The TRUTH About H.R. 822 --
The "National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011"
There's been a lot of misguided, unfounded, and just plain incorrect information circulating on the Internet lately regarding H.R. 822 -- the "National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011." Most of the false characterizations typically come from the anti-gun groups and media. But more and more, a small cadre of self-described "pro-gun" groups continually sound false alarms and "stir the pot" in an effort to be noticed. These repeat offenders peddle mischaracterizations as the gospel, and dilute the good work being done to protect the Second Amendment by legitimate groups.
Some of the misinformation borders on ridiculous. One group circulated an email this week (Thursday, October 20) warning readers that, "H.R. 822 could be taken up for a vote as early as tomorrow morning." What the author failed to realize is that "tomorrow morning," (Friday, October 21) was a day the U.S. House was not even in session! Not very confidence-inspiring.
Biden Shoves Foot in Mouth, Again: Americans could have taken little comfortwhen the man a heartbeat away from the nation's nuclear launch codes predicted, in another context, "If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, there's still a 30percent chance we're going to get it wrong." This week, however, Vice-President Joe Biden increased his probability of error to 100 percent, making and repeating statements indicating that he's just about the only elected official in America that doesn't know that violent crime has been declining for the last 20 years.
NRA-ILA Legal Update -- October 2011: To give NRA members and gun owners the latest information on Second Amendment cases filed or supported by the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (www.nraila.org), NRA-ILA launched its new online newsletter, the "NRA-ILA Legal Update" in August. To view the latest edition, please visit: /2ALitigation/
To subscribe to the Legal Update, please click here.
NRA-Backed Amendment to Prohibit Funding of "Gun-Walking" Programs Passes Unanimously in U.S. Senate: This week, an NRA-supported amendment offered by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) to prohibit funds from being used by the Department of Justice to conduct "gun-walking" programs similar to the now-infamous "Fast and Furious" operation was passed in the Senate with unanimous, bipartisan support (99-0).
Order New "NRA University" Gear Today! One of NRA-ILA's most successful--and most requested--programs, 
"NRA University" is a two-hour training seminar for college students that provides a historical perspective of the Second Amendment and addresses the present-day debate surrounding gun rights and gun control. NRA U also provides students with the information and tools they need to help protect the Second Amendment, both on and off campus. In today's academic climate, there is a pressing need to bring the truth about the Second Amendment to college campuses nationwide, and to educate tomorrow's leaders in the fight to protect our freedom. NRA U is doing just that.
For more information about NRA University, or to schedule an NRA U event at your school, please visit www.NRAILA.org/NRAu.
And be sure to show your NRA pride, both on and off-campus, by ordering NRA University's newest gear! Receive an official NRA U hat with your $15 donation to NRA-ILA. Click here to order now!
Internet Rumors About Cerberus, Freedom Group Are Patently False: Recently, an old rumor regarding Cerberus--the private equity firm that owns Freedom group, a holding company that in turn owns a number of firearms manufacturers, including Remington, Marlin, Bushmaster, and DPMS--was in some way tied to George Soros.
This rumor is completely false and baseless.
2011 Firearms Symposium a Great Success: The 2011 "Firearms Law & The Second Amendment Symposium" was held on Saturday, October 15, 2011, at the University of San Diego in San Diego, California. Sponsored by The NRA Foundation, the annual symposium focused on recent developments in our nation's courts regarding the Second Amendment, as well as topics that covered the historical, academic, and practical application of firearm law. Over 150 lawyers, law students, and interested supporters attended the event that featured some of the nation's most noted Second Amendment attorneys, such as Stephen P. Halbrook and David Thompson. A panel on "Developments in Second Amendment Scholarship" featured David Kopel discussing his new law school textbook, "Firearms Law and The Second Amendment: Regulation, Rights, and Policy." Other panels included various law practitioners addressing the new wave of firearms litigation post-Heller and McDonald decisions, as well as the special ethical issues facing attorneys in this new era of firearm law.
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).
NRA has been a part of this social technology for some time now, with a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites. By actively participating in these new media, we are able to reach out to more potential members and supporters than ever before.
The current king of on-line social networking is Facebook. NRA's Facebook page continues to be extremely popular. In fact, thanks to you, our page has grown from about 300,000 fans on July 28, 2010 to over 1,209,000 fans as of this week!
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.)
For additional information, please click on the links provided.
ARIZONA: BLM Proposes Closing One-Half Million Acres to Target Shooting
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a plan for the future management of nearly 1.4 million acres located southwest of Phoenix in parts of Maricopa, Pinal, Pima, Gila and Yuma counties. Of that total, over 486,000 acres are within the Sonoran Desert National Monument which the BLM proposes to close to target shooters. The public comment period for this plan is open through November 25. Please attend one of the scheduled meetings to show support for keeping public lands open for all of the public, including target shooters, and to learn more about how this plan will affect your future enjoyment of these lands.
CALIFORNIA:Governor Jerry Brown Signs Three Anti-Gun Bills into Law
On October 9, California gun owners and sportsmen were dealt another blow when Governor Jerry Brown signed into law three anti-gun bills (AB 809, SB 819 and AB 144) and vetoed a fourth (SB 427), only because there is a pending lawsuit, according to his veto message on the bill. The Governor did sign one pro-gun bill (SB 610) into law.
COLORADO: Management Plan for Public Lands Will Affect Target Shooting
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a resource management plan (RMP) for 500,000 acres managed by the agency's Colorado River Valley Field Office located in Silt and responsible for the counties of Eagle, Garfield, Pitkin, Roult, Mesa, and Rio Blanco. The comment period is open until December 16 and BLM will announce in advance public meetings regarding the RMP. If you enjoy target shooting on these lands, it is extremely important that you review the plan to determine how it will affect your future access for target shooting. Please attend at least one of the public meetings and take time to e-mail comments to the BLM.
Additional BLM Management Plan for Public Lands in Will Also Affect Target Shooting
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released another resource management plan (RMP) and this one on approximately 378,000 acres managed by the agency's Field Office in Kremmling. The public lands are within Grand, Jackson, Summit and parts of Larimer and Eagle Counties. The RMP can be viewed by clicking here. The public comment period is open until December 16 and BLM will announce in advance public hearings on the RMP. Please attend at least one of the public meetings and take the time to e-mail your comments to the BLM.
MICHIGAN:Parking Lot Protection Bill Assigned to Committee!
Recently, House Bill 5064 was assigned to the House Committee on Judiciary and will likely be up for a vote in the near future. HB 5064 would provide protections for law-abiding gun owners to legally store firearms in their locked vehicles while parked at their place of employment.
NEBRASKA: Omaha City Council to Consider Further Restrictive Gun Laws
Omaha Police Chief Alex Hayes and Assistant City Attorney Michelle Peters proposed a firearm registration ordinance recently in an attempt to more closely mirror gun laws at the state and federal level. We urge you to attend this meeting and tell City Council members, Chief Hayes, Assistant City Attorney Peters and Mayor Jim Suttle that you OPPOSE these proposed changes. If you are unable to attend, make your voice be heard by calling the Council members, Chief of Police, Assistant City Attorney and Mayor before 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
NEVADA: Please Attend FREE NRA-ILA Grassroots Workshop in Las Vegas on Nov. 19
To ensure we are prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities we will face in the coming months, and especially in the 2012 elections, NRA-ILA is hosting a free Grassroots Workshop on Saturday, November 19, at 1:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at Stoney's Rockin Country, 9151 Las Vegas Boulevard S., #300, in Las Vegas (www.stoneysrockincountry.com)
At this meeting, NRA-ILA staff will lay out our plans for our grassroots legislative and election strategies in Nevada and discuss how you can become even more involved with our mutual efforts. We will also be introducing the new NRA state association--the Nevada Firearms Coalition (NFC)--that will be on hand to talk about their plans for the state. You will get the chance to meet the new state association board members and learn how NRA-ILA and the NFC will be working together to protect our Second Amendment rights!
This meeting is absolutely free and beverages and light snacks will be provided. The event will begin at 1:00 p.m., and end at 4:00 pm. Please make plans to attend and encourage your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners and NRA members to attend as well.
To register for this free event, please click here, or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683).
