NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS ALERT: Vol. 21, No. 20 05/16/2014

Team Obama Supports Your Right to "Selfie"-Defense?

The British author George Orwell's prescient novel "1984" has increased in popularity since the recent revelation of massive spying on Americans' private communications. Orwell is also credited with the sentiment popularized in the quote, "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

Orwell said words to that effect in 1942, back when clear-thinking people had no illusions about how to deal with enemies bent on their destruction. Since then, things have changed, however. Today, the Obama administration apparently would have Americans believe that we rest well at night not because of Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, Marines, and the world's most powerful Navy and Air Force, but because Team Obama stands ready to Tweet wrongdoers into submission.

Federal District Court Upholds D.C.'s Onerous Registration Regime

Following the Supreme Court's Landmark ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller, D.C. enacted several new gun control laws that prohibited the possession of so-called "assault weapons", prohibited possession of magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition, created handgun rationing, generally required the registration of all firearms, and required that registrations be renewed every three years. Shortly after the earliest of these new laws were enacted, Dick Anthony Heller and several other plaintiffs filed a new lawsuit challenging the provisions in the NRA supported case Heller v. District of Columbia, commonly referred to as Heller II.

Watch the New Join Video from the NRA

Watch Chris W. Cox's Speech at the 2014 NRA Annual Meetings

Will He or Won't He? N.J. Magazine Ban Heading to Christie's Desk

Gun control supporters appear poised to force New Jersey's Republican governor, Chris Christie, often discussed as a potential presidential candidate in 2016, to show where he stands on the Second Amendment. On Monday, the state's Senate passed A2006, legislation to lower the state's magazine-capacity limit from 15 rounds to 10 rounds, by a vote of 22-17, mostly along party lines. The bill will be sent to Christie for signature or veto after the Assembly, which previously approved it by a vote of 46-31, approves technical changes made to the bill by the Senate. Once the bill reaches Christie's desk, he will have 45 days to make his decision.

Ask Your U.S. Representative to Cosponsor and Support H.R. 2959 – "The Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2013"

The "Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2013" (H.R. 2959)--introduced in the U.S. House by Reps. Richard Nugent (R-Fla.) and Jim Matheson (D-Utah)--would allow any person who is not prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm under federal law and who has a valid concealed firearm permit, to carry a concealed handgun in any state that issues its own residents permits to carry concealed firearms.

Primary Grades and Endorsements Available on NRA-PVF Site

With freedom hanging in the balance, this year's elections will almost assuredly be the most important in your voting lifetime! You've no doubt heard that said before, but with the stakes enormously high, the importance of this year's elections simply cannot be overstated.

In the coming days and weeks, the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) will continue to announce endorsements and candidate ratings in hundreds of federal and state primary races. You need to be fully informed in order to make a sound decision. For up-to-the-minute information on NRA-PVF candidate grades and endorsements, and to see what you can do to help elect pro-Second Amendment candidates, please visit the NRA-PVF website: www.NRAPVF.org.

As If You Needed Another Reason to Vote

New data suggests that gun owners have a real opportunity to help move the country in the right direction in November. According to the results of a Gallup poll released on Monday, "a majority of U.S. registered voters, 53%, say they are less enthusiastic about voting than in previous elections, while 35% are more enthusiastic."

The elections are six months away, of course, and Gallup points out that "Americans give more thought to the election as it draws nearer." However, the firm adds, "the lower level of engagement at this point compared with similar points in prior years may indicate that overall voter turnout will be lower than in the last two midterm election years."

Another Magazine Ban in the Works

Legislation to ban ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds, with no exemption for those already owned, is one step closer to becoming law in New Jersey. The Wall Street Journal reports that on Tuesday “the state Senate’s influential law and public safety committee supported a bill that would reduce the ammunition capacity of gun magazines to 10 rounds from the current 15. The 3-2 vote ran along partisan lines, with Democrats supporting the bill and Republicans opposing it. . . . The bill now faces a vote in the state Senate, controlled by Democrats.”

The Latest on the Obama Administration's Proposed Ban on the Domestic Sale of Ivory and Importation of Elephant Trophies

In recent Grassroots Alerts, we addressed the Obama administration's proposal to ban the trade and sale of legally owned ivory within the United States (click here to see the initial alert). The NRA supports efforts to stop poaching and the illegal trade of ivory, but this proposed ban on legally owned ivory sold domestically will have no impact on poaching of elephants and the illegal ivory trade. On the contrary, this ban will only affect honest law-abiding Americans by making their possessions valueless. Please see this New York Times article highlighting the broad spectrum of people who will be harmed by the ban.

Remington Moves Two Production Lines from New York to Alabama

As we reported last August, gun manufacturers are increasingly moving from states with strict firearms controls to more friendly climes. This trend continued Thursday, as Remington Outdoor Company announced that they were relocating two of their production lines from Ilion, N.Y., where the company was founded in 1816, to a new facility in Huntsville, Ala.

Back in February, Remington announced their decision to expand to Huntsville. Alabama Governor Robert Bently welcomed the gun maker with open arms, citing the more than 2,000 jobs Remington plans to bring to Huntsville.

Jersey City Moves Forward in Politicizing Law Enforcement Procurements

This week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Jersey City, N.J., has moved forward with a previously announced plan to inject anti-gun politics into their law enforcement procurement process. The city has required gun manufacturers and distributors, bidding to supply the city's police force with firearms and ammunition, to fill out a survey quizzing the firms on their participation in a raft of gun control measures. Mayor Steven Fulop told the WSJ, that the gun control initiative, "shows municipalities and police departments have the ability to shape the dialogue." Thus far two bidders for the city's $500,000 in contracts have complied with the questionnaire, Atlantic Tactical and Lawmen Supply Company.

Tap, Rack and Roll

There you are practicing at the range, committed to your marksmanship basics, peering intently at the front sight as you control your trigger press…and…CLICK. The gun didn't fire. What could have caused this? More importantly, what do you do about it? NRA Family InSights and Gunsite instructor Il Ling New bring you this article about a drill that is as simple to learn as it is critical to effective gun handling.

Order Your NRA-ILA Yard Signs Today!

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 on the November 4 election, some gun owners may not be aware of what's at stake for the future of the Second Amendment on Election Day.