GUN OWNERS TO STATE PARTY LEADERS: OPPOSE GUN CONTROL IN YOUR PARTY PLATFORM OR LOSE IN NOVEMBER

I’m 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 you’re a Republican gun owner, a Democrat gun owner, or an Independent gun owner, I’m 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 City’s Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy — your views won’t be welcome at either convention and you, as an American, won’t 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 won’t be welcome if they choose to attend.

He’s 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 don’t want the support — or the votes — of the more than 80 million law-abiding Americans who own firearms.

And they’ve made it clear, just as Michael Bloomberg has on the Republican side, that they don’t want your views to be heard at their convention, they don’t 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.

That’s 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 don’t 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.

That’s 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 nation’s 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 NRA’s voice at election time, the numbers are even more impressive. The fact is, according to national polls, an astounding 63% of America’s 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 NRA’s voice before they step into the voting booth on November 2nd.

By contacting the Republican and Democratic Chairmen in your state, you’re speaking for all 100 million of those Americans in telling the parties to listen to America’s voice this year in writing their party’s 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 party’s 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 I’ve just shared with you, it’s clear that it’s 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 it’s 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 can’t 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 there’s 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 Clinton’s gun-ban Congressional majority. They heard our message again in 2000 and said no to Al Gore’s White House bid.

But they haven’t heard our 2004 message yet, and they’re 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 can’t wait until this summer to speak out. We can’t 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 we’ve 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 doesn’t speak for mainstream Republicans and that Ted Kennedy doesn’t speak for mainstream Democrats. Tell them that if they want the votes of the 100-million-plus Americans who listen for the NRA’s voice in every election year, they’d better listen to your voice — America’s 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.

The NRA's link to the Republican and Democrat Party Chairmen didn't work. This is a national link for rats by state here. It worked for CA and NY rat state party addresses and had other links. The best link I could find for the pubbies is here. I wasn't able to find a separate state by state breakdown, just a place to enter your local zip code.

You may have a list you want to BANG, although we both happen to live in weak states vis-a-vis this issue.

it’s Republicans like Michael Bloomberg and Democrats like Ted Kennedy who are far outside the mainstream.

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?

I think it is 60 days. But even now I can't believe that Bush signed that bill and the USSC did not strike it down.

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.

[NYC mayor Bloomber] urging the Republican Party to denounce the “intolerant” and “offensive” views of the NRA at their Convention.

Intolerant to whom? Socialists, communists, one-worlders, (most) Democrats, tyrants, and totalitarians?

Now, what are the rules according to CFR? Three months before the election, the NRA is silenced?

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.

Intolerant to whom? Socialists, communists, one-worlders, (most) Democrats, tyrants, and totalitarians?

Exactly! The 'usual suspects'.

This may be generic, but I cut and pasted the whole article onto an e-mail and sent it to almost everybody I know including the membership of my IDPA Club.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.