Post by Woody Williams on Jan 2, 2006 16:41:25 GMT -5
NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert Vol. 12, No. 52 12/30/05
2005--THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Here are some of the top stories we brought you in the NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert in 2005. With the 2006 election season just around the corner, we must re-double our efforts to ensure our momentum carries forward next year, and we will continue to provide you with information in future Alerts to ensure our mutual success.
And please remember, effective January 1, 2006, the NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert will be transmitted solely via e-mail. Those of you who currently receive the Friday Alert via fax, and wish to continue to receive it, will need to sign up to receive NRA-ILA's e-mail alerts. You may sign up for e-mail by visiting www.NRAILA.org and choosing "Sign-up for Email" or you may call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683. This change is part of our ongoing transition to e-mail as our primary communication tool, recognizing the vast number of NRA members with e-mail access, and the additional flexibility e-mail affords recipients in easily forwarding the information to others. The NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert will still be posted at www.NRAILA.org. Thank you for your cooperation with, and attention to, this change.
JANUARY: The Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division calls for scrapping the state's ballistic imaging program, the Maryland Integrated Ballistics Identification System (MD-IBIS), stating it has found the system to be an ineffective tool for law enforcement. At this point, the program has cost the taxpayers of Maryland more than $2.5 million, but has produced no results. NRA withdraws its support for the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA), due to OWAA leadership's continuing loyalty to the Sierra Club, a longtime foe of the rights of hunters.
FEBRUARY: A coalition of human "rights" groups urges the United Nations (U.N.) to begin drawing up plans for a "legally binding," worldwide "marking and tracing" system that they foresee as a means to track firearms from "factory" to "user" anywhere in the world (including the U.S.). The coalition includes the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and its vehemently anti-gun Director Rebecca Peters. In a unanimous decision, a California Appellate Court upholds an earlier Superior Court decision dismissing a junk lawsuit filed by Los Angeles, San Francisco, and 12 other California cities and counties. The municipalities had alleged that the manufacturers were designing, marketing, and distributing firearms in an "unfair, deceptive and fraudulent" manner that "facilitates the weapon to be used in violent crimes." "The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act" is re-introduced in the U.S. Congress.
MARCH: The Brady Campaign suffers another case of foot in mouth disease when its former president, Michael Barnes, absurdly challenges NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre to "put on a bullet proof vest, and we'll fire the weapon (FN 5.7mm caliber Five seveN) at him, and see what happens." The Eastern District of Pennsylvania grants Wal-Mart's motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit filed when an employee of Wal-Mart was tragically injured when her husband shot her in the head during an altercation inside a Wal-Mart store where he had earlier purchased ammunition. The Court notes that, "As a general rule under Pennsylvania law, absent a pre-existing duty, a party cannot be held liable for the criminal actions of a third party unless that party assumed a duty, through some act of its own."
APRIL: Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R) signs the No-Net-Loss of Public Hunting Lands bill into law, protecting Arkansas' public hunting lands for future generations. The law guarantees that Arkansas hunters will always have at least the same amount of public hunting land now available. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (D) signs a Right-to-Carry Reform bill into law while visiting the NRA Whittington Center. This law improves New Mexico's existing Right-to-Carry laws and expands access to licenses by more law-abiding New Mexicans. NRA's 134th Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston, Tex., are a smashing success, with 59,000 NRA members taking part. NRA President Sandra S. Froman is named ABC's World News Tonight "The Person of the Week". Florida passes the "Castle Doctrine" eliminating the duty to retreat from criminal attack and ensuring citizens who defend themselves can't be sued by their criminal attacker.
MAY: The Federal Election Commission forces The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence to pay $12,000 in fines for illegal corporate campaign contributions made five years ago to the coffers of several endorsed candidates. ILA Grassroots launches its "Second Amendment Activist Centers" where local businesses agree to serve as distribution points for NRA-ILA materials. S. 1082--the Senate version of the "District of Columbia Personal Protection Act"--is introduced. The House Judiciary Committee passes "The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act." Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) signs legislation re-enacting the "Personal Protection Act" that was struck down by the courts.
JUNE: The "Brady Campaign" testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in opposition to "The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act" introducing a letter that lists five Nevada law enforcement officials who purportedly lent their name to the Brady's effort to thwart the bill. But, as it turns out (and not surprisingly), the Brady Campaign apparently added the sheriffs' names to the letter without their knowledge or approval! Texas Governor Rick Perry (R) signs nine NRA-ILA supported/pro-gun bills into law. Two employees of the fanatical anti-hunting group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are each charged with 31 felony counts of animal cruelty and nine misdemeanor counts related to illegal disposal of dead animals and trespassing, after authorities found them dumping the dead bodies of 18 animals they had just picked up from a North Carolina animal shelter in a dumpster.
JULY: Pro-Second Amendment U.S. Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) succeeds in attaching an amendment to the D.C. appropriations bill to restore the self-defense rights of legal gun owners in the District. The Souder Amendment prohibits funds from being used "to enforce section 702 of the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 (sec. 7-2507.02, D.C. Official Code)" that requires every registered gun owner (a small number of rifle and shotgun owners, and an even smaller number who fall under a "grandfather clause" because they owned registered handguns before the enactment of the ban) "shall keep any firearm in his possession unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock or similar device unless such firearm is kept at his place of business, or while being used for lawful recreational purposes within the District of Columbia." The National Association of Chiefs of Police (NACOP) releases its "17th Annual National Survey of Police Chiefs & Sheriffs." Among the highlights: 93.6% support civilian gun-ownership rights; 96% believe criminals obtain firearms from illegal sources, and; 63.1% believe Right-to-Carry permits would reduce violent crime. S. 397--"The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act"--passes the U.S. Senate by a strong bipartisan vote of 65-31! The action is a monumental victory for NRA and gun owners!
AUGUST: The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI) is granted official consultive status to the U.N. A massive highway construction bill (which President Bush promptly signs into law) contains an amendment that exempts manufacturers of fewer than 50 firearms from "manufacturing" excise taxes.
SEPTEMBER: The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana sides with NRA and issues a restraining order to bar further gun confiscations from peaceable, law-abiding victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. More than 100 attend the inaugural "Firearms Law & The Second Amendment Symposium" where some of the nation's leading constitutional scholars and attorneys explore the Second Amendment and its current and past applications.
OCTOBER: The U.S. House of Representatives passes (283-144), and President Bush signs into law, "The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act" marking the culmination of years of hard work by NRA-ILA and gun owners nationwide! In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) affirmatively responds to concerns raised by NRA, and changes its policy regarding firearm ownership in temporary housing units--lifting bans on the storage and possession of firearms at FEMA temporary housing.
NOVEMBER: NRA immediately files suit to overturn Proposition H--the San Francisco gun ban initiative approved by voters on Election Day. Video of the entire "Firearms Law & The Second Amendment Symposium" is posted on-line at www.nraila.org/ActionCenter/GrassRootsActivism.aspx?ID=29.
DECEMBER: After a very busy 2005, NRA members and gun owners earn a brief respite to enjoy the holiday season and spend time with family and friends--all the while gearing up for a very busy 2006 election season!
NRA will close today at noon, and will be closed on Monday, January 2, for the New Years Holiday. Please have a safe and happy New Year!!!
2005--THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Here are some of the top stories we brought you in the NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert in 2005. With the 2006 election season just around the corner, we must re-double our efforts to ensure our momentum carries forward next year, and we will continue to provide you with information in future Alerts to ensure our mutual success.
And please remember, effective January 1, 2006, the NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert will be transmitted solely via e-mail. Those of you who currently receive the Friday Alert via fax, and wish to continue to receive it, will need to sign up to receive NRA-ILA's e-mail alerts. You may sign up for e-mail by visiting www.NRAILA.org and choosing "Sign-up for Email" or you may call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683. This change is part of our ongoing transition to e-mail as our primary communication tool, recognizing the vast number of NRA members with e-mail access, and the additional flexibility e-mail affords recipients in easily forwarding the information to others. The NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert will still be posted at www.NRAILA.org. Thank you for your cooperation with, and attention to, this change.
JANUARY: The Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division calls for scrapping the state's ballistic imaging program, the Maryland Integrated Ballistics Identification System (MD-IBIS), stating it has found the system to be an ineffective tool for law enforcement. At this point, the program has cost the taxpayers of Maryland more than $2.5 million, but has produced no results. NRA withdraws its support for the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA), due to OWAA leadership's continuing loyalty to the Sierra Club, a longtime foe of the rights of hunters.
FEBRUARY: A coalition of human "rights" groups urges the United Nations (U.N.) to begin drawing up plans for a "legally binding," worldwide "marking and tracing" system that they foresee as a means to track firearms from "factory" to "user" anywhere in the world (including the U.S.). The coalition includes the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and its vehemently anti-gun Director Rebecca Peters. In a unanimous decision, a California Appellate Court upholds an earlier Superior Court decision dismissing a junk lawsuit filed by Los Angeles, San Francisco, and 12 other California cities and counties. The municipalities had alleged that the manufacturers were designing, marketing, and distributing firearms in an "unfair, deceptive and fraudulent" manner that "facilitates the weapon to be used in violent crimes." "The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act" is re-introduced in the U.S. Congress.
MARCH: The Brady Campaign suffers another case of foot in mouth disease when its former president, Michael Barnes, absurdly challenges NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre to "put on a bullet proof vest, and we'll fire the weapon (FN 5.7mm caliber Five seveN) at him, and see what happens." The Eastern District of Pennsylvania grants Wal-Mart's motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit filed when an employee of Wal-Mart was tragically injured when her husband shot her in the head during an altercation inside a Wal-Mart store where he had earlier purchased ammunition. The Court notes that, "As a general rule under Pennsylvania law, absent a pre-existing duty, a party cannot be held liable for the criminal actions of a third party unless that party assumed a duty, through some act of its own."
APRIL: Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R) signs the No-Net-Loss of Public Hunting Lands bill into law, protecting Arkansas' public hunting lands for future generations. The law guarantees that Arkansas hunters will always have at least the same amount of public hunting land now available. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (D) signs a Right-to-Carry Reform bill into law while visiting the NRA Whittington Center. This law improves New Mexico's existing Right-to-Carry laws and expands access to licenses by more law-abiding New Mexicans. NRA's 134th Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston, Tex., are a smashing success, with 59,000 NRA members taking part. NRA President Sandra S. Froman is named ABC's World News Tonight "The Person of the Week". Florida passes the "Castle Doctrine" eliminating the duty to retreat from criminal attack and ensuring citizens who defend themselves can't be sued by their criminal attacker.
MAY: The Federal Election Commission forces The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence to pay $12,000 in fines for illegal corporate campaign contributions made five years ago to the coffers of several endorsed candidates. ILA Grassroots launches its "Second Amendment Activist Centers" where local businesses agree to serve as distribution points for NRA-ILA materials. S. 1082--the Senate version of the "District of Columbia Personal Protection Act"--is introduced. The House Judiciary Committee passes "The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act." Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) signs legislation re-enacting the "Personal Protection Act" that was struck down by the courts.
JUNE: The "Brady Campaign" testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in opposition to "The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act" introducing a letter that lists five Nevada law enforcement officials who purportedly lent their name to the Brady's effort to thwart the bill. But, as it turns out (and not surprisingly), the Brady Campaign apparently added the sheriffs' names to the letter without their knowledge or approval! Texas Governor Rick Perry (R) signs nine NRA-ILA supported/pro-gun bills into law. Two employees of the fanatical anti-hunting group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are each charged with 31 felony counts of animal cruelty and nine misdemeanor counts related to illegal disposal of dead animals and trespassing, after authorities found them dumping the dead bodies of 18 animals they had just picked up from a North Carolina animal shelter in a dumpster.
JULY: Pro-Second Amendment U.S. Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) succeeds in attaching an amendment to the D.C. appropriations bill to restore the self-defense rights of legal gun owners in the District. The Souder Amendment prohibits funds from being used "to enforce section 702 of the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 (sec. 7-2507.02, D.C. Official Code)" that requires every registered gun owner (a small number of rifle and shotgun owners, and an even smaller number who fall under a "grandfather clause" because they owned registered handguns before the enactment of the ban) "shall keep any firearm in his possession unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock or similar device unless such firearm is kept at his place of business, or while being used for lawful recreational purposes within the District of Columbia." The National Association of Chiefs of Police (NACOP) releases its "17th Annual National Survey of Police Chiefs & Sheriffs." Among the highlights: 93.6% support civilian gun-ownership rights; 96% believe criminals obtain firearms from illegal sources, and; 63.1% believe Right-to-Carry permits would reduce violent crime. S. 397--"The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act"--passes the U.S. Senate by a strong bipartisan vote of 65-31! The action is a monumental victory for NRA and gun owners!
AUGUST: The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI) is granted official consultive status to the U.N. A massive highway construction bill (which President Bush promptly signs into law) contains an amendment that exempts manufacturers of fewer than 50 firearms from "manufacturing" excise taxes.
SEPTEMBER: The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana sides with NRA and issues a restraining order to bar further gun confiscations from peaceable, law-abiding victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. More than 100 attend the inaugural "Firearms Law & The Second Amendment Symposium" where some of the nation's leading constitutional scholars and attorneys explore the Second Amendment and its current and past applications.
OCTOBER: The U.S. House of Representatives passes (283-144), and President Bush signs into law, "The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act" marking the culmination of years of hard work by NRA-ILA and gun owners nationwide! In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) affirmatively responds to concerns raised by NRA, and changes its policy regarding firearm ownership in temporary housing units--lifting bans on the storage and possession of firearms at FEMA temporary housing.
NOVEMBER: NRA immediately files suit to overturn Proposition H--the San Francisco gun ban initiative approved by voters on Election Day. Video of the entire "Firearms Law & The Second Amendment Symposium" is posted on-line at www.nraila.org/ActionCenter/GrassRootsActivism.aspx?ID=29.
DECEMBER: After a very busy 2005, NRA members and gun owners earn a brief respite to enjoy the holiday season and spend time with family and friends--all the while gearing up for a very busy 2006 election season!
NRA will close today at noon, and will be closed on Monday, January 2, for the New Years Holiday. Please have a safe and happy New Year!!!
