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Jcordell 12-17-2012 08:36 PM

For those members who are in U.S. and are following the school shooting
 
I know this tends to be an apolitical forum for the most part, but the events of the last couple days are too big to ignore. So here is a contact to e-mail your various reps.

http://www.senate.gov/general/contac...nators_cfm.cfm

It takes only a couple minutes to find your Senator and write an email. Also contact your congressman. Even if he/she is anti 2nd Amendment still let them know. I leave it up to you wether or not you should join the NRA. I've been a member since 1996 and I am now a Lifetime member. I don't always agree with the organization and I don't alwasy send it momey, but I still back it. IT's the only real effective organization backing us.

Feel free to use this email copy and paste below or write your own. Make it short and sweet. Remember remain respectful. Don't get hyped and emotional. I spoke to one of the oeprators at the NRA-ILA and she said they've received horrible hate-filled screaming phone calls. that's fine let the other side rant and rave and foam at the mouth. Their emotions will work against them. I am a father of two and I'm horrified by what happened in Conn. But I won't be made a scapegoat and turned into a criminal because of a deranged and evil madman. I was 26 when the first Assault Weapons Ban was passed in 94. I remember all the screaming and hatered being directed at gunowners in 99 after Colombine. It's ugly and it can get you down. Don't let them do that to you. Keep your head, roll up your sleeves and get busy.

Despite what some of the nay sayers are posting on other gun forums the political and legal enviroment is stronger (i.e. in favor of gunowners) now than it was in 94 and 99. American gunowners are better organized and thanks to the Internet we are able to communicate and coorodinate better. These are pretty major things. I remember the eighties when we were very limited becasue the media was (and still is) controlled by the LEft and the LEft would shut us out. But not now. Nevertheless we can't take it for granted. If you haven't done so I reccommend you contact your reps at least and if anyone wants to debate (i..e. attempt to scream you down) stay calm and respond with the facts. For example the number of mass shootings in the U.S. have been declining since the 90's and the killer in Conn. broke 41 laws. 41. So how many more laws would have stopped him?

Okay. that's it. Good luck.

Dear Senator,
I am writing to urge you to continue to uphold your oath of office, and protect the 2nd Amendment from more gun control:
" I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic..."
I am sure you are under considerable pressure at this time to pass legislation, in the name of public safety, to prohibit, regulate, or otherwise control firearms. I understand the point of view of those that support "gun control". I believe, however, that the rights protected by the Constitution should be held above, and protected from, the temporary whim of public opinion.
A careful examination of statistical data shows that Armed Response, from security professionals, police, or armed citizens, is an effective deterrent and defense against violent criminals. My right and responsibility as an armed citizen makes me an asset to my family, and to the community. Armed Citizens can and do prevent mass shootings from occurring and escalating:
• A 1997 high school shooting in Pearl, Miss., was halted by the school's vice principal after he retrieved the Colt .45 he kept in his truck.
• A 1998 middle school shooting ended when a man living next door heard gunfire and apprehended the shooter with his shotgun.
• A 2002 terrorist attack at an Israeli school was quickly stopped by an armed teacher and a school guard.
• A 2002 law school shooting in Grundy, Va., came to an abrupt conclusion when students carrying firearms confronted the shooter.
• A 2007 mall shooting in Ogden, Utah, ended when an armed off-duty police officer intervened.
• A 2009 workplace shooting in Houston, Texas, was halted by two coworkers who carried concealed handguns.
• A 2012 church shooting in Aurora, Colo., was stopped by a member of the congregation carrying a gun.
• At the recent mall shooting in Portland, Ore., the gunman took his own life minutes after being confronted by a shopper carrying a concealed weapon.
Knee jerk calls for gun control are never the answer. The 2nd Amendment is too important to be whimsically castrated.
I appreciate your time, and hope that you will continue to support and defend the Constitution that you have sworn to uphold.
Thank you for your service,

SPEMack618 12-18-2012 01:07 AM

Cordell makes a bunch of valid points. You can also call your Senator's office as well. You won't speak to him, but you'll get a Congressional intern. And at the end of the day that itern sits down and types a memo of all the calls he got and what they were about. And then he and "his" senator or representative sit down and go over them at the end of the day.

I know, I did that for a semester.

Here is the number for the Capitol Hill switch board: 202-224-3121 . Just call them between 0900-1700 EST and give them your Senator/Representative's name and go from there.

Excalibur 12-18-2012 01:33 AM

I'm doing my part

Spartan198 12-18-2012 02:18 AM

I've already shot off an email to Diane Feinstein here in Commiefornia stating to her how I believe her idea of banning hi-capacity magazines (or "clips", as she was quoted as calling them) won't solve anything.

I'm intending to email Obama as well. I doubt he'll care what I have to say, but I think we all agree that action is better than inaction.

SPEMack618 12-18-2012 02:20 AM

Don't just email, call. And then call again.

same effort required, more impact.

Again, speaking from experience here.

"My" Senator would get about a jillion emails a day, but less than 150 calls.

To whom do you think we paid more attention?

And as Cordell, said, the written letter is the best.

But then again, since you have good old Dianne, you could probably send her a letter written in unicorn blood and she wouldn't pay attention to it.

Spartan198 12-18-2012 10:46 AM

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT

The NRA is turning out to be pretty quiet this time around. A bit troubling, if you ask me.

Jcordell 12-18-2012 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spartan198 (Post 37228)
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT

The NRA is turning out to be pretty quiet this time around. A bit troubling, if you ask me.

The NRA always gives it a few days after a big shooting like this. They did the same after Colombine back in 1999. There were those who were critical of that tactic back then as well. Then after a decent interval the NRA waded into the fray. I agree. What would have been the point joining in with the hysterical screeching over the weekend.People think that if you aren't posting commentary within three minutes of an event you're irrelevant. Not really.

I called the NRA yesterday and there are plans to get going. Strategy is being worked on and contacts are being made with the folks who who will play a pivitol role in the coming political battle. Let the anti's run around screeching and spewing their hatred. They think the NRA being decent is an indication that they've "won". The anti's had the same thinking thirteen years ago. I remember looking at many posts and article proclaiming after Colombine that the NRa was beaten. It wasn't and we (American gunowners) weren't.

The big thing is to stay calm and keep your head. The screeds being thrown out by the usual suspects are nothing new. Contact your reps and prepare for a bruiser of a political dog fight. That's where it's going to be. Not the hysterical screechers on television.

Jcordell 12-18-2012 07:27 PM

Okay the NRA just called me and I'm sending them a donation. So the organziation is getting to work. The background with the phone operator was very busy. Lots of voices going.

MT2008 12-18-2012 09:13 PM

Is there any chance we could acknowledge that maybe, in fact, there are some gun control measures that are actually reasonable responses to a massacre such as this? Even if we agree that calling for another AWB would not be one of those measures?

At times like this, what I'd like to see is actual dialogue between gun owners and gun controllers, rather than the usual demonizing of each other that tends to inevitably follow. The more you guys spout the usual BS about how we need more lenient conceal-carry laws*, and how those who support gun control are freedom-hating socialists, the more you're just going to keep digging your own graves.







*As with Aurora, I really hope that nobody believes conceal-carry laws would have made a difference in Newtown. When the perp has an AR-15 and body armor, he'll outgun anybody carrying a concealed sub-compact Glock or .38 snub.

Jcordell 12-18-2012 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MT2008 (Post 37233)
Is there any chance we could acknowledge that maybe, in fact, there are some gun control measures that are actually reasonable responses to a massacre such as this? Even if we agree that calling for another AWB would not be one of those measures?

At times like this, what I'd like to see is actual dialogue between gun owners and gun controllers, rather than the usual demonizing of each other that tends to inevitably follow. The more you guys spout the usual BS about how we need more lenient conceal-carry laws*, and how those who support gun control are freedom-hating socialists, the more you're just going to keep digging your own graves.


*As with Aurora, I really hope that nobody believes conceal-carry laws would have made a difference in Newtown. When the perp has an AR-15 and body armor, he'll outgun anybody carrying a concealed sub-compact Glock or .38 snub.

I've always been willing to discuss the issue, but in the past we've never been invited to the table to really participate in the discussion. All they've done is villify gunowners and then push for more and more restrictions. I thought that maybe the AWB in 94 would be enough, but it wasn't. They kept pushing for more and more and the other side engaged in simplistic sterotypes of gunowners.

I am a father of two teenagers. Don't think that the shooting hasn't horrified me as well. The anti's trying to take that moral high-ground isn't going to work on me or many others.

As a police officer I've attended more than a few autopsies of young people who have been murdered (to include an infant) and I've been to more than a couple gun realted homicde scenes. I even helped the coroner put a man's body into a body bag. He blew his skull apart with a .44 magnum. I have experience with the reality of firearms violence. I've pointed guns at people and I've had them pointed at me.

Yes I'm willing to work with the other side, but they need to work with us as well. Just stating that you want to have some type of dialogue and then never extend the invitation is hypocrisy. Both sides need to meet in the middle. But so-far that hasn't happened. The NRA seems to be offering feelers, but they are feelers that come from strength. Unlike situation for British and Australian gunowners in 96 who had no strength. No organization and no voice.

Just for the record I don't own any hi-cap assault rifles. I own a Glock 26. All my other firearms hold ten or less, but that doesn't mean I'm okay with a ban. And when the extremists start talking about confiscations I dig my heels in. Also why does it have to be all about gunowners. Why are we so easy going with the mentally ill now?

Here in my city we have several mental folks (autistic, retarded, bi-polar, schizophrenic, so on and so forth) that we deal with all the time. They come into the hospital they go out of the hospital. Liberals will tell you we don't have enough mental health services and conservatives will tell you we molly coddle them too much. All I can tell you is that the system is broken (I'm not sure it was ever working) and I have absolutely no idea how to improve it. Some of them are dangerous and most of them are just wrecks. And that is how it is in the United States.

In the past year it's been the mental cases who have been using the firearms to create the carnage. We need to also look at that situation as well.

Dialogue? Sure. I'm okay with that. But I want us to be able to participate in the dialogue and negotiations. Not just have things thrown onto us like the old school European nobility did to the peasants. That won't fly.

So I am sending the NRA fifty dollars becasue the NRA ensures that we are able to talk and negotiate from a position of strength. Not weakness.


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