Make Your Pro Gun Opinion Count Trigger the Vote in 2010
ARFCOM and the Future of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
By Joe DeBergalis (DirectAction)
Honeoye Falls, NY –-(Ammoland.com)- Readers like you and me along with members of ARFCOM are rarely shy about sharing our opinions.
Whether the topic is the best way to sling your AR or the forever popular 9mm vs. .45 ACP debate, we relish the opportunity to put forth our point of view.
But even more important than our opinions about bug out bags and terminal ballistics is making sure our opinions are recognized at the ballot box.
Just in time for the 2010 mid-term elections, NRA’s Freedom Action Foundation has launched the Trigger the Vote campaign, spearheaded by Honorary Chairman Chuck Norris. The campaign is a non-partisan effort to get as many pro-Second Amendment citizens registered to vote and into the polling booths this November as possible.
The centerpiece of the campaign is its website, www.triggerthevote.org, complete with voter registration forms and a list of polling places. In addition, the site has tools that make it easy to share this information through e-mail or the latest social networking channels; so there is no excuse for like-minded friends and family not to be at the polling place with you come November.
Despite a wave of victories in recent years, most notably the Heller and McDonald decisions, gun owners cannot afford to take an apathetic approach to this election. On the state level there are continuing threats, like micro-stamping legislation in New York and long gun registration legislation in California. Federal legislation has been introduced to end gun shows as we know them, and legislators are under international pressure to reinstate the so-called “assault weapons” ban.
In addition, President Obama has already nominated two Supreme Court Justices who can’t be counted on to uphold the Second Amendment, and with a razor-thin 5-4 majority in both Heller and McDonald, we need a large pro-gun majority in the Senate to block any future anti-gun nominees.
Of course the Obama administration’s anti-gun machinations don’t stop at the Supreme Court. Recently the administration launched a behind-the-scenes attack on gun owners through Hillary Clinton’s State Department. In an attempt to raise money for its military, which is constantly under threat from a hostile Communist aggressor, our South Korean allies are trying to sell to U.S. importers U.S.-made M1 rifles and carbines that the U.S. provided to the South Koreans during the Cold War. But rather than bring these historically significant arms home, the Obama/Clinton State Department has blocked their importation, since, according to a spokesman, “The transfer of such a large number of weapons … could be exploited by individuals seeking firearms for illicit purposes.”
This is an outrageous statement; considering that transfer of these guns would be subject to the same NICS checks all FFL dealers are required to perform. But what makes the State Department remarks truly absurd is that the government chartered Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) currently sells the same models of rifles in question. A new supply of these rifles would just allow even more shooters to enjoy these firearms. After all, the American taxpayer has already paid once for these rifles and should have the opportunity to acquire one rather than see them relegated to the scrap heap.
Adding to the nonsense, when asked by Fox News for further comment on why the M1 rifles were dangerous, the Obama administration responded with their own version of an Abbot and Costello routine. The State Department directed questions to ATF, ATF directed questions to the Department of Justice and the Department of Justice then directed questions back to the State Department. If this weren’t enough, when further questioned by Fox, the White House directed questions to the Pentagon, who directed questions to the U.S. Embassy in South Korea, which sent the issue back to the State Department.
Many ARFCOM members are already following the M1 importation issue closely. But just following the story won’t save these historic firearms from possible destruction. Ultimately, fixing the problem will require congressional action, and that means electing more pro-gun legislators. So take a minute to get yourself and your friends and family involved in the Trigger the Vote campaign. By helping to elect strong pro-gun majorities in the mid-term elections we can block any future plans the Obama administration may have of attacking the Second Amendment.
About Joe:
Joe DeBergalis is a big contributor at AR15.com, a great representative for gun owners everywhere, and a great personal friend. He’s also a member of the NRA Board of Directors, Vice President of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, and Moderator of ARFCOM’s NRA Activism Forum. A longtime NRA Election Volunteer Coordinator, he was named “Volunteer of the Year” in 2005 by NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action.
About:
AR15.Com originated in 1996 as a mailing list for firearm enthusiasts. As the years passed and interest grew, a website came into existence to present those same enthusiasts with a means to collect, share, and explore information. Shortly afterwards, a bulletin board was added to create a more interactive experience for the growing list of users. The site was still in it’s infancy, but was growing in popularity. Visit: www.ar15.com