NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS VOLUME 23, NUMBER 50
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| | | | On Monday, Barack Obama’s Social Security Administration (SSA) issued the final version of a rule that will doom tens of thousands of law-abiding (and vulnerable) disability insurance and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients to a loss of Second Amendment rights under the guise of re-characterizing them as “mental defectives.” The SSA, for the first time in its history, will be coopted into the federal government’s gun control apparatus, effectively requiring Social Security applicants to weigh their need for benefits against their fundamental rights when applying for assistance based on mental health problems. |
| | | | On Monday, Barack Obama set a new record for the number of pardons and commutations granted in a single day by bestowing pardons on 78 federal prisoners and reducing the sentences of 153 others. Among the prisoners granted clemency were 54 serving life terms. |
| | | | Pennsylvania's Uniform Firearms Act (UFA), section 6120(a), directs that "[n]o county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms . . . ." 18 Pa. C.S. § 6120(a). The UFA rests on the legal concept of “preemption,” in which a higher level of government – the state –expressly restricts the power or law-making authority it grants to its political subdivisions. This law, like similar laws in 45 states, was enacted to eliminate the inconsistent and confusing regulatory hodge-podge that results when each locality adopts its own “customized” regulations on guns, and serves to ensure that the firearm laws remain uniform across a state. Previous court cases interpreting Pennsylvania’s law – including a lawsuit brought by the NRA against the City of Philadelphia – have invalidated local gun-control measures including prohibitions on the possession, transfer and sale of “assault weapons.” |
| | | | At the same time Europeans are exhibiting a renewed interest in exercising their right to self-defense, the European Parliament and European Council have come to an agreement to place new restrictions on civilian access to firearms. On December 20, the European Commission and European Council confirmed that a compromise on significant changes to the European Firearms Directive was reached. The new agreement pares down the European Commission’s initial proposal to severely restrict civilian ownership of semi-automatic firearms, however, other oppressive measures remain. |
| | | | Many Americans have fond childhood memories of receiving a harmless toy gun, or better yet an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle, under the Christmas tree. But it appears the Grinches in the anti-gun community won’t even permit a Christmas armistice in their culture war against firearms. In an event modeled on a gun “buyback,” on December 21, the children of Hempstead, N.Y. were asked to turn in their toy guns in exchange for a brand new toy. |
| | | | No doubt 2016 was a very successful year for NRA and our members in the fight to protect our Second Amendment rights, culminating in a historic political victory in November! In the most important election cycle in generations, NRA members and supporters proved once again to be the most potent political force in America, electing a pro-gun president and maintaining pro-gun majorities in the U.S. House and Senate.Here is a summary of the top stories brought to you in 2016 via the NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert. As we move into 2017, we must continue to ensure we're prepared to meet the great opportunities and challenges before us. We will continue to provide you with information in future Alerts to ensure you have the information necessary to protect and advance your rights. |
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