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AN AMERICAN WARNING
Because you should know!
September 2007 - Posts
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New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg really screwed up when he sent his private investigators into gun stores last year. His gumshoe thugs were trying to make straw purchases, and Mayor Mike has already been slapped down by the U.S. Department of Justice for engaging in this kind of activity. Besides the obvious legal problems in directing someone to attempt an illegal straw purchase, Bloomberg's actions put active law enforcement investigations in jeopardy.
Many of the dealers that Bloomberg sued as a result of those so-called stings have settled, but some are fighting back. Adventure Outdoors, a sporting goods store in Smyrna, Georgia, countersued Bloomberg. And just a few days ago, a judge in Georgia ruled that suit will stay in the Georgia courts where it was filed, rather than it being heard in a New York courtroom, which is what Bloomberg wanted.
Former Congressman Bob Barr (who's also on the NRA's Board of Directors) is representing Adventure Outdoors in their suit. Barr wasn't afraid to take on Bill Clinton, and he's not scared of Mike Bloomberg, either. Bloomberg should be nervous. His strong-arm tactics might play well in the Big Apple, but it's going to be another story down in Georgia.
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Back in the bad old days of the Clinton administration, when the gun-control crowd was riding high, Handgun Control Inc. pushed a piece of legislation called "Brady II." My friend David Kopel has published a reminder of that piece of legislation. Among the things the gun-control crowd was calling for:
A special license for people who own more than 20 firearms or more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. This “license” would have allowed the government to come into your home unannounced for an inspection up to three times per year
Licensing for all gun owners nationwide. This licensing would be discretionary in nature, meaning the state could deny you a license for almost any reason [And]
A 30% increase in taxes on handguns, and a 50% increase in taxes on ammunition
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I remember when this bill was introduced. Luckily, it never got a hearing, because elections were held a few weeks after its introduction and the Republicans took back control of Congress.
But here we are in 2007. Nancy Pelosi is speaker of the House. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards are the leading contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination. None of those politicians has ever been a friend to gun owners. And remember, this bill was introduced by the Brady Campaign just 13 years ago. Do you think their agenda has changed at all?
This is what's at stake in 2008. This is why gun owners have to get involved. The stakes are too high to sit on the sidelines.
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A few months ago, we at the NRA decided to offer free, one-year memberships to all active-duty military personnel. We thought it would be a nice treat for our servicemen and women, but I never expected to be criticized for it.
Instead, the "Gun Guys" blog (run by the anti-gun Freedom States Alliance) said our gift was "desperate" and "cynical." Mother Jones magazine (you know, the same magazine where Michael Moore was once an editor) said they had a problem with American Rifleman magazine appearing in the mailboxes of our returning soldiers.
What the heck is wrong with these people? I didn't see the Gun Guys or Mother Jones pipe up and condemn MoveOn.org for its atrocious ad that suggests the military is simply lying to the American people. Yet they criticize the NRA for wanting to do something nice for the troops?
That's just twisted.
The NRA was founded by former Union generals, and our dedication and support for our troops has been an integral part of the organization since 1871. We will never turn our back on those who protect this great nation.
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This weekend, NRA is hosting a gathering called "A Celebration of American Values" in Washington, D.C. The National Rifle Association is all about preserving our Second Amendment, but there are certain things that go along with protecting our God-given rights.
Patriotism, for instance. I don't think you'll find a more patriotic group of Americans than the members of the National Rifle Association.
We understand just how unique the United States of America really is, and we're well aware that there are those within this country and outside of our borders that want to see us lose our freedoms and responsibilities in order to look more like the "global community."
I still remember my debate with Rebecca Peters of IANSA at the United Nations, who said it's time we give up our Second Amendment rights because she thinks Americans aren't special. She said Americans are just like any other people in the world. Can you believe that? Americans by the thousands have paid the ultimate price-not just for our own freedom, but to liberate oppressed men, women and children around the globe. But to Peters and people like her, our freedoms are a roadblock, not a path to success.
So we're celebrating our values this weekend. But we're also keeping a watchful eye on those who want to strip us of those things that make us uniquely American. And if they bring that fight to us, we'll meet them with a ferocity that would make our Founding Fathers proud.
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Two years ago, animal rights terrorists vandalized a farm in England. Among other damage, they opened livestock gates, letting loose more than a hundred wild boars that were being raised on the property. Since then, crops have been torn up, people have been terrorized, and the farmer who was raising the boars has had to kill those he finds.
These nuts, who think they're setting these animals free to roam about the countryside, don't understand that there are serious repercussions for their actions. Many of the animals they think they "liberate" can't survive without human management, while others throw the natural local habitat way out of whack.
The farmer who saw his property attacked has now lost his license to raise the few remaining boars on his property, meaning those that remain will be killed, too. This is the legacy of the animal rights terrorists: Senseless death for the animals they profess to love.
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You've gotta love the gun bloggers. A few days ago, when Gun Law News reported that Senator Barack Obama served on the board of directors for the anti-gun Joyce Foundation, I had to smile. Not because of Obama's ties to one of the deep pockets that fund anti-gun groups across this country, but because it was a blog that broke this story, not the mainstream media.
Well, here's some other news about Obama and the Second Amendment: Since he's only in his first term as senator, he hasn't cast a lot of gun-related votes. But he did vote for the federal version of the Katrina bill that was authored by Senator David Vitter last year. That at least puts him in better company than his fellow candidate, Hillary Clinton-who was one of just 16 senators to vote against the bill, which prohibits federal law enforcement officials (and other law enforcement agencies that receive federal funding) from confiscating legally owned firearms during a state of emergency. But that's just one vote, and it doesn't tell us much.
During his days as a state legislator in Illinois, Obama was a big fan of gun bans. He supported a ban on all semi-automatic firearms, and wanted to increase the already-draconian laws regarding firearms purchases in Illinois. He was also in favor of renewing the Clinton gun ban back in 2004, and opposed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.
So learning that Obama once served on the board of the Joyce Foundation is kind of like the icing on the cake. We already know he's anti-gun; this is just one more piece of evidence that Barack Obama stands on the wrong side of your Second Amendment rights.
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It wasn't long ago that the Common Council in Albany, New York, decided to put together a "Gun Violence Task Force" to look at what, if any, new gun-control laws are needed in the city.
At the time, folks like Tom King of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association pointed out that the city would be better served if this task force took a look at violent crime as a whole. But the politically correct stance of the Common Council remained in place, and the task force instead will be looking at gun control.
But guys like Tom King are right, and a new study bears him out. Assaults involving guns are at a four-year low in Albany, and only 16 percent of the violent crime in the city is committed by criminals with guns. That means this task force will be ignoring how and why the vast majority of violent crime takes place... simply because the gun-control advocates squawked loudly.
One of these days, politicians in anti-gun locales will learn to trust the words of the pro-gun community. Unlike the gun banners, we simply want to see a reduction in crime, not a reduction in legal gun owners.
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It used to be that gun-banners were pretty vocal about what they were really after. They didn't use phrases like "common-sense gun laws" and pay lip service to gun owners. No, they used to be pretty up front with the fact that they were going after legal gun ownership. And, intentionally or not, they're starting to admit it again.
This admission was buried in a news story out of Pennsylvania earlier this month. Chad Ramsey, a field coordinator for the Brady Campaign, was asked about support for bills that increase sentencing for criminals who use a gun in the commission of a crime. He said, "I don't think criminals go out there and don't commit crimes because they're going to get a slightly longer sentence."
Well, if Mr. Ramsey really believes that, then he can't think that a criminal is going to obey the law simply because the Brady Campaign helps to pass another gun-control bill. And that means the Brady Campaign isn't targeting criminals, it's targeting the law-abiding gun owners.
Thanks for being honest, Mr. Ramsey. It's a lot easier for us to fight you when you're not trying to pull the wool over the eyes of honest Americans.
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It didn't get a lot of attention from gun bloggers, and frankly, I almost hesitate to write about it.
But the Nation of Islam is threatening to sue the NRA because we supported and lobbied for statewide firearms preemption in Pennsylvania.
According to Michael Coard, with the Nation of Islam's "Millions More Movement," the group is threatening to sue the NRA because members believe the preemption laws have led to more "guns on the street."
I hate to burst Mr. Coard's bubble, but suing people because they lobbied in support of this law is not only a shameful attack on the Second Amendment, it's a disgusting attempt to erode the First Amendment as well. As much as we disagree with the Brady Campaign and the Violence Policy Center, we've never sued them for their support of gun-control legislation.
If this suit is ever filed, I'm almost positive that it'll be dismissed as without merit. But it's another lesson for gun owners: Those who support gun control don't mind trampling over the First Amendment in their attempt to gut the Second.
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There's no shortage of anti-gun mayors in California, but the pro-gun mayors don't get a lot of attention. That's why I was pleased to hear the mayor of Daly City, California, recently say there's no reason to ban gun shows from the Cow Palace in Daly City.
Mayor Maggie Gomez says that criminals will do whatever it takes to get a gun, and that "people who abide by the law shouldn't be punished as a result of someone's criminal activity."
Compare that attitude with that of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who has lied about "sting operations" from San Francisco police arresting people in the Cow Palace parking lot (it hasn't happened) and his recent signing of gun-control laws that mean residents of San Francisco are virtually unable to use a firearm to defend themselves, even in their own homes.
Some mayors still have the courage to exhibit common sense, even when it goes against the politically correct opinion of "any gun-control law is a good law."
I applaud Mayor Gomez for her stance on gun shows - though you're not likely to hear that from anyone else.
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D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty has given up his police detail and private driver. Not surprisingly, the U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide if D.C.'s gun ban is constitutional or not. I'm sure the mayor thinks that by giving up his security team, he can make a statement that no one in D.C. needs a gun for protection.
Personally, I'd rather live in a place where the local politicians want to make sure that I'm just as safe as they are, rather than them making sure they're just as defenseless as everyone else.
Meanwhile, D.C. Councilman Phil Mendelson told local media that police have recommended a security detail for D.C.'s mayor for the past three decades. You know what else happened three decades ago? The D.C. gun ban went into law.
So for as long as Washington, D.C., has banned the civilian possession of firearms, the D.C. police have said the mayor needs police protection. Sounds to me like the police understand that the thugs in D.C. aren't paying much attention to the ban. Maybe one day the mayor will get that memo, too.
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New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has put his foot in his mouth once again. At least this time he's not blaming violent crime on law-abiding gun owners.
Instead, Nagin says the crime in New Orleans is a "two-edged sword." On one hand, crime is bad, but on the other hand, it keeps the New Orleans "brand" in the mind of the public.
Residents of New Orleans have rightfully slammed the mayor, pointing out that crime affects the few people left in the Crescent City, and that there is no bright side to having a sky-high murder rate.
I'm not sure what Ray Nagin was thinking when he tried to put a positive spin on murder, but then again, I'm still not sure what he was thinking when he confiscated guns from law-abiding Americans when they needed them most.
You can't sue someone for putting his foot in his mouth, but you can sue him for violating constitutional rights. That's why, one day soon, we'll see Mayor Nagin in court, when the NRA's case against the city of New Orleans finally goes to trial.
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