New Jersey Second Amendment Society Supports Starbucks Pro Gun Policy - Feb 14th 2012 - ilovegunsandcoffee.com

New Jersey Second Amendment Society

Manahawkin, New Jersey --(Ammoland.com)- The New Jersey Second Amendment Society announced it will be joining many national freedom and rights groups in supporting Starbucks on February 14th.

“While some organizations have chosen to boycott Starbucks for their policies,” says Frank Jack Fiamingo, President of the NJ2AS, “we choose to support those businesses that support freedom and individual choice rather than yielding to the desires of the few who would strip law abiding citizens of rights under the guise of safety.”

Fiamingo continues, “Unlike a number of large restaurant entities Starbucks has chosen to defer to local laws regarding the right to keep and bear arms on their premises. This support of the rights of the law abiding people patronizing Starbucks is to be commended.

We are pleased to see Starbucks take this common sense approach rather than cowering to the whims of the many anti freedom groups that choose to focus on the Second Amendment as their avenue for more intrusive and nanny state government and corporate policies.”

Frank Jack Fiamingo can be reached for comment via email at President@nj2as.com or by phone at (732) 233-6506.

The New Jersey Second Amendment Society (http://www.NJ2AS.com) is a no compromise defender of the right to keep and bear arms formed to promote those rights protected under the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States within the legislature and the community.

I love coffee and guns patches at http://ilovegunsandcoffee.com/

About:
New Jersey Second Amendment Society – Our mission is to promote the free exercise of Second Amendment rights within the community and Legislature of New Jersey, to educate the community regarding the enjoyable, safe, and responsible use of firearms, and to engender a sense of camaraderie and fellowship among the members and their families. Visit: www.nj2as.com

Support for Starbucks Concealed Carry Letter - ilovegunsandcoffee.com

New Jersey Second Amendment Society

New Jersey --(Ammoland.com)- As you may have heard, it seems one of the endless number hoplophobic groups of anti-gun bigots is proposing to hijack Valentines Day to boycott Starbucks for not discriminating against law-abiding gun-owning customers and shoving them to the back of, if not entirely off, the bus.

Starbucks has resisted pressure from rabid anti-gun groups who are trying to force them into preventing customers from entering their premises with either a concealed or openly carried handgun.

Starbucks policy is to allow carry wherever local laws permit them. We support them in their effort to stand up to these anti-gun extortionists.

At the end of this email I have placed a link to a PDF document that you can download, print, sign and take to your favorite Starbucks to show your support.

It contains the following text which was written for us by one of our newest members – Kim Ball.

Support of Starbucks Concealed Carry Letter

I love coffee and guns patches at http://ilovegunsandcoffee.com/

About:
New Jersey Second Amendment Society – Our mission is to promote the free exercise of Second Amendment rights within the community and Legislature of New Jersey, to educate the community regarding the enjoyable, safe, and responsible use of firearms, and to engender a sense of camaraderie and fellowship among the members and their families. Visit: www.nj2as.com

If Pro-Gun Folks Had An ‘Occupy’ Event…

About: Tom McHale describes himself as a conservative gun-totin’ bible-clingin’ literary assault dude who enjoys finding humor in just about anything. His web blog My Gun Culture is an irreverent, twisted look at gun news bordering on the ridiculous. It covers shootin’ stuff, loud noises, defending your own, the occasional mall ninja, and about 200 years of the American way. These are the (partially) true stories of My Gun Culture says Tom. Visit: www.mygunculture.com

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- The Primaries and Convention are rapidly approaching.

One party nomination process is taking place tomorrow, Saturday, August 13 (a party-run Convention in House District 59). All the rest are taking place on Tuesday, August 23.

Not all candidates in the upcoming party nomination process have answered the VCDL 2011 Candidate Survey. For candidate contact info and to see who has answered the Survey, go to: http://tinyurl.com/3gqv9tr

Please contact *all* the candidates in *YOUR* District by BOTH email AND phone: — THANK the candidates who answered the VCDL Candidate survey for responding. Politely, but firmly, urge those candidates who have not answered to answer the VCDL Survey

Don’t accept vague generalizations such as “the candidate supports the 2nd Amendment”. Remember, anti-gun zealot Chuck Schumer says he supports the 2nd Amendment, but his view is that it does NOT apply to you.

Not sure what District you’re in? Your district may have changed due to redistricting. (Mine did!) You can find out at: http://tinyurl.com/bksx4 (Only your address info is required on this form.) Your current (old) district and the *new* one resulting from redistricting will also be displayed.

If any of the candidates are afraid to take a public stand on these issues now, before the election, then they are unlikely to be very responsive to your views after the election. There is absolutely NO reason why they should not answer this survey!

Failure to return a completed survey frequently indicates indifference, if not outright hostility, toward the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Find out what their real positions are by politely and firmly insisting that they complete the VCDL survey and send it in immediately. If they have misplaced their survey, have them contact me at vp@vcdl.org and I’ll email them another copy.

Once the dust settles from the Primaries, I’ll put out another list of ALL the candidates in the November General Election with contact info and who has/has not answered the Survey.

Thanks for your help!

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- The VCDL 2011 Candidate Survey was mailed to all the candidates for Virginia Senate and House of Delegates in the upcoming Party nominating processes (Primary, Mass Meeting, Convention, etc) to be held over the next month.

Please contact *all* the candidates in *YOUR* District by BOTH email AND phone:

THANK the candidates who answered the VCDL Candidate survey for responding (those with a double asterisk (**) before their name) – Politely, but firmly, urge those candidates who have not answered to answer the VCDL Survey

Don’t accept vague generalizations such as “the candidate supports the 2nd Amendment”. Remember, anti-gun zealot Chuck Schumer says he supports the 2nd Amendment, but his view is that it does NOT apply to you.

Not sure what District you’re in? Your district may have changed due to redistricting. (Mine did!) You can find out at: http://tinyurl.com/bksx4 (Only your address info is required on this form.)

If any of the candidates are afraid to take a public stand on these issues now, before the election, then they are unlikely to be very responsive to your views after the election. There is absolutely NO reason why they should not answer this survey!

Failure to return a completed survey frequently indicates indifference, if not outright hostility, toward the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Find out what their real positions are by politely and firmly insisting that they complete the VCDL survey and send it in immediately. If they have misplaced their survey, have them contact me at vp@vcdl.org and I’ll email them another copy.

Thanks for your help!

Below is the contact information I have for the candidates. Those with a asterisk (**) before their name have already answered the VCDL candidate survey.

If you live in one of the districts below, please contact the campaigns of each candidate in your district by BOTH email AND phone. Urge those candidates who haven’t responded to answer the VCDL Candidate survey.

———————————-
CANDIDATES FOR THE VIRGINIA SENATE
———————————-

District
& Party Candidate Phone Email
—— ——————- ————- ——————————-
03-R ** Mark Frechette 804-684-1870 contactme@frechette4senate.com
03-R Tommy Norment 757-259-7810 info@senatornorment.com
13-R ** Dick Black 703-406-2951 delegateblack@comcast.net
13-R ** Bob FitzSimmonds 703-851-2990 jp@vote4bob.org
13-R ** John Stirrup 571-248-2666 votestirrup@comcast.net
21-R Tripp Godsey 540-397-1051 Mail@TrippGodseyforSenate.com
21-R Dave Nutter 540-382-7731 DelDNutter@house.virginia.gov
22-R Brian Bates 434-547-9670 brian@brianbates.us
22-R ** Tom Garrett 540-223-3295 garrettforsenate@gmail.com
22-R Mark Peake campaign@peakeforsenate.com
22-R Bryan Rhode 804-310-2086 info@rhodeforsenate.com
22-R Claudia Tucker 434-277-5059 claudia@claudiatucker.com
30-D Adam Ebbin 703-739-4330 info@ebbinforvirginia.com
30-D Elizabeth Garvey 571-312-7260 info@libbyforsenate.com
30-D Rob Krupicka 571-228-8314 jordan@krupicka.com
31-D Jaime Areizaga-Soto 571-306-1438 info@jaimeforsenate.com
31-D Barbara Favola favolaforsenate@gmail.com
36-R ** Jeff Frederick 571-210-2036 senate@votejeff.com
36-R Tito Muñoz 571-316-5565 tito@votetito.com
37-R ** Steve Hunt 703-502-0633 steve@stevehunt.org
37-R Jason Flanary 703-493-0484
39-R Miller Baker 571-455-3055 millerbaker@verizon.net
39-R ** Scott Martin 703-627-4719 scott@scottmartin4senate.com
39-R Andre Muange 571-318-1623 andre@andreforsenate.com

———————————————-
CANDIDATES FOR THE VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES
———————————————-

District
& Party Candidate Phone Email
—— —————- ———— ——————————-
10-R ** Randy Minchew 703-929-4857 randy@minchewfordelegate.com
10-R ** Cara Townsend 703-347-2611 ctconcepts@yahoo.com
10-R ** John Whitbeck 703-477-8476 john@johnwhitbeck.com
18-R ** Kevin Kelley 703-283-3548 kelley4delegate@gmail.com
18-R ** Michael Webert 703-906-4667 michaelwebertfordelegate@gmail.com
49-D Stephanie Clifford 703-920-2517 SDC@stephanieclifford.org
49-D Alfonso Lopez 571-241-5840 alfonsofordelegate@gmail.com
59-D Connie Brennan 434-263-4690 connie@cstone.net
59-D Jasper Hendricks 434-632-8683 campaign@hendricksforvirginia.com
59-R Matt Fariss 434-660-0606 Mattfariss1@Verizon.net
59-R Evans Thomas 434-610-3221 info@evansthomasfordelegate.com
64-R Richard Morris 757-291-0217 rickmorris@morrisfordelegate.com
64-R Joseph Waymack 804-720-1987 joseph@waymackfordelegate.com
87-R ** Jo-Ann Chase 571-258-7468 joachase@aol.com
87-R ** David Ramadan 703-945-1741 davidramadan@usa.net
90-D Algie Howell DelAHowell@house.virginia.gov
90-D Rick James
98-R Sherwood Bowditch 804-832-5860 info@sherwoodbowditch.com
98-R Ken Gibson 804-684-0760 GibsonForDelegate@gmail.com
98-R Keith Hodges 804-694-5815 information@votekeithhodges.com
98-R ** Catesby Jones 804-695-1314 x222 catesby@mindspring.com
99-R John Lampmann 804-366-4445 john@lampmannfordelegate.com
99-R Margaret Ransone 804-493-8484 margaret@margaretransone.com
99-R Dean Sumner http://deansumnerfordelegate.com/contactdean.html

———–

Party Designators: D = Democrat R = Republican

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

California Rifle and Pistol Association

Sacramento, CA --(Ammoland.com)-The California Rifle and Pistol Association continues to shift into high gear! Watch Executive Director, John Fields, and CRPA President, Tony Montanarella report on what CRPA is up to!

Part I: CRPA Executive Director and President’s Monthly Report – Part I

• NRA Convention
• Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association Banquet in Phoenix
• Sacramento trip
• CRPA’s BBQ/Picnic Event August 2012 at SAC Valley Shooting Range
• Meeting with Sportsman’s Warehouse in Rocklin
• Teleconferences
• Finance Committee Meeting

Part II : CRPA Executive Director and President’s Monthly Report Part II

• The CRPA Foundation Conference
• AR-15 Project “Support the Troops”
• Planet Media Expose in the LA Times
• CRPA “New Logo” Project
• Programs and Coalition Committee holding Second Amendment Summit
• Shooting Activities receiving support from the National Guard
• Fish & Game Commission meeting in Ontario with Tom Pedersonand Ed Worley
• CRPA Staff meeting at CRPA Headquarters
• Meeting with West LA – NRA Members Council in Culver City
• Meeting with Southbay Open Carry
• CRPA Membership
• CRPA Fundraising

About:
The California Rifle and Pistol Association “CRPA,” founded in 1875, is dedicated to defending the rights of law-abiding citizens to responsibly use firearms for self-defense and the defense of their loved ones, for sport, and for all other legal activities. CRPA is the official state association of the National Rifle Association. A California non-profit association, CRPA is independently directed by its own Board of Directors. CRPA’s members include law enforcement officers, prosecutors, professionals, firearm experts, the general public, and loving parents. CRPA has always worked to reduce the criminal misuse of firearms and firearms accidents, while actively promoting and organizing the competitive shooting sports and Olympic training programs in California. We are proud to say that many CRPA competitors are among the best in the world. Visit: www.crpa.org

Texas College Republicans

AUSTIN, Texas --(Ammoland.com)- Texas College Republicans (TCR) call for Senator Steve Ogden (R- Bryan) to vote for SB 354 to be heard on the Senate floor, reversing his current position.

TCR has been closely following this campus safety bill, which allows concealed carry on campus, and have declared it their top legislative priority for this session.

The Texas Senate requires a two-thirds majority, or 21 votes, before a bill can be heard on the Senate Floor. Currently, 18 Republicans and two Democrats have promised to vote to hear the bill—one more vote is needed. Ogden is the only Republican Senator who continues to withhold his support. As a long time Republican and U.S. Navy Veteran, he should be a strong supporter of personal protection.

According to Steve Lettunich, TCR’s state chairman, “This is an idea that has the support of every other Republican in the Texas Senate, as well as being a Republican platform item and the top priority of the Texas College Republicans. When you’re the only person stopping something that everyone else in your party is supporting, it’s time to reconsider your position.

“As Republicans, there are some things we might disagree about, but this is not one of them,” Lettunich continued.

“Reasonable people can disagree about how district lines should be drawn, or how money should be appropriated for one particular agency. Unlike those, this is a simple idea: Texas students and faculty should not be forced to surrender their right to self-defense in order to get an education.”

TCR is the official statewide federation of College Republicans chapters and a member of the College Republican National Committee (CRNC), the official collegiate arm of the Republican Party. TCR has 35 chapters and over 2500 members within those chapters.

Pro Gun Volunteers Needed For 2011 NRA Annual Meeting

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- The 2011 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will be an exciting weekend, as thousands of NRA members will come together April 27–May 1, 2011, in Pittsburgh, PA.

You can contribute to the success of our meeting by participating as an Annual Meetings Volunteer.

If you can spare a half-day or more while attending the Pittsburgh Annual Meetings, you can assist the NRA staff in making this year’s Annual Meetings our best yet! Participating in the Annual Meetings as a volunteer is one of the most satisfying and enjoyable activities you will experience as an NRA member.

Volunteers are needed in a wide variety of activities including the NRA Store, Membership Services, Airgun Range, Firearm Inspectors, and Exhibitor Registration. The store, in particular, requires lots of manpower; especially needed are volunteers who have cashier experience. Membership Services is a busy place as many members renew or upgrade their memberships. And we will need many NRA-certified instructors to assist young people at the air gun range. There are other opportunities as well.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Dennis Eggers, Volunteer Coordinator, at (270) 522-0909, or via e-mail at DEggers@nrahq.org. Additional information and a registration form are available at the Annual Meeting site: www.nraam.org.

If you would like to volunteer your time, please complete the Volunteer Registration Form and forward it to Dennis Eggers, 203 Choctaw Drive, Cadiz, KY 42211, or to deggers@nrahq.org. Thank you. We hope to see you in Pittsburgh!

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

National Association for Gun Rights

Colorado -–(Ammoland.com)- ATF purchase tracking. United Nations’ Small Arms Treaty gun ban. Defining gun owners as domestic terrorists.

These are just a few of the threats facing our right to keep and bear arms in the 112th Congress.

Among the new batch of freshly-minted Congressmen, Cory Gardner of Colorado’s 4th District is a true advocate for our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

As a member of the Colorado state legislature Cory was an outspoken leader for gun owners. From protecting the right-to-carry, to strengthening Colorado’s self-defense laws, Gardner didn’t just talk-the-talk, he walked-the-walk.

Gardner carried pro-gun legislation every single year he was in the state legislature.

Gardner was also a floor leader who was quick to run amendments to protect our rights and that made it easy for the National Association for Gun Rights PAC to make Cory Gardner our first congressional endorsement.

Rep. Cory Gardner and Luke O'Dell At his swearing in reception, Congressman Cory Gardner (CO-04) and NAGR Director of Operations Luke O'Dell had this photo snapped after discussing gun rights in the new Congress.

Through the generous support of members like you, NAGR-PAC was able to contribute directly to Gardner’s campaign and contact gun owners across his rural district.

Despite his long record of real support for the Second Amendment as a state legislator, the NRA endorsed Gardner’s opponent, incumbent anti-gunner Betsy Markey (D).

Cory Gardner will stand with you and not the anti-gun establishment in Washington D.C.

Gardner’s victory is a triumph not only for members of the National Association for Gun Rights, but for gun owners across the nation.

While we have much to be concerned about going into the new Congress, having a Congressman like Cory Garder working directly with the National Association for Gun Rights gives hope that with your help, we’ll be able to continue to fight back gun control

For liberty, Luke O’Dell Signature: Luke O’Dell Director of Operations National Association for Gun Rights

About:
The National Association for Gun Rights was founded in 2001 to serve as a grassroots gun rights group focusing on building state-level gun rights groups and lobbying for pro-gun federal legislation. Brown has been a gun lobbyist for more than 17 years. Visit: www.nationalgunrights.org

Editorial Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed above do not necessarily reflect those of the staff, AmmoLand Shooting Sports News, or other sponsors and partners. See the Editorial-Review Process for more details.

Gun Owners of America

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Gun Owners of America was able to help elect 5 new pro-gun members to the United States Senate and more than 40 pro-gunners to the House of Representatives!

AND YOU MADE IT POSSIBLE. Thank you.

In an election where we were the ONLY NATIONAL GUN GROUP to help many of these candidates, it highlights just how critical the gun issue is to Americans, and how important you were to those victories.

GOA could not have done the work without the support of our members — and now, more than ever, we need your help to double or even triple our membership before 2012!!!

Why? Because 2012 will be a presidential election year and the radical left wing in America will once again be “all in” for Barack Obama.

If they turn out their forces to help Obama win re-election, those voters will translate down to votes for anti-gun members of Congress again, just as they did in 2008.

We can’t let that happen without a fight.

Gun Owners of America and GOA Political Victory Fund used limited resources this year to make great gains to protect the Second Amendment. If you can help us grow now, by alerting your family, friends and neighbors, to the work of GOA and the need for them to become members, we will be able to win additional races in 2012!

Believe me, the anti-gun left in this nation has not given up. They see the 2010 election as a hiccup, not the end of the battle or the war. And we can’t look at it that way either.

The bottom line in elections is that there is strength in numbers, and if GOA doubles in size NOW, we can multiply what we did this year by several times. That is real “bang for the buck.”

With our limited resources this year, we were able to travel around the country giving the voting records of the pro-gun and anti-gun candidates to their voters. We were able to make thousands of phone calls directly to pro-gun voters in the target districts. We were able to send mailings and e-mail alerts to our members to ask them to volunteer in key races.

And the payoff is those 5 new Senators and over 40 members of the House I mentioned above.

But our work is far from over!

Anti-gun Harry Reid is still in control as the Majority Leader of the United States Senate. Nancy Pelosi still wields her power in the House.

AND BARACK OBAMA IS STILL PRESIDENT!

As I said, we cannot sit back now and think we won the war. We won the first battle over the Obama Administration and the radical left who still hold the leadership in the Senate.

That’s why Gun Owners of America needs you.

There is a reason why Congressman Ron Paul calls GOA the only “no compromise gun lobby in Washington.”

There is a reason why Senator Tom Coburn calls GOA the “real gun lobby in Washington D.C.”

And that reason is YOU!

Our members help put pressure on Congress every time we send one of our alerts asking you to contact your representatives about gun legislation.

When our lobbyists hit the halls of Congress and tell members we are opposed or supportive of a bill, they know our membership will also let them know WE ARE ALL WATCHING HOW THEY VOTE.

Just think how much more effective we can be if we double or triple our membership in the next 12 months!

2010 has been the “easy year” when it comes to election gains. We went out and picked the “low-hanging fruit.”

The races in 2012 will be for tougher districts, tougher candidates and we’ll also be fighting the Obama factor — where the radical left-wing will be pouring huge amounts of money and manpower to help make him a two-term president.

So, if you’ve just sat back to enjoy the many victories of November 2nd, DON’T!

WE NEED YOU!

You are our best salesperson to tell our story to your friends, neighbors and everyone you communicate with around the country.

Tell them that for a small membership donation of $20 or $30, they can be a major factor in not only stopping anti-gun laws… they can be part of the organization that is fighting to repeal the anti-gun laws already on the books.

I don’t care if they are hunters, shooters, collectors or just people who understand that the Second Amendment is critical to all our other freedoms, we need them as members of GOA.

And if they sign up to receive our GOA e-mail alerts, they can be part of our lobbying team of people all over the country who call, write and e-mail our elected leaders on important gun issues.

GOA and our members have stood alone many times when others compromised, or said legislation or Presidential appointments could not be stopped — and we have proved the naysayers wrong.

WE WILL NOT COMPROMISE — your rights are not “bargaining chips” to be used at the negotiating table, and we will never treat them as such.

Don’t read this article on AmmoLand and do nothing. Pass it on to everyone you know and ask them to join Gun Owners of America now by going to:

http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm

It will make a huge difference in the outcome of the 2012 elections and the future of this nation. Thank you.

About:
Gun Owners of America (GOA) is a non-profit lobbying organization formed in 1975 to preserve and defend the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. GOA sees firearms ownership as a freedom issue. `The only no comprise gun lobby in Washington’ – Ron Paul

Gun Owners of America

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Candidates backed by Gun Owners of America scored tremendous wins in Tuesday’s elections.

In many cases, GOA was the ONLY national pro-gun organization to actively oppose Nancy Pelosi’s “Blue Dog” Democrats.

Our aggressive opposition to these Representatives – who are mistakenly considered to be somewhat conservative – was well worth the effort as Pelosi has now been reduced to minority status.

You can go to the GOA website — at http://gunowners.org/goa-victories.htm — to see the dozens of new GOA-backed Senators and Representatives that will be serving you.

Some of the highlights include:

• California, Dist. 19 — Jeff Denham
• Florida, Senate — Marco Rubio
• Florida, Dist. 22 — Allen West
• Minnesota, Dist. 8 — Chip Cravaack
• Missouri, Dist. 4 — Vicky Hartzler
• Ohio, Dist. 6 — Bill Johnson
• Virginia, Dist. 9 — Morgan Griffith
• Washington, Dist. 2 — John Koster

These are patriots who will be protecting the Constitution and your gun rights for years to come. Please go to the above URL to “meet” them.

About:
Gun Owners of America (GOA) is a non-profit lobbying organization formed in 1975 to preserve and defend the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. GOA sees firearms ownership as a freedom issue. `The only no comprise gun lobby in Washington’ – Ron Paul

Arizona Citizens Defense League

Catalina, AZ --(Ammoland.com)- Congratulations! The response to AzCDL’s 2010 annual meeting of members has been overwhelming and all luncheon seating has been booked to capacity. We are expecting 400 attendees.

If you possess an annual meeting reservation ticket, that means you have a guaranteed seat at a table and a meal reserved for you. If you made your luncheon reservation by the September 25th deadline and have not received your ticket, please contact Fred (treasurer@azcdl.org).

If you have NOT made a luncheon reservation, we probably won’t be able to accommodate you. There will be no ticket sales at the door until AFTER all those with reservations have been seated AND we can confirm that there are open seats, probably not until after 1 PM. We also cannot guarantee that you will have a choice of meals, or that there will be any extra meals available.

Please do NOT arrive before Noon. Lunch is not served until 1 PM. Entry to the meeting is streamlined. If you have a ticket in your hand, you will be seated quickly.

We need volunteers! This is going to be a fun, but busy, meeting with tons of raffle drawings, a silent auction, entertainment and thought provoking guest speakers. We’ll also have table sales of books and AzCDL goodies. And, we could use a few more smiling faces to greet our members and help them get seated. If you would like to help make the largest ever gathering of AzCDL members a fun and memorable occasion, please let Fred (treasurer@azcdl.org) know.

Don’t forget! Wear a gun!

As with all our annual meetings, the tasteful open carrying of firearms is appreciated.

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Join today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

AR15.com

Honeoye Falls, NY --(Ammoland.com)- Readers like you and me along with members of ARFCOM are rarely shy about sharing our opinions.

Whether the topic is the best way to sling your AR or the forever popular 9mm vs. .45 ACP debate, we relish the opportunity to put forth our point of view.

But even more important than our opinions about bug out bags and terminal ballistics is making sure our opinions are recognized at the ballot box.

Just in time for the 2010 mid-term elections, NRA’s Freedom Action Foundation has launched the Trigger the Vote campaign, spearheaded by Honorary Chairman Chuck Norris. The campaign is a non-partisan effort to get as many pro-Second Amendment citizens registered to vote and into the polling booths this November as possible.

The centerpiece of the campaign is its website, www.triggerthevote.org, complete with voter registration forms and a list of polling places. In addition, the site has tools that make it easy to share this information through e-mail or the latest social networking channels; so there is no excuse for like-minded friends and family not to be at the polling place with you come November.

Despite a wave of victories in recent years, most notably the Heller and McDonald decisions, gun owners cannot afford to take an apathetic approach to this election. On the state level there are continuing threats, like micro-stamping legislation in New York and long gun registration legislation in California. Federal legislation has been introduced to end gun shows as we know them, and legislators are under international pressure to reinstate the so-called “assault weapons” ban.

In addition, President Obama has already nominated two Supreme Court Justices who can’t be counted on to uphold the Second Amendment, and with a razor-thin 5-4 majority in both Heller and McDonald, we need a large pro-gun majority in the Senate to block any future anti-gun nominees.

Of course the Obama administration’s anti-gun machinations don’t stop at the Supreme Court. Recently the administration launched a behind-the-scenes attack on gun owners through Hillary Clinton’s State Department. In an attempt to raise money for its military, which is constantly under threat from a hostile Communist aggressor, our South Korean allies are trying to sell to U.S. importers U.S.-made M1 rifles and carbines that the U.S. provided to the South Koreans during the Cold War. But rather than bring these historically significant arms home, the Obama/Clinton State Department has blocked their importation, since, according to a spokesman, “The transfer of such a large number of weapons … could be exploited by individuals seeking firearms for illicit purposes.”

This is an outrageous statement; considering that transfer of these guns would be subject to the same NICS checks all FFL dealers are required to perform. But what makes the State Department remarks truly absurd is that the government chartered Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) currently sells the same models of rifles in question. A new supply of these rifles would just allow even more shooters to enjoy these firearms. After all, the American taxpayer has already paid once for these rifles and should have the opportunity to acquire one rather than see them relegated to the scrap heap.

Adding to the nonsense, when asked by Fox News for further comment on why the M1 rifles were dangerous, the Obama administration responded with their own version of an Abbot and Costello routine. The State Department directed questions to ATF, ATF directed questions to the Department of Justice and the Department of Justice then directed questions back to the State Department. If this weren’t enough, when further questioned by Fox, the White House directed questions to the Pentagon, who directed questions to the U.S. Embassy in South Korea, which sent the issue back to the State Department.

Many ARFCOM members are already following the M1 importation issue closely. But just following the story won’t save these historic firearms from possible destruction. Ultimately, fixing the problem will require congressional action, and that means electing more pro-gun legislators. So take a minute to get yourself and your friends and family involved in the Trigger the Vote campaign. By helping to elect strong pro-gun majorities in the mid-term elections we can block any future plans the Obama administration may have of attacking the Second Amendment.

About Joe:
Joe DeBergalis is a big contributor at AR15.com, a great representative for gun owners everywhere, and a great personal friend. He’s also a member of the NRA Board of Directors, Vice President of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, and Moderator of ARFCOM’s NRA Activism Forum. A longtime NRA Election Volunteer Coordinator, he was named “Volunteer of the Year” in 2005 by NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action.

About:
AR15.Com originated in 1996 as a mailing list for firearm enthusiasts. As the years passed and interest grew, a website came into existence to present those same enthusiasts with a means to collect, share, and explore information. Shortly afterwards, a bulletin board was added to create a more interactive experience for the growing list of users. The site was still in it’s infancy, but was growing in popularity. Visit: www.ar15.com

Arizona Citizens Defense League

Catalina, AZ --(Ammoland.com)- Wonder how your elected State Representatives and/or Senators voted on key pro-rights bills this year?
AzCDL has posted their voting records at: www.azcdl.org/html/voting_records.html .

Votes monitored are for:

• SB 1108 – Constitutional Carry
• SB 1153 – Knife preemption
• HB 2307 – Firearms Freedom Act
• HB 2543 – Strengthened firearms preemption
• HB 2629 – Prohibits counties, towns, etc. from de facto “registration” related to temporary firearms storage
• HCR 2008 – Proposed Constitutional amendment; Right to hunt and fish

This is an election year. AzCDL members have an extra tool to support legislators who support your rights – our Political Action Committee (PAC). Campaign donations speak loudly to legislators seeking reelection. AzCDL’s PAC is a force-multiplier for your individual donation. No matter the size of your donation, when combined with hundreds or thousands of others, it WILL make a big difference. Please donate today! http://www.azcdlpac.com/contribute.html .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Join today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html .

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom

http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html

About:
AzCDL believes that the emphasis of gun laws should be on criminal misuse and that law-abiding citizens should be able to own and carry firearms unaffected by unnecessary laws or regulations. AzCDL was founded by a group of local activists who recognized that a sustained, coordinated, statewide effort was critical to protecting and expanding the rights of law-abiding gun owners. As a like-minded coalition of activists, the AzCDL founders were instrumental in the successful passage of the first major improvement to Arizona’s CCW (concealed carry) laws since they were instituted in 1994. Visit: www.azcdl.org

VCDL Seeking Gun Show Coordinator

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA - -(Ammoland.com)- EM Audrey Muehleisen is stepping down as one of Virginia Citizens Defense League’s Richmond area coordinators.

We extend our thanks to Audrey for her years of work on behalf of VCDL at gun shows and events in Richmond.

VCDL’s regional coordinators are extremely important in spreading the word about Virginia Citizens Defense League throughout the state, informing the public about gun rights, and increasing our membership.

VCDL is seeking a volunteer to join Paul Henick as a Richmond-area coordinator for gun shows and events.

The coordinator’s duties are to set up and take down the Virginia Citizens Defense League table before and after each gun show or event, schedule volunteers to staff the table, and submit a report to VCDL leadership after the event.

The new coordinator will work with Paul to decide how to divide up responsibility for the gun shows in the Richmond area.  If you are interested in this very important position, contact CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org for more information.

Gun shows and events!
The Virginia Citizens Defense League thanks the following member- activists who generously gave of their time to advance and help defend the rights of their fellow gun owners by working our recruiting and information booths at gun shows and events around the state.

Dale City, June 5-6 Ken Laughman, Clairia Jackson, Tom Pretras, Mark Jones, Mark Shinn, Dr. Jerry Coffey, Craig Smith, Jessie White, Vin Miragliotta, Terrell Prude’, Russell Krull, and Sam Childress

As an all volunteer organization, Virginia Citizens Defense League depends on YOU to volunteer your time at our area events, where we recruit new activists and keep gun owners informed. No experience necessary; if it’s your first time we’ll pair you with a veteran volunteer.

To find out more about helping at our gun show tables, go to: www2.vcdl.org/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/vcdl/gs.html  and click on any of the blue links, or contact the coordinator for the show/event listed below with which you are interested in helping.

Here are the upcoming events with which we need YOUR help:

a. RICHMOND http://www.cegunshows.com, July 10-11

Saturday, July 10 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, July 11 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Contact our coordinator at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the Showplace in Mechanicsville.

b. SALEM http://www.cegunshows.com, July 17-18

Saturday, July 17 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, July 18 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Salem.

c. HAMPTON http://www.guns-knives.com, July 24-25

Saturday, July 24 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, July 25 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Ron Lilly at HamptonRoadsgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Hampton.

d. CHANTILLY http://www.cegunshows.com, July 30-August 1

Friday, July 30 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Saturday, July 31 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, August 1 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please contact Danny Paulson at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Chantilly.

e. DALE CITY http://www.olddominionshows.com, August 7-8

Saturday, August 7 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, August 8 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Sam Childress at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Dale City.

f. RICHMOND http://www.showmasters.us, August 7-8

Saturday, August 7 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, August 8 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Contact our coordinator at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the Richmond Raceway Complex.

g. ROANOKE http://www.showmasters.us, August 21-22

Saturday, August 21 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, August 22 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Roanoke.

h. FISHERSVILLE http://www.showmasters.us, August 28-29

Saturday, August 28 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, August 29 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Bob Schmidt at Shenandoahgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Fishersville.

i. RICHMOND http://www.guns-knives.com, August 28-29

Saturday, August 28 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, August 29 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact our coordinator at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the Meadow Event Park in Doswell.

j. NORFOLK http://www.showmasters.us, September 4-5

Saturday, September 4 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, September 5 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please contact Ed Burton at Norfolkgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the Norfolk Scope.

k. SALEM http://www.cegunshows.com, September 11-12

Saturday, September 11 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, September 12 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Salem.

l. HAMPTON http://www.guns-knives.com, September 18-19

Saturday, September 18 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, September 19 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Ron Lilly at HamptonRoadsgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Hampton.

m. FISHERSVILLE http://www.showmasters.us, September 25-26

Saturday, September 25 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, September 26 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Bob Schmidt at Shenandoahgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Fishersville.

n. FREDERICKSBURG http://www.guns-knives.com, September 25-26

Saturday, September 25 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, September 26 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Contact Robert Herron at Fredericksburggunshows@vcdl.org to help in Fredericksburg.

o. CHANTILLY http://www.cegunshows.com, October 1-3

Friday, October 1 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Saturday, October 2 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 3 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please contact Danny Paulson at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Chantilly.

p. HARRISONBURG http://www.showmasters.us, October 9-10

Saturday, October 9 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 10 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please contact Bob Schmidt at Shenandoahgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Harrisonburg.

q. DALE CITY http://www.olddominionshows.com, October 9-10

Saturday, October 9 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 10 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Sam Childress at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Dale City.

r. RICHMOND http://www.cegunshows.com, October 16-17

Saturday, October 16 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 17 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Contact our coordinator at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help at the Showplace in Mechanicsville.

s. ROANOKE http://www.showmasters.us, October 23-24

Saturday, October 23 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 24 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Roanoke.

t. VIRGINIA BEACH http://www.guns-knives.com, October 23-24

Saturday, October 23 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 24 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please contact our local coordinator at VBgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Virginia Beach.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Texas State Rifle Association

Houston, Tx --(Ammoland.com)- TSRA State Volunteer Coordinator, Steve Vandermolen, is presently collecting the names of volunteer-members from around the state.

Steve Vandermolen can be reached by email at svc@tsra.com .

The Austin office frequently needs short-term office staff to help out in the office for a few hours or a few days. Email Steve if you can spare a few hours a week for the cause and you live near Austin. If you live in other parts of Texas, still sign up with Steve. We’re always looking for help and advice from our members.

Next, please check the PAC web site www.tsrapac.com and look over the latest three endorsed candidates who need physical and/or financial help with their campaigns. A few hours or a few dollars can make the difference and goes a long way toward developing another gun friendly legislator in Texas government.

Of the three races listed, one is in Dallas, one in North Austin, and one in the Arlington/Burleson area. We need to take back these urban House seats in the Texas Legislature if we want to keep passing pro-gun legislation. These people need your help.

Also, If you’re a fan of Sporting Clay and live in the Houston area plan to attend:

The Pat Lykos for Harris County District Attorney Sporting Clays & 2nd Amendment Celebration.

It will be held this Thursday, June 3rd, at American Shooting Center, 16500 Westheimer Parkway, Houston. Safety briefing is at 3:00 and shooting begins at 3:30. Dinner is at 5:30. There is a special price break for TSRA members but remember this is a fundraiser honoring District Attorney Pat Lykos. Plan to attend and contribute to her reelection.

The most powerful district in the state of Texas is a friend to gun owners. Contributions can be made on line at www.PatLykos.com or call 281-304-0083 to pre-register for the sporting clay event and dinner.

If money is tight, offer your time. It’s greatly appreciated.

Don’t forget to renew your membership! Now more than ever we need your help.

About:
The Mission of the Texas State Rifle Association is to protect and defend the inalienable rights of the individual Texan to acquire, possess, transport, carry, transfer ownership and enjoy the right to lawful use of firearms for self preservation, for the defense of family and property and the common defense of the Republic and the individual liberties of the people. Visit: www.TSRA.com

National Association for Gun Rights

Colorado --(Ammoland.com)- Cory Gardner earns support of gun rights political action committee.

Today, the National Association for Gun Rights PAC announced their endorsement of State Representative Cory Gardner (R-Yuma), who is running for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.

“Cory Gardner has been a rock-solid leader for gun rights as a state legislator,” declared Dudley Brown, Executive Director of the National Association for Gun Rights PAC.

“From fighting the U.N. Small Arms Treaty to defending the right to carry, gun owners can count on Cory Gardner. I’m proud to endorse such a stalwart gun rights champion,” continued Brown. “Cory will bring a much-needed brand of no-compromise leadership to Congress and Washington, D.C.”

Gardner will be participating in Friday’s 4th Congressional District Assembly and faces two opponents in the August Republican primary.

About:
The National Association for Gun Rights was founded in 2001 to serve as a grassroots gun rights group focusing on building state-level gun rights groups and lobbying for pro-gun federal legislation. Brown has been a gun lobbyist for more than 17 years.

NRAFoundation.org

FAIRFAX, VA –-(AmmoLand.com)- The NRA Foundation has awarded a total of $20,000 through the 2010 Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.) Grand Scholarship contest, whose pool of applicants came from 2009 summit attendees.

The scholarships are paid directly to the accredited college or technical school of the student’s choice.

Scholarships awarded include:

• $6,000 – Alyssa Ferrin, Phoenix, Arizona
• $5,000 – Ben French, Paradise, Montana
• $3,000 – Holly Stewart, Nashville, Tennessee
• $3,000 – Alexis Zobel, Shelbyville, Indiana
• $1,500 – Stacy Schlotzhauer, New Franklin, Missouri
• $500 – Korbin Kiblinger, Redmond, Oregon
• $500 – Justice Locatelli, Corralitos, California
• $500 – Lisa-Marie Rieckhoff, West Allis, Wisconsin
• Honorable Mention – Mackenzie DeRuyter, Valleyford, Washington
• Honorable Mention – Colin Wait, Durango, Colorado

To apply, students must first attend the national Youth Education Summit. After attending, students have eight months to work on a Grand Scholarship application where they develop a portfolio that communicates their experience at Y.E.S. and how it has contributed to their personal growth and introduce an NRA program to their community. Many students talked with local media, volunteered at Friends of NRA events, and started Eddie Eagle GunSafe® programs in their communities. Applications were judged on quality, diversification, and quantity. All of the entries showed impressive characteristics of each individual.

This program is funded through state grants from The NRA Foundation. Much of the money is raised through Friends of NRA, a grassroots-fundraising program utilizing banquets and auctions as a primary means to fundraise.

The Youth Education Summit is a seven-day, expense paid educational experience in Washington, D.C. for rising high school juniors and seniors. While in the nation’s capital, students learn the significance of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights while developing an understanding of federal government and the importance of active participation. The National Rifle Association started Y.E.S. in an effort to encourage America’s youth to become active and knowledgeable citizens. The 2010 program takes place on July 12 – 18. For more information, visit www.friendsofnra.org/yes or contact Senior Event Services Coordinator Nicole McMahon at (800) 672-3888 ext. 1342, or by email at nmcmahon@nrahq.org.

Friends of NRA is a grassroots fundraising program designed to generate support for NRA educational programs. Working with NRA field representatives, volunteers organize banquets in their communities, complete with auctions, raffles and door prizes. Since 1993, more than 15,000 Friends of NRA events have been held across the country, raising over $140 million. Half the proceeds are used to support local and state shooting sports programs and the other half is awarded to qualifying national programs. More information about Friends of NRA can be found online at www.friendsofnra.org or by calling (800) 672-3888 ext. 1354.

Established in 1990, The NRA Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization that raises tax-deductible contributions in support of a wide range of firearm-related public interest activities of the National Rifle Association and other organizations that defend and foster the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. These activities are designed to promote firearms and hunting safety, to enhance marksmanship skills of those participating in the shooting sports, and to educate the general public about firearms in their historic, technological and artistic context.

More information about The NRA Foundation can be found online at www.nrafoundation.org or by calling 800-672-4521.

Shooters Committee on Political Education

Albany, NY --(AmmoLand.com)- I had the honor of attending a trip to Albany, my third in less than a year. I did notice a subtle difference in the attitude of the legislators in our Capitol on this trip Legislators were more in tuned to the unrest among voters and I believe this plays in our favor.

The day before the trip, Steve and myself handed out SCOPE brochures/applications at the Tea Party Express’ rally in downtown Buffalo and it was a very, very pro gun group.

Budd Schroder, Steve Aldstadt and myself arrived early Tuesday Morning so that Budd and Steve could tape a TV show with Democratic Assemblyman Dennis Grabersak. We then met with six more legislators or their delegates.

Day two began with the Sportsman’s Breakfast. Each legislator who attended had a minute or two in front of the microphone to state how they supported the Sportsmen of NYS. SCOPE was mentioned by three legislators and in particular, Budd Schroeder was mentioned by legislators three times. Budd commanded the respect of the legislators like now one else in that room. He is considered by the legislators as the elder statesman for the 2nd Amendment. This was evidenced by the fact that Senator William Stachowski, Senator Dale Volker, Assemblywoman Francie Delmonte, Assemblyman Mark Schroeder (no relation) and former Assemblyman Vince Graber all spent at least 30 minutes sitting at our table.

No other Sportsmens group (with the possible exception of the NWTF, the breakfast sponser) were even mentioned by the legislators. Scope is taking a leading role in Albany.

My many thanks also the Ken Mathison whose leadership and steady hand has guided SCOPE to such a position of respect with our lawmakers. His countless trips and phone calls have undoubtedly set the table for many years to come.

Lastly ken’s wise and reasoned recommendation for a successor will also pay dividends as I do not have to make the case for Steve Aldstadt as the person to lead us in our fight to protect our civil rights.

My sincere thanks for the patience to read my impressions of the trip and to all the Board Members who have given so much to a cause that I am honored to be a part of.

About;
SCOPE is a New York State 2nd Amendment Civil Rights Organization dedicated to the preservation of firearms ownership since 1965. SCOPE is a New York State Not For Profit Volunteer Organization dedicated to the preservation of the Second Amendment.

Iowa Gun Owners

Iowa --(AmmoLand.com)- As the dust settles on the 2010 legislative session it is clear that Iowa Gun Owners has had a major impact on the 2nd Amendment debate at the Capitol and across the state.

There is a saying in politics that the extremes dictate the middle. That’s exactly what took place in Iowa in the 2010 session.

Fifteen months ago when Iowa Gun Owners formed there was practically no momentum here in Iowa in the fight to restore the 2nd Amendment to law abiding Iowans. There was almost no one calling for any changes at all to the arbitrary concealed carry laws Iowans were suffering under.

Iowa was considered a ‘fairly administered’ may issue state where the sheriff may issue you a permit and he may not. Sheriffs had complete control over who carried a weapon for self-defense, and many sheriffs were making it very, very hard to obtain permits. Some issued no permits at all and many of you experienced some combination of this.

Enter Iowa Gun Owners in January of 2009. With your support we began to advocate for the REAL Right-to-Carry bill that would allow all law abiding Iowans the option to carry a weapon for self-defense WITHOUT needing to first obtain government permission. REAL Right-to-Carry allows for you to obtain a permit for reciprocity and it also allows you to openly carry as most other states do. This is not a new concept and is the law currently in Vermont, Alaska, most of Montana, and will likely soon be law in Wyoming and Arizona.

Many people at the Capitol and across the state immediately said that Iowa Gun Owners, and you by default, were crazy and that this ‘extremist’ view of the 2nd Amendment would never work here in Iowa. Even some pro-gun people said that this was too much for Iowa’s political climate and that we’d never get anywhere. We were told to compromise and make deals – which usually means deciding to take gun rights away from a certain age group or people with certain types of mere misdemeanors or the like.

But the board of Iowa Gun Owners does not accept this line of thinking.

You see, when you adopt the principle that you are going to lose, and you merely try to limit how much of your rights you will lose, you still lose.

Iowa Gun Owners went to work building a grassroots army across the state comprised of people just like you to inform the political class in Des Moines that we want our freedoms back – not in 10 years, but now.

At the conclusion of the 2009 legislative session we were able to walk away with a 49-49 procedural vote on REAL Right-to-Carry in the Iowa House. This meant that 49 members of the House were voting to use procedural rules to support REAL Right-to-Carry and this was a huge first step.

Despite what some say, procedural votes certainly count. The first step towards passing a law is to get all the politicians on the record for or against your legislation and that tie vote accomplished that.

During the rest of 2009 Iowa Gun Owners spent our time continuing to grow our base by conducting many direct mail campaigns, going to gun shows from Council Bluffs to Cedar Rapids, speaking at public forums, and mobilizing more and more people. This was easy to do as people naturally gravitate towards freedom and our bill is the clearest expression of freedom available to Iowans regarding the 2nd Amendment.

As the 2010 session approached, Iowa Gun Owners, with the help of nearly 100 volunteers over a multi-day time frame, mailed out ten’s of thousands of pieces of direct mail to gun rights activists all over the state. This mail contained post cards to be mailed into the Capitol urging law makers to pass a REAL Right-to-Carry bill. People responded in waves and this set the stage for what took place during the session.

It is also vital to grasp the political backdrop at work here. With the anti-incumbency wave sweeping the state many anti-gun politicians were desperate to be able to claim that they too are pro-gun. In that context Iowa Gun Owners began seeing drafts, already last November, of the new carry bill that establishment gun groups were going to try to pass in Iowa. You see, even a gun grabber can support a gun bill if it’s so watered down that it’s largely meaningless.

The drafts were terrible and continued to be so as late as two weeks ago. We saw language that would allow you to lose your carry rights if you were ever arrested for an assault – not convicted, just arrested. Another draft would have struck down Iowa’s pre-emption law and would allow individual cities all over the state to pass their own gun laws. That would have been a disaster. Still other drafts allowed the government to deny you your rights if you’d ever been part of proceedings that may result in convictions – think social services at your door because you spanked your child in the park.

The list goes on. Iowa Gun Owners mounted intense battles against all of these provisions and we were successful at eliminating all of this language from the final watered down product.

Despite wanting to appear to be pro-gun, the leadership of the committees where Iowa Gun Owners’ bill resided refused to move them out of their committees. They wanted to appear to be pro-gun – but to heavily regulate that right and make sure that they could still control this right. And so our bills died in committee.

However, we kept working and the politicians in Des Moines continued to get your emails and calls. One time, while I was talking to a Representative, his phone chirped twice in just a few minutes. After reading the emails that he received on his phone, he looked at me and said, “I get these IGO email’s all the time.”

So the message was getting out and it was clear – Iowans want their 2nd Amendment rights back – not something less that is designed to throw us off course and buy political cover for anti-gunners.

In the final hours, literally, of the 2010 session a watered down gun bill was brought forth in both the House and Senate. Let me be clear, this bill was a step forward over current law because it is ‘shall issue.’ But this came at a terrible price.

I will briefly summarize the problems with this bill in order of importance:

This bill allows the government to deny you a permit if they think that you may do something unlawful or negligent IN THE FUTURE with a firearm. This is ridiculous on its face and you can imagine the implications to this. This bill requires you to be retrained every five years when you renew your permit. This was not the case prior to this bill being passed. That’s right, you need to pay $100, give or take, every five years. It is hard enough to find a class as it is, imagine what it will be like now!

We predict that firearms instruction will be a new growth industry in Iowa and it’s sad that gun rights organizations are supporting this bill when they stand to financially gain.

A quick review of the numbers: Currently there are about 30,000 permit holders in Iowa. That number will jump with shall issue, let’s assume that it climbs to 100,000 in a few years. You are retrained every five, so 100,000 permit holders divided by 5 equals 20,000 permit holders being trained every year. 20,000 times approximately $100 per class equals roughly $2,000,000 every year in fees associated with your right to defend yourself! $2 million, every year – no wonder some, even in the gun rights movement are so crazy about this bill, think of the money!

This bill incorporates federal disqualifiers into Iowa code when it comes to carrying weapons. This was not the case prior to this bill being passed. Now, if you ever commit a domestic violence misdemeanor, which does not require any physical contact, your gun rights are gone for life. This is a dangerous precedent to set. What other misdemeanors will be grounds for refusal next?

Obviously IGO doesn’t want spousal abusers carrying weapons, but this issue is very dynamic and often convictions are handed out like candy and, especially in light of the fact that convictions can occur without physical contact, this is a dangerous precedent.

This bill allows you to now be denied your gun rights if a mental health staffer thinks you are not stable. This was not the case prior to this bill being passed. While on the surface this sounds fine, consider that according to Gun Owners of America, approximately 200,000 veterans have lost their gun rights because they spoke to a counselor upon returning from military service and that counselor decided that the vet is not fully stable. It would be one thing if their due process rights were ensured – but this bill allows a mental health staffer, a commission, a panel or a judge to declare you unstable without any promise that you can confront witnesses, challenge the facts, or prepare a defense. This is dangerous, and unconstitutional. This bill raises the age on applicants for carry permits from 18 to 21. This was not the case prior to this bill being passed. Yes, we know that not many 18 year olds carry – but some do. Yes, we know that federal law prohibits anyone under 21 from buying a gun. But Iowa code allowed 18 year olds to carry under supervision. What a place to learn how to carry a gun responsibly – carrying Dad’s gun under Dad’s watchful eye. No longer.

This is the bill that did pass the House and Senate last week. The fact that this bill is shall issue means it is a step forward – but only in the current paradigm. You see, REAL Right-to-Carry, Freedom Carry, Constitutional Carry or whatever you call it is catching on all over the country. Vermont and Alaska already have it. Montana has it in all rural areas. Arizona and Wyoming are close to passing this into law as well.

With the anti-gun politicians in Des Moines nervous about re-election, gun rights groups could have banded together and passed REAL Right-to-Carry but some were told by the political bosses that that would never happen. And so it didn’t. The paradigm needs to be changed.

The excellent news however is that Iowa Gun Owners is working on doing just that. With your support we are closer than ever to passing REAL Right-to-Carry here in Iowa. This year, in the final hours of the session our bill came to the Floor in the Senate for a vote. The result was 20 for with 28 against. While we lost, realize that we are only 6 votes short in the Senate (with a vast anti-gun majority) from passing this bill and we had bi-partisan support.

In the House we are short only 5 votes as the bill failed on a close vote last week. (For those who check this online, we were short by 6 votes but that was only because one Republican representative was absent for a while and she would have voted in favor of this.)

Understand what that means. While being told that this was too extreme, that Iowans would never support this measure, and that it was a waste of time to try, Iowa Gun Owners has, with your faithful support, come to within a handful of votes of passing the best pro-gun bill ever in Iowa in a mere 15 months of operation!!!

This is thanks to the constant pressure that our members continue to place upon their elected officials. It is due to your trips to the Capitol. It is due to the unyielding philosophy of the board of Iowa Gun Owners.

But here is the best part: you and I now know who truly supports your 2nd Amendment rights and who is just posturing for political bonus points. If your Representative or Senator was truly pro-gun then he/she should have voted for the REAL Right-to-Carry bill. If they voted for the watered down carry bill but not REAL Right-to-Carry then you know that your elected official is merely paying lip service but will not support the real deal.

November is right around the corner. Between now and then Iowa Gun Owners will be informing thousands and thousands of fellow gun rights activists across the state about the true colors of their elected officials. It will be important that you help out as well.

After the election, when your voices are heard, we can roll into the 2011 session with everyone at the Capitol knowing one thing: we were not satisfied with the 2010 gun bill, we are not going to be bought off so easily, and we want real change.

Folks, we have made tremendous progress in the first 15 months of operation and many politicians in Des Moines have told us this. You will be hearing from some of them in the near future. Thank you for your help in this important fight. Your effort and your asking for what you really wanted is what got us the ‘shall issue’ bill that was passed this year. That’s a start – but we are not done.

About:
Iowa Gun Owners (IGO) was formed in January of 2009 to combat the oppressive gun laws in the State of Iowa. IGO does not believe that you, as a law abiding citizen, should have to beg permission from the government to be able to defend yourself and your family. That’s why we are working so hard to get a Vermont/Alaska style carry law passed in Iowa. In these states, unless you are a convicted felon or otherwise barred from possessing weapons, you don’t need a permit to carry a gun for self-defense! Join us now! Visit: www.iowagunowners.org

NRA - ILA

USA --(Ammoland.com)- You can’t open up a newspaper or turn on the TV these days without being reminded that this is an election year. Every vote our elected officials make, on every issue, has implications for some constituent somewhere.

Some of these votes may improve our lives, while others may make life more difficult. At the end of the day, however, those who don’t participate in the electoral process are inconsequential.

A lawmaker’s primary mission, especially in an election such as this, is…re-election. The only individuals who can re-hire or fire an elected official are his constituents who are registered to vote, and thus, eligible to cast their ballots on Election Day.

While Election Day 2010 – November 2 - may seem like a long way off, as the tip of NRA’s grassroots arrow, you need to ask yourself, “what am I waiting for?”

Though the elections are still months away, why should we wait until shortly before Election Day to begin engaging ourselves in the process? The answer, of course, is we shouldn’t. We should begin NOW. By beginning your grassroots election program NOW, you will be in much better position to ramp it up to the fullest extent when Election Day is imminent. Our goal should be to simply be able to flip a switch for our final activation, when our efforts will count most.

What should you start doing TODAY to ensure success on November 2?

Here are some suggestions:

REGISTER PRO-GUN VOTERS: Nothing is more important than ensuring our supporters are registered to vote. If voters who support the Second Amendment don’t register to vote, they don’t have a voice on Election Day. Start your voter registration drive NOW to ensure you don’t have to cajole folks to register as the deadline approaches, and so you can fully integrate them into your other volunteer activities.

RECRUIT MORE VOLUNTEERS: Many hands make light lifting, and nowhere does this axiom apply more than in campaign activities. The more volunteers you recruit early and with whom you keep in contact, the more boots on the ground you will have for precinct walks, phone banks, and other activities. You can never have too many volunteers!

HUNT WHERE THE DUCKS ARE: Whether registering pro-gun voters or recruiting pro-Second Amendment volunteers, focus your efforts on places where “our people” can be found. Our goal isn’t to empower the opposition, it is to engage our supporters. Gun shows, gun shops, gun & hunting clubs, ranges—what we call gun owners’ “natural resources”—are the places on which you should concentrate your primary efforts.

RAISE AWARENESS: Letters to the editor of local papers on issues of concern to the gun-owning community are a great way to inform and educate your fellow Second Amendment sympathizers to issues of mutual concern. Write a letter to the editor in support of an NRA issue. Encourage others to do so. And, keep an eye out for pro-gun letters that are published, and work to contact the authors to commend them and recruit them into your network!

HELP US HELP YOU: The Grassroots Division is set up for one reason—to help you become a more effective political activist and provide you the training and resources you need. Let us know how we can assist you, not just in the end stages of the game, but RIGHT NOW. Contact our offices at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) and ask to speak to your state’s Grassroots Coordinator. Visit http://www.nraila.org/ for information and materials to enhance your activities, including information on contacting your local Election Volunteer Coordinator.

The one factor in any campaign that is finite and equal is time. Every day in which we are not working to increase our volunteer ranks is a day lost that we will never get back. As the calendar turns and we get closer to Election Day, things only get more hectic. That is why RIGHT NOW is a great time to get your ducks in a row to ensure you can maximize your effectiveness in those crazy days and weeks leading up to Election Day.

Why would you wait?

Iowa Gun Owners

Iowa – -(AmmoLand.com)- Hours ago the 2010 legislative session came to an end. There is much to report in the 2nd Amendment fight. That report will be coming out in a matter of days.

For now, know that ‘shall issue’ did pass – with a lot of problems. The anti-gunners surely bought themselves some political cover with this vote. We have a lot to do.

Our bill did not make it this session but the good news is that in the Iowa Senate our bill is only 6 votes short of passage! In the House, we are only 5 votes short! (It was short by 6 yesterday but one pro-gun Representative was not there and she would have voted yes.)

Folks – in 15 months we’ve taken Iowa to the brink of some of the best laws anywhere in the country.

You deserve a huge thank you for all your support this session. Your emails, phone calls, and trips to the Capitol have been extremely successful.

Now the fun part begins! November is not that far away and between now and then Iowa Gun Owners will be educating thousands of grassroots gun owners across the state about the gun views of the members of the House and Senate.

For today know that you have been very successful this session and clearly deserve a lot of thanks for what did pass – as faulty as it is.

Please look for Iowa Gun Owners’ 2010 Legislative Analysis that will be coming out later this week.

Yours for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms,

About:
Iowa Gun Owners (IGO) was formed in January of 2009 to combat the oppressive gun laws in the State of Iowa. IGO does not believe that you, as a law abiding citizen, should have to beg permission from the government to be able to defend yourself and your family. That’s why we are working so hard to get a Vermont/Alaska style carry law passed in Iowa. In these states, unless you are a convicted felon or otherwise barred from possessing weapons, you don’t need a permit to carry a gun for self-defense! Join us now! Visit: www.iowagunowners.org

Montana Shooting Sports Association

MISSOULA, MT --(AmmoLand.com)- Last week I sent out the pitch below for MSSA County Coordinator volunteers. Since then, I’ve had people step up and volunteer from these Montana counties:

• Broadwater County
• Cascade County
• Dawson County
• Flathead County
• Glacier County
• Lewis and Clark County
• Meagher County
• Mineral County
• Missoula County
• Ravalli County
• Richland County
• Sanders County
• Yellowstone County

That leaves 43 Montana counties unattended. WHAT ABOUT YOUR COUNTY????

Here is a recap:
MSSA needs to get more involved in county-level races, especially for the position of sheriff. As the volunteer leader of MSSA, I simply don’t have time to reach to or be involved with county-level races. I can write and make available a candidate questionnaire for sheriff candidates, but it must be given to declared sheriff candidates and evaluated at the county level.

For that, MSSA needs people to volunteer to be MSSA County Coordinators. This email is to urge you to step up to the plate and volunteer for this position in your county.

So, please let me know if you are willing. Send me your name, a mail address, county name, a contact phone number and I’ll capture your email address from the email.

If I get more than one volunteer from any county, I’ll connect all volunteers in that county and let you folks sort out who wants to be the MSSA contact and MSSA County Coordinator in that county.

I assume volunteers will be reasonably familiar with the concepts of freedom, constitutional government, and the right to bear arms. Eventually, we will build a Web page with a map of Montana where a person can click on a county and access contact information for the MSSA County Coordinator (maybe even a photo).

Thanks for your help sharing this part of the load!!

About Montana Shooting Sports Association:
MSSA is the primary political advocate for Montana gun owners. SAF is a national organization headquartered in Bellevue, WA that works nationally to advance the interests of gun owners. Visit: www.mtssa.org

Rocky Mountain Gun Owners

Colorado - -(AmmoLand.com)- At a campaign rally on a cold winter evening, thousands of individuals crowd around a stage to hear a Presidential candidate speak on life, liberty, and the Constitution. Homemade signs litter the crowd as the fiery congressman from Texas speaks to a sea of activists, many whom had never before taken an interest in politics. As he concludes, cheers erupt from the mass of people as they celebrate the one man speaking what no other candidate dares to say. Ron Paul has ignited a crowd desperate for a leader and in doing so has energized the thousands in attendance, as he asks for their support in the upcoming Presidential primary.

The next day, about 75 percent of them do not show up to vote.

The above illustrates the difficulty facing the liberty movement today—the willingness of its participants to engage in philosophical discussion, policy talk, or social activism, but their reluctance to engage in political action, the only thing that counts on Election Day.

Unfortunately this has even bled into the issue of gun rights, self-defense, and second amendment advocacy. Individuals who claim to support the rights of gun owners are too often preoccupied with personal recognition or high ideals, instead of focusing on eliminating bad policies and enacting good ones.

Even nationally recognized organizations that pledge to defend the rights of gun owners often find themselves caught up in the pomp and circumstance of putting on a show for the cameras instead of focusing on tangible results.

With the shock of last year’s election fading and 2010’s mid-term elections rapidly approaching, we see many in the gun rights movement cling to the same techniques that have proven unsuccessful in political campaigns.

I count myself tremendously blessed to have experienced a number of facets of the liberty movement. I have been able to volunteer for Ron Paul in his candidacy for President as well as separately learn from many in the gun rights movement who have spent decades defending the Constitutional amendment that protects all others.

Later…
When I served as campaign manager for a Ron Paul-endorsed candidate for Congress, I was able to put those skills into practice. This essay relates what I have learned.

Liberty candidates and their supporters all too often believe a fancy website with an automated real-time ticker will revolutionize the campaign and bring immediate media attention to their cause. They believe simply announcing a “money bomb” will be all that is needed to reform the system and transform their candidacy from an upstart radar blip to a powerhouse ready to take on the political world. But, as wonderful as money bombs and interactive website assuredly are, there is more to real politics.

Despite the signs, the blimps, and the unmatched enthusiasm of Ron Paul’s supporters, on election night when the returns came back the votes were not there. Not in Iowa, or New Hampshire, or Wyoming, or Michigan. Paul’s supporters were often quick to react to the tactics of the political establishment and media, tactics we believed to be underhanded (and which oftentimes were). But the liberty movement limited its effectiveness when it only played defense. Ron Paul’s supporters watched political talking heads dismiss him as a fringe candidate, who purportedly had a handful of supporters spamming polls with text-message votes, and their only response was to complain about the bias they were up against. Just as gun rights advocates should not expect favorable editorials from the New York Times or the Huffington Post, we should never be content to sit and complain. We can whine about how unfair the media is and how we will never be given a fair shake, or we can do something about it. We can hit the establishment where it really hurts, not in the online polls, but where the political class is most vulnerable—in local elections and the grassroots organizations that are the base of the political pyramid.

Dedicated To Destroying Principles
One look to our town councils, state houses, or local political parties will show us the people we are up against. Many of these folks have dedicated their lives to destroying the principles we believe in.

They care nothing about the right to self-defense or those they hurt by refusing to allow honest Americans to carry firearms.

They have sold gun owners down the river for only a paycheck, their proverbial 30 pieces of silver, and sometimes only out of a desire to have a title or control an office. In response we have committed ourselves not to taking their titles and offices away from them but instead to complaining about the system and offering symbolic actions. If elections were won by rifle shoots, turnouts at gun shows, or empty holster protests, our movement would have achieved victory 20 times over. Instead we will continue to lose, and lose badly, until we realize it is up to us, as the next generation of freedom advocates, to learn how to win.

The starry-eyed second amendment activist believe a sound philosophy is what should take precedence above everything else in political life. He believes an un-comprising adherence to principle should trump hard-won victories, party politics, and a desire for power, fame, and fortune. The starry-eyed activist is 100 percent correct. It is in this that the true believer in the second amendment has the advantage.

When working for a political nonprofit that would by all definitions be described as one run by “Establishment Republicans,” I was often railed and berated for my defense of the Constitution, and the second amendment. As a gun owner living in the state of Virginia I am permitted to open carry by law. I exercised this right and carried a properly holstered pistol to the office each and every morning.

Though the office was filled top to bottom with self-described “conservatives,” day after day I was railed and berated for promoting my Constitutional right to carry a firearm. I was informed that cowboys weren’t allowed in the building, told I “wasn’t being responsible,” was called named on the email list-serve, and at times had to sit and patiently wait as co-workers brought Nerf guns down from other floors to engage in a “shootout” outside my office.

After one such defense of the ideals of our founding fathers I was called “young,” “naive,” and with a sigh and a chuckle was lectured by colleagues about how they, “Remembered when they were that immature and idealistic.” My response was simple: “good.” While I will not always be young, I hoped I would always be idealistic—always willing to put principle ahead of politics, even if that meant costing myself an election, being called names, or remaining unpopular with those in power.

The advocates of gun rights have a tremendous advantage over their entrenched political counterparts. While we face a foe that has the techniques and technical knowledge to win elections, we take solace in the fact that our foe is morally empty. Training oneself how to write a direct-mail letter, assemble a press release, or become a better public speaker is merely a skill that can be learned and refined. But having that skill and choosing to throw away political prestige in order adhere to a sound Constitutional philosophy is a road few people are willing to take. However, this does not mean we who support gun rights should fail to cultivate the technical skills our opponents’ possess. Our side must learn how to succeed not just on the Internet or in the journals of intellectual thought, but in the political races and campaigns that shape our government. Gun owners are among the most dedicated individuals one will find in any cause, political or non. Very few are willing to budge on any aspect of the second amendment no matter how small.

Yet this philosophical correctness is not enough to initiate the transformation that is needed in government. Believing you are correct is not enough. Even actually being correct is not enough.

Politics is not an art, expressive and creative, no matter how much so many of us want it to be. Campaigns and elections are very much a science, with tried and true methods that move votes from the living-room couch to the election booth. The science of elections is based on numbers, statistics, and techniques that have concrete goals.

Yard Signs vs Robo-Calls
Yard signs are popular campaign memorabilia—but yard signs do not vote. Volunteer for any candidate in virtually any race, and you will be hounded about yard signs. The candidate always wants to know what color they will be, where they will go, and how many can be placed along the highway. Yet yard signs are something that campaigns seem to do just for the sake of doing them; statistically they have an extremely low impact on changing minds, switching votes, or mobilizing the base.

By contrast, as much as many of us complain about automated pre-recorded messages from candidates—robo-calls—there is a reason campaigns, even in the age of advanced social networking, continue to do them: they work. Despite the anecdotal stories you hear about someone becoming angry at the flood of automated calls he has been receiving and pledging not to vote for that candidate out of spite … it does not happen. Ask yourself, if you truly believed in the message a pro-gun candidate was proclaiming and thought he was the only candidate in that race would defend your right to own a firearm, would you really refuse to vote for him simply because of a few automated telephone calls? If so, then statistically you weren’t going to vote for him anyway. Such voters are negligible.

Some dismiss old-fashioned direct-mail letters that include surveys and requests for contributions as either out of touch with the new way of doing things or simply as junk mail from groups that are out to make a quick buck. In reality, direct mail serves as a proven method to gauge what issues are important to an organization’s membership base. An organization which takes the time to find our which specific second amendment issue is most important to you, is an organization setting itself up to best serve you and its members.

From a fundraising angle, there is a reason groups send out physical mail asking for help to fund project proposals: it works. Every part of a direct mail letter is a scientific instrument used to provide the best product and service to the member of that organization. Direct mail should not turn off gun owners but instead bring them into a world where they too can learn what works and what doesn’t when it comes to recruiting for a cause or spreading a message. There is a reason most direct-mail letters are printed in courier font. It is because most donors to political organizations are over 70 years old, and the font reminds many of them of a typewriter. It gives them a tactile connection to an organization with which they feel philosophical sympathy.

What is effective and what is easy are often two completely different things.

The most effective way of changing minds and recruiting new voters or members is the tactic so many of us shy away from—door-to-door recruitment. Political operatives, campaign workers, and volunteers all agree when asked what the best technique is to influence voters: knocking on their door, handing them a piece of literature, and talking with them. Despite right-wing jeers about Barack Obama’s label as a “community organizer, the ability to sort and mobilize a community is the most basic and most effective way to win in politics.

A successful movement breaks down its locality as specifically as possible in order to appoint outgoing organizers who are a good match for their areas. In the realm of political campaigns, the selection of “precinct captains” is made to ensure that those in charge have a friendly face and a strong tie to the community. In today’s world, we could live almost our entire lives without ever leaving our house. Delivery services, tele-commuting, and Netflix have made it theoretically possible never to need to engage another person in meaningful conversation. Yet despite all of our modern conveniences, deep down people long for individual connections.

Talking With A Complete Stranger
Going out of your way and initiating conversation with a complete stranger can be nerve-racking. You will undoubtedly run into individuals who make it quite clear that you are not allowed on their property again, especially when you mention how much you love guns. But the most important question to ask of yourself about that is, “So what?” We pay respect to a congressman from Texas who at age 72 sought the nomination for president despite being harassed, bullied, and excluded from debates by members of his own political party, and yet we are unwilling to endure the discomfort that might occur from an interaction on a neighbor’s porch?

A little awkward conversation is a small price to pay in the fight for liberty.

You don’t have to wait for the next campaign season to become active—organizing can, and should, be done everywhere and all the time. Instead of talking about the poor leadership that exists within your local political party, force a change. Find out the date of the next election for party chairman and spend the next several months recruiting gun friendly individuals who live in your county. Use established political techniques to build a network of activists and then file the paperwork to become a candidate. Make it clear that under your leadership the party will take a solid stand on the second amendment and will never leave a fellow gun owner out in the cold. Instead of talking about philosophy and the need to bring in new leadership to the county party, become the vehicle that accomplishes it.

Familiarize yourself with the Campaign for Liberty and make it a point to visit their web site each day. The organization formed by Ron Paul has established a national local coordinator program, offers new featured articles every morning, and hosts both statewide and regional conferences containing some of the best political training you will ever receive. Those who adhere to the ideals of freedom no longer have any excuse for not getting deeply involved. Through groups like the Campaign for Liberty, you can learn the political techniques you need to wrest control of government from those who have contributed to its overgrowth.

Your fellow gun owners do not need your homemade signs or your blog posts. They need votes to win their elections and restore strict constitutional government. There must come a time when each defender of liberty says “enough” and commits himself to a struggle that enacts change rather than merely discussing it. That time is now. This is your country, and it’s being taken from you one election at a time. Take it back.

About:
Steve Bierfeldt is the Director of Development for Campaign for Liberty. A version of this article first appeared in “Young American Revolution,” the official publication of Young Americans for Liberty, and is the premier publication for young libertarians, conservatives, and anti-statists of all stripes. www.YALiberty.org

Dudley Brown & Congressman Paul Broun

National Association for Gun Rights

Washington, DC --(AmmoLand.com)- Last week, National Association for Gun Rights Director of Operations Luke O’Dell and I were in Washington D.C. for a series of meetings with Congressional leaders.

I know I don’t need to tell you that the anti-gun lobby and their willing accomplices in Congress and the media are scheming to infringe upon our gun rights.

Despite the backroom dealings and the anti-gun maneuvering going on in Washington, the gun rights cause is not without hope.

I’m happy to tell you that I was pleasantly surprised by the tenacity and gumption of many of the pro-gun members of Congress and their staff.

Both in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate we have a very smart, capable band of pro-gunners who are dedicated to advancing and protecting the right to keep and bear arms.

I was particularly pleased to meet with Congressman Paul Broun (R-GA).

Congressmen Broun has been a strong supporter of the National Association for Gun Rights. I was proud to discuss some of the important work he has helped us with.

While we have many, many battles facing us, including the looming U.N Small Arms “treaty” and a multitude of back-door attempts to pass a national gun registry and to disarm conservative activists as “domestic terrorists”, I know that we will be able to count on the leadership of people like Congressman Broun to help fight these important battles.

On a personal note, Congressman Broun’s support for gun rights isn’t just a Constitutional issue; he’s an avid hunter and gun owner himself.

Luke and I were impressed by the collection of mounted trophy game in his office, including an Alaskan Brown Bear.

(Left - Right) Congressman Paul Broun, Luke O'Dell, Dudley Brown

This weekend, if you have a spare moment, feel free to drop Congressmen Broun a line, here. Thank him for his leadership on behalf of our gun rights and his continued support of the National Association for Gun Rights.

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- YES!!!!! A clean sweep!

SB 334, Senator Hanger’s restaurant gun ban repeal has PASSED the House UNCHANGED by 72 to 27! (Delegate Morrissey wasted everyone’s time on the floor asking inane questions about the bill until they got fed up).

SB 408, Senator Vogel’s bill to allow non-CHP holders to have a loaded handgun in a locked container or compartment in their motor vehicle or boat PASSED UNCHANGED by 74 to 25!

SB 3, Senator Smith’s bill to allow CHP holders to renew their permit through the mail passed UNCHANGED by 81 to 18!

I will list the votes of the House members on SB 334 in a future alert.

The above bills will now need to be signed by the Speaker of the House and the Lt. Governor and then they will head to Governor McDonnell’s desk for signing. That could take up to a week or so.

We are standing at the edge of the end zone, football in hand, with the nearest opponent 100 yards behind us. All that needs happen now is for the football to break the plane of end zone…

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Ms. Marion P. Hammer

Tallahassee, Florida --(AmmoLand.com)- Marion P. Hammer has an outstanding history of service to the NRA and of protecting Second Amendment rights. Ms. Hammer is up for re-election to the NRA Board.

Marion Hammer is a Past President of the National Rifle Association. In 1995, she became the first woman President in the Association’s 125 year history. She lead NRA through some of it’s darkest days — protecting the NRA from those who would tear it down from within and helping hold the line against anti-gun US President Bill Clinton.

Among her many awards, she received the National Safety Council’s “Outstanding Community Service Award for 1993″ for creating NRA’s Eddie Eagle gun safety program for children. The program has now been taught to 22 million children.

She was also a key developer and promoter of other programs to include the NRA’s Youth Hunter Education Challenge, Youth Education Summit and the Refuse to be a Victim.

She was the key in the funding raising and was the motivation behind the construction of the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia to preserve America’s heritage for future generation. At her insistence, construction of the museum began when she became president and she cut the ribbon opening the museum before she left office.

Today, she is a legislative lobbyist who is responsible for Florida’s pro-gun lobbying effort. Marion is a staunch defender/protector of the right to keep and bear arms. She is a legendary pro-gun leader who is also an author, community volunteer, public speaker, safety instructor, and media spokesperson for the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans.

Her accomplishments are many. Under Marion Hammer’s leadership, Florida has been on the front line leading the fight to protect the rights of target shooters, recreational shooters, hunters, collectors and citizens who own firearms for home and self-defense.

Her legislative accomplishments include killing restrictive anti-gun measures and passing pro-gun legislation including:

• Right to Carry National Model Legislation;
• Firearms Preemption;
• Concealed Carry Reciprocity;
• Hunter Protection;
• Shooting Range Closure Protection;
• Gun Manufacturer Lawsuit Protection;
• Gun Registration Prohibition;
• Shooting Range Environmental Lawsuit Protection,;
• “Castle Doctrine” National Model legislation;
• No-Net-Loss of Hunting Lands;
• Hunter Voter Registration;
• Right to Carry in National Forests;
• No Confiscation of firearms during a state of emergency;
• Privacy for Concealed Weapons license holders;
• Guns In Vehicles in Parking Lots Protection and more

She was inducted into Florida’s Women’s Hall of Fame in 2005. Her awards and accomplishments are many and she continues to serve gun owners with dedication and passion.

Consider voting for Marion P. Hammer for the NRA Board of Directors.

Letters to the AmmoLand Editor: Got something on your mind? Let us know and you can see it here.

Tallahassee, Florida --(AmmoLand.com)- The NRA Board of Directors ballot for the election of NRA Board members is in the March 2010 issue of NRA’s The American Rifleman, The American Hunter and America’s First Freedom.

If you are an NRA Life Member or have been an NRA annual member for 5 or more continuous years, you are entitled to vote and a ballot will be in your magazine.

My name is on that ballot and I am running for re-election.

I am asking for your vote.

I want to continue serving the NRA and law-abiding firearms owners in protecting our Second Amendment rights — the bedrock of freedom in America.

There are 31 names on the ballot. You may vote for up to 25, no more. You are not required to vote for more than one — you do not have to vote for people you don’t know. You may vote for any number up to 25.

Re-Elect Marion Hammer To The NRA Board

I hope that you will take the time to find your ballot and vote for me so that I may continue to serve you. Below is my bio as it appears in the ballot issues of the magazines. I have served you for many years and am looking forward to continuing to serve you in the cause of freedom and the Second Amendment.

Thank you for your consideration and your vote. Please feel free to forward a link to this article to friends, co-workers and family who are NRA members

About:
Ms. Marion P. Hammer
Tallahassee, Florida
NRA Past President. First woman president in NRA’s history. Current Board member. Nominating Committee nominee. NRA Benefactor Member. Legislative Consultant/Lobbyist. Strong supporter NRA/ILA. Media Spokesperson/debater. Responsible for Florida’s pro-gun lobbying/defeating anti-gun legislation. Author, Public Speaker, Instructor, works with/promotes Junior programs. Unified Sportsmen of Florida’s Executive Director/31 years. National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association: former Director, Secretary. Former competitive shooter: rifle, pistol. Hunter. MAJOR AWARDS: NRA/ILA Legislative Achievement-1992; NRA/ILA Awards 1987, 1985, 1984, 1978; CCRKBA’s Lifetime Achievement Award-1996; Florida’s Outstanding Woman Achievement Award-1997; Florida Women’s Hall of Fame, Inducted 2005; Sybil Ludington Freedom Award-1995; Roy Rogers 1985 “Man of the Year” Award (only woman ever to receive Award), American Handgunner Top Ten, 1989; National Safety Council’s 1993 “OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD” for creating NRA’s “Eddie Eagle” gun safety program for children.

Staunch defender & protector or your right to keep and bear arms.

Pete Brownell for NRA Board

Pete Brownell

Des Moines, Iowa - -(AmmoLand.com)-  Nominated by both NRA Nominating Committee and by General Member Petition.

Pete Brownell: President of Brownells Inc. Life Member since 1972; NRA Benefactor level; NRA Membership committee member; NRA Shooting Sport Committee Member.

Owner Sinclair International; Board member NASGW; Board member Knife Rights; CP Director and Board member of POMA; Board member Shooting USA Foundation; Pheasants Forever Reload Iowa Chair.

• Proven shooting industry business leadership.
• Experience in use of New Media to reach all Americans regarding protection of our Constitutional Rights.
• Communications and brand-building executive experience needed to Broaden the NRA’s Reach.

“The true power of the NRA is the individual’s voice. With the advent of the internet, all of our voices can be heard. It is my hope the NRA will further assist 2nd Amendment advocates in leapfrogging the liberal media through web technology.” ~ Pete Brownell

“Having directors who intimately understand and work in leadership positions within the firearms industry ensures the NRA’s focus is honed on the overall mission of the organization. These individuals bring a keen sense of the industry and of the bigger fight to the table.” ~ Pete Brownell

For more information on Pete’s campaign, please visit www.petebrownell.com.

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia – -(AmmoLand.com)- A 1,000 is a perfect score in baseball, which we didn’t get, but we have done extremely well so far! Lobby Day continues to pay off in spades.

Highlights from today: the restaurant ban repeal and non-CHP glovebox carry passed the Senate. One handgun a month repeal, castle doctrine, emergency shelter carry, non-CHP glovebox carry passed the House.

Here are the status of ALL the key gun bills at the halfway mark (all surviving bills now switch houses and we start over again):

Bills That Passed The Senate Today, Heading To The House:

• SB 334, Senator Hanger, restaurant ban repeal – 22 to 18 [details of the vote on this bill are at the end of this alert]
• SB 408, Senator Vogel, non-CHP holder can have their loaded handgun in a locked compartment of container in a private vehicle or boat – 24 to 16
• SB 3, Senator Smith, clarifies that a CHP can be renewed through the mail – 29 to 11
• SB 533, Senator McDougle, clarifies that a new CHP applicant that is denied has the right to an ore tenus hearing – 32 to 8

Bills That Passed The House Today, Heading To The Senate

• HB 49, Delegate Lingamfelter, repeals One Handgun a Month – 61 to 37
• HB 854, Delegate Morefield, castle doctrine – 75 to 24
• HB 52, Delegate Cole, makes it a $25 civil fine for not carrying a CHP while carrying concealed – 99 to 0
• HB 26, Delegate Wright, limits what information must be supplied by a CHP applicant – 99 to 0
• HB 1217, Delegate Lewis, lets school boards offer firearms safety classes – 99 to 0
• HB 8, Delegate Carrico, clarifies that a CHP can be renewed through the mail – 75 to 24
• HB 69, Delegate Carrico, Virginia Firearms Freedom Act (10 Amendment protection on guns made and sold in Virginia) – 70 to 29
• HB 79, Delegate Ware, prohibits circuit courts from releasing CHP application information to the public – 87 to 10
• HB 108, Delegate Cole, requires guns that localities get in a buy-up must be auctioned if possible – 75 to 24
• HB 109, Delegate Cole, repeals law that allows localities to tax and register handguns – 80 to 18
• HB 171, Delegate Pogge, prevents an employer and others from banning firearms in locked vehicles in a parking lot – 72 to 27
• HB 236, Delegate Janis, allows for discharge close to a subdivision if done safely – 79 to 19
• HB 490, Delegate Lingamfelter, authorizes the State Police to investigate a lifetime CHP – 78 to 20
• HB 870, Delegate Cline, removes the authorization for a locality to fingerprint first time CHP applicants – 83 to 15
• HB 871, Delegate Cline, clarifies that a new CHP applicant that is denied has the right to an ore tenus hearing – 92 to 7
• HB 885, Delegate Athey, non-CHP holder can have their loaded handgun in an unlocked compartment of container in a private vehicle or boat – 74 to 25
• HB 1070, Delegate Athey, CHP holder can carry in an emergency shelter – 74 to 24
• HB 1191, Delegate Griffith, permits a judge to allow a circuit court clerk to issue CHPs if there are no problems with the applicant – 86 to 12
• HB 1379, Delegate Sickles, requires that child-care facilities in Northern Virginia follow state law in regard to storage of firearms – 86 to 12

Bills That Passed Either The Senate Or House Before Today

• HB 505, Delegate Gilbert, restaurant ban repeal – 67 to 27
• HB 681, Delegate Jackson Miller, allows a police officer to arrest at will for a Class 1 or 2 misdemeanor – 68 to 28
• SB 580, Senator Marsden, makes someone under 18 cannot possess an airsoft gun that can shoot a BB at over 250 FPS and is not marked orange – 33 to 5

Anti-Freedom Bills That Are Dead

• SB 89, Senator Stuart, requires that someone getting their rights restored must include input from the local Commonwealth Attorney
• HB 1271, Delegate Torian, allows schools to ban guns in containers in vehicles while on college or university school parking lots
• HB 1214, Delegate Kory, bans gun in K-12 in vehicles
• SB 595, Senator Lucas, “gun show loophole”
• HB 1209, Delegate Ward, requires a machine gun owner notify the State Police with 24 hours of a move
• HB 1146, Delegate Jim Scott, takes away the firearms rights of a person who parental rights have been terminated
• HB 520, Delegate Morrissey, requires anyone selling 3 or more guns at a gun show have an FFL
• HB 879, Senator BaCote, bans guns in libraries
• HB 1234, Delegate McClellan, “gun show loophole”
• SB 268, Senator Whipple, allows localities to ban guns in their buildings
• HB 684, Delegate Jackson Miller, adds butterfly knives to the concealed weapons list
• HB 1151, Delegate Iaquinto, adds butterfly knives to the concealed weapons list
• SB 643, Senator Reynolds, allows a police officer to arrest at will for a Class 1 or 2 misdemeanor

Pro-Freedom Bills That Are Dead

• HB 106, Delegate Cole, allows CHP holders to carry in a place of worship with approval and in restaurants that serve alcohol
• HB 489, Delegate Lingamfelter, reorganizes the concealed carry law
• SB 79, Senator Reynolds, removes the authorization for a locality to fingerprint first time CHP applicants
• HB 54, Delegate Cole, allows carry in courthouses after hours if building is being used for some other function
• HB 475, Delegate Carrico, allows CHP holders to carry outside of vehicle in K-12 school parking lots
• HB 32, Delegate Bob Marshall, allows a professor to carry at schools of higher education

Restaurant Ban Repeal Vote In Senate

Here are the Senators that voted pro-freedom. If you are a constituent, please call your Senator and thank him or her:

Colgan, Deeds, Edwards, Hanger, Houck, Hurt, Martin, McDougle, McWaters, Newman, Obenshain, Petersen, Puckett, Quayle, Reynolds, Ruff, Smith, Stosch, Stuart, Vogel, Wagner, Wampler

Here are the Senators that vote anti-freedom. If you are a constituent, please call your Senator and politely tell them to support your right to keep and bear arms:

Barker, Blevins, Herring, Howell, Locke, Lucas, Marsden, Marsh, McEachin, Miller, J.C., Miller, Y.B., Norment, Northam, Puller, Saslaw, Ticer, Watkins, Whipple

The phone numbers for the Senators can be found here: http://tiny.cc/GXHZc

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

National Rifle Association

Fairfax, Virginia – -(AmmoLand.com)- The 2010 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will be an exciting weekend, as thousands of NRA members will come together May 14-16, 2010, in Charlotte, NC. You can contribute to the success of our meeting by participating as an Annual Meeting Volunteer.

If you can spare a half-day or more while attending the Charlotte Annual Meetings, you can assist the NRA staff in making this year’s Annual Meetings our best yet!

You will find that participating in the Annual Meetings as a volunteer is one of the most satisfying and enjoyable activities you will ever experience as an NRA member.

Volunteers are needed in a wide variety of activities including the NRA Store, Membership Services, the Airgun Range, Firearm Inspectors, and Exhibitor Registration. The store, in particular, requires lots of manpower; especially needed are volunteers who have cashier experience. Membership Services is a busy place as many members renew or upgrade their memberships. And we will need many NRA-certified instructors to assist young people at the air gun range. There are other opportunities as well.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Dennis Eggers, Volunteer Coordinator, at (270) 522-0909, or via e-mail at DEggers@nrahq.org. Additional information and a registration form are available at the Annual Meeting site: www.nraam.org.

If you would like to volunteer your time, please complete the Volunteer Registration Form and forward it to Dennis Eggers, 203 Choctaw Drive, Cadiz, KY 42211 or to deggers@nrahq.org. Thank you. We hope to see you in Charlotte!

Illinois Citizens Turn Out in Force to Support Right to Carry

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- Pundits say the issue of carrying a firearm for personal protection is a geographical issue – a downstate issue. Some upstate legislators deny right to carry is a statewide issue and argue lllinois citizens north of I-80 have no interest in the right to carry a firearm for self-defense.

Without a doubt, they were proven wrong this past week when a standing room only crowd of 500+ citizens from all over McHenry County turned out in support of Right to Carry in Illinois!

Women and men crowded into the packed Lakemoor Banquet Hall, in Lakemoor, IL to show their support for the right to carry and to learn what they can do to push the Illinois legislators to pass a right carry law in Illinois. Those in attendance voiced their displeasure with being denied the same rights that law-abiding citizens have in 49 other states. 48 states have some form of concealed carry law and open carry is recognized in the state of Wisconsin, leaving Illinois as the last and only state with no provision at all for the carrying of a defensive firearm and considers it a felony to do so.

The hugely successful town hall meeting was the kick off event for the newly formed McHenry County Right to Carry Association. The MCR2CA is a non-partisan group dedicated to advancing the right to carry for citizens of Illinois. To learn more about this group and to add your support go to MCR2CA.com.

The group partnered with IllinoisCarry.com to bring the issue of Right to Carry to the people of McHenry County. Speakers for the event included Pres. of the new organization, Lou Rofrano; Lee Lexow, Vice-President McHenry County Sportsman Association; Valinda Rowe, IllinoisCarry.com spokesperson; Mike Weisman, First Vice President Illinois State Rifle Association; Julie Chiabe, President McHenry IPSIC Sport Shooters; Nick Provenzano, candidate for McHenry County Board Dist. 3; Joe Walsh, candidate for U.S. Congress 8th District; and McHernry County Sheriff Keith Nygren.

The idea for the town hall meeting began when one man decided to get involved – Lou Rofrano contacted Valinda Rowe of IllinoisCarry and asked what he could do to advance Right to Carry in Illinois. Having conducted many successful Right to Carry town hall meetings, IllinoisCarry worked with the group throughout the planning process.

If you would like to help organize a Right to Carry town hall meeting in your community contact Valinda Rowe at IllinoisCarry.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois State Rifle Association

CHICAGO, IL – -(AmmoLand.com)- The following is the text of a statement delivered today by Richard Pearson, Executive Director of the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) to the association’s membership:

“I am very proud to announce to the officers, directors and members that your Illinois State Rifle Association has been named Outstanding State Association for 2009 by the National Rifle Association of America (NRA).

The granting of this prestigious award spells volumes of your hard work and dedication to the protection and preservation of Illinois’ heritage of safe and lawful firearm ownership. This award confirms what I’ve known all along – law-abiding Illinois gun owners will not back down, even in the face of extreme adversity.

You have proven to the Nation that you will not be deterred by the likes of Richie Daley or Jim Ryan or Mark Kirk. You will stand, you will fight, you will win”

“This award also pays homage to the many dozens of volunteers who make ISRA’s shooting sports programs some of the best in the Nation, and even the world.

Your dedication to the sport has opened up countless shooting opportunities to a whole new generation of enthusiasts. Your continued service will ensure that both competitive and recreational shooting remain one of the safest and most rewarding of America’s pastimes.”

“I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize all of the other great NRA state affiliates out there that work tirelessly day in and day out to preserve our shooting traditions. Your strength served as a tremendous inspiration to the ISRA when times got really rough for Illinois gun owners. For that, we thank you.”

“In closing, I would like to once again thank the NRA for its consideration. I’d also like to remind the membership that 2010 promises to be a year of destiny for our Second Amendment and the bounty of liberty it has delivered. Our continued prosperity will require that we tap once again into the strength and dedication of the shooting sports community. I have every confidence that you will face the challenges ahead with every bit of grit and determination that you have exhibited in the past.”

The ISRA is the state’s leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. Since 1903, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners Visit: www.isra.org

Urban Shooter

Upper Marlboro, MD --(AmmoLand.com)- Happy New Year Urban Shooters, friends and family members! This will be year number three for the podcast and I am so happy you listen, share your life and world with me.

This podcast has expanded my territory. I created the Black Man With A Gun persona/website in 1999 with the hopes that I could get around to talk to the hard to reach groups about the RKBA.

What I didn’t realize was the cost it would take. Pro-gun people aren’t rich with loads of money to throw around. And the folks, companies and organizations that do have that kind of money didn’t want to give it to the likes of me for whatever reason.

I borrowed money from a cousin and self published my book in hopes that it would take me to where I needed to go. And then I met the guy they call Murphy. Everything that could go wrong did. I found out that being a firearms instructor in a city is less appreciated than a crack dealer. I didn’t make any money to support my activism. I got notoriety for being an oddity but no money to support my entrepreneurial goal of self reliance.

I used a lot of family money to pay for my activism. I almost lost my house, my wife and my job. That was the nineties for me. I survived bankruptcy, still married to the same woman and a lot of stuff that would make a grown man cry. This podcast is my chance to reach people without leaving my home. Thank you for being receptive to it. I’ve learned a lot over the past twenty years. So I sell everything from books, targets, patches, shirts to keep my head afloat and be self sufficient.

The studio is a room in my basement under the washer and drier of my house. As I learn the business of production, all my missteps have been MBA courses. Now with a PhD from the school of Hard Knocks. I know I can’t make it on my own. I’m here for advice if you need or want it and it doesn’t have to be gun related. OK?

At one time I wanted to get into radio. Now, not so much. I am happy to grow the podcast audience for as long as you are there. The show is growing steadily and I get surprised at least once a month by some one from a different place in the US that has heard the show. If you could help spread the word about it, that would be cool. Do you realize some folks still don’t know about podcast? Well, they can listen on their phones, (I have a mobile link too) and the computer if they don’t do the mp3 thing.

USA I have about forty active members of the Urban Shooter Association right now. They are the ones responsible for this newsletter, the bandwidth rental, my equipment, the ability to pay for stuff, the karaoke tunes I buy, the forum on blackmanwithagun.info and all of that. So please forgive me for seemingly ALWAYS pimping stuff. Right now, everything is equal. I just get enough to do what I do. I can’t expand or do anything new but I am happy with that. Thank you.

Crossbreedholsters.com

Crossbreedholsters.com I have one corporate sponsor right now and I love the guy for it because he took a chance on me like you did so you will see me wearing his logo like a fanboy. Who is that? Crossbreedholsters.com. I don’t care if there are a million other companies out there, Crossbreed holsters has my heart. They are a stand up company with the same mindset that we have. If you are looking for a holster or leather gear please put it on your search list.

Second Amendment March On April 19, 2010 here in Washington, DC there will be a gathering of grassroots pro-gun people called the Second Amendment March. It will be at the Washington Monument. A lot of the same people that I thought would help me get the message out back in the day are not helping this effort either. It’s going to be up to us to come out, represent America and be seen and heard. I am asking you to really consider coming out for a couple of days for the Second Amendment March. I’d love to have you visit my little church while you’re here but if you can just make the day, that would be great. The Urban Shooter Podcast is now the official podcast of the Second Amendment March. Come out and here people like Larry Pratt, Sheriff Mack, Michael Bane, Lt. Col Workman and former Rep. Dr. Suzanne Gratia-Hupp. Heck, we might even get Sarah Palin if her people go for it. Your participation is crucial. Plus I want to take a picture with you.

STUFF
Zombie Strike © is still rolling. What started out as a one time skit has progressed into a Old Time Radio style novella. And I love it. I hope you do too. I hope to redo all the stories to date for an audio CD this year with the text.

Zombie Targets are still available. We have the Zombie 3.0 targets with little Suze as a no shoot element in the middle and Gory the Groom. I’ve seen the other zombie targets online and honestly they look a little weak. These are good posters as well as targets.

Urban Shooter Patches are still available for a limited time. They are $10 each and purchasing one helps support the show.

The book, “Black Man With A Gun” is still available, shipped first class to you for $10.

I will be in Las Vegas, NV from January 17-19, 2010 and staying at Circus Circus somewhere for my first attempt at being a media person. The SHOT show is from the 19-23rd I think so I will only be there for a part of the day before I have to boot and scoot back to DC. I have a new job and I have to work on some list to keep people from flying that week.

Well that is all the news for now. I think the Gun Rabbi will be traveling but hasn’t that been a good fit for the show? Please welcome and check out Richard’s Gun, Holsters and Gear.com blog too. “Shoot Don’t Shoot”, the next chapter of Zombie Strike and I don’t know what will be in the next show of the Urban Shooter Podcast before I arrive in Las Vegas. If you have a suggestion for me to cover for show 148, call or email your brother.

And last but not least, I am trying out for a slot on a new reality show called “Top Shot” as the host. I want to lose about twenty pounds and will start this week working on that. If you have any suggestions to help me, let me know.

About:
Urban Shooter PodCast is a listener supported variety show podcast for all law abiding gun owners, air-soft, air-gun, and paintball enthusiasts of the city hosted by author, instructor and activist, Kenn Blanchard. The weekly shows share grassroots information on what’s going on, mixed with humor, guest interviews, commentary, gun safety, marksmanship and listener feedback. Visit: www.urbanshooterpodcast.com

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia – -(AmmoLand.com)- The VCDL-PAC STRONGLY endorses Jeff McWaters for election to Ken Stolle’s former Virginia Senate seat in the 8th District. Get out and VOTE Tuesday, January 12 in the Special Election.

Get INVOLVED today by calling his campaign to ask how you can volunteer and join this final push to keep this critical Senate seat pro-gun. Jeff’s votes as Senator will benefit you wherever you live in Virginia.

With many major gun bills, both good and bad, coming up for vote this January we MUST send a message to the General Assembly that your rights aren’t negotiable.

Jeff McWaters is a strong supporter of Virginians’ right to keep and bear arms. He has reached out to VCDL members by attending and speaking at a membership meeting, and he has returned his VCDL survey STRONGLY pro-gun.

Call and email friends, family, coworkers, and fellow voters in the district. Volunteer for next weekend and DONATE funds for this effort directly to the campaign at http://www.jeffmcwaters.com/contribute.php

You can help Jeff McWaters by:

• Helping with phone banking – email cindy@jeffmcwaters.com or call 757-965-3700 for details.
• They still need people to work the polls on Election Day handing out literature and working inside observing.
• Donate online at: http://www.jeffmcwaters.com/contribute.php

Campaign Contact Info:
Jeff McWaters for Senate
1207 Laskin Road Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Phone: 757-965-3700
E-mail: info@jeffmcwaters.com

Make your New Year’s resolution one where you can make a difference at the voting booth on Tuesday, January 12th for pro-gun candidate Jeff McWaters.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Arizona Citizens Defense League

Glendale, AZ --(AmmoLand.com)- AzCDL need pro gun volunteers for Arizona Gun Shows.

In addition to the remaining Phoenix and Tucson guns shows this month, we have two additional events that AzCDL will be working that are both scheduled for January 30 & 31, 2010.

Maricopa County’s Joe Foss Shooting Complex (http://www.joefossshootingcomplex.com) in Buckeye is celebrating their one year anniversary on January 30 & 31 and AzCDL has been invited to participate.

On the same weekend, Firing Pin Enterprises (http://www.firingpin.com/index.htm) is hosting a gun show in Prescott Valley at the Yavapaii County Fairgrounds (http://tinyurl.com/Yavapaii).

Two events on the same weekend require two “set-ups” and two crews of volunteers. If you can spare a few hours to help us educate attendees about our goals and hard won successes, we would deeply appreciate your help. To volunteer for either event, please contact John: john.rosado@AzCDL.org .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Join or renew today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom

About:
AzCDL believes that the emphasis of gun laws should be on criminal misuse and that law-abiding citizens should be able to own and carry firearms unaffected by unnecessary laws or regulations. AzCDL was founded by a group of local activists who recognized that a sustained, coordinated, statewide effort was critical to protecting and expanding the rights of law-abiding gun owners. As a like-minded coalition of activists, the AzCDL founders were instrumental in the successful passage of the first major improvement to Arizona’s CCW (concealed carry) laws since they were instituted in 1994. Visit: www.azcdl.org

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Thanks to the generosity of some on this list I will be fully funding a mailing to over 1700 gun owners in the 37th District special election to replace Senator Ken Cuccinelli between pro-gun Steve Hunt and anti-gun Dave Marsden.

My challenge is to now fully fund our 2010 Membership Drive.

We are still about 5 thousand dollars short.

Anything you can do to help fill the void will be appreciated.

But right now, please contact all your family and friends in Fairfax County, Virginia.

There is a good chance that they are in District 37.

If they don’t know they can find out by putting their address in the search engine at http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform

Please do all that you can to make sure that everyone you know who can vote, does vote on Tuesday January 12th in the special election to replace Senator Ken Cuccinelli.

Every vote will count. Senator Cuccinelli won his seat last time by only 92 votes.

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Sportsmen’s Association for Firearms Education

Albany NY - -(AmmoLand.com)- All New Yorkers who believe in Firearms ownership and use by law abiding citizens are invited for a day to celebrate and advocate for Second Amendment civil rights in the New York State Legislature.

Sportsmen’s Association for Firearms Education (SAFE) has been invited by New York State Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb to participate in a day of celebration and advocacy for the Second Amendment in Albany with NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre.

This event will take place on January 12, 2010 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the Well of the State Legislative Office Building at South Swan and State Streets. SAFE will be putting together a bus for the trip to Albany leaving the Huntington Park and Ride (north side of the LIE on service road between Pinelawn Road and Broad Hollow Road, Route 110) at 4:30 AM and returning at 8:30 PM. The bus has restroom facilities and a DVD player which we hope to use.

If you want to make a strong impression on our local Senators and Assembly members that we are serious about our rights for firearms ownership and use, this trip is a must. Right after you commit to going on our bus trip call your State Assemblyman and State Senator and make an appointment to meet with them in their offices in Albany NY on January 12th. You can call the legislators local office or you can call the Assembly switchboard to make this appointment: (518)455-4100; Senate switchboard: (518)455-2800. Then call Assemblyman Kolb’s office and let him know you’re coming: (518)455-4751.

But before we can charter a bus we need to know exactly how many people will be coming. The trip cost is $35.00 per person (cheaper than going by car individually with payment of fuel, tolls) and we need a minimum of 40 people at that price. The bus holds 53 people total and it will be first come first served. Of course my hope is the bus will be full. SAFE will provide Bagels, muffins, coffee cakes, cream cheese and butter, water and juices. Coffee is on your own.

There is one catch however we must have your commitment and your payment no later than January 8th, 2010 at SAFE, P.O. Box 343, Commack NY 11725. We will call and confirm each and everyone who sends in their payment as long as you provide your full name, address and phone number. We will also call those who came in too late and return your check. Each year a number of anti-gun groups and certain members of the New York State Legislature hold a Gun Control Day to promote anti-gun, anti-freedom legislation and blame YOU, the lawful gun owner for all the crime and violence.

It is time to fight back and celebrate our firearms freedoms! See you in Albany!

About:
S.A.F.E. is the Sportsmen’s Association for Firearms Education, Inc. We are a Long Island-based not-for-profit corporation formed under New York State law. Visit: www.nysafe.org

Idaho Sport Shooters Alliance

Troy, ID --(AmmoLand.com)- In the past two years Idaho Sport Shooters Alliance (IDSSA), has had remarkable success.

Idaho now has some of the strongest range protection laws in the country. Instructors, match directors, and match officials no longer have to fear nuisance lawsuits that threaten to put them out of business. Firearms laws are now required to be uniform throughout the state. With your help we will add to these successes in 2010.

We are currently drafting bills which (among other things) will remove some location prohibitions on concealed carry and offer an opportunity of rehabilitation for certain people under Federal firearms restrictions. When the legislative session in Boise starts we will monitor the legislative proposals and report to you on bills that have the potential to affect firearm ownership and use or shooting ranges whether obviously firearms related or not. Finally, as part of our core mission, we continue to work with multiple government agencies and elected officials to improve funding for shooting ranges and locate land for new ranges.

We could not have accomplished anything without you, our members. Your continuing support is what makes our efforts possible going forward. If you or your club has not renewed your supporting membership yet please take this opportunity to do so. No one takes a salary and all membership funds go directly to supporting our mission. Membership support is our sole funding source.

As always: thank you again for your support and if any Idaho gun owners, or gun club members have any questions or concerns about issues that they would like to see addressed please feel free to give IDSSA a call.

The Idaho Sport Shooters Alliance is organized under IRS Code section 501(c)(4). Contributions are not tax-deductible because of our lobbying activities.

About:
The Idaho Sport Shooters Alliance is the only statewide group dedicated solely to advocating for the interests of gun owners and recreational shooters in Idaho. Visit: www.idahossa.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Richmond, VA --(AmmoLand.com)- As Lobby Day (January 18th) approaches, VCDL is busy preparing to get as much of VCDL’s legislative agenda passed as possible. Of course we can’t get anything done without all of you doing your part by attending Lobby Day and sending those emails and making those phone calls to your elected officials in the General Assembly.

For those who might be new to all of this (and there may be many as the number of VA-ALERT subscribers went from 8,000 to 13,000 this year), you will be getting alerts frequently during January and February telling you to contact your Delegate and Senator about one bill or another. Those alerts will make it as easy as pie to do so, with pre-written messages and “click-to-send” simplicity.

Please be prepared for, and be patient with, the uptick in email frequency for the next few months.

THIS IS WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD, ladies and gentlemen, and this is where VCDL EXCELS!

So far seven gun bills have been pre-filed, with many, many more coming for the next several weeks.

All the bills introduced so far are pro-gun, but you can be sure that the anti-gun bills will be coming and our rights will be under assault.

If we stand together, we will prevail.

Here are the seven bills so far:

VCDL STRONGLY supports the following bills:

• SB 3, Senator Smith (R – Roanoke), clarifies that CHPs can be renewed via the US mail.
• HB 8, Delegate Carrico (R – Galax), matching House bill to SB 3.
• HB 26, Delegate Wright (R – Victoria), clarifies that a Circuit Court Clerk may *not* ask for any extra documentation or information from a CHP applicant. This, hopefully, will stop abuse from Fairfax and certain other jurisdictions.
• HB 49, Delegate Lingamfelter (R – Woodbridge), repeals “One Handgun A Month” completely! Delegate Lingamfelter already had this bill drafted when I called to ask him to put in such a bill for VCDL! How’s that for clairvoyance?
• HB 54, Delegate Cole (R – Fredericksburg), allows for the otherwise lawful carry of a handgun into a courthouse when the courthouse is being used for purposes other than judicial proceedings or official judicial activities. This will allow for lawful carry at things such as the Sussex County Board of Supervisors meetings, which are held at night at the Sussex County courthouse. This bill was put in at VCDL’s request.

VCDL SUPPORTS the following bills:

• HB 32, Delegate Bob Marshall (R – Manassas), allows faculty members with CHPs to be able to carry at state institutions of higher education without fear of being fired or reprimanded. VCDL prefers that students and staff with CHPs also be allowed to carry. The bill is a step in the right direction.
• HB 52, Delegate Cole (R – Fredericksburg), sets the penalty for a CHP holder not being in possession of his CHP while carrying to a $25 civil fine that can be waived by the court. Note: the Virginia State Police already has the CHP holder’s record showing his status. That information is automatically made available to officers in the field, so carrying the permit shouldn’t really be necessary in the first place. However, this bill is a step in the right direction.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org