Senate Takes Up Legislation To Stymie Grassroots Lobbying
Senate Takes Up Legislation To Stymie Grassroots Lobbying
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
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
When you look at GOA's year-ending report at
http://www.gunowners.org/a121406.htm, you can see that your
grassroots efforts had a tremendous impact upon the legislative
process last year.
There is no doubt that you guys have made a difference.
That's why GOA is so concerned about legislation currently pending on
the Senate floor which would attempt to intimidate organizations like
GOA that work with members and friends to pressure Congress to
support the Second Amendment.
The legislation (S. 1) would regulate "grassroots lobbying" by
requiring groups like us to monitor and report the amount of money we
spend to exercise our First Amendment rights on behalf of gun
ownership.
Suffice it to say that a government which can force us to monitor and
report on our "grassroots" activity could just as easily
force us to
provide even more sensitive details of these efforts.
This could include demands for our membership list -- that is,
attempts to get REGISTRATION lists of gun owners' names -- and the
specifics of communications with our friends!!!
Thankfully, there is an effort underway to knock out the most
egregious parts of this bill, found in Sec. 220. Senators Mitch
McConnell (R-KY) and Robert Bennett (R-UT) are offering an amendment
(Senate Amendment #20) -- to be voted on later this week -- that will
knock out the S. 1 restrictions on grassroots lobbying.
That's why we need your help right now.
The best way to keep from sliding down this slippery slope of
unconstitutionality is to tell the government -- now -- to keep its
nose out of our constitutional rights.
Just as the Second Amendment guarantees our right to keep and bear
arms, the First Amendment protects our rights to petition the
government for redress of grievances. And the power to regulate and
monitor our grassroots activities on behalf of gun ownership is,
ultimately, the power to destroy those rights.
ACTION: Contact your two Senators and ask them to support Senate
Amendment #20 to S. 1. You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative
Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your
Senators a pre-written e-mail message. And, you can call your
Senators toll-free at 1-877-762-8762.
---- Pre-written letter to your Senators ----
Dear Senator:
S. 1 is an effort to intimidate organizations, like Gun Owners of
America, that work with members and friends to encourage Congress to
support the Second Amendment. Thankfully, Senators McConnell and
Bennett are offering Senate Amendment #20 -- to be voted on later
this week -- that will knock Section 220 out of S. 1.
I urge you to support that amendment. And if the amendment is
defeated, then I would strongly urge you to oppose the underlying
bill. Gun Owners of America will be rating both of these votes.
Just as the Second Amendment guarantees our right to keep and bear
arms, the First Amendment protects our rights to petition the
government for redress of grievances. And the power to regulate and
monitor our grassroots activities on behalf of gun ownership is,
ultimately, the power to destroy those rights.
Please know that this is as much a Second Amendment issue as direct
efforts to seize our guns from our hands.
Sincerely,
****************************
"Live Fire" radio with Larry Pratt is broadcast by the Information
Radio Network on Saturdays at 12:00 Noon Eastern. "Live Fire" is
simulcast on the web at http://inforadionet.com and previous episodes
are archived at http://www.soundwaves2000.com/livefire/ with a number
of listening formats supported.
Podcasts are now available!
Recent guests, among many others, have included:
* John Lott
* Dave Hardy
* Bob Arwady
* Rick Celata
****************************
Please do not reply directly to this message, as your reply will
bounce back as undeliverable.
To subscribe to free, low-volume GOA alerts, go to
http://www.gunowners.org/ean.htm on the web. Change of e-mail
address may also be made at that location.
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
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
When you look at GOA's year-ending report at
http://www.gunowners.org/a121406.htm, you can see that your
grassroots efforts had a tremendous impact upon the legislative
process last year.
There is no doubt that you guys have made a difference.
That's why GOA is so concerned about legislation currently pending on
the Senate floor which would attempt to intimidate organizations like
GOA that work with members and friends to pressure Congress to
support the Second Amendment.
The legislation (S. 1) would regulate "grassroots lobbying" by
requiring groups like us to monitor and report the amount of money we
spend to exercise our First Amendment rights on behalf of gun
ownership.
Suffice it to say that a government which can force us to monitor and
report on our "grassroots" activity could just as easily
force us to
provide even more sensitive details of these efforts.
This could include demands for our membership list -- that is,
attempts to get REGISTRATION lists of gun owners' names -- and the
specifics of communications with our friends!!!
Thankfully, there is an effort underway to knock out the most
egregious parts of this bill, found in Sec. 220. Senators Mitch
McConnell (R-KY) and Robert Bennett (R-UT) are offering an amendment
(Senate Amendment #20) -- to be voted on later this week -- that will
knock out the S. 1 restrictions on grassroots lobbying.
That's why we need your help right now.
The best way to keep from sliding down this slippery slope of
unconstitutionality is to tell the government -- now -- to keep its
nose out of our constitutional rights.
Just as the Second Amendment guarantees our right to keep and bear
arms, the First Amendment protects our rights to petition the
government for redress of grievances. And the power to regulate and
monitor our grassroots activities on behalf of gun ownership is,
ultimately, the power to destroy those rights.
ACTION: Contact your two Senators and ask them to support Senate
Amendment #20 to S. 1. You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative
Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your
Senators a pre-written e-mail message. And, you can call your
Senators toll-free at 1-877-762-8762.
---- Pre-written letter to your Senators ----
Dear Senator:
S. 1 is an effort to intimidate organizations, like Gun Owners of
America, that work with members and friends to encourage Congress to
support the Second Amendment. Thankfully, Senators McConnell and
Bennett are offering Senate Amendment #20 -- to be voted on later
this week -- that will knock Section 220 out of S. 1.
I urge you to support that amendment. And if the amendment is
defeated, then I would strongly urge you to oppose the underlying
bill. Gun Owners of America will be rating both of these votes.
Just as the Second Amendment guarantees our right to keep and bear
arms, the First Amendment protects our rights to petition the
government for redress of grievances. And the power to regulate and
monitor our grassroots activities on behalf of gun ownership is,
ultimately, the power to destroy those rights.
Please know that this is as much a Second Amendment issue as direct
efforts to seize our guns from our hands.
Sincerely,
****************************
"Live Fire" radio with Larry Pratt is broadcast by the Information
Radio Network on Saturdays at 12:00 Noon Eastern. "Live Fire" is
simulcast on the web at http://inforadionet.com and previous episodes
are archived at http://www.soundwaves2000.com/livefire/ with a number
of listening formats supported.
Podcasts are now available!
Recent guests, among many others, have included:
* John Lott
* Dave Hardy
* Bob Arwady
* Rick Celata
****************************
Please do not reply directly to this message, as your reply will
bounce back as undeliverable.
To subscribe to free, low-volume GOA alerts, go to
http://www.gunowners.org/ean.htm on the web. Change of e-mail
address may also be made at that location.
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