Right to Bear Arms (Split from Firearm Thread)

[CaptainHenreh]

Thanks for posting this article Rex. So. What do we do? Is being an NRA member enough to at least show my support? Do we have to make more direct threats to our congressmen? Do I have to threaten to assassinate someone and be clear that it will be with a bolt-action rifle?

I didn't so much "post this article" as "pound it out in a politically fueled rage" but I'm glad you asked "What do we do?"

I'll tell you.

The #1 thing you can do is write your representatives. Write a hand-written letter expressing your thoughts. Be respectful but firm. Tell them that if they allow this to come to pass, if they vote for it, if they do not try to kill the bill, that you will vote for whomever runs against them. That this is an end-issue for you, and you won't tolerate their vote as YOUR representative. A letter means alot to a representative, they don't get them very often. A respectful, handwritten letter means even more. Don't be lazy and send an email. Write a letter.

#2: Invoke respectful dialogue with people who disagree. If you can't talk about it without being a dick, keep your mouth shut. But the more noise that's made about this issue, and the more people that are informed of the facts, the less likely these things are to go through. If you recall in '94, the AWB was kind of "tacked on" to a crime bill, and it was at a time when we'd had some real tragedies related to "assault weapons". The environment now could not be more different.

#3: Join the NRA, join the VCDL (if you're a Virginian), join any group you think will be effective. Yes, the NRA is not the best group out there for gun rights, but it's better to at least support those people who are doing *something* than to sit on your hands and "hope" that there will be no "change".

Remember, we have the Heller decision on our side. The ruling specifically states that firearms "in common use" are the right of the Citizen to possess. No one can argue that the most common centerfire rifle in the nation isn't "in common use."

So, to sum up:

Be loud, be respectful, be heard, join gun rights groups, write a letter to your elected representatives.