LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER TO VOTE!
Since only currently-registered voters are permitted to cast ballots in this year`s elections, it is critical that every eligible Second Amendment supporter registers to vote in time to have his voice heard on November 2!
While voter registration deadlines have passed in many states, the following states are still accepting applications. Here is a list of those states and the corresponding voter registration deadlines: AL (10/22); CA (10/18); CT (10/19); DE (10/13, 4:30 p.m.); ID (Election Day); IA (10/23); KS (10/18); ME (10/23 by mail and up to and including Election Day); MD (10/12); MA (10/13); MN (10/12 or on Election Day at the polls); NE (10/15 for mail-in; 10/22 for in-person); NV (10/12 in-person); ND (no voter registration required); NH (10/23); OR (10/12); SD (10/18); UT (10/13); VT (10/25 by noon for in-person; by mail must be postmarked or delivered by 10/25); WA (10/18 in person); WV (10/13); WI (10/20 for mail-in; 11/1 in person; or on Election Day at the polls).
Also, you`ve read many times in the Grassroots Alert about the importance of voting early or via absentee ballot. NRA-ILA has received word that Secretaries of State are asking early voters to return their applications on or before October 22. It is the general consensus that--regardless of a legal deadline--returning applications by October 22 allows enough time for processing the application, mailing the ballot to the voter`s home, and having the voter return it to the appropriate office. Again, this is a general guideline that the Secretaries of State are requesting.
NRA-ILA has a section of its website to assist you in registering to vote and getting the information you need on early/absentee voting. 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.
GRASSROOTS ELECTION WORKSHOP VIDEO AVAILABLE ON LINE!
On April 17, 2004, at NRA`s Annual Meetings in Pittsburgh. Pa., NRA-ILA`s Grassroots Division hosted its annual Grassroots Workshop, where Grassroots staff, NRA Officers, and more than 250 NRA members met to discuss what must be done at the local level to ensure victory on Election Day--Tuesday, November 2. With only a few short weeks remaining until November 2, these videos will provide you with additional information on what you can do locally between now and Election Day to ensure gun owners nationwide are actively engaged in the campaign efforts of pro-gun candidates for office. To view the videos, please go to: http://www.nraila.org/ActionCenter/GrassRootsActivism.aspx?ID=14. Please be sure to turn off any "pop-up blockers" you may have activated, as it may preclude you from viewing the videos. Please be sure to share this information with your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners as well, as we finalize our efforts to ensure gun owners "Vote Freedom First!" on November 2!
NRA AND BRADY CAMPAIGN AGREE ON ONE THING: JOHN KERRY IS ANTI-GUN
On October 1, in a true testament to his anti-gun record, Senator John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) earned an endorsement from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (formerly Handgun Control, Inc.). For once, the Brady Campaign and NRA are in total agreement--John Kerry is the most anti-gun presidential nominee in history!
"If there was any doubt about John Kerry`s true position on the Second Amendment, his endorsement from the Brady Campaign should make it clear," said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox. "John Kerry stands with other gun banners like Dianne Feinstein, Ted Kennedy, and Chuck Schumer--each one commended by the Brady Campaign for their anti-gun records.
"It`s shameless and dishonest to spend your entire career voting against gun owners, then try to repackage yourself for a presidential bid," added Cox. "A true hunter and sportsman would never seek and accept the endorsement of groups who advocate banning guns, banning ammunition, banning hunting, and licensing and registering law-abiding gun owners."
The following are just a few of Kerry`s votes against America`s sportsmen and gun owners:
* Kerry voted to ban most center-fire rifle ammunition, including many common rounds used by hunters and target shooters (Vote No. 28, March 2, 2004).
* Kerry co-sponsored current legislation to ban all semi-automatic shotguns and detachable-magazine semi-automatic rifles, a gigantic step toward bringing Australian-style gun control to the U.S. (Signed on as co-sponsor of S. 1431 on Nov. 21, 2003).
* Kerry voted to hold the highly regulated American firearm industry legally responsible for the illegal acts of violent criminals (Vote No. 24, March 2, 2004; Vote No. 25, March 2, 2004).
* Kerry says, "I think you ought to tax all ammunition more, personally, I think you ought to tax guns." (CNN "Late Edition," Nov. 7, 1993).
* Kerry has a 100% rating from gun-control groups, and is called "a hero" by anti-hunting extremists such as PETA.
"Kerry`s numerous anti-gun votes present a red flag for hunters and sportsmen, but this savvy voting bloc will not be fooled by election-year campaign tactics," concluded Cox.
For a full list of John Kerry`s Second Amendment-related votes, please visit www.nrapvf.org/kerry/default.aspx.
CANDIDATE BUMPER STICKERS AVAILABLE
A limited supply of NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF)-endorsed "Vote Freedom First!" candidate bumper stickers is still available to you, free of charge while they last! Take this opportunity to show your support for these pro-Second Amendment lawmakers by proudly displaying a "Vote Freedom First!" candidate bumper sticker on your vehicle.
Stickers are available for the following states: AK, CO, FL, IN, KY, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NV, OH, SC, SD, VA, and WA. Please call the ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683 to request some.
GRADES & ENDORSEMENTS NOW AVAILABLE ON NRA-PVF SITE!
The official NRA campaign site-- www.NRAPVF.org --will serve as your one-stop campaign reference guide this election season. The site is loaded with all of the critical information you`ll need to make informed decisions on Election Day, November 2. Included on the site are news stories, articles from NRA`s magazines, NRA-PVF press releases, polling information, and, as of today, a complete listing of NRA-PVF candidate grades and endorsements!
In addition to all of the late-breaking campaign news, candidate grades and 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 that are perfectly suited for distribution among your fellow NRA Members! You may have seen our most recent ad campaign: "John Kerry--That Dog Don`t Hunt." You can view this add and help us spread the word about Kerry`s campaign to deceive America`s sportsmen by ordering your own "That Dog Don`t Hunt" t-shirt. 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!
WATCH THE U.N. GUN DEBATE ON PAY-PER-VIEW!
A Special Message from NRA
Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre:
Tune in to iN DEMAND Pay-Per-View and
Watch the U.N. Gun Debate!
Make plans now to watch iN DEMAND Pay-Per-View on October 12 for my 90-minute debate with international gun-ban ringleader Rebecca Peters. And after the debate, be sure to vote on whether the U.S. Senate should approve the U.N.`s gun-ban treaty!
Rebecca Peters almost single-handedly brought gun confiscation to Australia and to England, and is now the most feared gun-banner in the world. With more than 500 gun control organizations under her command worldwide, and with the unlimited financial backing of billionaire George Soros, she`s determined to make gun confiscation a reality here in the United States-- through a U.N.-backed treaty that would be binding on every American citizen.
You and every American gun owner need to watch this debate--and see first-hand this enormous and very real threat to our Second Amendment rights.
Tune in on October 12, and you`ll see how gun banners have taken over the U.N.--and how they intend to infect America with their anti-gun poison. You`ll see for yourself how the biggest coalition of gun-ban organizations ever assembled on earth is working with the U.N. and with U.S. politicians to take away your rights.
You`ll learn the truth about George Soros -- the foreign-born American financier who is spending his personal fortune to advance the global gun-ban movement as well as elect John Kerry to the White House on November 2. And you`ll see for yourself why U.N. gun-ban extremists will be rejoicing around the world if John Kerry is elected President.
To prevent our nation from living under this soon-to-be-drafted United Nations gun ban treaty in the years ahead, every American needs to know what the U.N. intends to do with our Second Amendment rights--and every gun owner needs to watch this debate.
Please tune in to this historic debate. See the threat for yourself. And invite your gun-owning friends, neighbors, and co-workers to watch with you.
I promise you, you`ll never look at the U.N. in the same way again--and you`ll get the information you need to help defeat this U.N.-backed effort to ban our guns. Thanks in advance for watching--and for Voting!
SHOWTIME:
Tuesday, October 12, 9:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., EST
HOW TO ORDER:
iN DEMAND is the world`s largest provider of Pay-Per-View television programming. Ordering methods vary from one local cable system to another, with the use of either your cable remote or your telephone. Call your local cable company for more information about its Pay-Per-View ordering process. Pricing is also determined by your local cable system. Please note that this debate will NOT be available on DIRECTV, Dish Network, or any other satellite network. Remember, the calling volume increases immediately before the start of an event. In order to avoid getting a busy signal we recommend that you place your order several hours beforehand. Thank you in advance for watching this important debate!!!
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DEBATE: DON`T FORGET TO VOTE!
At the end of the debate, you`ll be provided a password allowing you to vote, using the Internet or your telephone, on this critical question: "Should the United State Senate ratify the proposed United Nations treaty that bans private ownership of firearms?"
It`s vitally important for gun owners to win this vote--and show the world that we won`t give up our Second Amendment rights without a fight! But only those who have ordered this Pay-Per-View show and obtained the password are allowed to vote. So please, make sure to watch at the end of the show for your password, then cast YOUR vote for freedom!
SHOWTIMES (All Showtimes are Eastern Time)
Tuesday, October 12--9:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 12--10:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Wednesday, October 13--12:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m.
Thursday, October 14--6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday, October 15--5:30 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.
Friday, October 15--11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 16--3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 17--9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Monday, October 18--11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Monday, October 18--8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 19--6:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
Wednesday, October 20--4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 20--11:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
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.
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.
OHIO
The Xavier College Republicans will host a debate entitled "Gun Control: Pro or Con" at 7:00 p.m., on October 28. The debate will be held at the Cintas Center on the Xavier University campus (take Dana Avenue [east or west] to University Drive, to campus), and will feature noted author and scholar John R. Lott, Jr. A reception for Mr. Lott will be held prior to the debate at 6:00 p.m. For more information, please contact Adam Shira at (513) 238-4895.