NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS ALERT: Vol. 20, No. 5 02/01/2013

Senate Holds First Hearings of 2013 on Gun Rights

On January 30, the U.S. Senate Judiciary committee held a hearing entitled, "What Should America Do About Gun Violence?"

It should have been called, "How Do We Attack Second Amendment Rights?"

The hearing (which can be viewed here) consisted of a single panel that included NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, Second Amendment scholar David Kopel, attorney Gayle Trotter, Baltimore County, Md. police chief James Johnson, and Mark Kelly, the husband of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. (Rep. Giffords made a brief opening statement to the committee before the other witnesses took their seats.)

Anti-gun politicians such as Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) all made the same emotion-laden arguments they have made for decades on why government should infringe the Second Amendment rights of the American people. As always, they failed to provide any rational evidence that the so-called solutions they are proposing--a massive new gun and magazine ban and banning the private transfers of firearms--would reduce ordinary street crime, let alone stop the kind of tragedies that have recently shocked our nation.

Anti-Gunners' Trinity: Private Gun Sale Bans, Gun Bans, Magazine Bans

While banning guns and magazines is being actively promoted by the anti-gunners (as evidenced by introduction of Sen. Feinstein's S. 150), the criminalization of private firearm transfers is the centerpiece of their anti-Second Amendment efforts. This is part of a strategy to chip away at our Second Amendment rights under the guise of being "reasonable."

But if you understand exactly what the anti-gunners are really talking about, you'll understand that the restrictions they're proposing are anything but reasonable.

While we don't know the final form this legislation will take, these checks no doubt would require background checks for firearm transfers between lifelong friends, and maybe even between family members. It would also be a step toward national gun registration. As we mentioned in an article last week, "universal" background checks are background checks on EVERY transfer, sale, purchase, trade, gift, rental, and loan of a firearm between any and all individuals, minus whatever exceptions our opponents will stand for.

Watch the Latest Grassroots News Minute

Watch Chris W. Cox on Lou Dobbs

NRA chief: Why we fight for gun rights

By David Keene, NRA President

After President Lyndon Johnson signed the Gun Control Act of 1968, many anti-gun politicians looked forward to the day when they could completely ban the sale and ownership of firearms and perhaps even confiscate those already in private hands.

After the draconian legislation imposed restrictions on "dealing" firearms that resulted in the prosecution of countless innocent gun collectors, and recordkeeping on ammunition sales so useless that federal law enforcement agencies supported their repeal, Sen. Ted Kennedy wrote to the NRA to demand our support for a national gun licensing and registration system. A few years later, a Nixon administration advisory commission proposed that all side arms be outlawed and confiscated in about a decade.

Watch Wayne LaPierre on Fox News Sunday

The battle to save our Second Amendment freedoms is raging right now.

And if you saw any coverage of this week's Senate hearings on gun control, you know the media elites and the gun ban lobby are running wild with half-truths, deceptions, and downright lies about you, me and our gun rights.

So NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre going on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace to set the record straight! Please be sure to watch at 9:00 a.m., ET this Sunday--and tell your family, friends and fellow gun owners to watch as well.

Targeting Your Grassroots Activism

In recent weeks, NRA-ILA has been inundated with phone calls and emails from passionate supporters voicing their appreciation for our stalwart defense of the Second Amendment and passing along many productive observations and recommendations.

Among them have been precisely the key points NRA has been making; namely that we need to steer Congress's efforts away from gun control and gun bans toward a more productive discussion on things like enhancing school security; improving our nation's mental health system; examining the consequences of a grotesque level of violence our children are exposed to by Hollywood and our pop culture, and enforcement of existing laws against criminals.

Show Your NRA Pride on Facebook Today!

If you aren't following the NRA on Facebook, you're missing out! The NRA Facebook page is over 2.1 million strong- and we are growing every day. Our Facebook page features new stuff everyday- including daily stories affecting gun owners and Second Amendment supporters around the nation, NRA giveaway competitions, and interactive elements like our NRA profile badges.

The NRA profile badge app allows you to add an NRA badge to your very own profile picture. You can choose from four different designs that overlay your current profile picture- or any other photo you want to use instead. You can also add a badge to your Twitter avatar while you are at it.

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