Posted on 06/12/2004 10:40:59 PM PDT by neverdem
GUN OWNERS TO STATE PARTY LEADERS: OPPOSE GUN CONTROL IN YOUR PARTY PLATFORM OR LOSE IN NOVEMBER
Im counting on you today to make sure that in the 2004 election, your voice the voice of the NRA and the voice of America is heard loud and clear and by the people who need to hear it most this year.
Whether youre a Republican gun owner, a Democrat gun owner, or an Independent gun owner, Im counting on you to contact the Republican Party Chairmen and Democratic Party Chairmen in your state today or as soon as you can.
Immediate action is needed because, right now as the 2004 Democratic and Republican national conventions approach anti-gun extremists from both parties are trying to make sure your voice is excluded from their 2004 party conventions and 2004 party platforms. These convention platforms, which are created by each party in presidential election years, are their official blueprints for America their visions of the path our country should take for the next four years.
But according to gun-hating extremists in the Republican and Democratic parties extremists like New York Citys Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy your views wont be welcome at either convention and you, as an American, wont be welcome either because you choose to own a gun and exercise your Second Amendment rights.
According to Mayor Bloomberg, whose city of New York will host the Republican National Convention in August, the views of the NRA are reprehensible, and NRA members who consider coming to the convention in New York wont be welcome if they choose to attend.
Hes refused to condemn a New York City Council resolution calling on the Republican Party to repudiate the irresponsible and dangerous policies of the NRA urging the Republican Party to denounce the intolerant and offensive views of the NRA at their Convention.
And in the Democratic Party, the situation is just as bad if not worse. According to Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, It is long past time to stop allowing the NRA to dictate what is right and what is wrong on gun control. Ted Kennedy and other anti-gun extremists in the Democratic Party have made it clear that they dont want the support or the votes of the more than 80 million law-abiding Americans who own firearms.
And theyve made it clear, just as Michael Bloomberg has on the Republican side, that they dont want your views to be heard at their convention, they dont want your views to be part of their 2004 platform. But as I have said, your voice not the voice of Michael Bloomberg or Ted Kennedy is the REAL voice of America.
As a pro-gun voter, you represent the views of tens of millions of voters who have one thing in common: They support the Constitution, including the one right that guarantees all others the right to own a firearm.
Thats why Democrats, Republicans, and Independents must make it clear to both party leaderships today that extremists like Ted Kennedy and Michael Bloomberg DO NOT represent your views or the views of gun owners across your state and the nation.
They also need to hear loud and clear that Ted Kennedy and Michael Bloomberg dont represent the views of the more than 30 million Democrat gun owners, the more than 28 million Republican gun owners, and the more than 20 million Independent gun owners who will be eligible to cast their ballots in this election year. But if you and I want to have a voice in the political debate in the 2004 elections and beyond, you need to make your voice heard loud and clear right now.
Thats why you must write or call your state Republican and Democratic Party Chairmen today. Your call or letter will make it clear to party leaders that the Second Amendment is not a Democrat or Republican issue.... That the nations 80-million gun owners are almost evenly split on party membership 35% are Republican, 39% are Democrats, and 26% are Independents.
In fact, when you include Americans who do not now own firearms, but who still listen for the NRAs voice at election time, the numbers are even more impressive. The fact is, according to national polls, an astounding 63% of Americas registered voters say that your NRA speaks for them all of the time, most of the time, or some of the time. That comes to more than 100 million registered voters who will be listening for the NRAs voice before they step into the voting booth on November 2nd.
By contacting the Republican and Democratic Chairmen in your state, youre speaking for all 100 million of those Americans in telling the parties to listen to Americas voice this year in writing their partys platform not to isolated, extremist voices like those of Michael Bloomberg and Ted Kennedy.
Your call or letter must stress the need for the major parties to include these key planks in their 2004 party platforms planks that have the majority support not just of gun owners, but of all Americans.
First, that each partys platform contain a provision affirming the fact that the Second Amendment is an individual right a provision supported by 54% of Democrats and 71% of Republicans.
Second, that the platforms endorse state Right to Carry laws laws which are supported by 72% of Democrats and 84% of the Republicans.
Third, that the platforms endorse a law to protect the American firearms industry from harassing lawsuits that blame them for the acts of criminals a proposal supported by 63% of Democrats and 80% of Republicans.
And fourth, that instead of passing new firearms laws which do nothing but punish law-abiding citizens, the platforms demand that we use our resources to punish violent criminals and enforce the laws already on the books a plan that 52% of Democrats and 80% of Republicans support.
From the polling numbers Ive just shared with you, its clear that its your voice as an NRA member; a Second Amendment supporter or gun owner is the real voice of America.
And these polling numbers also reveal that its Republicans like Michael Bloomberg and Democrats like Ted Kennedy who are far outside the mainstream. They not the NRA represent the fringe elements of our society who try to blame law-abiding citizens for the heinous acts of criminals and terrorists.
But alone, I cant deliver this message to the highest levels of the Republican and Democratic parties. Only you can do that, by contacting the top party officials in your state while theres still time for us to influence the 2004 party platforms that will help determine whether our Second Amendment freedoms are strengthened or destroyed.
Please act today. Help me flood Republican and Democratic Party headquarters in your state with calls and letters from NRA members, Second Amendment supporters, and gun owners. Every vote will count in November. Every call and letter counts right now.
Remember, there are more than 100 million registered voters in America right now who, if they hear our NRA message during this election year, will take heed of that message when they cast their ballots this November. They heard our message in 1994 and threw out Bill Clintons gun-ban Congressional majority. They heard our message again in 2000 and said no to Al Gores White House bid.
But they havent heard our 2004 message yet, and theyre not going to, unless dedicated Second Amendment defenders like you pick up the phone and call pick up the pen and write get in the car and visit the party leaders in your state and make your voice heard!
We cant wait until this summer to speak out. We cant wait another minute. I am telling you today that everyone here at the NRA will fight this year with every ounce of strength and courage we can muster but weve got to have your extra help to get the job done.
Please write the party leaders in your state today. Tell the party leaders in your state that Michael Bloomberg doesnt speak for mainstream Republicans and that Ted Kennedy doesnt speak for mainstream Democrats. Tell them that if they want the votes of the 100-million-plus Americans who listen for the NRAs voice in every election year, theyd better listen to your voice Americas voice today.
To find the name and address of the Republican and Democrat Party Chairmen in your state click here. To view a sample letter click here.
Thank you very much.
©Copyright 2004, National Rifle Association of America. This may be reproduced. It may not be reproduced for commercial purposes. Privacy and Security Policy
BANG
You may have a list you want to BANG, although we both happen to live in weak states vis-a-vis this issue.
The regular bang list works fine for these generic NRA political threads.
Ping!
Huuuuup to the top!
MOLON LABE
Michael Bloomberge is as much a Republican as I am a millionaire.
This guy simply bought the New York Republican nomination because he wanted to be Mayor.
It is unfortunate that in politics money can often buy party principles
Now, what are the rules according to CFR? Three months before the election, the NRA is silenced?
Political speech is what the First Amendment is supposed to protect and these men and women who swore an oath to uphold and defend that Holy document pass this affront to the freedoms that document was written to protect.
Intolerant to whom? Socialists, communists, one-worlders, (most) Democrats, tyrants, and totalitarians?
IIRC, political candidates or nominees can't be mentioned in a derogatory manner thirty days before a primary election or sixty days before a general election, respectively. That is why the law, the Bilateral Campaign Finance Act(BCFA), aka Campaign Finance Reform(CFR), aka McCain - Feingold act, was dubbed as the "incumbent protection act".
Any corrections or the actual text of the law will be appreciated. IIRC, the NRA has started functioning as a broadcaster to be in compliance with the law.
Exactly! The 'usual suspects'.
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