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Gateway Civil Liberties
Alliance
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GCLA Legislative Alert - Federal AWB Update
As stated in an earlier alert this year and one last year, many pro-gun-owner, pro-Second Amendment activists are watching the issue of the "sunset" of the 1994 Assault Weapon Ban [AWB].
The AWB was passed as an amendment to an Omnibus Crime bill and set to "sunset" or expire in September of 2004. ten years after enactment.
During the near ten years the law has been in effect it has had no impact on crime. street crime. violent crime.
Many activists have questioned IF the AWB will be renewed. They point to the House of Representatives which has stated that no AWB renewal will be passed them. I caution, again, that the original AWB did NOT pass as a stand-alone bill, but as an amendment to other "more important" legislation.
Well, we may be seeing that start of the strategy to renew the AWB. if not expand it.
There are rumors that the Republicans will attach the AWB extension/expansion [the language has not been seen yet] to the "Manufacturers Protection" legislation [see http://www.sierratimes.com/04/02/20/gaddy.htm Not only are there rumors that the AWB extension/expansion but they may also attach other anti-gun-owner items such as the "Gun Show Ban."
Remember that this is an election year. And during election cycles some politicians tend to try to play both sides. Some Republicans may feel that by the AWB extension/expansion to the "Manufacturers Protection" legislation, they can placate some of their voting constituency that would support the AWB and still maintain support from gun-owners.
This is a gamble that they may want to reconsider making. In 1990, George Bush. Sr., figured that pro-gun-owner voters had nowhere else to go but vote for him. He was wrong. Many pro-gun-owner voters simply STAYED HOME and DIDN'T VOTE. They could not vote for Bill Clinton, but they figured they also couldn't vote for the first President Bush who had betrayed them. The result, Bill Clinton became President.
Pro-Gun-Owner Republicans must remember that IF they believe that can garner votes from the anti-gun-owner movement by voting for the AWB, they are mistaken. NO ANTI-GUN-OWNER will vote for a Republican because he voted for the AWB. They will still vote for an anti-gun-owner Democrat.
REMEMBER THIS: Not all Republicans are pro-gun-owner and NOT all Democrats are anti-gun-owners. What we need to do is contact ALL the pro-gun-owner politicians [Republican AND Democrat] and tell them that the AWB needs to sunset. PERIOD. No "compromise" should be acceptable. We had ten years of this trial and the trial has shown the ban to be a dramatic waste of time and resources.
As stated before, keep your eyes on other bills that these measures can be attached to. If they do not get these anti-gun-owner measures attached to the "Manufacturers Protection" bill, the anti's will definitely try to add them to any other bill that is moving.
Keep your eyes open. Contact your legislator's and let them know that we do not need "compromise"... LET the AWB SUNSET.
As more information is obtained we will keep you informed.
Greg Jeffery
Legislative Chairman, Gateway Civil Liberties Alliance www.gclastl.org
Legislative Coordinator, Missourians for Personal Safety www.moccw.org
Designated Part-time Spokesman, Western Missouri Shooters Alliance www.wmsa.net |
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Gateway Civil Liberties Alliance
P.O.Box
19739
Brentwood, Missouri 63144
Phone: 314
385-GUNS (4867) or
1 866 385-GUNS (4867)
info@GCLAstl.org |
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Copyright gclastl.org, 2006.
All Rights Reserved.
Thursday, 22 June 2006 19:31:35 -0500 |
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