From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Thu Jan 18 18:51:12 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Thu Jan 18 18:51:35 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Message from Sarah! Message-ID: <45B02410.10100@FirearmsCoalition.org> The Virginia Citizens' Defense League is planning a protest against Mayor Bloomberg and his pals when they meet in DC next week. Please go to VCDL.org for details (under Latest News) and plan to participate if you can. I've never believed in reinventing the wheel so when Sarah Brady sent me an "Important Message" that said almost exactly what I wanted to say to you guys, I decided to just send it on. I only have minor quibbles with two things: the specific wording of the message you should deliver to your elected representatives, and where to send your donation. I have every confidence in your ability to make adjustments in those two areas. Be sure to read my note following the message from Sarah. StopTheNRA wrote: If this email does not display correctly, click here to open it in your browser. *Tell Your **U.S.** Senators to Do the Right Thing: Save Lives** Make it your New Year's resolution to make a difference * Dear Supporter, New Year 2007 Checklist [image] We are half way through January and we are already on the move across the country. Our allies are introducing life-saving gun bills in the new (and improved!) 110th Congress ... and state legislatures across the country are convening and considering some excellent gun laws at the state level. As our elected officials are doing their part, *we need you to help us start the new year off with a big push*. Last week, we asked for a donation of $20.07 to get us started --- as well as a phone call to your U.S. Representative. This week, we are asking you to call /both/ your U.S. Senators. This is all about creating a buzz --- and with your calls and your contributions, that is exactly what will happen. Our friends on the Hill tell us they want to support common sense gun laws, but they also tell us that Members of Congress, especially new members, need to hear from you in order to move forward. *CALL YOUR **U.S.** SENATORS TODAY: **202-224-3121** Tell them: /"I am concerned about gun violence in my community, and I am calling to urge you to cosponsor and support sensible gun laws during this year's session."/ * -- What kind of "sensible gun laws"???? JAK Before they get into the thick of the legislative session, your two U.S. Senators needs to know that you are appalled by the gun violence epidemic that has plagued our country for far too long, and that you demand change now! *Here's What You Can Do Today to Help:* *1. Call Your **U.S.** Senators Today. Call the switchboard at **202-224-3121** and they will transfer you. Or click here to look up your Senators' direct numbers .* -- That's a good link; feel free to take advantage of it. JAK *Give Your Senators the Message:* /"As a constituent, I am concerned about gun violence in my community, and I am calling to ask my Senator to cosponsor and support sensible gun laws during this year's session."/ -- Sensible gun laws like a repeal of the ban on guns in National Parks and Post Offices, a national Concealed Carry Reciprocity bill, and repeal of the victim disarmament zones around schools. JAK *2. Make a donation today of $20.07. Help us kick off the year with a donation of $20.07. This meaningful gift will tell us that you too think 2007 will be the year that we finally turn the tide. Donate Now.* *3. Spread the word. We need to create a buzz in these congressional offices that tells our legislators that if they step up on our issue, we will stand behind them. Send this email to others who care about this issue. * Thank you for your advocacy efforts and your support in the past. With your continued help, we are looking forward to a very successful year. Sincerely, Your Friends at *Stop**the**NRA*.com If this e-mail was forwarded to you, click here to sign up for your own StoptheNRA alerts Powered by Convio Isn't Sarah a peach? If she has inspired you to break out your check book, the Firearms Coalition would welcome your assistance at PO Box 3313, Manassas, VA 20108 or you can make a donation on-line at www.FirearmsCoalition.org or just give us a call at 703-753-0424. While you're talking with your Senator, be sure to ask them to protect the First Amendment by supporting the Bennett-McConnell Amendment to strike Section 220 in the "Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act" and then to vote against the entire package. This is is another misguided attempt at "fixing" politicians by muzzling "the People", just like the McCain-Feingold incumbent protection act of a few years ago. I personally think it should be perfectly legal to attempt to influence a government officials actions by any means whatsoever - short of physical threats, kidnapping, and such - but that any public official found guilty of doing "favors" in exchange for "favors" should be summarily executed in the town square. It's silly to try to control the actions of the rest of us in an attempt at keeping politicians honest. Also - Most State Legislatures are in session right now. Action happens much faster in the State Houses than it does at the federal level so please be sure you're on an alerts list for your local grassroots lobbyists and respond immediately when they request calls and e-mails. If you can break away from work on a week-day, call your local lobbyist and plan a visit to the capitol. You'd be surprised at the impact you can have. A new edition of the Hard Corps Report will be in the mail soon with our legislative targets for 2007. If you are not currently a subscriber, that $20.07 Sarah suggested could take care of that. We are only able to stay in the fight with the monetary assistance of our readers. If you find our information worthwhile, please tell us with your financial support. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox -------------- next part -------------- Skipped content of type multipart/related From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Thu Jan 25 09:53:10 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Thu Jan 25 09:53:16 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] NRA BoD Recommendations Message-ID: <45B8E076.9050705@FirearmsCoalition.org> Well it's that time of year again and those of you who are Life Members or have been regular members of NRA for five or more consecutive years should have received the "Ballot Issue" of your NRA magazine this week. We are receiving a lot of requests for recommendations of who to vote for and so we respond with the following based on the principle that Change is Good. History tells us that all, or almost all of the current Board Members running will be reelected, making it highly unlikely that more than two or three new members can win and those that do are almost guaranteed to be among those nominated by the Nominating Committee. That being the case, we recommend that you ?bullet vote?, casting your ballot with as few as just one, but no more than three or four names marked. For a variety of reasons, we recommend you vote only for candidates you personally know and respect and one or all of the following three well qualified candidates: *_Johnny Nugent_* is highly recommended by activists in his home state of Indiana *_Curtis Jenkins_* receives similar endorsement from our friends in Georgia *_David Jones_* has been a prominent activist and leader in Missouri for many years *We are voting for only those three.* If you feel you must vote for more than just three, other candidates who are not current members of the Board include: Charles Fox Steven Schreiner Fred Edgecomb Cleta Mitchell Al Cardenas James Dark Ken Elliott Please do not vote for any of the several long-time members of the Board and celebrities that are up for reelection. Skip the old standards in favor of a few new faces. Please share this information - post it on forums, in gun shops and at ranges, e-mail it to your NRA friends. The Board of Directors is supposed to set policy and hold staff accountable for following those policies; instead the Board is being managed by the staff. Every new face elected to the Board offers the potential for a shift away from that status quo. We hope you find this helpful. Yours for the Second Amendment, The Knox Crew Neal Knox Associates The Firearms Coalition From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Thu Feb 22 18:05:38 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Thu Feb 22 18:05:50 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] NY Ambush Message-ID: <45DE3DE2.4090208@FirearmsCoalition.org> Assistance Needed for Victim of New York Ambush! A nurse from Indiana named Joyce was visiting friends in Vermont and Massachusetts earlier this month when she ran into an unexpected problem. Upon checking in at the ticket counter in Albany, NY (the nearest major airport) for her return flight to Indiana, she declared her firearm, which was secured with a cable-lock through the barrel and magazine well and double-locked in a hard case. The NW Airlines ticket agent called over a Deputy Sheriff who asked Joyce several questions about the gun and her travels with it. He then asked her to accompany him to his office where he arrested and booked her for unlawful possession of a weapon without a NY license. Joyce was able to post bail and return home but is expected back in court in NY on March 7. At this point she is still looking for legal representation and we are doing our best to help her in any way we can. We've brought her case to the attention of the NRA, SAF, and the NY State Rifle and Pistol Association. And we are hopeful that these organizations will be able to provide some guidance and legal assistance. Even if someone provides free legal assistance, she still faces $500 plane tickets, hotel bills, and missed work, not to mention the loss of her Kimber Raptor. She is also fearful that this arrest could jeopardize her career. Joyce is a recent widow, the mother of a police officer, and a self-supporting nurse. Her job puts her on the road quite a bit and away from home for several days at a time so at the urging of her son she attended a three-day handgun course in Ohio and acquired an Ohio CCW. We are calling on the gun-rights community to rally to Joyce's aid. We are working with others to set up a Legal Defense Fund for her, but until the legalities and logistics of that get worked out, we are accepting donations on her behalf at the Firearms Coalition. Contributions can be made by credit card over the phone at 703-753-0424, on-line at our web site, www.FirearmsCoalition.org, using the PayPal link, or by cash, check, or money order mailed to: The Firearms Coalition PO Box 3313 Manassas, VA 20108 Mark your donation "NY Defense Fund" and we will see to it that it goes directly to help this poor woman in this terrible situation. Joyce is planning to attend the regular meeting of the Indiana 2nd Amendment Patriots, 6:00 PM at the German Township Fire Station, located on Hwy 65 (Cynthiana Hwy). http://www.2ndamendmentpatriots.org for directions and more information. We are asking that you do three things: 1. Send a donation immediately. 2. Post and forward this to everyone you know. 3. Take this information to your local clubs and organizations, pass the hat, and ask the club to make an official donation. Be sure to mark all donations for Joyce's benefit with "NY Defense Fund" None of the proceeds of this special appeal go to the Firearms Coalition. Everything will go directly to assist Joyce in her time of need. When an official Legal Defense Fund is created we will pass that information on. Thank you for your assistance in this effort. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Sat Feb 24 10:53:28 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Sat Feb 24 10:53:39 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] New York Update Message-ID: <45E07B98.2070906@FirearmsCoalition.org> Many thanks to all who have stepped up to help our new friend Joyce. The call to action was extremely successful and is accomplishing our three primary goals: Offsetting some of the expenses Joyce is incurring as a result of this tyranny, generating some buzz to help get other groups to commit to action, and bolstering Joyce's spirits letting her know that she isn't facing this alone. When I told her about your generosity, here is part of her response: "Thank you for your assistance. Your compassion brings tears to my eyes." NRA Director and President of the NY State Rifle and Pistol Association, Tom King has agreed to have NYSRPA host a formal Legal Defense Fund for Joyce (with any residual monies being earmarked for the next case like this). We will let you know as soon as we get an address for that. Tom also says that NRA is getting involved, but we can't assume that they will take care of everything for her and we need to continue to rally around her. There was an error in the Alert I sent out on Thursday; Joyce holds a CCW from Indiana, not Ohio. She did CCW training in Ohio and I misunderstood what she told me about that. Sorry for any confusion. Again, thank you for your rapid response. Joyce is flabbergasted by your compassion and dedication. If you have not yet made a contribution, you may still do so through us or you might prefer to wait another couple of days until we get the address for the official Legal Defense Fund. Yours for the Second Amendment Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition www.FirearmsCoalition.org From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Tue Feb 27 12:29:32 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Tue Feb 27 12:29:41 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Brady Survey Message-ID: <45E4869C.1050909@FirearmsCoalition.org> Sarah Brady is sending supporters a link to an on-line survey asking them (as a faithful friends) to answer the questions and help guide the Brady Campaign in their dealings with Congress and state legislatures. Being a democratic guy, I feel compelled to share this with others concerned about the gun control issue so the Brady's get a very clear picture of just what the public really thinks about their issues. Just like the surveys often sent out by pro-gun groups this survey is more about fundraising than actually seeking anyones opinion. Please answer the survey and consider following through on their fundraising appeal by writing a check to your favorite gun rights group. We at the Firearms Coalition would be very proud to receive donations in honor of Sarah Brady. Follow this link and answer Sarah Brady's survey: http://www.bradynetwork.org/site/PageServer?pagename=SRV_2007GeneralLegislativePrioritiesSurvey The "Name", "Address", and "Email" request at the top can be left blank. If you enter an e-mail address, they might put you on their mailing list so you can keep tabs on their activities. Please pass this on and post it wherever you can. I'm not sure Sarah's servers can handle the traffic we can generate! Yours for the Second Amendment Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition On-line contributions to the Firearms Coalition can be made at www.FirearmsCoalition.org or mailed to: The Firearms Coalition Box 3313 Manassas, VA 20108 From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Tue Mar 6 13:49:30 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Tue Mar 6 13:49:42 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Action Needed for Parks Message-ID: <45EDD3DA.5030400@FirearmsCoalition.org> Gun-Voters, The following is an alert from our friends at Virginia Citizens' Defense League regarding firearms in National Parks. As we have reported, the Park Service has a regulation forbidding the possession of "...any weapon, trap, or net..." in any unit of the National Park Service (with some exceptions in Alaska). VCDL filed a "Petition for Rule Making" to force the NPS to change their policy regarding personal protection firearms. The NPS recently rejected that petition based on four points: Parks are safe places; "Right to carry" laws don't reduce crime; Firearms can legally be transported through parks (unloaded, disassembled, and locked in the trunk); and "Right to carry" laws do not protect visitors from wildlife. They gave no supporting evidence for these contentions just more unsupported contentions. I have made some minor changes to the VCDL call to action and encourage everyone to take immediate action on this issue. We need to ZUMBO the National Park Service. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox **URGENT** **URGENT** **URGENT** VCDL has just learned from our sources on Capitol Hill that the Department of the Interior (DOI) is **livid** over the National Park Service's (NPS) asinine rejection letter sent to VCDL concerning VCDL's Petition for Rule Making! (http://www.vcdl.org/pdf/NPS_Denial_of_VCDL_PRM.pdf) That petition would apply state and local laws regarding firearms carry to National Parks within their borders so anyone legally carrying in the state could also legally carry in the park. Apparently the National Park Service DID NOT CLEAR that rejection letter with their parent - the Department of the Interior! The Department of Interior had been telling VCDL and key Congressional members that DOI would seriously consider VCDL's petition. The ensuing NPS rejection letter made DOI look like fools and liars. DOI doesn't like that at all, and I don't blame them. The word that I am hearing is that the Department of the Interior is investigating how to OVERTURN that rejection letter and soon!!! We have an incredible opportunity to save TWO years of work and pull off a victory for all gun owners! But we must make our voices heard LOUD AND CLEAR. I need all of you to do the following FOUR things NOW and URGENTLY no matter where you live, as this this is a NATIONAL effort: ******** 1. CALL the DOI Legislative Affairs and leave a message for the Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne. Say something like this: "I encourage Secretary Kempthorne to implement the Virginia Citizens Defense League's Petition for Rule Making that the National Park Service has rejected out-of-hand. Law-abiding citizens should not be forced to disarm just because they choose to visit a National Park." PLEASE MAKE THAT CALL - WE WANT DOI'S TELEPHONE LINE LIT UP BIG TIME! Mr. Kempthorne's telephone number in Washington, DC is: 202-208-7351 ******** 2. Call your U.S. Senators and Congressman. Their names, phone numbers and email addresses can be found by clicking here and entering your zip and address: http://capwiz.com/nra/officials/congress Say something like this: "Please have the Senator [Congressman] contact the Department of the Interior's Secretary, Dirk Kempthorne, and ask him to overturn the National Park Service's rejection of the Virginia Citizens Defense League's Petition for Rule Making. Law-abiding citizens in compliance with state and local laws should not be forced to disarm in order to visit a National Park!" PLEASE MAKE THAT CALL - WE WANT CONGRESS' TELEPHONE LINES TO LIGHT UP AS BRIGHTLY AS DOI'S! ******** 3. After calling your Senators and Congressman, follow up with an email. Here is a sample email you can use: Please ask the Department of the Interior's Secretary, Dirk Kempthorne, to overturn the National Park Service's arbitrary rejection of the Virginia Citizens Defense League's Petition for Rule Making and to implement that petition! VCDL's Petition for Rule Making, representing over ONE MILLION gun owners, would stop the Park Service practice of disarming law-abiding citizens who choose to carry a handgun for self-defense, even though these citizens are in compliance with all applicable state and local laws. The National Park Service's rejection letter was not only asinine, but was completely unfounded and condescending towards America's gun owners. My family members and I are given but one life each. I ask that you make sure that I can defend those lives while visiting a National Park! Please let me know what you are going to do. (Be sure to include contact information) ******** 4. After calling and leaving a message for DOI, follow up with an email to Secretary Kempthorne: Email address: exsec@ios.doi.gov Suggested email subject: Please approve VCDL's Petition for Rule Making! Suggested email text: Dear Secretary Kempthorne, I ask that you approve and implement the Virginia Citizens Defense League's (VCDL) Petition for Rule Making that would preclude the National Park Service from restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens to carry a handgun for self-defense while in a National Park. Citizens legally carrying self defense firearms in accordance with state and local laws should not be forced to disarm just because they choose to visit or pass through a unit of the National Park Service. The National Park Service sent a rejection letter to VCDL listing four unsubstantiated reasons for the rejection. None of the reasons listed legitimately justifies denying a person the right to defend the only life they have been given. The Petition, representing over ONE MILLION gun owners, and the rejection was capricious and unjustified. Please let me know what the Department of the Interior is going to do regarding this matter. Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] [YOUR ADDRESS] ******** OK, ladies and gentlemen - let's ROLL! Please spread this alert far and wide! We need gun owners from all over the country to make this happen! *************************************************************************** VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The membership considers the Right to Keep and Bear Arms to be an essential human right. VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org *************************************************************************** From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Mon Apr 16 16:09:43 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Mon Apr 16 16:10:08 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Disarmed Victims in Virginia Message-ID: <4623F427.2080509@FirearmsCoalition.org> Thirty three dead after shooting rampage at Virginia Tech. All of the victims were unarmed. The murderer killed himself. Virginia Tech forbids students and faculty from possessing firearms on campus, even when they have valid concealed weapons permits. News is still sketchy but it appears that a lunatic went on a rampage at Virginia Tech University this morning killing some 32 people before killing himself. Early reports indicate that the shooting started shortly after 7:00 this morning in a co-ed dormitory housing some 800 students. The gunman avoided apprehension after that incident and it is speculated that the same gunman then walked into a classroom building two hours later and began shooting students in classrooms. Reports indicate that the gunman first chained the doors to the building from the inside and was wearing a vest with numerous magazines attached to it. The only firearms mentioned in any of the reports were two 9mm handguns supposedly carried by the gunman, but those reports are so far unsubstantiated. The campus Police Chief says that officers entered the buildings immediately upon arrival but that there was never any exchange of gunfire between the gunman and police. The Virginia Citizens Defense League has sponsored legislation in the last two sessions of the Virginia legislature aimed at forcing state schools like Virginia Tech to abandon their policy of forbidding students and faculty from possessing guns on campus. Representatives of the colleges argued that their campuses were safe and have little crime... As always happens in incidents like this, the media is casting about for someone or something to blame for this tragedy other than the criminal. Most of the criticism so far has been pointed toward the schools response to the first shootings. They are asking questions like, "Why wasn't the campus locked down at that time?" and "Why weren't students notified not to go to classes?". So far no one in the mainstream media has asked the question we want answered: "Why do you force law-abiding students to disarm when on campus?" When asked what could be done to avert a tragedy like this, the president of the University responded that, "We obviously can't have an armed guard in front of every classroom every day." To which the Firearms Coalition responds: If you admit that you can't protect people, why do you insist on taking away people's ability to protect themselves? Eyewitness accounts of the shooting suggest that the shooter was firing very rapidly, precluding any opportunity for students to overwhelm him with force and numbers. The only thing that could have mitigated this tragedy would have been one or more persons armed with firearms within close proximity when the shooting started. Instead of pointing out this simple, practical truth, it won't be long until the media takes up the cries that have already begun from the anti-gun forces and start blaming the tools and using this tragedy as an excuse to pursue more restrictions on firearms. It is up to the pro-gun majority to bring this back to the facts of personal protection - that an individual's security is that individual's responsibility and it is inexcusable for anyone to ever take away anyone else's right to their chosen means of affecting that protection. We will keep you posted as this story develops. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Thu Apr 19 15:25:58 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Thu Apr 19 15:26:28 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Tennessee House Sees the Light! Message-ID: <4627DE66.60307@FirearmsCoalition.org> The Tennessee State House saw the critical lesson of the Virginia Tech tragedy and took immediate action. Let's hope the State Senate follows suite and the Governor will quickly sign this into law. Here is the summary from the Nashville News Sentinel: *TN Moves to Allow Guns in Public Buildings* *By News Sentinel staff* *April 18, 2007* NASHVILLE --- In a surprise move, a House panel voted today to repeal a state law that forbids the carrying of handguns on property and buildings owned by state, county and city governments --- including parks and playgrounds. "I think the recent Virginia disaster --- or catastrophe or nightmare or whatever you want to call it --- has woken up a lot of people to the need for having guns available to law-abiding citizens," said Rep. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains. "I hope that is what this vote reflects." *************************** A vote like this and comments like those of Rep. Nicely, give hope that not all politicians are blind to reality. Are there similar restrictions in your state that need repealing? Even if your legislature is out of session or beyond the "bill introduction" phase of their session, let your state representatives know that you want these useless restrictions - which do nothing but create safe-zones in which criminals can act with impunity - to be repealed immediately, before the copycats get started in earnest. Remind them that a gun is like a seatbelt. We don't wear seatbelts in hopes of getting into a car wreck or in paranoid fear of an accident. Nor are hopes or paranoia why we carry guns. Both are worn 'just in case' and if all goes well, neither will never be used. Laws that force us to unbuckle our seatbelts need to be repealed. ******************** I just got back from the NRA Convention in St. Louis. It was a good trip and very productive. Thanks to all of you who made it a point to come up and say hello. I spoke with many people about the chances of the Parker case going to the Supreme Court and I am excited about it's prospects. Close court watchers confirmed my belief that Parker is not only likely to be heard by the SCOTUS, but that it is likely to generate a decision favorable to the Second Amendment. I have long held that we have more to gain than to lose with this case and it is reassuring to have my beliefs reinforced by knowledgeable people whom I respect. I am fairly confident that NRA is not going to interfere with the case - though I would still like to see them change the language of their DC gun bill so it would not destroy the Parker case. ******* Chris Cox assured me that NRA's position on gun shows is back to a clear, principled stance and that candidate surveys in future will reflect that. (They had expressed a position of accepting "instant checks" on transactions between non-dealers as long as the process wasn't to cumbersome.) He also promised to look into the NFA language in the surveys and remove any that is not accurate. I'm hoping to have a written statement from him soon. ******** If you did not receive a copy of our Hard Corpse Report in the mail this past week, you're not a subscriber. Give us your name and address and we'll send out a complimentary copy for you to review, or just go to our web site and make an on-line contribution and subscription request. Speaking of contributions and the NRA Convention, traveling is expensive and it's looking like I'm going to need to be doing more and more of it as the presidential elections get closer. I can't do that without your help. If you find our occasional e-mails useful, please consider subscribing to the Hard Corpse Report - hard copy or electronic - or making a donation today. We depend on you to help keep us in the fight and every little bit helps. Contributions can be made through our web site at www.FirearmsCoalition.org or via snail-mail at: The Firearms Coalition PO Box 3313 Manassas, VA 20108 Every day we're following the news, talking with politicians and civic leaders, communicating with grassroots groups around the nation, and keeping you informed to critical events. We don't send out alerts for news you've already heard elsewhere or just to ask for money, and we offer a perspective that you're not likely to find from other sources. Thanks for your support. Please share this with others to help spread the word. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition Neal Knox Associates -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20070419/8ee46656/attachment.html From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Thu Apr 26 13:06:24 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Thu Apr 26 13:06:52 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] What are you going to do? Message-ID: <4630F830.6090908@FirearmsCoalition.org> Action demands counter-action and the Brady's latest campaign needs to be answered. Gun rights activists have proven over and over again that they can overwhelm politicians with calls, letters, and e-mails and we need to be doing so right now. Even though the American people have made it pretty clear that they are not interested in seeing additional restrictions on firearms, and the politicians from both sides of the aisle in Washington are reticent to make calls for new gun control measures, the threat remains. Many -- if not most -- politicians have an inclination toward government control, including government control of firearms. The only thing holding these tendencies in check is the well-founded belief that taking action in support of gun control is political suicide. Sarah Brady is mounting a relentless fundraising and activism campaign based around the theme, "What are you going to do about gun violence in America?" She is challenging supporters to take action by asking politicians that question and by making a contribution to her organization ($32 in honor of the 32 dead in Blacksburg). Sarah says the campaign is working. She claims that more than 50,000 calls and e-mails have been sent to political leaders since the tragic events at Virginia Tech last week, asking them, "What are YOU going to do about gun violence?" The anti-gun, mainstream media has stepped up to do their part, inviting Jim and Sarah, and their key staffers to appear on the major news/talk programs and providing them with the opportunity to try to make the senseless murders in Blacksburg into a rallying call for gun restrictions. If supporters of liberty sit in silence or try to appease the gun-haters, the politicians might conclude that the American people are ready to support more erosion of our civil rights. The only way to ensure this doesn't happen is to keep the politicians on notice that support for gun control equals early retirement. Sarah Brady's 50,000 contacts is barely a ripple compared to the waves of messages the gun rights community can deliver. Such a deluge needs to occur right now. Politicians need to hear loud and clear that GunVoters will not tolerate any further encroachment and would like to see repeal of the existing restrictions. Senators and Representatives need to understand that "compromise" legislation like Carolyn McCarthy's H.R.297 will not be excused even if NRA gives them a green light. The "servants of the people" need to hear from you today in a clear, unambiguous way that any and all legislation to expand or enhance gun control efforts will result in adverse consequences in the next election. *What are YOU doing to defend liberty and protect gun rights?* Take action and demand action! Never depend on the other guy to do the work for you. Send messages to your elected officials today. Copy this Alert to every pro-liberty forum and web site you can find. Make a contribution to the Firearms Coalition, subscribe to our newsletter, and encourage others to do the same. The tide toward gun control seems to be changing in our favor, but that can be reversed in a moment if rights activists drop their guard. Complacency is our greatest enemy. Send Sarah Brady a clear and resounding answer to her question, "What are you going to do...?" Show her and the waffling politicians what true citizen activism is all about. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition Neal Knox Associates Box 3313 Manassas, VA 20108 www.FirearmsCoalition.org Jeff at FirearmsCoalition dot org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20070426/b58740a0/attachment.htm From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Tue May 8 16:46:23 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Tue May 8 16:46:35 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] DC Court Refuses to Reverse Message-ID: <4640FDBF.9090907@FirearmsCoalition.org> The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit has refused the District of Columbia's request for an en banc (full court) rehearing of a three judge panels decision overturning a portion of DC's restrictive gun laws on Second Amendment grounds. The District is expected to now appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. We will keep you posted. From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Fri May 11 18:30:59 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Fri May 11 18:31:21 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] ATF Increasing Intrusions Message-ID: <46450AC3.8090906@FirearmsCoalition.org> Skipped content of type multipart/alternative-------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 070508Mental.doc Type: application/msword Size: 29696 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20070511/8c10551b/070508Mental-0001.doc From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Mon Jun 11 11:53:41 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Mon Jun 11 12:10:30 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Action Alert! Message-ID: <466D8C25.3040306@FirearmsCoalition.org> The Bar is Being Lowered It's up to you to hold it up! Take action now. Write to your Governor and the Attorney General and then write to your Senators and Representative. Forward this alert to every gun rights activist and organization you know then send it on to veterans and veterans' organizations because they are among the most severely impacted. The national gun and veterans' organizations and most of the state groups have either completely missed or conceded this issue. Only your immediate action can stop the momentum of this steamroller. I would have written a shorter letter, but I didn't have time. As we warned in the last FC-Alert, the standard for revoking gun rights is being lowered by Governors and Attorneys General around the country. Over the past few months activists have been arguing about NRA support for, and GOA opposition to, Carolyn McCarthy?s bill to throw another Billion Dollars at the NICS ?Instant Check? system and require more mental health and domestic violence reporting from the states. This is the fourth or fifth year in a row that McCarthy has introduced this exact bill and each time, NRA has quietly supported it while GOA has noisily opposed it. The Virginia Tech murders simply drew more attention to the argument this year, raising activists' ire. While activists have been thus diverted, ATF has been actively lobbying Attorneys General and Governors to repeal the gun rights of millions of Americans. Anyone who has ever needed help dealing with depression, drug or alcohol issues, post traumatic stress disorder, or other mental problems is at risk of retroactively losing their right to own a firearm FOREVER! The Gun Control Act of 1968 says that anyone "adjudicated mentally defective" may not own a gun. GCA '68 broadly defines this to mean anyone "involuntarily committed" by a court or other legal authority. The word "committed" has heretofore been interpreted to mean "institutionalized" - locked up in a facility with barred windows, padded walls, and Nurse Ratched. But after the murders at Virginia Tech, ATF is saying that anyone ordered by a court or other authority to participate in any mental health program should be included. That would include * Anyone who has been ordered to attend therapy sessions because the judge thought they were a suicide risk. * Anyone required to regularly visit a VA hospital for treatment because they came back from war with nightmares. * Anyone the VA says is not "competent" to manage their own benefits check. * Anyone who has been ordered by a judge to participate in a treatment program because they might be "a danger to themselves or others" (which is pretty much the only way a judge can order a person to get any medical treatment.) It could include anyone ordered to participate in an ?anger management? program or a dependency program after an alcohol related traffic ticket. Or a police officer who was ordered into a counseling program. (California Highway Patrol has a substantially higher suicide rate than any other police agency in the country and police have a higher suicide rate than the general public. Is the threat of losing their job and their right to own firearms likely to encourage them to seek help?) All this because Cho Seung-Hui, the Virginia Tech murderer, had been ordered to participate in an outpatient mental health program, and that order did not meet the standard for prohibiting him from purchasing a firearm. The next logical ?loophole? is people who have been voluntarily committed. The government has a clear policy of ?once crazy ? always crazy? and provides no means for someone denied their gun rights for mental health reasons to ever regain those rights. Why, then would they stop at only those who are committed against their will? Who is crazier, someone who wants to go to the ?funny farm? or someone who must be forced to go? After that comes those treated for depression; since virtually all mass murderers in modern history were taking Prozac or some similar anti-depressant drug, how long can it be until ATF decides that anyone who has ever been prescribed an anti-depressant is ?mentally defective" and should also retroactively lose their gun rights. What's next? How long before the inclusion of anyone who has ever received outpatient treatment or counseling for depression? Therapy? Psychoanalysis? Marriage counseling?!? The gun rights community seems to be standing aside as the government shreds an Enumerated Constitutional Right. We must stand up and demand that they stop this abuse and unilateral expansion of their authority over law-abiding citizens. Write to your Governor and your Attorney General today. Tell them that: * Mental health is much too complicated an issue to be painted with one broad brush. It is unconscionable that Constitutional Rights would be permanently denied for what are often brief periods of personal challenge. * ATF is trying to solve a rare and statistically insignificant (though potentially tragic) problem by asking you to declare millions of people as permanently and irreparably impaired. * By choosing to own a gun a citizen does not surrender protection from medical privacy laws. Remind your attorney general and legislators that once a person?s name has been added to the federal NICS prohibited persons database for mental health reasons, it is virtually impossible for them to ever have their name removed. People who suffered from brief problems in their youth, but have lived normal, productive lives for years ? including safe and lawful firearms ownership ? would suddenly be stripped of their Constitutional Right to arms forever at the stroke of a key. Even violent felons have ways to regain their gun rights, but "mental defficients"do not. Urge your attorney general and state legislators to place justice over a false sense of security. No one should have their name submitted to the NICS database unless they present a true, serious, and permanent threat to themselves and the public. The standard ATF is calling for to judge that threat is over-broad and intentionally vague. Urge them to refuse to lower the standards of your state to such a simplistic and unjust level. Take action now. Write to your Governor and the Attorney General and then write to your Senators and Representative. Forward this alert to every gun rights activist and organization you know then send it on to veterans and veterans' organizations because they are among the most severely impacted. The national gun and veterans' organizations and most of the state groups have either completely missed or conceded this issue. Only your immediate action can stop the momentum of this steamroller. Rights are not reserved only for those who have unblemished health records. The whole reason we have a republic rather than a true democracy is that democracy tends to trample the rights of minorities. Elected representatives are supposed to be above the mob mentality that can grip a population and intervene when government oversteps its authority. It is up to you and me to make noise for the minority until our representatives take appropriate action. ********************* A new Hard Corps Report will be in the mail soon. If you are not a subscribing member of The Firearms Coalition yet, make a contribution today to be sure you don?t miss this timely issue of our notorious newsletter. Contributions The Firearms Coalition can be made on-line through our web site www.FirearmsCoalition.org, on the phone at 703-753-0424, or by mail to: The Firearms Coalition, PO Box 3313, Manassas, VA 20108 Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition From alertslist at FirearmsCoalition.org Wed Jun 13 20:51:24 2007 From: alertslist at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Wed Jun 13 20:51:42 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Surprise Action in House Message-ID: <4670AD2C.70701@FirearmsCoalition.org> In a surprise move, the US House of Representatives today passed a bill which provides incentives for states to enhance and computerize criminal and mental health records and make such records available to the FBI's National Instant Check System (NICS). While The Firearms Coalition has consistently opposed previous versions of this bill, we do not oppose the bill as it was passed by the House today. H.R.2640, sponsored by New York Democrat Carolyn McCarthy, is a modified version of a bill Rep. McCarthy has offered in each of the past several sessions of Congress. This version of the bill was just introduced this past Monday (June 11) and differs from previous versions in that it includes several provisions for the removal of names arbitrarily added to the NICS list and to ensure ways for a person who is on the list to regain their rights. These provisions were negotiated by the NRA over the past several weeks. This bill is Congress' response to the murders of 32 students at Virginia Tech last month and was fast-tracked straight to the House floor, bypassing the normal committee process - and public scrutiny. The Senate is expected to deviate from their traditional, drawn out deliberative process and vote on the bill in the next few days. It is clear that the skids are greased and I would be very surprised if the Senate doesn't pass this bill and send it up to the President for his guaranteed signature. There has been much argument within the gun-rights community about this bill, NRA's support for past versions, and their participation in reaching a passable "compromise." Much of the opposition seems to be more concerned with the idea of dealing with long-time enemies than with the actual impact the bill will have. The Firearms Coalition has opposed passage of McCarthy's previous "NICS Improvement" bills because we are opposed to the entire concept of the NICS program, oppose throwing another Billion dollars at this expensive placebo with little, if any, impact on crime, and we were concerned about language which would snare more individuals into prohibited status. We were critical of NRA and NSSF for supporting the bills and critical of GOA for over-hyping the potential negative impacts of the bills. With the negotiated language of the new bill, reduced negative impact, and inclusion of some very specific, positive improvements to the NICS system, we feel that, though it is still a large-scale waste of taxpayer money, this is not a gun control bill and the good in this bill outweighs the bad. We would like to have seen implementation of the financial incentives included in this bill predicated on a thorough study of the efficacy of NICS in reducing crime and a thorough cost/benefit analysis, but the window for such a requirement has likely closed. There has never been a serious study to determine what - if any - impact the multi-Billion dollar NICS program has had on violent crime and criminal misuse of firearms. Instead, every evaluation of NICS has been based on the number of transactions and denials the system processes and how quickly they do their job. Stopping sales does not necessarily equate to reducing crime and it is well past time for the Government Accounting Office and the Justice Department to examine the true value of this expensive intrusion on civil rights. Since NICS already exists, this bill contains no new or expanded restrictions on firearms ownership, and there is little likelihood of gaining the included, much needed reforms in any other way, therefore it is prudent and responsible to accept this bill as it is written. Until NICS is completely repealed, it makes sense to take real improvements when we can get them. As always, we will keep you posted as the - probably brief - debate over this bill plays out. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Sat Jun 16 15:30:31 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Sat Jun 16 15:30:38 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Action Needed on Tiahrt Message-ID: <46745677.4010803@FirearmsCoalition.org> Write your Representative today, call your Representative on Monday! The House Appropriations Committee is expected to vote on the Tiahrt amendment sometime next week, possibly as early as Monday. Whether your Representative serves on the Appropriations Committee or not, it is important that he hears from you, urging him to do whatever he can to ensure inclusion of these important protections in the BATFE budget appropriation. Mayor Mike Bloomberg and the Brady Campaign Against Guns have made defeat of Tiahrt their number one target in this session of Congress, turning what should be an administrative matter into a contentious political issue. The Tiahrt Amendment protects firearms trace data from indiscriminate release, restricting it to law enforcement agencies in connection with bona fide criminal investigations. This keeps such data from alerting criminals to possible investigation, being used to fuel bogus civil suits against gun makers and dealers, or being promulgated in misleading ways for political purposes. A message to your Congressman could say something like this: Dear Representative ________, My friends at The Firearms Coalition tell me that the Tiahrt Amendment to limit release of firearms trace data is nearing a vote; I urge you to do everything you can to ensure that these important safeguards continue to protect those who enforce the laws against illegal gun trafficking and also to protect law-abiding firearms dealers from defamation and ill founded lawsuits. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Fraternal Order of Police support the continued protections of the Tiahrt Amendment. They recognize that disclosure of this information in the past has interfered with investigations, alerted suspects to official scrutiny, and endangered officers, agents, and those assisting them. BATFE has a separate division solely dedicated to analysis of trace data to detect criminal patterns, identify questionable dealers, and track illegal gun flow. They have programs and special units specifically dedicated to assisting local law enforcement agencies in effectively utilizing the data in efforts to reduce local crime, and they have their own enforcement division which actively work to shut down illegal dealers and traffickers. Please take an active roll in ensuring that this sensitive data remains in the hands of proper law enforcement agencies and is not allowed to be carelessly released to the public or to government agencies which do not have a pressing need for the data or an understanding of how best to interpret or use the information. Please vote for the Tiahrt Amendment to ATF appropriations when you have the opportunity to do so and urge your colleagues to do the same. Please let me know what you intend to do to protect this data, police officers, and innocent firearms dealers. Sincerely, ______________ This could be coming up for a vote in the Appropriations Committee any day and then will face a vote of the entire House of Representatives. Your immediate action is needed. Send an e-mail today and make a phone call on Monday to make sure your Representative is effectively representing you, not Mike Bloomberg and Sarah Brady. For more information about the Tiahrt, see the latest Hard Corps Report; in mail boxes this week. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Fri Jun 22 13:34:35 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Fri Jun 22 13:34:51 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Job Opportunities Message-ID: <467C244B.6050808@FirearmsCoalition.org> Job opportunities for recent college graduates! An unusual opportunity has been brought to our attention and I wanted to share it with our subscribers. Our good friends at The Leadership Institute are expanding their college conservative outreach program and they are looking for 70 dynamic young people to recruit, train, and assist conservative students on college campuses in developing effective conservative activist organizations. If you know of a recent college graduate, or other likely candidate, who would like to get paid to be politically active - especially pro-gun conservatives - forward this information to them immediately. These entry level positions can open all sorts of doors. Don't let them all be filled with young conservatives that don't really understand the importance of the Second Amendment - let's get our true believers in there. (It has long been a complaint that NRA hires people who are politically savvy but are not particularly firearms oriented. Here's a stepping-stone toward offering them some better qualified candidates.) Here is more information about the jobs and how to apply: From Morton Blackwell President, The Leadership Institute We need help in filling at least 70 exciting job openings this year. Let?s take America?s colleges back! The best entry-level opportunity in the political job market pays you to do exactly that. Every semester, the Leadership Institute (LI) sends out across the country a team of motivated, highly trained field representatives. LI field reps help conservative students break the left-wing monopoly on college campuses. Now, you or some other dedicated conservative you know can join LI as a full-time fall field representative and start your political career. The pay is generous. The experience is priceless. Field reps receive $3,000 per month salary, plus $600 per week housing allowance, as well as additional allowances for cell phone use, recruitment expenses, gas, and more. A free laptop is yours to use throughout the semester. It becomes yours to keep upon successful completion of the program. Opportunities for full-time, paid jobs fighting for your beliefs do not come along very often. Apply now -- this may be the most exciting job you?ll ever have. Your employment with LI as a field rep is r?sum? gold. Field reps use the experience and connections they gain from LI?s National Field Representative Program to launch rewarding careers in: ? Grassroots activism ? Campaigns for public office ? Political appointments ? Capitol Hill staff ? Lobbying ? Long-term employment with the Leadership Institute ? Employment with other leading conservative organizations that help shape American politics and policy. At the end of this message, you?ll find a response form to fill out. Provide us with your contact information, so we can talk to you personally about getting your political career started on the right path. Simply email the completed form to DHoyt@LIMail.us. I plan to hire at least 70 field reps to work this fall. You could be one of them. As an LI field rep, you will travel to the campuses in your region to identify, recruit, organize, and train conservatives to win battles against the radical left on their campuses. LI will fly you to the Institute?s Arlington, VA, headquarters for eight days of intensive training in late August and provide you with everything you need to succeed. You may know of others who should join LI as field reps. On the response form below you?ll find the space to let me know their contact information. Or you could have them contact us directly. Get paid, fight the left, launch your exciting political career, and have fun doing it! Be aware that these positions fill up fast. Time is of the essence as you make this decision for your future. Cordially, Morton Blackwell President P.S. Become one of the best-trained young conservative leaders in the nation through LI?s field representative program. As an LI field rep, you can start your political career in the conservative movement on the right path. Fill out and email the response form to CLP Director of Special Projects David Hoyt at Dhoyt@LIMail.us and jump-start your political career today! RESPONSE FORM To: Morton C. Blackwell, President David Hoyt, CLP Special Projects Director The Leadership Institute 1101 North 17th Street Arlington, VA 22201 From: ____________________________________ Name ____________________________________ Mailing Address ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ Phone Number ____________________________________ Email Address ____________________________________ Subject: Fall 2007 Field Representative Openings Friends at The Firearms Coalition told me about this job. ____ Yes! Please consider me for a Fall 2007 job as a field rep for LI's Campus Leadership Program. Please have your staff contact me. ____ Yes! I know someone who would be perfect for this job. I suggest you contact: Name ____________________________________ Phone ____________________________________ Contact information ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ Forwarded by The Firearms Coalition Box 3313 Manassas, VA 20108 Jeff@FirearmsCoalition.org From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Thu Jul 5 22:48:58 2007 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (alertslist@firearmscoalition.org) Date: Thu Jul 5 22:49:01 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Happy Independence Day Message-ID: <50893.130.13.186.34.1183697338.squirrel@webmail.modwest.com> I am apt to believe that [Independence Day] will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more. -- John Adams We hope you observed your Independence Day as Founding Father John Adams taught us. Our prayer at the start of this 232nd year of America's independence is that our nation rediscover its independence and remember that the freedoms we take for granted are a heritage earned at a tremendous cost. As many of our long-time friends know, July 4 is also a significant day for The Firearms Coalition. Neal Knox sent out the first Hard Corps Report with a publication date of July 4, 1984. Appropriately enough, we unveiled our redesigned web site yesterday, July 4. Please come visit us soon at http://www.FirearmsCoalition.org/ Among other things, you'll find a copy of the current Hard Corps Report. Take the time to register and offer your feedback. Our privacy policy remains unchanged. It's short and simple: we don't share your personal information with anyone. That includes your email address, your name, address, or anything else. Again, our heartfelt thanks for your continued support, especially through the recent difficult years, and we look forward to serving you and the cause of liberty in the years to come. Yours for the Second Amendment, Chris Knox and the Knox family -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20070705/013e507e/untitled-2.html From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Mon Jul 16 09:45:39 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Mon Jul 16 09:45:54 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] "Parker" Headed to Supreme Court Message-ID: <469B92A3.30502@FirearmsCoalition.org> D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty is announcing that the District is going forward with an appeal to the Supreme Court in the Parker case. The announcement puts to rest rumors and concerns that DC would simply make minor adjustments to their oppressive gun restrictions to feign compliance with the Federal Circuit Court's decision stating that the Second Amendment refers to an individual right. The next step in the process is for the Supreme Court to decide whether they will hear the case or not. If they do not choose to hear it, the court ruling stands and its decision carries a bit more weight than it would have had if it had never been appealed to the SCOTUS, but it would still not be a binding precedent for all federal courts. If the Supreme Court does choose to hear the case it will be almost impossible for them to reach a decision without a clear statement of whether the Second Amendment applies to only state militias such as the National Guard or whether it is an individual right. Please spread this news and start writing letters to the editor; the anti-gunners will be mounting massive media campaigns in attempts to convince the Court that the American people no longer believe in the Second Amendment. It is up to us - you and me - to diffuse that nonsense and make it clear that the majority of Americans recognize the right to arms as a basic human right. We will keep you posted as the issue develops and we will present more in-depth analysis in "The Knox Report" and in the Blogs on our newly revamped website - www.FirearmsCoalition.org. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Jeff Knox The Firearms Coalition From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Mon Jul 16 12:25:57 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Mon Jul 16 12:26:14 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] OSHA Running for Cover! Message-ID: <469BB835.9010206@FirearmsCoalition.org> The recent flap over proposed new OSHA regs has gotten that agencies attention and they are now saying that they will dramatically revise the proposal to avoid creating difficulties for the firearms industry and retailers. NRA has an informative release at: www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=3162 -- Jeff www.FirearmsCoalition.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20070716/04b5f3ac/attachment.html From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Tue Aug 7 12:17:43 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Tue Aug 7 12:17:58 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Congress & Night Out Message-ID: <46B8B747.5050606@FirearmsCoalition.org> Hello Gun-Voter, Tonight is National Night Out Against Crime. Block parties and community festivals are being planned around the country to show support for crime prevention, build neighborhood and community cohesiveness, and recruit for programs like Neighborhood Watch. This is a wonderful opportunity for gun rights advocates to let their neighbors know just what they can do to "Take a Bite Outa' Crime." Worthwhile activities include distributing literature about concealed carry and home defense and exercising open carry rights in those places where that right has not been abrogated. *Congress Vacates Washington* August in D.C. means hot, humid weather and empty halls of Congress. They call this a "District Work Period" which is political-speak for "Month-long Vacation." To keep up appearances, many Representatives and Senators attend events and hold "Town Hall Meetings" where they personally offer up the same non-committal pap that their staffs send out in their responses to your letters. Now is the time to try to get face to face with these people who are supposed to be working for you and challenge them to answer hard, clear questions about gun rights. If you can, capture the question and response on digital video and send us the clip so we can share it with the world. *New Web Site* If you haven't yet visited our new web site, be sure to do so and while your there, please register with the site. We only ask for a name and e-mail and we never share your information or add you to any list without your specific permission. We've posted some great videos along with archives of our Knox Report columns and other useful resources. If you have a good article or video clip you'd like to share, you're welcome to submit it to us for publication on the site. Invite your friends and shooting buddies to stop by too. * Hard Corps Report* A new Hard Corps Report is in the works and will be mailed soon. If you don't currently subscribe to the HCR, please consider doing so. We ask for a contribution of at least $25 to cover our costs, but we're happy to send free samples to anyone who'd like them. Also, be sure to ask us about extra copies to share with your club or customers. * Support Our Work* If you haven't sent a contribution recently, we could certainly use the help. We try not to be obnoxious about our requests for funds and ask that you do what you can to support our work and keep our information and analysis available. Contributions can be made on-line at www.FirearmsCoalition.org or via snail-mail at PO Box 3313, Manassas, VA 20108. We also accept credit card payments over the phone at 703-753-0424. As always, we appreciate your support. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff -- Jeff Knox The Firearms Coalition ---- Support National Exercise Your Rights Day! Buy a Gun on August 28! http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=288589 http://www.firearmscoalition.org/new/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41&Itemid=37 www.FirearmsCoalition.org "The Knox Report" -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20070807/23629b7c/attachment.html From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Fri Aug 10 11:21:18 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Fri Aug 10 11:21:30 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Parker isn't Parker any more... Message-ID: <46BC9E8E.4060006@FirearmsCoalition.org> Activists should be aware of the fact that as the "Parker" case heads to appeal at the Supreme Court, it is no longer the "Parker" case. The pleading for certiorari will be titled "District of Columbia v. Heller" since Heller was the only plaintiff in the original case who was actually found to have legal standing and the roles have switched for the appeal. This change has made it difficult for many people trying to keep up with the case to locate information since they were searching for the wrong case title. The Supreme Court did grant the Districts request for more time to file their appeal and that time runs out on September 5. One of the primary reasons for the requested delay - and probably for the decision to appeal itself - is the fact that DC has managed to hire a prominent anti-gun law professor to head up their case. The Professor only became available in the past month or so and they wanted him to be able to supervise the whole shebang. (Or at least that's what I think.) I am currently writing a short piece on this subject for inclusion in the upcoming edition of the Hard Corps Report which we hope to have in the mail next week. If you do not currently receive the HCR, all it takes is a donation (or really just a request, but we much prefer requests that are accompanied by a donation to help defray our costs.) On-line at: www.FirearmsCoalition.org or via snail-mail at: PO Box 3313 Manassas, VA 20108 Remember that your CongressCritters are home this month; make sure they get voting advice from you while they're in town. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff -- Jeff Knox The Firearms Coalition ---- Support National Exercise Your Rights Day! Buy a Gun on August 28! http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=288589 http://www.firearmscoalition.org/new/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41&Itemid=37 www.FirearmsCoalition.org "The Knox Report" From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Fri Aug 17 14:30:41 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Fri Aug 17 14:30:59 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] National Exercise Your Rights Day! Message-ID: <46C60571.4070806@FirearmsCoalition.org> National Exercise Your Rights Day is just 10 days away! Buy a Gun or Ammo on August 28! Are you ready? Have you saved up some money? Have you notified your clubs and friends? Have you made sure your local gun stores know about National Exercise Your Rights Day so they can promote it and offer special discounts? Have you made plans to join friends at the range? Have you begun drafting your message to your legislators? The Reverend Jesse Jackson is joining in the celebration of National Exercise Your Rights Day though the good Reverend is only planning to exercise his First Amendment right, he can rest assured that those of us exercising our First and Second Amendment rights will stand ready to defend ALL of his rights. Here's what Jesse Jackson is doing: *DOZENS OF CITIES OBSERVE NATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST AGAINST ILLEGAL GUNS * _More Than 20 Simultaneous Protests Across America on the Anniversary of Dr. King's March on Washington _ Washington, DC -- In response to rising violence in Chicago and nationwide, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., founder and president of Rainbow PUSH Coalition, has called for a national day of protest against illegal guns. Activists from Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence's Million Mom March Chapters, ProtestEasyGuns, and other local gun-violence prevention organizations will be participating in events in more than 20 cities across America on August 28. Cities with events scheduled for August 28 include: Phoenix, Arizona; San Diego, California; Dallas, Texas; Seattle, Washington; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Duluth, Minnesota. Nationwide, there will be candlelight vigils, memorial bell-ringing ceremonies, marches, rallies, press conferences, and "lie-ins" in which 32 people lie down to represent the 32 people murdered with guns every day in America. Rev. Jackson called for these protests to take place on August 28 -- the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's historic March on Washington -- to demand action against the gun violence plaguing our cities. Rev. Jackson and Brady President Paul Helmke will be available for interviews in the days leading up to August 28. To reach local representatives, please contact the Brady Campaign national headquarters at 202-898-0792. A full list of participating cities will be available on August 23rd at BradyCampaign.org or RainbowPUSH.org # # # # While the Reverend Mr. Jackson and his collaborators are exercising their right to call for restrictions on our rights, we will be celebrating all of the rights given by God to the free citizens of the United States. Second Amendment celebrators will be buying guns and ammo, writing legislators, holding picnics and shooting events, and generally enjoying the joys of liberty in hundreds of cities and towns around the country. Please note the phone number to the Brady Center Headquarters (above) where you can learn about their activities in your area! If you haven't started planning your celebration yet, there's still time! Make your plans today to celebrate National Exercise Your Rights Day on August 28. And whether you're planning to march in the streets, hold a free firearms safety course, or just buy a gun or ammunition, drop us a note to let us know your plans. Please include your zip code with your message and consider including contact information so others in your area can join you. Celebrate National Exercise Your Rights Day! Buy a Gun or Ammo on August 28! Spread the word! Let us know what you're planning to do by sending a note to Exercise@FirearmsCoalition.org and Be Sure to Include Your ZIP Code! Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20070817/42d206d7/attachment.html From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Thu Aug 23 12:20:14 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Thu Aug 23 12:20:32 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Update: National Exercise Your Rights Day Message-ID: <46CDCFDE.9030808@FirearmsCoalition.org> Well, the anti's have finally published their list of events for their part of National Exercise Your Rights Day. They are planning to exercise their First Amendment Rights in the following ways: * a rally at a park in Newark near the school where the recent shootings took place * a protest at a gun store in Maryland that is responsible for the most crime guns found in Washington, D.C. * a candlelight vigil at the Arizona state capitol in Phoenix * a community gathering at a church in Birmingham, Alabama * an anti-violence coalition breakfast in Minneapolis * community forums on illegal guns in San Diego and Philadelphia * a march down Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and rally in Dallas * a bell-ringing for gun violence victims at city hall in Duluth, Minnesota * a "freeway blog" over a busy highway in Houston * a silence vigil to protest recent shootings in Denver * a kick-off BBQ for Operation Ceasefire in Ewing, New Jersey * and Protest Easy Guns Lie-Ins in Seattle, Raleigh, Philadelphia, Portland (Maine) , Minneapolis , St. Paul , Richmond (Calif.) , and Springfield (Ill.) * a statewide letter writing campaign is being organized in California to build support for a crime-fighting "microstamping" bill being considered by the State Legislature. More information can be found on the Brady web site at: http://www.bradycampaign.org/action/trafficking/aug28/ I encourage gun rights activists nationwide to exercise your First and Second Amendment Rights by helping to make next Tuesday a record sales day for your local firearms and ammunition dealers and a record letter and e-mail day for your elected officials. If you live in an area where an anti-gun activity is scheduled, please show up at their events with proper attire, buttons, and signage to let these folks know that you support ALL of their rights. We've gotten a lot of responses from activists around the country planning to take individual action, but not a lot of information about group actions. The Second Amendment Sisters and Maryland activists are planning to "support" the event at Realco Guns in Upper Marlboro, Maryland from Noon to 2:00 and while it is difficult to ask activists in Northern Virginia to disarm and venture into "The People's Republic of Maryland", I am planning to do so and your support would be appreciated. Since this is going to be the official event for the DC area, it is also likely to be the biggest and receive the most publicity so we need the best turnout possible. If you or your group is planning any organized activity - march, shooting event, picnic, group buying trips, or whatever, please let us know so we can help get more people to join you. If you are willing to coordinate an event, please let us know. Missouri residents are reminded that your new law goes into effect on the 28th which should lower costs for you. Please forward this alert to everyone on your e-mail list and copy it into your favorite firearms forums. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox www.FirearmsCoalition.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20070823/566fb831/attachment.htm From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Thu Aug 30 18:14:45 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Thu Aug 30 18:15:11 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] NRA Director Against "Assault Weapons" Message-ID: <46D75D75.10003@FirearmsCoalition.org> * NRA Director Against "Assault Weapons* */ "I think these assault weapons basically need to be in the hands of the military and they need to be in the hands of the police, but as far as assault weapons to a civilian, if you... if you... it's alright if you got that magazine capacity down to five rounds."/* These are the words of famous, former Texas Ranger and current member of the NRA Board of Directors, Joaquin Jackson. Jackson was being interviewed on PBS TV station KLRU on a program called /*TexasMonthly Talks.*/ The pertinent segment of the interview can be viewed on-line at: http://www.klru.org/texasmonthlytalks/archives/jackson/jackson.asp last clip on the page. Below is a transcript of this portion of the interview. *Moderator: You are a past Board member...?* *Jackson: Current Board Member* *M: You are a current board member of the NRA since 2001* * J: That's correct.* [Short discussion where Jackson describes his strong commitment to the Second Amendment and its importance.] *M: Of course a lot of law enforcement are concerned about things like assault weapons which they feel like don't really contribute to the keeping of the peace.* * J: Well, I'm a person that believes in a weapon should never...I personally believe a weapon should never have over a -- far as civilian -- 5 round capacity. If a hunter, if you're a hunter if you're gonna go hunting with a weapon, you shouldn't need over but one round...* *M: If you're any good* * J: If you're a good shot. Five rounds would be plenty.* *M: So have you brought to the attention of your fellow board members at the NRA that maybe assault weapons ought to be restricted?* * J: Well we've talked, we've discussed it you know, but uh this thing about assault weapons has been a kind of a touchy deal, but personally, I think these assault weapons basically need to be in the hands of the military and they need to be in the hands of the police, but uh, as far as assault weapons to a civilian, if you... if you... it's alright if you got that magazine capacity down to five...* *M: Five rounds. Limited to that.* * J: ...five, five... Good to go. Five rounds or some...* Joaquin Jackson is a good man. He was an outstanding Texas Ranger and he has been an asset as a member of the Board of Directors of NRA, but such elitist bigotry is completely out of line for an NRA Director. Jim Zumbo made his unfortunate comments out of ignorance. There can be no doubt that Ranger Jackson is intimately familiar with the form and function of military style weapons. While his initial comment could have been an expression of his opinions on "fair chase" rules for hunting, his subsequent comments make it crystal clear that he is referring to all military-style firearms in civilian hands. I know, like, and respect Joaquin Jackson and appreciate his service to my native state of Texas and to the NRA, but this betrayal of the principles of the Second Amendment and the policies and positions of the NRA and the Board of Directors is inexcusable. Ranger Jackson needs to immediately resign his seat on the Board of Directors and recant his statements about "assault weapons." Ranger Jackson's contact information, along with contact information for the rest of the Officers and Directors of NRA can be found in the current (September) issue of NRA's magazines. The Board will be meeting in their regular quarterly meeting in mid September. Writing for The Firearms Coalition, Jeff Knox -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20070830/cd802fcc/attachment.htm From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Fri Aug 31 10:33:03 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Fri Aug 31 10:33:31 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Joaquin Jackson Update Message-ID: <46D842BF.2040704@FirearmsCoalition.org> Yesterday I sent out an Alert about NRA Director Joaquin Jackson's TV interview in which he opined that "assault weapons" were alright if they only had a capacity of 5 rounds. This story has actually been bouncing around the internet for a couple of weeks and Ranger Jackson and NRA have released a response to the concerns raised by the story. It is very clear in the interview exactly what Jackson is saying and what he means. Along with some other comments he states; */"I think these assault weapons basically need to be in the hands of the military and they need to be in the hands of the police, but as far as assault weapons to a civilian, if you... if you... it's alright if you got that magazine capacity down to five rounds."/* The interview took place on June 5, 2005 - not long after the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban had been allowed to sunset - so the debate on that issue should have been fairly fresh in Jackson's mind. The interview can be viewed at: http://www.klru.org/texasmonthlytalks/archives/jackson/jackson.asp The pertinent segment is the last one on the page. For the record, H. Joaquin Jackson is indeed a sitting member of the NRA Board of Directors. A complete listing of NRA Officers and Directors, along with their mailing addresses, was published in the current (September) issue of the NRA magazines. A response has been posted on the NRA web site, http://www.nraila.org/News/Read/InTheNews.aspx?ID=9899 that is supposed to have been written by Jackson, but which does not really sound or feel like Jackson. In that response letter, Jackson - or his ghost writer - claims that the mistake is the viewer's, not his. That his only mistake was in not making himself clear that he was talking about hunting and full-auto assault weapons. If that is true, then Ranger Jackson was advocating that the police have full-auto weapons and that it is "alright" for civilians to have then as long as the magazine capacity is restricted to only 5 rounds. Here is the Statement: Recently, concerns have been raised in response to statements made by NRA Board Member Joaquin Jackson to Texas Monthly in 2005. We have received questions from NRA members who are seeking clarity as to NRA's positions on the subject matter discussed in Mr. Jackson's interview. To be clear, NRA supports the right of all law-abiding citizens to Keep and Bear Arms for all lawful purposes. We will continue, as we have in the past, to vigorously oppose any efforts to limit gun ownership by law-abiding citizens as an unconstitutional infringement on our Second Amendment freedoms. These efforts include opposition to any attempts to ban firearms, including firearms incorrectly referred to as "assault weapons", and any attempts to place arbitrary limits on magazine capacity. For more information on NRA's legislative efforts to protect and defend the Second Amendment, please visit www.NRAILA.org and www.Clintongunban.com . *_STATEMENT OF JOAQUIN JACKSON_* Recently, some misunderstandings have arisen about a news interview in which I participated a few years ago. After recently watching a tape of that interview, I understand the sincere concerns of many people, including dear friends of mine. And I am pleased and eager to clear up any confusion about my long held belief in the sanctity of the Second Amendment. In the interview, when asked about my views of "assault weapons," I was talking about true assault weapons -- fully automatic firearms. I was not speaking, in any way, about semiautomatic rifles. While the media may not understand this critical distinction, I take it very seriously. But, as a result, I understand how some people may mistakenly take my comments to mean that I support a ban on civilian ownership of semiautomatic firearms. Nothing could be further from the truth. And, unfortunately, the interview was cut short before I could fully explain my thoughts and beliefs. In fact, I am a proud owner of such rifles, as are millions of law-abiding Americans. And many Americans also enjoy owning fully automatic firearms, after being cleared by a background check and meeting the rigorous regulations to own such firearms. And these millions of lawful gun owners have every right -- and a Second Amendment right -- to own them. As a hunter, I take great pride in my marksmanship. Every hunter should practice to be skilled to take prey with a single shot, if possible. That represents ethical, humane, skilled hunting. In the interview several years ago, I spoke about this aspect of hunting and my belief that no hunter should take the field and rely upon high capacity magazines to take their prey. But that comment should never be mistaken as support for the outright banning of any ammunition magazines. In fact, such bans have been pursued over the years by state legislatures and the United States Congress and these magazine bans have always proven to be abject failures. Let me be very clear. As a retired Texas Ranger, during 36 years of law enforcement service, I was sworn to uphold the United States Constitution. As a longtime hunter and shooter, an NRA Board Member, and as an American -- I believe the Second Amendment is a sacred right of all law-abiding Americans and, as I stated in the interview in question, I believe it is the Second Amendment that ensures all of our other rights handed down by our Founding Fathers. I have actively opposed gun bans and ammunition and magazine bans in the past, and I will continue to actively oppose such anti-gun schemes in the future. I appreciate my friends who have brought this misunderstanding to light, for it has provided me an opportunity to alleviate any doubts about my strong support for the NRA and our Second Amendment freedom. #### Doesn't that sound more like it was written by a Washington PR suit than a Texas Ranger? Regardless of who actually wrote the letter, Jackson's name is on it. As I said in the Alert yesterday, I like and respect Joaquine Jackson. I am very disappointed that he would take such a misguided and bigoted position on "assault weapons" and even more disappointed that he would choose to try to blame the viewer rather than owning up to his own remarks. If he thought civilians shouldn't have "assault weapons" and has now seen the light and changed his position, I could accept and respect that. Trying to claim that what he very clearly said - and reiterated - is not what he actually meant, I find completely disingenuous. I hate having to get into the middle of this at a time when The Firearms Coalition is actively working to bring the gun rights community together, but when you are guided by certain principles, you can not ignore those principles in favor of diplomacy. Should Joaquin Jackson be vilified and made a pariah in the gun rights community? No, absolutely not. But he should not be a member of the NRA Board of Directors. Jeff Knox www.FirearmsCoalition.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20070831/ffc6b1ef/attachment-0001.htm From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Thu Sep 27 19:06:12 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Thu Sep 27 19:06:25 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Coburn Blocks NICS Bill Railroad Message-ID: <46FC5384.70308@FirearmsCoalition.org> (Washington, DC, September 27, 2007) Oklahoma Republican Senator Dr. Tom Coburn put a halt to an attempt to push through H.R.2640, the so called "NICS Improvement Bill", by objecting to an attempt by Chuck Schumer (D, NY) to move the bill directly to a vote without debate or an opportunity to amend the problematic piece of legislation. The bill was rushed through the House in June and passed on a voice vote with only one know dissenter, presidential candidate, Representative Ron Paul (R, TX) who expressed concerns that the bill was simply an expansion of an already unconstitutional program requiring citizens to seek and receive government permission before exercising their Constitutional Right to bear arms. Senator Coburn's action does not put a stop to the controversial NICS bill, but it does keep it from barreling through without any opportunity to fix some of its serious flaws. The bill has caused a deepening of the rift between the "hard-line" and "moderate" branches of the gun rights movement. NRA cooperated in the crafting of the bill which blew through the House with their support in mid-June, but strong opposition from GOA and many grassroots organizations seems to be slowing the bill's momentum and damaging NRA's credibility. The Senate Judiciary Committee dramatically increased funding for the proposal just before the August recess and rolled several other "school safety" bills in with the NICS bill. The Firearms Coalition strongly supports the objectives of the NRA improvements in the NICS bill, but the gains are not worth the costs to taxpayers or the damage that the argument over the bill is causing within the gun rights movement. We are encouraging Senator Coburn and others to take the next step and place a "Hold" on the bill which we believe would result in a quiet death to this controversial issue - at least for now. **************** Chris has been doing a lot of work on The Firearms Coalition website at www.FirearmsCoalition.org and we'd like to have your opinion on it. We've added the ability to comment on articles and blog entries, we've added a forum area, and we've given members the ability to create their own blogs on the site. We've also started collecting member ZIP codes to help us alert them to local issues as they come up. If you're already registered for the site, please stop by and add your ZIP code to your profile so we can more effectively keep you informed. If you haven't yet registered on the site, what are you waiting for? Stop by and see what we've got going on. **************** I'll be doing a presentation on expanding concealed carry at the Gun Rights Policy Conference outside Cincinnati next weekend. This is a free event and a great opportunity to brainstorm and network with fellow gun rights activists. For information about the conference, click on the GRPC link on www.FirearmsCoalition.org. **************** The new Hard Corps Report should be in the mail next week. Subscribe now! Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox The Firearms Coalition From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Mon Oct 15 12:17:50 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Mon Oct 15 12:18:18 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] CA "Microstamping" Bill Signed by Gov. Message-ID: <4713AECE.3030804@FirearmsCoalition.org> California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the idiotic "microstamping" bill on Saturday. This means that all semi-auto handguns sold in California after 2010 will be required to have little, computer coded marks on the firing pin which are supposed to transfer onto the primer upon firing, thus allowing the police to identify the make, model, and serial number of the gun from any spent cases left at the scene of a crime. Since criminals virtually never use a gun which can be traced back to them (unless they are celebrities like Robert Blake) and since the tiny markings can be easily defeated with no tools and little effort, the impact on crime and criminals is expected to be negligible. Expect to see bans on the sale of replacement firing pins, restrictions on possession of fingernail files, and restrictions on duct-tape and cardboard from which brass-catchers could be fabricated. The Governator also signed a bill banning use of lead shot and bullets in millions of acres of the state where the endangered California Condor live. The condors, which are carrion eaters, are alleged to be eating the lead bullets and shot remaining in unrecovered game or unwanted portions left in the field by hunters. According to proponents of the law, such lead consumption is damaging the condor's survivability. The end result of this law probably will be a benefit to the condors since the reason lead is used is because it is the most efficient material for the taking of game. Use of other bullet and shot materials will probably result in more wounded birds and animals which will escape hunters and provide free feasts for the endangered vultures. Since there was no sound science or reliable research into the actual effects of lead bullets and shot on the California Condor, the results of this ban - beyond added costs to hunters - will never really be known. ***************************************** *Knox Named "Grass Roots Activist of the Year"* Jeff Knox was named the "Grass Roots Activist of the Year" last weekend at the Gun Rights Policy Conference outside Cincinnati, OH. The annual event is cosponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the Citizens' Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA). Knox was presented a plaque during the Saturday, October 5 Awards Luncheon, by Women & Guns magazine Editor and 2006 recipient of the NRA "Sybil Ludington Womens' Freedom Award," Peggy Tartaro on behalf of CCRKBA. Ms. Tartaro was chosen to make the presentation because she, like Jeff, is a second generation gun rights activist. Peggy is the daughter of long-time activist, gun writer, and Editor of Gun Week newspaper, Joe Tartaro. Jeff Knox is the Director of Operations for The Firearms Coalition and the son of Coalition founder and legendary gun rights hero, Neal Knox. We salute Jeff for this well deserved recognition and thank CCRKBA for recognizing his hard work and dedication. Congratulations Jeff! -- Now get back to work. ***************************************** The Firearms Coalition is looking for volunteers to assist in internet research and state/regional coordination efforts. If you are committed to the principles of liberty, have a reliable computer with internet access, and have some time to help advance our cause, please drop us a note at info@FirearmsCoalition.org ***************************************** The latest edition of The Hard Corps Report hit mailboxes earlier this week. If you don't receive our semi-monthly newsletter, send us your name and address and we'll rush a free copy to your door, or better yet, send a check for $20 or more to PO Box 3313, Manassas, VA 20108 and well keep you informed for the next full year. ***************************************** The Firearms Coalition is a project of Neal Knox Associates and is wholly supported by our members. Contributions to The Firearms Coalition are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20071015/ef3625e6/attachment.html From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Fri Oct 19 09:53:29 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Fri Oct 19 09:53:41 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Empty Holster Protest Message-ID: <4718D2F9.3040902@FirearmsCoalition.org> During the Gun Rights Policy Conference I met a group of very impressive young people dedicated to ending the stupidity of disarming students and faculty at our institutions of higher education. Students for Concealed Carry on Campus is a grassroots effort by college students, for college students, and they are picking up momentum across the nation. They have scheduled a nationwide week of protest for next week; here is the announcement: * ** During the week of October 22-26, 2007, college students throughout America, organized under the banner of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, will attend classes wearing empty holsters, in protest of state laws and campus policies that stack the odds in favor of armed killers by disarming law abiding citizens licensed to carry concealed handguns virtually everywhere else**. * I apologize for the late notice on this; I have been trying to get these folks hooked up with other organizations that can help them and to get others with e-mail lists like this one to help spread the word and neglected to let you guys know about it. If you know any college students (or people who know college students), please let them know about this group and the planned protest. For more information go to: http://concealedcampus.org/ * Let's do our best to help make this protest a success! *Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Jeff Knox Director of Operations The FirearmsCoalition -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20071019/808213cc/attachment.htm From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Mon Nov 5 14:46:22 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Mon Nov 5 14:46:49 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] VOTE Tomorrow/Today Message-ID: <472F8F2E.7090802@FirearmsCoalition.org> Tuesday November 6 is Election Day in many places around the country and GunVoters have an opportunity to make a dramatic impact on these elections. Voter turnout for off-year elections is traditionally very low and this year?s are expected to continue this tradition. Low voter turnout means that each vote has more impact. GunVoters can make a big difference in any election, but during off-year elections like tomorrows, GunVoters could literally pick the winners. If you haven?t been paying attention to elections in your area, now is your last chance to get up to speed and get out to the polls. We can?t keep up with all of the candidates and elections being held around the country ? even NRA?s huge staff can?t cover them all ? so it?s up to you to find out about your local elections. NRA?s Political Victory Fund, www.NRAPVF.org, has information on many of the statewide and legislative races, but for local elections for City Council, County Commission, School Board, and such, you will need to find local grassroots groups or active election watchers for guidance. Most of you on this list are serious activists who follow election issues and candidates closely, but many of you only pay attention to federal or statewide elections and don?t keep up with judicial and local candidates. If you?re the expert, make sure everyone you know gets out to the polls and knows who to vote for. If you?re not the expert, get busy on the internet or find your local expert and get out to the polls. This is a big opportunity to make a difference and set the tone for the elections of 2008. Get Informed then Get Out and VOTE! From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Tue Nov 13 14:14:11 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Tue Nov 13 14:14:21 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Supreme Court Indecision Message-ID: <473A13A3.5040704@FirearmsCoalition.org> The Supreme Court was widely expected to announce whether or not they were going to review the Parker/Heller DC Gun Ban case, but the case was not mentioned in the "Orders List" which came out today. The Court will have another conference on November 20 at which time they could make a decision about review of the case. If they do make a decision during that conference, it should be announced that day or on the following Monday. There is much speculation as to why the Court might have chosen to delay a decision on this case, but as with most things involving the High Court, the real reason for the delay or indecision is unknown. The Supreme Court doesn't explain themselves until they actually make a decision. As always, we will keep you posted as news becomes available. ************************* Just a reminder, if you haven't already done so, please be sure to stop by the web site to register or update your registration with your ZIP Code so we can focus alerts into specific states or regions when needs be. We will be upgrading the Alerts system and the more information we have, the better we can keep you informed of pertinent news. And of course, we never sell, loan, or share any of your information. ************************* If you haven't yet subscribed to our newsletter "The Hard Corps Report" please consider doing so now. Your subscriptions and donations are all that allows us to provide you with the most accurate and timely gun rights information available anywhere. Please support our mission with a generous contribution either through the web site: www.FirearmsCoalition.org or via mail at PO Box 3313, Manassas, VA 20108. From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Mon Nov 19 18:52:01 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Mon Nov 19 18:52:14 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Big Votes in PA tomorrow, Tuesday Message-ID: <47423DC1.90907@FirearmsCoalition.org> We usually don't do this, but the following Alert from the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is timely and urgent so we are forwarding it to our list. (As list members add their ZIP codes, we will eventually be able to focus such Alerts to specific states.) URGENT ACTION: TELL PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE MEMBERS TO OPPOSE HB 22, HB 18 and HB 29 Anti-gun rights Governor Rendell plans to take an unprecedented step and personally attend Tuesday's PA House Judiciary Committee meeting to attack gun owners and our constitutional freedoms by forcing bad legislation (HB 18, HB 22, and HB 29) out of committee. *You need to act now!!!* Please contact members of the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee today and keep it up through Tuesday morning. ASK THE MEMBERS TO OPPOSE HB 22, HB 18 and HB 29. The Committee Votes are scheduled Tuesday November 20 at 10:00 AM. Phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses are at the end of this message. PLEASE USE THEM. At the request of anti-gun rights Governor Ed Rendell (D), the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee has tentatively scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, November 20 at 10:00am, to vote on several anti-gun measures. The package of bills include a one-gun-a-month limit, a requirement for individuals to report lost or stolen firearms or be criminally charged, and legislation that would overturn Pennsylvania's current preemption law that stops local cities from passing new anti gun rights laws. House Bill 18 , sponsored by anti-gun rights State Representative Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia), would further provide for limitations on the regulation of firearms and ammunition by local municipalities. State preemption regulating firearms was enacted by the legislature to avoid the possibility of thousands of separate anti-firearm laws across the Commonwealth. Without preemption there would be a myriad of local firearms laws making compliance impossible for law abiding gun owners. In addition, this proposed legislation may also be in conflict with Article 1, Section 21 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania which states "The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the state shall not be questioned." House Bill 22 , "one-gun-a-month" legislation, sponsored by anti-gun rights State Representative John Myers (D-Philadelphia), will prohibit law-abiding citizens from purchasing more than one handgun at a time, and impose a 30-day waiting period between single handgun purchases. House Bill 29 <%3Ca%20href=>, "Lost or Stolen Firearms" legislation, sponsored by anti-gun rights State Representative Jewell Williams (D-Philadelphia), would make it a crime to fail to report the loss or theft of a firearm to police within 24 hours of discovering the firearm missing. This proposal would criminalize victims of crime and is ineffective. The following organizations are on record as opposing this legislation: Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Allegheny County Sportsmen's League (ACSL), Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs (PFSC), Pennsylvania Sportsmen's Association (PSA), National Rifle Association (NRA), Gun Owners of America (GOA), Second Amendment Sisters (SAS), Pennsylvania Rifle and Pistol Association (PR&PA), Pennsylvania Gun Collectors Association (PGCA) Lehigh Valley Firearms Coalition, Philadelphia Federation of Sportsmen's Club, Pennsylvania Gun Owners Association (PGOA) Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania (Unified) National Association of Firearms Retailers (NAFR), Pennsylvania State Fish & Game Protective Association, The Pink Pistols OpenCarry.org Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association (PAFOA) National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSA) Western Pennsylvania 30 Caliber League, Inc Firearms Owners Against Crime (FOAC) the largest gun owners Political Action Committee (PAC) in Pennsylvania will record any support for any of this legislation, now or in the future, as an anti-gun vote. It is imperative that you contact the following members of the House Judiciary Committee TODAY through Tuesday to strongly encourage them to OPPOSE this package of anti-gun rights bills! *PLEASE focus your efforts on the Committee Leaders and then the 'Uncommitted Group' and then the listed 'Pro-2nd Amendment' group.* Representatives listed below are Committee Leadership State Representative Thomas R. Caltagirone (D-127), Majority Chairman 106 Irvis Office Building PO Box 202127 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2127 (717) 787-3525 Fax: (717) 772-5401 tcaltagi@pahouse.net State Representative Ron Marsico (R-105), Minority Chairman 218 Ryan Office Building PO Box 202105 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2105 (717) 783-2014 Fax: (717) 705-2010 rmarsico@pahousegop.com State Representative Daylin Leach (D-149), Secretary 109A East Wing PO Box 202149 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2149 (717) 783-9114 Fax: (717) 787-0861 dleach@pahouse.net Representatives listed below are Pro 2nd Amendment State Representative Deberah Kula (D-52) 104A East Wing PO Box 202052 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2052 (717) 772-1858 Fax: (717) 780-4784 dkula@pahouse.net State Representative Joseph A. Petrarca (D-55) 220 Irvis Office Building PO Box 202055 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2055 (717) 787-5142 Fax: (717) 705-2014 jpetrarc@pahouse.net State Representative Jesse White (D-46) 102B East Wing PO Box 202046 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2046 (717) 783-6437 jwhite@pahouse.net State Representative Tom C. Creighton (R-37) 400 Irvis Office Building PO Box 202037 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2037 (717) 772-5290 Fax: (717) 783-1904 tcreight@pahousegop.com State Representative Craig A. Dally (R-138) 211 Ryan Office Building PO Box 202138 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2138 (717) 783-8573 Fax: (717) 705-1849 cdally@pahousegop.com State Representative John R. Evans (R-5) B12 Main Capitol Building PO Box 202005 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2005 (717) 772-9940 Fax: (717) 772-7099 jevans@pahousegop.com State Representative Will Gabig (R-199) 410 Irvis Office Building PO Box 202199 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2199 (717) 772-2280 Fax: (717) 705-2012 wgabig@pahousegop.com State Representative Glen R. Grell (R-87) 404 Irvis Office Building PO Box 202087 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2087 (717) 783-2063 Fax: (717) 772-8418 ggrell@pahousegop.com State Representative Kate Harper (R-61) 149A East Wing PO Box 202061 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2061 (717) 787-2801 Fax: (717) 787-2022 kharper@pahousegop.com State Representative Beverly Mackereth (R-196) 7 East Wing PO Box 202196 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2196 (717) 783-2655 Fax: (717) 772-9869 bmackere@pahousegop.com State Representative Todd Rock (R-90) 162A East Wing PO Box 202090 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2090 (717) 783-5218 Fax: (717) 260-6505 trock@pahousegop.com State Representative Katie True (R-41) 143A East Wing PO Box 202041 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2041 (717) 705-7161 Fax: (717) 705-1946 ktrue@pahousegop.com State Representative Tina Pickett (R-110) 155A East Wing PO Box 202110 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2110 (717) 783-8238 Fax: (717) 705-1949 tpickett@pahousegop.com Representatives listed below are Uncommitted on these issues State Representative John E. Pallone (D-54) 325 Irvis Office Building PO Box 202054 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2054 (717) 783-1819 Fax: (717) 772-9984 jpallone@pahouse.net State Representative Don Walko (D-20) 121 Irvis Office Building PO Box 202020 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020 (717) 787-5470 Fax: (717) 783-0407 dwalko@pahouse.net State Representative Sean M. Ramaley (D-16) 323 Main Capitol Building PO Box 202016 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2016 (717) 787-4444 sramaley@pahouse.net State Representative Carl W. Mantz (R-187) 53B East Wing PO Box 202187 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2187 (717) 787-3017 Fax: (717) 772-9869 cmantz@pahousegop.com Representatives listed below are dedicated Anti 2nd Amendment Fanatics State Representative Kathy Manderino (D-194) 125 East Wing PO Box 202194 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2194 (717) 787-1254 Fax: (717) 780-4770 kmanderi@pahouse.net State Representative Lisa Bennington (D-21) 6A East Wing PO Box 202021 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2021 (717) 705-7011 Fax: (717) 780-4761 lbenning@pahouse.net State Representative Dan Frankel (D-23) 217 Irvis Office Building PO Box 202023 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2023 (717) 705-1875 Fax: (717) 705-2034 dfrankel@pahouse.net State Representative Harold James (D-186) 317 Irvis Office Building PO Box 202186 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2186 (717) 787-9477 Fax: (717) 787-7517 hjames@pahouse.net State Representative Greg Vitali (D-16) 103B East Wing PO Box 202166 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2166 (717) 787-7647 Fax: (717) 705-2089 gvitali@pahouse.net State Representative Jewell Williams (D-197) 101 Irvis Office Building PO Box 202197 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2197 (717) 772-2004 Fax: (717) 787-2284 jwilliam@pahouse.net State Representative Bernie O'Neill (R-29) B13 Main Capitol Building PO Box 202029 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2029 (717) 705-7170 Fax: (717) 783-3278 boneill@pahousegop.com State Representative Chelsa Wagner (D-22) 109 Irvis Office Building PO Box 202022 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2022 (717) 783-1582 Fax: (717) 780-4755 cwagner@pahouse.net State Representative Bryan R. Lentz (D-161) 106B East Wing PO Box 202161 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2161 (717) 787-8574 Fax: (717) 780-4777 blentz@pahouse.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------ < Please e-mail, distribute, and circulate to friends and family > Copyright ? 2007 Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, All Rights Reserved. Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms James Madison Building 12500 N.E. Tenth Place Bellevue, WA 98005 Voice: 425-454-4911 Toll Free: 800-426-4302 FAX: 425-451-3959 email: InformationRequest@ccrkba.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20071119/70e3bbd2/attachment.html From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Tue Nov 20 16:46:35 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Tue Nov 20 16:46:45 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Second Amendment Going to Supreme Court Message-ID: <474371DB.6050301@FirearmsCoalition.org> The Supreme Court announced this morning that they are going to hear the appeal of the DC gun ban case. Since the Court didn't make any announcement about this case last week when expected, many Court watchers were not expecting an announcement until after the Thanksgiving break, but, as we reported last week, we expected that they might make an announcement today as they did. We will have more information about today's decision on our web site, www.FirearmsCoalition.org later today. From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Wed Dec 19 17:11:31 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Wed Dec 19 17:11:48 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Senate Passes NICS Improvement Act Message-ID: <4769B333.1030903@FirearmsCoalition.org> The U.S. Senate today voted to pass their version of the NRA supported NICS Improvement Act (H.R.2640). The bill now must go back to the House to resolve differences between the versions passed in the two bodies. NRA, NSSF, and the Brady Bunch are calling Senate passage a victory, while GOA, many grassroots gun groups, and the more radical gun control organizations like the Violence Policy Center are calling the bill a sell-out. These groups opposed to the bill are calling for in-depth hearings on the bill to be held in the House. When this bill originally passed in the House, it did so on a voice vote with only one Representative speaking against its passage or reportedly voting against it; that one Representative was Dr. Ron Paul of Texas. There will doubtless be much said about this bill over the next few days and it will be interesting to watch. While gun rights groups have taken to calling the bill the "Veterans Disarmament Act" and anti-gun forces claim it will open a flood-gate of mentally challenged people regaining access to firearms, the truth is that, like so many bills passed in Washington, this bill wastes a lot of money to little effect. We'll keep you posted as the political drama unfolds and more information becomes available. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition From AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org Wed Dec 19 22:22:55 2007 From: AlertsList at FirearmsCoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Wed Dec 19 22:23:13 2007 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] House Concurs on NICS Bill Message-ID: <4769FC2F.1000201@FirearmsCoalition.org> House Concurs on Senate-Passed NICS Improvement Bill Earlier today I reported that the US Senate had passed H.R.2640, the NICS Improvement Act by "unanimous consent." Since the Senate had made changes to the original bill, there was a requirement for House concurrence and opponents of the bill were calling for hearings before a House vote. What I learned shortly after I sent out that alert was that the House concurred with the Senate - also by "unanimous consent" - and passed the Senate version. There were modifications made to the bill in order to get the support of Senator Tom Coburn (R, OK) and those changes could make a huge difference in the final bill, but I've not had an opportunity to study the changes yet. I will have a thorough analysis of the bill sent to the President posted on our web site in the next day or two so be sure to check in at www.FirearmsCoalition.org to find out how this version stacks up. ********************* Since this is likely to be the last Alert of the year, I'd like to take the opportunity to wish all of our readers a very merry Christmas, happy Hanuka, and best wishes for the coming year.