>> Bragging rights: what have I done today to stop AWB2

Status
Not open for further replies.
I contacted Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers: http://mcmorris.house.gov/

I also contacted my Legislators concerning the safe storage and closing the gunshow "loophole" bills that were set forth in WA State.
Senator Mark Schoesler, Representative Steve Hailey, Representative David Buri.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/Results.aspx?city=Colton&street=Broadway&zip=99113

I've also tried to contact the guys at the local gun club, not sure if they are aware that some of their fancy birdshot guns may end up on the block too eventually.
 
I emailed my congressman Keith Ellison, but don't expect much. The guy is a tragic waste of skin. He hasn't been around long enough to have a record, but he's going to be one of the worst representatives in the history of the U.S. congress.

I'm going to work on an editorial for our local newspaper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
 
I wrote letters to all my home state legislators regarding a bill that removes the "common law duty to retreat" from a previous bill, and redefines "Domicile, Property, and adds aprovision regarding Occupied Vehicles stating that the duty to retreat is unreasonable.
I wrote to my Congressman and Senators regarding HR 1022, as well. I included links to the most recent Brady Blogs wanting to ban Scoped Rifles that are accurate past 100 meters for being "Sniper Rifles" and the one wanting to ban .22 LR and Shotguns. Stating that I no longer believed that the Brady Campaign was not trying to make my hunting rifles illegal.
Bills like 1022 erode the fabric by which the constitution is written.
I renewed my membership in the NRA.
 
After e-mailing my Congressman, I started calling pro-gun friends and family to let them know what was happening. My step-father is a life-long shooter and NRA member who was not too impressed with what I told him. He'll be contacting his representative too. This is the kind of thing where word of mouth grass-roots efforts can really make a difference.
 
Contacted my Rep [R-MI](who voted against the last AWB & will likely vote this one down, too) & both senators:

Levin [D-MI, NRA F-] (voted for the last AWB & will likely support this one, too)
Stabenow [D-MI, NRA F-] (claims to be for enforcing current laws in a response to an earlier letter, but I suspect she's really anti-gun and will support the new AWB).

I'm going to contact the local gun shops in case they don't already know. I'm gonna tell my neighbors who shoot. I told some co-workers who shoot. I'll try to tell some fence sitters, as well.
 
This is a draft of my letter to my rep, James Clyburn, Majority Whip. Please critique

H.R. 1022, a renewal of the old Assault Weapons Ban of 1994, has recently been introduced by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy. It is my sincere hope that you will oppose this bill.

As I am sure you know, the original AWB was a dismal failure. It had absolutely no impact on crime, yet caused no end of inconvenience for law-abiding citizens. The ban focused on cosmetic features, that have no affect on functionality, but simply make the firearm look scary, whatever that means. Further, the manufacturers easily modified their products to dodge the ban. Many groups claimed these modifications were “exploiting a loophole,” but in reality it was something called “obeying the law.”

The AWB insured that otherwise uncommon weapons became the most desired guns on the block, and everyone had to have one just to keep up with the Jones’s. I’d bet $10 that a detailed analysis of the firearms market would show that the 1994 AWB sold more guns than anything else in American History. Before the ban the AR-15, AK-47 and their clones were uncommon, and generally sneered at. The AR-15 is now the one of the most popular rifles on the market with over 30 manufacturers making copies, and dozens more marketing accessories. There are internet forums with over 40,000 members focused solely on the AR-15 platform.

The objective of the bill is to remove efficient killing machines from the hands of criminals, which is a laudable goal, but the unintended consequence will be to sell millions more onto the commercial market.

This is a bill, that by it's very proposal is defeating it own purpose. Please oppose H.R. 1022.
Click to expand...
 
The objective of the bill is to remove efficient killing machines from the hands of criminals, which is a laudable goal, but the unintended consequence will be to sell millions more onto the commercial market.
Click to expand...

That statement doesn't quite sound right to me. Mentioning that the unintended consequence of such a bill "will be to sell millions more onto the commercial market," right after you talk about removing "killing machines" from the hands of criminal seems to give such a result (the selling of many commercially) a negative connotation, and thus make it seem like this bill will be doing a good thing by eventually preventing these firearms from being sold commercially.

Something better to say (I think) would be to focus on the point that the unintended consequence would be to remove effective firearms from the hands of law abiding citizens who use them often for sport, hunting, recreation, (and if you think your rep can handle this thought) defense, etc. Criminals rarely use such firearms that are mentioned in this bill, so all this bill is doing is punishing thousands of law abiding citizens (who have done nothing wrong) who use these firearms safely for sport, hunting, recreation, (and if you think your rep can handle this thought) defense, etc.
 
Brochures

Oleg,

I'm in the process of designing a "Defend The Second Amendment" brochure to be distributed to my local gun shoppes.

It will highlight the current AWB as well as emphasize that hunters are not protected and that their rights are at risk here, too. It will list the legislators from our state with contact information and suggested bullet points.

I'd like to get some imagery like, "Now it's a hunting rifle" juxtaposed with the same gun + grip, "Now it's an "assault" rifle" and similar things.

I haven't yet got the wording firmed up but, when I do, I'd like to run it by the THR folk before printing and distribution.

I've already gotten (enthusiastic) permission from Silver State Arms in Reno to distribute such a brochure there, and I will be hitting another five shoppes this week.

Can you recommend suitable images for this brochure?

I would prefer to use images from your work if that's possible.

Thanks,

~~ Garry

p.s. Of course, if such a brochure already exists, I'd be thrilled -- just point me to it.
 
Sent to all TN Congressional delegation members, both House and Senate

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.

I am writing to ask for your help to DEFEAT HR1022.

This bill claims to reauthorize the so-called "assault weapons" ban. HR1022 is not a reauthorization as it goes far beyond the original Assault Weapons Ban that FBI and CDC studies proved to have no impact on crime or public safety. HR1022’s sole sponsor claims the bill’s goal is to reduce crime by banning firearms with a certain appearance. Ms. McCarthy seems to be ignorant of the facts that the guns she is so afraid of are not significantly used in crime according to FBI statistics. Such a bill would provide no benefit to the American public and represents another tired attempt from a failed philosophy to limit people’s freedom.

I am a firm supporter of the Second Amendment. HR1022 is a blatant infringement on the rights of all citizens of the United States of America.

I look forward to your reply, which I will do my best to share with friends and family.

Sincerely,
 
I'm fortunate enough to be represented by Lamar Smith, TX-21 (San Antonio area) who's not only pro-gun but also the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee. I called his office and asked him (well, his staffer) to kill the bill any way he could, including getting things tacked on that Carolyn McCarthy couldn't stomach so that she'd withdraw it. I will follow up with a snail-mail letter (to be cobbled together from many of the excellent letters on this thread). Here's his contact info:

Honorable Lamar S. Smith
2184 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4236
 
Sent this:

To the Honorable John R. Carter,

It has recently come to my attention that H.R. 1022 contains many backwards and unproductive provisions which would interfere with my freedoms.

I oppose the measure in its entirety. The law as written contains unenforceable clauses and would only hassle lawful citizens. It is impotent in its intention, and inept in its execution.

I sincerely hope this horrible waste of time is killed in committee, but I would feel much better knowing your office was doing something to oppose this measure. I am sorry that we even have to be discussing the very potential for such a ludicrous piece of intended legislation.

Sincerely,
Click to expand...
 
letter to the ed

Editor,


So, this is how it starts.

Less than eight weeks after ‘taking power’, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) decides that the time has come to prohibit Americans from owning certain weapons based on how they look… again.

In 1994 we tried this in the name of ‘crime prevention’ and for ten years, the gun manufacturers complied, removing the cosmetic features of the firearms to comply with the law as it was written. The average American was inconvenienced and criminals were unaffected.

The FBI noted that the Assault Weapons Ban (AWB) was ineffective. In 2004, the federal ban expired, but several states (NY among them) adopted their own version that still remains in place.

For some reason Rep. Cynthia McCarthy, seems to think that what is good for New York is good for the rest of the country.

But this time she wants to go further, she wants to ban my hunting rifle.

Specifically named as an assault weapon is the Ruger Mini-14, a rifle that is specifically suited for hunting.

Any one with common sense can see that banning something based on an arbitrary set of criteria is doomed to failure. It is akin to banning red cars to combat traffic fatalities. Not to mention, that we have tried this before and it didn’t work. I remember a definition that said trying the same thing expecting different results is insanity.

So, ask yourself before the sound-bites start flying, “Why are they doing this?”
 
I've been slow to get in touch with my reps in Congress. Stabenow and Levin are lost causes when it comes to the 2nd. I will be writing them anyway, if a companion bill to HR 1022 is introduced in the Senate.

In the last two days I've written three articles which touch on the RKBA.
Two may be published. The third is a long shot.
More to come.
 
My shamelessly plagiarized text:
Rep. XXXX

Thank you for taking the time to read my email.

I am writing to ask for your help to DEFEAT HR1022.

The main focus of this bill is to reinstate a so-called "assault weapons" ban. I am a firm supporter of the Second Amendment and HR1022 is a blatant infringement on the rights of all citizens whose rights are protected by the Constitution.

I stand firmly against the piecemeal erosion of ALL the liberties protected by the Bill of Rights, period.

I look forward to your reply, which I will do my best to share with friends and family.

Sincerely,
My Name
Click to expand...

Wrote my Rep, Pete Sessions:
http://www.house.gov/sessionsform/emailform.htm

--------------------------------------------

I am also writing members of the House Judiciary Committee. I will update with information as I write them and if the BB software allows multiple edits.

House Judiciary Committee:
http://judiciary.house.gov/CommitteeMembership.aspx

Chairman
Hon. John Conyers, Jr.
(D) Michigan, 14th
[email protected]

Ranking Member
Hon. Lamar S. Smith
(R) Texas, 21st:
http://lamarsmith.house.gov/FormCheck.asp
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

R
  • Locked
Seeng as the family sized order of Zumbo jerkey is about done
Replies
3
Views
529
thexrayboy
T
H
  • Locked
HOW TO: Contacting your elected representatives
Replies
2
Views
752
Waitone
W
R
  • Locked
What have you done for your Country today?
2
Replies
37
Views
2K
Zwetschgen
Z
O
  • Locked
Action: now's the time to walk the walk...by talking the talk
2 3
Replies
72
Views
5K
Hard Charger
H
T
  • Locked
What have YOU done about it?
Replies
5
Views
557
halvey
H
Back
Top