A big loss today, I'm sorry Veterans...
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LouisianaCarry
Tactibilly
A FIVE-MINUTE HANDBOOK
FOR GUN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS
INTRODUCTION
I've been a gun rights activist for nearly 10 years.
I wasted a lot of time for the first 5 years because
no one gave me the rule book you are now reading.
Maybe that's because no one had written it. This is the stuff
I wish I had known starting on day one.
If you've just arrived at this party, the next 5 minutes you
spend reading this might save you 5 years of otherwise
wasted time and energy.
If you've been in the gun rights game for a while, this handbook
will be the fastest refresher course you've ever taken.
This past year I've received a lot of mail from jittery gun owners
who are finally waking up to what's happening to our right to keep
and bear arms (RKBA).
This handbook is mostly for them.
If the rules I list below scare off a few folks, so be it. I want
to tell it like it really is -- to give a quick snapshot of the tips,
tricks and tactics that actually work in RKBA activism.
The bad news is that this is not a complete list of the rules.
The good news is that there will never be a complete list of rules.
The rules listed below are based on my own experience from working
thousands of hours with down and dirty RKBA activist pros. I am deeply
grateful to all of them. They know who they are.
Some of these rules have been followed for so long by old-time
activists that they have forgotten what the original rules were.
It's time to list them again.
And sneak in a couple of new ones.
So read them and weep, or read them and rejoice.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE HANDBOOK RULES
NO ONE IS AS INTERESTED AS YOU ARE. Nowadays everyone's
attention span and time are limited. Be grateful if you get
anyone's attention on our issue, even for a few seconds. Some
wannabe activists come in like a lion, then disappear faster
than sh*t through a short dog. Take whatever you get from any
volunteer. Praise and thank them. Don't be disappointed when
they drift away. They will. But some come back. Keep the
light on for them.
THE NRA STINKS. So does GOA, SAF, JPFO, and any or all of the
rest of the gun rights organizations. At the same time, all of these
organizations are the best thing since sliced bread. We won't keep
our rights without them. It's normal to love them and hate them at
the same time. Be sure your complaints about them go to the person
who can do something about your problem. Never give up your
membership -- it's much easier to fix things from the inside.
Avoid griping in public -- our opponents love it when we do.
Always handle our dirty laundry behind closed doors. Always.
THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET. There is no single answer, rule, or solution.
Never has been, and never will be. None of us will write the single
brilliant letter to the editor or internet message that will miraculously
turn everything around. Keep steadily busy. Do as much as you can,
whenever you can. Anything you do counts, but some things count
more than others. Find out what counts. Then do it.
THERE IS NO FINAL VICTORY. Preserving RKBA is an ongoing PROCESS.
We are winning and losing battles during this process, but the war
will never be over. Becoming active to keep your gun rights is a
lot like cleaning your house: it's thankless and boring work, but
necessary. Like dirt, the antigun crowd will just keep coming back.
Forever. Your activism will keep us winning more than losing.
Our opponents count on wearing us down. They love it when one of us
(not you, of course) gets discouraged and drops out. When you fully
understand and accept the reality that RKBA is a never-ending struggle,
you're automatically in the top 5 percent of all RKBA defenders.
Congratulations.
RKBA ACTIVISM IS BORING. It's especially boring when you are doing
things that really make a difference. Most of us want drama. We want
to be entertained. Phone bank calling, precinct walking, going
to RKBA grassroots seminars -- suddenly, even a trip to the dentist
for a root canal will start to look better. Sorry, but there is no
workaround on this aspect. Freedom is not free. It's a pain in the
ass. Get used to it, get over it, and get to work.
USE THE POWER OF FEAR AND GUILT. Gun owners are susceptible
to these emotions. Awaken sleeping RKBA activists by tapping
these powerful emotions. Fear and guilt will move mountains --
and fill the collection plate, and recruit new members. If gun
owners won't become active for themselves, ask them to do it
for their families. For their children. For their country. And --
this tactic works! -- ask them to do it for YOU.
WATCH OUT FOR MISDIRECTED, TIME-WASTING EFFORTS.
E-mail to elected people is pretty much worthless -- unless
the official already personally knows you. Internet polls are
useless. Online polls make some folks think they are actually
doing something. They are not. It's a false sense of accomplishment.
It's like bringing a doctor to a dead man. Focus on the stuff that
works. If you're going to hunt ducks, go where the ducks are.
POLITICIANS ONLY CARE ABOUT VOTES AND MONEY. In-person visits,
phone calls, and snail-mailed, handwritten letters to elected folks
help -- because politicians know that if you take this much trouble,
you and your family and friends will also vote.
HOT TIP: Make yourself known to politicians for
issues other than gun rights. Don't present yourself
as a single-issue person. Praise and help politicians
on THEIR pet projects. Then, when a new gun control
law comes up, your opinion will seem especially credible.
Otherwise, you will soon be stereotyped and discounted
as a single-issue voter.
ANOTHER HOT TIP: Politicians have to explain why they
vote Yes or No on proposed laws. Sometimes they really
need your help in composing explanations to their
constituents. If you want your elected official to vote
No on a seemingly popular new gun control law, she might
be more willing to vote your way if you give her a
"back door" -- a good, common sense explanation that
she can give to all of her constituents.
GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN OFFICE IN THE FIRST PLACE. If we have
the right people in power, antigun laws will not be passed. Period.
The laws are what matter. This concept is so simple that many
folks can't see it, just like they can't "see" the air they breathe.
The anti-rights crowd can hold all the gun control seminars and
news conferences they want, but nothing will happen unless they
can pass more laws. This fact tells you about the how, what, where,
when, why, and with whom you should be spending your time, energy,
and money. Politicians pass laws. Therefore, you must get involved in
politics to protect your gun rights. There is just no way to get around
this. Sorry. I don't like politics either. Bummer!
STOP THE SABER RATTLING -- NOW! Avoid those shrill folks who sound
threatening or talk about doomsday. It's a waste of your time. These
noisy folks remind me of a couple in a failing marriage who only talk
about a getting a divorce instead of talking about their real problems.
If they don't solve their problems, separation or divorce becomes the
inevitable outcome. Some people get pumped up on silly fantasy
scenarios. I do not.
ARM YOURSELF WITH ACCURATE INFORMATION. Paradoxically,
bad information or disinformation is a plague in the so-called
Information Age. When you write or talk about firearms issues,
use only the facts, the truth, and the provable. Verify any quotes
that you use. Back up your generalizations with powerful and
specific examples. Get on the internet, and get your like-minded
friends online. Join several of the hundreds of net communities
that will keep you informed instantly and completely about our
special issues. Information is power!
IGNORE MEDIA SPIN AND THE NEWS WAVES. It's far too easy
to go bonkers reacting to the latest media-driven crisis. Don't
let the media push your buttons. The RKBA grassroots pros I know
do not overreact to crises. In fact, most of the ultra-pros that I
know do not react at all to media hysteria. Bashing the media about
their bias is not productive. Some gun owners use media bias as an
excuse to do nothing -- because the situation seems so overwhelming
and hopeless. Truth is, if you are a busy activist -- already steadily
doing stuff that matters -- you will find the media reacting to YOU.
Be friendly and polite with them -- not hostile. Become a reliable
source of information for them. And just keep on being ACTIVE.
JUST SHOW UP. It's been said that 80 percent of success is
showing up. Being there. Showing up to vote. Showing up at an
RKBA seminar. At your assemblyman's office. At a city council
meeting. My father's favorite motto: "Your actions speak so loud
that I can't hear a word you're saying." Your "silent" activism can
be a model for others. What will your 3 hunting buddies think when
they find out you spent an afternoon handing out brochures
door-to-door for a pro-gun politician?
DON'T MESS WITH TRUE BELIEVERS. In the time you spend trying
to convert one hard core antigun person to our side, you could
have gone out and motivated and organized 20 people who already
think like you do. Go with the flow. It's easier on your nerves,
and much more effective. Personally, I have converted several
anti-rights true believers, but never again! Lots of NRA members
are not registered voters. A lot of gun owners aren't NRA members.
Even more folks have no idea of their elected officials' positions
on gun issues. Where is your time most effectively spent? Think
about this before you spend an hour writing a clever response
to a silly message you found somewhere on the internet.
FOR GUN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS
INTRODUCTION
I've been a gun rights activist for nearly 10 years.
I wasted a lot of time for the first 5 years because
no one gave me the rule book you are now reading.
Maybe that's because no one had written it. This is the stuff
I wish I had known starting on day one.
If you've just arrived at this party, the next 5 minutes you
spend reading this might save you 5 years of otherwise
wasted time and energy.
If you've been in the gun rights game for a while, this handbook
will be the fastest refresher course you've ever taken.
This past year I've received a lot of mail from jittery gun owners
who are finally waking up to what's happening to our right to keep
and bear arms (RKBA).
This handbook is mostly for them.
If the rules I list below scare off a few folks, so be it. I want
to tell it like it really is -- to give a quick snapshot of the tips,
tricks and tactics that actually work in RKBA activism.
The bad news is that this is not a complete list of the rules.
The good news is that there will never be a complete list of rules.
The rules listed below are based on my own experience from working
thousands of hours with down and dirty RKBA activist pros. I am deeply
grateful to all of them. They know who they are.
Some of these rules have been followed for so long by old-time
activists that they have forgotten what the original rules were.
It's time to list them again.
And sneak in a couple of new ones.
So read them and weep, or read them and rejoice.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE HANDBOOK RULES
NO ONE IS AS INTERESTED AS YOU ARE. Nowadays everyone's
attention span and time are limited. Be grateful if you get
anyone's attention on our issue, even for a few seconds. Some
wannabe activists come in like a lion, then disappear faster
than sh*t through a short dog. Take whatever you get from any
volunteer. Praise and thank them. Don't be disappointed when
they drift away. They will. But some come back. Keep the
light on for them.
THE NRA STINKS. So does GOA, SAF, JPFO, and any or all of the
rest of the gun rights organizations. At the same time, all of these
organizations are the best thing since sliced bread. We won't keep
our rights without them. It's normal to love them and hate them at
the same time. Be sure your complaints about them go to the person
who can do something about your problem. Never give up your
membership -- it's much easier to fix things from the inside.
Avoid griping in public -- our opponents love it when we do.
Always handle our dirty laundry behind closed doors. Always.
THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET. There is no single answer, rule, or solution.
Never has been, and never will be. None of us will write the single
brilliant letter to the editor or internet message that will miraculously
turn everything around. Keep steadily busy. Do as much as you can,
whenever you can. Anything you do counts, but some things count
more than others. Find out what counts. Then do it.
THERE IS NO FINAL VICTORY. Preserving RKBA is an ongoing PROCESS.
We are winning and losing battles during this process, but the war
will never be over. Becoming active to keep your gun rights is a
lot like cleaning your house: it's thankless and boring work, but
necessary. Like dirt, the antigun crowd will just keep coming back.
Forever. Your activism will keep us winning more than losing.
Our opponents count on wearing us down. They love it when one of us
(not you, of course) gets discouraged and drops out. When you fully
understand and accept the reality that RKBA is a never-ending struggle,
you're automatically in the top 5 percent of all RKBA defenders.
Congratulations.
RKBA ACTIVISM IS BORING. It's especially boring when you are doing
things that really make a difference. Most of us want drama. We want
to be entertained. Phone bank calling, precinct walking, going
to RKBA grassroots seminars -- suddenly, even a trip to the dentist
for a root canal will start to look better. Sorry, but there is no
workaround on this aspect. Freedom is not free. It's a pain in the
ass. Get used to it, get over it, and get to work.
USE THE POWER OF FEAR AND GUILT. Gun owners are susceptible
to these emotions. Awaken sleeping RKBA activists by tapping
these powerful emotions. Fear and guilt will move mountains --
and fill the collection plate, and recruit new members. If gun
owners won't become active for themselves, ask them to do it
for their families. For their children. For their country. And --
this tactic works! -- ask them to do it for YOU.
WATCH OUT FOR MISDIRECTED, TIME-WASTING EFFORTS.
E-mail to elected people is pretty much worthless -- unless
the official already personally knows you. Internet polls are
useless. Online polls make some folks think they are actually
doing something. They are not. It's a false sense of accomplishment.
It's like bringing a doctor to a dead man. Focus on the stuff that
works. If you're going to hunt ducks, go where the ducks are.
POLITICIANS ONLY CARE ABOUT VOTES AND MONEY. In-person visits,
phone calls, and snail-mailed, handwritten letters to elected folks
help -- because politicians know that if you take this much trouble,
you and your family and friends will also vote.
HOT TIP: Make yourself known to politicians for
issues other than gun rights. Don't present yourself
as a single-issue person. Praise and help politicians
on THEIR pet projects. Then, when a new gun control
law comes up, your opinion will seem especially credible.
Otherwise, you will soon be stereotyped and discounted
as a single-issue voter.
ANOTHER HOT TIP: Politicians have to explain why they
vote Yes or No on proposed laws. Sometimes they really
need your help in composing explanations to their
constituents. If you want your elected official to vote
No on a seemingly popular new gun control law, she might
be more willing to vote your way if you give her a
"back door" -- a good, common sense explanation that
she can give to all of her constituents.
GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN OFFICE IN THE FIRST PLACE. If we have
the right people in power, antigun laws will not be passed. Period.
The laws are what matter. This concept is so simple that many
folks can't see it, just like they can't "see" the air they breathe.
The anti-rights crowd can hold all the gun control seminars and
news conferences they want, but nothing will happen unless they
can pass more laws. This fact tells you about the how, what, where,
when, why, and with whom you should be spending your time, energy,
and money. Politicians pass laws. Therefore, you must get involved in
politics to protect your gun rights. There is just no way to get around
this. Sorry. I don't like politics either. Bummer!
STOP THE SABER RATTLING -- NOW! Avoid those shrill folks who sound
threatening or talk about doomsday. It's a waste of your time. These
noisy folks remind me of a couple in a failing marriage who only talk
about a getting a divorce instead of talking about their real problems.
If they don't solve their problems, separation or divorce becomes the
inevitable outcome. Some people get pumped up on silly fantasy
scenarios. I do not.
ARM YOURSELF WITH ACCURATE INFORMATION. Paradoxically,
bad information or disinformation is a plague in the so-called
Information Age. When you write or talk about firearms issues,
use only the facts, the truth, and the provable. Verify any quotes
that you use. Back up your generalizations with powerful and
specific examples. Get on the internet, and get your like-minded
friends online. Join several of the hundreds of net communities
that will keep you informed instantly and completely about our
special issues. Information is power!
IGNORE MEDIA SPIN AND THE NEWS WAVES. It's far too easy
to go bonkers reacting to the latest media-driven crisis. Don't
let the media push your buttons. The RKBA grassroots pros I know
do not overreact to crises. In fact, most of the ultra-pros that I
know do not react at all to media hysteria. Bashing the media about
their bias is not productive. Some gun owners use media bias as an
excuse to do nothing -- because the situation seems so overwhelming
and hopeless. Truth is, if you are a busy activist -- already steadily
doing stuff that matters -- you will find the media reacting to YOU.
Be friendly and polite with them -- not hostile. Become a reliable
source of information for them. And just keep on being ACTIVE.
JUST SHOW UP. It's been said that 80 percent of success is
showing up. Being there. Showing up to vote. Showing up at an
RKBA seminar. At your assemblyman's office. At a city council
meeting. My father's favorite motto: "Your actions speak so loud
that I can't hear a word you're saying." Your "silent" activism can
be a model for others. What will your 3 hunting buddies think when
they find out you spent an afternoon handing out brochures
door-to-door for a pro-gun politician?
DON'T MESS WITH TRUE BELIEVERS. In the time you spend trying
to convert one hard core antigun person to our side, you could
have gone out and motivated and organized 20 people who already
think like you do. Go with the flow. It's easier on your nerves,
and much more effective. Personally, I have converted several
anti-rights true believers, but never again! Lots of NRA members
are not registered voters. A lot of gun owners aren't NRA members.
Even more folks have no idea of their elected officials' positions
on gun issues. Where is your time most effectively spent? Think
about this before you spend an hour writing a clever response
to a silly message you found somewhere on the internet.
LouisianaCarry
Tactibilly
SIMPLICITY STILL MATTERS. The old rule, Keep It Super Simple
(KISS), is as important as it ever was. It applies to internet
postings, planning, speeches -- everything. And keep it short.
And keep it sweet: don't ever ridicule or insult anyone. Did you
notice that I did NOT say, "Keep It Simple, STUPID?"
YOU ARE ALL ALONE. Well, not quite alone. You do have some help.
The NRA has a staff of several hundred. There is no way humanly
possible that "the NRA" can put out all the brush fires started
by the anti-rights crowd. Pro-gun national organizations
give direction and information -- but they cannot save your
rights. Only YOU can save YOUR rights. You are 100 percent
responsible. When you fully accept this reality, you are
automatically in the top one percent of all RKBA activists.
THE HIDDEN BONUS OF GUN RIGHTS ACTIVISM. The more involved
you get with firearms freedom, the more you will realize that
your single issue actually complements and protects other human
rights issues. Personally, I am deeply offended by many aspects of
today's culture. When I focus my activism on RKBA, I can often
sense I am making a measurable difference. All rights -- like all
humans -- are connected.
WHEN IN DOUBT, JUST DO SOMETHING. Sometimes we don't know
what will work. Sometimes the rule is that there are no rules.
I once wrote an essay I thought was mediocre at best. Five years
later, I'm still receiving mail about it. Don't hesitate to try
something new and innovative -- get it out on the table! Often
your finest essay or brilliant letter will not be acknowledged,
or you will just get a form letter response. But that letter to
the editor that you dashed off in a few minutes appears in
tomorrow's newspaper! Go figure. Better yet, try not to figure.
Trust yourself, trust your instincts -- and just do something.
I'll see you in the trenches.
Friendly Reminder:
Copyright © 2000 by JASPAR@aol.com
All rights reserved. Reproduction or distribution
is permitted so long as this copyright notice is
attached; the complete Handbook (including the
introduction) is reproduced; no word or words
are altered in any way whatsoever, and the web site
address www.jaspar.net is attached.
Thank you!
(KISS), is as important as it ever was. It applies to internet
postings, planning, speeches -- everything. And keep it short.
And keep it sweet: don't ever ridicule or insult anyone. Did you
notice that I did NOT say, "Keep It Simple, STUPID?"
YOU ARE ALL ALONE. Well, not quite alone. You do have some help.
The NRA has a staff of several hundred. There is no way humanly
possible that "the NRA" can put out all the brush fires started
by the anti-rights crowd. Pro-gun national organizations
give direction and information -- but they cannot save your
rights. Only YOU can save YOUR rights. You are 100 percent
responsible. When you fully accept this reality, you are
automatically in the top one percent of all RKBA activists.
THE HIDDEN BONUS OF GUN RIGHTS ACTIVISM. The more involved
you get with firearms freedom, the more you will realize that
your single issue actually complements and protects other human
rights issues. Personally, I am deeply offended by many aspects of
today's culture. When I focus my activism on RKBA, I can often
sense I am making a measurable difference. All rights -- like all
humans -- are connected.
WHEN IN DOUBT, JUST DO SOMETHING. Sometimes we don't know
what will work. Sometimes the rule is that there are no rules.
I once wrote an essay I thought was mediocre at best. Five years
later, I'm still receiving mail about it. Don't hesitate to try
something new and innovative -- get it out on the table! Often
your finest essay or brilliant letter will not be acknowledged,
or you will just get a form letter response. But that letter to
the editor that you dashed off in a few minutes appears in
tomorrow's newspaper! Go figure. Better yet, try not to figure.
Trust yourself, trust your instincts -- and just do something.
I'll see you in the trenches.
Friendly Reminder:
Copyright © 2000 by JASPAR@aol.com
All rights reserved. Reproduction or distribution
is permitted so long as this copyright notice is
attached; the complete Handbook (including the
introduction) is reproduced; no word or words
are altered in any way whatsoever, and the web site
address www.jaspar.net is attached.
Thank you!
I would not call this a "big loss". 
Sorry, if anything this bill has inacted a way for a person to clear their record. Before, if you had been deemed mentally unsound by a court of law, it was on you forever. Now, you can have that removed, and your rights reinstated. So if anything, I would consider this a victory.
Sorry, if anything this bill has inacted a way for a person to clear their record. Before, if you had been deemed mentally unsound by a court of law, it was on you forever. Now, you can have that removed, and your rights reinstated. So if anything, I would consider this a victory.
On the note of that I agree if your found mentally incompetent you shouldn't own a firearm, the NRA should have back a rider to that bill that allowed for states that have CWP to allow firearms on campuses if that person possess one. Several students who were interview would have been armed. It sad that a Nazi concentration camp survivor died for his students, after enduring so much.
My wife is a teacher at a high school, I wish she could be armed, She teaches at LSU during the summer months..
My wife is a teacher at a high school, I wish she could be armed, She teaches at LSU during the summer months..
Well, the problem with this is the possibility for abuse. This has nothing to do with Criminals...nothing to do with violent offenders, or people who have shown a tendency for violence.
Also, Veterans and LEOs who may be under stress may not seek professional help out of the fear of being diagnosed with something.
Anyone on Anti-depressants may be banned, and many 'mental illnesses' are considered life long.
Also, I cannot imagine people clearing a diagnosed persons name with any degree of swiftness. This is federal government control over a Constitutional right...
This is a loss...people are worried about PTSD, an 'illness' that can manifest in many ways...anything from anxiousness or bad dreams to complete psychosis...usually its a very minor symptom that a person may seek help with.
No gun control that targets people who are not criminals is good gun control.
Also, Veterans and LEOs who may be under stress may not seek professional help out of the fear of being diagnosed with something.
Anyone on Anti-depressants may be banned, and many 'mental illnesses' are considered life long.
Also, I cannot imagine people clearing a diagnosed persons name with any degree of swiftness. This is federal government control over a Constitutional right...
This is a loss...people are worried about PTSD, an 'illness' that can manifest in many ways...anything from anxiousness or bad dreams to complete psychosis...usually its a very minor symptom that a person may seek help with.
No gun control that targets people who are not criminals is good gun control.
However, just being diagnosed is not enough to have you denied. You must be found mentally incompetent by a court of law. Simply being depressed is not enough under the current system to restrict your rights. Your doctor after diagnosing you would have to seek a court order because he believed you were a threat to yourself or others before you would be considered ineligible to own a gun.
Plus as part of the law, if the review to clear your name takes longer than a year, you can file to have it reviewed immediately.
Plus as part of the law, if the review to clear your name takes longer than a year, you can file to have it reviewed immediately.
You're willing to trust another persons views on gun rights and your personality dictate your Constitutional rights?
My opinions have no weight, Senate and House passed it...
Its a McCarthy bill, regardless of the NRA...that is NOT a 2nd A friendly Bill.
My opinions have no weight, Senate and House passed it...
Its a McCarthy bill, regardless of the NRA...that is NOT a 2nd A friendly Bill.
Yeah, but it was like that long before this bill. Before this being passed, a doctor could do that already. Prior to this bill, if your doctor filed because he believed you were a danger to yourself, you were going to lose your rights permentantly. Now there is a system in place to have such a ruling undone. Before, you were stuck with it one your record forever. Now, you can have it appealed, and there is a system in place to get your rights back...
Yea, IF you went to see one, and KEPT going to them...
Now all kinds of different people can 'take one look at you' and 'Declare' you unable to own a gun...
I saw this coming... I have No PTSD, never had a problem with it, driving doesn't bother me, no road rage, no problems sleeping....
I'm in the clear.
-Good luck appealing...
But this bill didn't change anything. It didn't give anyone new the the ability to have you commited. The only thing it did was allow those who have been commited a way to have that purged...
Let me reemphasize, this bill has not changed the criterion for losing your rights. It has not changed who can initiate it. PTSD or depression is not enough to lose your rights. You must demonstrate a danger to yourself or others (that criterion has not changed). NOTHING HAS CHANGED BUT ALLOW PEOPLE A WAY TO GET THEIR RIGHTS BACK, and Federal incentives to insure states report commitments to the national database.
Let me reemphasize, this bill has not changed the criterion for losing your rights. It has not changed who can initiate it. PTSD or depression is not enough to lose your rights. You must demonstrate a danger to yourself or others (that criterion has not changed). NOTHING HAS CHANGED BUT ALLOW PEOPLE A WAY TO GET THEIR RIGHTS BACK, and Federal incentives to insure states report commitments to the national database.
All those same "people" could file an injunction to have you declared mentally unfit LONG before this bill. This bill didn't change which people could have you commited, it only gave you a way to undo it...
I really think you're mistaken about the harmlessness of this bill. Carolyn McCarthy, one of the US's most avid Gun Control advocates worked on this with the NRA who wrote it.
I know you say nothing changed...but you're wrong, it has...that is why its a "Gun Control Bill" and not a bill that gives gun owners more rights, or restores rights.
I don't trust anyone dictating my rights, thats why the Constitution and bill of Rights are Federal Laws guaranteeing those rights to all citizens...not meant to be dictated by government or private people.
States will now have federal funding to actively pursue people to ban from firearm ownership. Its got the potential for severe abuse.
When things like this come about one should remember where the enemy stands. The NRA's board members advocate capacity limits on magazines, and things like that...they advocate gun control, be it a little or a lot is not the point. They are not -totally- pro-second Amendment but they deceive people into thinking they are on the side of strict interpretations of the second amendment when they aren't...groups like Gun Owners of America are totally pro-second Amendment...so are politicians like Ron Paul.
Carolyn McCarthy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ospNRk2uM3U
Don't get me wrong, I -hope- you are right and this is a pro-enthusiast/pro-2nd Amendment bill...but anytime the federal government is given control of rights it usually turns ugly...especially with socialist politicians at play.
I know you say nothing changed...but you're wrong, it has...that is why its a "Gun Control Bill" and not a bill that gives gun owners more rights, or restores rights.
I don't trust anyone dictating my rights, thats why the Constitution and bill of Rights are Federal Laws guaranteeing those rights to all citizens...not meant to be dictated by government or private people.
States will now have federal funding to actively pursue people to ban from firearm ownership. Its got the potential for severe abuse.
When things like this come about one should remember where the enemy stands. The NRA's board members advocate capacity limits on magazines, and things like that...they advocate gun control, be it a little or a lot is not the point. They are not -totally- pro-second Amendment but they deceive people into thinking they are on the side of strict interpretations of the second amendment when they aren't...groups like Gun Owners of America are totally pro-second Amendment...so are politicians like Ron Paul.
Carolyn McCarthy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ospNRk2uM3U
Don't get me wrong, I -hope- you are right and this is a pro-enthusiast/pro-2nd Amendment bill...but anytime the federal government is given control of rights it usually turns ugly...especially with socialist politicians at play.
Gun Owners Get Stabbed In The Back
Body: Veterans Disarmament Act on its way to the President
"To me, this is the best Christmas present I could ever receive" -- Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), CBS News, December 20, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Gun Owners of America and its supporters took a knife in the back yesterday, as Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) out-smarted his congressional opposition into agreeing on a so-called "compromise" on HR 2640 -- a bill which now goes to the President's desk.
The bill -- known as the Veterans Disarmament Act to its opponents -- is being praised by the National Rifle Association and the Brady Campaign.
The Brady Bunch crowed "Victory! U.S. Congress Strengthens Brady Background Check System." The NRA stated that last minute changes to the McCarthy bill made a "good bill even better [and that] the end product is a win for American gun owners."
But Gun Owners of America has issued public statements decrying this legislation.
The core of the bill's problems is section 101(c)(1)(C), which makes you a "prohibited person" on the basis of a "medical finding of disability," so long as a veteran had an "opportunity" for some sort of "hearing" before some "lawful authority" (other than a court). Presumably, this "lawful authority" could even be the psychiatrist himself.
Note that unlike with an accused murderer, the hearing doesn't have to occur. The "lawful authority" doesn't have to be unbiased. The veteran is not necessarily entitled to an attorney -- much less an attorney financed by the government.
So what do the proponents have to say about this?
ARGUMENT: The Veterans Disarmament Act creates new avenues for prohibited persons to seek restoration of their gun rights.
ANSWER: What the bill does is to lock in -- statutorily -- huge numbers of additional law-abiding Americans who will now be denied the right to own a firearm.
And then it "graciously" allows these newly disarmed Americans to spend tens of thousands of dollars for a long-shot chance to regain the gun rights this very bill takes away from them.
More to the point, what minimal gains were granted by the "right hand" are taken away by the "left." Section 105 provides a process for some Americans diagnosed with so-called mental disabilities to get their rights restored in the state where they live. But then, in subsection (a)(2), the bill stipulates that such relief may occur only if "the person will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that the GRANTING OF THE RELIEF WOULD NOT BE CONTRARY TO THE PUBLIC INTEREST." (Emphasis added.)
Um, doesn't this language sound similar to those state codes (like California's) that have "may issue" concealed carry laws -- where citizens "technically" have the right to carry, but state law only says that sheriffs MAY ISSUE them a permit to carry? When given such leeway, those sheriffs usually don't grant the permits!
Prediction: liberal states -- the same states that took these people's rights away -- will treat almost every person who has been illegitimately denied as a danger to society and claim that granting relief would be "contrary to the public interest."
Let's make one thing clear: the efforts begun during the Clinton Presidency to disarm battle-scarred veterans -- promoted by the Brady Anti-Gun Campaign -- is illegal and morally reprehensible.
But section 101(c)(1)(C) of HR 2640 would rubber-stamp those illegal actions. Over 140,000 law-abiding veterans would be statutorily barred from possessing firearms.
True, they can hire a lawyer and beg the agency that took their rights away to voluntarily give them back. But the agency doesn't have to do anything but sit on its hands. And, after 365 days of inaction, guess what happens? The newly disarmed veteran can spend thousands of additional dollars to sue. And, as the plaintiff, the wrongly disarmed veteran has the burden of proof.
Language proposed by GOA would have automatically restored a veteran's gun rights if the agency sat on its hands for a year. Unfortunately, the GOA amendment was not included.
The Veterans Disarmament Act passed the Senate and the House yesterday -- both times WITHOUT A RECORDED VOTE. That is, the bill passed by Unanimous Consent, and was then transmitted to the White House.
Long-time GOA activists will remember that a similar "compromise" deal helped the original Brady Law get passed. In 1993, there were only two or three senators on the floor of that chamber who used a Unanimous Consent agreement (with no recorded vote) to send the Brady bill to President Clinton -- at a time when most legislators had already left town for their Thanksgiving Break.
Gun owners can go to http://www.gunowners.org/news/nws9402.htm to read about how this betrayal occurred 14 years ago.
With your help, Gun Owners of America has done a yeoman's job of fighting gun control over the years, considering the limited resources that we have. Together, we were able to buck the Brady Campaign/NRA coalition in 1999 (after the Columbine massacre) and were able to defeat the gun control that was proposed in the wake of that shooting.
Yesterday, we were not so lucky. But we are not going to go away. GOA wants to repeal the gun-free zones that disarm law-abiding Americans and repeal the other gun restrictions that are on the books. That is the answer to Virginia Tech. Unfortunately, the House and Senate chose the path of imposing more gun control.
So our appeal to you is this -- please help us to grow this coming year. Please help us to get more members and activists. If you add $10 to your membership renewal this year, we can reach new gun owners in the mail and tell them about GOA.
Please urge your friends to join GOA... and, at the very least, make sure they sign up for our free e-mail alerts so that we can mobilize more gun owners than ever before!
http://www.gunowners.org/a122007.htm
Body: Veterans Disarmament Act on its way to the President
"To me, this is the best Christmas present I could ever receive" -- Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), CBS News, December 20, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Gun Owners of America and its supporters took a knife in the back yesterday, as Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) out-smarted his congressional opposition into agreeing on a so-called "compromise" on HR 2640 -- a bill which now goes to the President's desk.
The bill -- known as the Veterans Disarmament Act to its opponents -- is being praised by the National Rifle Association and the Brady Campaign.
The Brady Bunch crowed "Victory! U.S. Congress Strengthens Brady Background Check System." The NRA stated that last minute changes to the McCarthy bill made a "good bill even better [and that] the end product is a win for American gun owners."
But Gun Owners of America has issued public statements decrying this legislation.
The core of the bill's problems is section 101(c)(1)(C), which makes you a "prohibited person" on the basis of a "medical finding of disability," so long as a veteran had an "opportunity" for some sort of "hearing" before some "lawful authority" (other than a court). Presumably, this "lawful authority" could even be the psychiatrist himself.
Note that unlike with an accused murderer, the hearing doesn't have to occur. The "lawful authority" doesn't have to be unbiased. The veteran is not necessarily entitled to an attorney -- much less an attorney financed by the government.
So what do the proponents have to say about this?
ARGUMENT: The Veterans Disarmament Act creates new avenues for prohibited persons to seek restoration of their gun rights.
ANSWER: What the bill does is to lock in -- statutorily -- huge numbers of additional law-abiding Americans who will now be denied the right to own a firearm.
And then it "graciously" allows these newly disarmed Americans to spend tens of thousands of dollars for a long-shot chance to regain the gun rights this very bill takes away from them.
More to the point, what minimal gains were granted by the "right hand" are taken away by the "left." Section 105 provides a process for some Americans diagnosed with so-called mental disabilities to get their rights restored in the state where they live. But then, in subsection (a)(2), the bill stipulates that such relief may occur only if "the person will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that the GRANTING OF THE RELIEF WOULD NOT BE CONTRARY TO THE PUBLIC INTEREST." (Emphasis added.)
Um, doesn't this language sound similar to those state codes (like California's) that have "may issue" concealed carry laws -- where citizens "technically" have the right to carry, but state law only says that sheriffs MAY ISSUE them a permit to carry? When given such leeway, those sheriffs usually don't grant the permits!
Prediction: liberal states -- the same states that took these people's rights away -- will treat almost every person who has been illegitimately denied as a danger to society and claim that granting relief would be "contrary to the public interest."
Let's make one thing clear: the efforts begun during the Clinton Presidency to disarm battle-scarred veterans -- promoted by the Brady Anti-Gun Campaign -- is illegal and morally reprehensible.
But section 101(c)(1)(C) of HR 2640 would rubber-stamp those illegal actions. Over 140,000 law-abiding veterans would be statutorily barred from possessing firearms.
True, they can hire a lawyer and beg the agency that took their rights away to voluntarily give them back. But the agency doesn't have to do anything but sit on its hands. And, after 365 days of inaction, guess what happens? The newly disarmed veteran can spend thousands of additional dollars to sue. And, as the plaintiff, the wrongly disarmed veteran has the burden of proof.
Language proposed by GOA would have automatically restored a veteran's gun rights if the agency sat on its hands for a year. Unfortunately, the GOA amendment was not included.
The Veterans Disarmament Act passed the Senate and the House yesterday -- both times WITHOUT A RECORDED VOTE. That is, the bill passed by Unanimous Consent, and was then transmitted to the White House.
Long-time GOA activists will remember that a similar "compromise" deal helped the original Brady Law get passed. In 1993, there were only two or three senators on the floor of that chamber who used a Unanimous Consent agreement (with no recorded vote) to send the Brady bill to President Clinton -- at a time when most legislators had already left town for their Thanksgiving Break.
Gun owners can go to http://www.gunowners.org/news/nws9402.htm to read about how this betrayal occurred 14 years ago.
With your help, Gun Owners of America has done a yeoman's job of fighting gun control over the years, considering the limited resources that we have. Together, we were able to buck the Brady Campaign/NRA coalition in 1999 (after the Columbine massacre) and were able to defeat the gun control that was proposed in the wake of that shooting.
Yesterday, we were not so lucky. But we are not going to go away. GOA wants to repeal the gun-free zones that disarm law-abiding Americans and repeal the other gun restrictions that are on the books. That is the answer to Virginia Tech. Unfortunately, the House and Senate chose the path of imposing more gun control.
So our appeal to you is this -- please help us to grow this coming year. Please help us to get more members and activists. If you add $10 to your membership renewal this year, we can reach new gun owners in the mail and tell them about GOA.
Please urge your friends to join GOA... and, at the very least, make sure they sign up for our free e-mail alerts so that we can mobilize more gun owners than ever before!
http://www.gunowners.org/a122007.htm
They are Kool with me! Truly fighting for our 2nd amendment rights!
p.s.
To better prove your anti-GOA position it would be helpful to point out factual evidence about how they are harmful to or against our 2nd Amendment rights.
p.s.
To better prove your anti-GOA position it would be helpful to point out factual evidence about how they are harmful to or against our 2nd Amendment rights.
I appreciate the NRA's work on this. I don't think this was a bad day.
I think this was a good step in clearing a dangerous, pervasive misconception from the minds of the left wing fruitcakes..........What misconception?.......the idea that guns kill people.
This bill makes it clear that people kill people. And that the mentally incompetent should not be allowed to run around with firearms.
Is this a potential "slippery slope"? Maybe, but I doubt it. However, it does forestall a much greater danger - the danger that Congress will view incidents like the one at Va. Tech, or at the Colorado church, as reasons for stronger bans on firearms.
This bill, to me isn't gun control. It is fruitcake control. If you have been judicially determined to be mentally unstable (including all the bureaucratic hoops and hurdles that must be overcome in reaching that decision), then you don't need to be handling firearms.
Sometimes the radical right wingers bother me more than the weird left-wingers. The "lefties" make us look sane by comparison. The right wing fanatics presume and pretend to speak for "us," and in so doing make us look like the kooks.
I wish GOA would spend half as much time working for the 2A as they do busting the NRA's chops.
Don't take GOA's take of this bill as gospel. It reads more like knee-jerk reaction to the bill than an honest appraisal. This bill doesn't do what Pratt claims it does. People RULED BY A COURT OF LAW as a danger to self or others have been prohibited possessors SINCE 1968. This bill did not change that. Those adjudications follow a set of rules, and those rules HAVE NOT CHANGED SINCE 1968. A lone psychatrists opinion doesn't count without a judge's ruling. Self-referral for help doesn't count. Prescription antidepressants doesn't count. A diagnosis of PTSD doesn't count.
GOA as usual is using this as an oppurtunity to spin the the issue against the NRA. In fact that is all I have ever seen GOA do. They don't seem to fight for our rights. All they ever seem to do is fight against the NRA...
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