Posted on 02/26/2009 12:56:07 PM PST by TornadoAlley3
Senator John Ensign of Nevada offered his amendment to repeal D.C.'s draconian gun ban today.
But Senators John Thune of South Dakota and David Vitter of Louisiana have also stepped up to the plate. They filed an amendment that would result in REAL national concealed carry reciprocity -- without adversely affecting no-permit states like Alaska and Vermont.
So now the battle lines are drawn! By the end of the week, the Senate will vote on whether to rule these two pro-gun amendments out of order.
The vote could come on a so-called "cloture" motion to cut off debate (and thus kill the Ensign and Thune/Vitter amendments). Moreover, if the underlying bill is then passed, the virulently anti-gun jurisdiction of the District of Columbia will be rewarded with a voting member of the House of Representatives.
But first, a little background on the two amendments:
You've all heard of the various "microstamping" proposals crafted by the anti-gunners to ban guns and ammunition nationwide.
The anti-gunners would do this by serial number "microstamping" requirements which are so onerous that guns (or ammunition) would become prohibitively expensive in all 50 states.
In the wake of the Heller case, the District of Columbia's reaction to the Supreme Court's decision declaring its gun laws unconstitutional was to pass legislation which will, as a practical matter, continue its current policy of denying gun licenses to its citizens. But, to add insult to injury, it added a whole bunch of additional anti-gun provisions.
One was a requirement that most guns used for self-defense be capable of "microstamping" a cartridge with a unique serial number. Aside from being useless for identifying any criminal who pockets his spent brass, this provision would, even if it were technologically possible, make guns so expensive that no one would buy them.
If a few more liberal jurisdictions follow suit, this could start a chain reaction so that gun manufacturers will eventually be forced to manufacture ALL guns to meet the new microstamping standards.
The Ensign amendment would completely repeal D.C.'s gun ban and, in the process, help stave off the push for microstamping.
Next, the Thune/Vitter amendment on concealed carry reciprocity is an idea whose time has come. Why should your right to self-defense stop at the state line?
But it must be the right kind of national reciprocity. It must protect states like Alaska and Vermont which do not require a permit to carry concealed at all and it must be done in a Constitutional manner that protects State's rights.
The Thune/Vitter amendment would do these things -- it is REAL national reciprocity.
But the problem is this: Nevada Senator Harry Reid has moved to cut off debate on the D.C. bill -- using a parliamentary maneuver known as a "cloture" petition -- for the sole purpose of ruling such pro-gun amendments out of order.
You see, Barack Obama and the liberals who run Congress hate guns. They hate guns so much that they would probably be willing to kill the District's voting representative in order to preserve the District's gun ban.
The next two days are crucial. While there will be votes in the Senate throughout the day on Thursday -- which may include either of the two pro-gun amendments -- it is likely that the true focus will be on Friday's cloture vote.
ACTION: Contact your two Senators and urge them to vote AGAINST cloture on S. 160 until the Senate has had an opportunity to vote for all pro-gun amendments. As usual, you can use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center to send your Senators the pre-written message below.
----- Pre-written letter -----
Dear Senator:
I urge you in the strongest terms to vote against cloture on S. 160 until senators have had an opportunity to vote on pro-gun amendments, such as those offered by Senators Ensign and Thune.
The issue is not whether to give D.C. a voting representative. The issue is whether to impose a "gag rule" on those who oppose the District's efforts to use its draconian gun laws to undermine gun rights in other states.
Cloture -- invoked for the cynical purpose of protecting D.C.'s anti-gun laws and to silence other pro-gun voices -- is not a vote on D.C. representation. It is a vote against the Second Amendment.
Please let me know you do not favor silencing pro-gun voices. Please do not vote for cloture until those voices are heard.
And once debate is allowed to continue, I ask that you vote in favor of the Ensign amendment to repeal the District's gun ban, as well as the Thune amendment for national concealed carry reciprocity.
Sincerely,
http://www.gunowners.org
Force a roll call vote and see how many Dems hide.
Right. I'm sure Boxer and Fienstien will take my call for this.
the leftists are relentless aren’t they? How do we put a stop to it?
Saying: “Just enforce the Constitution” is not a valid argument because it will never happen again in our lifetimes.
According to Rush today Nancy Pelosi isn’t going to push anti-gun legislation right now. The Dems want to push their socialist agenda and fear a gun grab would interfere with their plans. We’ll see.
Yes, they will, they have to. And then have your family members call using other phone numbers. Send them several e-mails in the next several days.
That's not the point. I'd be just wasting my breath with these two idiots.
“The leftists are relentless aren’t they? How do we put a stop to it?”
Bloody revolution.
Only conservatives, and wimpy-assed Republicans, can look over the landscape and think anything else will work.
The hard-left cares NOTHING AT ALL about your constitution, your “red, white and blue”, your bulls**t apple pie.
They are dismantling it all right before your glazed-over eyeballs.
Your conservative ‘leaders’ tell you to wait and “We’ll get these pesky Democrats in the next election”.
Ha!
Not a chance.
You haven’t realized it yet but the hard-left already owns your dazed and confused butts!
The truth is that these ARE NOT DEMOCRATS, as such.
THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR THE HARD-LEFT.
They are enjoying AMAZING SUCCESS right now.
They’ve done what no military on the planet could ever have dreamed of accomplishing.
They have the USA back on her heals.
It’s incredible to observe.
More messages and phone calls...but, well worth the effort to push these critical issues.
thanks for the reality check
It's true they won't have their "come to Jesus" moment over it, but they do have to measure the temperature of their voters.
Just as an example, what if they had 2% calls last term over the AWB, and now that people are leaving Kalifornia in droves, the calls were coming in at 10%? They know they have to pick their fights. The Dems were decimated during Klintons term and gun control was waaayyyy up there. People didn't even seem to care he lied under oath on TV, but gun control was the hot button issue.
No, that's not it. They hate the idea of armed citizens who can protect themselves. It would be even worse in their view if these citizens tended to band together for mutual protection.
Meanwhile, not much is being done to enforce the gun laws on criminals. Heavily armed gangs are the new militias. We have (or will have in greater numbers) no-go zones like they have in the French banlieus. But, citizen or neighborhood militias of the more traditional kind will be ruthlessly suppressed, lest they become part of the dreaded VWRC.
These people are REALLY intent on destroying the relative civility we have here, aren’t they? First they bail out (and will continue to) a bunch of crooks and gamblers (banks, Congressmen and some homeowners) at the expense of hard-working people. Second, they spend money like it is water and propose a massive tax increase. Finally (so far, anyway) there’s now a draconian proposal regarding guns (AWB II).
I don’t know if they intend this, but the powers that be are going to end up with both a tax revolt and revolution. I have to believe that this is what they WANT, because no one, NO ONE is so stupid as to do things with this degree of incompentence. It HAS TO be a plan.
Either way, we’re never going back to the way it was. Our way of life has been irrevocably changed. Get used to it.
I know how you feel, Schumer is one of my Senators.
Though, I could literally walk into one of Karl Kruger’s offices and hand somebody a few tea bags...
As depressing as it is to say, I fully agree with you.
Liberals will not yield ANY ground in this ultimate fight for America.
Guys, THIS COULD VERY WELL BE OUR LAST STAND. I already know what Jefferson and Washington would do, and it’s not pretty.
It’s time for us to put up or shut up.
We’re doing NOTHING.
A few light-n-fluffy “Tea Party’s”. Is this all we can muster?
I can hear the left laughing.
They’re funding their groups with BILLIONS FROM YOUR PAYCHECKS!
Hello! YOUR MONEY!
Stolen from you AND GIVEN TO A SPECIAL INTEREST/ACTIVIST GROUP WHOSE VALUES ARE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED TO YOURS!
Is ANYONE out there? Echo check!
It’s surreal to listen and watch the talking heads.
They have cute little graphics and sound bites regarding socialism and communism. Mixing in a little schtick here, and there.
Wouldn’t want to get “too depressing” I heard one say.
WTF?
It would seem we are all on drugs.
I ask again, is there something in the water?
A little somber-toned analysis would be very welcomed—at least by me.
The best I can hope for is that this is just an odd “calm before the storm”. That the people are in shock and in time will come to their senses and DO SOMETHING to resist all of this insanity!
Christ, I hope it happens soon.
I would like to take back my comment about the Tea Party’s being organized and planned.
At this point I will take what I can get.
I will be involved here in California.
Onward!
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