Another issue you’ll want to contact your Congress Critters about is this. I’m skeptical that anyone knows for sure at this point which direction they will attack us from, but one thing I’m fairly certain of is that an attack on our gun rights is coming. We need to be ready for anything, and writing your reps about opposing any gun control in the 111th Congress is as important as ever.
The last time we were in this situation I was eighteen years old, and there were no blogs, no forums, most people didn’t have e-mail, and the media wasn’t on the verge of going the way of the dodo. If we’re going to come out on top here, we have to use our natural strengths as a movement.
UPDATE: Robb has more. The ironic thing in all this is, if the Democrats were really interested in destroying the NRA, the smartest strategic thing to do would be nothing. It only helps NRA to become the monster that they said you were.
UPDATE: Thirdpower wonders why we’re all surprised. I wouldn’t say we’re surprised, but there has to be some hope we can mobilize against something, even if we expected it. I also had hoped Obama’s move to the center post-election indicated he wasn’t willing to tackle divisive cultural issues, and would govern as a pragmatic centrist. That’s still a key question: how much Obama will push gun control. We know he’ll sign anything Pelosi and Reid send him, so we can’t count on anything. Writing the Critter is important.
I agree that the anti gun Democrats are coming. If we look back at the nafta super highway Bush was building without knowledge or consent of congress, Agents Ramos and Compean getting jailed, the anarchy on the border undealt with and un reported, folks we have a large problem on our hands. A major economic crisis looms large on the horizon and now the anti gunners finally have the power to do something to us. It is time that we get our guns together and prepare for the storm that approaches. i recommend everyone read Chittum’s civil War 2
“…Obama’s move to the center…” That’s about as naive a statement as I have ever seen you make here, Seb. What’s next, kind words for the Church of Algore?
I predict that shortly after his acendency, TAO will issue an executive order(instant tyranny) that bans the import of both foreign military surplus ammunition and as well as ammunition newly manufactured overeseas in military calibers. I’m thinking “Unintended Consequences” will result from this action.
emdfl:
There been plenty of examples of Obama pissing off the left by throwing bones to moderates, particularly in letting Gates stay at defense, and his choice for his inaugural invocation. Also, executive orders are not an unlimited power. Our president is not a King. Bush Sr. banned importation of certain firearms by executive order because the “sporting purposes” clause of the GCA of 1968 gives the AG the authority to make those determinations. There is no such clause that gives the president the power to restrict ammunition. If Obama wants to read what’s not there, and act outside his powers, we can take him to court.
Obama is a product of Chicago and he is constructing a Chicago type of operatives inside the White House that will govern instead of his Cabinet. Chicago never liked guns and Obama is part of that.
Obama by being President is restricted on what he can do on foreign policy. Consistency of foreign policy is needed for governments. Economics he is prevented from experimentation since it is so bad. So that leaves domestic goodies to appease Pelosi and the lefty loonies.
He always said that he was for an AWB ban, and we believed him. Evidence by the buying fervor this fall after the election.
What can be done is a strong flood to the Congress phone lines and letters like the immigration bill. That stalled the immigration bill of a year ago. Now the public will not do the same on AWB so the numbers won’t be as large. But it can be large.
Call your ranges; organize by clubs and ranges to contact members and ask them to call their representative and senators. If we have the database of gun owners to organize this can make a difference. Obama won’t push if the cost is too high. He is very gun-shy about pushing against a well stream of anger. His capital is limited so an early cost may make him back off.
GOA, JFO, NRA will email members but it also needs the real grassroots of hunters, shooters and other gun friendlies.
Ammo bans may actually pass in the Congress unless a lot of members think the cost is too high.
Sebastian –
Two words – and a few more.
“Sporting purposes”
The only ammunition that you need is for guns that have “sporting purposes”; non-sporting use firearms having been banned from importation. Firearms in military calibers don’t meet the definition of sporting purposes and so ammunition in those calibers isn’t allowed.
If you haven’t figured out yet that the Chicago thugs who have taken over the government will do whatever to whomever whenever they please, I suggest doing some reading regarding the current (and past) political operations in Chicago and the IL statehouse.
And taking him to court? It is to laugh.
That might be logical, but that’s not what the law says. The law says that if you have a license to import ammunition, you may do so, provided it’s not armor-piercing, which has a specific definition under federal law. Actually, the federal armor piercing ammo laws are some of the most convoluted law at the federal level that exists. But it doesn’t just permit the restriction of ammunition just because you can no longer legally import rifles that accept it.
my guess, the first attack will be a new DOT regulation that says that ammo cannot be shipped through common carrier…
basically that would make it to where you could only buy ammo in retail stores.
I think I’m pretty much ignoring everything they do from here on out.