The Fight Continues By Chris W. Cox, NRA-ILA Executive Director |
As gun owners, you and I are now the targets of a massive, coast-to-coast deception campaign. Anti-gun politicians who have attacked us in the past are now trying to make us believe that our Second Amendment rights aren`t in jeopardy in the 2002 elections. I don`t believe it and neither should you.
Why are the anti-gunners suddenly pretending to be what they aren`t?
I can sum it all up in three words--President Al Gore.
Your votes and political action in 2000 denied Al Gore his opportunity to carry forth the gun-banning legacy of Bill Clinton. Because of your votes and hard work, we have an Administration in Washington that believes you and I have an individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms. That being said, you and I both know that our enemies are still active, and the threat is very real.
Stung by the 2000 elections, anti-gun candidates have turned to high-powered political consultants who are advising them to stay silent on the gun issue, or, better yet, fool voters into believing they are pro-gun. Clinton-Gore strategist James Carville gave away the game when he said: "I don`t think there is a Second Amendment right to own a gun. But I think it`s a loser political issue."
Carville`s message is simple: Don`t talk about gun control until after you are elected. Gun owners can`t afford to be fooled. If we lose the pro-gun majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, the leadership of the Congress will be completely in the hands of "F"-rated gun banners. People like Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer are already running the Senate. If NRA members are not active participants in this election, the "F Troop" of Dick Gephardt, Nancy Pelosi, John Conyers and Henry Waxman will solidly control the House and wield enormous power to ban your guns and trample the Second Amendment.
Next month your NRA magazine will contain your NRA-PVF Political Preference Chart that will tell you where the candidates--federal, state and local--really stand so that you, your family and friends can make informed choices at the polls Nov. 5.
If you need information on registering to vote, call NRA-ILA Grassroots at (800) 392-vote (8683) or visit www.nraila.org. You can also defend the Second Amendment by volunteering your time to candidates who support our rights. On the front cover of this magazine is the name and contact information for your NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinator (EVC). Your EVC is a fellow NRA member who has committed his time and effort to spearheading our volunteer campaign activities in your district up until the polls close on Nov. 5.
Your EVC acts as the liaison between NRA members and gun owners in your district and various pro-freedom campaigns, providing the campaigns with dedicated volunteers to assist with phone banks, literature drops, precinct walks, voter registration drives and other activities. Please let your EVC hear from you today. If your district has no EVC please call (800) 392-VOTE (8683), and our Grassroots staff will tell you how you can help local pro-gun candidates.
Make no mistake. If we allow anti-gun politicians to take power, we will start down the road to becoming former gun owners. Freedom lies in the opposite direction. It is freedom that is at stake on Nov. 5.
Chris W. Cox
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