Comments on: More Ineffectiveness from NRA

By: Snowflakes in Hell » Blog Archive » GOA Dividing the Community Again

Snowflakes in Hell » Blog Archive » GOA Dividing the Community Again — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:33:13 +0000

[...] The proposed language was by NRA and GOA A rated Congressman Jason Altmire. The same Jason Almire who went to bat trying to get the repeal of DC’s gun laws through Congress. The same Jason Altmire who helped form a Second Amendment Task Force in Congress on the heels of [...]

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:07:28 +0000

Arnie,

Not enough people are so dissatisfied with their government that they are willing to overthrow it, and even if they were they could just elect another one they prefer. Your appeals to principle are admirable, but unfortunately they shouting principles is pissing in the wind when it comes to politics.

You have to play the political game. Revolution would destroy everything. Our founders were exceptionally lucky things turned out the way they did. There may be a time when what’s left isn’t worth saving, but I do not think we are there yet.

By: Arnie

Arnie — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:59:57 +0000

Gentlemen, I fear to disparage your efforts at attaining a tactical win-win through this clearly unconstitutional legislation. I understand that the guy who brings the bat and ball gets to make the rules for the game. But why even play their game? Please consider the ramifications: you are supporting the willful violation of the Constitution. You are compromising your most precious principle. Worst of all, you are forfeiting the greatest legal argument we have against all national gun laws: the requirement for constitutionality (with respect to the 2nd, 9th, and 10th Amendments). Once you say its ok to pass an unconstitutional law because it has some constitutional provisions you like, you lose all credibilty in any future attempt to resist gun control on the grounds it violates the Constitution, because YOU just violated it! The Second Amendment will have lost its authority because YOU emasculated the Constitution’s authority! If you are going to play their game by their rules, then you forfeit your right to appeal to your own. As for me, I choose to play a better game, the Constitution’s game, by the Constitution’s rules: I just bought another militia rifle – that’s how the Founding Fathers defended THEIR unalienable rights! And that is why they gave US the 2nd Amendment. I wish you success – but I am not counting on it; I am counting on God and my guns. “An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!” – Patrick Henry

By: DCHere

DCHere — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:25:24 +0000

You didn’t note that Utah will also get a vote, so it will be a wash on future gun legislation.

I live in DC, and if I can representation AND reasonable gun laws in one fell swoop, well, it would be like Christmas.

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:06:25 +0000

I doubt the folks at NRA are too enthused about giving DC another anti-gun vote in the Congress, but as an organization they stay pretty singularly focused. I think National Concealed Carry is unconstitutional too, but NRA supports it. I think the parking lots bills are an affront to freedom of association, but NRA supports them.

NRA has to look out for their issue. Not everyone who’s a member buys into the whole conservative agenda. It helps the gun issue tremendously if there broad buy in from across the political spectrum. In order to deliver that, NRA has to not concern itself with other issues which tend to divide people. In short, as an organization, they don’t have the luxury of the same breadth of opinion that you or I do, otherwise they’d be jeopardizing their mission.

By: Allen

Allen — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:21 +0000

NRA is a gun rights group. The promote the Second Amendment. That’s pretty much their sole focus. This bill is passing. You have a choice between it passing with a pro-gun amendment on it, or passing without one.

Perhaps, I just expect too much from them. I expect them to be for the 2nd Amendment, but for the Constitution first.

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:50:20 +0000

I agree Robert. Of course, everyone thought the same thing about the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act, and the Supreme Court screwed us on it by ruling in favor of the law. There’s less constitutional wiggle room for this one, but then again, there wasn’t much for BCFRA either.

By: Robert

Robert — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:48:24 +0000

The bill itself may be unconstitutional and will likely be tossed. There is absolutely no evidence that the amendments attached to the bill will be, however. Which means by supporting this, we can get the 2nd amendment restored to DC and let the supreme court go about pruning all the rest of the unconstitutional bits out of it. It’s damn near a win-win (so long as the supremes rule correctly, anyway).

By: Carl in Chicago

Carl in Chicago — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:41:34 +0000

Completely agreed. I strongly commend second amendment congressmen and women who support the gun rights restoration amendment.

Right to arms amendment or not, that voting representation bill is going to pass, and right to arms amendment or not, there WILL be a lawsuit challenging the voting reprsentation on constitutional grounds.

I for one STRONGLY support representation by DC residents. But only if it comes about constitutionally … they either become residents of a bordering state such as Maryland, or the constitution is amendmended. But Congress shall NOT simply end-run around the law of the land by simply voting to “grant” them representation. It’s flatly unconstitutional.

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:18:28 +0000

I am a member of the NRA. Yep, I often wonder about the political side of the NRA. They seldom take a stand and waffle away rights dealing with gun control. All of us are not hunters or even remotely interested in hunting.

I’m not a hunter either. But can you give examples of things that have created your perception in this regard? Because I generally think they do a pretty good job for us.