--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Gun_Owners_of_America@mailmanager.net
To: Undisclosed Recipients
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 16:42:49 -0400
Subject: Gun Battles Expected on Capitol Hill
Message-ID: <AAA749T4KA56YY2S@mx3.boston.juno.com>
Gun Battles Expected on Capitol Hill
-- Senate office praises GOA activists for their hard work!
Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org
"We expected gun control proponents to offer a gun records
amendment on the Senate floor. But, after Senate offices were
flooded with faxes and e-mails from GOA members, they backed off."
-- Ed Corrigan, Legislative Director for Sen. Bob Smith (R-NH)
(Monday, September 24, 2001) -- Hats off to you guys for your hard
work once again! After GOA alerted you earlier this month about a
scheduled Schumer amendment, Senators were deluged with your
opposition to the idea of letting the FBI keep gun buyers' records
for 90 days.
Democrats thought the Schumer amendment was something that would not
stir up people on the outside. But all of a sudden, lots of faxes
and e-mails from GOA activists started pouring into their offices,
and the idea was shelved. Great work! We'll let you know if
Schumer makes another attempt in the future.
Hostettler To Expand Gun Rights
As you know, it is illegal to own a handgun at all in the nation's
capital, as well as to possess any firearm for self-defense. But
Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) is trying to change all that. When the
DC Appropriations bill comes to the floor -- probably Tuesday --
Hostettler plans to offer an amendment that will prevent the DC
government from enforcing the gun ban.
Passing the Hostettler amendment would help gun owners nationwide by
sending a strong message to gun grabbers all around the country.
Once DC residents can own firearms -- and the resulting drop in the
DC murder rate becomes news -- gun owners will have yet another
strong talking point for repealing gun control across the country.
Please ask your Representative to support the Hostettler amendment
to the DC Appropriations bill (which is still unnumbered).
NOTE: Rep. Hostettler must get permission to offer his amendment
Tuesday. If he is not allowed to offer it, you will know that the
House leadership -- a.k.a. Speaker Denny Hastert (R-IL) -- has
vetoed the idea.
Demil Gun Grab Is Back
Remember the demilitarization gun grab that was tucked into the
Department of Defense bill last year? Well, it's back. Buried deep
within the DoD authorization bill (S. 1438) is a provision that
would allow the DoD to collect and destroy certain privately owned
militaria -- including your M1 Carbine, 1903 Springfield, Colt SAA,
uniforms, ammo, scopes, and more.
Last year, GOA put out e-mail and fax alerts asking our members to
contact their congressmen and demand removal of this incredible gun
grab. The bill had already passed both houses of Congress by huge
margins -- nobody reads the bills -- and was in a conference
committee to iron out the differences.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of GOA members and activists,
Congress felt the heat. The Pearl Harbor attack on the Second
Amendment was averted by the flood of calls and e-mail directed to
Congress. Now, one year later, it's time to do it again. Please
ask your Senator to demand the demil gun grab provision be removed
from the DoD bill.
ACTION: Please use the pre-written messages below to help direct
your comments to your Representative and Senators. You can call
them at 202-225-3121. To identify your Representative and Senators,
as well as to send a message via e-mail supporting the Hostettler
amendment, see the Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm on the GOA website.
----- Pre-written messages -----
Dear Representative:
When the House takes up the DC Appropriations bill, Rep. John
Hostettler (R-IN) plans to offer an amendment that will effectively
allow DC residents to protect their homes and businesses with a
firearm.
The amendment would take money away for enforcing the DC gun ban --
a ban which has been completely ineffective in curbing crime. In
the twenty years after passing one of the most restrictive gun laws
in the country, Washington, DC saw its murder rate skyrocket, while
the national rate plummeted.
In those twenty years (1976-1996), the FBI Crime Reports show that
DC's murder rate ROSE 172% while the national rate DECREASED 15%.
This just goes to show that disarming victims is not the way to curb
crime.
I urge you to support the Second Amendment and to vote for the
Hostettler amendment.
Sincerely,
---------------
Dear Senator:
I hope you will NOT support the authorization bill for the
Department of Defense (S. 1438), as long as Section 1062 of the bill
remains in its current form.
This section would allow the Department of Defense to confiscate
militaria that is lawfully owned by private citizens and could
require the destruction of guns in honest citizens' hands -- guns
such as the M1 Carbine, 1903 Springfield, Colt SAA, and more.
Please make sure this gun grab is fixed before you vote on it.
Guns in private hands are not a threat to the security of this
nation. At a time when we are declaring a war on terrorism, we
should not also wage war against veterans and gun owners who live
peacefully within our borders. The government should be working
with its citizens, not against them, to meet this terrorist threat.
I would note that the only plane which did not reach its intended
target on September 11 was United Airlines' Flight 93, where private
citizens (not the government) intervened.
Please do not vote against the veterans and gun owners of this
country. Please do not support S. 1438 with Section 1062 in its
current form. Thank you.
Sincerely,
**************
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