CONTINUE TO SUPPORT D.C.`S PERSONAL PROTECTION ACT
H.R. 3193, the "District of Columbia Personal Protection Act," introduced by Representatives Mark Souder (R-Ind.) and Mike Ross (D-Ark.), has 228 cosponsors. It is the House companion to Senate bill S. 1414, introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). These bills would restore the right of self-defense to law-abiding citizens of Washington, D.C.--a right enjoyed throughout the U.S., but currently denied under the D.C. Code--by allowing D.C. residents to once again own handguns and be able to keep long guns assembled in their homes. The legislation would also repeal D.C.`s repressive gun registration law.
"D.C.`s politicians have stripped law-abiding residents of their ability to defend themselves and their families," said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox. "Passage of the ‘District of Columbia Personal Protection Act` will remedy this senseless and dangerous injustice."
H.R. 3193 is scheduled to be voted on in the House this Wednesday, September 29, so please be sure to contact your U.S. Representative right away and urge him to cosponsor and support this important legislation. You can find contact information for your elected officials by using the "Write Your Representatives" tool at www.NRAILA.org, or you can call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121 and your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121.
HUNTING FOR THE REAL JOHN KERRY
After years of frontal assaults that ended in defeat at the hands of our nation`s gun owners, gun-banners have revised an old adage, "If you can`t beat ‘em, make it look as if you`ve joined ‘em." Don`t be misled. This anti-gun flanking maneuver is nothing more than a camouflage covering over years of anti-gun votes, public statements attacking gun owners, and countless attempts to destroy our hunting and sporting heritage.
Leading this masquerade parade of cloaked candidates is none other than the Democratic Presidential nominee, Senator John F. Kerry (D-Mass.). Having served twenty years in the United States Senate, John Kerry`s voting record clearly illustrates where he really stands on the issues that are important to gun owners. Twenty months of staged campaign photo-ops and empty rhetoric crafted to appeal to true sportsmen cannot trump two decades of public contempt for the Second Amendment.
Depending on the location of his next campaign stop, John Kerry will either tout his credentials as a "life long hunter," or boast of his 100% rating from the Brady Campaign. He will speak with great pride about taking time from the campaign trail in March to fly back to Washington, D.C., just to derail critical legislation that would have put an end to the reckless, predatory lawsuits designed to cripple the firearm manufacturing industry. At the same time, he will preen for cameras and gladly accept as a gift, a firearm that he, along with gun-ban stalwarts Senators Kennedy (D-Mass.), Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Feinstein (D-Cal.), are working so tirelessly to ban!
With the compliance of the media elite, Kerry is trying to pull the wool over the eyes of NRA members. We won`t stand for it, and neither should you. As an NRA member, we rely on you to help educate friends, family, neighbors, and fellow sportsmen about John Kerry`s very real, very anti-gun record, as well as his frightening future gun ban agenda.
To assist you in this effort, we have posted a variety of information on the official NRA campaign site-- www.NRAPVF.org --which will serve as your campaign season reference guide, enabling you to spread the truth about John Kerry. In addition to all of the late-breaking campaign news, candidate grades/endorsements, and firearm issue background information, you will also find our multimedia section-- www.nrapvf.org/Multimedia/Default.aspx --which houses easy-to-access ads which are perfectly suited for distribution among your fellow NRA Members! Please visit these sites frequently and share them with your fellow NRA Members.
With so few days between now and Election Day, November 2, please be sure that you leave no stone unturned in your efforts! Keep up the great work, and "Vote Freedom First" on November 2!
BE SURE YOU REGISTER TO VOTE!
One of the simplest, yet most important, things gun owners can do this election season is ensure they are currently registered to vote. Our vote is our voice; if we don`t use it, we will lose it! We can`t afford to let others decide for us who will represent our interests in Washington or in the state legislature. Even if you can`t vote in person on November 2, your voice can still be heard! Early voting (where one votes prior to Election Day, either in-person or by mail) is underway now, or will commence shortly, in the following states: AZ, DE, IA, MI, MS, MO, NJ, ND, SC, SD, VA, and WY. Also, every state allows absentee voting if you plan to be away on November 2. But time is running out! Remember, some states require individuals to register to vote well in advance, so if you haven`t registered, please be sure to do so right away! NRA-ILA has a section on its website that will provide you with information about early voting and absentee voting options that will make your participation easier. You can also use this site to register to vote, or to update your voter registration to reflect a recent change in residence. To access this site, please go to www.NRAILA.org, and click on the "NRA-ILA HelpingAmericansVote" icon and select your state. Or, you can go directly to the site at http://NRA.HelpingAmericansVote.org.
In addition, to help you truly learn which candidates support our Second Amendment rights, and which oppose them, visit www.NRAPVF.org, where, in the very near future, you`ll find the NRA-Political Victory Fund`s (NRA-PVF) grades for candidates seeking office, political ads, and other important election-related information you will need to make an informed decision in November. Simply put, www.NRAPVF.org is your place for one-stop-shopping for all of your election needs!
Please make sure every one of your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners is a registered voter. Forward these links to them and encourage them to take advantage of these services to ensure that the voices of America`s 65 million gun owners are heard loudly and clearly in this year`s critically-important elections! We can`t take even a single pro-gun vote for granted! Please make sure your vote is cast to support your gun rights!
A LOOK AT THE STATES
ALASKA
Once again, out-of-state animal "rights" extremists are seeking to force their will on Alaskans by seeking to ban the use of bear management techniques commonly used by the Department of Fish and Game. Funded largely by fanatical anti-hunting groups such as Greenpeace and PETA, this ballot measure would, in addition to restricting the methods used by hunters to attract bears, ban the intentional feeding of bears for the purpose of photography or viewing, and prohibit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game from live trapping and relocating problem bears. If found in violation of this proposed law, one could spend a year in jail and face a hefty $10,000 fine for each offense. It`s time to say "NO" to a radical agenda that would prevent Alaska`s professional game biologists from utilizing one of the most effective game management tools available. It`s time to say "NO" to extremists who seek to punish law-abiding Alaskans for protecting their children and pets from predatory bears, and it`s time to say "NO," once and for all, to out-of-state interests that would deny local control or public involvement on an issue of this importance. Please be sure to encourage your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen to vote "NO" on BALLOT MEASURE 3 in the November 2 election.
ARIZONA
Now is the time to make reservations for the "My Gun Saved My Life!" banquet celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Arizona CCW Law. The banquet will be held on Saturday, October 2, at the Shrine Auditorium in Phoenix. Doors will open at 3:00 p.m., and a prime rib dinner will begin at 7:00 p.m. NRA First Vice President Sandy Froman will be one of the gun-rights speakers featured at this event. Tickets are still available and can be reserved by calling: (800) 426-4302 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. PDT, M-F. Proceeds after expenses will be donated to benefit the Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association`s Junior Firearms Education Program. Please encourage your family members and friends to attend as well.
CALIFORNIA
Thanks to the efforts of NRA members, on Monday, September 20, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed two anti-gun bills, SB 1152, the Ammo & Fingerprint Registration Bill and SB1140, the Negligent Storage Bill. The Governor has also signed AB2431, which clarifies and improves methods for law-enforcement to return confiscated or stolen firearms to the rightful owners. To view a copy of Governor Schwarzenegger`s veto messages, please visit the press room at www.governor.ca.gov.
MAINE
National animal "rights" groups, led by the Humane Society of the United States, have organized and funded a ballot initiative for the November 2 election that would ban the three traditional methods of bear hunting--baiting, hunting with dogs, and trapping. These groups routinely use ballot measures to curtail hunting throughout the country and have been successful in several states, including banning all trapping in nearby Massachusetts. Please be sure to encourage your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen to vote "NO" on QUESTION 2 on this initiative in the November 2 election.
MARYLAND
On Saturday, October 9, from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., the Baltimore County Game & Fish Protective Association, Inc. (BCGF), is hosting its first annual "NRA Day." This free event, also sponsored by numerous pro-gun organizations and companies, will be held rain or shine at the BCGF on Northwind Road in Parkville. Firearms training will be provided by NRA-Certified Instructors, and shotgun, handgun, rifle, and air gun shooting will be offered. A free moon bounce will be offered for the kids, and numerous prizes will be awarded. Earlier that day, BCGF will be hosting an "NRA Day" Trap Tournament as well. For more information, please call(410) 668-2171.
NEW YORK
On Sunday October 3, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Doors open at 12:00 Noon), the Sportsmen`s Association for Firearms Education Inc. (S.A.F.E.) will be hosting its "2004 Right to Carry Conference" & Second Amendment Rally. The event will be held at the Sheraton, Long Island, 110 Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, Smithtown, NY, (631) 231-1100, (on Motor Parkway on North side of LIE between exits 53 & 55). In attendance at the event will be: Wayne R. LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President; The Honorable Bob Barr, Former Member, U.S. House of Representatives; Kayne Robinson, NRA President; John C. Sigler, NRA Second Vice President; Jim Fotis, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Alliance of America; John L. Cushman, S.A.F.E. President and NRA Director. Candidates for U.S. Senate from New York have also been invited! At the conference, you will get the latest information on the Right-to-Carry on Long Island, meet and network with fellow sportsmen, raise issues of concern with local and national leaders of Second Amendment organizations and local legislators, and win valuable prizes in drawings limited to attendees only. Admission & parking is free and the event is open to your family and friends.
WASHINGTON
The Pierce County Council voted 6-0 yesterday to pass NRA-backed Ordinance #2004-61 which amends the existing no-shooting ordinance covering the area in and around the City of Roy. This pro-hunting amendment rolls back the current restrictions to create shotgun areas which will allow for waterfowl hunting in the region. Congratulations to all NRA members who communicated with their County Council members and contributed to this victory. Special recognition goes out to NRA member and activist Allen Hodges who spearheaded the effort locally and was the major force leading to the success of this effort. Thanks also to Council Member Dick Muri who sponsored this ordinance on behalf of law-abiding firearm owners and sportsmen.
