On Thursday, February 9th, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called for the Illinois General Assembly to pass a $65 per handgun fee to be levied against every law-abiding gun owner in Illinois – INCLUDING YOU.

Of course, gang bangers, murderers, robbers and rapists are exempt from the fee.

This fee would be charged every 5 years on every handgun you own. Additionally, you would have to register with the government in the same manner as sex-offenders.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU
If Rahm Emanuel’s gun tax passes, you will be required to pack up your handguns and take them to the local police station for examination and registration. If you have 10 handguns to bring in, you’ll walk out paying $650 in taxes. If you own 100 handguns, the government will lighten your wallet to the tune of $6,500. And, you’ll have to repeat this process every 5 years – unless Emanuel and his buddies in the legislature bump this up to an ANNUAL FEE.

WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY THE TAX?
If you cannot pay the $65 tax on EACH of your handguns, you will have to surrender your guns to the local police for destruction.

WHAT IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO PAY THE TAX?
If you decide not to pay the tax, the police will come to your house and take your guns away. They will also arrest you and charge you with a CLASS 2 FELONY.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP STOP THIS HANDGUN TAX IN ITS TRACKS?

1. Using the link below, contact your State Senator and State Representative and politely tell them that you are a law-abiding Illinois firearm owner who does not want their rights taxed. Tell your Senator and Representative that you expect them to vote AGAINST Rahm Emanuel’s gun tax should it come to the floor of the legislature.

2. Please pass this alert on to all your gun-owning friends and family, tell them to follow the directions contained in the alert.

3. Please post this alert to any and all Internet Blogs or Bulletin Boards to which you belong.

4. Go to the City of Chicago web page and fill out this form. Tell Emanuel that you will NOT LET HIM TAX YOUR GUNS.

http://webapps.cityofchicago.org/eforms/org/cityofchicago/eforms/controller/contactUsForm/preFeedbackForm.do

5. Please use the donation link below to send a generous donation to the ISRA, today. We badly need the money to continue to fight against Emanuel and his gun-grabbing pals. Think about it:
would you rather send your money as taxes to Emanuel, or donate to the ISRA?!

About:
The ISRA is the state’s leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. Since 1903, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners Visit: www.isra.org

www.youtube.com/watch?v=43_QpULfrCM

The fat’s in the fire now. Obama is trying to use government against the rights of conscience.

He has opposed the right to keep and bear arms and now he opposes those who choose life as part of their religious beliefs.

Supporters of the rights of conscience and the right to keep and bear arms should unite against Obama as a common enemy.

About John Snyder:
Named the Gun Dean by Human Events, “the senior rights activist in Washington” by Shotgun News, a “champion of the right to self-defense” by The Washington Times, and “dean of gun lobbyists” by The Washington Post and The New York Times, John M. Snyder has spent 45 years as a proponent of the individual Second Amendment civil right to keep and bear arms as a National Rifle Association editor, public affairs director of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, treasurer of the Second Amendment Foundation, and founder of www.GunRightsPolicies.org.

Some say it’s a major loophole in the law. At gun stores, you have to get a background check before you can buy a weapon. But online in most states, anyone from law-abiding citizens to dangerous criminals – even terrorists – can get just about any weapon they want, no questions asked. Our hidden camera investigation shows the deals going down in broad daylight, in suburban mall parking lots.

No, this isn’t true. This isn’t a loophole because any gun sent through the mail needs to be from a Federal Firearms License holder to another when sales occur, and depending on the local laws a permit might be necessary. This point is lacking, so in these cases the law is actually being broken – so it isn’t technically a loophole in the law.

The article adds:

We bought everything from a police-grade pistol to a semiautomatic assault rifle. We did it over and over again, even hinting that our buyer is a criminal.

Within 12 hours, we bought eight dangerous guns – even a 50-caliber weapon so powerful it could take down a helicopter.

We agree that this is a problem, one we’ll address in a minute, but let’s first note that this is typical biased reporting. What exactly is a “police-grade pistol,” as we’re not sure? This is an attempt to make it seem like something that wouldn’t be available to the average consumer. Additionally, the point about the .50-caliber (it should read .50 not 50) being able to take down a helicopter is only partially accurate. The truth is this weapon still needs someone with some level of experience and training to be able to hit a helicopter. So while there is always the chance someone could get very lucky, in most cases without proper training and skill it would just be a heavy gun where the shooter couldn’t hit the side of a barn!

There was more on this weapon:

The online ad was for a 50-caliber sniper rifle, the most powerful gun legally sold in the U.S.: bullet range 5 miles. It can pierce armored vehicles, even bring down a helicopter. But the seller was so laid-back, you’d think he was hocking a used bicycle.

All these points are only semi-true. It really doesn’t have a range of five miles, and it can “bring down a helicopter” but so can a .22 if you shoot at the right place!

The article then adds:

So what’s the government doing about it? It turns out there’s a bill that would close this loophole, and require background checks for all gun sales, even online. But that bill has been tied up in committee for nearly a year. Its sponsor, New York senator Chuck Schumer, told us: “The NRA is one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington, and despite the overwhelming evidence that we should do something … the odds of us being able to do something are not high.”

Again this is a half-truth. Online sales are NOT except from background checks. This isn’t so much a loophole as it is people just disregarding the law. So a law that bans the sales and puts background checks on all gun sales only works if people follow the law – and in most cases the law was already being broken in the examples noted.

Finally the article concludes with this point:

This is legal, and lots of people in this country support private gun sales without background checks. They say it’s not about making money; it’s about individual rights. As for the eight guns we bought, we turned them over the the [sic] Phoenix police department… where they will be destroyed.

This isn’t just about money. There are points missing in this reporting. First, who is going to pay for the background checks on ALL sales? Does this mean ALL guns need to be registered? Because unless EVERY gun is registered the background check system wouldn’t work, and if ALL guns need to be registered there is the issue of who will pay for it? There are reasons for fighting this, as the first step to banning guns is knowing who has them – in other words many citizens might be wary of having to register their guns, and in essence any law would turn them into criminals.

Two Queens parents were horrified to learn that their 5-year-old daughter’s kindergarten homework included a lesson in street violence.

Takiema Reynolds of Flushing says her daughter Amanda brought home a worksheet this week that had a picture of a gun and a picture of an armed robber.

Beneath the pictures, Amanda had to write out the first letters of the words “gun” and “rob.”

Now in fairness it probably isn’t right to have words such as “rob” be part of the assignment as it could be confusing to smaller children. But let’s be realistic too. Cartoons, video games and other forms of entertainment will likely expose children to such things as “guns,” so is this worth reporting about?

What is actually upsetting about this line of reporting focused on the “gun” not the word “rob,” which showed a stereotypical bank robber type character with a bag of money. Isn’t the issue of violence and crime bigger than an issue of a “gun?”

The debate over U.S. gun laws and Mexican drug violence brings to mind Mark Twain’s famous quip about lies, damned lies, and statistics. In a recent editorial, the Washington Post blamed American policies for exacerbating the bloodshed, pointing out that “70 to 80 percent of the traceable guns seized in Mexico can be tracked to the United States.” The key word there is “traceable.” While it’s true that most of the traceable guns originated north of the border, those weapons represent a very small portion of total Mexican gun seizures.

According to a Government Accountability Office study based on data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), only 7,200 of the roughly 30,000 guns seized by Mexican authorities in 2008 were sent to ATF for a tracing analysis. Scott Stewart of STRATFOR has noted that just 4,000 of them were found to be traceable. Of the traceable guns, 3,480 were linked back to the United States. In other words, only 12 percent of the guns confiscated in 2008 were positively traced to the United States. In May 2009, the Associated Press reported that the Mexican military had “305,424 confiscated weapons locked in vaults.” Because those weapons were not submitted to ATF, their origin is unclear.

If those in the Senate can see the problem with the numbers why can’t his fellow senators such as Dianne Feinstein, Sheldon Whitehouse and Charles Schumer see the same thing? Or is it that those against guns don’t mind that this lie about the numbers continues, as it could help their push for gun control?

Additionally Cornyn has been one of the few to explain the assault weapon ban and how it relates to Mexico:

What about the U.S. assault-weapons ban (AWB), which expired in 2004? Citing estimates from a senior Mexican official, the Post said that the portion of seized guns classified as “assault weapons” has grown from about one-third in 2005 to 60–65 percent today. Yet Mexican drug violence was accelerating before the AWB lapsed — in 2001, then-president Vicente Fox called for “a war without mercy” against the cartels — and President Felipe Calderón’s courageous post-2006 crackdown on organized crime has prompted the gangs (1) to fight back against the government and (2) to fight a lot more with each other.

But again it is easier for Calderon to blame America than admit he’s facing a failing battle against the cartels. The corruption in his own government is the cause of Mexico’s woes – not America’s guns.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu7pQ_Lros8

Cam Edwards talks to Rev. Kenn Blanchard, host of the Urban Shooter

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx9wtfG81Gc

Cam Edwards talks to Rick Ector of Rick’s Firearms Academy of Detroit

The Virginia House of Delegates passed two pro-gun bills: House Bill 25 and House Bill 754. HB 25 passed in the state House by an 81 to 17 vote and HB 754 passed by a 74 to 22 vote. Both bills will now go to the Virginia Senate for its consideration.

HB 25, sponsored by Delegate Mark Cole (R-88), seeks to prohibit the Clerk of the Court from disclosing information contained on a concealed handgun permit application or on an order issuing a concealed handgun permit.

Sponsored by Delegate Ben Cline (R-24), HB 754 would eliminate the optional fingerprinting requirements for initial concealed carry permits.

We thank NRA members who contacted their Delegate and asked them to support these crucial bills.

Tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. in the Fourth Floor West Conference Room of the General Assembly building, the House Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety Subcommittee #1 will hold a hearing on the following bills of interest to Virginia gun owners:

Pro-Gun Bills
House Bill 859, introduced by Delegate C. Todd Gilbert (R-15), would provide an exemption from the required criminal history record information check for firearms transfers in the Commonwealth for persons holding a valid Virginia-issued concealed handgun permit.

House Bill 1135, introduced by Delegate R. Lee Ware, Jr. (R-65), would remove certain requirements for an out-of-state concealed handgun permit to be recognized and accepted in Virginia. Requires an out-of-state permittee to carry and present a valid government-issued photo identification in order for his or her valid out-of-state concealed weapon permit to be recognized and accepted in Virginia.

House Bill 1279, introduced by Delegate Christopher P. Stolle (R-83), would provide that a prisoner may be charged under both the crimes by prisoners code section and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Anti-Gun Bills
House Bill 797, introduced by Delegate Joseph D. Morrissey (D-74), would create a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person carrying a handgun in a public place while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and prohibits a person from obtaining a concealed handgun permit for five years following such a conviction. This prohibition applies regardless of whether the person is carrying the handgun openly or concealed. Current law makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to carry a concealed handgun in a public place while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but does not speak to openly carrying a handgun while under the influence.

House Bill 1197, introduced by Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan (D-71), would create a Class 3 misdemeanor for the offense of failing to report to law enforcement that a firearm a person owns or lawfully possesses has been lost or stolen. Subsequent violations of the law would be a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for the knowingly false reporting of a lost or stolen firearm.

House Bill 1223, introduced by Delegate Patrick A. Hope (D-47), reads “Except those lawfully possessing a handgun, no person shall possess a weapon in legislative buildings and all persons, except General Assembly members, staff or any law enforcement officer.”

House Bill 1226, introduced by Delegate Luke E. Torian (D-52), would give the board of visitors or other governing body of an educational institution the power to establish rules and regulations for the possession or transportation of firearms or ammunition on property owned or operated by the institution.

House Bill 1257, introduced by Delegate Mark D. Sickles (D-43), would provide that it is a Class 1 misdemeanor for a person who is under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs to carry a loaded firearm on or about his person in a public place and that a person found guilty is ineligible to apply for a concealed handgun permit for a period of five years. This bill also creates a Class 2 misdemeanor for a person who carries a loaded firearm on or about his person onto the premises of any restaurant or club licensed to sell and serve alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption and consume an alcoholic beverage while on the premises.

Please continue to check AmmoLand, your e-mail and www.NRAILA.org for more updates on these issues.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

House Bill 4054 is scheduled to be heard in the state House Health Care Committee on Monday, February 13.

This hearing will be held at 1:00 p.m. in Hearing Room E of the Oregon Capitol.  Sponsored by state Representative Jim Thompson (R-23), HB 4054 would prohibit the Public Employees’ Benefit Board from authorizing or requiring the collection of information or maintenance of records about firearms from eligible employees or family members applying for health benefits.

HB 4054 was introduced after state Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli (R-30) secured commitments from both Kaiser Permanente and the Public Employee’s Benefit Board to purge gun ownership data that had been collected after implementing a new employee initiative called the “Health Engagement Model.”  After Senator Ferrioli’s inquiries, both plans dropped the questions related to firearms.

Please call and e-mail members of the state House Health Care Committee TODAY and urge them to support HB 4054.  Their contact information can be found below.

House Health Care Committee:

• Representative Mitch Greenlick (D-33), Co-Chairman
  503-986-1433
  rep.mitchgreenlick@state.or.us
• Representative Jim Thompson (R-23), Co-Chairman
  503-986-1423
  rep.jimthompson@state.or.us
• Representative Val Hoyle (D-14), Co-Vice Chairman
  503-986-1414
  rep.valhoyle@state.or.us
• Representative Bill Kennemer (R-39), Co-Vice Chairman
  503-986-1439
  rep.billkennemer@state.or.us
• Representative Jason Conger (R-54)
  503-986-1454
  rep.jasonconger@state.or.us
• Representative Margaret Doherty (D-35)
  503-986-1435
  rep.margaretdoherty@state.or.us
• Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer (D-46)
  503-986-1446
  rep.alissakenyguyer@state.or.us
• Representative Julie Parrish (R-37)
  503-986-1437
  rep.julieparrish@state.or.us

About:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org

For now we say kudos to Mr. Cox for stating his point, which included:

Last Thursday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to answer questions about his role in the deadly “Fast and Furious” gun-running scandal. However, instead of answers, Congress got more defiance, more arrogance, and more wasted time with an attorney general who clearly feels no sense of obligation to the American people or our rule of law.

But for all the stonewalling, there was at least one telling moment at this hearing, and it should concern law-abiding gun owners and all Americans who expect accountability from our government.
In a rash attempt to deflect attention away from himself and his own irresponsibility, Holder let Congress know that the Obama administration is still working toward the day when it can reinstate former President Bill Clinton’s so-called “assault weapons” ban. According to Holder:

This administration has consistently favored the reinstitution of the assault weapons ban. It is something that we think was useful in the past with regard to the reduction that we’ve seen in crime, and certainly would have a positive impact on our relationship and the crime situation in Mexico.

Read more: Holder tells Congress the Obama administration wants to ban guns