I received the following from Grass Roots North Carolina.. It originally came from Gun Owners of America.
The biggest gun battle of the year is about to erupt on Capitol Hill.Fueled by the recent Virginia Tech shootings, an odd coalition isforming to help expand the number of honest people who now won’t beable to buy a gun.The legislation has been introduced by none other than the Queen ofGun Control herself, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY). But she has pickedup a key ally, as the bill (HR 297) is being pushed by a powerful gungroup in Washington, DC.On Friday, The Washington Post reported on the strange coalition.”With the Virginia Tech shootings resurrecting calls for tighter guncontrols,” the Post said, “the National Rifle Association has begunnegotiations with senior Democrats over legislation to bolster the
national background-check system.”Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), who was once on the NRA Board of Directorsbut resigned when he supported and voted for the Clinton semi-autoban in 1994, is reported to be “leading talks with the powerful gunlobby in hopes of producing a deal ,” Democratic aides andlawmakers told the newspaper.Rep. McCarthy admitted to the Post that her “crusades” for more guncontrol have made her voice “toxic” in gun circles. “So Dingell ishandling negotiations with the NRA,” the newspaper reported. “Dingellis also in talks with Sens. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) and Ted Stevens(R-Alaska), House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and Rep.F. James Sensenbrenner (Wis.), the senior Republican on the HouseJudiciary Committee.”
In response to this news, I’ve sent the following to the NRA vial the NRA Institute for Legislative Action:
It’s being reported in the Washington Post that the NRA is working with Rep. John Dingell who has “hopes of producing a deal” on some form of gun control legislation in the wake of the Virginia Tech murders.It’s also being reported that this deal may involve as much as $1 billion in grants to allow state and local governments to add names to the NICS check system. This is supposed to help keep people like the VT shooter from successfully buying guns from FFLs.This sort of legislation is unacceptable, as it has the potential allow “gaming” of the NICS system. While we may all wish to believe that it wouldn’t happen, history show differently. Even now, certain elements wish to open the NICS check information for this and that “good cause”, and they’re perfectly willing to dance in the blood of innocent victims in order to reach this goal.As a relatively new member of the NRA, but one who has successfully recruited others to join as well, I’m asking you to actively work against any flavor of anti-gun or potential anti-gun legislation, now and in the future. Accept no compromises on our Second Amendment rights.I will be watching this subject closely, and I assure you that any future contributions as well as my continued membership in the NRA hinges on taking a “no compromise” position on any proposed anti-gun legislation.
Those of you who are NRA members need to keep an eye on this issue along with me. While I hope the NRA has changed from its old “accept this or it may be worse” mindset, I’ll lay money that there are still those in the organization who are mired in that mindset. We’re going to need to keep their feet to the fire on this one.
