GunTHE Owners 34 YEARS OF NO COMPROMISE – 1975-2009

Obama, Congressional GOA takes on Justice Dept. Leaders Continue Assault on the Second Amendment By John Velleco The Obama administration and Congressional leaders are on a cru- sade to destroy the Second Amendment. Fueled by a violence-obsessed media, politicians are blaming Amer- ican firearms for killings by lawless Mexico drug cartels, and they are pushing for sweeping new gun control laws that will punish law-abid- ing gun owners in the U.S. During a recent trip to Mexico, President Obama pledged to stop President Obama met with Mexican President Felipe the “southern flow of guns.” Calderón in April. After falsely claiming that 90 per- “As [Mexican President Filipe] Calderón and I discussed, I am urg- cent of crime guns confiscated in Mexico come from ing the Senate in the United States to ratify an inter-American treaty the United States, the Obama administration has issued repeated calls for banning semi-automatic known as CIFTA to curb small arms trafficking that is a source of so firearms currently owned by law-abiding Americans. many of the weapons used in this drug war,” said President Obama in In response, issued a Freedom Mexico City. of Information Act request to the Justice Department The CIFTA treaty, officially titled the “Inter-American Convention in April, demanding that DOJ justify its 90 percent claim and produce documentation. DOJ faces an Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, uphill battle, as FOX News Channel documented the Continued on page 2 90 percent factoid is totally false. Health Plan Threatens to Feed Your Gun-related Data into a National Database – and charge you $10,000 a year for the privilege by Mike Hammond York Times — have been working hard for things such as PTSD. In a year when trillion dollar bailouts to build momentum for it. Currently, gun owners can avoid get- have become routine, many Americans First, a little history. ting caught in this database by carefully have become almost numb to our accel- When President Obama signed the Continued on page 6 eration towards socialism. so-called stimulus bill into law in Feb- But gun rights activists aren't in that ruary, he set our government on a crowd, and so GOA has to inform you course to spend between $12 and $20 Inside: of yet another threat to your privacy, BILLION to require the medical com- the Second Amendment, and your wal- munity to retroactively put our most • GOA in the News let. confidential medical records into a gov- (page 3, 7) It is called an “individual mandate” ernment database — a database that or, alternatively, the “Massachusetts could easily be used to deny gun rights • Did your senators vote plan.” And the “old time” media — for veterans (and other law-abiding for another gun ban? like The Washington Post and the New Americans) who have sought treatment (page 5)

Volume XXVIX, Number 2 • May 25, 2009 May 25, 2009 • The Gun Owners /Page 2

Leaders Continue Assault on Kerry, giving the impression that gun The new propaganda machine Second Amendment dealers here are as much a problem as The frenzy to pass more gun control the cartels, wants Mexican authorities is being driven by a misinformation Continued from page 1 to work with the Bureau of Alcohol, campaign that would have made Joseph Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Goebbels proud. “More than 90% of Related Materials,” was signed by Pres- (BATFE) to “identify and shut down the the guns found in Mexico are not ident Bill Clinton, but never ratified by sellers, who are almost always on our bought [in Mexico], but in the United the Senate. side of the border.” States,” President Obama said during Supporters of the treaty hope the Sen. Diane Feinstein is also aggres- his Mexico trip. large Democrat majority in the Senate sively pushing for the renewal of the That 90% number has been echoed will lead to a quick vote for ratification. Clinton gun ban, using Mexico as her by the media and anti-gun politicians But while proponents claim the treaty is excuse. on both sides of the border thousands of not a threat to the Second Amendment, “I am prepared to wage the assault times, leading many people to accept it GOA warns Congress that approval of weapons battle again and I intend to do as fact. CIFTA will be an abrogation of its duty so,” Sen. Feinstein told America from However, William La Jeunesse and to uphold the Constitution. the Senate floor. Maxim Lott set the record straight in a If ratified and the U.S. is found not U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder FOXNews.com report. “It’s just not to be in compliance with any provisions took his seat on the “blame America” true,” they said. of the treaty — such as a provision that bandwagon. “[T]here are just a few According to their report, the Mexi- could outlaw reloading ammunition gun-related changes that we would like can government sends to American without a government license — to make, and among them would be to authorities only those firearms that Obama would be empowered to imple- reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault might have been in commerce in the ment regulations without Congressional weapons. I think that will have a posi- U.S. The majority of crime guns recov- approval. tive impact in Mexico, at a minimum,” ered in Mexico are never sent to the [Visit www.gunowners.org/ Holder said. U.S. for tracing. fs0901.htm for more information about And as if banning guns and entering Of the firearms traced by the U.S. in how the treaty could affect your gun into an international gun control treaty 2007-2008, only about half were done rights.] is not enough, House Speaker Nancy so successfully. Of that number, 90% Obama is not alone in pressing for Pelosi offered up her own gun control were traced to this country. That more gun control, and more than an proposal: “We want [firearms] regis- amounts to about 17% of the total num- anti-gun treaty is on the table. tered,” Pelosi told Robin Roberts on ber of crime guns that are confiscated At congressional hearings in El Paso, ABC's Good Morning America. by Mexican authorities, a far cry from Texas, Senator Foreign Relations Com- Pelosi's comments give a strong the 90% touted by the Obama adminis- mittee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) boost to H.R. 45, a draconian gun tration. called for another ban on semi-automat- owner registration and licensing bill And even that number is inflated. ic firearms and to take aggressive action introduced in Congress by Chicago- Many firearms are sent to the Mexico based Representative Bobby Rush. in the U.S. Continued on page 3 Are You A Bitter Clinger? Who is a Bitter Clinger? According to , who was recorded unawares at a San Francisco fundraiser, bitter clingers are voters who are bitter because of their economic frustration and so cling bitterly to their Bibles and their guns. If you are a bitter clinger, Gun Owners of America has a T-shirt for you!

You can proudly proclaim your membership in this class of people so looked down upon by the elites in our country.

To order a Bitter Clinger T-shirt, go to: http://www.gunowners.org/clinger

The Gun Owners is published by Gun Owners of America, Inc. 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 (703) 321-8585 May 25, 2009 • The Gun Owners /Page 3

GOA in the News

GOA Communications Director Erich Pratt demonstrated the futility of gun control in our nation’s capital during a debate in April. In related news, GOA supported an amendment to repeal the DC gun ban earlier during the In February, Gun Owners Foundation Attorney Herb Titus year. The Senate passed the amendment as a rider to the spoke with CNN’s Lou Dobbs about our defense of David DC Voting Rights Act — and this rider has had the effect Olofson — the former Army veteran who was prosecuted for of stalling the bill aimed at giving DC an anti-gun (voting) transferring a malfunctioning firearm. representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Leaders Continue Assault on The Los Angeles Times reported in as reinstating the ban on semi-automat- March that the cartels often use ic firearms will make Americans less Second Amendment weapons not even available at U.S. gun safe, especially if violence spills over to Continued from page 2 stores, smuggling them through “Cen- this side of the border. government legitimately in shipments tral American countries or by sea, elud- As pro-gun Wyoming Senator John approved by U.S. authorities, but these ing U.S. and Mexican monitors.” Barasso pointed out during the El Paso guns often are filtered to the cartels The cartels also evade the law congressional trip: “Why would you through disaffected military personnel through corruption in the Mexican gov- disarm someone when they potentially in Mexico. ernment. An article in the New York could get caught in the crossfire?... The For example, according to the FOX Times late last year noted that, “One of United States will not surrender our report, many of the 150,000 Mexican Mexico’s most notorious drug cartels Second Amendment rights for Mexico’s soldiers who deserted the Army in the made huge cash payments [$150,000 to border problem.” last six years took their weapons with $450,000 each] to officials in the Mexi- Mexican authorities like President them. can attorney general’s office in Calderón and Attorney General Eduardo La Jeunesse and Lott also question exchange for confidential information Medina Mora have their hands full with why the multi-billion dollar cartels on anti-drug operations…. The cartel corruption and violence in their own country, but they continue to call on the U.S. to change its gun laws. Mr. Medina even lectured that “The “We would like to ... reinstitute the ban on the sale of Second Amendment was never meant to assault weapons. I think that will have a positive impact in arm foreign criminal groups.” Mexico, at a minimum.” Outrageously, many shameful Ameri- — Attorney General Eric Holder can office holders who swear an oath to support and defend the U.S. Constitu- tion are all too eager to bow to the wishes of “blame America first” foreign would “bother buying single-shot rifles, might have had an informant inside the politicians. and force thousands of unknown ’straw’ American embassy.” All three gun control proposals — buyers in the U.S. through a govern- Gun control laws do not reduce ratifying the CIFTA treaty, renewing the ment background check, when they can crime rates in the U.S. and it is absurd Clinton gun ban and registering all gun buy boatloads of fully automatic M-16s for politicians to suggest that restricting owners — will do nothing to combat and assault rifles from China, Israel or the gun rights of Americans will have the violence in Mexico, but will go a South Africa?” any impact on the Mexico situation. long way toward eroding our Second Actually, gun control proposals such Amendment rights. ■

The Gun Owners is published by Gun Owners of America, Inc. 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 (703) 321-8585 May 25, 2009 • The Gun Owners /Page 4 20/20 Just Can’t See Straight When it Comes to the Second Amendment by John Velleco transaction is at a gun show or a gun The title of ABC’s 20/20 program, store. hosted by Diane Sawyer, was promis- In many states, on the other hand, ing: “If I only had a gun.” private citizens can buy and sell their Finally, the title suggested, a look at lawfully possessed and constitutionally the self-defense benefits of firearms protected firearms to other private citi- ownership. zens without having to get Barack But surprise, surprise, Ms. Sawyer Obama’s or Eric Holder’s permission, had a different agenda. “If I only had a whether the sale is at a gun show or in gun” was in fact a sarcastic title. What one’s living room. That’s why we call she really meant was, “Don't think that it a “right,” and not a privilege. What a gun would actually help you in a time Diane calls a “loophole” is what we call of crisis, because it won’t.” “freedom.” This show was a continuation of a Those of us who cherish the First program 20/20 produced ten years ago Amendment would recoil at the idea of that made the astounding discovery that merely brandishing a weapon usually is needing a government-issued permit in young boys will, given the chance, play sufficient to repel an attack. order to buy a newspaper or to watch with real guns that are mixed in with Ms. Sawyer was also astounded at 20/20. What makes some people think other toys. Their point was to prove how “easy” it is to buy a firearm. She such infringements are acceptable for that there is an epidemic of accidents acts like it’s no big deal that the federal the Second Amendment? involving children and guns. government regulates all gun businesses While it might come as a surprise to As every parent would agree, even in the country. Diane Sawyer, the right to keep and one accidental death is one too many. 20/20 gave the impression that the bear arms was not an afterthought of But before people get so frightened that rules for buying a gun at a gun show our Founding Fathers. They understood they send their guns off to the U.N. to are different than buying a gun any that the right to life, liberty and the pur- be melted down into Volvos, they place else, the so-called “gun show suit of happiness would be meaningless should be reminded of the facts. loophole.” Another fallacy. Any person without the means to protect our lives Accidental shootings have declined who buys a firearm from a federally and the lives of our loved ones from by more than 50 percent over the last licensed dealer has to undergo a gov- violent law-breakers. ■ three decades, even as the number of ernment background check, whether the gun owners has greatly increased. Chil- dren have a much greater chance of dying in an automobile accident, drowning, burning to death or suffocat- Defeating the media brainwashing ing than they do being accidently killed by Erich Pratt with a firearm. In April, a survey of Christian teenagers uncovered stunning results: If do-gooders really want to protect • A third of the teens did not know that gun control policies around the children, keep them away from cars, world over the last 100 years have endangered people’s lives. swimming pools and matches. Guns, • Almost 40 percent did not know that guns are used far more often in the however, are a different story. But United States to save life than to take life. 20/20 did not even bother to ask how • And a whopping 90 percent did not know that the British effort on April many children’s lives are saved each 19, 1775 to steal the colonists’ guns (a.k.a., gun control) was the immedi- year by armed citizens. ate event which precipitated the shots fired at Lexington. Ms. Sawyer failed to mention that These are not the survey results from President Obama’s church back in Illi- multiple victim shootings such as nois. They came from a conservative, suburban church in northern Virginia Columbine or Virginia Tech usually where almost every parent voted against Barack Obama in the most recent occur in government-mandated gun free election. zones, aka, “criminal safety zones.” Clearly, the national media is doing its job. Tragedies like these are sadly com- The good news is that there are pro-gun materials that can challenge their pounded by the fact that there is no one thinking. on the scene able to shoot back. To read the report which shows you which video materials helped change The program completely ignored the the minds of those teenagers who were surveyed in April, see How to Combat fact that American citizens use firearms TV Media’s Anti-gun Bias at www.gunowners.org/mediabias.htm on the GOA more than one million times per year website. ■ successfully in self-defense, and that

The Gun Owners is published by Gun Owners of America, Inc. 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 (703) 321-8585 May 25, 2009 • The Gun Owners /Page 5 Congress, President Obama Extend Parks Gun Ban by Erich Pratt in National Parks to In March, President Obama signed allow the carrying the Omnibus Public Land Management of concealed Act, a bill which grabs millions of acres firearms. of land and places it under the National But Judge Kol- Parks Service gun ban. lar-Kotelly’s ruling This new law means that hundreds of effectively nixes the small gains that we whelming margin. thousands of gun owners could inadver- achieved. To make matters worse, the While readers can see (below) how tently find themselves in violation of lands bill that President Obama recently their senators voted, the House votes the gun ban, as they travel on roadways signed does nothing to overturn that can be read online at http://capwiz.com/ falling under NPS’ authority. judge’s decision and actually expands gunowners/issues/votes. This new law is a particular problem the total amount of NPS land covered In related news, two congressmen because U.S. District Court Judge by the ban. have introduced a partial repeal of the Colleen Kollar-Kotelly granted the While gun owners were able to stall National Parks gun ban, but Gun Own- ’s petition in March to the bill in Congress for quite some ers of America is working with House block implementation of the Bush time, the bill eventually passed both and Senate offices to introduce a full Administration’s efforts to ease the park houses of Congress by a fairly over- repeal. ■ gun ban. Because the Obama administration Repeal of Amtrak Gun Ban. Gun owners won a skirmish in the U.S. Senate has indicated it will not appeal the in April when it voted to repeal the gun ban on Amtrak trains. Senator Roger judge’s ruling, there is now a complete Wicker (R-MS) offered the amendment as a rider to the budget resolution. ban on carrying firearms for self- Amtrak regulations currently prohibit firearms on both checked and carry-on defense in National Parks — regardless baggage, which means that sportsmen who wish to use an Amtrak train for a of whether a gun owner owns a valid hunting trip cannot take a shotgun, even in their checked luggage. GOA will be concealed carry permit. looking for opportunities like this to work with Senators who will offer pro-gun During the waning days of the Bush amendments to bills that President Obama wants. Administration, Interior Department To see this vote (and others) go to: http://capwiz.com/gunowners/issues/votes officials had lifted part of the gun ban

Did Your Senator Vote to Expand the National Parks Gun Ban? The following Senators voted to extend the amount of land covered by the National Parks gun ban on March 19. The bill was HR 146, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. In addition to maintaining the current gun ban on NPS lands, this bill greatly expands the total amount of NPS land. Since NPS-controlled parks and trails transect many busy road- ways, hundreds of thousands of gun owners can unwittingly find themselves in violation of the gun ban without even know- ing they are on federal land. Akaka (D-HI) Carper (D-DE) Harkin (D-IA) Menendez (D-NJ) Shelby (R-AL) Alexander (R-TN) Casey (D-PA) Hatch (R-UT) Merkley (D-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Barrasso (R-WY) Cochran (R-MS) Inouye (D-HI) Mikulski (D-MD) Specter (R-PA) Baucus (D-MT) Collins (R-ME) Johnson (D-SD) Murkowski (R-AK) Stabenow (D-MI) Bayh (D-IN) Conrad (D-ND) Kaufman (D-DE) Murray (D-WA) Tester (D-MT) Begich (D-AK) Corker (R-TN) Kerry (D-MA) Nelson (D-FL) Udall (D-CO) Bennet (D-CO) Crapo (R-ID) Kohl (D-WI) Nelson (D-NE) Udall (D-NM) Bennett (R-UT) Dodd (D-CT) Landrieu (D-LA) Pryor (D-AR) Voinovich (R-OH) Bingaman (D-NM) Dorgan (D-ND) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Reed (D-RI) Warner (D-VA) Bond (R-MO) Durbin (D-IL) Leahy (D-VT) Reid (D-NV) Webb (D-VA) Boxer (D-CA) Enzi (R-WY) Levin (D-MI) Risch (R-ID) Whitehouse (D-RI) Brown (D-OH) Feingold (D-WI) Lieberman (ID-CT) Roberts (R-KS) Wicker (R-MS) Burris (D-IL) Feinstein (D-CA) Lincoln (D-AR) Rockefeller (D-WV) Wyden (D-OR) Byrd (D-WV) Gillibrand (D-NY) Lugar (R-IN) Sanders (I-VT) Cantwell (D-WA) Gregg (R-NH) Martinez (R-FL) Schumer (D-NY) Cardin (D-MD) Hagan (D-NC) McCaskill (D-MO) Shaheen (D-NH)

The Gun Owners is published by Gun Owners of America, Inc. 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 (703) 321-8585 May 25, 2009 • The Gun Owners /Page 6

Health Plan Threatens Anti-gunners are expected to strip the pro-gun DeMint amendment out of the Continued from page 1 budget resolution that is currently in a conference committee. Nevertheless, selecting their doctors, and by purchas- DeMint was able to pin senators down ing insurance with carriers that have not on a very important issue early in the signed an agreement with the govern- budget war, and as such, this provides ment to place your records in a national us with an important strategic objective. database. It is unclear when the conference But that could change as a result of report on the budget resolution will be legislation that passed both houses of sent back to the Senate and the House. Congress in April. This bill — a budget But the plan is to include language in resolution which is currently in a the conference report which, in Septem- House-Senate conference committee — Remember when your pediatrician asked ber, will pop out a health insurance bill your kid if you have a firearm in the will be the first domino in a process that will probably include a mandate for home? Or, are you a veteran who sought you or your employer to purchase gov- that could force you to buy govern- out psychiatric help for the night tremors ment-approved insurance, thus making that have resulted from your service in ernment approved insurance against it impossible to avoid the medical data- battle overseas? This is the type of your will. "medical" information that could soon be They are not talking about this open- base. placed in a centralized database and be Put another way: If you do not have ly, but as an April 6, 2009 editorial in used to vastly expand the prohibited per- The Washington Post health insurance — or, potentially, if sons list maintained by the FBI in West confessed: you do not have the type of health Virginia. “Though only some of the players [on insurance the government wants you to Capitol Hill] will say so now, the have — the government will force you persons list maintained by the FBI in [health care] plan will ultimately to purchase what it regards as “accept- West Virginia. include a mandate requiring everyone to able” health insurance. And, in most Gun Owners of America activated its have insurance.” cases, you will have to pay for it out of email list in April to fight this legisla- You see, the power players on Capi- your own pocket. tion and to support pro-gun amend- tol Hill are not admitting this openly What would all this cost? Based on ments to the bill. because the American people oppose it. comparable insurance currently on the Thankfully, the Senate adopted an But if they set in motion a process to market, it could cost $10,000 a year -- amendment offered by Senator James help sneak such a “mandate” into law, or more. DeMint (R-SC) to prohibit any system then gun owners will only have a few If you were jobless, the socialists of nationalized health care which would weeks to stop it in September. would probably spot you the ten grand. But if you are middle class and can’t pay $10,000 because of your mortgage A “mandated” insurance system could not only cost you up payments, your small business, or your to $1,000 month, but could also result in your most sensitive kids’ college education, you would be personal information being placed in a medical database — fined (over $1,000 a year currently in information that could easily be used to put more names on Massachusetts). And, if you couldn’t pay the confiscatory fine, you could the gun prohibition list (NICS). ultimately be imprisoned. Scary, you say. But why is this a Second Amendment issue? Under the prevent Americans from being able to This is why we need to keep the Massachusetts plan, your mandated select their doctors and insurance com- pressure on liberty-leaning Senators insurance carrier has to feed your med- panies. during the ensuing months. ical data into a centralized database — This amendment could make it Typically, there are many parliamen- freely accessible by the government somewhat more difficult to institute tary procedures that pro-gun Senators under federal privacy laws. either socialized medicine or a Massa- could use in September to kill anti-gun So ... remember when your pediatri- chusetts-style plan that requires every- legislation like this. Unfortunately, cian asked your kid if you have a one to purchase government-approved Senators will not be able to kill this bill firearm in the home? Or when your insurance. by using the filibuster (that is, extended dad was given a prescription for Zoloft Again, a “mandated” insurance sys- debate), or by offering pro-gun amend- because of his Alzheimer’s? Or when tem could not only cost you up to ments, or by requiring a supermajority your wife mentioned to her gynecolo- $1,000 month, but could also result in vote (60 percent of Senators). gist that she had regularly smoked mari- your most sensitive personal informa- This is because budget legislation juana ten years ago? tion being placed in a medical database falls under special Senate rules, which All of this would be in a centralized — information that could easily be used prevent a minority of Senators from to put more names on the gun prohibi- killing the bill. database. And all of it could potentially ■ be used to vastly expand the prohibited tion list (NICS). Please stay tuned.

The Gun Owners is published by Gun Owners of America, Inc. 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 (703) 321-8585 May 25, 2009 • The Gun Owners /Page 7 Gun Control on GOA in the News the High Seas by John Velleco normally unarmed. The capture and dramatic rescue of Ships that do have Capt. Richard Phillips of the Maersk armed crew members Alabama held the nation riveted for or hired security days. often successfully Many people not familiar with the defend against attack. dangers of the open seas expressed sur- The cowardly pirates prise that just a few terrorists were able generally get back in to overtake a vessel crewed by five their little boats and times as many people. Why couldn't scurry away at the the crew just fire at the invaders as they sight of armed resis- tried to board the ship? tance. They’re look- During a debate on the Fox News Channel in April, GOA They could have if they had firearms ing for money, not a Executive Director Larry Pratt (left) told the nation that the piracy attacks would come to a screeching halt if sailors onboard, but container ships like the firefight. were permitted to arm themselves. Maersk Alabama are generally prohibit- Pirate attacks have ed from carrying firearms because of only increased since gun laws in the countries of various the recue of Capt. Phillips, leaving the way of the Phillips rescue. World- ports. Shipping companies and crews politicians wringing their hands trying NetDaily reported on April 19 that the don't dare violate these gun bans to figure out a way to protect U.S. ves- Obama administration refused to autho- because the penalties can be severe. sels in dangerous waters. But the rize deployment of a SEAL team for 36 For example, in Kenya, where the answer is simple: arm the crew mem- hours, despite the recommendation for Maersk was headed, the government is bers. an earlier deployment by the on-scene expected to soon make possession of an Ships’ crews are trained to repel an commander; that it turned down two unlicensed firearm a capital offense. attack by speeding up, cutting grappling rescue plans offered up by the SEAL Currently the offense carries a prison hooks, using high-pitched sounds and commander; and that it initially was sentence of many years. spraying fire hoses. They need — and unwilling to grant an order to use lethal The outrageous but predicable result deserve — more. force to rescue Captain Phillips, of these gun prohibition laws — Anti-gunners will make the same although it subsequently relented, plac- although intended to disarm criminals arguments about arming mariners as ing the SEAL teams under strict rules — is that gigantic commercial vessels they do about arming anyone on land or of engagement that “required them to like the Maersk are vulnerable to attack in the air. “Oh, the ships will be more do nothing unless the hostage’s life was from small groups of thugs in little dangerous with all those guns on in ’imminent danger.’” motorboats. board.” But, as we’ve witnessed time While we can’t change the extreme The arguments for self-defense and again, “gun free zones” simply anti-gun laws of other countries, the firearms possession are even more pro- make easier targets for criminals. American government should insist that nounced on the sea than on land. When The skilled shooters who saved Capt. American-controlled vessels, frequently a criminal attack occurs, almost always Phillips were armed. As is often the carrying humanitarian aid, will not be the only people present are the thugs case, the criminal attack ended when unilaterally disarmed. Crew members and the victims. armed assailants were met with armed must be permitted to carry firearms On land, police are usually minutes resistance. But our Navy is not able to onboard for their own protection, and away. On the sea, help can be hours or send a destroyer to every incident. any effort to disarm mariners sailing even days away. The terrorists know Not only that, there is mounting evi- under the U.S. flag should not be toler- this, and they know that mariners are dence that the White House even got in ated by our government. ■

Larry Pratt GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA Executive Director 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102 Springfield, Virginia 22151 Sen. H.L. Richardson (Ret.) Erich Pratt 703-321-8585 Founder and Chairman Director of Communications Web Site: http://www.gunowners.org The Gun Owners publication is not copyrighted. Tim Macy John Velleco Copies may be made freely, but it is requested Vice-Chairman Director of Federal Affairs that attribution be made together with GOA’s address, phone number and web site location.

The Gun Owners is published by Gun Owners of America, Inc. 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 (703) 321-8585 May 25, 2009 • The Gun Owners /Page 8 Making Nice with Castro

by Larry Pratt Hawaii and in Canada since the 1930s, but has never been Who ever said that big-gov- used to solve a single crime. ernment liberals had to be con- Registration of guns is good for only one purpose, and sistent in their views? the Castro regime is proof that registration is a very effi- Take the case of boycotting cient vehicle for disarming the people. countries to leverage politically Rush’s gun registration bill (H.R. 45) has been assumed incorrect regimes. Boycotting by some to be going nowhere, but that is a happy thought South Africa under its apartheid not supported by the facts. In an interview with ABC’s government was good. Boy- Robin Roberts on April 7, House Speaker cotting Cuba ruled by dictator said quite plainly: “We want them registered.” Fidel Castro and his brother Raul is bad. Who might the “we” be? Well, a co-sponsor of Rush’s Not only has the Obama administration ended the boy- bill in the last Congress, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, is now Pres- cott of Cuba, a congressional delegation has already forged ident Obama’s chief of staff. Pelosi would also qualify as the path to improved relations with Cuba with their person- substantial support. al visit. Going from Rep. Bobby Rush’s gun registration plan to One wonders how previous U.S. governments could the Castro gun confiscation plan is not such a long leap have been so mistaken about the Castro brothers. The del- with all of the above in mind. We have an administration egation apparently found nothing wrong with the men who and members of Congress who admire Castro. Not only have murdered tens of thousands of Cubans while impos- have they refused to criticize his oppression, they have ing tyrannical government on the once prosperous island been supporting the system that made it possible to confis- nation. cate guns under Castro. Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA) reported of Raul: “He But who can even dare oppose gun registration? The looked directly into my eyes.” Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver administration is now claiming that fear of gun control is (D-MO) said of Fidel: “He’s one of the most amazing one of the key views of rightwing extremism that might human beings I've ever met!” result in terroristic activity. It seems that the message com- A comment about Raul Castro by Rep. Bobby Rush (D- ing from the Obama administration is: “Only a terrorist IL) was typical of the other members of the delegation. would oppose the President.” Rush said that “Raul Castro was a very engaging, down-to- earth and kind man, someone who I would favor as a neighbor. It was almost like visiting an old friend.” Are you a terrorist? To see if the Is Rush serious? Obama administration thinks you are, As a co-founder of the Illinois Black Panthers, Bobby Rush was a street thug in the 1960’s and eventually did read a short analysis of the “Rightwing time in jail for illegal weapons charges. Now, this Extremism” report that was issued by the wannabe Castro neighbor wants to register all semiauto- Department of Homeland Security matic firearms and all handguns, the target of his bill H.R. in April. Go to www.gunowners.org/ 45. His fascination with Castro is unsettling to say the dhsreport.htm least because the Castros consolidated their power precise- ly through their use of gun registration in Cuba. The first full day the Castros were in power, their goon squads went to every address where a gun was registered In April, the Department of Homeland Security leaked a — and either the gun on the list or the owner of the miss- report entitled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic ing gun was surrendered. Castro rules by monopoly of and Political Climates Fueling Resurgence in Radicaliza- force, not popular support. tion and Recruitment.” The Second Amendment of the Constitution of the Unit- Key indicators of rightwing extremism in this report ed States is in place precisely to prevent government include those people who oppose gun control and are con- monopoly of force. cerned that the Obama administration is preparing an Registration is not a legitimate exercise of government assault on the constitutionally protected right to keep and power. The Constitution does not read that “the right of bear arms. the people to keep and bear registered arms shall not be Other key factors that disturb the authors of “Rightwing infringed.” Moreover, registration is not a crime fighting Extremism” are returning veterans. They are potential ter- tool, even assuming fighting crime is a legitimate reason to rorists — all of them. infringe people’s constitutionally-protected rights, which it To read GOA’s analysis of this report, please go to: is not. Registration of handguns has been in force in www.gunowners.org/dhsreport.htm ■

The Gun Owners is published by Gun Owners of America, Inc. 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 (703) 321-8585