NRA-ILA | Grassroots Alert: Vol. 19, No. 30 7/27/2012

Grassroots Alert: Vol. 19, No. 30 7/27/2012

NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS ALERT: Vol. 19, No. 30 07/27/2012

U.N. ATT Conference Comes to an Impasse

The Conference on the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (U.N. ATT) has broken down and will not report a draft treaty to the member nations.

This is a big victory for American gun owners, and the NRA is being widely credited for killing the U.N. ATT.

For nearly 20 years, the NRA has worked tirelessly to warn American gun owners about the United Nations’ efforts to undermine the constitutional rights of law-abiding American gun owners by putting in place international controls on small arms.

NRA became a recognized Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) and has monitored all U.N. activities that could impact on our Second Amendment rights. As a result, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre testified before the U.N. (2012 remarks, 2011 remarks) making it clear that the NRA would fight any international treaty that included civilian arms.

NRA worked with our allies in the U.S. Congress and successfully assembled strong bipartisan opposition to any treaty that adversely impacts the Second Amendment. On two occasions NRA was successful in convincing a majority of the U.S. Senate to sign letters to President Obama that made it clear that any treaty that included civilian arms was not going to be ratified by the U.S. Senate.

Yesterday (July 26), Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) gathered the signatures of 51 Senators on a letter to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton opposing any treaty that infringes on our rights.

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Obama Shows His True Position on Guns, Continues Anti-Gun Record

NRA has reported for the past four years about Barack Obama's long anti-gun record.

He tries to convince gun owners that he is not anti-gun, even as his administration has taken numerous actions that attack gun owners' rights, such as imposing multiple sales reporting requirements on some long guns, and protecting Eric Holder from cooperating with the "Fast & Furious" investigation.

But on July 25th, in a speech to the Urban League, Obama showed his real beliefs, when he once again endorsed a ban on semi-auto firearms.

Schumer and the Usual Suspects Call for Magazine Ban

The U.S. Senate will take up the "Cybersecurity Act" starting Monday, July 30, but a group of Democrat Senators lead by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is looking to add an anti-gun amendment to the bill. Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), joined Schumer in an effort to resurrect the failed 1994 magazine ban.

A day after President Obama indicated his willingness to look at new gun laws, this group of reliably anti-gun Senators is hoping to take advantage of the environment to advance their political agenda.

Maryland Concealed Carry Update

The United States District Court for the District of Maryland recently ruled that Maryland's requirement that applicants for a concealed carry permit show "good and substantial reason to wear, carry, or transport a handgun" is unconstitutional. According to the court, the existence of the right to bear arms "is all the reason [an applicant] needs." The court accordingly ordered the State promptly to process plaintiff Raymond Wollard's permit application without consideration of the "good and substantial" requirement.

Order Your NRA-ILA Yard Signs Now!

It has been estimated that well-placed campaign signs can account for four percentage points on Election Day. Think back to the 2000 presidential election, where 537 votes in Florida separated George W. Bush from Al Gore, and four percentage points seems like a landslide!

While you are focused like a laser beam on the November 6 election, some gun owners may not be aware of what's at stake for the future of the Second Amendment on Election Day.