Group rallies pro-gun voters(MD)

The Baltimore Sun ^ | June 27, 2004 | David Nitkin

[neverdem]

State senator's 2AM aims for arms-owners at polls; Politics are 'not their thing'; Sponsor of failed ban sees little need for more voices

Maryland gun owners must unite as a potent political force to fend off left-wing attacks on their constitutional rights, a conservative state lawmaker says.

That's why Sen. Alex X. Mooney of Frederick has helped form the Second Amendment Coalition, a pro-gun organization nicknamed the 2AM coalition, that aims to register gun owners to vote. Yesterday, the group launched a weekend voter registration drive at the Silverado Gun Show at the Frederick Fair Grounds.

Many gun owners distance themselves from politicians, and want little to do with government, Mooney said, explaining the need for the effort.

"Some of them view government as something to be avoided," said Mooney, a Republican. "Government is not their thing."

In a news release announcing the creation of the 2AM coalition, the senator said gun owners need to be aware that "every day liberal politicians are working in Annapolis and in Washington to take away their Constitutional right to own a gun."

Conservative politicians often label Maryland gun laws as some of the most restrictive in the nation, and gun issues lead to divisive debates in Annapolis that pit rural and exurban lawmakers against liberal Democrats from the Washington suburbs and Baltimore.

[neverdem]

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