NRA-ILA JOINS IN OFFERING ITS PRAYERS TO VICTIMS OF KATRINA
NRA and its members join Americans nationwide in offering our deepest sympathy, thoughts and prayers to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. We ask that our members join in offering their support to our fellow citizens affected by the storm as they struggle to cope with the devastation left in its wake.
We also offer our support to those involved in the ongoing search and rescue, and rebuilding operations, and encourage NRA members who are able, to offer whatever assistance they can. Even if you are far away from where tragedy struck, please check with national organizations and local authorities to see if they are in need of volunteers, donations, or other types of humanitarian assistance.
For more information on who you can contact to help, please visit www.nra.org/article.aspx?id=3769.
FIREARMS LAW & SECOND AMENDMENT SYMPOSIUM:
Is The Second Amendment The First Among Equals?
To fulfill the promise of the Declaration of Independence, the authors of the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights made it clear that individual rights were paramount. The Bill of Rights, wrote James Madison, was "calculated to secure the personal rights of the people."
Yet when the U.S. Department of Justice issued its exhaustive 2004 memorandum on the Second Amendment, concluding without reservation that "the Second Amendment secures a personal right of individuals," the national media was apoplectic. So politicized had this right become that it had been clearly set apart and segregated as different from other rights guaranteed to the "people" as in the 1st, 4th, 5th, 9th, and 14th amendments.
To examine the Second Amendment in a scholarly and in-depth forum, prestigious constitutional scholars will convene at this symposium to explore issues past and present, pro and con, covering this controversial topic.
This event promises to present a thought-provoking and balanced discussion of this least understood, and arguably, the most factious freedom contained in the Bill of Rights.
This first ever "Firearms Law & the Second Amendment Symposium" will be hosted by Law Students for the Second Amendment, at George Mason University School of Law along with The NRA Foundation.
Each symposium registrant will receive a packet that contains the panelists' written materials on the subject--an excellent source for future reference. The event, including all materials, food and beverages is free, and is open to the public.
The symposium will be held:
Saturday, September 24, 2005,
George Mason University School of Law (Arlington, VA Campus),
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., (Registration from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.),
3401 Fairfax Drive, "Original Building," Room 329,
Arlington, VA
Don't miss this seminal event. To reserve your place, please visit www.nraila.org/workshops/Symposium.aspx?ID=GMUSL or call (800) 392-8683.
(NOTE: CLE Credit will be attained in the effort to serve new attorneys and general practitioners seeking advanced or specialized information concerning firearms law at the federal and state levels.)
2005 GUN RIGHTS POLICY CONFERENCE
This year's Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) will be held September 23-25, at the LAX Airport Marriott in Los Angeles, California. Celebrating its 20th year, the conference is sponsored by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) and the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), in cooperation with NRA, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). Attending this year's event will be representatives from major national and state gun rights organizations, including the California Rifle & Pistol Association. Key speakers at this year's conference will include: NRA President Sandra S. Froman, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne R. LaPierre, and Professor Eugene Volokh of the UCLA Law School. Other panelists will include: NRA-ILA's Director of Federal Affairs Chuck Cunningham, author and scholar John R. Lott, Jr. (author of the book "The Bias Against Guns"), syndicated radio show host Tom Gresham (host of the "Gun Talk" radio show), and others. Registration, conference materials, receptions, and a Saturday luncheon are free. Participants are required to pay for their own lodging, travel, and other meals. Advance registration is required. For more information, or to register for this year's GRPC, please call (425) 454-7012, or visit www.saf.org/default.asp?p=GRPC.
NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS-ELECTION WORKSHOPS
With Virginia being one of only two states holding elections this year, all eyes will be on the Commonwealth. In preparation for the November elections, NRA-ILA is hosting a series of FREE Grassroots-Election Workshops across the state, with stops in Virginia Beach, Harrisonburg, Roanoke, and Leesburg.
At the Workshops, you will hear from pro-freedom candidates and their staff, NRA-ILA representatives, and NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinators (EVCs) on what you can do locally to propel pro-gun candidates to victory on Election Day--November 8, 2005.
The meetings also provide a venue for lawmakers, candidates, and their staffs to reach out to NRA members and explain their positions on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
Upcoming Workshops are slated for:
Saturday, September 24, 2005 - Virginia Beach, VA
Saturday, September 24, 2005 - Harrisonburg, VA
Saturday, October 01, 2005 - Leesburg, VA
Saturday, October 01, 2005 - Roanoke, VA
Once again, the Workshops and related materials, including food and drink, are FREE! NRA members who are interested in attending should contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) for details and to reserve their seats. NRA members who have access to the Internet can also go to www.nraila.org/workshops/ to reserve their seats on-line.
NRA-ILA LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE TO DEFEAT PROPOSITION H--
SAN FRANCISCO GUN BAN
As you've been reading in the Grassroots Alert for months, on November 8, San Francisco voters will go to the polls to vote on Proposition H--a citywide gun ban.
To educate and mobilize Bay Area pro-gun supporters, NRA-ILA has unveiled a new website dedicated exclusively to exposing the truth about Proposition H. The website-- www.StopSanFranban.com --is designed to provide you with one-stop-shopping for the information and tools you will need to ensure Proposition H is defeated on November 8.
Among the many features at www.StopSanFranban.com are: information on the proposed ban; tips for identifying and writing letters to the editor to area newspapers; information on the benefits of firearm ownership for self-defense and the ineffectiveness of gun bans in reducing crime; voter registration links; e-mail sign-ups; and more.
If Proposition H passes on November 8, it will become the most restrictive gun control law in the nation; even more restrictive than the egregious Washington, D.C., gun ban that NRA-ILA is currently working to overturn in Congress! The only thing standing in the way of Proposition H passing is you!
The first thing San Francisco residents must do to ensure Proposition H is defeated is register to vote. If you are not currently registered, you can get more information by choosing the "Voter Center" link at www.StopSanFranban.com. Then, be sure to forward this link to your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners, both inside and outside of San Francisco, to ensure the collective voices of America's gun owners are heard loudly and clearly in the months leading up to, and especially on, November 8! Those of you who don't live directly in San Francisco, but reside nearby, should visit www.StopSanFranban.com frequently for updates on what you can do locally to ensure this deplorable proposition is defeated.
Please visit www.StopSanFranban.com today to help us prevent San Francisco from becoming the next Washington, D.C.!
A LOOK AT THE STATES
(****For all of the action items below, you can find contact information for your legislators by using the "Write Your Representatives" tool at www.NRAILA.org. As always, thank you for your support.****)
CALIFORNIA
A final concurrence vote took place this week on Assembly Bill 996. Amended by the Senate in July, AB 996 would require all retailers to display and sell ammunition in a manner that is only accessible by an employee, not the purchaser. This anti-gun bill now heads to the governor's desk. Please contact Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) at (916) 445-2841 and ask him to oppose anti-gun measure AB 996. To send an e-mail please visit: www.govmail.ca.gov. As predicted, Assembly Bill 352 was taken off the inactive list on Wednesday, August 31. The Senate could vote on this anti-gun measure as early as today. If AB 352 passes the Senate, it must return to the Assembly Floor for a final vote. AB 352 expands the definition of "unsafe handguns" to include semi-automatic pistols that are not designed and equipped with an array of microscopic characters which identify the make, model, and serial number of the pistol by imprinting the characters on each cartridge case when the firearm is discharged. This legislation could essentially ban all semi-automatic pistols commonly used by California gun owners. Please continue to contact members of the Senate and Assembly and ask them to oppose AB 352. For Assembly and Senate members' contact information, please visit www.assembly.ca.gov or www.sen.ca.gov.
ILLINOIS
The Cook County Board is currently considering a proposal that would ban certain semi-automatic firearms throughout the county. If passed, this ordinance would ban many of the semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns you own, leaving them subject to confiscation by the Cook County Sheriff. The proposal also threatens hefty fines of $500 for individuals possessing these firearms, and a possible jail term. The County Board is expected to take action on this ban at the next board meeting, which is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on September 8, at the County Board Room, Room 569, 118 North Clark St., Chicago. Please contact your Cook County commissioners today and urge them to oppose these unnecessary restrictions, and make plans to attend the meeting on September 8. It is critical that NRA members and the pro-gun community voice their opposition to this attack on the Second Amendment. The general number for the County Board is (312) 603-6398. For specific contact information on your commissioners, visit: www.co.cook.il.us/secretary/HomePage_Links/board_of_commissioners_of_cook_c.htm.
MASSACHUSETTS
Mark your calendars and spread the word! MA-10 EVC Don Kusser is hosting a "Constitutional Rally" on Saturday, September 17, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The rally will take place at Faxon Field across from the Quincy Police Department in Quincy, MA. The event is free and open to the public. Look for more information in the Grassroots Alert as the date approaches, or feel free to contact Don Kusser by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (781) 871-1115.
NEW JERSEY
A public hearing regarding the Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy is scheduled for Wednesday, September 21, at 6:30 p.m. at Cook Campus Center (Rutgers University), 59 Biel Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. For a full policy review, visit the Division of Fish and Wildlife's website at www.njfishandwildlife.com beginning Tuesday, September 6, when the "Notice of opportunity for public comment on the New Jersey Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy" is published in the NJ Register. The Notice will contain information on how to submit comments on the policy.
NEW YORK
Governor George E. Pataki (R) signed into law NRA-supported legislation. S. 918/A. 4853, which allows sportsmen to hunt deer and bear in the southern tier counties with rifles, goes into effect immediately and allows hunters to use rifles during open season for deer and bear in the counties of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chenango, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Oswego, Otsego, Schoharie and Tioga, as well as certain rural towns on Broome County in those areas east of the Susquehanna River. Thank you to all who were involved in the passage of this important legislation. Special thanks to bill sponsors' State Senator Dale M. Volker (R-59) and Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte (D-138) for their tireless effort on behalf of gun owners in New York. The New York State Rifle and Pistol Association will host the first annual RPA-PAC fundraising dinner featuring NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, and NRA 1st Vice President John Sigler. Please plan to attend the dinner, which will start at 6:00 p.m., on Saturday, September 17, and will be held at the Holiday Inn, Fishkill, located at I-84, exit 13, at Route 9. Advance tickets are available for $50 or you can purchase tickets at the door for $60. To purchase tickets, please visit www.nysrpa.org or call (518) 272-2654 or (800) 469-7772. Also, the Shooters' Committee on Political Education (SCOPE) will be holding its 40th Annual "SCOPE Awards Banquet," on Friday, September 9. Featured speakers will include John Sigler, Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) founder Alan M. Gottlieb, and several local speakers. The Banquet will be held at the Millennium Hotel, 2040 Walden Avenue, Cheektowaga (3 miles from Buffalo International Airport), from 5:30-11:00 p.m. For more information, please visit www.scopeny.org/banquet05.html. For tickets and reservations, please contact Mary Jo Picone by phone at (716) 639-7651, or via e-mail at [email protected].
TEXAS
Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) has negotiated, and Governor Rick Perry (R) has signed, concealed handgun license reciprocal agreements with both Michigan and Virginia. For more information, please visit: www.txdps.state.tx.us. These agreements were made possible by the passage of HB 225 by Representative Joe Driver (R-Garland), Representative Glenn Hegar (R-Katy) and Senator Bob Deuell (R-Greenville) during the 2005 session of the Texas Legislature, which made key improvements to Texas' reciprocity law.
VIRGINIA
On Tuesday, August 30, former Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore (R) officially launched "Sportsmen for Kilgore" in his race against Tim Kaine (D) for Virginia Governor. NRA Political Victory Fund (PVF) Chairman and ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox had the following to say about the Kilgore campaign: "The National Rifle Association-Political Victory Fund would like to congratulate Jerry Kilgore (R) on the successful launch of ‘Sportsmen for Kilgore.' Every election year, many candidates work overtime to persuade hunters, sportsmen and gun owners to vote for them. While some, like Tim Kaine, try to bury anti-freedom and gun control records with rosy rhetoric and glossy photo-ops, others do have a proven record of helping advance and preserve the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans. Jerry Kilgore is one of these good candidates--his rhetoric matches his record. Analysis of that distinguished record of public service will reveal that Jerry Kilgore is sincere in both word and deed."
NRA will be closed Monday, September 5, in observation of Labor Day. Please have a safe and happy holiday weekend, and please keep Hurricane Katrina's victims in your thoughts and prayers.
