Déjà Vu, All Over Again: "More Guns, Less Crime"
Paul Helmke and Dennis Henigan -- spokesmen for the beleaguered Brady Campaign these days -- are old enough to know what a phonograph record is, so for their benefit we'll put it this way: At the risk of sounding like a "broken record," gun ownership has risen to an all-time high, and violent crime has fallen to a 35-year low. Coinciding with a surge in gun purchases that began shortly before the 2008 elections, violent crime decreased six percent between 2008 and 2009, according to the FBI. This included an eight percent decrease in murder and a nine percent decrease in robbery.
Since 1991, when total violent crime peaked, it has decreased 43 percent to a 35-year low. The murder rate, less than half what it was in 1980, is now at a 45-year low. Throughout, the number of guns that Americans own has risen by about four million a year, including record numbers of the two types of firearms that the Brady folks would most like to see banned -- handguns and the various firearms they call "assault weapons."
Don't File Those Fingernails, Boys: Speaking of Brady Campaign's Paul Helmke and Dennis Henigan, we wouldn't want them losing their grip and falling off the far left edge of the planet. An electronic search reveals that the two of them have submitted over 200 essays to the leftist www.HuffingtonPost.com website since January of 2006.
House Committee Passes More Protection For Veterans: On Sept. 15, the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee passed an amendment by Rep. John Boozman (R-Ark.) to provide individuals receiving veterans' benefits with added protection against loss of the right to possess firearms due to mental health decisions. Rep. Boozman's amendment to a larger veterans' benefits bill was based on a bill (H.R. 2547) sponsored by Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kans.).
Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on S. 941 (BATFE Reform) Postponed: Last week, we reported that on Tuesday, September 14, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee would hold a hearing on reforming current regulation of commerce in firearms by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE).
Unfortunately, the hearing was postponed due to a scheduling conflict and has not yet been rescheduled.
Free Meetings. Free Food. Free Candidate Stickers. Freedom! We have been reporting in the Grassroots Alert on the activities of our NRA-ILA Campaign Field Representatives (CFRs). Our CFRs have been working for months to ensure that gun owners are registered to vote and actively working to elect pro-gun candidates on November 2.
NRA Freedom Action Foundation Launches 2010 Trigger The Vote Effort -- Honorary Chairman Chuck Norris Stars In New Ad Campaign: NRA's Freedom Action Foundation (NRA-FAF) has launched its 2010 "Trigger the Vote" campaign, featuring its Honorary Chairman Chuck Norris in a new series of advertisements. "Tough Like Chuck," the first in the new series of ads, can be viewed here: www.triggerthevote.org/landing
"Don't Tread On My Gun Rights" Yard Signs Available Now: We've created a new yard sign that will send a strong message this election season to all who read it: "Don't Tread on my Gun Rights."
Another Way To Get Involved--Join NRA's Facebook And Twitter Groups: Internet social networking has exploded in recent years, and websites such as Facebook and Twitter attract millions of users. This on-line community fosters a connection between its users, and allows distribution of user-generated content (like pictures, profiles, music, video, and text).
Grassroots News Minute Video: To view this week's "Grassroots News Minute" video, please click here:
STATE ROUNDUP (Please note the only items listed below are those that have had recent action. For other updates on state legislation, please go to the state legislation section at www.NRAILA.org, and check each week's issue of the Grassroots Alert.)
COLORADO: Forest Service Invites Public Comment on Proposed Shooting RangeRecreational shooting is increasing in popularity on the Pawnee National Grassland as the population on the Colorado Front Range grows. To be responsive to the needs of shooters looking for a safe place to shoot, the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests/Pawnee National Grassland is proposing to construct a shooting range on three acres of forestlands between Ault and Briggsdale, north of Colorado State Highway 14. The proposal is for a 100-yard range with eight to ten shooting positions. The site would be open to the public seven-days-a-week from dawn until dusk. The area would include an access road and parking lot, bermed shooting area, informational kiosk, benches, and shade cover, if constructed as proposed. Both the NRA and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources have made grant money available for the project.
The Forest Service is inviting the public to comment on the project. Please e-mail comments to District Ranger Lori Bell at [email protected]. To be fully considered in the project analysis and to keep the planning process on schedule, please respond by October 7, 2010. As information becomes available, it will be posted online at www.fs.usda.gov/arp. The NRA encourages all of its hunters and shooters in the state to take a few minutes to e-mail the District Ranger expressing support for this project. All too often, the response of land managers towards recreation shooting is negative. In this case, the land manager has become the driving force for establishing a shooting range and it is important that she receives a groundswell of support from sportsmen and women.
KANSAS: Vote YES on 1 November 2nd! A 1905 ruling from the Kansas Supreme Court interpreted Section 4 of the Kansas Constitution to mean that the Right to Keep and Bear Arms only exists as a collective right for those in the militia or military and no individual right exists. For that reason, the NRA has worked with the Kansas State Rifle Association, Senator Mike Petersen and the legislature, to pass a Constitutional Amendment during the 2009 legislative session, which provides new language that clarifies Section 4 and guaranteesan individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms. The language reads: "A person has the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home and state, for lawful hunting and recreational use, and for any other lawful purpose." Our elected officials have done law-abiding Kansans a tremendous service by passing this landmark Constitutional Amendment. Now it is up to YOU to do your part on November 2, 2010 and vote this provision into the Kansas Constitution.
Paid for by the National Rifle Association.
NEW YORK: Sportsmen's Association for Firearms Education Inc. (S.A.F.E.) 2010 Firearm Civil Rights Conference. Please join the Sportsmen's Association for Firearms Education Inc. (S.A.F.E.) for its 2010 Firearm Civil Rights Conference. Special guests include Wayne LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President; Ron Schmeits, NRA President; Chris Cox, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action; Ginny Simone, NRA News co-host; and John L. Cushman, S.A.F.E. President and Founder, and NRA Board Member. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about Second Amendment issues, both nationally and locally, as well as meet and network with fellow sportsmen and women concerned about their civil rights and how to protect them. Attendees can win valuable prizes in exclusive drawings. Admission and parking are free, and the event is open to your family and friends. The conference will be held Sunday, October 3, 2010, from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. (doors open at 12:00 noon) at the International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers Hall, 370 Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, NY 11788 (On North side of Motor Parkway between exits 53 & 55 of LIE).
S.A.F.E. and Women on Target (WOT) are sponsoring a Women's Only Clinic on Rifle Shooting on Long Island, on Saturday, October 2, 2010, from 8:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon or 12:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Nassau County Indoor Rifle & Pistol Range, located in Mitchell Park, across from the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Earl Ovington Blvd, Uniondale, NY (you can call 516-572-0421 for directions). If you have never shot a firearm before, this is a great opportunity to learn. Experienced instructors will be on hand. This clinic is free and open to all women, regardless of experience. You will learn safe gun handling skills, proper firearm storage techniques, and fundamentals of marksmanship. Admission is FREE. The program includes free coffee and Danish, a firearms safety class, all ammunition and targets, the use of .22 caliber rifles, all safety equipment and certified NRA Instructors. Pre-registration is required by September 26th, 2010 because space is limited. For more information, please call (631) 475-8125.
