ANTI-HUNTING GROUPS PLAN MERGER
In a November 19, news release, the U.S. Sportsmen`s Alliance (USSA) reported that two vehemently anti-hunting groups have revealed their plans to merge.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) plans to join forces with the Fund for Animals to create a single, and they hope, stronger and better-funded, animal "rights" organization.
The two groups are currently classified as "non-profit charities"--a designation that restricts the amount of money they`re able to spend on lobbying. Under its new classification as a "social welfare program," the group will be able to spend much more on lobbying activities.
While both groups have been outspoken in the past with respect to their opposition to hunting, the pending merger leaves no doubt as to where the new group will stand on the issue. Scripps Howard News Service reporter Lance Gay recently revealed that sources within both groups confirmed that the new organization would seek an outright ban on bowhunting as a first priority!
It has also been reported that the new group will have combined assets in excess of $95 million with which to fund its hunting-ban agenda.
"The merger announcement serves as a wake up call to [bow] hunting groups to reunite to defeat what promises to be a powerful attack on our heritage from this monstrous anti-hunting group," said Rick Story, USSA`s Senior Vice President. "To win, we will need to energize the vast grassroots network of sportsmen across this country."
Rest assured that we will be keeping an eye on this developing story and will keep you informed on future developments.
HELP US HELP YOU
In an ongoing effort to better serve you, the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division is exploring the possibility of changing the transmission day and/or time of the NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert. Since its inception, the Alert has been transmitted on Friday evenings at the close of the business day.
To ensure as many recipients as possible read the important information contained in the Grassroots Alert, we are continuing to ask for your input on whether we should change the day it is sent.
To that end, we are asking you please take a moment to let us know which day of the week you typically read the NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert (again, transmission is done at the end of the business day) by filling out a very short survey. To do so, please visit http://www.nraila.org/grassroots/surveys/GrassRootsAlerts.aspx, then proceed with the short survey. That`s it!
As of press time, thousands of survey responses have already been received. Your responses will influence our decision on whether to continue to send the Alert on Fridays, or to modify the delivery schedule to comport with the wishes of our subscribers.
Please let us know what YOU think. The survey will be posted for only a short time, so please vote right away! And thank you, in advance, for your cooperation in helping us to better serve you!
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!
Once again this year`s elections proved that good and accurate information is critical to success. But information can only be put to good use if it is received in a timely manner. Our campaign to ensure readers of the Grassroots Alert switch from receiving the newsletter by fax to e-mail is paying off! However, we still have thousands of Grassroots Alert recipients who receive the weekly Alert via fax. If you have an e-mail address, but you still receive the NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert every Friday via fax, we encourage you to switch over to our e-mail system. We can send e-mail instantly, at virtually no cost, while each fax incurs the cost of a long distance call, not to mention your cost in paper. E-mail also allows you more flexibility in relaying our information to others whom you know, but who aren`t on our e-mail list. If you would like to switch to e-mail delivery, just go to www.NRAILA.org, then follow the instructions through the link called "Sign Up For E-mail." Once you start receiving the Alert via e-mail, please call the Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683, and let us know so we can take you off the fax system.
A LOOK AT THE STATES
MISSISSIPPI
During the 2004 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature, Representative Warner McBride (D-Courtland) and Senator Walter Michel (R-Jackson) worked to pass SB 2623, which created a specialized license plate for supporters of the National Rifle Association (NRA). The specialized tags cost $31, with $24 of that total being deposited into the NRA Foundation State Fund Account for Mississippi to be used for Foundation-related projects such as youth hunter education, firearms safety training, and shooting range development. The Mississippi Tax Commission is charged with producing the plates, which can ultimately be ordered through your county tax collector`s office. However, according to state law, we must pre-sell 200 license plates before the Tax Commission will begin mass-producing them! If you are interested in becoming one of the first 200 NRA supporters in the State of Mississippi to receive a specialized tag, please contact NRA-ILA`s Grassroots Office at (800) 392-8683 and we will send you a sample tag and order form by mail. Thank you for your support!
NRA is closed tomorrow, November 25, and Friday, November 26.
Please have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
