Gun Rights Threatened In 2008

[LifeNRA]

Gun Rights Threatened In 2008

-- Help GOA increase its grassroots base to stop even more gun

control next year!

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert

8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151

Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408

http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm

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"Gun Owners of America has remained a steadfast ally. Their

unwavering defense of our rights as Americans is commendable." --

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), November 2007

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Wednesday, December 19, 2007

This past year was one of the most dangerous on record.Headlines blared

what many feared would happen after the Democrats

took over the Congress: "New bill has a good chance of becoming the

first major gun control law in more than a decade."

That "new bill" is known as the Veterans Disarmament Act, and the

battle against it has been intense, as it would disarm hundreds of

thousands of military veterans who are suffering the ailments that

frequently follow combat stress.

But you should know that there was only ONE MAJOR GUN LOBBY that was

actively working to stop this legislation... ONLY ONE GROUP that has

been fighting the bill sponsored by notorious gun grabbers like Rep.

Carolyn McCarthy and Senator Chuck Schumer.

That one major lobby group is Gun Owners of America.

In April, Newsweek noted that GOA had "launched a public campaign to

block the [Veterans Disarmament Act] warning that the proposal could

'block millions of additional, honest gun owners from buying

firearms.'"

As noted by Newsweek, GOA's main weapon in this fight has been the

grassroots. And that's why you are receiving this e-mail. You can

play an important part in helping the gun lobby that DOES NOT

COMPROMISE to increase its clout on Capitol Hill and stop gun control

in its tracks.

Next year, GOA will continue fighting the Veterans Disarmament Act.

That's where you will find GOA... on the front lines in the war to

defend our rights.

But Senators Chuck Schumer and Ted Kennedy want to do more than just

disarm the veterans who fought so bravely for our country. Some of

the other attacks we could expect include: more bullet bans; more

aggressive behavior by the BATFE; a prohibition on gun shows; and,

mandatory "biometric" technology (expensive, unproven firearms that

only the actual owner can use -- rendering them useless to your loved

ones if your home is invaded while you are away).

And, of course, the gun grabbers will never cease working on their

perennial favorites, such as a new semi-auto ban, a complete

nationwide outlawing of private sales between individuals, banning

additional guns such as .50 caliber rifles, and raising hunting age

limits so that our children will never experience our heritage... and

so much more.

Whether you realized what GOA was up to in 2007, GOA has been YOUR

VOICE in the media, YOUR LOBBYIST on Capitol Hill, and one of your

CHIEF ADVOCATES in the courts.

This e-mail will give you just a glimpse of what GOA was up to in

2007, and then show you how you can become an important part of this

effort to preserve our gun rights for future generations.

GOA WAS YOUR VOICE IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE IN 2007

As the nation watched the horrifying images coming from Virginia Tech

on April 16, gun control advocates heightened their calls for greater

restrictions. GOA spokesmen spent countless hours on Capitol Hill

and in the media.

In just the first two weeks following the shooting, GOA appeared in

several hundred news outlets across the country -- including

newspaper articles, radio talk shows and TV debates.You can go to

http://www.gunowners.org/svtb.htm to see many of the TV

debates that GOA spokesmen engaged in -- debates ranging from Fox

News to CNN to MSNBC and more.

GOA HAS BEEN YOUR LOBBYIST ON CAPITOL HILL

1. Stalling the Veterans Disarmament Act.

The April shooting jumpstarted anti-gun legislation sponsored by Rep.

McCarthy and Senator Chuck Schumer. In the name of stopping bad guys

like the Virginia Tech gunman, the Veterans Disarmament Act would

disarm hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Americans -- not to

mention military veterans!

Gun Owners of America activated its grassroots network at every stage

of the legislative battle (while still restricting our low-volume

e-mail alerts to only what is truly needed to keep gun owners on top

of the situation). This resulted in thousands upon thousands of

e-mails and phone calls being generated into Congress in opposition

to the Veterans Disarmament Act.

All year long, the media reported that Gun Owners of America was the

ONE GUN LOBBY that was fighting the Veterans Disarmament Act. By

October, Gun Owners had garnered several important allies in the

fight against the gun control bill.

The Politico newspaper stated, "Gun Owners of America... has launched

grassroots efforts across the nation, backed by military groups such

as the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the American

Legion."By the end of 2007, the pressure that GOA and its

activists applied

-- plus, the work of Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma -- had

resulted in the Veterans Disarmament Act being stalled in the Senate.

2. GOA killed anti-gun Kennedy immigration bill.

GOA helped kill an anti-gun immigration bill that was introduced by

Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA). The bill contained harmful language

which, in the hands of a future anti-gun administration, would allow

gun shops to be shut down and classified as "criminal

gangs."GOA ginned up the grassroots in favor of a killer amendment

that

brought the huge debate over the amnesty bill to a screeching halt.

That one amendment is credited by Capitol Hill insiders as being THE

BIGGEST reason this anti-gun bill was defeated by a 53-46 vote in the

Senate.

3. GOA lobbied to defang BATFE.

When the Senate recently came within a couple of hours of unanimously

approving anti-gun Michael Sullivan for the position of BATFE

Director, GOA sent an emergency fax to every Senate office, urging

them to oppose the Sullivan nomination. Thankfully, one senator

filed an official objection to Sullivan, and his nomination was

temporarily stalled.

GOA then generated a massive outpouring of opposition from its

activists, which resulted in other Senators placing a "hold" on the

Sullivan nomination. The anti-gun appointment has now been put off

until next year.

GOA HAS BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR GUN OWNERS IN THE COURTS

1. GOA and the Supreme Court.

Gun Owners Foundation (the legal arm of GOA) began preparing an

amicus brief for the U.S. Supreme Court after the justices decide to

take up Washington, D.C.'s appeal when its gun ban was declared

unconstitutional. An appellate court ruled in March that the city's

draconian gun ban violated the Second Amendment of the Constitution.

The DC v. Heller case will likely be heard next spring.

2. GOA protects the rights of gun owners.

Gun Owners Foundation is also continuing its defense of Ignacio Ramos

and Jose Alonso Compean -- the two border patrol agents who were

convicted of shooting a Mexican drug smuggler on the U.S. side of the

border. GOF attorneys filed an amicus brief earlier in the year

which argued that Ramos and Compean were falsely convicted of "firing

a gun during the commission of a crime" -- a crime that doesn't even

exist in federal law.

While the "firing a gun" charge can serve as a sentence enhancement

to an underlying crime, the prosecutor would have to show that the

two border agents were unlawfully carrying firearms -- a ludicrous

idea! It became very clear in December that two of the three judges

hearing the agents' appeal were very familiar with GOF's arguments,

as their questions to the prosecutor repeatedly focused on this

particular area of federal law. Prospects look good for a decision

reversing their conviction next year.

3. GOA beat the Brady Bunch in court.

Finally, GOA won a huge bout with the Brady Campaign in the courts!

Shortly after last year's elections, the Brady Campaign asked the

Federal Election Commission to shut down GOA's ability to post its

candidate ratings on the Internet.

Meanwhile, Gun Owners of America was leading a coalition of

organizations in amicus briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court --

challenging the FEC. When the high court ruled in our favor, it took

the wind out of Brady's sails -- as the court's opinion essentially

forced the FEC to dismiss the case against GOA. This means that GOA

will be able to continue posting candidate ratings without restraint.

It should be noted that Gun Owners of America is the ONLY national

gun lobby which provides Second Amendment ratings for every candidate

for federal office regardless of party affiliation. In addition,

paying GOA members will receive our handy Voter Guide in the mail.

PLEASE STAND WITH GOA IN 2008!

If you want to put your money where it really counts, put it with Gun

Owners of America.

With your support in 2008, we will defend the Second Amendment and

fight off all of these new attacks on our rights. We will not permit

the federal government to steal any more of your Second Amendment

rights. And we will renew our fight to restore the gun rights stolen

during the Clinton years.