Gun Owners Need Not Apply?
Obama Personnel Questionnaire Shows Anti-gun Bias
Last week, we reported on the anti-gun legislative agenda proposed by President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team, headed by former Clinton administration operatives John Podesta and Rahm Emanuel. (That document was quickly removed from the official transition website, but you can still see it at http://www.nraila.org/pdfs/obamaurbanpolicy.pdf.)
This week, it became clear that the new administration’s anti-gun agenda even infects the process of staffing the administration. A widely disseminated questionnaire for those applying for administration jobs asks:
“(59) Do you or any members of your immediate family own a gun? If so, provide complete ownership and registration information. Has the registration ever lapsed? Please also describe how and by whom it is used and whether it has been the cause of any personal injuries or property damage.”
HSUS Calls For Ban on Ammunition: The extremist animal “rights” group, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is back to its old tricks. Earlier this week, the vehemently anti-hunting and anti-gun group once again called for a nationwide ban on lead ammunition, saying that studies by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the North Dakota Department of Health prove that game shot with lead ammunition poses a health threat to those who consume it.
A Note Of Thanks To Our Volunteers… While things did not turn out entirely as we would have liked on Election Day, 2008, we have much to be proud of.
You have changed the face of gun politics in the United States of America. It wasn’t too long ago that politicians proudly campaigned on their support for additional gun control laws. And thanks to your activism, there was a name for such politicians-LOSERS.
Special Deal on Sights: Aimpoint and MidwayUSA Team Up to Help NRA-ILA: Aimpoint, Inc. and MidwayUSA will donate $100 to the NRA Institute for Legislative Action for every Aimpoint CompM4 electronic red-dot sight package purchased by NRA members from MidwayUSA through the end of 2008.
The Founder’s Second Amendment:Origins of the Right to Bear Arms, by Stephen P. Halbrook--Donate to NRA-ILA and Get Your Copy Now! Stephen Halbrook’s The Founders’ Second Amendment is the first book-length account of the origins of the Second Amendment, based on the Founders’ own statements as found in newspapers, correspondence, debates, and resolutions. Mr. Halbrook investigates the period from 1768 to 1826, from the last years of British rule and the American Revolution through the adoption of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the passing of the Founders’ generation. From the British seizure of guns in Boston to the Founders’ own use of guns in their private lives, his book offers the most comprehensive analysis ever of the arguments behind the drafting and adoption of the Second Amendment, and the intentions of the men who created it.
To contribute to NRA-ILA and receive your copy of this remarkable book, please click here.
Help Defend Your Gun Rights One Easy Click At A Time: We now have a revolutionary yet simple tool that will allow you to stay connected to NRA-ILA and raise valuable contributions to defend our Second Amendment rights without spending a dime! It’s the NRA-ILA Toolbar, and you can make a difference by downloading and using it.
STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)
ARIZONA: Pro-Gun Input Needed as BLM Prepares Recreation Plan for Table Mesa Area! The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is preparing a recreation plan for the Table Mesa area, north of Phoenix. This is a very popular recreation area, especially for target shooting. The BLM wants to know what types of recreation and road access are important to people who recreate in this area. They want to hear from hunters and shooters about what areas are important to them for target shooting. It is critical that recreational shooters who use the area participate in this process in order to counter the radical environmental and anti-gun forces who want to end all recreational shooting in Arizona. There is little doubt that they will be active in this public input process. The agency will be holding two public meetings and it is critical that hunters and shooters who use this area attend one of the meetings. The first meeting will be on Tuesday, November 18, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Deer Valley Senior Center located at 2001 West Wahalla Lane in Phoenix. The other meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 20 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Anthem Community Center at 41130 N. Freedom Way in Anthem. Following the public meetings, the BLM will prepare a Recreation Activity Plan/Travel Management Plan and release it for public comment. Should you have questions about the planning process, you may contact Tom Bickauskas, Project Manager, at 623-580-5502.
NEW JERSEY: New Jersey Assembly to Vote on Gun Ban on Monday, November 17! On Monday, November 17, the New Jersey Assembly is scheduled to vote on A2116, legislation banning most firearms over .50 caliber. Though previously amended in an attempt to address gun owner concerns, the legislation would still ban virtually all firearms over .50 caliber, including many popular modern day muzzleloaders. A2116 is so poorly drafted that it would even outlaw firearms manufactured during the Revolutionary and Civil War eras and their modern day replicas. Instead of targeting criminals, A2116 singles out law-abiding gun owners and punishes them by banning their guns. Please contact your Assembly Members IMMEDIATELY and respectfully urge them to oppose A2116. Their contact information can be found by clicking here.
PENNSYLVANIA: Pittsburgh City Council to Consider Anti-Gun Ordinance on Tuesday, November 18! On Tuesday, November 18, the Pittsburgh City Council could vote on an anti-gun ordinance that would require gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm within a 72-hour period, or face fines and possible imprisonment. At the request of the Pittsburgh City Council, several anti-gun speakers have been asked to attend this meeting for discussion purposes. One of those speakers is gun control advocate State Representative David Levdansky (D-39). Similar legislation, sponsored by Representative Levdansky, was defeated in the state legislature earlier this year. This proposed ordinance would violate Pennsylvania’s state preemption statutes, which dictate that only the state can enact further firearms regulations. It would victimize law-abiding gun owners a second time by penalizing those who unknowingly fail to report the theft or loss of a firearm. The Pittsburgh City Council will consider this ordinance at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18 in the City Council Chambers on the 5th Floor of the City County Building, located at 414 Grant Street in Pittsburgh. Please attend and proudly show your support for the Second Amendment and your opposition to this illegal attack on our rights. If you cannot attend, please contact the members of the City Council and respectfully urge them to stand up for your Second Amendment rights and oppose this measure. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
WASHINGTON: Lead Ammunition Still in Danger in Washington State! In September we sent you several alerts pertaining to the draft Lead Chemical Action Plan (CAP) released by the state's Department of Ecology (DOE) for public comment. Through our contacts in Washington, we learned that they have received more than 1,000 e-mails and phone calls from NRA members. In response to comments received from NRA members, the DOE was initially insisting that, "There is no proposed ban on lead ammunition in the draft Lead CAP." A follow-up NRA alert pointed out specific references to lead ammunition prohibitions. Subsequently, DOE issued a "correction" to the draft Lead CAP that deleted only one of the references to a prohibition on lead shot. One change in the document does not cure the problem! The DOE continues to state that it is not recommending a lead ammunition ban, only a voluntary conversion to non-lead alternatives. The draft Lead CAP, however, is still replete with statements that unmistakably direct the reader and importantly, state legislators and regulators, to the conclusion that lead ammunition should be banned. The comments that the NRA filed with the DOE can be viewed by clicking here. We encourage you to continue your communication with Governor Chris Gregoire (D) and the DOE and respectfully request that all reference to lead ammunition be removed from the draft Lead CAP before it is released as a final document. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
