2009

It is said that timing is everything. Mr. Wilson may have failed to properly lead the bird. However, the target was clear, and I might add appropriate.

A Pro-Gun Stalwart Comes Under Attack
— Please stand with Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina

Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Pl, Suite 102
Springfield, VA 22151
http://www.goapvf.org

Monday, September 14, 2009

Even if you missed the President’s speech to the Congress on health care last week, you certainly have seen the news following the event.

Most notable was the fact that pro-gun congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina — rated “A” by GOA — decided to call out the President because of his… well, shall we say… his failure to communicate truthfully.

No matter what you think about the time and place Wilson chose to tell President Obama “You lie,” the facts are on Joe Wilson’s side.

The President lied repeatedly throughout his speech.  Even the Associated Press — hardly a bastion of conservatism — noted that the President failed to accurately articulate the truth in several instances.

Wilson’s opponent, however, is trying to use the national attention on Wilson to raise money for his campaign.  In fact, Wilson’s opponent says he raised over $1 million in the first 48 hours following the speech.

It’s up to the pro-gun community to respond in kind and help Wilson through this difficult time.  But first, who is Rep. Joe Wilson and what has he done for gun owners?

Not only has he consistently supported the Second Amendment with his votes, he has also cosponsored needed gun rights legislation.  This year, he has cosponsored two reciprocity bills in the House — including the GOA-supported HR 1620, which protects Vermont-style carry — plus a bill that removes certain restrictions on the interstate sale of firearms.

In previous years, Wilson was the chief sponsor of the Citizen’s Self-Defense Act, a bill that would protect individuals who successfully defend themselves or others from violent attack, only to find themselves in the clutches of anti-gun prosecutors.

And when a conference committee watered down GOA’s language to arm airline pilots following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Rep. Wilson stepped up to the plate.  He successfully pushed through legislation to allow all commercial pilots (not just passenger pilots) to carry guns.  Further, when TSA bureaucrats dragged their feet once armed pilots became the law of the land, Wilson authored yet another bill that streamlined the certification process.

Here’s the bottom line:  Joe Wilson couldn’t stand listening to the President dish out lie after lie.  He says his emotions got the best of him, and he yelled “You lie” in the midst of a presidential address.  He regrets the time and place he did it… but he is not sorry for what he said.

He was ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.  He did what millions of Americans — many people like you — would have loved to do.  How many of us would like the chance to tell the President, to his face, to stop lying?

It’s ironic.  The President stood there on national television and said his opponents were lying.  But when Joe Wilson countered that it was the President who was, in fact, lying… it was Wilson who came under attack from the liberal media.

That’s why we need to stand with Rep. Joe Wilson.  If we lose a pro-gun stalwart because of his willingness to call out the President on his lies, it will be a crying shame.

You can contribute to the Wilson campaign by going online at https://www.completecampaigns.com/public.asp?name=Wilson&page=2

Even if it is a contribution of solidarity — only $5 or $10 — it will be worth it.  But if you can afford more, please do so.

Wilson is in for a tough race because the left-wing, anti-gun movement smells blood and they will pour even more money into this race.

Representative Wilson deserves all the help we can give.  Let him know that gun owners are standing with him!

Tim Macy
Vice Chairman

SOURCE

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Posted in Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, News, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | 4 Comments »

Yet another Czar: obamakooks

September 9, 2009

The impostor in chief is poised to yet again place an unelected ruler to laird it over us all. True to form, this new Czar is absolutely off the wall. Here’s a new twist; to go along with all the other “write your Congressperson / Senator letter campaigns.” No more Czars, period. Got it Senator? Is that simple and clear enough to be understood?  Where the hell is the NRA on this? Nothing in my live feed on it. Sold out again..? Read on…

Senate to Vote on Anti-gun Kook for ‘Regulatory Czar’
— Nominee favors bringing an end to hunting

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, September 8, 2009

Just when you thought the news about the Obama administration couldn’t get any worse, gun owners find themselves needing to rally the troops once again.

This time it’s the proposed “Regulatory Czar” who will be coming to a vote this week in the U.S. Senate.

His name is Cass Sunstein, and he holds some of the kookiest views you will ever hear.

For starters, Sunstein believes in regulating hunting out of existence.  He told a Harvard audience in 2007 that “we ought to ban hunting.” And in The Rights of Animals: A Very Short Primer (2002), he said:

I think we should go further … the law should impose further regulation on hunting, scientific experiments, entertainment, and (above all) farming to ensure against unnecessary animal suffering.  It is easy to imagine a set of initiatives that would do a great deal here, and indeed European nations have moved in just this direction. There are many possibilities.  (Italics are his emphasis.)

If that’s all Sunstein believed, he would be dangerous and extreme, but not necessarily kooky.  Unfortunately, when you look at WHY he wants to restrict hunting, this is where he goes beyond extreme.

In Sunstein’s world, animals should have just as many rights as people … and they should be able to sue humans in court!

“We could even grant animals a right to bring suit without insisting that animals are persons, or that they are not property,” Sunstein said on page 11 of Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions (2004).

Well, that’s a relief … he is at least willing to concede that animals are not persons!  But he would still have animals suing humans, apparently, with more enlightened humans representing the cuddly critters.

Imagine returning from a successful hunting trip … only to find out that you’ve been subpoenaed for killing your prize.  Who knows, maybe Sunstein would have the family of the dead animal serving as witnesses in court!

By the way, if you’re wondering what he thinks about the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, you won’t be surprised to know that Sunstein is a huge supporter of gun control.

In Radicals in Robes: Why Extreme Right-Wing Courts are Wrong for America (2005), Sunstein says:

Almost all gun control legislation is constitutionally fine…. [O]n the Constitution’s text, fundamentalists [that is, gun rights supporters] should not be so confident in their enthusiasm for invalidating gun control legislation.

Hmm, what part of “shall not be infringed” does Sunstein not understand?

Imagine the power that Sunstein could have as the Regulatory Czar — the nickname for the person heading the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) in the White House.

As the Regulatory Czar, he could bring about changes in the regulations that affect hunting, gun control and farming.  In short, he could make your life hell.

Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) objected to his nomination several weeks ago, preventing him from being unanimously confirmed.

That means that the Senate will now need to garner 60 votes to confirm this radical, kooky choice to the OIRA.

No doubt, many of the people our President wants to associate with are radical kooks.  First, there was the Rev. Jeremiah Wright … then there was the self-avowed communist (Van Jones) who was nominated for the Green Jobs Czar … now, there’s an extreme animal rights activist who wants to take away our guns and get Bambi to sue us in court.

It’s time to take a STRONG STAND against this radical administration.

ACTION: Please contact your Senators right away and urge them to vote AGAINST the Cass Sunstein nomination.  You can use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your legislators the pre-written e-mail message below.

—– Pre-written letter —–

Dear Senator:

I urge you to vote AGAINST Cass Sunstein as the head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, as I am very concerned about the impact this “Regulatory Czar” would have upon firearms and hunting.

Sunstein told a Harvard audience in 2007 that “we ought to ban hunting.”  If that were all Sunstein believed, he would be dangerous and extreme, but not necessarily kooky.  Unfortunately, in Sunstein’s world, animals should have just as many rights as people … and they should be able to sue humans in court!

Moreover, he is a firm supporter of gun control.  In Radicals in Robes: Why Extreme Right-Wing Courts are Wrong for America (2005), Sunstein says that, “Almost all gun control legislation is constitutionally fine.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if Sunstein is part of the small minority — 11% of Americans, according to a Zogby/O’Leary poll in August — who opposes licensed concealed carry.

I hope you will understand that Cass Sunstein’s views are WAY OUT OF THE MAINSTREAM of American thought and that you should vote NO on this radical, kooky nomination.

Sincerely,

The Larry Pratt News Hour (formerly Live Fire) is carried by the Information Radio Network on Saturdays (rebroadcasts Sundays). The show is simulcast on the web at http://irnusaradio.com/ and previous episodes are archived at http://irnusaradio.com/our-programs/live-fire with a number of listening formats, including podcasts, supported.

Recent guests and topics, among many others, have included:

* Jim Kouri — Police Against Socialized Medicine
* Aaron Zellman — No Guns for Negroes
* Hilmar von Campe — Former Hitler Youth on the Totalitarian Lie

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Posted in Economics, Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Hunting Fishing and the Great Outdoors, Law, Men's Issues, mysandry, News, Non Compos Mentis, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | 1 Comment »

90% Myth: Where Are All Those Guns Coming From?

August 8, 2009

Where Are All Those Guns Coming From?

by Larry Pratt

The government of Colombia has been fighting the Marxist-oriented drug traffickers known by their Spanish acronym FARC for decades.  They have been trying to trace guns and other weapons coming from some twenty-seven different countries.

The guns turned up in various FARC encampments that have been busted by an increasingly successful counterattack by the Colombian military.

In an August 2 article in the Panamanian newspaper, Panamá América, it was reported that Columbia has made numerous inquiries to Interpol to find out where all the weapons are coming from.

In view of the Obama administration’s claims that privately owned guns in our country are migrating into Mexico and fueling violence down there, one might think that American gun owners are the cause of all foreign violence.  However, the truth is quite the opposite, it turns out.

The article summarizes the Colombian queries to Interpol as follows: rifles from Russia, Bulgaria, Communist China and Korea; pistols and revolvers from Central Europe and Brazil; explosives from Ecuador; munitions (a term that includes machine guns and other weapons such as grenades, mortars, cannons, rockets, etc.) from Brazil, Russia and Venezuela and anti-tank rockets from Russia, Rumania, Communist China, Sweden and the U.S.

Did you just hear the dog that did not bark?  In the above list, did you see any weapons that could be obtained at a U.S. gun store or show?  The only mention of the U.S. in the list is as a supplier of anti-tank rockets.  If anybody can tell me where us average citizens can buy rockets at a store or show, please let me know right away.

Where would anti-tank rockets enter the world market?  How about theft from domestic or foreign military arsenals?  By the way, the article reports that some of the weaponry mentioned above has been traced to Colombia’s own military industry.

The article also pointed out that the FARC are known to fly guns into Colombia on return flights that take drugs out.

You don’t suppose those same planes could sneak into Mexico, too, do you?

SOURCE

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Posted in Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Law, Men's Issues, News, Politics, Warfare, Wordpress Political Blogs | 4 Comments »

Time to put the heat on your Senators as Sotomayor hearings begin.‏

July 13, 2009 
Should We be Surprised by Sotomayor's Radical Views?
-- Time to put the heat on your Senators as hearings begin

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

"I will be talking [to Judge Sotomayor] about the question of 
foreign law and the question of [her] commitment to the Second 
Amendment, the right to keep and bear arms....  President Obama, who 
nominated Judge Sotomayor, has a rather limited view of what the Second 
Amendment guarantees." -- Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), June 2009

Monday, July 13, 2009

Today, the U.S. Senate commences hearings on Justice Sonia Sotomayor, 
who was nominated by President Obama to replace the retiring Judge 
David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court.

In many ways, Sotomayor's views are out-of-step with our American 
heritage and with the views of Americans in general.  For example, 
Sotomayor believes that our fundamental law is constantly evolving and 
that rights are constantly changing with the times.

But should we be surprised?  The President who nominated her holds some 
of the most radical views ever held by a resident of the White House.  
His take on the Constitution -- and the Second Amendment in particular 
-- has stationed him to the far left on the political spectrum.

Consider just a small snapshot of his record over the years:

* As President, Obama has nationalized much of the car and banking 
industry and is now looking to do the same with health care.  Even the 
Marxist President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, joked on live television 
last month that he and Fidel Castro need to be careful or else "we 
are going to end up to [Obama's] right."

* As a U.S. Senator, Obama was ranked by the National Journal in 2007 
as the most liberal legislator in that chamber.  Realize that such a 
ranking put Obama to the left of 99 other Senators -- including an 
open, self-avowed socialist, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

* Like many socialists, Obama has supported some of the most extreme 
positions on gun control:  supporting a ban on handguns, opposing the 
repeal of the draconian DC gun ban, opposing the right of self-defense 
for residents in the Chicago suburbs, and much more.

Obama's brand of far-left politics sees the Constitution as moldable as 
a ball of wax.  In a 2001 interview, he criticized earlier Supreme 
Courts for "never ventur[ing] into the issues of redistribution of 
wealth....  It didn't break free from the essential constraints that 
were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution."

Sotomayor appears to have the same view of our highest document, as she 
stated in 1996 that law is not "static and predictable," but 
"constantly overhaul[ed] and adapt[ed] [by lawyers and courts] to 
the realities of ever-changing social, industrial and political 
conditions."

ACTION:  Please urge your two Senators to vote AGAINST the Sotomayor 
nomination.  Tell them to cast a pro-gun vote on EVERY vote related to 
Judge Sonia Sotomayor (whether it's a vote on sustaining a filibuster 
or a vote on final passage).

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

----- Pre-written letter -----

Dear Senator:

Judge Sonia Sotomayor's views are out-of-step with our American 
heritage and with the views of Americans in general.  Not surprisingly, 
the Rasmussen polling firm reported on July 1 that more Americans 
oppose her nomination than support her.

Sotomayor believes that our fundamental law is constantly evolving and 
that rights are constantly changing with the times.  But a majority of 
Americans disagree.  Multiple polls have found that almost 
three-fourths of all Americans believe that the Second Amendment of the 
U.S. Constitution protects the rights of "individuals" to own 
guns.  Not so for Judge Sotomayor:

* She ruled in United States v. Sanchez-Villar (2004) that "the 
right to possess a gun is clearly not a fundamental right."

* And earlier this year, Sotomayor was part of a three-judge panel 
which ruled in Maloney v. Cuomo that the Second Amendment does not 
apply to the states.  This makes her more liberal than the Ninth 
Circuit, which stated in the Nordyke case in April that the Second 
Amendment does apply to the states.

Please cast a pro-gun vote on EVERY vote related to Judge Sonia 
Sotomayor (whether it's a vote on sustaining a filibuster or a vote on 
final passage).

I would like to hear back from you on this.  Although rest assured, Gun 
Owners of America will keep me up to date on any further developments.

Sincerely,
---

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Posted in Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Law, mysandry, News, Non Compos Mentis, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | Comments Off on Time to put the heat on your Senators as Sotomayor hearings begin.‏

Dirty Tricks and Politics

May 20, 2009

Dirty tricks and politics go hand in hand, or at least that is how it appears to most people. I’m one of those people, and I don’t like those things. Hence, I support things like the “Read the Bills Act,” single issue legislation, and strict constructionist interpretation of the Constitution, and Bill of Rights. The reality of the situation though leaves most of us bewildered in nearly all cases. Lautenberg sneaks things into bills late at night and gets them passed without any input from the opposition and shatters Anglo American law, San Fran Nan moves her lips and that is how we can tell that she again lied, and the list just goes on. Then we all have to deal with judicial activism from Judges that receive lifetime appointments to positions that are anything but blindfolded in their rulings. But, on occasion, the tables get turned on the forces of political correctness and big government authoritarians. This from Gun Owners of America.

Get ready to pinch yourself.

After eight years of clashing with anti-gun bureaucrats and
congressional leadership hostile to gun rights, we have never been
closer to victory in the battle to repeal the National Park Service
(NPS) gun ban.

As you are by now undoubtedly aware, NPS land is subject to a blanket
gun ban. A Bush administration regulation partially reversing the ban
was singlehandedly negated recently by an activist judge in Washington,
D.C.

Gun Owners of America reported last week about an amendment to repeal
the gun ban, sponsored by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), that passed by an
overwhelming 67-29 vote. Senator Coburn attached his amendment to a
fast-moving “must pass bill,” H.R. 627, dealing with credit card
industry reform.

The Coburn amendment simply allows for state law — not unelected
bureaucrats and activist judges — to govern the carrying of firearms on
NPS land.

“Visitors to national parks also should have the right to defend
themselves in accordance with the laws of their states,” Sen. Coburn
said.

The Senate wrapped up business on the underlying bill today, while the
House passed its version of the bill several weeks ago. The measure now
heads back to the House to be “reconciled” with the Senate bill.

The problem for anti-gun House leaders is that their priority bill, H.R.
627, now contains a pro-gun amendment. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is forced
to either delay the entire bill in order to try to strip the popular
pro-gun amendment out later in the year, or allow the underlying bill to
move through the House before Memorial Day with the Coburn amendment
intact.

Sources close to the situation tell GOA that the Democrat leadership,
which has opposed the NPS gun ban repeal at every turn, may have finally
run out of options. The enormous outpouring of grassroots activism from
GOA supporters may have at last convinced congressional leaders that if
they bury this measure yet again, the repercussions will reverberate
into the next election.

President Obama wants to sign this credit card legislation before
Memorial Day. So it is possible that there will be just one more vote
on this issue in the House this week. As of today, it appears the
leadership plans to bring the underlying bill to the floor in two pieces
for two separate votes — one on the main bill and one on the Coburn
amendment.

If both pieces pass the House, then they can be combined together as one
bill and sent directly to the President without going to a House-Senate
conference committee. (There would be no need to iron out differences
in conference committee since the Senate would have already passed the
exact same version of the bill.)

Bottom line: we just need to make certain that the gun ban repeal
amendment passes in the House, after which it will be joined back up
with the main bill and signed into law. That’s why the action item
below — asking you to urge your Representative to vote for repealing
the NPS gun ban — is so crucial.

This could be the last strike in a long battle, but even on the cusp of
winning GOA has also learned that some — supposedly on the pro-gun side
— are willing to compromise away this victory. Please be absolutely
sure to take the action below, and then forward this email to your
pro-gun friends.

And remember, the progress we have made on this issue would not be
possible without your support. GOA has been the lone voice fighting for
this gun ban repeal on Capitol Hill.

Action: Contact your Representative and urge that the Coburn amendment
remain attached to H.R. 627. The vote is scheduled to occur this week!

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

—– Pre-written letter —–

Dear Representative,

Last week, an amendment to repeal the National Park Service (NPS) gun
ban passed overwhelmingly in the Senate by a vote of 67-29 as part of
the credit card reform bill.

NPS land is subject to a blanket gun ban. Although a Bush
administration regulation partially reversed the ban, that reversal was
singlehandedly negated by an activist judge in Washington, D.C.

The pro-gun amendment, sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn, prevents unelected
bureaucrats and activist judges from stripping me of my Second Amendment
rights on NPS land.

It appears that the leadership plans to bring the underlying bill to the
floor in two pieces for two separate votes — one on the main bill and
one on the Coburn amendment.

I urge you to stand up for my Second Amendment rights and to support the
effort to keep the Coburn amendment attached to the underlying bill,
H.R. 627.

Gun Owners of America will score this vote in its congressional rating,
and will inform me of how you vote.

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GOA Helps Push Pro-gun Coburn Amendment Over the Hump — And Montana becomes a model state

May 14, 2009

Gun Owners of America Alert: Some good news for a change! 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, May 13, 2009

Gun owners won a long-fought victory in the U.S. Senate yesterday with
the passage of an amendment to repeal the gun ban on National Park
Service (NPS) and National Wildlife Refuge System land.

GOA was the driving force behind this amendment and lobbied Senators
hard prior to the vote to get the provision passed. The amendment,
offered by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), passed overwhelmingly by a vote of
67-29. People can see how their Senators voted on the Coburn amendment
by going to:
http://capwiz.com/gunowners/issues/votes/?votenum=188&chamber=S&congress=1111

NPS and Wildlife Refuge land is treated differently with regard to gun
rights than other federally controlled land. For instance, the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) allows state and local laws to govern firearms
possession. However, carrying firearms on NPS land and Wildlife Refuges
is prohibited, even if the state in which the land is located allows
carrying firearms.

The only way to legally possess a firearm anywhere on National Park land
is by having it unloaded and inaccessible, such as locked up in your
trunk.

This has created a patchwork of conflicting regulations. For instance, a
Virginia resident who is licensed to carry a concealed firearm can
legally carry on the Commonwealth’s roadways, but it is illegal to carry
on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, a major thoroughfare in
Virginia under the jurisdiction of the NPS.

In the waning days of his administration, President Bush partially
reversed the ban, but even that half-way measure has been
single-handedly negated by an activist judge in Washington, D.C. The
Department of Interior has decided not to appeal that ruling, thus
leaving the gun ban in place.

The Coburn amendment will treat NPS land and Wildlife Refuges in the
same manner as BLM land. The amendment will in no way change or override
state, local or federal law, but will simply allow those laws — enacted
by legislation, not bureaucrats or judges — to govern firearms
possession.

The amendment was attached to a bill, H.R. 627, regulating the credit
card industry. The House passed its own version of the bill on April 30
by a vote of 357-70, and the Senate is expected to follow suit this
week.

The House bill does not contain the Coburn language, and is
substantially different in other respects. Therefore, a House and Senate
conference committee will have to iron out the differences between the
two bills. President Obama said he wants to sign a bill before Memorial
Day.

GOA will alert you once the conferees are appointed, as we need to put
the heat on the conference committee to keep the Coburn amendment in the
final bill.

Please stay tuned for further updates.

States Beginning to Resist Federal Intrusion

The epicenter of the earthquake you may have felt last month originated
in Helena, Montana.

That’s where Governor Brian Schweitzer signed the Montana Firearms
Freedom Act into law. This act basically states that if you build a gun
in Montana — and the firearm stays in the state — it is exempt from
federal gun control laws.

Several states have passed so-called Tenth Amendment resolutions in
recent years to protest the usurpation of power that the federal
government has engaged in. However, most of these resolutions have no
teeth.

What Montana has done is to actually interpose itself so as to protect
its citizens from the unconstitutional mandates that have been passed at
the federal level.

Gary Marbut, a former GOA Board Member and the current head of the
Montana Shooting Sports Association, is the intellectual author of this
legislation. He says that almost a dozen states are considering — or
have already introduced — similar bills. Marbut is expected to talk
about the new law on Fox’s Glenn Beck show this Friday (5 pm EST).

This effort is not the first act of interposition on Montana’s part.
This is the state that has effectively, by law, decreed that every
law-abiding citizen within the state is authorized to carry a firearm
within a school zone; the state that nullified the federal requirements
of REAL-ID (read: National ID card); and which had even threatened to
leave the union if the Supreme Court ruled against Second Amendment
rights in the Heller case.

Thank God for the state of Montana.

****************************

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.
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.

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Tom Ridge Drops Out as Pressure Against his Candidacy Intensifies!

May 8, 2009

Tom Ridge Drops Out as Pressure Against his Candidacy Intensifies!
— Plus, gun owners gain ground in opposition to Health Care Gun Ban

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

Friday, May 8, 2009

Earlier this week, GOA alerted email activists that certain prominent
Republicans were pushing former Department of Homeland Security Director
Tom Ridge to run against pro-gunner Pat Toomey in a Pennsylvania
primary.

GOA members flooded the Republican National Committee (RNC) office with
phone calls and emails, highlighting a few of Tom Ridge’s anti-gun
actions:

* As a Congressman, he provided the pivotal vote to pass the Clinton
semi-auto ban.

* As Governor, he signed into law the infamous Act 17, which registered
and taxed long gun buyers and placed other restrictions on Keystone
State gun owners.

* As the first director of DHS, Ridge opposed arming commercial airline
pilots in defense of terrorism.

In contrast, former Rep. Pat Toomey stood 100% for the rights of gun
owners.

GOA also sent a letter to every RNC official nationwide, assuring them
that gun owners and sportsmen would not accept an anti-gun candidate
like Tom Ridge.

Well, good news! Tom Ridge “decided,” with the help of
activism like
yours, to stay out of the 2010 Pennsylvania Senate race. He withdrew
his name yesterday.

That means Pat Toomey, who has been endorsed by Gun Owners of America
Political Victory Fund, could face Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen
Specter next November.

Specter, you may recall, provided crucial support to confirm gun-hating
Attorney General Eric Holder; was one of two Republicans to vote against
arming commercial airline pilots; and singlehandedly passed the
so-called economic “stimulus” bill, which contained several
provisions
of grave concern to gun owners.

Update on Health Care Gun Ban

Two weeks ago, GOA asked you to urge your Representative and Senators to
vote against the budget resolution conference report. The vote was a
key battle in the larger war over whether to create a national health
database which would allow BATF to troll your medical records for
information about whether your mental state subjects you to a gun ban.

Well, it looks like we took a couple of small steps forward, even though
the resolution passed the House and the Senate. The Senate only passed
the resolution by a 53-43 vote, which means that despite the pleas of
the Obama administration — thanks to your efforts — all Republicans,
plus Specter, Bayh, Nelson of Nebraska, and Byrd voted against the
conference report.

This means that, with all senators present, we are only about a half
dozen votes away from defeating the vast, hugely controversial health
package when it comes up for a final vote in September or October. And,
when the package is unveiled later this summer, we will have a good shot
at picking up the additional votes we need, based on its controversial
details.

****************************

Got Form Letters?

Recently, several legislators such as Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia have
been sending activists interesting form letters whenever those activists
contact them via GOA’s Legislative Action Center. Essentially, the form
letters state that a detailed reply will not be forthcoming because the
e-mail was generated through an “outside third party website,” or
include similar sentiments. This has some GOA supporters understandably
concerned that they are being ignored.

Rest assured, our contacts on Capitol Hill report that GOA-generated
e-mail IS being received and the contents noted by staff of the offices
in question. If the legislators choose to respond with a nothing-burger
form letter, fine. They know they have to pay attention to gun owner
concerns when the votes are taken. So please do not be discouraged if
you receive a less-than-forthcoming response. Your views are being
heard.

****************************

Just a note. So far I have received real responses from the Wyoming legislators. 😀

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