Archive for Second Amendment Issues – Page 4

Michael S. Steele, RNC Chairman, on Gun Control and Gun Rights

By Richard on January 30, 2009 7 Comments

The Republican National Committee elected a new chairman today: Michael S. Steele. Steele, a former lieutenant governor of notoriously anti-gun Maryland, will lead the Republican party in the coming years. The Republican party has traditionally been the major party that favors gun rights. Will Steele support gun rights?

I’m not so sure.

In an October 16, 2006 Washington Post interview, Steele was asked “Should people have access to buy assault weapons?” Steele’s response:

“Society should draw lines. What do you need an assault weapon for, if you’re going hunting? That’s overkill. But I don’t think that means you go to a total ban for those who want to use gun for skeet shooting or hunting or things like that” (emphasis added)

When asked his general views on gun control, Steele stated:

“I grew up under some of the strictest gun control laws in the country. You can have all the gun control laws in the country, but if you don’t enforce them, people are going to find a way to protect themselves. We need to recognize that bad people are doing bad things with these weapons. It’s not the law-abiding citizens, it’s not the person who uses it as a hobby.”

That doesn’t sound like someone who understands anything about the Second Amendment or the truth around so-called “assault weapons.”

So, let me say this to Steele: the Second Amendment isn’t about hunting or sport. It is about an inalienable right granted to us by God, and codified in the United States Constitution as one of those things that the government is not allowed to interfere with. Please educate yourself if you expect to receive the support of gun owners.

Categories : General Information, Second Amendment Issues
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H.R. 257: Attacks Handguns, Semi-Automatic Rifles, Magazines

By Richard on January 30, 2009 4 Comments

In another attack on the Second Amendment, Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee has introduced H.R. 257, the Child Gun Safety and Gun Access Prevention Act of 2009.  H.R. 257 is a broad based attack, that would criminalize a number of things, including raising the age from 18 to 21 to lawfully own or possess a handgun.

Evil Black RifleThe bill would also prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from owning or possessing a “semiautomatic assault weapon” or a “large capacity ammunition feeding device.”  So it would seem that we trust our troops to handle real assault rifles (you know, the kind that are fully automatic) overseas, but should a 20-year-old Marine lance corporal return to the States and obtain a semi-automatic AR-15 with (gasp) a 20-round magazine, he or she would be a felon.

Likewise, it would become criminal to transfer or sell a handgun,  “semiautomatic assault weapon” or a “large capacity ammunition feeding device” to an adult who has not yet reached the arbitrary age of 21.  Oh, and the penalty increases from up to one year in prison to up to five years in prison.

Further, it would also expand the requirement that all firearms, not just handguns, be sold with safety locks.  The law also adds new a new law imparting criminal liability to a gun owner who’s gun is obtained by someone under 18 years old.

And as another attack on gun shows, the bill would require that all persons under 18 be accompanied by an adult while at a gun show, and affixing liability on the gun show organizer if there is an unaccompanied teen on the show floor.  Conceivably, the BATFE could find a teenager at one table, while mom and dad are at another vendor, and shut down the show.

None of the above items have ever been shown to decrease crime or accidental deaths.  At best, they are “feel good” measures meant to “protect children.”  The reality is they are just another means to erode away our Second Amendment rights.

This bill is currently in the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Categories : Second Amendment Issues
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Durham City Council Ignores Voters, Meets With Anti-Gun Special Interest ‘Informally’

By Richard on January 26, 2009 No Comments

The Durham city council met with the anti-gun ACORN organizer Rev. Melvin Whitley in an informal “work session” on Jan. 22, according to The Herald Sun.  

As I reported in December, the Durham city council has been considering supporting Rev. Whitley’s proposal for ammunition regulation modeled on Illinois law.   The proposal would require, in part, a citizen to obtain a permit from the local sheriff prior to purchasing any ammunition.

The Durham city council was hit with a lot of outcry against supporting this kind of back-door gun banning, and they removed their meeting with Rev. Whitley from the council’s agenda.  However, it appears when they thought no one was looking, they did indeed meet with Rev. Whitley in an informal work session.

Let me be very clear… The Durham city council needs to hear from you on this matter.  I have talked before about working locally to fight anti-gun politicians, and this is the perfect example.  Local politicians are saying one thing, but doing something different on a gun issue.

Contact the Durham city council today!  Their contact information can be found on the  Durham City Council web site.

Also, if you live in North Carolina, support the pro-gun group Grass Roots North Carolina.  They have been out in front on this topic, and are really fighting hard for your Second Amendment freedoms.

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HR-45: National Firearms Licensing, Tracking and Banning

By Richard on January 25, 2009 2 Comments

In an effort to bring Illinois-style anti-gun legislation to the entire country, Rep. Bobby Rush has introduced HR-45, the Blair Holt’s Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act.  This act would require a national database of firearm sales, licensing of firearms owners, and the bill would make it illegal to transfer firearms from one private person to another.

The bill would make it illegal to possess a handgun or long gun with a detachable magazine unless you were licensed.  Additionally, the ban on transfers will eliminate private sales, requiring all transactions to go through a dealer and be tracked in the national database.

Further, firearms as gifts would be severely curtailed, limited to the “infrequent” transfer of a firearm “by an individual to a parent, child, grandparent, or grand-child.”  This would eliminate an uncle gifting a firearm to his nephew, etc.

Please contact your elected representatives, and let them know your position on this dangerous legislation.  Also, if you are not already a member, please join the NRA today!  They are “on the ground” in D.C. everyday, fighting for our Second Amendment rights.

From the NRA:

U.S. Representative Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) recently sponsored H.R. 45, also known as “Blair Holt’s Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act.”  The bill is, at its core and as its name implies, a licensing and registration scheme. 

The measure calls for all handgun owners to submit to the federal government an application that shall include, among many other things:  a photo; an address; a thumbprint; a completed, written firearm safety test; private mental health records; and a fee.  And those are only some of the requirements to be licensed! 

The bill would further require the attorney general to establish a database of every handgun sale, transfer, and owner’s address in America.  Moreover, the bill would make it illegal to own or possess a “qualifying firearm” — defined as “any handgun; or any semiautomatic firearm that can accept any detachable ammunition feeding device…” [emphasis added] without one of the proposed licenses. 

Additionally, the bill would make it illegal to transfer ownership of a “qualifying firearm” to anyone who is not a licensed gun dealer or collector (with very few exceptions), and would require “qualifying firearm” owners to report all transfers to the attorney general’s database. It would also be illegal for a licensed gun owner to fail to record a gun loss or theft within 72 hours, or fail to report a change of address within 60 days.  Further, if a minor obtains a firearm and injures someone with it, the owner of the firearm may face a multiple-year jail sentence. 

H.R. 45 is essentially a reintroduction of H.R. 2666, which Rush introduced in 2007.  H.R. 2666 contained much of the same language as H.R. 45, and was co-sponsored by several well-known anti-gun legislators–including Barack Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.  H.R. 45 currently has no co-sponsors.

Categories : NRA, Second Amendment Issues
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HR-197: National Right to Carry Bill Introduced

By Richard on January 25, 2009 4 Comments

From the NRA:

U.S. Representatives Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Rick Boucher (D-Va.), recently introduced H.R. 197– the “National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009″–a bill that would provide national recognition for valid state Right-to-Carry licensees.

The bill would allow any person with a valid carry permit or license issued by a state, to carry a concealed firearm in any other state if the permit holder meets certain criteria. In states that issue permits, a state’s laws governing where concealed firearms may be carried would apply within its borders. In states that do not issue carry permits, a federal standard would apply. The bill would not create a federal licensing system; it would simply require the states to recognize each other’s carry permits, just as they recognize drivers’ licenses.

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) is expected to introduce the Senate companion bill in the near future. Rep. Stearns has introduced such legislation since 1995.

Please be sure to contact your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121, and urge him or her to cosponsor and support H.R. 197!

If you are not already a member, please join the NRA today!


Categories : Concealed Carry, NRA, Second Amendment Issues
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Toys Guns Threaten New York City: NYC Takes Down Party City Menace

By Richard on January 21, 2009 No Comments

[Editor's note:  The use of sarcasm will be employed in this article.  While the article is sarcastic, the facts and quotes are all correct.  Refrain from flooding me with hate mail!]

In a bold move to protect the citizens of New York City, the Department of Consumer Affairs negotiated a $500,000 settlement with crime menace Party City.  Party City, in flagrant disregard for the residents of NYC, had been selling toy guns to anyone with the cash who walked in off the street.

“Fake guns that look real aren’t toys. In fact, they’re so dangerous that selling them is illegal,” said Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz. “The City is committed to cracking down on every single violator of this public safety law and will seek maximum penalties when businesses fail to get the message.”

Mintz and his crack squad of consumer investigators caught Party City in a ring of illegal toy gun sales in April 2008.  Apparently selling to anyone,  Party City was charged by the city with almost 800 counts of illegal toy gun sales.

And this is not the first time Party City has been caught selling illegal toy guns on the streets of New York City.  In 2003, the Department of Consumer Affairs busted Party City for selling illegal toy guns.  In that case, Party City paid $150,000 in fines.

This time, Party City isn’t getting off so easy.  In addition to the half-a-million dollar fine, DCA required Party City to pay for an independent monitor who will perform unannounced weekly inspections of Party City’s shelves and review its advertising in New York City over the next year. Further, to ensure Party City’s compliance, the settlement allows DCA to double the fine for future imitation gun violations from $1,000 to $2,000.

Since 2002, DCA enforcement teams have removed more than 7,000 guns from the shelves of more than 220 stores throughout the City, and levied $3.3 million in fines. 

Categories : Second Amendment Issues
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President Obama’s Official Anti-Gun Policies

By Richard on January 20, 2009 2 Comments

Well, the new president has made the his anti-gun agenda official.  Copied right from his transition website to the WhiteHouse.gov site:

Obama and Biden would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent. 

So, look for President Obama backed legislation to:

  • Allow the use of law enforcement data to sue gun manufacturers for the misuse of their products;
  • Make it a crime to transfer ownership of a firearm from one citizen to another as a gift, inheritance, or private sale;
  • Banning of the sales of semi-automatic rifles; and
  • Criminalizing the sale and possession of magazines with a capacity above a random, arbitrary number.

Please, get involved!  Talk to your elected representatives.  Join the NRA.  Write letters to your newspapers.

If we do nothing, our rights will be taken.  If we stand up, and make our voices heard, we can make a difference!

Categories : NRA, Second Amendment Issues
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American Hunters and Shooters Association and Obama

By Richard on January 13, 2009 No Comments

For those that don’t already know, the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA) was the anti-gun straw man created for the purpose of negating the gun vote in national elections.

Over at Change.gov, the transition web site for the Obama administration, they have a list of special interest groups that have met with, or submitted documents to President-elect Obama.  In this play at open government, the transition team has a .pdf file of what exactly was submitted to the Obama team.  That is, for everyone but the American Hunters and Shooters Association.

I’m not big into conspiracies, but I do find it odd that the American Hunters and Shooters Association’s information for the incoming President has been left off of the site.

Categories : Second Amendment Issues
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NRA and San Francisco Close to Deal on Guns in Public Housing

By Richard on January 6, 2009 1 Comments

From the AP:

The National Rifle Association says the San Francisco Housing Authority is preparing to drop its blanket handgun ban in public housing.

NRA lawyer CD Michel says the agreement, which settles a federal lawsuit, hasn’t been finalized. But he says if the settlement is approved as expected, the housing authority will allow public housing tenants to keep legally obtained handguns. In exchange, the housing authority won’t be required to pay any damages or attorney fees.

The NRA sued the housing authority a day after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a gun ban in Washington D.C.and ruled that individual citizens have a right to keep handguns.


Categories : NRA, Second Amendment Issues

PA Soccer Mom Understands What a Right Is

By Richard on December 30, 2008 3 Comments

Several months ago, I posted about a Pennsylvania woman who had her concealed carry permit revoked and restored by a sheriff after complaints that she was exercising her right to open carry a firearm in public.  The woman, Melanie Hain, has suffered a number of personal attacks and threats because she exercised her right.

Recently, Hain agreed to an interview with a Patriot News reporter via e-mail.  The full story is worth reading, as Hain articulates her rights very well.  From the interview, proof that Hain gets it:

“Like it or not, I do not have to validate myself to the public for my actions…I have come to the conclusion that this is an impossible task. It may sound arrogant, but…the Constitution has guaranteed me a right, and there is nothing more to say about it.”

Amen.


Categories : Open Carry, Second Amendment Issues
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