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| NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS VOLUME 23, NUMBER 9 |
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| The
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit announced this
afternoon that it has agreed to an en banc re-hearing in Kolbe v. Hogan.
As we previously reported, the Fourth Circuit’s earlier decision in
Kolbe has the potential to invalidate Maryland’s ban on common
semi-automatic firearms and detachable magazines. The Kolbe decision is
extremely important, as it is the first instance where a United States
court of appeals required “strict scrutiny,” the most stringent form of
judicial review, for a ban on so-called “assault weapons” and detachable
magazines. The outcome is the re-hearing is too close to call at this
point. We will keep you apprised of further developments of this
NRA-supported case as they occur. |
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| The
Hollywood celebrities, political elites and billionaires who attack the
Second Amendment want to take our God-given freedom away. Yet at the
core of the Second Amendment is the eternal truth that no life is more
worthy of armed protection than another. The National Rifle Association
fights for the protection of these liberties. The NRA is Freedom's
Safest Place. |
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| A
case involving the scope of firearm prohibitions prompted Supreme Court
Justice Clarence Thomas to break his more than decade-long silent
streak on the bench. Justice Thomas last asked a question in February
2006, but he made headlines on February 29 by asking a question during
oral argument in the case of Voisine v. United States. Unfortunately,
commentators seized on the fact that he spoke at all, rather than the
troubling implications of what he had to say. |
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| Hillary
Clinton Always Does What's Right? CNN reported last Friday that former
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, now a gun control advocate campaigning
for Hillary Clinton for president, told the news organization, “Time
and time again, Hillary has done and said what is right.” But if you’re
not so sure about that, you aren’t alone. Gallup reports that when asked
for the first word or phrase that comes to mind when Clinton’s name is
mentioned, 40 percent of Americans say “dishonest,” “liar, “don’t trust
her,” “poor character,” “dislike her,” “criminal,” “crooked,” “thief,”
“belongs in jail,” or “wouldn’t be good for the country.” And Giffords’
glowing endorsement of Mrs. Clinton was not the only truth-bender that
gun control supporters were responsible for last week. |
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| After
Super Tuesday, with 11 states completing their caucuses or primaries,
the presidential race is starting to become a little bit
clearer. Hillary Clinton won seven states and Bernie Sanders won 4.
While this looks like, and is being hyped as, a big Clinton victory, her
camp had really expected to win 10 of 11 (allowing for Sanders to win
only his home state of Vermont). That same day, Donald Trump won seven
states, Ted Cruz won three and Marco Rubio won one. The results help to
solidify Trump as the leader, but it is closer than many believe. The
primaries are races to earn delegates to the respective party
conventions. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democrat nomination
and 1,237 to win the GOP nod. Most states with primaries or caucuses
before March 15th, including all of the March 1st states, award their
delegates on a proportional basis, so it takes a big win to gather up
the majority of delegates in any given state. |
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| Willful
ignorance of firearm function, culture, and law are well-known
characteristics of the gun control movement. However, the principals in a
recently manufactured controversy, surrounding legislation in Iowa that
would allow properly supervised youth to use handguns for the shooting
sports, have shown a particular disregard for the facts and prevailing
law. Current Iowa law makes it a misdemeanor to transfer a handgun to
those under the age of 21, with a few exceptions. A parent, guardian, or
spouse over 21 may allow those ages 14-20 to possess a handgun while
the minor is under their direct supervision, or while receiving
instruction. Iowa has a blanket prohibition on handgun possession for
all those under 14, regardless of parental supervision. Current law even
prevents those under 14 from engaging in traditional handgun safety
instruction. |
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| In
a sad turn, the home of the Scottish Enlightenment continues to adopt
benighted gun controls. On June 25, 2015, the Scottish Parliament passed
the Air Weapons and Licensing Act, with Royal assent following on
August 4. The legislation requires airgun owners to acquire a
certificate or permit to continue to possess the devices. Late last
week, Scottish officials announced July 1, 2016 as the deadline for
obtaining the required documentation. Specifically, the law makes it “an
offence for a person to use, possess, purchase or acquire an air weapon
without holding an air weapon certificate.” If convicted, a violator
faces up to two years in prison. |
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| As
we have reported several times in the past (including here and here),
the Veterans Administration (VA) has been reporting to the National
Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) the identities of its
beneficiaries who have been assigned a “fiduciary” to manage their
benefits. The VA claims that such determinations constitute an
“adjudication of mental defectiveness” under federal law, thereby
prohibiting the beneficiary (presumptively for life) from acquiring or
possessing firearms.
The NRA has for several years been supporting legislation to correct
this unjustified infringement on Second Amendment rights, including the
Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act (H.R. 2001, Rep. Jeff Miller,
R-FL) and the Mental Health and Safe Communities Act of 2015 (S. 2002,
Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX). |
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| Billionaire
Michael Bloomberg is in a spending freefall attacking our gun rights
all across the U.S., on multiple fronts…in Congress, in state
legislatures, and on the airwaves. Further, he’s gathering signatures
and pouring money into anti-freedom ballot initiatives in states like
WA, NV ME, and AZ. In the ’15 VA elections, he spent more than $2
million on a couple of state senate races! If he’s willing to invest
that much in VA alone, imagine how much of his BILLIONS he will spend in
’16 all across the nation! |
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| NRA
Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre urged the crowd at the
Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland to
stand up for freedom this November and take back the country. He said
the most effective and surest way to defend freedom is found in four
simple words — Thou Shalt Not Lie — and he promised that the NRA would
continue to expose the liars about freedom as they've been doing for
decades. Truth matters, LaPierre reminded, and he noted that Americans
are seeing right through all of the Obama and Clinton schemes because
they know a liar when they see one. The NRA chief concluded by
encouraging everyone to rise up and make a difference — standing up for
truth and freedom — in this election. |
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| In
this News Minute from the NRA Institute for Legislative Action,
Jennifer Zahrn reports that candidates endorsed by the NRA Political
Victory Fund had a strong primary day, winning the vast majority of
races where we endorsed. |
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| STATE GRASSROOTS ROUND-UP |
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| ©
2016 National Rifle Association of America, Institute For Legislative
Action. To contact NRA-ILA call 800-555-5555. Address: 11250 Waples Mill
Road Fairfax, Virginia 22030. |
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