NRA Calls ‘Shenanigans’ on WaPo SHARE Act Fake news
Fact Checking the Washington Post on SHARE Act
A recent piece in the Washington Post on the SHARE Act, legislation in Congress aimed at protecting the rights of America’s sportsmen and women, was fake news at its worst.
Washington Post Fake News:
Under the Share Act, hunters would “load their automatic weapons with armor-piercing bullets, strap on silencers, head off to the picnic grounds on nearby public lakes — and start shooting.”
The Facts:
Automatic Weapons
It is generally unlawful in every state to hunt with fully automatic firearms. Such weapons are highly restricted and very rare due to the 1986 ban on their manufacture or importation. The SHARE Act doesn’t change this.
“Armor piercing bullets”
The current interpretation of the federal law on “armor piercing ammunition” substantially limits the availability of certain non-toxic projectiles for hunting ammunition. The law, as originally passed by Congress in 1986, was never meant to apply to projectiles that were intended for use in a rifle or shotgun. The SHARE Act simply clarifies congressional intent and ensures that the law is not misinterpreted by future administrations.
Picnic grounds and public lakes
Laws restrict hunting and shooting to designated areas on public lands. You can’t just go to any casual “picnic ground” and “start shooting.” Continue reading
NRA Backed SHARE Act Passes Committee
The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) commends the House Committee on Natural Resources for markup and passage of H.R. 3668, the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act. Under the successful leadership of Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) and Subcommittee Chairman Tom McClintock (R-CA), the SHARE Act now moves to the full U.S. House of Representatives.
“Today marks an important step in protecting the Second Amendment freedoms of America’s hunters and sportsmen and strengthening our outdoor heritage,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director, NRA-ILA. “The SHARE Act will cut burdensome red tape that restricts millions of hunters and sportsmen.”
The bill secures access to Federal public lands for hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting and includes the Hearing Protection Act (HPA). The HPA is an important safety-oriented aspect of the bill that will help protect the hearing of America’s hunters by eliminating expensive and excessive regulations on suppressors. Other key provisions include:
- Securing the future of hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting by increasing access to federal public lands.
- Reforming of the Firearm Owners’ Protection Act (FOPA), which protects the lawful, legal transport of unloaded firearms.
- Strengthening protections for carrying firearms on land managed by the Army Corps of Engineers.
- Removing the undefined and antiquated “sporting purposes test”, which opens the door to arbitrary ammunition bans.
- Returning wildlife management of the gray wolf back to states adversely affected by rising populations.
“I would like to thank Chairman Rob Bishop and Subcommittee Chairman Tom McClintock for their leadership and critical roles in ensuring committee passage of the SHARE Act. Thanks to their efforts, we are one step closer to the day that all Americans will have better access to our outdoor heritage and the tools that ensure the safety of hunters and sportsmen alike,” concluded Cox.
A New Day for the Second Amendment: Donald Trump Addresses the NRA
President Trump to NRA Members: “You came through for me, and I am going to come through for you.”
The drumbeat of fake news continues as the elites disappointed by the 2016 election dedicate themselves to “resisting” the Trump administration.
Among their many false narratives is that Americans are no longer interested in firearms now that Barack Obama is out of the White House.
At least two big groups of people didn’t get that memo.
One is comprised of the 2,045,564 Americans who were queried through the FBI’s firearm background check database in April 2017. This was the second busiest April ever for that system. In fact, each month of Trump’s presidency has seen over two million firearm-related background checks. Only in 2016, when Americans faced losing their Second Amendment rights forever, did the FBI run more checks during a January to April period.
The other group included the nearly 82,000 people who attended the NRA’s Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Atlanta, Georgia in late April. This was our second-highest total of attendees ever. Fifteen acres of guns and gear on display at the Georgia World Congress Center said all that needed to be said about the vitality of America’s firearms industry.
But those weren’t the only encouraging signs that greeted the NRA’s extended family reunion in the Peach State. Our Annual Leadership Forum drew an impressive line-up of speakers. Besides three sitting U.S. Senators (Georgia’s David Purdue, Alabama’s Luther Strange, and Texas’ Ted Cruz), we heard from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Florida Governor Rick Scott. Lt. Col. Allen West and Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke provided a distinguished presence from the uniformed ranks. And rounding out the guest list were Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, former Major League Baseball great Adam LaRoche, and campus carry advocate Antonia Okafor. Continue reading
NRA Launches New Facebook Page
We figured something was up when the National Rifle Association‘s old Facebook page @NationalRifleAssociation began transitioning to a NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action) page recently. Well, now it’s Facebook Official.
The NRA has now officially announced the launch of their new Facebook page with an easier to remember (and tag) handle @NRA. Head on over and connect with them today (and, while you’re at it, be sure to like @GunLink.info as well).
The gun rights organization’s Executive Vice President, Wayne LaPierre said of the launch, “I’ve told our members many times, NRA doesn’t get its power from our headquarters building in Washington; our power comes from our members and their unflinching commitment to the Second Amendment.”
LaPierre went on to encourage all NRA members and gun owners to not just follow the new main NRA page, but also those of the other arms of the group, including NRA-ILA (which you may already follow from before the transition), NRATV, their various publications, and their new CCW insurance program, Carry Guard.
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association bills itself as America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group boasting more than 5 million members who fight to defend the Second Amendment and provide firearms safety training and education. If you are not already a member, you can join the National Rifle Association here and save on membership dues.
Concealed Carry Reciprocity Effort Gains Steam in Congress
Earlier this year, we shared details of NRA-backed concealed carry reciprocity legislation pending in Congress. The momentum behind those bills continues to build, with each attracting dozens of co-sponsors.
Sen. John Cornyn’s Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act now boasts 37 co-sponsors. And 194 of his House colleagues have signed onto Rep. Richard Hudson’s Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017.
Concealed carry reciprocity legislation recognizes that Americans’ Second Amendment right to bear arms doesn’t end at their states’ borders. While most states already recognize this and have provisions allowing for reciprocity for concealed carry permits from other jurisdiction, a minority of antigun states have made a point of arresting out-of-state residents who carry or transport otherwise lawfully owned firearms in their jurisdictions.
This sort of “zero tolerance” enforcement has nothing to do with public safety and everything to do with punishing people who believe in the Second Amendment. There is nothing legitimate about a state using its police powers to suppress the constitutional rights of fellow Americans.
That’s why your NRA has for years supported legislation to ensure that people who are federally eligible to possess firearms and who have state-sanctioned ability to carry concealed don’t lose their eligibility to do so simply because they cross state lines. This legislation would ensure that states would have to treat lawful concealed carriers from other states the same as lawful in-state concealed carriers. States would maintain their prerogatives over their own licensing regimes and the rules of behavior that govern concealed carry within their borders. Continue reading
F Stands for Fail: Washington Post Flip-Flops on Suppressors
The Washington Post — in one of its rare reversions to journalism – recently issued a fact check that handed Americans for Responsible Solutions and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) three Pinocchios for overstating the noise-canceling properties of firearm suppressors. “There is little that’s quiet about a firearm with a silencer, unless one also thinks a jackhammer is quiet,” the report concluded.
The context was the debate over the Hearing Protection Act (HPA). This bill would treat suppressors as if they were ordinary firearms for federal regulatory purposes, rather than the current practice of treating their sales as if they were machine guns, which are subject to much more cumbersome rules designed to discourage ownership.
Suppressors’ popularity has increased exponentially in recent years, as firearm owners have embraced the health-promoting and experience-enhancing benefits of their use.
And while they do decrease the report of firearms, they do not, as the Post fact check accurately reported, render them anywhere near “silent.”
Who could possibly argue with technology that can reduce hearing loss associated with firearm use? Certainly not the Washington Post, which in its March 20 fact check stated, “We obviously take no position on whether this proposed law would be good or bad …. “
Obviously. Continue reading
