GOP Adopts Strongly Pro-Gun Platform

As each party does every four years as part of their national conventions, this week, the Republican Party adopted its platform detailing the general beliefs and policy positions of the party.

Included in the 2012 Republican platform is a strong statement of support for the individual right to keep and bear arms, which goes beyond a generic statement of support for the Second Amendment and includes specific statements on key issues of concern to gun owners.

The inclusion of specific issues, such as the right to self-defense, opposition to the semi-auto ban, and support for interstate Right-to-Carry reciprocity makes this the most pro-Second Amendment position ever included in a major party platform. The NRA commends the GOP for taking a strong and unambiguous stance in support of our fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms.

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Draft Report Blames Many for Fast and Furious

CBS News reported this week that sources who have seen the Department of Justice's Inspector General's draft report on "Operation Fast and Furious" say that it places most of the blame for the debacle on Phoenix based agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and on the Phoenix U.S. Attorney's Office staff, including BATFE's then Special Agent in Charge Bill Newell, lead "Fast and Furious" agent Hope MacAllister, group supervisor David Voth, then US Attorney Dennis Burke, his lead deputy Emory Hurley, and Acting BATFE Director Kenneth Melson.

California Fish and Game Rejects Proposed Expansion of Lead Ammo Ban

In a victory for hunters and sport shooters, on August 8, the California Fish and Game Commission rejected a proposal to expand the existing ban on the use of lead ammunition that applies to hunting in certain parts of California. The proposal would have expanded the existing ban on the use of lead ammunition, now applicable only in the limited "Condor Zone" created by AB 821, to also include State Wildlife Areas, Ecological Reserves, and depredation hunts.

Outrage of the Week: School District Forces Deaf Preschooler to Change Name Sign

In years past, zero-tolerance weapons policies in overzealous school districts have ensnared students for "weapons" such as a Cub Scout camping utensil, a 2-inch Lego toy gun and even a misappropriated chicken finger. But last week, Grand Island Public Schools officials in Grand Island, Neb. went for the record in zero-tolerance hysteria when they sought to bar a three-year-old deaf student from using his name.

Preparing Today for Success on Election Day!

The engine that drives the NRA machine is you…and your fellow tens of millions of Second Amendment supporters. The one factor in any campaign that is critical is TIME. Every day we are not working to increase our volunteer ranks is a day lost that we will never get back. As the calendar turns and we get closer to Election Day, things only get more hectic. That is why RIGHT NOW is a great time to ensure you maximize your effectiveness in those crazy days and weeks leading up to Election Day. What should you be doing TODAY to ensure success on November 6? We have some suggestions.

Go All In! Work Locally with Your NRA-ILA Campaign Field Representative

Your NRA-ILA Campaign Field Representative (CFR) is an NRA-ILA staff person who will be living in your area, coordinating our volunteer activities with one goal in mind--ensuring pro-Second Amendment voters turn out to "Vote Freedom First!" on Election Day. Your CFR will be recruiting volunteers to: register voters, make phone calls, knock on doors, generate letters to the editor, distribute candidate information, attend events and turn out the pro-gun vote on Election Day. Please contact your CFR today to find out how you can assist in ensuring pro-freedom lawmakers are elected to office.

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.