Make Your Pro-Second Amedment Voice Heard at the Polls in 2012
Online Resources Help Voters Stay Informed
With voter turnout on the rise after a long period of low showings, as well as the current political environment and momentum from recent court rulings, gun rights advocates have a big opportunity this fall. Aside from federal, state and (absent state preemption) local law makers who potentially wield a fair amount of power concerning gun rights, the last two Supreme Court decisions on the Second Amendment have been decided by just one vote. Given the possibility that the next administration will have the opportunity to name replacements for one or more of the Second Amendment-affirming SCOTUS justices, this November’s election could be even more important for firearms owners and enthusiasts than usual. The internet is rife with resources to help voters stay informed.
One of the most well-known resources to find out where candidates stand on firearms issues is the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) grading system. NRA-PVF provides grades on an A+ through F scale for primary and general election candidates. Gun Owners of America’s PVF also offers candidate ratings; however, at the time of this writing, ratings are not yet posted. The #GunVote initiative from NSSF is also a valuable resource for informed voters.
Aside from the above firearms-centric voter resources, there are Continue reading
SWR, SilencerCo, Others Pull Ads from Recoil Magazine Over Comments
The latest “sporting purpose” comments over tactical weapons have sparked renewed new backlash against one firearms publication.
SWR/SilencerCo, in a recent blog posting, announced that they are pulling their ads from Recoil Magazine, stating that the have written to the editor to request that they “discontinue all scheduled advertising for both Silencerco and SWR products.”
The backlash comes after editorial comments by Recoil magazine that SWR/SilencerCo describes as “concerning the illegitimacy of a certain firearm ( and by extension, an entire class of firearms).” The text in question is as follows: Continue reading
I Am The Gun Lobby
Here is a great article from Jeff Knox written in late 2011 and making its rounds again recently thanks to a JPFO “Item of Interest” alert:
Attention Lamestream Media…
By Jeff Knox
Firearms Coalition
© Neal Knox Associates
To all of those “reporters” and pundits at ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CNN, the New York Times and all the other Times, the Boston Globe, the Spokane Spokesman-Review, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Arizona Republic, all of the Tribunes, Stars, and Ledgers;
Let me make something perfectly clear: The NRA is not the Gun Lobby. Neither is the NSSF, nor the GOA, nor even The Firearms Coalition, nor the hundreds of grassroots and activist organizations or the thousands of local gun clubs. I am the Gun Lobby. Whenever you talk about the Gun Lobby, you are talking about me. All those groups and entities work for me, but they are not me, and they do not necessarily speak for me. My power does not derive from my personal wealth nor financial support from the industry that serves me. My power comes from the fact that I am one of tens of millions Continue reading
GOP Officially Adopts Favorable Position on Second Amendment Gun Rights
Late last month, the Republican Party officially incorporated their favorable position on the Second Amendment into their 2012 party platform. In their platform document entitled We The People: A Restoration of Constitutional Government, the GOP states:
The Second Amendment: Our Right to Keep and Bear Arms
We uphold the right of individuals to keep and bear arms, a right which antedated the Constitution and was solemnly confirmed by the Second Amendment. We acknowledge, support, and defend the law-abiding citizen’s God-given right of self-defense. We call for the protection of such fundamental individual rights recognized in the Supreme Court’s decisions in District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago affirming that right, and we recognize the individual responsibility to safely use and store firearms. This also includes the right to obtain and store ammunition without registration. We support the fundamental right to self-defense wherever a law-abiding citizen has a legal right to be, and we support federal legislation that would expand the exercise of that right by allowing those with state-issued carry permits to carry firearms in any state that issues such permits to its own residents. Gun ownership is responsible citizenship, enabling Americans to defend their homes and communities. We condemn frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers and oppose federal licensing or registration of law-abiding gun owners. We oppose legislation that is intended to restrict our Second Amendment rights by limiting the capacity of clips or magazines or otherwise restoring the ill-considered Clinton gun ban. We condemn the reckless actions associated with the operation known as “Fast and Furious,” conducted by the Department of Justice, which resulted in the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol Agent and others on both sides of the border. We applaud the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in holding the current Administration’s Attorney General in contempt of Congress for his refusal to cooperate with their investigation into that debacle. We oppose the improper collection of firearms sales information in the four southern border states, which was imposed without congressional authority.
The Democratic Party website opines that “the GOP has adopted an extreme platform that is incredibly out of touch.” Despite the “Forward” slogan, their official platform includes the following text, which makes for a big step backward:
We believe that the right to own firearms is subject to reasonable regulation. We understand the terrible consequences of gun violence; it serves as a reminder that life is fragile, and our time here is limited and precious. We believe in an honest, open national conversation about firearms. We can focus on effective enforcement of existing laws, especially strengthening our background check system, and we can work together to enact commonsense improvements—like reinstating the assault weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole—so that guns do not fall into the hands of those irresponsible, law-breaking few.
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet and the democratic party’s steaming pile of twisted vocabulary still smells exactly as one might expect. Their so-called “assault weapon” ban is nothing more than an emotion-fueled ban of firearms based on cosmetic features (see “the shoulder thing that goes up”). The ban was ineffective in 1994 and any new ban would be as well. The tired old “gun show loophole” language is also played out and amounts to nothing more than government intervention in private transactions between individuals. It seems an especially silly stance to take in light of Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) report on “Firearms Use by Offenders” showing that fewer than 1% of U.S. “crime guns” came from gun shows.
While firearms owners are obviously not unique to one side of the aisle or the other, these official positions are telling. If firearms rights are an important issue to you when you head to the polls, make sure to do your research on candidates. NRA-PVF offers an online Grades & Endorsements tool to help you find information about candidate support of gun rights. Gun Owners of America, via their Political Victory Fund arm, also offers such information although candidate ratings are currently listed as “coming soon.” Presidential-Candidates.org also offers information about candidate’s positions on issues, including gun control.
California Leads US in Restrictive Gun Laws
Mike O’Sullivan
VOA News
LOS ANGELES – California has some of the strictest gun control laws in the United States, which some Americans see as a model for future national laws. But others worry about the erosion of the right to bear arms as stated in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
There are few restrictions on owning guns in most U.S. states. Guns are widely used for hunting and sport, and for self-protection.
California and several other states, including New York and Massachusetts, limit the sale of some firearms, ammunition and accessories. California bans the sale of high-capacity ammunition clips and military-style assault rifles to the public. Buyers of other guns must wait 10 days while state and federal authorities investigate the purchaser for a possible criminal record or history of serious mental illness. California registers handguns, and beginning in 2014, will also keep records on rifles and shotguns sold in the state.
Los Angeles Police Detective Richard Tompkins says neighboring states are Continue reading
Scholars Debate Second Amendment to US Constitution
VOA News
July 23, 2012
For many Americans, the most meaningful part of the U.S. Constitution is the Bill of Rights. These 10 amendments were written to protect individual Americans from tyrannical rule. Like the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and worship, the Second Amendment — proclaiming the right to bear arms — has often been at the center of debate. But in the wake of last week’s mass shooting at a Colorado movie theater that claimed 12 lives, there have been relatively few calls for increased gun control in the United States. Many scholars point to the importance of firearms in American history as the reason.
When America’s Founding Fathers added the Bill of Rights to the Constitution in 1791, they wanted to protect individuals from potentially dangerous central and state governments.
Most scholars say the Constitution might not have been ratified had Americans not been assured that 10 special amendments would be added to check the power of the government and to guarantee individual liberties.
Many early Americans feared the tyranny that a standing army might impose, so they wanted to keep military power under civilian control by allowing private citizens to keep arms.
The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Continue reading
