On the contact page I state that I am open to having a polite and civil debate about firearms rights, and I wanted to elaborate on that.
I say “polite and civil” because I have noticed that many people on both sides of the issue resort to personal attacks or hyperbole. For example, on the anti-gun-rights side I have seen signs like “The NRA Kills” and heard statements that assert only lower intelligence, rural dwelling persons enjoy 2nd amendment rights. Both such statements are untrue and, more importantly, do not contribute to a productive discussion about the issue.
Similarly, I have seen my fellow gun rights supporters affix bumper stickers to to their cars which read “Ted Kennedy’s Car Has Killed More People Than My Gun”, and “My Guns Don’t Kill People, Abortion Clinics Do.” Again, such personal attacks and hyperbole only server to create an “us versus them” mentality, which does not advance our interests. Gun rights, along with all of our fundamental rights, should not be made into a liberal versus conservative or democrat versus republican issue. Instead, I believe, we should come together to protect all of our rights, be they the right to bear arms, the right to free speech, the right to abortion, the right to be free from unreasonable search as seizure, etc.
Feel free to politely discss guns and other issues by commenting on articles.
Don’t know if this has already crossed your path…
Spread it far and wide — and fast!
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February 26, 2009
Dr. Ignatius Piazza
Founder and Director
http://www.frontsight.com
National Concealed Carry Possible with New Bill, But Nevada’s Harry Reid is Trying to Block It.
Dear fellow gun rights activist,
There is so much misinformation circulating the Internet these days regarding proposed gun control that I do not get involved until I hear from my friend Larry Pratt and his “No Compromise” group of hard working patriots at Gun Owners of America.
Here is the straight scoop on what you need to do RIGHT NOW to help a REAL National Concealed Carry Law get passed.
Follow GOA’s request to write your Senators TODAY.
(sample letter written for you below)
And if you are a Nevada resident, write, fax and call Harry Reid’s office to tell him he better not attempt to sabotage this National Concealed Carry Amendment or you will make it your personal mission in life to make sure he is never re-elected to office.
Please read this information from Gun Owners of America and act on it today…
Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Two Great Pro-gun Amendments In The Senate– But Harry Reid stands in our way!
Thank you for all your activism so far!
Senator John Ensign of Nevada offered his amendment to repeal D.C.’s draconian gun ban today.
But Senators John Thune of South Dakota and David Vitter of Louisiana have also stepped up to the plate. They filed an amendment that would result in REAL national concealed carry reciprocity — without adversely affecting no-permit states like Alaska and Vermont.
So now the battle lines are drawn! By the end of the week, the Senate will vote on whether to rule these two pro-gun amendments out of order.
The vote could come on a so-called “cloture” motion to cut off debate (and thus kill the Ensign and Thune/Vitter amendments). Moreover, if the underlying bill is then passed, the virulently anti-gun jurisdiction of the District of Columbia will be rewarded with a voting member of the House of Representatives.
But first, a little background on the two amendments:
You’ve all heard of the various “microstamping” proposals crafted by the anti-gunners to ban guns and ammunition nationwide.
The anti-gunners would do this by serial number “microstamping” requirements which are so onerous that guns (or ammunition) would become prohibitively expensive in all 50 states.
In the wake of the Heller case, the District of Columbia’s reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision declaring its gun laws unconstitutional was to pass legislation which will, as a practical matter, continue its current policy of denying gun licenses to its citizens. But, to add insult to injury, it added a whole bunch of additional anti-gun provisions.
One was a requirement that most guns used for self-defense be capable of “microstamping” a cartridge with a unique serial number. Aside from being useless for identifying any criminal who pockets his spent brass, this provision would, even if it were technologically possible, make guns so expensive that no one would buy them.
If a few more liberal jurisdictions follow suit, this could start a chain reaction so that gun manufacturers will eventually be forced to manufacture ALL guns to meet the new microstamping standards.
The Ensign amendment would completely repeal D.C.’s gun ban and, in the process, help stave off the push for microstamping.
Next, the Thune/Vitter amendment on concealed carry reciprocity is an idea whose time has come. Why should your right to self-defense stop at the state line?
But it must be the right kind of national reciprocity. It must protect states like Alaska and Vermont which do not require a permit to carry concealed at all and it must be done in a Constitutional manner that protects State’s rights.
The Thune/Vitter amendment would do these things — it is REAL national reciprocity.
But the problem is this: Nevada Senator Harry Reid has moved to cut off debate on the D.C. bill — using a parliamentary maneuver known as a “cloture” petition — for the sole purpose of ruling such pro-gun amendments out of order.
You see, Barack Obama and the liberals who run Congress hate guns. They hate guns so much that they would probably be willing to kill the District’s voting representative in order to preserve the District’s gun ban.
The next two days are crucial. While there will be votes in the Senate throughout the day on Thursday — which may include either of the two pro-gun amendments — it is likely that the true focus will be on Friday’s cloture vote.
ACTION: Contact your two Senators and urge them to vote AGAINST cloture on S. 160 until the Senate has had an opportunity to vote for all pro-gun amendments. As usual, you can use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at
http://gunowners.org/activism.htm
to send your Senators the pre-written message below.
—– Pre-written letter —–
Dear Senator:
I urge you in the strongest terms to vote against cloture on S. 160 until senators have had an opportunity to vote on pro-gun amendments, such as those offered by Senators Ensign and Thune.
The issue is not whether to give D.C. a voting representative. The issue is whether to impose a “gag rule” on those who oppose the District’s efforts to use its draconian gun laws to undermine gun rights in other states.
Cloture — invoked for the cynical purpose of protecting D.C.’s anti-gun laws and to silence other pro-gun voices — is not a vote on D.C. representation. It is a vote against the Second Amendment.
Please let me know you do not favor silencing pro-gun voices. Please do not vote for cloture until those voices are heard.
And once debate is allowed to continue, I ask that you vote in favor of the Ensign amendment to repeal the District’s gun ban, as well as the Thune amendment for national concealed carry reciprocity.
Sincerely,
(Place your Name, City, and State here)
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