Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The RKBA War-- 2 weeks of links ( AWB and more )
various FR links | 05-14-03 | The Heavy Equipment Guy

Posted on 05/14/2003 2:16:13 AM PDT by backhoe

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/911085/posts
GOP Will Let Gun Ban Expire
Washington Post ^ | May 14, 2003 | Jim VandeHei
Maybe the AWB will sunset, but I always fear some (real or bogus) mega Columbine will come along at the perfect moment to stampede our congress critters into signing it again.
 
 
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/911065/posts
Assault Weapons Is a Redundant Term
ChronWatch.com ^ | 14 May 2003 | Doc Farmer
 
 
Unfortunately the article will fall on deaf ears of typical suburban soccer moms and dads. They do not believe people should own guns or attempt to defend themselves...
 
 
Aiming for gun safety: Women learn to feel at home on the shooting range
The Daily News of Los Angeles | May 11, 2003 | Greg Botonis
I took lessons to learn to trap shoot. Then decided I should learn how to shoot a handgun. I took handgun lessons taught by a former San Diego policeman. The classes were invaluable. Intimidation gone.
 
 
 
 
Anti-Gun Propaganda at Univ. of Michigan's Website
University of Michigan Health System ^ | unknow nKyla Boyse, R.N. Reviewed by Richard Solomon, M.D., Barbara Felt, M.D., Sheila Gahagan, M.D.
 
 
 
 
 
 
The "extended" assault weapons ban would ban TONS of guns, including ALL semi-automatic shotguns, ALL shotguns that hold < 5 rounds, M1 Garand, Mini-14, ALL semi-autos that can have > 10 rounds with or without fixed magazine.
 
 
 
 
Or:
Why do the lefties hate NRA? Simple, the gun is the only thing keeping the socialists from controlling the masses. Next question?
 
 
What part of "shall not be infringed" do these lunatics not understand?
This isn't a "re-authorization," it's a radical expansion.
...especially that Att General provision that can literally ban all guns.
 
 
The gun control debate
Washington Times ^ | Tuesday, May 13, 2003 | John R. Lott Jr.
Maryland has some of the tightest gun control laws in the country but Baltimore is the murder capital of the USA. Wonder why? well, for starters, hardly anyone has guns but the criminals.
 
 
 
 
The best questions to be asking are: "Who is paying Ricker to change his story? Is it Handgun Control, aka the Brady Center? Is it the Violence Policy Center? Is it the Democrat Nazi Committee? Are they offering him financial reward for perjury? Are they suborning perjury?
 
 
Names of the Perps:
 
 
Police 'opposed to carrying guns'
BBC ^ | Monday, 12 May, 2003
See how brainwashing works? Quite effective, isn't it?
 
Can you say "reloads"? Good, I knew you could.
 
 
 
 
State Court To Rule On Guns In Cabs [News From Connecticut]
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=7959122&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=7573&rfi=6 ^ | May 9th 2003 | William Kaempffer
I know this sounds cold. But this gun-hating leftist needs to be carjacked so that he will be shocked back to reality.
 
 
 
 
...means the Dems are smart enough not to reveal their intentions concerning gun control until after they're elected.
 
 
This is another feel good do nothing regulation that will only be heaped upon the peaceful citizen.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Funny how the "facts" keep changing- first a machine gun, then a high powered rifle, now this:
"He had a Cobray pistol, a Ruger pistol and 11 ammunition clips..."
 
 
"Gun Free Zones" are known to gun owner rights advocates as Criminal Empowerment zones or CEZ's.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This article explains the correllation between a weakening of the 2nd Amendment and the increase in violence.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Why Gun Control Legislation Affects National Security
Self- Vanity Post | 5/9/03 | Judicial Meanz
"The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed-where the government refuses to stand for reelection and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once."
 
"If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention,"
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
...Don't think about that assertion too much; it might cause your head to explode...
 
 
The major mainscream media are finally catching on to what's happening to this bill. It's finally dawning on them that President Dubya said he would sign a bill that has no chance of clearing Congress - and the trap they THOUGHT had been laid for him politically is really a non-issue. The media hate it when Dubya outsmarts them...again.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
More:
Got a call from the RNC, gal trying to read off a spiel about "We must support the president.....".
A clear effort to raise campaign cash for either the party or the candidate, I did not learn which.
I cut her off and explained that my support is dependent on the AW & Hi-cap Mag bans dying.
We need so bad to get this stupid gun law off the books...
If this passes I don't know what I will do in the next election I will have to think hard about how I vote.
 
 
More here:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A police officer's job is to enforce the law and help to keep the general peace of a community. It is not their job to randomly search cars to look for whatever they want.
 
 
Bush in Tight Spot With N.R.A. Over Gun Legislation
The New York Times ^ | 05/08/03 | ERIC LICHTBLAU
The Democrats have vowed to literally shut down the Senate and bottle up ALL legislation for the rest of the Congressional term.
 
 
 
 
Supporting gun control makes you lose elections. Opposing it makes you win.
 
Too bad no one put it point blank to the NAACP during the trial: "Yes or no. Would it be in your interest for us manufacturers to stop selling guns to dealers that sell to black people? Yes or no."
 
 
Ballistic imaging: Not ready for prime time
Washington Times ^ | Wednesday, May 7, 2003 | H. Sterling Burnett
A nice crisp, clean, forthright damning of the ballistics fingerprints idea-- it -- ballistic fingerprinting -- has never passed the smell test for me.
 
 
 
 
 
 
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/906394/posts
 
 
Government lawyers say burglars 'need protection' [in Britain]
The Independent (UK) ^ | 05 May 2003 | By Robert Verkaik, Legal Affairs Correspondent
...burglars are members of the public who must be protected from violent householders.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
48 Hours in the California Legislative System (A Descent into Madness
Keep and Bear Arms ^ | May 3, 2003 | Michael Marks
...there will be a mass exodus. Currently they're busy attacking businesses large and small, not just firearms.
 
 
...they have changed the bill so that it is a "fee" instead of a tax so it will only take a majority vote to pass.
 
 
One lady, in her article posted here on FR, said that many of her left-wing former friends literally have a bottle of champagne set away and are just waiting for Reagan to die so they can open it. They're sick, sick people. Morford is saying this #&$* in part because he believes it and in part to get attention.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Or:
Democrats Link Gun Rights to Terrorism
newsmax.com | Thursday, May 1, 2003 | Jeff Johnson, CNSNews.com
The problem with relying on the stupidity and ignorance of your base voters is that you have to come with laws that appeal to both factions: the ignorant and the stupid.
...how many terrorist attacks, in the USA, have used 'weapons' (i.e. guns)?
 
 
Wouldn't this woman be happier in East Germany, if it still existed? Perhaps one of the Arab countries.
 
 
Well, the question is not posed correctly. It should be. "Could I legally own a gun?" From what I've been hearing getting a gun is not all that difficult.
 
 
 
BALLISTIC IMAGING SHOOTS A BLANK
NCPA Daily Policy Digest ^ | April 30, 2003 | David B. Kopel and H. Sterling Burnett
 
 
 
 
Minnesota CCW: Letters from Readers
Minneapolis Star-Tribune ^ | April 30,2003 | various
Each and every time a life is saved because of the new CCW law, I will personally remind these people of that fact.
 
 
 
 
 
Keep assault-weapon controls [Barf!]
Denver Post ^ | Tuesday, April 29, 2003 - 12:00:00 AM MST | DP Editorial Board
An assault-weapons ban is not an attack on the right to bear arms.
Yet another liberal idiot who doesn't understand the plain meaning of "shall not be infringed. It doesn't say "removed" or "violated" it says "infringed".
People can argue any way they want about guns, pro or con. If some people wish to be victims, then that is their right, but they have no right to demand that all of us dictate that our lives are subject to the whims of criminals...I urge everyone here to read Jeff's Snyder's excellent book "Nation of Cowards". This collection of essays goes far deeper than the mere "right to own guns", and cuts to the ethical quick of the ideas and philosophies that underly all of our inalienable rights...or CLICK HERE to purchase this excellent treatise.
...the AW ban is just "feel good" legislation, with no evidence that it has stopped even one murder or stopped one rampage... 
 
 
 
Women With Guns Fight Back
Fox News ^ | 5/6/03 | Wendy McElroy
 
 
Raise the fundamental moral issue of self-defense - a concept that they are completely unwilling to face. I expose their cowardice and moral bankruptcy for what it is.
 
 


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News
KEYWORDS: awb; bang; banglist
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-56 last
To: All
Let's add some relevant links to flesh out the story:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/915473/posts
Florida: Broward sheriff's role in CNN gun show upsets NRA ["honest misunderstanding"]
Sun-Sentinel ^ | May 21, 2003


http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=16124
CNN 'backpedals' on gun story -Admits it misled viewers in comparing different types of weapons
Source: World Net Daily
URL Source: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp? ARTICLE_ID=32677
Published: May 20, 2003
There is nothing new about this. Back when CNN was lying about the "Operation Tailwind" thing we caught them rigging their own gun control polls. They would continue to run polls asking loaded questions to try and get a majority calling for more gun laws,and they had to keep taking the polls down for "technical reasons" when they didn't get the numbers they wanted. They finally resorted to putting one poll back up after "fixing the software glitch",and the buttons for "yes" and "no" were reversed. A "no" vote was logged as a "yes" vote.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/915105/posts
CNN 'backpedals' on gun story: Admits it misled viewers in comparing different types of weapons
WorldNetDaily ^ | May 20, 2003
"This story is gathering steam. CNN got caught red-handed perpetrating FRAUD."
You forgot to add the AGAIN....


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/914941/posts
CNN Concedes, Sort of, Distorted "Assault Weapon" Demonstration (CNN Fraud Alert!!!)
Media Research Center ^ | May 20, 2003 | Brent Baker


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/914996/posts
Transcript: Wayne LaPierre (NRA) Accuses CNN Of FRAUD (MUST READ! MUST READ!!!)
CNN ^ | May 16, 2003
Well, it did turn out that CNN FAKED that story. They tried to downplay it yesterday but FRAUD was committed. Please don't let this story of CNN FRAUD fade away!


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/914912/posts
Why No One Shoots Straight on Guns
TimesOnlineEdition ^ | May 20,2003 | Karen Tumulty


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/914823/posts
CNN rapped over gun segment
The Washington Times ^ | 5/19/2003 | Robert Stacy McCain
CNN got busted. They were exposed finally as the liberal liars they are. One of the "call ins" said he doesn't have a gun, won't own one, isn't a member of the NRA but he's making sure all of his friends are watching this controvery unfold. It's a major disaster for CNN and in my opinion, much worse than a writer not knowing which way a house points to a field such as what was written in the New York Times.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/914248/posts
He's fast on draw with message
Seattle Post Intelligencer | May 19, 2003 | Brad Wong


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/914606/posts
Author Accuses Media of Intentional Bias Against Guns
CNSNews.com ^ | 5/20/03 | Jeff Johnson


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/914571/posts
New York Gun Control Alert! Call and Write Your Representatives!
"So now the "ballistic identification" law is going to include shotguns."
Last time I looked there was no rifling in any shotgun I own. But don't expect Schumer and The Worlds smartist woman Hillary to figure that one out...


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/914495/posts
CNN RETRACTS ATTACK ON ASSAULT WEAPONS
Unnamed | therut
Synopsis:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/914495/posts?page=15#15


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/914511/posts
An assault on common sense (about ban an assault weapons)
Townhall.com ^ | May 19, 2003 | Rich Lowry
Only in Washington would it be considered imperative to extend legislation precisely because it's been so ineffectual...
One new horrendous Columbine and your logic flies out the window with RINO spines in congress.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/914165/posts
CNN "Doctoring" of News Re Assault Gun Legislation
Freedomlover's AM Radio | Today | Freedomlover


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/914244/posts
Poe's "Lost Interview" with G. Gordon Liddy on "The 7 Myths of Gun Control"
RichardPoe.com ^ | May 19, 2003 | Richard Poe
"[The Seven Myths of Gun Control] should be in every single home.
41 posted on 05/21/2003 5:23:01 PM PDT by backhoe (What part about "uninfringed" is so hard to understand? The 2nd guards the 1st...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: backhoe
Wow, what an accomplishment. Thanks.

42 posted on 05/21/2003 5:26:32 PM PDT by Shooter 2.5 (Don't punch holes in the lifeboat)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: backhoe
awesome job!
43 posted on 05/21/2003 5:32:16 PM PDT by votelife (FREE MIGUEL ESTRADA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Shooter 2.5
Thanks for looking, and your comment is appreciated... tell the truth, I've just been too busy to update these as I should... I really had planned it as a short-lived "window on what 2 weeks of RKBA stories looks like." Kind of a sampler of news. But I see it could take on a life of its own easily enough.
44 posted on 05/21/2003 5:32:55 PM PDT by backhoe (The 2nd protects the 1st...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: votelife
Thanks!
45 posted on 05/21/2003 5:35:03 PM PDT by backhoe (The reason we enjoy Rights is because hard men with guns in hand stand before the barbarians...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: All
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/916067/posts
CNN Admits Legal "Assault Weapon" Fired Into Ground, Not Target (Wayne LaPierre Was RIGHT!!!)
Media Research Center ^ | May 22, 2003 | Brent Baker
That assault rifle demonstration broadcast by CNN was a FRAUD
More relevant links & background info:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/911200/posts?page=41#41
 
 
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/915677/posts
VIDEO: CNN Fraudulent Assault Rifle Test (Compare The Muzzles Firing)
Media Research Center ^ | May 20, 2003

46 posted on 05/22/2003 10:04:09 AM PDT by backhoe (What part about "uninfringed" is so hard to understand? The 2nd guards the 1st...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: backhoe
Great job, Backhoe. Thanks for your research and compilation of all these important links.
47 posted on 05/22/2003 10:11:48 AM PDT by ActionNewsBill (Police state? What police state?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ActionNewsBill
Thanks for looking, & your comments- it's appreciated!
48 posted on 05/22/2003 10:26:09 AM PDT by backhoe (The reason we enjoy Rights is because hard men with guns in hand stand before the barbarians...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: All
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/920639/posts
Not much gunfire behind the political smoke
Fort Worth Star-Telegram | May 30, 2003 | Jill "J.R." Labbe
...it's astounding how much air is being wasted on debating _ once again _ the federal assault weapons ban...
49 posted on 05/31/2003 9:36:56 AM PDT by backhoe (What part about "uninfringed" is so hard to understand? The 2nd guards the 1st...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/922106/posts
Global tax on guns? Brazil, France propose international levy on arms sales
WorldNetDaily ^ | June 3, 2003 | WND
Kofi lost access to the oil for food program, where else is he going to steal.
These fools don`t know that Bubba ain`t the POTUS anymore...
50 posted on 06/03/2003 1:51:37 AM PDT by backhoe (89% of the Media worshipped Little Big Fraud... 'nuff said???)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/922465/posts
An ineffective 'assault weapons' ban deserves to expire
San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | 1 June 2003 | Robert J. Caldwell


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/922460/posts
Global tax on guns?
WND ^ | 1:00 AM EST June 3, 2003 | WND
NEWSFLASH: The world produces enough food to feed every man woman and child. The only reason for starvation on the planet is politics.
51 posted on 06/03/2003 12:37:53 PM PDT by backhoe (The reason we enjoy Rights is because hard men with guns in hand stand before the barbarians...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: backhoe
allow me to bump this and encourage you to contact Bush to appoint conservative Supreme Court Justices
52 posted on 06/03/2003 12:40:24 PM PDT by votelife (FREE MIGUEL ESTRADA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: votelife
Thanks for looking... and I have, for what it's worth.
53 posted on 06/03/2003 12:45:25 PM PDT by backhoe (The 2nd protects the 1st...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: All
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/937190/posts
The FIVE-MINUTE HANDBOOK (RKBA)
awbansunset.com ^ | 06-28-03 | JASPAR@aol.com

Posted on 06/28/2003 8:48:02 AM EDT by backhoe


A FIVE-MINUTE HANDBOOK FOR GUN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS


Copyright © 2000 by JASPAR@aol.com All rights reserved. Reproduction or distribution is permitted so long as this copyright notice is attached; the complete Handbook (including the introduction) is reproduced; no word or words are altered in any way whatsoever, and the web site address http://www.jaspar.net is attached. Thank you!


INTRODUCTION


I've been a gun rights activist for nearly 10 years.


I wasted a lot of time for the first 5 years because no one gave me the rule book you are now reading.


Maybe that's because no one had written it. This is the stuff I wish I had known starting on day one.


If you've just arrived at this party, the next 5 minutes you spend reading this might save you 5 years of otherwise wasted time and energy.


If you've been in the gun rights game for a while, this handbook will be the fastest refresher course you've ever taken.

This past year I've received a lot of mail from jittery gun owners who are finally waking up to what's happening to our right to keep and bear arms (RKBA).


This handbook is mostly for them.


If the rules I list below scare off a few folks, so be it. I want to tell it like it really is -- to give a quick snapshot of the tips, tricks and tactics that actually work in RKBA activism.


The bad news is that this is not a complete list of the rules.


The good news is that there will never be a complete list of rules.


The rules listed below are based on my own experience from working thousands of hours with down and dirty RKBA activist pros. I am deeply grateful to all of them. They know who they are.


Some of these rules have been followed for so long by old-time activists that they have forgotten what the original rules were.


It's time to list them again.


And sneak in a couple of new ones.


So read them and weep, or read them and rejoice.


THE HANDBOOK RULES


NO ONE IS AS INTERESTED AS YOU ARE. Nowadays everyone's attention span and time are limited. Be grateful if you get anyone's attention on our issue, even for a few seconds. Some wannabe activists come in like a lion, then disappear faster than sh*t through a short dog. Take whatever you get from any volunteer. Praise and thank them. Don't be disappointed when they drift away. They will. But some come back. Keep the light on for them.


THE NRA STINKS. So does GOA, SAF, JPFO, and any or all of the rest of the gun rights organizations. At the same time, all of these organizations are the best thing since sliced bread. We won't keep our rights without them. It's normal to love them and hate them at the same time. Be sure your complaints about them go to the person who can do something about your problem. Never give up your membership -- it's much easier to fix things from the inside. Avoid griping in public -- our opponents love it when we do. Always handle our dirty laundry behind closed doors. Always.


THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET. There is no single answer, rule, or solution. Never has been, and never will be. None of us will write the single brilliant letter to the editor or internet message that will miraculously turn everything around. Keep steadily busy. Do as much as you can, whenever you can. Anything you do counts, but some things count more than others. Find out what counts. Then do it.


THERE IS NO FINAL VICTORY. Preserving RKBA is an ongoing PROCESS. We are winning and losing battles during this process, but the war will never be over. Becoming active to keep your gun rights is a lot like cleaning your house: it's thankless and boring work, but necessary. Like dirt, the antigun crowd will just keep coming back. Forever. Your activism will keep us winning more than losing. Our opponents count on wearing us down. They love it when one of us (not you, of course) gets discouraged and drops out. When you fully understand and accept the reality that RKBA is a never-ending struggle, you're automatically in the top 5 percent of all RKBA defenders. Congratulations.


RKBA ACTIVISM IS BORING. It's especially boring when you are doing things that really make a difference. Most of us want drama. We want to be entertained. Phone bank calling, precinct walking, going to RKBA grassroots seminars -- suddenly, even a trip to the dentist for a root canal will start to look better. Sorry, but there is no workaround on this aspect. Freedom is not free. It's a pain in the ???. Get used to it, get over it, and get to work.


USE THE POWER OF FEAR AND GUILT. Gun owners are susceptible to these emotions. Awaken sleeping RKBA activists by tapping these powerful emotions. Fear and guilt will move mountains -- and fill the collection plate, and recruit new members. If gun owners won't become active for themselves, ask them to do it for their families. For their children. For their country. And -- this tactic works! -- ask them to do it for YOU.


WATCH OUT FOR MISDIRECTED, TIME-WASTING EFFORTS. E-mail to elected people is pretty much worthless -- unless the official already personally knows you. Internet polls are useless. Online polls make some folks think they are actually doing something. They are not. It's a false sense of accomplishment. It's like bringing a doctor to a dead man. Focus on the stuff that works. If you're going to hunt ducks, go where the ducks are.


POLITICIANS ONLY CARE ABOUT VOTES AND MONEY. In-person visits, phone calls, and snail-mailed, handwritten letters to elected folks help -- because politicians know that if you take this much trouble, you and your family and friends will also vote.


HOT TIP: Make yourself known to politicians for issues other than gun rights. Don't present yourself as a single-issue person. Praise and help politicians on THEIR pet projects. Then, when a new gun control law comes up, your opinion will seem especially credible. Otherwise, you will soon be stereotyped and discounted as a single-issue voter.


ANOTHER HOT TIP: Politicians have to explain why they vote Yes or No on proposed laws. Sometimes they really need your help in composing explanations to their constituents. If you want your elected official to vote No on a seemingly popular new gun control law, she might be more willing to vote your way if you give her a "back door" -- a good, common sense explanation that she can give to all of her constituents.


GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN OFFICE IN THE FIRST PLACE. If we have the right people in power, antigun laws will not be passed. Period. The laws are what matter. This concept is so simple that many folks can't see it, just like they can't "see" the air they breathe. The anti-rights crowd can hold all the gun control seminars and news conferences they want, but nothing will happen unless they can pass more laws. This fact tells you about the how, what, where, when, why, and with whom you should be spending your time, energy, and money. Politicians pass laws. Therefore, you must get involved in politics to protect your gun rights. There is just no way to get around this. Sorry. I don't like politics either. Bummer!


STOP THE SABER RATTLING -- NOW! Avoid those shrill folks who sound threatening or talk about doomsday. It's a waste of your time. These noisy folks remind me of a couple in a failing marriage who only talk about a getting a divorce instead of talking about their real problems. If they don't solve their problems, separation or divorce becomes the inevitable outcome. Some people get pumped up on silly fantasy scenarios. I do not.


ARM YOURSELF WITH ACCURATE INFORMATION. Paradoxically, bad information or disinformation is a plague in the so-called Information Age. When you write or talk about firearms issues, use only the facts, the truth, and the provable. Verify any quotes that you use. Back up your generalizations with powerful and specific examples. Get on the internet, and get your like-minded friends online. Join several of the hundreds of net communities that will keep you informed instantly and completely about our special issues. Information is power!


IGNORE MEDIA SPIN AND THE NEWS WAVES. It's far too easy to go bonkers reacting to the latest media-driven crisis. Don't let the media push your buttons. The RKBA grassroots pros I know do not overreact to crises. In fact, most of the ultra-pros that I know do not react at all to media hysteria. Bashing the media about their bias is not productive. Some gun owners use media bias as an excuse to do nothing -- because the situation seems so overwhelming and hopeless. Truth is, if you are a busy activist -- already steadily doing stuff that matters -- you will find the media reacting to YOU. Be friendly and polite with them -- not hostile. Become a reliable source of information for them. And just keep on being ACTIVE.

JUST SHOW UP. It's been said that 80 percent of success is showing up. Being there. Showing up to vote. Showing up at an RKBA seminar. At your assemblyman's office. At a city council meeting. My father's favorite motto: "Your actions speak so loud that I can't hear a word you're saying." Your "silent" activism can be a model for others. What will your 3 hunting buddies think when they find out you spent an afternoon handing out brochures door-to-door for a pro-gun politician?


DON'T MESS WITH TRUE BELIEVERS. In the time you spend trying to convert one hard core antigun person to our side, you could have gone out and motivated and organized 20 people who already think like you do. Go with the flow. It's easier on your nerves, and much more effective. Personally, I have converted several anti-rights true believers, but never again! Lots of NRA members are not registered voters. A lot of gun owners aren't NRA members. Even more folks have no idea of their elected officials' positions on gun issues. Where is your time most effectively spent? Think about this before you spend an hour writing a clever response to a silly message you found somewhere on the internet.


SIMPLICITY STILL MATTERS. The old rule, Keep It Super Simple (KISS), is as important as it ever was. It applies to internet postings, planning, speeches -- everything. And keep it short. And keep it sweet: don't ever ridicule or insult anyone. Did you notice that I did NOT say, "Keep It Simple, STUPID?"


YOU ARE ALL ALONE. Well, not quite alone. You do have some help. The NRA has a staff of several hundred. There is no way humanly possible that "the NRA" can put out all the brush fires started by the anti-rights crowd. Pro-gun national organizations give direction and information -- but they cannot save your rights. Only YOU can save YOUR rights. You are 100 percent responsible. When you fully accept this reality, you are automatically in the top one percent of all RKBA activists.


THE HIDDEN BONUS OF GUN RIGHTS ACTIVISM. The more involved you get with firearms freedom, the more you will realize that your single issue actually complements and protects other human rights issues. Personally, I am deeply offended by many aspects of today's culture. When I focus my activism on RKBA, I can often sense I am making a measurable difference. All rights -- like all humans -- are connected.


WHEN IN DOUBT, JUST DO SOMETHING. Sometimes we don't know what will work. Sometimes the rule is that there are no rules. I once wrote an essay I thought was mediocre at best. Five years later, I'm still receiving mail about it. Don't hesitate to try something new and innovative -- get it out on the table! Often your finest essay or brilliant letter will not be acknowledged, or you will just get a form letter response. But that letter to the editor that you dashed off in a few minutes appears in tomorrow's newspaper! Go figure. Better yet, try not to figure. Trust yourself, trust your instincts -- and just do something.


I'll see you in the trenches.

54 posted on 03/07/2004 4:56:49 PM PST by backhoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: All
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1094418/posts
Self Defense -- A Vital Human Right
Guns & Ammo HANDGUNS Magazine | Don B. Kates
Gun owners should be aware that for more than a decade there has been a massive, richly funded international effort to ban and confiscate all civilian-owned firearms in the world. This effort, which is being promoted under the aegis of the U.N...
55 posted on 03/10/2004 1:55:24 AM PST by backhoe (My guns protect Your freedoms...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: All
-Smart Guns / Foolish Legislators--The Assault Weapons Ban May Be Bush's Undoing--
56 posted on 03/10/2004 1:55:45 AM PST by backhoe (My guns protect Your freedoms...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-56 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson