Thread: NRA’s Rebuttal to Obama Gun Control Laws / ATF Gun Walker

NRA’s Rebuttal to President Obama on Gun Control Laws

Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre and NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox rebut the President in a letter delivered to the White House on March 14, 2011. Read the letter below.

National Rifle Association of America
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030

March 14, 2011

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We read your editorial submission to the Arizona Star. However, to focus a national dialogue on guns – and not criminals or mental health issues – misses the point entirely. Americans are not afraid of gun ownership. To the contrary, they overwhelmingly support the fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms. The primary reason why tens of millions of Americans own firearms is that they fear violent criminals roaming the streets undeterred.

We agree with your assertion that "Americans by and large rightly refrained from finger-pointing" in light of the shooting in Tucson . In truth, the professional corps of gun control lobbyists moved with lightning speed to exploit the tragedy. These included the Violence Policy Center ("In the wake of these kind of incidents, the trick is to move quickly"), the Brady Campaign ("Gabrielle Giffords Shooting 'Inevitable'") and Mayors Against Illegal Guns-MAIG ("Bloomberg, Mayors Outline Steps to Help Prevent Another Tucson Shooting"). Your article contains talking points nearly identical to the ones circulated by MAIG for weeks in pursuit of its longstanding gun control agenda. In contrast, it was the National Rifle Association that avoided "playing politics with other people's pain" with our consistent response that only thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families were appropriate in the immediate aftermath.

We also agree with your statement that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. Your record as a public official, however, is anything but supportive of the rights of law-abiding gun owners. In fact, when Congress had an opportunity to voice its support for the basic right of lawful Americans to own firearms, you refused to join a bipartisan majority of more than 300 of your colleagues in signing the congressional amicus brief to the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller. In addition, you previously stated (and have never retracted) your support for both Washington , D.C. 's and Chicago's handgun and self-defense bans that the Court rightfully struck down in Heller and McDonald v. Chicago. Further, you surrounded yourself with advisors who have advocated against the Second Amendment for years (Eric Holder, Hillary Clinton and Rahm Emanuel, to name just a few) and you nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court, one of whom has already attempted to eliminate the Second Amendment right entirely. More recently, you selected Andrew Traver to head the BATFE, despite his long-standing association with groups that support onerous new restrictions on our rights.

If you do in fact believe the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right, we suggest you demonstrate that in your policies and those of your Administration, which you have not done to date. Simply saying that you support the right to keep and bear arms is mere lip service if not put into action.

The government owes its citizens its most vigorous efforts to enforce penalties against those who violate our existing laws. The NRA has members proudly serving in law enforcement agencies at every level. Rank and file law enforcement want to arrest bad people – not harass law-abiding gun owners and retailers.

As for enforcing the laws on the books, we strongly suggest you enforce those that actually take violent criminals off the streets. To start, we urge you to contact every U.S. Attorney and ask them to bring at least ten cases per month against drug dealers, gang members and other violent felons caught illegally possessing firearms. By prosecuting these criminals in federal court – rather than state court – strong sentencing guidelines would apply and charges would not be plea-bargained or dismissed, nor would criminals be released after serving only a fraction of their sentences. This simple directive would result in roughly 12,000 violent criminals being taken off the streets every year. Surely you agree that this would be a good first step.

Unfortunately, your Administration is currently under a cloud for allegedly encouraging violations of federal law. We suggest that you bring an immediate stop to BATFE's "Fast and Furious" operation, in which an unknown number of illegal firearm transactions were detected – and then encouraged to fruition by your BATFE, which allegedly decided to let thousands of firearms "walk" across the border and into the hands of murderous drug cartels. One federal officer has recently been killed and no one can predict what mayhem will still ensue. Despite the protests of gun dealers who wished to terminate these transactions, your Administration reportedly encouraged violations of federal firearms laws – and undermined the firearm industry's concerted efforts to deter straw purchases through the "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" program. We hope you agree with our belief that this burgeoning scandal merits a full and independent investigation.

There are additional steps you can take to prevent tragic events such as the Tucson shooting from occurring in the future. One of these is to call on the national news media to refrain from giving deranged criminals minute-by-minute coverage of their heinous acts, which only serves to encourage copycat behavior. If media outlets won't show a fan running onto the field during a baseball game because they don't want to encourage that behavior by others – surely they can listen to law enforcement experts and refuse to air the photographs, video messages, or Facebook postings of madmen and murderers.

Another step is to encourage people to report red flags when they see them. In the case of Tucson , a man clearly bent on violence was not reported to the proper authorities by those who had good reason to believe he had serious mental problems. That's not a deficiency in our gun laws, it's a deficiency in our mental health system – and should be treated as such.

In closing, we agree that gun owners in America are highly responsible. This is in large part due to the NRA's 140 years of dedication to promoting safe and responsible gun ownership, an effort on which we take a back seat to no one. We welcome any serious discussion on policies that focus on prosecuting criminals and fixing deficiencies in the mental health system. Any proposals to the contrary are not a legitimate approach to the issue.

Sincerely,

Wayne LaPierre
Executive Vice President
National Rifle Association

Chris W. Cox
Executive Director
NRA-ILA

Click here to view a PDF of the letter. http://www.nramedia.org/t/45458/4616228/2495/0/

received by e-mail from NRA ILA Alerts admin@nramedia.org on March 15, 2011 1:44:34 PM

The Gun Control Advocates are talking to the right people in the first place

The D.O.J. / A.T.F. gunner runner program has been spectular in its efforts to FLOOD Mexico with A.K.- 47 Assault Rifles and .50 Caliber Sniper Rifles

a U.S. Heavy Brigades worth of Assault Rifles / Sniper Rifles totaling over 3,000 were allowed to be WALKED across the Mexican border into the hands of Gulf Cartel Members

and I guess you are going to tell me the Mexican Cartels are Mentally Stable Members of Society

Oh HELL NO .. you can take your gooney goo goo ass and pound as much sand as you can humanly fit up your backside

Read more of this crap here

BRIAN TERRY MURDER and ATF OPERATION GUNRUNNER

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-230424.html

Airbornsnapper, it is starting to look like the two ICE agents shot up in Mexico amy have also been victims of Operation Gun Runner. Lots of covering up going on by both sides of the border to avoid embarrassment.

Still the MSM is being quite, no investigations have started and it seems that our government is just waiting for this matter to die out and be forgotten. Business as usual with the United States government.

Originally Posted by bigtex

Airbornsnapper, it is starting to look like the two ICE agents shot up in Mexico amy have also been victims of Operation Gun Runner. Lots of covering up going on by both sides of the border to avoid embarrassment.

Still the MSM is being quite, no investigations have started and it seems that our government is just waiting for this matter to die out and be forgotten. Business as usual with the United States government.

i think that is a given considering they arrested some idiot outside of Dallas, Texas, who knowingly smuggled the guns to the Zetas in that killing

Originally Posted by jamesw62

i think that is a given considering they arrested some idiot outside of Dallas, Texas, who knowingly smuggled the guns to the Zetas in that killing

It seems the trace of the gun to Otilio Osorio in Dallas, Texas was based on ballistics test performed by the Mexican authorities. The FBI admitted that is was the Mexican authorities who were in control of the crime scene. So one again, it appears the whole case for that gun being used in the murder is premised on Mexico’s forensic work and chain of custody procedures for the evidence. As a DEA agent was quoted as saying, "Mexicans had total control of the crime scene and will only present "evidence" in the way it will do them the least PR damage. Coming up with a gun that traces back to an American is one such step.......It took a week to find a "dirty" gun with a U.S. seller that fit the bill."

Another source close to the Osorio case stated, "Mexican authorities did not discover the gun allegedly used to murder ICE agent Zapata at the scene of the crime, but rather found it elsewhere, about a week after the murder — and thereafter matched it to the crime scene via ballistics."

So who is covering for who and what? Is Mexico just trying to save face and solve an embarrassing crime or is the ATF trying to cover that the gun used to murder and Ice agent was part of their own doings?

going to go over this with a fine tooth comb .. thanks for the info; its given me a couple of thoughts

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

going to go over this with a fine tooth comb .. thanks for the info; its given me a couple of thoughts

is this a good thought or not? what is this thought anyways?

Safer Streets Newsletter and Commentary

Second amendment: Who should the Administration listen to?

- John Longenecker
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

The President has said that his Administration will meet with second amendment types on gun control. How do you proceed on the assumption that gun control is even a legitimate concept? Still, there is the opportunity to educate and find real reform.

When it comes to the second amendment, there are very good authorities to consult. I am not speaking of bureaucrats consulting other bureaucrats: that only invites further centralization, and centralization is the foe of liberty. Don’t fall for that stuff.

The key is to invite gun owners for, without citizens, consulting other bureaucrats is oh… what’s the word..?

For all media, including television, who should these talk show and news producers book for on-air real-time comment and analysis?

And who should the Administration meet with on the subject? Not other bureaucrats.

In no particular order, I recommend these as the All Stars to consult on second amendment issues and how gun control has so adversely impacted the nation.

1. David Codrea of Examiner.com is my first choice. Examiner.com is the online sister outlet of the chain of Examiner newspapers. Codrea and colleague Mike Vanderboegh originally broke the story of the mission known as Project Gunrunner. Codrea named it Project Gunwalker and attracted the attention of Congress and the public.

2. Larry Pratt is the Executive Director of Gun Owners of America. His is the no-compromise movement of second amendment rights and that translates into restoring liberty for all, gun owner or not.

3. Other Gun Rights Examiners—a full-time daily lineup of them at Examiner—includes Dave Workman, who furnishes perspicacity as an author of several books. He is an available speaker of the Second Amendment Foundation and could probably fit the Administration into his schedule. Yih-Chau Chang of Examiner is an especially qualified liberty writer new to Examiner. His insight is most germane to individuals and households. Charles Nichols is an advocate of open carry, an important value in how a community will become serious-minded about crime – and freedom. Each of the Gun Rights Examiners at Examiner.com have their own beat and area of specialization in speaking to non-gun owners.

4. Any regional second amendment non-profit organization.

You need to hear these people – not bureaucrats consulting other bureaucrats - to see how gun control impacts non-gun owner homes.

These people are available for talkradio guest booking and they can answer cogently and directly any host or caller question. All liberty non-profit organizations need to consult these experts for their acumen and perspective; this is as important to your freedom memberships as healthcare and environmental news and commentary analysis.

These writers make the best case in relating how the second amendment affects our daily lives, what it is for, and how it serves immutably every single generation. The issue has little to do with hunting or sport, and much more to do with survival of the nation on levels seemingly unrelated to guns. It begins with gun ownership not being tampered with, or the rest is tampered with. All of these edify the layman immensely on the real purpose and original intent of the second amendment. Each of these persons is a very good ambassador to meet with the Administration.

As for myself, there is no such thing as sensible gun control. It is illegal, it is wrong, and it has never worked for safer streets and it never can. Gun control is a device of social engineering to cultivate adverse societal conditions of violence, and then bureaucracy wonders aloud why crime is so intractable.

The second amendment is the lethal force which protects our sovereign authority over our servants and their silliness, and as such, cannot legally be challenged by our servants. Non-gun owners need to appreciate now that any such regulation whatsoever is a challenge to our authority itself; it is my hope that these talks with the Administration – or some producers who book them - will make this clear to all Americans.

The ubiquitous armed citizen is the one thing standing between criminal violence and the claims of bureaucracy to fight violence

The ubiquitous armed citizen is the one thing standing between criminal violence and the claims of bureaucracy to fight violence. The armed citizen deters both criminal violence and the apparent political need for a feckless bureaucracy. The armed citizen as the target of crime is present while the gun control policy is absent. The only way the law can ever work is to be present within any citizen who is the target of violence as the community’s first line of defense; in this manner, the law is present and duly invoked in due process. It protects the citizen in the absence of police. It does this about 2.5 million times every year.

Any discussion on the reform of gun laws must repeal gun laws as a restatement of sovereign authority of the people. It is the first step to fighting crime where it is fought best: at the scene of the crime.

Are you listening, Republicans?

Other countries have leaders because their leaders are the sovereign. In America, the people are the Sovereign and, as such, we have no need for leaders. We hire, elect, appoint or otherwise install or unseat executives instead. These executives do not get an opinion which conflicts with our interests, they get instructions which conform to our interests. We have no need for ‘leaders’ here.

Any proposition at all for gun control is nothing more than a quarrel with the sovereign on who is the Sovereign in this country. When we oppose gun control, we do not offer merely a differing opinion in contrast, we invoke our sovereignty as declared by the founders to keep the government and governed perspective in place.

Gun control is not where crime is fought. Gun control is where the citizen is fought
It is these writers who make the best experts on the subject. Be sure and contact them for your show or liberty non-profit purpose in following this issue.

Gun control is not where crime is fought. Gun control is where the citizen is fought. Any serious-minded, good faith discussion (as if we need one!) must approach the meeting with the idea of surrendering to and cooperating with the Sovereign and no longer expecting the people to surrender to and cooperate with our servants.

John Longenecker is publisher of the Safer Streets Newsletter and Commentary

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/34505