OUR RIGHT-TO-CARRY IS UNDER ATTACK!

[wboggs]

For lack of a better place to post this.....

It doesn't matter that it's Florida, Walmart lives everywhere.

OUR RIGHT-TO-CARRY IS UNDER ATTACK!

DATE: April 29, 2008
TO: USF & NRA Member and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
USF Executive Director
NRA Past President

In the fight for your firearms freedom, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Retail Federation were determined to kill Florida's HB503, the bill that protects your right to keep a firearm in your vehicle for personal protection. They even threatened the Legislature and the Governor with a lawsuit. The Legislature was not intimidated -- they passed the bill. Governor Charlie Crist (R) was not intimidated -- he signed it into law. They stood up for you. They stood up for law-abiding gun owners and your self-defense rights against the big business bullies that were trying to eliminate them.

Six days after Governor Crist signed the bill into law, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Retail Federation rushed into federal court and filed a frivolous lawsuit to try to have the new law overturned. They had already bragged to the media that they would spend huge amounts of money to fight to negate your constitutional and statutory rights.

On April 16 the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported: "The Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Retail Federation are ready to pay a legal tab they expect to total at least $250,000 to counter what they term an assault on private property rights."

They are relying on Disney, Publix, Walmart and other anti-gun corporate giants to fund their assault on the Legislature, Governor Crist, and on our right-to-carry.

We need your help to raise the money to fight this blatant attack on you and your right to protect yourself and your family.

PLEASE send a contribution TODAY. No matter where you live. No matter what city, what county, what state -- this is a fight that affects all of us. Right-to-carry laws are meaningless if corporate bullies are allowed to eliminate them on a whim.

Click here to send a contribution today.

Please continue to check www.NRAILA.org for updates on this important issue.

My letter to my representatives (doesnt matter where you live, Walmart lives everywhere):

Dear Congressman Doyle,

In the fight for our firearms freedom, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Retail Federation were determined to kill Florida's HB503, the bill that protects your right to keep a firearm in your vehicle for personal protection. An action funded by backers like Disney, Publix, Walmart and other anti-gun corporate giants to fund their assault on our gun rights.

I would respectively ask you to be prepared for these assaults to reach our state as fears of guns is breading ignorance that is insisting that the very opposite to the solution be enacted. Please protect our right to defend ourselves so we don’t become sitting ducks as in the following statistics that follow stricter gun laws and gun grabs. The Governor of Illinois yesterday called upon people to talk to their neighbors to try and stop crime in neighborhoods after their “strictest in the Country” gun laws has alerted criminals to “go for it” since people are defenseless. Don’t put a sign in Pennsylvanians front lawns saying “kill and rob me, I’m defenseless”. Lets be more like Switzerland who has the highest per capita firearm ownership rate on the planet (all males age 20 to 42 are required to keep rifles or pistols at home) has a homicide rate if 1.2 per 100,000. And to date, there has never been a schoolyard massacre in Switzerland.


Has gun control in Australia curbed crime?

Crime has been rising since a sweeping gun ban on private gun ownership. In the first two years after gun-owners were forced to surrender 640,382 personal firearms, government statistics show a dramatic increase in criminal activity. In 2001-2002, homicides were up another 20%.

From the inception of firearm confiscation to March 27, 2000, the numbers are:

• Gun murders up 19%
• Armed robbery up 69%
• Home invasions up 21%

The sad part is that in the 15 years before their national gun confiscation:

• Firearm-related homicides dropped nearly 66%
• Firearm-related deaths fell 50%

Gun crimes are rising throughout Australia after guns were banned. In Sydney alone, robbery rates with guns rose 160% in 2001, more than the previous year.


What effect has gun control had on the United Kingdoms crime rates since their strict gun control went into effect?

• Armed robbery up 170.1%
• Kidnapping/abduction up 144%
• Assault up 130.9%
• Attempted murder up 117.6%
• Sexual assault up 112.6%

Are these the numbers you want in your neighborhood?

Compare this:

Switzerland has the highest per capita firearm ownership rate on the planet (all males age 20 to 42 are required to keep rifles or pistols at home) has a homicide rate if 1.2 per 100,000. And to date, there has never been a schoolyard massacre in Switzerland.

Which numbers do you want in your area?

Perhaps a less dangerous, to law abiding people’s lives, way to solve the problem of criminals using guns to commit crimes would be to enact a law demanding criminals to turn their guns in to their local police department. My guess though that the number of criminal’s gun that will be turned in or found by law enforcement will be just as many as if you impost tougher laws on law abiding people.

Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars.

Sincerely,

[CoyoteJack]

What is the basis of the lawsuit? If they are claiming private property rights in that the companies should be allowed to state they don't want firearms on their property then isn't that their right?

As private property owners we have rights to restrict access to our property based on just about anything. If I want to throw a party and only invite armed people to it that is my business is it not? Can an unarmed anti-gunner sue me if I refuse to allow them to attend?

I feel it is stupid for these companies to enact such policies however there is no law against stupidity. The proper response is not to force them to allow armed citizen to shop there but to deny them the business of those people.

[IV_Warrior]

It has nothing to do with customers. The bill requires employers to allow employees to keep their firearms locked in their vehicles, out of sight, while parked on company property while working.

[CoyoteJack]

It is still company property the cars are parked on. There are alot of people out there who seem to think companies shouldn't have rights. Are employees forced to use the company parking lot?

Having a gun in your car while parked at work still wouldn't be a crime in Florida, just grounds for being fired. That is hardly uncommon. During my time in Arizona I worked for a company that would have fired me in a short minute for having a firearm in my car or in the building. I did it anyway. My life is worth more than any job.

[wboggs]

If you're having trouble understanding go to:

Please continue to check www.NRAILA.org for updates on this important issue.

The NRA typically doesn't get all hot and bothered over non issues. There's something you dont understand.

[Dave in PA]

Actually, I think it is the duality of the rights, the property owner's rights to regulate what happens on their property versus the right of individuals to have a firearm in their vehicle while parked on private property. It is a conundrum.

Whose rights trump whose?
How about a compromise?

IF the property is open to the public i.e. Walmart or Disney, then state and federal laws must be followed.

IF the property is truely private property, i.e. your residence, or privately owned non-commercial property, then it is up to the property owner.

I don't know the answer....

[theshadow]

Actually, I think it is the duality of the rights, the property owner's rights to regulate what happens on their property versus the right of individuals to have a firearm in their vehicle while parked on private property. It is a conundrum.

Whose rights trump whose?
How about a compromise?

IF the property is open to the public i.e. Walmart or Disney, then state and federal laws must be followed.

IF the property is truely private property, i.e. your residence, or privately owned non-commercial property, then it is up to the property owner.

I don't know the answer....

You leave out that if we believe the Chamber of Commerce, then the corporate 'civil rights (since when do corporations have rights?) trump 1) Equal protection of law (anyone who is NOT an employee can park on their lots with out any consequence), but an employee Will be terminated. 2) Employee Private property is trumped. By the parking on an open parking lot that is available for the purpose of parking a vehicle, that employees private property (the vehicle) is subject to an unwarranted search (no 4th 5th or 6th A) based on submission a legal object (firearm) maybe present. So their private property rights trump my private property right (I don't want them in or arround my car). It's all about control folks.