Trigger Locks

Discussion in 'Freedom and Liberty' started by melbo, Oct 19, 2005.


  1. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    URGENT! URGENT! URGENT!

    Change In Status Of Gun Bill
    -- Immediate calls needed to your Representative

    Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
    8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
    Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
    http://www.gunowners.org

    Monday, October 17, 2005


    Last week, a bill containing a mandatory trigger lock requirement
    looked to be dormant on Capitol Hill. The prevailing wisdom was that
    the bill was dead for the year.

    However, given the mercurial nature of legislation and legislative
    bodies, one can never be certain of what is going to happen as long
    as Congress is in session. One event that can always shake up the
    legislative calendar is experiencing a leadership change -- such as
    when pro-gun House Majority Leader Tom DeLay stepped down from his
    position recently.

    What we do know at this point is that the bill is before the Rules
    Committee today, and will most likely reach the House floor sometime
    this week.

    The underlying bill would help protect the firearms industry from
    frivolous lawsuits brought by cities, municipalities, and radical
    anti-gun interest groups.

    Unfortunately, the bill was amended on the Senate floor in July by
    anti-gun Democrat Senator Herb Kohl (WI), who added language
    requiring licensed gun dealers to supply a trigger lock device with
    every handgun sold.

    House leadership is now being pressured to quickly adopt the Senate
    version of the bill instead of taking up its own bill, which contains
    no gun control.

    While it is imperative that the Congress pass legislation to protect
    the firearms industry, this bill should not be used as a vehicle for
    a misguided gun control proposal.

    The Kohl amendment would effectively impose a "gun tax" on all
    handgun purchases.

    Worse, the amendment leads gun owners to the verge of mandatory
    trigger lock usage, which would actually endanger lives by rendering
    self-defense firearms useless. While the amendment does not require
    that gun owners use trigger locks at this point, it is easy to see
    how trigger locks, like automobile seatbelts or motorcycle helmets,
    can quickly become compulsory.

    Mandatory trigger locks has long been part of the agenda of anti-gun
    zealots. Though masquerading as a modest step, the amendment will
    inevitably serve as a stepping-stone to more onerous legislation.

    The House bill, introduced by Florida Congressman Cliff Stearns,
    could potentially help protect the gun industry, but it would do so
    without saddling American gun owners with yet another gun control
    law.

    H.R. 800, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, garnered
    well over 250 cosponsors and would pass the House easily if the
    leadership would bring up this bill rather than its Senate
    counterpart. In that case, the bill would either go to a joint
    House-Senate conference, where the different bills would be
    reconciled, or back to the Senate, forcing that chamber to either
    pass a clean bill or explain to voters their refusal to protect the
    beleaguered gun industry.

    ACTION: Please ask your Representative to urge the House leadership
    to take up H.R. 800, which contains no gun control proposals, rather
    than its Senate counterpart. As GOA is the only national gun lobby
    insisting on a completely clean bill, it would be very helpful if
    you would circulate this alert widely throughout the pro-gun
    community.

    You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at
    http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Representative a
    pre-written e-mail message such as the one below.

    Or, you can call your Representative toll-free at 877-762-8762.


    --- Pre-written letter ---

    Dear Representative:

    I am saddened that the House is on the verge of passing gun control
    in the name of protecting the gun industry. The House should ditch
    S. 397 and use its own bill, H.R. 800, instead.

    H.R. 800, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, garnered
    well over 250 cosponsors and would pass the House easily if the
    leadership would bring up this bill rather than its Senate
    counterpart.

    But S. 397 is gun control pure and simple. The Kohl trigger lock
    amendment would effectively impose a "gun tax" on all handgun
    purchases. Worse, the amendment leads gun owners to the verge of
    mandatory trigger lock usage, which would actually endanger lives by
    rendering self-defense firearms useless.

    While the amendment does not require that gun owners use trigger
    locks at this point, it is easy to see how trigger locks, like
    automobile seatbelts or motorcycle helmets, can quickly become
    compulsory.

    Mandatory trigger locks has long been part of the agenda of anti-gun
    zealots. Though masquerading as a modest step, the amendment will
    inevitably serve as a stepping-stone to more onerous legislation.

    Please tell the Speaker and the Majority Leader of the House that S.
    397 is unacceptable to gun owners. Instead, send H.R. 800 to the
    Senate or tack it on as an amendment to some "must pass"
    legislation.

    Sincerely,


    ****************************
     
  2. Galactus

    Galactus Monkey+++ Founding Member

    ...
     
  3. 155gunner

    155gunner Monkey+++ Founding Member

    The spineless republikans passed the senate version and I believe Bush has already signed it.
     
  4. Cousin Jack

    Cousin Jack Knifemaker Founding Member

    *sigh*

    If compulsory trigger lock laws are inacted, I suppose they will have to form a new branch of "blackcoats" wearing jackboots in order to enforce these new laws.

    But hey...don't blame the enforcers who kill citizens for not toeing the line, they are just doing their job...after all...anyone who doesn't put gun locks on their firearms deserves to have their doors kicked in, their dogs shot and their family members all forcably pulled out of their homes and into the street...
     
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