Write, Write, Write Your Reps...!

[oldfella]

Vote on Right to Carry Coming Soon
-- Please urge your Senators to vote YES!

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


Friday, July 17, 2009

A vote to protect your right to travel out-of-state with a firearm could
come to a vote next week -- even as early as Monday!

Senators John Thune and David Vitter are the sponsors of S. 845 -- a
bill that will establish concealed carry reciprocity amongst the several
states.

Senators Thune and Vitter offered the bill as an amendment (#1618) to
the Department of Defense authorization bill (H.R. 2647).

This provision will use the constitutional authority allowing Congress
to enforce "full faith and credit" across the country, so that each
state respects the "public acts, records, and judicial
proceedings" of
every other state (Article IV).

The benefit of the Thune/Vitter legislation is that -- unlike other,
competing measures -- it would protect the right of any U.S. citizen to
carry out of state (regardless of whether he possesses a permit), as
long as he is authorized to carry in his home state. This is important
because of states like Vermont and Alaska, where residents can carry
concealed without prior approval or permission from the state... in
other words, without a permit!

ACTION: Please urge your Senators to vote YES on the Thune/Vitter
concealed carry reciprocity amendment that will be offered to the
Department of Defense authorization bill and NO on any modifying
amendments. This vote could come as early as Monday, so please act on
this right away!

You can use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Senators the
pre-written e-mail message below.


----- Pre-written letter -----

Dear Senator:

Please support the Thune/Vitter amendment to the Department of Defense
authorization bill. This amendment will protect the right of citizens to
carry firearms outside of their home state without violating the rights
of the other states. Thus, the reciprocity language masterfully protects
the principle of federalism while also promoting Second Amendment
rights.

A person's right to defend himself and his family should not end at the
border of his state.

I urge you to vote for the Thune/Vitter concealed carry amendment and to
oppose any modifying actions that seek to weaken their amendment.

Sincerely,

[DaveB57]

This is a great tool...BUMP TO TOP

[coleman]

Sent the GOA form E-mail-concealed carry reciprocity amendment to pro gun Senators.

[Titan]

Done!

Maybe this time, Kennedy and Kerry will do as I ask.

[7.62foryou]

Originally Posted by Titan

Done!

Maybe this time, Kennedy and Kerry will do as I ask.

LOL LOL LOL!!! About as much chance as Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse doing the same.

[FirebirdV8]

Email sent. At least one of my Senators from Arizona usually votes the right way. Sometimes both of them do. I'll let you guess which one votes the right way more often then not.

[USAF385]

Let's see what response I get from Specter and Casey......

[Tom Beavert]

E-Mails sent to all, thanks for reminding me.
tb

[DougE]

Emails sent ......... my senators usually vote pro-2A anyhow.

[DaveB57]

Gitty up...today may be the day.

[therevjay]

Both of my senators are charter members of "The Brady bunch." I think it best not to remind them. Better for us if they miss the vote.

[DaveB57]

Originally Posted by therevjay

Both of my senators are charter members of "The Brady bunch." I think it best not to remind them. Better for us if they miss the vote.

Better for us that they get voted out!

[DougE]

Originally Posted by therevjay

Both of my senators are charter members of "The Brady bunch." I think it best not to remind them. Better for us if they miss the vote.

I'd continually remind them why they are on their way out the door.

[oldfella]

Originally Posted by therevjay

Both of my senators are charter members of "The Brady bunch." I think it best not to remind them. Better for us if they miss the vote.

They won't miss the vote, we'll miss the boat; by not reminding them that they are losers, we ourselves become losers.

Pete

[godlessgael]

I've given up writing my reps out here in CA, here is the response i just got from Feinstein (edited: this isn't how it shows up in my email. it has all sorts of words crossed out. don't know if they accidentally sent me a rough draft, but it won't copy and paste correctly here):

Dear Mr. Massey:



Thank you for writing to express your opposition to the ratification of the Inter-American Convention Against Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials (CIFTA). I appreciate hearing from you on this topic and welcome the opportunity to respond.



While I understand your concerns about the ratification of CIFTA, I strongly believe that the U.S. should act promptly to take up and ratify this convention. For many years, I have been concerned about the proliferation of firearms worldwide. From Afghanistan to Iraq, Bosnia, Rwanda, and Haiti, the proliferation of firearms and light other weapons undermines peace, stability, economic growth, and harms U.S. national security interests.



Specifically, the illicit trafficking of firearms from the U.S. has helped to exacerbate recent violence amid drug cartels in Mexico. Recent cCongressional testimony provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms & Explosives (ATF) revealed that approximately 90 percent of traced weaponsconfiscated firearms used by cartels come from thewere traced to the U.S. It is estimated that, with 2,000 guns per day crossing the border from the U.S. into Mexico. Further, 6,000 people were killed in Mexico last year due to drug-related violence, with another 1,000 people killed in January 2009 alone. I believe that the ratification of CIFTA will help to combat the threat of narcotics trafficking and illegal arms transfers in Mexico and Central America, and provide an unequivocal statement that the U.S. is serious about stemming the tide of weapons flowing into the region.



Again, thank you for writing. While we do not necessarily agree on this particular issue, your views are important to me, and I hope that you will continue to write on matters of importance to you. Should you have any further comments or questions, please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841.

Sincerely yours,
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

[oldfella]

I think your senator should be challenged on her statistics. My understanding is the only 10% of firearms confiscated in Mexico were traced to the US, the rest from Central and South America - can any one else verify/clarify this?

Pete

[godlessgael]

yes, I believe you are right Oldfella. they play with the statistics to make it seem like 90% of the firearms come from the US. It is only 90% of the 10% that are actually traceable.

[ladder13]

Uhh, one of my Sen's is Schmuckie Schumer.