House To Vote This Week On Further Limiting Free Speech
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
Tuesday, April 4, 2006
Remember the Swift Boat Veterans?
After a presidential election which was determined by fewer than
120,000 Ohio voters, it is clear that George Bush is president of the
United States -- rather than John Kerry -- because of the swift boat
veterans and because of pro-gun support.
For their part, the swift boat veterans formed a political
organization under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code -- and
their organization was therefore called a "527."
Shortly, the House of Representatives will consider legislation (HR
513) which would regulate "527 organizations" -- like the
Swift Boat
Veterans -- as severely as the most heavily regulated political
groups in the country. The result could be to effectively eliminate
organizations like the Swift Boat Veterans.
It is clear that the enemies of Free Speech are choosing their
targets strategically. First, Senators like John McCain regulated
(in 2002) the ability of groups such as GOA to use radio and TV to
criticize any candidate before an election.
Then, earlier this year, McCain & Co. wanted to further regulate GOA
and similar organizations by requiring them to register their
"grassroots" communications with their members and to file twice as
many frivolous reports.
Now, this new legislation (HR 513) would try to strengthen the
Anti-Free Speech beachhead to limit even more avenues to free speech.
The restrictions on our liberties need to end here.
Really, this battle is similar to the battle to preserve our gun
rights. Anti-gunners have fought a guerilla type of warfare,
chipping away at our gun rights with piecemeal legislation. Some gun
owners -- who didn't own ranch rifles or AR-15s or other so-called
assault weapons -- were lulled to sleep for a time and thought that
the anti's weren't really interested in their hunting shotguns or
rifles.
They soon found out they were mistaken. And it just shows, once
again, that when the anti's get a beachhead, they don't stop there.
They keep coming and coming.
That's why we must now fight this battle to preserve another bastion
of Free Speech. It is our constitutional right -- it is not a
"privilege" to be expanded or contracted based on the impact on the
party in power.
ACTION: Please use the pre-written letter below to help direct your
comments to your representative. Ask him to oppose H.R. 513 which
would limit the constitutional Free Speech of "527 organizations"
like the Swift Boat Veterans.
You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Representatives a
pre-written e-mail message such as the one below.
And, you can call your Representative toll-free at 1-877-762-8762.
----- Pre-written letter -----
Dear Representative:
The House will soon consider legislation (HR 513) which would
regulate "527 organizations" -- like the Swift Boat Veterans -- as
severely as the most heavily regulated political groups in the
country. The result could be to effectively eliminate organizations
like the Swift Boat Veterans.
I would urge you to oppose that legislation.
Free Speech is a constitutional right -- not a "privilege" to be
expanded or contracted based on the impact on the party in power.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
*****************************
"Live Fire" radio with Larry Pratt is broadcast by the Information
Radio Network on Saturdays at 12:00 Noon Eastern. "Live Fire" is
simulcast on the web at http://inforadionet.com and previous episodes
are archived at http://www.soundwaves2000.com/livefire/ in RealAudio.
Recent guests and topics have included:
* Jim Jacobson: Christian Burmese refugees defined as terrorists for
resisting genocide -- by US government
* Dr. William Watkins: How much power for Washington -- same
disagreement in the 1790's as the 21st century
* Joseph Klein: The UN's stealth assault on US freedoms and guns
* Anna Zetchus Raetz of Liberty Belles: Beating back the Million Mom
March
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
Tuesday, April 4, 2006
Remember the Swift Boat Veterans?
After a presidential election which was determined by fewer than
120,000 Ohio voters, it is clear that George Bush is president of the
United States -- rather than John Kerry -- because of the swift boat
veterans and because of pro-gun support.
For their part, the swift boat veterans formed a political
organization under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code -- and
their organization was therefore called a "527."
Shortly, the House of Representatives will consider legislation (HR
513) which would regulate "527 organizations" -- like the
Swift Boat
Veterans -- as severely as the most heavily regulated political
groups in the country. The result could be to effectively eliminate
organizations like the Swift Boat Veterans.
It is clear that the enemies of Free Speech are choosing their
targets strategically. First, Senators like John McCain regulated
(in 2002) the ability of groups such as GOA to use radio and TV to
criticize any candidate before an election.
Then, earlier this year, McCain & Co. wanted to further regulate GOA
and similar organizations by requiring them to register their
"grassroots" communications with their members and to file twice as
many frivolous reports.
Now, this new legislation (HR 513) would try to strengthen the
Anti-Free Speech beachhead to limit even more avenues to free speech.
The restrictions on our liberties need to end here.
Really, this battle is similar to the battle to preserve our gun
rights. Anti-gunners have fought a guerilla type of warfare,
chipping away at our gun rights with piecemeal legislation. Some gun
owners -- who didn't own ranch rifles or AR-15s or other so-called
assault weapons -- were lulled to sleep for a time and thought that
the anti's weren't really interested in their hunting shotguns or
rifles.
They soon found out they were mistaken. And it just shows, once
again, that when the anti's get a beachhead, they don't stop there.
They keep coming and coming.
That's why we must now fight this battle to preserve another bastion
of Free Speech. It is our constitutional right -- it is not a
"privilege" to be expanded or contracted based on the impact on the
party in power.
ACTION: Please use the pre-written letter below to help direct your
comments to your representative. Ask him to oppose H.R. 513 which
would limit the constitutional Free Speech of "527 organizations"
like the Swift Boat Veterans.
You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Representatives a
pre-written e-mail message such as the one below.
And, you can call your Representative toll-free at 1-877-762-8762.
----- Pre-written letter -----
Dear Representative:
The House will soon consider legislation (HR 513) which would
regulate "527 organizations" -- like the Swift Boat Veterans -- as
severely as the most heavily regulated political groups in the
country. The result could be to effectively eliminate organizations
like the Swift Boat Veterans.
I would urge you to oppose that legislation.
Free Speech is a constitutional right -- not a "privilege" to be
expanded or contracted based on the impact on the party in power.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
*****************************
"Live Fire" radio with Larry Pratt is broadcast by the Information
Radio Network on Saturdays at 12:00 Noon Eastern. "Live Fire" is
simulcast on the web at http://inforadionet.com and previous episodes
are archived at http://www.soundwaves2000.com/livefire/ in RealAudio.
Recent guests and topics have included:
* Jim Jacobson: Christian Burmese refugees defined as terrorists for
resisting genocide -- by US government
* Dr. William Watkins: How much power for Washington -- same
disagreement in the 1790's as the 21st century
* Joseph Klein: The UN's stealth assault on US freedoms and guns
* Anna Zetchus Raetz of Liberty Belles: Beating back the Million Mom
March