Posted on 02/10/2003 5:11:33 AM PST by from occupied ga
(Atlanta, Friday, February 7) -- Georgia gun owners didn't get much time this week to enjoy their victory over the SB1 Substitute "Stealth Triggerlock" bill.
Stymied in the State Senate, anti-gunners immediately introduced identical "Stealth Triggerlock" language in the Georgia House of Representatives as HB197. They quickly railroaded it through the House Judiciary Family Law Subcommittee on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
The HB197 "Stealth Triggerlock" bill is a "Lock Away Your Gun" bill in disguise. It will force gun owners to lock away their guns so they're not ready for self-defense. If you don't lock up your guns so they're not ready for self-defense, officials will be able to come to your home or in your car, arrest you, and confiscate your guns.
Pro-gun activists have previously defeated explicit "Lock Away Your Gun" schemes in Georgia. But this new "stealth" approach has been carefully crafted by anti-gunners so it doesn't specifically mention firearms--instead HB197 uses vague language with loopholes big enough to drive a truck through. Anti-gunners have been working on it for three years. They believe the "Stealth Tiggerlock" bill can pass because it doesn't explicitly mention guns.
The HB197 Stealth Triggerlock bill is moving fast. It's scheduled for a crucial vote by the full House Judiciary Committee Monday afternoon Feb. 10 at 2:00 pm.
Pro-gun Rep. Warren Massey (R-Winder) will force politicians on the committee to "show their cards" on guns by making them vote on his "Self-Defense" amendment to exempt gun owners who want to keep their guns unlocked so they are ready for self-defense.
You can help Rep. Massey defend your rights: CALL THE OFFICE of a pair of members on the House Judiciary Committee (see below) and urge them to vote for the Massey Self-Defense Amendment to HB197. Do this as soon as you can--the showdown is coming Mon. afternoon, Feb. 10. Pressure works--you saw how it stopped SB1 in the Senate. But this fight is tougher--if you weren't able to call last time, you need to call this time.
WHO'S BEHIND THIS SCHEME? HB197 is being pushed by House anti-gun ringleader Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Atlanta). Yep, that's right, Ms. Oliver is back in the legislature after being defeated in disgrace 4 years ago when she was caught abusing a campaign worker. House bosses have made her Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Family Law and now she's attacking your gun rights again.
Also involved are Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (D-Decatur), who served as House anti-gun ringleader last year, and Rep. Wendell Willard (R-Atlanta), a liberal Republican who's the "front man" for HB197. Backing all this is a group of anti-gun prosecutors from the Atlanta metro area and a network of "anything for the children" Hillary Clinton types.
WHERE'S THE NRA? On the sidelines. NRA bosses are claiming privately since the anti-gunners cleverly drafted the Stealth Triggerlock bill without any reference to firearms, it can't be opposed. Then why isn't the NRA supporting the Massey Self-Defense Amendment to insert explicit language protecting gun owners?
At the Feb. 5 subcommittee meeting, the NRA's hired lobbyist didn't even show up. Ellen Williams, speaking for the Child Advocacy Centers of Georgia in support of HB197, grabbed the opportunity to speak for the NRA, claiming "the NRA wasn't opposed" to the bill.
HOW DID THE POLITICIANS VOTE FEB. 5?
Voting to approve HB197:
Wendell Willard (R-Atlanta)
Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (D-Decatur)
Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Atlanta)
Able Mable Thomas (D-Atlanta)
Larry Walker (D-Perry)
Larry O'Neal (R-Warner Robins)
Voting against HB197 in subcommittee: NOBODY
Absent: David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge).
IMPORTANT: if the Stealth Triggerlock bill becomes law, and you don't lock up your guns so they're not ready for self-defense, anti-gun officials will be able to come to your home or in your car, arrest you, and confiscate your guns.
Anti-gun prosecutors claim they won't abuse this law to persecute gun owners and push their anti-gun agenda by way of the courts. But the anti-gunners have no credibility. They're dead set against the Massey Self-Defense Amendment to HB197 because the Massey Self-Defense Amendment would protect your rights.
Fight against the anti-gunners advancing the HB197 Stealth Triggerlock scheme in the Georgia House. Everybody's help is needed urgently because this all-out frontal assault will be harder to beat than the sneak attack we just stopped.
You can help keep your right to self-defense by calling the offices of a pair of members of the full House Judiciary Committee before the meeting at 2:00 pm Monday, Feb. 10. Leave messages urging them to support the Massey Self Defense Amendment to HB197.
ACTION ITEMS
Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Atlanta) 404-656-6372
Citizens for Safe Government, Inc.
P.O. Box 813764
Smyrna, GA 30081
csg@arms.org
Nope none. It's when they charge in waving the white flags that things generally go from bad to worse.
They don't call him LaPierre for nothin'.
Oui! LOL
Hell, couldn't the NRA at least put out a press release?
It is starting to look as though the NRA is only interested in joining fights that are guaranteed wins.
I long since decided that the NRA was the nation's biggest gun control organization. They're not anti-gun like Brady, they just don't ever seem to find a gun control law that they can't live with. I no longer send them dues, but rather I spend the money in donations to organizations like Citizens for Safe Government JPFO and GOA
In spite of what some fanatical NRA supporters think and what the press whould have you think, the NRA is not a hard line pro gun organization.
So what? I said that GOA is where I send my money.
I'll tell you what will happen. It will get out of committee without the Massey amendment and hit the house floor this week. Massey will then offer his amendment as a floor amendment. It will fail, and all of the NRA's buddies in the GA house will vote against it. It will then go to the Senate where CSG (GOA affiliate) will try to get it blocked in committee again. Hopefully in Rules this time.
Those legislators who voted against Massey and who are from pro-gun districts will then be targeted for leaflet strikes and post card strikes in their next election, all without the mighty NRA lifting a single finger to help. I got a finger for the NRA
---
Actually my wish was for a real progun NRA, but since that isn't going to happen we'll take what we get.
Not yet. It hasn't come up for full vote yet, but I suspect that all of the representatives from the African Peoples' Democracy of Atlanta will vote for it. Typical Democrats, never met an anti-freedom bill that they didn't like.
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.