VOLuntarilyConservative

Obviously, it's news when the NRA endorses anyone. Because I know some of the inner workings of the organization, it is especially newsworthy when they endorse in a primary.

Knowing such, I contacted the Blackburn campaign and volunteered to rework my schedule if need be to take part in the press conference yesterday to announce the endorsement. Having taken part in previous Blackburn press conferences under her previous press secretary, I thought that this would be a win-win situation. I was e-mailed and told that they would love to have me and that more details would follow.

They didn't.

Ugh. Not good campaigning, folks.

Labels: 2008 Congressional Races, NRA

A few of the ones about which I have received press releases over the past week:

Tennessee Friends of NRA
State Conference & Shotgun Shoot
Saturday, July 26th
8:30 A.M.-4:00 P.M.
Tennessee Clay Targets Complex in Nashville
For details, agenda, or to register go to: http://www.friendsofnra.org/tn

Knox County Young Republicans
Monthly Meeting
Amerigo (NOTE NEW LOCATION!!!)
Tuesday, July 8th - 6:30 P.M.
Speaker: Brad Anders, Republican nominee for Knox County Commission, Seat 6A

Tennessee Republican Party Statesman's Dinner
July 27th
Nashville Convention Center
Keynote: Karl Rove
For more information and tickets, contact the TN GOP at (615) 269-4260.

Labels: Knox County GOP, NRA

From the NRA Foundation:

The Smokies Friends of NRA plans to hold a banquet on Saturday, May 10th at 6:00 PM at the Mainstays Suites, 410 Pine Mountain Road in Pigeon Forge. Tickets may be purchased at Sevier Indoor Range, 1874 Country Meadow Drive in Sevierville or by calling (865) 774-6111. You may also purchase tickets by contacting local committee chairman Tom Ressler at (865) 604-1026 or tomressler@worldnet.att.net.

Friends of NRA is a key event that supports thousands of community service related to firearm education, hunter safety, wildlife conservation, range improvements, youth marksmanship and law enforcement, among others. Working with NRA field representatives, the members and volunteers organize banquets in their communities, complete with auctions, special drawings and fellowship. Much of the merchandise at the banquets is donated or provided at reduced cost by hundreds of participating vendors.

The Friends of NRA is the face of the NRA, run at the grassroots level by people from all walks of life. At a Friends of NRA banquet, you'll meet fire chiefs, engineers, shopkeepers, police officers, and teachers: all mainstream citizens working together to support an important cause in preserving our rights and heritage.

Half of the profits raised by each Friends of NRA banquet will be spent in the state in which it was held. The other half supports qualifying national-level programs like the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program, Women On Target®, and other educational and safety services. State Fund Committees made up of volunteers review grant applications from local organizations and make recommendations to The NRA Foundation on how the money might best be used in their areas. For more information about Friends of NRA, visit www.friendsofnra.org.

Labels: NRA, Second Amendment

National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre - whose office used to be right down the hall from mine only 4 short years ago (although Wayne's office was much nicer and had a better view) - is slated to attend an event in Kingsport next month. Here is a press release I received a few days ago from Jim Holcomb (former candidate for Congress out of the 1st District) of the Tennessee Conservative PAC:

Leader of NRA to Visit Kingsport; will speak on Gun Rights Issues

Bristol, TN – Tennessee Conservative PAC has announced an event featuring Mr. Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice-President of the National Rifle Association on Friday, April 18, 2008 at Meadowview Conference Center starting at 7 P.M.

“We are excited that the leader of the NRA will be in Northeast Tennessee for Tennessee Conservative PAC,” Jim Holcomb said. “The evening will be full of useful knowledge for those who are interested in protecting our Second Amendment rights at the Federal and State level and other conservative issues.”

Everyone is invited to attend. Tickets to the event are a suggested contribution of $15 and may be purchased by calling 423-646-1589.

Wayne LaPierre has served as the executive vice president and chief executive officer of the National Rifle Association of America since 1991.

Since then, NRA almost doubled in size, exceeding four million members, and is recognized as the most politically influential organization in America.

Wayne joined NRA in 1978 as a state liaison for the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), and by 1986 was elected its executive director, managing NRA initiatives before Congress, the executive branch and state legislatures.

Wayne’s latest book, The Global War on Your Guns: Inside the U.N. Plan to Destroy the Bill of Rights, exposes the worldwide movement to undermine American firearm freedoms. His previous books include Guns, Freedom and Terrorism, Shooting Straight and Guns, Crime and Freedom, which reached #11 on The New York Times bestseller list in 1994.

Wayne’s commitment to preserving our Second Amendment freedoms extends to those safeguarded by the First Amendment. As a key strategist opposing the onerous Campaign Finance Reform Act upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, he is committed to the restoration of free political speech for all Americans.

As NRA’s principal spokesperson, Wayne is regularly quoted, debated and interviewed on the nation’s most influential TV networks, cable programs, radio shows and in global magazines and newspapers. For years, he hosted “The Wayne LaPierre Show,” a syndicated radio program broadcast in over 100 markets.

In 2000, Wayne launched NRA Sports. Though in its infancy, NRA Sports has already touched hundreds of thousands of lives through promotion of the shooting sports.

Under his guidance, the NRA played a strategic role in the 2000 election of George W. Bush over his outspokenly anti-gun opponent. Indeed, NRA’s vigorous campaign and grassroots support was widely credited as one of the keys to that victory.

During the 2002 election cycle, Wayne again helped lead the NRA to record-setting victories. By orchestrating get-out-the-vote rallies in key battleground states, NRA energized American voters to elect the most pro-gun, pro-freedom Congress in recent history. NRA won 94 percent of its U.S. House races and 88 percent of its U.S. Senate races, proving again that NRA voters comprise one of the most formidable political forces in the country.

Wayne LaPierre has helped the National Rifle Association restore the relevance and sanctity of the Second Amendment and, today, this right is preserved by freedom’s largest, most potent and devoted voluntary organization.

Labels: NRA, Second Amendment

I read this column by Pastor Chuck Baldwin that made some serious allegations against Republican Nominee-in-waiting John McCain and his record on the Second Amendment and firearms rights.

So I decided to look into McCain's record. Here are the ratings by Gun Owners of America for John McCain over the past several election years:

• 2006 - F-
• 2004 - F-
• 2002 - C-
• 2000 - C-

This is no better than Obama (F) or Clinton (F-) received.

From what I can tell, McCain's last ranking of significance from the NRA was a C+. That ain't too good, because NRA ranks on a more friendly scale than the often overharsh GOA.

So, my fellow supporters of the Second Amendment, it appears that our candidate - the one who would actually support our right to keep and bear arms as stated in the U.S. Constitution - hasn't declared his or her candidacy yet, as none of the 3 options at this point even come close to passing muster with GOA.

UPDATE: The Countertop Chronicles - a pro-gun blog if there ever was one - has a different take on GOA that brings their McCain rankings into question. Countertop basically believes that GOA has been overrun by the Ron Paul supporters, which would explain the anti-McCain rhetoric, and breaks down McCain's votes. That still doesn't explain the NRA ratings, though.

I do know that McCain is currently down as co-sponsor of the carry bill in national parks currently before the Senate. Maybe McCain isn't so great on guns, but maybe he isn't as bad as GOA makes it appear.

Labels: 2008 General Election, NRA, Second Amendment

I was planning on summarizing the bill passed by Congress this week that addresses issues with the National Instant Check System (NICS), as well as those who have had mental health adjudications and their ability to purchase firearms.

However, Say Uncle beat me to it, so I'll save time and link to his excellent round-up of reactions.

I think the bill is good for gun owners. It was supported by the NRA, and there are several positive aspects of the bill. Even the part that the Brady Campaign and VPC wanted (regarding the mental health adjudications that wouldn't have stopped what happened at Virginia Tech, no matter how you slice it), in my opinion, is something that many in the NRA were not opposed to for several years now.

Looking at it that way, we gave up nothing to gain several positive things. Not bad.

Labels: NRA, Second Amendment

After going through the remarks made by the various candidates at the NRA's "Celebration of American Values" Conference that took place in Washington, D.C., last week, it is pretty clear that only two of the Republican candidates that bothered to show up (that eliminates Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Tom Tancredo, who had better things to do) have a grasp of the meaning of the Second Amendment.

Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee seem to be your strongest candidates on the Second Amendment.

MORE: One funny part of Thompson's remarks that Vol fans might be able to relate to:

"When I was in Florida just last week, I went to a gun show right before the UT-Florida football game. I should have stayed at the gun show."

Ain't that the truth...

Labels: 2008 GOP Presidential Primary, NRA, Second Amendment

According to my friends at the NRA, two pro-gun bills are heading towards Governor Bredesen's desk for signature.

House Bill 1285, sponsored by State Representative Dolores Gresham (R-94) and its companion bill, Senate Bill 1597, introduced by State Senator Mark Norris (R-32), unanimously passed both the House and Senate. HB 1285/SB 1597 would protect our Second Amendment rights during a state of emergency by prohibiting any government agency from regulating the lawful sale, possession, transfer, transport and carry of firearms, such as occurred following Hurricane Katrina.

It is unclear as to whether Bredesen will sign this bill or not, as he has already voiced his opinion that he would clearly exercise the power he believes he has to confiscate firearms if need be. Of course, Governor Bredesen never has been that familiar with the Tennessee Constitution that he swore to uphold and defend, because those actions would clearly be unconstitutional (as per the interpretation of Professor Reynolds, who was one of the scholars that put together one of the first interpretations of the Tennessee Constitution back in the 1990s).

House Bill 145, sponsored by State Representative Michael McDonald (D-44), and its companion bill, Senate Bill 135, sponsored by State Senator Doug Jackson (D-25), were also passed by a unanimous vote. HB 145/SB 135 require land managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency to have a base line number of public hunting acres that are always open to hunting, guaranteeing that future generations have the same hunting opportunities that are enjoyed today.

HB145/SB135 is partly a reaction to the David McMahan-led corruption of the TWRA, an episode that proved that it really is who you know when it comes to a set of rights for the elite and a different set of laws for everyone else.

You can call Governor Bredesen at (615) 741-2001 to let him know that he needs to sign these bills.

My sources with the Tennessee Firearms Association have indicated that HB132 (Mike Bell's bill which would allow for a citizen with a handgun carry permit to carry on all public hunting lands) and HB2184 (which is Frank Nicely's bill that would allow carry within the boundaries of any state park) have been rolled to next week in order for all members of House Judiciary to be present.

The fate of these two bills lies with Democratic Representatives Henry Fincher and Eddie Bass. They have shown support for the bills in the past, but it is likely that they will face significant arm-twisting by Speaker Naifeh and his minions (Briley and Sontany in this case) over the next week.

If you feel so inclined, give Rep. Fincher (800-449-8366, x 11875) and Rep. Bass (800-449-8366, x 11864) a call and ask them to continue to support these bills.

With the General Assembly doing next to nothing about illegal immigration (or many other important issues), it would be nice to come out of this session with some quality pro-firearm legislation.

Labels: General Assembly, NRA, Second Amendment, TFA

I just saw that the District of Columbia's handgun ban has been lifted as a result of a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

My old colleagues at the NRA's Office of the General Counsel (including Robert Dowlut and Stefan Tahmassebi, who submitted amici briefs in this case) had long been working to make sure that the residents of D.C. had the same Second Amendment rights that those of us who live in free states enjoy in regards to being able to protect ourselves.

Today's victory in Parker v. D.C. is a blessing, indeed, for those that still believe in a free society.

MORE:

SayUncle (I, II, and III)
Instapundit
Volokh

Labels: NRA, Second Amendment

This little blog started on April 19, 2005, and it seems as if there should be more than 1,000 posts here (in addition to the posts on other sites such as Blogging for Bryant, the Bryson Blog, BillHobbs.com, etc.). However, the Blogger meter is saying that this is #1,000, so we'll go with that.

For my 1000th post, I thought we would come back around to a subject that has always been near and dear to my heart (as well as my former employer) - the right to keep and bear arms.

The NRA put the following alert out a few days back:

***

SENATE VERSION OF NATIONAL RIGHT-TO-CARRY BILL INTRODUCED

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) recently introduced S. 388--the Senate version of H.R. 226, a national Right-to-Carry reciprocity bill that would provide national reciprocity for state carry licensees. This legislation would allow any person with a valid carry permit or license issued by a state to carry a concealed firearm in any other state if they meet certain criteria. The bill would not create a federal licensing system; it would simply require the states to recognize each other's carry permits, just as they recognize drivers' licenses.

For more information on these bills, please visit www.nraila.org/Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?ID=189.

Please be sure to contact your U.S. Senators and Representative and ask them to cosponsor and support S. 388 and H.R. 226! You can call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121, and your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121.

***

Obviously, this is long overdue. I have spoken previously with both Tennessee Senators in 2006 about the need to support such a bill. I'm a little surprised that it has come up this early in the new Democratic reign of Congress, but how S.388 and H.R.226 are handled in the Congress should be a sign of where pro-Second Amendment advocates stand at this present time.

On a similar note, I want to spread the word for readers in the local area that the Knox County Chapter of the Tennessee Firearms Association will be meeting at Bob's Mountaineer Restaurant in Seymour Tuesday evening. A pre-meeting social hour occurs from 6:00 until 7:00 (at which time you can order from the menu or eat from the buffet), with the meeting beginning at 7:00 and usually lasting about an hour.

Our speaker for this meeting is Larry Self from Bass Pro Shop in Sevierville. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER OF TENNESSEE FIREARMS ASSOCIATION TO ATTEND.

So come on out, eat some good grub, and spend some time with other Tennesseans who believe in the right to keep and bear arms.

MORE: If you haven't already read it, check out Professor Reynolds' New York Times op-ed from a couple of weeks ago. He writes about the kind of local government that is needed in America.

Labels: NRA, Second Amendment, TFA