START OF FORWARDED MESSAGE ----------------------------------------------
From: exdir@r... (Dudley Brown)
Date: 7/18/2003, 7:52:56 AM
Subject: From State Sen. Bruce Cairns
From State Sen. Bruce Cairns Aurora, Colorado
Dear friend,
"YOU -- You are under arrest."
But what was your crime, you would certainly ask?
"We just saw you insert a pre-ban magazine into a post-ban assault
weapon."
Those are the words many firearms owners fear, and most think they'll
never hear.
But, I'm afraid that is about to change - unless you join with me and
Rocky Mountain Gun Owners to defeat the 2003 expansion and
reauthorization of the Semi-auto ban.
I've been so busy fighting in the State Senate to pass a good concealed
carry and preemption bill that this battle in Congress has snuck up on
us.
And the news is worse than any of us could have imagined.
But let me backup and introduce myself.
My name is Bruce Cairns, and I'm a Colorado State Senator. Most Capitol
observers generally consider me to be the most pro-gun Senator in
Colorado.
One of the main reasons I was elected was because of the hard work of
the leaders at Rocky Mountain Gun Owners' PAC
and its leader, Dudley Brown.
And one of the main reasons I ran for office was to defend the right to
keep and bear arms and other freedoms. That constitutional commitment
is why I am writing you today.
You see, the institutional gun lobbies haven't talked much about the
1994 ban on Semi-automatic firearms. But if we don't get to work
immediately, we will lose the ability to purchase or possess these
weapons... forever.
In 1994, Bill Clinton and Sarah Brady joined together to pass the first
real outright ban of an entire class of firearms, which they termed
"assault weapons." They knew it sounded nasty, and the phrase stuck.
But what it really did was ban firearms because of their cosmetic
appearance.
Of course, fully automatic select fire "machine guns" have been tightly
controlled since 1934. The trick was to confuse everyone as to the
difference between semi-automatic and automatic firearms, lumping them
both together. Fortunately for us, the 1994 ban, often referred to as
the "Feinstein Ban" when it was offered by the California Senator as an
amendment to a Crime Bill, had a sunset on it - the ban would "sunset"
in Sept. 2004, unless it was reauthorized.
The time has now come.
And the gun-grabbers aren't just trying to reauthorize the ban -- they
are trying to expand it to include almost any semi-automatic firearm in
America.
If gun owners don't join together at a grassroots level to beat this
bill, our nation may very well end up defenseless. Our grandchildren
will only read about the right to keep and bear arms in a text book, and
think shooting a firearm is a novelty, like hand-churning butter.
We may become a nation like England, where citizens have been completely
disarmed, and the criminals still have guns - and viciously use them.
That's not safety, that's suicide.
It's not a far-off concept - once the first domino falls, the rest are
sure to fall... unless you and I do something to stop them.
I can say flatly that this ban won't be beat by the institutional gun
lobby. Frankly, they can't put any pressure on the politicians they
have been blessing for so many years. In fact, many of the politicians
the NRA has been holding up as "heroes" are likely to vote for this
ban... unless there is some other group of gun owners to put the
pressure on them.
Our only hope is to fight this ban on a state level - truly at the
grassroots level. State-by-state, one vote at a time.
That's why I am working with Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, Colorado's only
no compromise gun rights organization and our state's only real gun
rights lobby.
RMGO doesn't pull any punches, which is exactly what we need in this
battle against the new Semi-auto ban.
RMGO is one of the leaders of a new group called CASB, the Coalition
Against the Semi-auto Ban. CASB is a group of dozens of state-level, no
compromise gun groups from across the country who are activating tens of
thousands of gun activists in our nation who aren't going to accept a
compromise on this issue.
Their plan is simple: they will fight with everything they have to
defeat this gun ban, and they'll hold accountable the politicians who
vote against them. Across our great nation these groups in CASB will
fight with the fierceness that RMGO has shown in our state legislature,
which is absolutely the only way we will beat this vile gun ban.
And so the real question is whether Colorado can do its part.
So I ask that question: will you commit your resources - your time, your
talent, your money and your prayers - to Rocky Mountain Gun Owners to
fight against this gun ban?
This ban, after all, isn't just a continuation. It's an expansion of
the 1994 ban that could include every semi-automatic firearm in America.
You see, the sponsors of the bill don't want there to be any loopholes -
they want a total ban on firearms, and they think they can get an entire
class in one fell swoop.
These gun-grabbers want to redefine "assault weapons" so that millions
of new firearms are included.
Though the anti-gun sponsors haven't filed their bill yet, I've acquired
some inside information from Washington, D.C., about this legislation.
It would:
. Expand the definition of "assault weapon." The bill redefines
the term "assault weapon" to include any semiautomatic rifle, shotgun,
or pistol that can accept a detachable magazine and includes one listed
additional feature. Current law includes only semi-autos with a
detachable magazine plus two additional listed features.
. Close the parts kit "loophole." This will make buying
replacement parts for any semi-automatic firearm prohibitively
expensive.
. Add new characteristics to define an assault weapon. The bill
adds broad new definitions of specific assault weapon characteristics,
effectively banning thousands of firearms.
. Register the transfer of grandfathered "assault weapons." The
Conyers-McCarthy bill would require that all future transfers of
grandfathered "assault weapons" be conducted through a federal firearms
licensee. In other words, there will be no private sales - ever - and
no handing down your semi-auto to your son.
. Begin government tracing of semi-autos. The bill would create
an "assault weapon crime log." The log would include a description of
every grandfathered assault weapons, monitored regularly by Big Brother
officials.
. Ban post-ban guns equipped with pre-ban magazines. The bill
would restrict the transfer of "grandfathered" high-capacity ammunition
magazines by banning import of high-capacity magazines, and requiring
that sellers certify that any magazine they sell is legal to transfer.
It would prevent manufacturers from selling post-ban assault weapons
equipped with pre-ban magazines that hold in excess of 10 rounds.
. Prohibit possession of "assault weapons" by juveniles. What a
great way to destroy the love of freedom by our young people - deny them
the right to even touch a semi-automatic firearm. Of course, the kind
of monsters who attacked Columbine aren't going to pay attention to this
ban - only the kids and parents of law-abiding families will.
This goes far beyond the 1994 ban, which was bad enough. This step is
the final jump off the cliff toward firearm confiscation. Take a hard
look at California's gun control agenda - that's what we are facing
right here in Colorado if we don't stop this legislation.
The real question is "what we can do about it?"
I have several suggestions that I hope you will follow as soon as
humanly possible - today, if you can.
First, we must let Rocky Mountain Gun Owners know who is with them.
They've formed a nationwide coalition for this battle, but they are only
as strong as their members.
Second, I hope you will sign the enclosed petitions today so that Rocky
Mountain Gun Owners can rush it to Senators Allard and Campbell as
quickly as possible. You can e-mail it to them directly, but RMGO is
gathering these petitions and delivering them en masse, so the best way
to get them to the Senators is to mail them to RMGO. If they don't hear
from us, they are bound to listen to the cacophony of voices from the
gun-banners who have put this issue on the top of their anti-freedom
agenda.
Third, and maybe most important, is to donate to Rocky Mountain Gun
Owners so they can fight this battle from a position of strength. You
can donate online at:
http://www.rmgo.org/donate.html
Or you can send a check to Rocky Mountain Gun Owners at PO Box 3114,
Denver, Colorado 80201.
There's no easy way to say this: this battle will cost money. RMGO has
already committed virtually all of its staff time to fighting this vile
gun ban, and their leadership to form this coalition has already cost
them dearly.
But just here in Colorado, we have dozens of activities that must begin
immediately to put the pressure on elected officials to defeat this gun
ban.
That's why I hope you will donate whatever you can afford -- $500, $250,
$100, $50 or even $25. The amount isn't as important as your immediate
decision to commit some resources to this battle.
You're going to get mail from other groups who want to raise money on
this issue, but who won't do anything substantial to fight this ban.
Some will even use your money to pass a compromise on this issue - and
remember, a compromise is still a ban on firearms.
Instead, I hope you will commit your valuable resources to Rocky
Mountain Gun Owners - there isn't another group in Colorado who will
effectively fight this ban - and stand with them in this crucial battle.
I hope I can count on you to refuse any compromise on this issue, and
fight this one like it is our last - because it may very well be.
I need to hear from you very soon, and pray that I do.
Very sincerely,
/s/
Bruce Cairns
State Senator (R-Aurora)
P.S. Congress is now considering reauthorizing and expanding the
1994 Semi-Auto ban. And without groups like Rocky Mountain Gun Owners
fighting them, they are sure to pass it.
That's why I hope you will sign the enclosed petitions and donate
generously to Rocky Mountain Gun Owners. Please consider committing
your resources to this battle by donating whatever you can afford --
$500, $250, $100, $50 or even $25.
You can donate online at: http://www.rmgo.org/donate.html or you can
send a check to Rocky Mountain Gun Owners at PO Box 3114, Denver,
Colorado 80201.
--------------------------------------------------
Please sign the below petitions and send to RMGO, PO Box 3114, Denver,
Colorado 80201
--------------------------------------------------
To Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell
Whereas, in 1994 former President Bill Clinton and the Democrat Congress
enacted legislation banning certain semiautomatic firearms, and also
ammunition magazines with a capacity greater than ten rounds; and
Whereas, this unconstitutional ban has done nothing to reduce crime but
has banned an entire class of firearms from civilian use; and,
Whereas, banning production or possession of firearms particularly
suited for defense against
terrorism and civil unrest undermines homeland security,
Whereas, this ban is nothing more than an overt political tactic to
destroy the freedoms upon which
our country was founded;
Therefore, I urge you, my U.S. Senator, to oppose any reauthorization or
expansion of the
Semi-Auto ban. I will be advised by Rocky Mountain Gun Owners of your
actions.
Signed, _______________________________________ Date _______
--------------------------------------------------
To Senator Wayne Allard
Whereas, in 1994 former President Bill Clinton and the Democrat Congress
enacted legislation banning certain semiautomatic firearms, and also
ammunition magazines with a capacity greater than ten rounds; and
Whereas, this unconstitutional ban has done nothing to reduce crime but
has banned an entire class of firearms from civilian use; and,
Whereas, banning production or possession of firearms particularly
suited for defense against
terrorism and civil unrest undermines homeland security,
Whereas, this ban is nothing more than an overt political tactic to
destroy the freedoms upon which
our country was founded;
Therefore, I urge you, my U.S. Senator, to oppose any reauthorization or
expansion of the
Semi-Auto ban. I will be advised by Rocky Mountain Gun Owners of your
actions.
Signed, _______________________________________ Date _______
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This message is from the Rocky Mountain Gun Owner's E-mail Alert
Network.
Direct any replies, comments, or concerns to exdir@r...
To unsubscribe from this network, send an e-mail to
majordomo@l... with the following text body:
Unsubscribe RMGO
To subscribe to this free list, send an e-mail to
majordomo@l... with the following text body:
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From: exdir@r... (Dudley Brown)
Date: 7/18/2003, 7:52:56 AM
Subject: From State Sen. Bruce Cairns
From State Sen. Bruce Cairns Aurora, Colorado
Dear friend,
"YOU -- You are under arrest."
But what was your crime, you would certainly ask?
"We just saw you insert a pre-ban magazine into a post-ban assault
weapon."
Those are the words many firearms owners fear, and most think they'll
never hear.
But, I'm afraid that is about to change - unless you join with me and
Rocky Mountain Gun Owners to defeat the 2003 expansion and
reauthorization of the Semi-auto ban.
I've been so busy fighting in the State Senate to pass a good concealed
carry and preemption bill that this battle in Congress has snuck up on
us.
And the news is worse than any of us could have imagined.
But let me backup and introduce myself.
My name is Bruce Cairns, and I'm a Colorado State Senator. Most Capitol
observers generally consider me to be the most pro-gun Senator in
Colorado.
One of the main reasons I was elected was because of the hard work of
the leaders at Rocky Mountain Gun Owners' PAC
and its leader, Dudley Brown.
And one of the main reasons I ran for office was to defend the right to
keep and bear arms and other freedoms. That constitutional commitment
is why I am writing you today.
You see, the institutional gun lobbies haven't talked much about the
1994 ban on Semi-automatic firearms. But if we don't get to work
immediately, we will lose the ability to purchase or possess these
weapons... forever.
In 1994, Bill Clinton and Sarah Brady joined together to pass the first
real outright ban of an entire class of firearms, which they termed
"assault weapons." They knew it sounded nasty, and the phrase stuck.
But what it really did was ban firearms because of their cosmetic
appearance.
Of course, fully automatic select fire "machine guns" have been tightly
controlled since 1934. The trick was to confuse everyone as to the
difference between semi-automatic and automatic firearms, lumping them
both together. Fortunately for us, the 1994 ban, often referred to as
the "Feinstein Ban" when it was offered by the California Senator as an
amendment to a Crime Bill, had a sunset on it - the ban would "sunset"
in Sept. 2004, unless it was reauthorized.
The time has now come.
And the gun-grabbers aren't just trying to reauthorize the ban -- they
are trying to expand it to include almost any semi-automatic firearm in
America.
If gun owners don't join together at a grassroots level to beat this
bill, our nation may very well end up defenseless. Our grandchildren
will only read about the right to keep and bear arms in a text book, and
think shooting a firearm is a novelty, like hand-churning butter.
We may become a nation like England, where citizens have been completely
disarmed, and the criminals still have guns - and viciously use them.
That's not safety, that's suicide.
It's not a far-off concept - once the first domino falls, the rest are
sure to fall... unless you and I do something to stop them.
I can say flatly that this ban won't be beat by the institutional gun
lobby. Frankly, they can't put any pressure on the politicians they
have been blessing for so many years. In fact, many of the politicians
the NRA has been holding up as "heroes" are likely to vote for this
ban... unless there is some other group of gun owners to put the
pressure on them.
Our only hope is to fight this ban on a state level - truly at the
grassroots level. State-by-state, one vote at a time.
That's why I am working with Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, Colorado's only
no compromise gun rights organization and our state's only real gun
rights lobby.
RMGO doesn't pull any punches, which is exactly what we need in this
battle against the new Semi-auto ban.
RMGO is one of the leaders of a new group called CASB, the Coalition
Against the Semi-auto Ban. CASB is a group of dozens of state-level, no
compromise gun groups from across the country who are activating tens of
thousands of gun activists in our nation who aren't going to accept a
compromise on this issue.
Their plan is simple: they will fight with everything they have to
defeat this gun ban, and they'll hold accountable the politicians who
vote against them. Across our great nation these groups in CASB will
fight with the fierceness that RMGO has shown in our state legislature,
which is absolutely the only way we will beat this vile gun ban.
And so the real question is whether Colorado can do its part.
So I ask that question: will you commit your resources - your time, your
talent, your money and your prayers - to Rocky Mountain Gun Owners to
fight against this gun ban?
This ban, after all, isn't just a continuation. It's an expansion of
the 1994 ban that could include every semi-automatic firearm in America.
You see, the sponsors of the bill don't want there to be any loopholes -
they want a total ban on firearms, and they think they can get an entire
class in one fell swoop.
These gun-grabbers want to redefine "assault weapons" so that millions
of new firearms are included.
Though the anti-gun sponsors haven't filed their bill yet, I've acquired
some inside information from Washington, D.C., about this legislation.
It would:
. Expand the definition of "assault weapon." The bill redefines
the term "assault weapon" to include any semiautomatic rifle, shotgun,
or pistol that can accept a detachable magazine and includes one listed
additional feature. Current law includes only semi-autos with a
detachable magazine plus two additional listed features.
. Close the parts kit "loophole." This will make buying
replacement parts for any semi-automatic firearm prohibitively
expensive.
. Add new characteristics to define an assault weapon. The bill
adds broad new definitions of specific assault weapon characteristics,
effectively banning thousands of firearms.
. Register the transfer of grandfathered "assault weapons." The
Conyers-McCarthy bill would require that all future transfers of
grandfathered "assault weapons" be conducted through a federal firearms
licensee. In other words, there will be no private sales - ever - and
no handing down your semi-auto to your son.
. Begin government tracing of semi-autos. The bill would create
an "assault weapon crime log." The log would include a description of
every grandfathered assault weapons, monitored regularly by Big Brother
officials.
. Ban post-ban guns equipped with pre-ban magazines. The bill
would restrict the transfer of "grandfathered" high-capacity ammunition
magazines by banning import of high-capacity magazines, and requiring
that sellers certify that any magazine they sell is legal to transfer.
It would prevent manufacturers from selling post-ban assault weapons
equipped with pre-ban magazines that hold in excess of 10 rounds.
. Prohibit possession of "assault weapons" by juveniles. What a
great way to destroy the love of freedom by our young people - deny them
the right to even touch a semi-automatic firearm. Of course, the kind
of monsters who attacked Columbine aren't going to pay attention to this
ban - only the kids and parents of law-abiding families will.
This goes far beyond the 1994 ban, which was bad enough. This step is
the final jump off the cliff toward firearm confiscation. Take a hard
look at California's gun control agenda - that's what we are facing
right here in Colorado if we don't stop this legislation.
The real question is "what we can do about it?"
I have several suggestions that I hope you will follow as soon as
humanly possible - today, if you can.
First, we must let Rocky Mountain Gun Owners know who is with them.
They've formed a nationwide coalition for this battle, but they are only
as strong as their members.
Second, I hope you will sign the enclosed petitions today so that Rocky
Mountain Gun Owners can rush it to Senators Allard and Campbell as
quickly as possible. You can e-mail it to them directly, but RMGO is
gathering these petitions and delivering them en masse, so the best way
to get them to the Senators is to mail them to RMGO. If they don't hear
from us, they are bound to listen to the cacophony of voices from the
gun-banners who have put this issue on the top of their anti-freedom
agenda.
Third, and maybe most important, is to donate to Rocky Mountain Gun
Owners so they can fight this battle from a position of strength. You
can donate online at:
http://www.rmgo.org/donate.html
Or you can send a check to Rocky Mountain Gun Owners at PO Box 3114,
Denver, Colorado 80201.
There's no easy way to say this: this battle will cost money. RMGO has
already committed virtually all of its staff time to fighting this vile
gun ban, and their leadership to form this coalition has already cost
them dearly.
But just here in Colorado, we have dozens of activities that must begin
immediately to put the pressure on elected officials to defeat this gun
ban.
That's why I hope you will donate whatever you can afford -- $500, $250,
$100, $50 or even $25. The amount isn't as important as your immediate
decision to commit some resources to this battle.
You're going to get mail from other groups who want to raise money on
this issue, but who won't do anything substantial to fight this ban.
Some will even use your money to pass a compromise on this issue - and
remember, a compromise is still a ban on firearms.
Instead, I hope you will commit your valuable resources to Rocky
Mountain Gun Owners - there isn't another group in Colorado who will
effectively fight this ban - and stand with them in this crucial battle.
I hope I can count on you to refuse any compromise on this issue, and
fight this one like it is our last - because it may very well be.
I need to hear from you very soon, and pray that I do.
Very sincerely,
/s/
Bruce Cairns
State Senator (R-Aurora)
P.S. Congress is now considering reauthorizing and expanding the
1994 Semi-Auto ban. And without groups like Rocky Mountain Gun Owners
fighting them, they are sure to pass it.
That's why I hope you will sign the enclosed petitions and donate
generously to Rocky Mountain Gun Owners. Please consider committing
your resources to this battle by donating whatever you can afford --
$500, $250, $100, $50 or even $25.
You can donate online at: http://www.rmgo.org/donate.html or you can
send a check to Rocky Mountain Gun Owners at PO Box 3114, Denver,
Colorado 80201.
--------------------------------------------------
Please sign the below petitions and send to RMGO, PO Box 3114, Denver,
Colorado 80201
--------------------------------------------------
To Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell
Whereas, in 1994 former President Bill Clinton and the Democrat Congress
enacted legislation banning certain semiautomatic firearms, and also
ammunition magazines with a capacity greater than ten rounds; and
Whereas, this unconstitutional ban has done nothing to reduce crime but
has banned an entire class of firearms from civilian use; and,
Whereas, banning production or possession of firearms particularly
suited for defense against
terrorism and civil unrest undermines homeland security,
Whereas, this ban is nothing more than an overt political tactic to
destroy the freedoms upon which
our country was founded;
Therefore, I urge you, my U.S. Senator, to oppose any reauthorization or
expansion of the
Semi-Auto ban. I will be advised by Rocky Mountain Gun Owners of your
actions.
Signed, _______________________________________ Date _______
--------------------------------------------------
To Senator Wayne Allard
Whereas, in 1994 former President Bill Clinton and the Democrat Congress
enacted legislation banning certain semiautomatic firearms, and also
ammunition magazines with a capacity greater than ten rounds; and
Whereas, this unconstitutional ban has done nothing to reduce crime but
has banned an entire class of firearms from civilian use; and,
Whereas, banning production or possession of firearms particularly
suited for defense against
terrorism and civil unrest undermines homeland security,
Whereas, this ban is nothing more than an overt political tactic to
destroy the freedoms upon which
our country was founded;
Therefore, I urge you, my U.S. Senator, to oppose any reauthorization or
expansion of the
Semi-Auto ban. I will be advised by Rocky Mountain Gun Owners of your
actions.
Signed, _______________________________________ Date _______
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This message is from the Rocky Mountain Gun Owner's E-mail Alert
Network.
Direct any replies, comments, or concerns to exdir@r...
To unsubscribe from this network, send an e-mail to
majordomo@l... with the following text body:
Unsubscribe RMGO
To subscribe to this free list, send an e-mail to
majordomo@l... with the following text body:
Subscribe RMGO