As you may know, I’m leaving Rhode Island for Texas this summer. Before I leave, I’m helping the rabbi and his pals fight Ocean State pols’ push for civilian disarmament. As someone who’s watched the lights go out in New York, Connecticut, Colorado and Maryland I’ve come to the conclusion that testifying for gun rights at public hearings is like pissing in the wind, only more time-consuming. So I’ve mooted a new/old approach and created a new slogan. With a bit of luck and the wind in the right direction (see: above) RI’s pro-gun crowd will go down this path. But before unleashing it on my fellow organizers and gun owners, I’d appreciate it if you could read the letter below and share your thoughts on the strategy and/or suggest others. Much obliged . . .
What’s the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Rhode Island gun owners send a few emails, make a few phone calls and simply show up at State House hearings to protest gun ban bills will get the same result as gun owners who testified in front of legislators in New York, Maryland and Connecticut. They will lose.
Rhode Islanders, we will lose our right to own, purchase and sell modern sporting rifles. We will lose our right to own, purchase and sell standard capacity ammunition magazines. We will lose our right to “shall issue” concealed firearm permits to protect ourselves, our families and other innocent life. That’s insane.
It’s time for a different approach. It’s time for a show of force.
There’s only one way to stop the Rhode Island politicians from removing our Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms: we must convince them that they will lose their jobs if they support ANY of these gun control bills.
Phone and email your local elected officials and tell them you will vote against them if they vote against your gun rights. As Rhode Island is a one-party state, tell them you will vote against them in the Democratic primary in 2014. If you’re a Republican, tell them you will register in the primary as a Democrat to vote them out.
More than that, Gordon Fox and his friends at the State House must SEE us. Yes, we must show up at the State House for hearings on these bills. But again, that wasn’t good enough in Connecticut, New York or Maryland; politicians played video games while gun owners testified for their rights. It won’t be good enough in New Jersey or Massachusetts either. And it’s not good enough for Rhode Island.
Our plan: get right in their face. We will protest at their places of business. At public events where they speak. We will find these anti-gun politicians and gather in front of them and make our voices heard. Outside of their comfort zone. In front of the press and their colleagues and supporters.
If we are to defend our right to keep and bear arms we must show the politicians that we’re large and in charge. That this state, this government, belongs to us. That they work for us. We simply will not tolerate their position on gun control.
Our message will be straightforward and respectful: gun control doesn’t work. Gun control doesn’t reduce violent crime. Gun control doesn’t stop spree killers. Gun control doesn’t keep us or our loved ones or our communities safe. Gun control doesn’t work. It never has and it never will.
We will not sacrifice our right to keep and bear arms on their mistaken belief that our guns are a problem for anyone other than criminals and madmen.
So do it. Contact your local representatives and tell them gun control doesn’t work—and they’ll be out of work if they support it. Just that “Gun control doesn’t work and I will vote against you in the next primary if you support it.”
Then email your name and phone number (for text alerts) to the Citizen’s Rights Action League ([email protected]). We will assemble the names for our “flash mob” alerts.
Get ready to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Rhode Island gun owners will stand and fight. That will be seen and heard. Because that’s the only thing Rhode Island politicians respect. Your gun rights depend on this. Thank you.
For some, shooting an AR-15 might merely be for “the pursuit of happiness.” And since America was dumb enough to vote for us, we’d like to tax, restrict, and subsequently eliminate that pursuit as soon as possible. Please, low information voters, we need your support. Those heartless monsters who reject our emotional arguments must be stopped. Don’t be fooled by facts and historical precedent. We know gun control works because we feel it in our hearts – we know it to be true.
(The part of Joe’s speech that didn’t make it)
yup
Most Mustang GTs suffer from FTE problems?
Joe is a Prius
Hmmm… He IS getting a lot of mileage from his small collection of arguments.
That said, he’s not cutting edge efficient or a generally good idea.
A few good ideas, outweighed by bad ones… I’d say a Vega.
I really don’t care for NASCAR, but I think I’ll watch this race just for the Senator. In fact, I’m going to renew my old membership in the NRA, which lapsed years ago. I’ve come to the conclusion that dispite my differences with the NRA, and the way they can be completely full of shit on some things…they’re 100 miles closer to truth than any of the gun grabbers.
Make sure while you work to remove these ‘d- bags’ from office there is a candidate who plans to run in the fall that is pro gun. If there isn’t your words will be empty threats. Good idea on the donors, how do you go about identifying them?
No, you have missed the point. The point is to tell the current occupants that they will be former occupants regardless. Trading one grabber for another grabber doesn’t matter. In fact, it would probably help to have even worse grabbers in office, since their laws would be even easier to strike down.
The absolutely essential point is to tell the current occupants they will be out of work if they vote for gun control. Nothing else matters.
Exactly. It’s “I don’t know who will be here, but I do know it won’t be you.”
Wait… People who own firearms for self defense or simply because they enjoy shooting are a NEW group of people?
Biden gets sillier and sillier by the day…
Biden might take note of good ol’ Thomas Jefferson (who I bet would have LOVED the AR15!)…
“A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks.”
If you haven’t done so yet, check out Jefferson’s biography “The Art of Power” by Jon Meacham. Excellent read, and excellent portrait of Mr. Jefferson.
I don’t have any faith in NE liberals and Democrats who want a nanny state and allow themselves to be enslaved by welfare, government assistance and police militarization. They are the ones who run your states. Chicago, New York City, Boston, Providence, the list goes on. The truth is that as long as those cites are full of solidly liberal democratic voting blocks, I am afraid there will be no change until it gets much much worse. The people first have to wake up, turn off their
propaganda boxestelevisions and vote. Just vote them out. Don’t threaten, don’t negotiate, don’t let the big cities and their enslaved nanny state populations determine our future. Until that happens, no offense intended, but this is just more pissing in the wind. The only people, who’ll read it are the ones who were going to do something anyway. More preaching to the choirA couple of things:
1) A lot of these ideas are good, but should be talked about under wraps not in public. Never let the enemy know what you are doing
2) Attacking at the primaries is a great idea, however, you probably do not have enough gun owners in each district to make a difference. You may be able to pick off one or two, but not many
3) Whatever you do, the media is against you. The protests are great, but you have to keep the high ground and cannot act like the “crazy” gun owners they would like to portray you to be.
4) If you organize, organize early to get the max number of people to go to rallies because giving a few days notice will not get the mass of people you need.
5) When you testify, organize, everyone should have different talking points, talking about the 2a only makes eyes glaze over. If you can find survivors with their story of how without a gun they would not be there to testify, that goes a long way especially if you can get them on the news
6) start a legal defense fund now, in one party majority states, you are going directly to court because really they do not give a crap and that is their strategy anyway because it will take years to drag through the courts. How long did Heller take? 6yrs?
7) Do not underestimate what it takes to get people off their duff to help
8) You have to get in their face before they even have a bill. Organize to go talk to lawbreakers now, find out who is on your side, who is against you and who is on the fence? Do any of them carry?
9) Sign-up on the anti-gun groups boards and find out what they are doing and be ready to counter
10) See if they plan on ramming any of this through via “emergency” provisions and let them. The SCOTUS DOES NOT LIKE TO RULE on legislative matters because it is like making sausage, HOWEVER, there has been a few legal beagles and people who watch SCOTUS who are saying they are getting mighty pissed off that emergency measures are being used to ram rod legislation and may be ready to see a case to put it down.
Finally, it will be a long multi-year slog. 2014 and 2016 battles at the polls are coming. We will all have to fight for a very long time.
You will find that many gun owners are not even registered to vote, start a voter registration drive now and then follow up to make sure they can vote. You may find a few lawbreakers who are on your side, work their campaign and show them if they support you, you will support them.
In short, we can only win back what we have lost only if we get involved. Awake people of the gun, we have much to do. We can no longer be silent and we must active on the front lines of politics no matter how much we disdain that effort.
+1. Language that can be misinterpreted as angry and inflammatory will be used against you. Hook up w/ Tea Party and keep repeating the freedom and limited govt message. Organize quietly and give money to lobby groups that work the state housees. This will work as a grass roots effort if you leverage innerwebs and expertise elsewhere. Money talks and you know what walks.
PS you have an innovative platform here thats working and you arr moving to TX. Why waste time in RI at all when you acknowledge its not working. Better to let them overreach and set bad law that can be reversed at Supremes? That is also working but requires more patience. Dems are off the cliff on this and Obamacare etc and they know it. (Sebelious trying to blame Repubs). Better to go gray man and enjoy building TTAG. And spend time w family and new friends. Life is short Robert. You cant do it all…
Interesting strategy. ‘Gun Control Does Not Work’ is simple, concise and to the point. I like. While we write letters and e-mails , and make phone calls on the state level, the same message needs to be heard as a clarion call by those who would create the national standards. President Obama waves the bloody flag on Congress, while the Pro-2A side of the issue strives through blogs, hoping that the reps of the NRA will get the job done, while our positions are trashed with lies and half truths from the established media. Our freedoms are at stake, and people of the gun are greater in numbers than the constituency of the NRA. Sitting complacently, expecting that several representatives of pro-gun groups will get the job done is a fool’s folly. Congress as well as lawmakers at ALL levels need to see and hear the numbers of the people on our side if there is ever to be hope of influencing the outcome of this battle. Legislators across the nation need to hear “gun control doesn’t work. Gun control doesn’t reduce violent crime. Gun control doesn’t stop spree killers. Gun control doesn’t keep us or our loved ones or our communities safe. Gun control doesn’t work. It never has and it never will.”
So I’m immoral because I don’t find it fun to slog through the woods and then shoot Bambi? I spent enough of my 20s slogging through the woods with a gun, usually in the rain. Now I think I’ve earned the righ to shot in relative comfort.
Some Pols don’t care if they lose the seat if they have money or connections which they can use the very next day. You have a certain number who will do anything to see guns be banned
A garden-variety AR15? Nah, I wouldn’t compare that to a Ferrari. The average person on an average salary can afford an AR15. Honestly I’d compare the AR15 to the Ford F-150. It’s good for work or play and with the right accessories and a little practice, you can do just about anything you want with it.
Also the F-150 is the most popular vehicle in America, and the AR15 the most popular centerfire rifle.
I drove past Joe’s northern VP house in Delaware Saturday. Plenty of armed guards and an SUV blocking his driveway. I felt sorry for the kid wearing sunglasses having to stand in the road all day long guarding his house.
So I don’t think Joe needs a double barrel to protect himself any longer.
5 minute handbook for gun rights advocates:
http://oldsite.vcdl.org/new/RKBA_handbook.htm
That’s a great Plan A. But have a Plan B…to move. Frankly, federalism is the greater protector of our freedoms than the franchise of our votes. Do your level best, but in the end, let the tyrants preside over a moribund, depopulated wasteland.
Really, really good photos!
Ask Bushmaster if the bad press over the Beltway sniper and Newton helped their bottom line.
Gun control = disarming victims
The primaries are a great idea. I’ve been saying for a long time that it is more important to vote in the primary than the general. Most of the districts are owned by one of the parties, very few are truly competitive. (Most US low information voters support ‘their’ party like its a sports team vice a means of selecting their employee. It really is the only chance to throw out an incumbent, ergo-
More than voting, we should be finding and supporting the pro-gun democrat or republican in each district and helping them in the primary. Donations, volunteering to walk precincts, make phone calls, post flyers, push them to our friends relatives etc.
Scratch MO off the list of states to live in if you own firearms. The list is getting smaller every day.
The thing I dislike most about the SCAR’s aesthetics is it’s clunky looking stock, but I have to admit those bad boys are starting to look pretty cool.
It sorta looks like an AR that’s retired from its job and developed cankles. (Dont get me wrong, I’d LOVE to own one of them, but the looks bug me. And how a gun looks is waaaay more important than how it shoots)
Who cares about Rhode Island, liberals, low information voters and gays, gays, gays… let that state fall into its demise… all who are pro second amendment, move out…
Valiant effort, but there’s no stopping the tyrannical gears from grinding this country into dust. Only when we hit rock bottom might we bounce back, when people have so deservingly lost all their rights and finally understand first hand.
Don’t forget catchy slogans on your signs such as:
– (Politician X) supports the rape and murder of defenseless women.
– (Politician Y) is trying to pass laws to encourage criminals to kill.
– (Politician Z) puts your children in danger for personal gain.
Be creative, you know, like they do to us.
Stand and fight?? You mean, stand and politely ask not to have another chain clapped on.
Now, if your protests and rallies and flash mobs were armed gatherings… then they might think you’re ready and willing to fight. Without that, their view is: let the people protest, as long as they keep paying their taxes.
Hmm, have you fired the first shot yet? What are YOU waiting for?
Methinks you do too much reading.
Ah, the self righteous ridicule of the slave who can’t feel his collar anymore.
The difference is people who acknowledge the inevitable conflict might someday stand and fight. You never will.
“Fun at the range.”
I remember that concept.
Robert, this is a great idea.
I would ask that we carry this to every state, even those that are pro-gun. We need to let our legislators know that we will not tolerate those who seek to infringe on our god given rights.
We need to call them out when they aren’t paying attention to us, and make an example of them in front of everyone how disrespectful playing video games during a hearing really is. We need to point out that they really don’t care, give them a chance to respond or apologize, and then bury them with their actions.
We need to treat them like children, and make sure they understand that any abuse of power for this legislation will garner them a permanent time out from politics.
We should absolutely register as democrats to elect them out. That is an awesome idea.
In fact…. Would it be strategically feasible to all register as Democrats and fundamentally change their party from the inside out? I like it.
According to deep thinkers like Isaac Bailey, who gets a check to write his leftist tripe from McClatchy News, guns must be banned to prevent suicides.
http://thesunnews.typepad.com/a_different_world/2013/04/megapastor-rick-warrens-son-used-unregistered-gun-bought-on-internet-to-kill-himself.html
A left handed cartoon revolver seems so appropriate.
TTag your it!
See this?
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/11/sen-mark-kirk-booze-and-boat-parties-smoothed-bipa/
and here’s Kate Bock
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2013_swimsuit/models/kate-bock/13_kate-bock_1.html
also, more Ian Fleming anything, please?
I think I got this TTag stuff. Sorry for off topic post.
Dammit
I have tried to block my serious need (want) of a 308 gt. That sound is absolutely erotic…
I too make man noises when I see one…
Damn you Robert. Now I have to sell something and renew my search for a Ferrari
avatar Clouded says:
April 4, 2013 at 11:31
I think both of them are smart enough to retire after Obama is out of office. I hope the republican party is also smart enough to get a damn candidate that isn’t Obama-lite and can actually win, especially if Hillary runs in 2016.
Sir,
Are you serious?
The Republicans will do little, if not nothing, in our defense. They are one and the same as the Democrats.
Name me one piece of unconstitutional infringements on our 2A rights that were not actively supported by (at the least the leadership of) the Republican party.
Hellsbells, Romney happily banned semi rifles in Mass, and only “changed his mind” when he ran against Obama.
It is a repeated failing of this two-sided but same coin we call the “Two Party System.”
We are on our own. Time to wake up to that fact.
Jim
Ft Worth, Texas
since bad things will happen from time to time like this kind of event, how about you give the good guy, the teacher, the right to get a carry permit and have a gun in the classroom. Would have been nice to see the episode play out that way with the teacher drawing his gun to protect the students and not just hiding in a corner.
then again that’s fighting back and is looked down upon these days sadly.
Who cares if it’s like driving a Ferrari, it’s still a constitutionally protected right. It’s crap like this that just proves that people like Biden do not care about the Constitution and should not be holding office because they place their own ideologies above the rights of the people.
This man has always been a wack job. What a moronic idiot.
“…like Texas Best Ranch Girls …”
God bless America…
Oh wait, was there gun rights statement attached to this article?
1) Get a full Bill of Sale. Look at the other person’s ID and the write down the other person’s name, address, driver’s license number, etc. Both parties sign off (buyer/seller), date the paperwork, note the make, model, and serial number. Keep the paperwork.
2) Exchange the above information through email (when appropriate) and keep records. If at a gun show send emails to each others cell phones.
The only gun that I have bought from a private party is a Marlin 39A 22 caliber lever-action made in 1947 that came with a Weaver Scope made in 1947. I’m curious to know the gun’s history and I’m not concerned about how it was used. Yes, I am taking offers.
Here’s a page with links to the e-mail contact page for senator with a B+ or higher NRA rating. I’ve written them all once, and now it’s time to write them all again.
http://www.shotmonster.com/senators.html
We must oppose everything. No more gun control. Period.
What a bunch of sniveling weenies!
All I do in my state is hand over the cash and bring the gun home. There is no requirement to have, or to see, any documentation of any kind. Similarly there are no questions I am required to ask or words I am required to speak.
“This’ how we get off the X… Off the X… off the X… this’ how we…”
And 150 years ago, the majority of Americans were pro-slavery. I suppose that makes it right. Do you support slavery, King?
By introducing this bill, the answer to that is obvious, actually.
If this passes, I hope countless more infringements follow. I hope every single American has something they love taken away. I hope they all suffer as they so righteously deserve. Only then can they understand.
I get her. Guns are bad. Guns are always bad, and only bad people have them. Don’t know how guns can be any good, only hear bad things happen with guns. And bad people with bad guns will be coming into the neighborhood doing bad things with bad drugs and getting bad drunk on bad liquor. LEOs with guns? Neutral. But there will be other bad people, so it’s still bad.
I just read the entire 49 page bill. It is a winner if you ask me. The exemptions and rights that it affords are actually wins for RKBA.
my .02 cents