(Tuesday, April 17, 2001) -- Rep. Virgil Goode (I-VA) has introduced a bill, H.R. 1455, to repeal the onerous Lautenberg gun ban which was signed into law in 1996 as part of the Treasury-Postal omnibus appropriations bill. Many of you are new to the GOA Alert Network and may not be familiar with this gun ban that was named after its author, the former Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).
This ban has disarmed people for life -- for offenses that include pushing, shoving or, in some cases, even yelling at a family member. The language of this lifetime gun ban is so expansive that unsuspecting parents have been disarmed for simply using legitimate corporal punishment.
Moreover, this lifetime gun ban can be imposed for mere misdemeanors, and in certain circumstances, imposed without a trial by jury. Many misdemeanors do not guarantee a jury trial, and the law does not require that one must be tried by a jury before losing his or her gun rights. Many offenders are now shocked to learn that a minor infraction from their teenage years is preventing them from owning a gun for life.
You can read some of the Lautenberg horror stories at http://www.gunowners.org/kldvtb.htm on the GOA website.
Finally, this ban contradicts the Second Amendment and finds no constitutional authority whatsoever. As stated by Rep. Goode, the Lautenberg gun ban "does not specifically deal with a subject delegated to Congress under Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, and is therefore unconstitutional under the Tenth Amendment as interpreted by United States vs. Lopez." And the Lautenberg provision violates the constitutional ban on ex post facto laws, since it disarms people for offenses committed in the past.
ACTION: Please ask your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 1455. You can use the pre-written letter below to help direct your comments to Capitol Hill. Or, you can call your Representative at 877-762-8762 (toll free) or 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 Representative:
Rep. Virgil Goode has introduced H.R. 1455 to repeal the Lautenberg gun ban. I urge you to sign on as an original cosponsor of this bill.
This ban has disarmed people for life -- for offenses that include pushing, shoving or, in some cases, even yelling at a family member. The language of this lifetime gun ban is so expansive that unsuspecting parents have been disarmed for simply using legitimate corporal punishment.
Moreover, this lifetime gun ban can be imposed for mere misdemeanors, and in certain circumstances, imposed without a trial by jury.
The Lautenberg gun ban is a very dangerous infringement upon the Second Amendment. Please cosponsor H.R. 1455 and let me know when you have done so. Thank you.
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