(Wednesday, February 13, 2002) -- Late tonight, the U.S. House of Representatives will consider the anti-gun Incumbent Protection Bill (H.R. 2356).
Shays-Meehan (so-called Campaign Finance Reform) is particularly a dagger at the heart of pro-gun groups. Groups like GOA would be prohibited from engaging in many forms of communication to the public which mention the names of incumbent legislators within 60 days of an election.
This would give anti-gunners a decisive advantage. For instance, if anti-gun groups were prohibited from broadcasting ads depicting pro-gun candidates, they would have little trouble getting the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Enquirer, L.A. Times, etc., (all of which are exempt from the legislation) to run the ads as Editorials.
Pro-gun groups rarely receive any positive attention from the major media outlets. Thus, GOA members and supporters often rely on our advocacy to inform them of how their Representatives in Washington are voting -- and to alert them when important votes are pending, no matter how close to an election such votes may occur.
To protect the right of groups like GOA to communicate to the public, an amendment to Shays-Meehan has been offered by pro-gun Rep. Chip Pickering (R-MS), which would:
exempt Second Amendment groups from the bill's requirements.
In addition to protecting the rights of groups like GOA to communicate with the public, the Pickering amendment draws a line in the sand in reaffirming that the Second Amendment is an INDIVIDUAL RIGHT. The Pickering amendment would also:
declare that the Second Amendment applies to ALL AMERICANS and NOT just to the National Guard.
As you know, there are many politicians who pretend to support the Second Amendment in order to secure your votes, but sabotage gun rights once they are elected.
Today's vote on the Gun Owners Protection amendment will distinguish our friends from our enemies. NO POLITICIAN WHO VOTES TO LIMIT THE SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE NATIONAL GUARD -- BY OPPOSING THIS AMENDMENT -- SHOULD EXPECT ANYONE TO BELIEVE THAT HE IS ANYTHING BUT ANTI-GUN.
ACTION: Please e-mail or call your congressman IMMEDIATELY. Tell him or her to support the pro-gun amendment to the Shays-Meehan Incumbent Protection Bill. You can call your Representative at 202-225-3121. To identify your Representative, as well as to send a message via e-mail, see the Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm on the GOA website.
Dear Congressman,
An amendment to the Shays-Meehan Incumbent Protection Bill to protect the right of Second Amendment groups to communicate effectively to the public is being offered today.
I cannot count on the major media to inform me of what's going on concerning my gun rights. I must rely on GOA and other groups to inform me of pending legislation or congressional votes, no matter how close to an election these issues arise.
In fact, the primary concern of the First Amendment is to protect exactly the type of political communication Shays-Meehan is trying to destroy.
The Pickering amendment reaffirms that the Second Amendment is an individual right, not one reserved to the National Guard.
I urge you to support the Pickering Gun Owners Protection amendment.
Sincerely,