IRS Moves to Threaten Second Amendment Newsletters, E-mail Alerts

Gun Owners of America ^ | January 15,2004 | GOA staff

[yoe]

The ink is barely dry on the Supreme Court's devastating decision in McConnell v. FEC -- the so-called campaign finance case that GOA was involved in. That decision severely restricted broadcast communications, thus making it more difficult for GOA to hold legislators accountable on Second Amendment issues.

Now, the IRS is already leaping forward to expand the Court's ruling to include GOA newsletters, e-mail alerts, and other Second Amendment communications.

Put out for comment on December 23, 2003 -- when, presumably, no one would notice -- proposed IRS Revenue Ruling 2004-6 creates a broad new set of ambiguous standards which groups like GOA must follow in order to avoid losing all or part of their tax-exempt status.

Under the proposed Revenue Ruling, the IRS would create a vague "balancing test" to determine whether GOA communications would be "permitted" by the government.

If the communication occurred close to an election, mentioned an officeholder who was running for reelection, and was targeted to put pressure on congressmen through constituents in each representative's district, all of these factors would push toward outlawing the communication.

Although the McCain-Feingold Incumbent Protection law was repressive enough, the proposed Revenue Ruling would go far beyond this anti-gun statute:

* Unlike McCain-Feingold, the proposed Revenue Ruling would not be restricted to broadcast ads. Rather, it would apply to newspaper ads, e-mail alerts, newsletters, and other communications by organizations such as GOA.

* Unlike McCain-Feingold, the proposed Revenue Ruling would not automatically exempt communications which occurred more than 60 days prior to an election -- or which fell below a certain monetary threshold.

* Unlike McCain-Feingold, the proposed Revenue Ruling would contain no fixed standards for compliance. Rather every GOA newsletter or alert would have to be published with the realization that the government, after the fact, could apply its vague criteria to determine that is was "impermissible."

For example, when GOA learned that an anti-gun rider had been placed on a Defense authorization bill in September 2000, GOA alerted its members to this provision which would have allowed the Dept. of Defense to confiscate and destroy any military surplus item that had ever been sold by the government.

M1 Carbines, 1903 Springfields, Colt SAAs, uniforms, ammo, scopes -- and much more. All these privately-owned items could have been confiscated and destroyed by the feds.

GOA generated a groundswell of nationwide opposition against the confiscation attempt. But we especially targeted our focus on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The message evidently got through, as the Committee Chairman's office called GOA to discuss this problem after he received hoards of calls, postcards and e-mails from our members. The provision was removed, and Second Amendment rights were preserved.

But had this IRS regulation been in effect in 2000, the agency (which then was under Clinton's control) could have RETROACTIVELY punished GOA, stating that our activity would have been impermissible if just one of the targeted Senators had been facing reelection!

This new regulation would allow lawmakers to load up gun bills prior to an election, secure in the knowledge that GOA won't be able to let you guys know about them in time.

GOA has formally lodged a protest with the IRS regarding this expansion and abuse of power. To read the GOA comments, go to (link)

It is imperative that this rule be defeated!

ACTION: Contact your congressmen. Ask them to write the IRS and demand that it withdraw proposed Revenue Ruling 2004-6. You can contact your Representative and Senators by visiting the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at (link) to send them a pre-written e-mail message.

Take Action

Your Representative and Senators must submit their comments to the IRS by January 26.

[AAABEST]

Ugh.

Forget impeachment. I would be more than estatic if his supporters would just stand up and say "this is wrong" and hold him accountable.

It's as if they have alcoholic enabling beaten wife sydrome. If he flushed us all down the toilet they'd harp on us for complaining about the stink.

No shame ever. He's some wonderful gift from God according to them. They worship his pictures in their daily "dose", like derranged weirdos.

[DustyMoment]

This is diabolical!!!

Trust the IRS to pull a stunt like this.

We MUST defeat CFR and ALL related issues NOW!!!!!!!

Start writing/calling your elected reps today.

[Travis McGee]

Anybody who is good at photoshop might want to take a try at creating an image for a sticker similar to this one. This traditional "Navy Jack" flag has flown on the bow of every USN warship since 9-11 (without the rifle of course.)

Other rifles could be substituted, such as scoped hunting rifles, Garands, M-14s, full-stock AR-15s, whatever.

These would make great car stickers. Even if you simply print them at home and tape them inside your back window down low, they can be very visible and effective in making our point. We need to show our numbers, this might be a way. "Sore-Loserman" showed how effective home-printing can be at disseminating an image nationwide.

To make the point clearly to the obtuse sheeple at the red light behind you, perhaps the sticker could also say "THE SECOND AMENDMENT" or "KEEP AND BEAR ARMS" or such across the top, in the same print as the "DONT TREAD ON ME" across the bottom.

Just brainstorming, folks. Bear with me.

[GigaDittos]

Heh, you know if we ever did try to overthrow our elected officials (not the Government), you can bet all the Muslims would be over here with their RPGs to assist. You'd think that would be enough for the Government to close the borders. Maybe they haven't thought of that angle yet. :)~

[Destructor]

Where are all of the Freeper sheep that regularly defend the IRS? The silence is deafening!

[GigaDittos]

I don't think they ever existed sir. You must be thinking of the Dirty Underwear group.

[Admin Moderator]

Flame war.

[Destructor]

You are mistaken sir. Every year around March anti-IRS threads start appearing, and the Freepers that put those threads up are flamed as tin foil hat people.

At least this year the cycle has started in January. Maybe more Freepers will begin to see what the IRS is really all about before it is too late!

[GigaDittos]

No YOU are mistaken. :) Those are not FReepers, but Dirty Underwearers that have infiltrated the forum.

[Destructor]

No, I am not mistaken. You'd be surprized at the number of Freeper that support the status quo. I don't know if it's a case of fear of the unknown, or what. There are many Freepers that actually defend the IRS on anti-Income Tax threads.

[JOAT]

Thanks for the bump. The F**king IRS has so overstepped their bounds that there can be no reconciliation here.

I am encouraged by a recent defeat for these bastards in court. A muffler shop in Colorado went all the way up the chain and beat these bastards with regards to withholding money from their employees paychecks. They legally challenged the notion that a paycheck in exchange for labor was "income" and won. I will call my friend in Colorado and see if I can't get a docket number etc. to back up what I was told.

Makes me wonder if the beast is getting twitchy, knowing its food supply might be in jeopardy. Can you imagine the ramifications for the obese federal pig? Millions of Americans suddenly ceasing to pay "income" tax????

[JOAT]

When even one American - - who has done nothing wrong is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth, then all Americans are in peril.
-Harry Truman

[GigaDittos]

....and furthermore, I just got a new tin-foil hat and it looks great on me. :)~

[zeugma]

Governments don't have rights. They have powers.

People have rights whether or not the government in question choose to recognise them.

The Republic is long dead, but most people are too ignorant to even know the difference between a republic and a democracy.

But it's o.k. I guess. We all need to vote republican in the upcoming election because pubbies are so much better for us than democrats. /sarcasm

[GigaDittos]

Here's what the deluxe edition tin-foil gear looks like:

[Dead Corpse]

Also notice that this goober was appointed to an earlier bench by Reagan.

DAMNIT. I LIKED REAGAN.

Still steaming over this outrage...

[Dead Corpse]

Wrong thread. GAH!!!!

[GeekDejure]

two party system....two heads of the same beast....

Hmmm... we must be viewing this from different locations. I see it as two butts of the same beast !!! ;-))

.

[GigaDittos]

It's okay, just loosen the adjuster on your tin-foil hat.

[GigaDittos]

Yeah, in the spirit of CatDog, we have the ElephantAss.