The 2nd Amendment of the Bill of Rights: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the Right of the people to Keep and Bear Arms shall not be infringed."

Right to Bear Arms News 9/05/00

From Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert 9/5/00

Several gun issues could sizzle during the final days of summer
-- Use the letters provided below
Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
Gun Owners of America
(Tuesday, September 5, 2000)

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Please use the pre-written letters down below to contact your Representative and Senators (toll free ph: 1-888-449-3511). The final days countdown has begun. Congress is planning to adjourn for the year in mid-October, and lots of gun control could come to the floor during the next month and a half.
2. The Democrats have threatened to make an issue of gun control in the final days, and thus, gun owners need to remind their legislators that the electorate is watching them closely! Here are some of the items that could greatly affect your rights:

a. Gun owner registration.

The grassroots has been abuzz about Republican Senator Jack Reed's handgun registration bill (S. 2099). This bill is truly horrible, but it's probably not going anywhere this year.
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has her own registration bill, S. 2525, and it is far more likely that we could see Democrats trying to add this as an anti-gun amendment to appropriation bills this month.

b. Confiscation and demilitarization of military-style firearms in private hands.

Buried deep within the DoD authorization bill (H.R. 4205) is a provision that would allow the Defense Department to collect and destroy certain privately owned militaria. Yes, that includes your M1 Carbine, 1903 Springfield, Colt SAA, and more.
GOA has been in contact with the offices of Sen. Bob Smith (R-NH) and Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) who are working to remove this particular threat to gun owners. The bill is currently in a conference committee and could be brought to the floor of each house sometime in September. Gun owners should ask their Senators and Representatives to make sure this provision has been taken care of before the Congress votes on it.

c. Gun bans and the possible death of gun shows.

The anti-gun juvenile crime bill is still in a conference committee, and gun owners will be biting their fingernails until the final gavel has sounded this year.
After the horrible tragedy in Littleton, Colorado, it seemed this bill had all the momentum necessary to get passed into law. But gun owners rose to the occasion and stung those legislators that had originally supported the bill.
Many legislators have retreated from their initial support of the anti-gun travesty, and we are now just a few weeks away from victory. Remind your legislators that you don't want any last-minute, anti-gun compromises that would allow the juvenile justice bill (H.R. 1501) to see the light of day.
3. Please send the following letters. You can use the GOA Legislative Action Center to send the letters via e-mail, even if your Representative and Senators do not maintain a public e-mail address.
----- Pre-written Message -----

Dear Senator:

There's very little time before the Congress adjourns for the year.
I hope that in these final days you will stand firm in defending the
2nd Amendment and oppose ANY bill that contains the slightest
infringement of our most precious liberties.

I would not be surprised if someone tries to offer self-defense
restrictions to some of the money bills this month.  These
restrictions could run the gamut -- anywhere from gun registration
(such as Dianne Feinstein's S.  2525) to draconian restrictions on
people's ability to buy firearms at gun shows (such as the
Senate-passed version of the juvenile justice bill).

Please vote against any such anti-rights amendments, or any bill
that contains one of these poison pills.

Moreover, I hope you will NOT support the authorization bill for the
Department of Defense (H.R.  4205), as long as Section 361 of the
bill remains in its current form.  This section would allow the
demilitarization of 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 that this "demil provision " is
fixed before you vote on it.

Gun Owners of America is tracking this sneaky provision and will let
me know what happens to it.  Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

----- Pre-written Message -----

Dear Representative:

There's very little time before the Congress adjourns for the year.
I hope that in these final days you will stand firm in defending the
2nd Amendment and oppose ANY bill that contains the slightest
infringement of our most precious liberties.

I would not be surprised if someone on the Senate side tries to offer
self-defense restrictions to some of the money bills this month.
These restrictions could run the gamut -- anywhere from gun
registration (such as Dianne Feinstein's S.  2525) to draconian
restrictions on people's ability to buy firearms at gun shows (such
as the Senate-passed version of the juvenile justice bill).

Please vote against any crime bill or funding bill that contains one
of these poison pills.

Moreover, I hope you will not support the authorization bill for the
Department of Defense (H.R.  4205), as long as Section 361 of the
bill remains in its current form.  This section would allow the
demilitarization of 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 that this  "demil provision " is
fixed before you vote on it.

Gun Owners of America is tracking this sneaky provision and will let
me know what happens to it.  Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

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