Get active with me! (xsquid). And help critique this letter

[xsquidgator]

Ok, we got punched in the mouth last week. Time to get off of the mat. I have started my own activist group and we are going to write letters, send faxes/emails, and make phone calls to all kinds of state and US lawmakers. A political rule of thumb is that when a lawmaker or official gets a letter, they figure that represents the opinions of about 50 voters who feel the same way but didn't get around to writing a letter. My friends, we and everyone we know are going to write letters!! Emails, faxes, and phone calls are ok, but letters are the best. I am not asking for money, but I am asking you to mail at least several letters each month in addition to a flurry of emails and other messages.

YES WE CAN! (we just co-opted that phrase from you-know-who) If just 1% of the NRA's 4M members were to send one letter a month to Nancy Pelosi and to Harry Reid, that's 40,000 additional letters each month going to each. Using the political thumbrules, that represents to them about 2,000,000 VOTERS. This is huge! And if we get 5% to send letters every month, 10%...?

Send me a PM if you want to be included in my email group. I'm doing the same kinds of things that I've been doing on the state level with the NRA-ILA, I'm just expanding it to a national level. I'll send out activist messages at least once a month, asking you to send a message. It may be to support or oppose certain legislation, and even if there is no pending legislation there will be a strong pro-Bill of Rights message to be sent. POLITICAL WARNING- my group will be advocating mostly 2nd A issues but will also advocate other conservative issues too. If this isn't something you'd like, then please simply activate the NRA-ILA part of your NRA membership and you and I can agree simply to advocate 2nd Amendment issues together.

(Go log in to the NRA website and go over to the NRA-ILA part of the site.
http://www.nraila.org/GrassrootsAlerts/read.aspx
Over on the right hand side of the page you'll see "Action Center" and below that "Email Signup". Please click on that link which will let you fill in your contact info so that a local NRA-ILA person can add you to their email list. )

[xsquidgator]

This is a short letter I will be sending off in the US Mail on Monday to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. I am also sending a copy to my newly-elected anti-gun liberal US Rep (dammit, it hurts to lose being represented by Tom Feeney).

This letter is going out via email to my activism circle, please comment and or suggest improvements. It is important to start sending messages even if they are not perfect and to begin registering our opinions. Please PM me with your email if you'd like to be included on my activism email list. This week so far I've browbeaten two gunowners I know into joining the NRA and I am now working on these new members to add their brothers, wives,etc. These guys are also getting my activism emails along with everyone else I can prod into sending letters and emails. Let's get busy!

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
235 Cannon House Office Building,
District of Columbia 20515-0508
Phone: (202) 225-4965
Fax: (202) 225-8259
sf.nancy@mail.house.gov

The Honorable Harry Reid
528 Hart Senate Office Building,
District of Columbia 20510-2803
Phone: (202) 224-3542
Fax: (202) 224-7327
no email, go to URL reid.senate.gov to send a message via webform

Dear Representative/Senator xxx
I am writing as a voting conservative to offer you my congratulations and sincere best wishes on your party's election victory on November 4th. President-Elect Obama's election victory with 53% of the popular vote, although not a landslide, is an impressive achievement. Unfortunately the Obama transition team may have misinterpreted the significance of a narrowish popular vote victory, and overestimated the degree of support for certain politically-liberal measures. As of November 7, the Obama transition website had been updated with proposed gun-control measures that show a significant leftward shift. Specifically, the Obama transition website as of November 7th shows support for 1) a second "assault weapons ban" without a sunset clause, 2) repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment , 3) closing the non-existent "gun show loophole" and 4) "making guns childproof".

I hope that this is not true, because these measures would have a very negative and damaging effect on the lives and Constitutionally-guaranteed rights of millions of law-abiding Americans.
Repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment would serve no lawful purpose and would not in any way benefit the efforts of law-enforcement agencies in apprehending criminals. The Tiahrt Amendment as it currently stands is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, and already allows law-enforcement agencies access to firearms purchase information. Repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment would however expose the firearms industry to crippling and frivolous lawsuits brought by anti-gun organizations. I am disappointed that the Brady Campaign insists on distributing inaccurate and downright untrue statements on this matter. Closing the non-existent "gun show loophole" would needlessly and unlawfully prevent law-abiding citizens from selling their own property to other law-abiding citizens as they see fit, and represents an unacceptable infringement on the Fourth Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners to use and control their own property. Regarding "making guns childproof", "childproof" is a codeword for a variety of schemes designed to prevent the sale of firearms by imposing impossible or highly expensive design requirements, such as biometric shooter-identification systems. While no one opposes keeping children safe, the fact is that accidental firearm-related deaths among children have decreased 86 percent since 1975, even as the numbers of children and guns have risen dramatically. Today, the chances of a child being killed in a firearm accident are less than one in a million.

I certainly hope that President-Elect Obama will be able to accomplish great things with the help of elected leaders such as yourself. However, I would urge you to please consider that many millions of law-abiding, tax-paying, and voting citizens are already watching your party's intended legislation with great concern. We urge you to oppose passage of another "assault weapons" ban, to leave the Tiahrt Amendment in its current state, to not attempt to legislate an end to the non-existent "gun show loophole", and not to attempt to pass legislation to make guns "childproof". Please do not disappoint us! I look forward to your reply and to learn of your stance on these critical issues.
Sincerely,

[xsquidgator]

I have sent this letter via email to Pelosi and to Reid. Hardcopy letter will be going out via US Mail tomorrow.

[xsquidgator]

Also send this to Obama through his website at


http://answercenter.barackobama.com/...nduser/ask.php

[Prof. A. Wickwire]

xsquidgator,

Sent you a PM. Some people may tell you that writing to hard core anti-gunners is futile. I disagree. If we can get enough people to write and mail actual letters to these politicians, they may start to listen. That's an effort we should all be willing to make.

Here is a copy of a letter I sent to my State legislators (New York):

I was surprised to hear that the State government wants to expand the Combined Ballistic Identification System (CoBIS). This is a waste of money. Especially since CoBIS has been running for seven years and has not contributed to a single arrest.

In these economically tough times, it would be wise to follow the example of other states that have canceled this program as a waste of money. There are far too many other programs, such as education, which could use over four million dollars a year.

I received some grief from people saying I was wasting my time. I sent the letters anyway. It costs little but the return can be great.

Thanks for organizing this.

Sincerely,

Prof. A. Wickwire

[xsquidgator]

Prof. Wickwire- I added you to the email list and sent you an email already.

I agree with you. We're not trying to change minds necessarily, privately of course they're set in their opinions already. What I think we can do is show them that they're likely to kick over an anthill if they do this or that, that's the value right now. Let them have their touchdown dance, but Obama did not win a landslide and we want them to not get too full of themselves and think they can go overboard.

I wanted the tone of the message to be positive yet alert, do you think it would be wise in future messages to mention how pushing the AWB cost the democrats votes in 1994? Don't want to sound threatening, but do want them to remember the political cost of extremist legislation.

[Prof. A. Wickwire]

I wanted the tone of the message to be positive yet alert, do you think it would be wise in future messages to mention how pushing the AWB cost the democrats votes in 1994? Don't want to sound threatening, but do want them to remember the political cost of extremist legislation.

xsquidgator,

I absolutely believe that we should remind them about the loss of congress due to the 94 AWB. I prefer a more in sorrow than in anger tactic. In a letter to Hillary Clinton last year I wrote the following:

"Your husband credited the Assault Weapon Ban of 1994 and the NRA action following its passage as being in large part responsible for the Democratic losses in the following elections. This put the House and Senate solidly in Republican hands for 12 years. Is a new Assault Weapons Ban worth possibly sacrificing all the gains the Democrats made in the 2006 elections? With this in mind, please try to keep this legislation from moving out of committee."

Do not appeal to their Patriotism. Do not appeal to their loyalty. Do not appeal to their oaths to protect the Constitution. Appeal to their lust for power.

Sincerely,

Prof. A. Wickwire

[Samurai Penguin]

XSG, can't find a thing wrong with that letter. Well-written, great concept, and nicely executed.

[xsquidgator]

Update: if you're emailing Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House (i.e. not one of her constituents), use AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov
Her email address I listed above is for her constituents to use.

[gunnysmith]

Here is the absolute irony of gun control.
Also google jim crow gun control

http://www.firearmsandliberty.com/cramer.racism.html

[xsquidgator]

Hello friends. In today's message (aimed at FL residents but the idea of local pro-2A organizations applies everywhere in the US):
1) letters to Pelosi, Reid
2) please consider joining JFPFO and USF
3) CWP-Concealed Weapons Permit

1) I’d like to thank you again for participating in our group’s efforts to write letters and generally get the attention of our Congress-critters. I’ve heard back from several people who’ve sent the previous message (“HW #1”) and thank each of you who have contacted Senator Reid and Representative Pelosi. Please remember that “real” letters sent in the mail are our most effective means of communication and carry the most weight with elected representatives. I put my letters in the mailbox today (even though the USPS has the day off) and would like to ask you to please put your name and address on the attached letters, print them out, and mail them to Senator Reid and Rep. Pelosi as soon as possible.

2) I also wanted to mention two pro-2nd Amendment organizations I hope you’ll support, in addition to the NRA. Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership is an extremely aggressive pro-2A organization, definitely on “our” side, and you do not need to be Jewish to join (I joined last Wednesday). You can check out JFPFO at http://www.jpfo.org/, and even if you don’t want to pay for a membership you can sign up for free email alerts at http://www.jpfo.org/alerts.htm#signup. JFPFO is coming from the perspective you might imagine Holocaust survivors coming from, that is, private ownership of guns and the will to use them if need be to ensure “never again!”
The second organization I hope those of you in Florida will support is Unified Sportsmen of Florida. USF is our state-level advocate of 2nd Amendment rights (don’t be fooled by the name, USF does not appear to be just about hunting, but about all the lawful purposes of the 2nd Amendment). Membership forms may be downloaded at http://www.nraila.org/media/PDFs/USF...plication1.pdf
Membership is $30, and I joined this morning. If you’re not a FL resident, please join your local state association. I’ll be glad to identify whoever that is for you non-Florida residents, just shoot me an email. Supporting your local state-level pro-2A organization(s) can have at least as much effect on your life as anything nationally, especially with things like limitations on concealed-carry laws and the like.

3) Lastly, I want to urge you to go ahead and apply for a Concealed Carry Permit/Concealed Weapons Permit if you don’t already have one. In Florida and in many other states, having a CCP or CWP gives you valuable legal protections not afforded the average citizen, even if you choose not to carry a concealed weapon. An example of this is the Federal (I believe) law prohibiting firearms within 1000 feet of any school. I don’t know about you, but it is totally impossible to use any of my neighborhood’s 3 exits and not pass much closer than that to several schools. If you’re a hunter or just someone who wants to take an unloaded gun to the range, there is no way you can comply with the law other than to not leave your house. However, in Florida (and a lot of other states), you are exempt from this law if you have a CWP, and in fact, you can legally carry your concealed weapon up to the boundaries of the school property. Thus if you desired to carry concealed to protect yourself or your children, you could legally pick your child up from school while carrying so long as you did not set foot on school property. In Florida, having a CWP exempts one from the normal 3-day waiting period when purchasing a handgun. In other states, a CWP exempts one from paying for the NCIC instant background check, since you need a much deeper background check and you even get fingerprinted to obtain your CWP. Obtaining a CWP is easy and not very expensive. Even if you never ever plan on actually using a CWP to carry a concealed firearm, the CWP confers important legal benefits to its holder which make it worth having. Most of all, should you suddenly change your mind and decide that you do wish to carry a gun for protection, you will have already taken the necessary steps and can do so legally, immediately. Don’t wait until disaster strikes and tens of thousands of people apply for CWPs, because it may take months to apply and have the state process your application. Do it now, while things are good and it’s no big deal if it takes them 3 months to process it (mine took 2 months when I got mine years ago).
You can request a Florida permit (even if you’re not a FL resident, just request a Florida non-resident permit which is honored by 33 other states) at
http://licgweb.doacs.state.fl.us/weapons/apply.html
Florida is a “shall-issue” state which means that so long as you meet the requirements (no felony or violent crime record, proof of firearms training) the state is required to issue you a permit, as opposed to “may issue” where the issuing authority can deny you for any reason (or no reason) even if you meet all the legal requirements. What a refreshing change to actually have a government TRUST its own citizens!