GA: Possible Sneak Attack on Your Right of Self-Defense

[WAGCEVP]

Possible Sneak Attack on Your Right of Self-Defense

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

March 14, 2001


Dear Georgia Gun Rights Supporter,

With only a few days left of the Georgia legislative session, I
wanted to alert you that your right to protect yourself and your
family may come under attack any day now by the politicians at the
State Capitol.

And then I'm going to update you on H.B. 304 and H.B. 144 -- bills
to restore your right of self-defense.

Bur first -- according to inside sources -- there's a move afoot to
require honest, law-abiding gun owners to keep their firearm
unloaded with a government mandated "Lock Up Your Safety" device.

That's why I need you to contact your State Senator and
Representative immediately and ask him or her to oppose any "Lock Up
Your Safety" scheme and vote to defend your gun rights at every
opportunity.

To find out who your Senator and Representative is, please go to
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm and under Guide to States
click on Georgia. At the end of this message, you'll find
pre-written messages for you to use.

You see, rumor has it that anti-gunners in the Senate will amend a
House bill with language that would require gun owners to use a
"Lock Up Your Safety" device whenever there is even a chance a child
might be in the presence of a firearm.

"Lock Up Your Safety" devices render a handgun or rifle ineffective
when needed most, leaving you or a loved one defenseless and
vulnerable to attack. That's because no murderer, burglar or rapist
will wait for you to "unlock" your gun from "storage" or a "trigger
lock" so honest, law-abiding gun owners will have to choose between
being defenseless or being charged with a crime.

"Lock Up Your Safety" is a horrific example of how do-gooder
politicians pass laws that endanger, and sometimes are directly
responsible for the murders of, the very citizens they are elected
to represent and protect.

Anti-gunners cynically sell trigger locks as a way to prevent crime
and accidental deaths involving firearms. However, mandatory gun
storage laws create a false sense of security while effectively
disarming law-abiding citizens who keep firearms for the protection
of themselves and their families.

As a one-time Handgun Control Inc. spokesman and former San Jose, CA
Police Chief Robert MacNamara stated:

"You can't have it two ways. If you really safeguard your gun so
that innocent people in your house -- your children or visitors or
someone else -- can't get hurt with it, then they won't be able to
get that gun for the kind of emergency that they bought it for in
the first place."

A comprehensive study of mandatory gun storage laws by Yale
researcher John R. Lott found that "Lock Up Your Safety" laws
actually increase incidents of murder, rape and robbery.

If the anti-gunners are successful and "Lock Up Your Safety" becomes
law, it could lead to incidents like the Pitchfork Murders in
California. Because government forces parents to lock up their
firearms in California, a 14-year old girl could not prevent the
slayings of her two younger siblings by a crazed man with a
pitchfork.

However, no study is needed to prove that a firearm without a "Lock
Up Your Safety" device saves lives. The fact is GUNS SAVE LIVES!
Firearms are used to prevent tens of thousands of murders, rapes,
thefts and assaults every year. In fact, guns are used by
law-abiding citizens more than 2.5 million times per year in
successful self-defense cases.

For example, in 1985 in Bethel, OK, a six-year-old boy saved his
mother's life when he used a rifle to kill an intruder. And in
1994, Jarrod Barnes, 13, of Tulsa, OK, saved his life and the life
of his three brothers when a man broke into his home and chased him
into a bedroom. Jarrod found a pistol and killed the pursuing
attacker.

That's why I need you to immediately contact your Senator and
Representative today and tell him or her to oppose any "Lock Up Your
Safety" scheme and vote to defend your gun rights at every
opportunity.

There are only a few days left of the Georgia legislative session,
so you must act at once.

And finally, an update on those two pro-gun bills.

H.B. 304, by Rep. Robert Franklin (R - Marietta), would restore the
right of self-defense to honest, law-abiding concealed carry permit
holders and eliminate No Safety Zones -- such as sporting events and
most restaurants -- where criminals commit their offenses against
citizens left virtually defenseless under the current law.

H.B. 144, by Rep. Brian Joyce (R - Lookout Mountain), would allow
honest, law abiding gun owners -- even if they don't have a
concealed carry permit -- to store a firearm anywhere in their
vehicle for personal protection. This would protect many Georgians
who have had their handguns confiscated while traveling into an
anti-gun jurisdiction where law enforcement targets citizens
concerned about their self-defense.

Committee Chairmen, Rep. Mike Snow (R - Chickamauga) and Rep. Curtis
Jenkins (R - Forsyth), were apparently content to leave H.B. 304 and
H.B. 144 to die in committee.

This should come as no surprise to gun owners. Last year, Rep. Snow
and Rep. Jenkins voted AGAINST an amendment to H.B. 189 that stated,
"the right to keep and bear arms uninfringed is guaranteed by" the
Georgia and U.S. Constitutions.

Despite this, I asked you to turn up the heat on Rep. Snow and
Rep. Jenkins. And your actions made the difference.

Because of your calls and e-mails, you forced Rep. Snow and Rep.
Jenkins to hold committee hearings on H.B. 304 and H.B. 144. Both
bills passed out of committee and were sent to the House Rules
Committee, which decides whether or not legislation, like H.B. 304 and
H.B. 144, is placed on the House floor to be voted on.

Unfortunately, anti-gun forces on the Rules Committee -- led by
anti-gun crusader Rep. Len Walker (R - Loganville) -- defeated a
motion to bring H.B. 304 to the House floor for passage. H.B. 144
wasn't even considered.

But the fight is not over for H.B. 304 and H.B. 144. Both bills
remain in committee, ready for consideration on January 1st, 2002.

It's up to all Georgia gun owners keep the heat on Rep. Snow and
Rep. Jenkins so maybe they will see the light and quickly move on
H.B. 304 and H.B. 144 in January. Be sure to also contact your
Representative and ask him or her to do everything possible to pass
H.B. 304 and H.B. 144.

And remember to contact your State Senator and Representative
immediately and ask him or her to oppose any "Lock Up Your Safety"
scheme and vote to defend your gun rights at every opportunity.

Sincerely,

Dennis Fusaro
Director of State Legislation

***** Pre-written message to your Senator *****

Dear Senator,

Please oppose any "Lock Up Your Safety" scheme and vote to defend my
gun rights at every opportunity.

Rumor has it that anti-gunners are going to cut a backroom deal to
add "Lock Up Your Safety" to legislation in order to sneak it
through the legislature.

I urge you to oppose any attempt to add "Lock Up Your Safety" to any
piece of legislation requiring honest, law-abiding gun owners to
either keep their firearm unloaded, in a locked container and with
the ammunition stored separately or unloaded with a government
mandated "Lock-up Your Safety" device.

Anti-gunners cynically sell trigger locks as a way to prevent crime
and accidental deaths involving firearms. However, mandatory gun
storage laws create a false sense of security while effectively
disarming law-abiding citizens who keep firearms for the protection
of themselves and their families.

"Lock Up Your Safety" devices render a handgun or rifle ineffective
when most needed and leave an individual or family defenseless and
vulnerable to attack. That's because no murderer, burglar or rapist
will wait for you to "unlock" your gun from "storage" or a "trigger
lock" so honest, law-abiding gun owners will have to choose between
being defenseless or being charged with a crime.

The fact is GUNS SAVE LIVES! Firearms are used to prevent tens of
thousands of murders, rapes, thefts and assaults every year. In
fact, guns are used by law-abiding citizens more than 2.5 million
times per year in successful self-defense cases.

Therefore, I urge you to oppose any "Lock Up Your Safety" scheme and
to vote defend my Second Amendment rights at every opportunity.

Sincerely,

Name: _______________________

Address: _____________________

City/ST/Zip: __________________

***** Pre-written message to your Representative *****

Dear Representative,

Please oppose any "Lock Up Your Safety" scheme and vote to defend my
gun rights at every opportunity.

Rumor has it that anti-gunners are going to cut a backroom deal to
add "Lock Up Your Safety" to legislation in order to sneak it
through the legislature.

I urge you to oppose any attempt to add "Lock Up Your Safety" to any
piece of legislation requiring honest, law-abiding gun owners to
either keep their firearm unloaded, in a locked container and with
the ammunition stored separately or unloaded with a government
mandated "Lock-up Your Safety" device.

Anti-gunners cynically sell trigger locks as a way to prevent crime
and accidental deaths involving firearms. However, mandatory gun
storage laws create a false sense of security while effectively
disarming law-abiding citizens who keep firearms for the protection
of themselves and their families.

"Lock Up Your Safety" devices render a handgun or rifle ineffective
when most needed and leave an individual or family defenseless and
vulnerable to attack. That's because no murderer, burglar or rapist
will wait for you to "unlock" your gun from "storage" or a "trigger
lock" so honest, law-abiding gun owners will have to choose between
being defenseless or being charged with a crime.

The fact is GUNS SAVE LIVES! Firearms are used to prevent tens of
thousands of murders, rapes, thefts and assaults every year. In
fact, guns are used by law-abiding citizens more than 2.5 million
times per year in successful self-defense cases.

Therefore, I urge you to oppose any "Lock Up Your Safety" scheme and
to vote defend my Second Amendment rights at every opportunity.

Sincerely,

Name: _______________________

Address: _____________________

City/ST/Zip: __________________


***************

To find out who your Senator and Representative is, please go to
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm and under Guide to States
click on Georgia.


Georgia State Senate

Name Pty Dis Phone E-Mail

Balfour R 09 404-656-0095 SS9BALFOUR@aol.com
Beatty R 47 404-656-0057 mbeatty@legis.state.ga.us
Blitch D 07 404-656-0053
Bowen D 13 404-656-7580
Brown D 26 404-656-5035
Brush R 24 404-657-0406 jbrush@legis.state.ga.us
Burton R 05 404-656-0086
Butler D 55 404-656-0075 gbutler@legis.state.ga.us
Cable R 27 404-463-8051
Cagle R 49 404-656-6578 swcable@mindspring.com
Cheeks D 23 404-656-0045
Crotts R 17 404-656-0071
Dean D 31 404-656-5121
Fort D 39 404-656-5091 vfort@legis.state.ga.us
Gillis D 20 404-656-5080
Gingrey R 37 404-463-8055 JPGMD@mindspring.com
Golden D 08 404-656-0082 tgolden@legis.state.ga.us
Guhl R 45 404-656-0150
Haines D 46 404-656-5095 Senator@DougHaines.com
Hamrick R 30 404-656-0036 bhamrick@legis.state.ga.us
Harbison D 15 404-656-0074
Harp R 16 404-463-3931 sethharp@aol.com
Hecht D 34 404-463-8054
Hill D 04 404-656-5038 jhill@legis.state.ga.us
Hooks D 14 404-656-0065
Jackson D 50 404-656-0094 jacksonc@whitelion.net
James D 35 404-656-0049 djames@legis.state.ga.us
Johnson R 01 404-656-5109 ejohnson@legis.state.ga.us
Kemp D 03 404-656-0070
Ladd R 41 404-463-8056 bartladd@bellsouth.net
Lamutt R 21 404-656-5085 Rlamutt@mindspring.com
Lee D 29 404-463-8052 danlee@mindspring.com
Marable D 52 404-656-5120 rmarable@legis.state.ga.us
MeyerVonBremen D 12 404-656-0037 mmeyer@legis.state.ga.us
Mullis R 53 404-463-4514 jmullis@legis.state.ga.us
Paul R 40 404-656-7428 RKPaul@aol.com
Perdue R 18 404-656-6892 sperdue@legis.state.ga.us
Polak D 42 404-656-5114 mpolak@legis.state.ga.us
Price R 56 404-656-5039 tomprice@mindspring.com
Ragan D 11 404-656-0083 Raganh@Mail.Grady.pub.lib.ga.us
Ray R 48 404-656-0048 bray@legis.state.ga.us
Scott D 36 404-656-0090
Seabaugh R 28 770-656-6446 GAsenate28@aol.com
Smith D 25 404-656-0038 SenSmith@accucomm.net
Starr D 44 404-656-7586
Stephens R 51 404-656-6559
Stokes D 43 404-651-7741 cstokes@legis.state.ga.us
Streat D 19 404-656-9218 vstreat@legis.state.ga.us
Tanksley R 32 404-651-7738 charlie@browningtanksley.com
Tate D 38 404-463-8053
Thomas D R 54 404-656-6436 htate@legis.state.ga.us
Thomas N D 10 404-656-0078 nthomas@legis.state.ga.us
Thomas R D 02 404-463-7784 Rthomas@legis.state.ga.us
Thompson D 33 404-651-7738 steve@gov.state.ga.us
Walker D 22 404-656-0040
Williams R 06 404-656-0089 GaPine1@aol.com

Georgia House of Representatives

Name Pty Dis Phone E-Mail

Allen D 117 404-656-7859
Amerson R 007 404-656-0287
Anderson D 116 404-656-7859
Ashe R 046 404-656-0116 kashe46@mindspring.com
Bannister R 077 404-656-0137
Barnard R 154 404-656-0177
Barnes D 097 404-656-0287
Bell D 025 706-367-1199
Birdsong D 123 404-656-7149
Black D 178 912-559-770
Boggs D 168 912-338-0350
Bohannon R 139 404-656-0126
Bordeaux D 151 404-656-5943
Borders D 177 404-656-0287
Bridges R 009 404-656-0152
Brooks D 054 404-656-6372
Broome D 160 912-861-3593
Brown R 130 404-656-0177
Buck D 135 404-656-5103
Buckner D 095 404-656-0254
Bulloch R 180 404-656-0254
Bunn R 074 404-656-0126 bbunn@avana.net
Burkhalter R 041 404-656-0213
Burmeister R 114 706-863-3439
Byrd D 170 404-656-9198
Callaway R 081 404-656-6372
Campbell R 042 404-656-0152 tcampbel@atl.mindspring.com
Cash R 108 404-656-7859
Channell D 111 404-656-0213
Childers D 013 404-656-5141
Coan R 082 404-656-0325
Coleman B R 080 404-656-0177
Coleman T D 142 404-656-5052
Collins R 029 770-438-2368
Connell D 115 404-656-5072
Cooper R 031 404-656-0314
Cox R 105 404-656-0314
Crawford R 129 404-656-0152
Cummings D 027 404-656-5143
Davis R 060 404-656-0109
Day R 153 404-656-0254 burkeday@cris.com
Dean D 048 404-656-0126
DeLoach B R 172 404-656-0202
DeLoach G R 119 404-656-0305
Dix R 076 404-656-0126
Dodson D 094 404-656-0152
Drenner D 066 770-448-4348
Dukes D 161 404-651-7737
Ehrhart R 036 404-656-5058 earl@earlehrhart.com
Epps D 131 404-656-0116
Everett R 163 404-656-0109
Floyd D 138 404-657-8442
Forster R 003 404-656-0220
Franklin R 039 404-656-0152
Golick R 030 404-656-0254
Graves R 125 404-656-0202
Greene D 158 404-656-7856
Hammontree R 004 404-656-0116
Hanner D 159 404-656-5912
Harbin R 113 404-656-0325
Harrell D 062 404-656-0220
Heard D 089 404-656-0220
Heckstall D 055 404-656-0220
Hembree R 098 404-656-0305
Henson D 065 404-656-0254
Hines R 038 770-528-6510
Holland D 157 404-657-8443
Holmes D 053 404-656-5115
Houston D 166 404-656-0202
Howard D 118 404-656-7859
Hudgens R 024 404-656-0177
Hudson N D 156 404-656-5115
Hudson S D 120 404-656-0325
Hugley D 133 404-656-6372
Irvin R 045 404-656-0152
Jackson D 148 404-656-3996
Jackson R 112 404-656-0305
James D 140 404-656-0213
Jamieson D 022 404-656-5064
Jenkins D 110 404-657-8443
Jennings R 063 404-656-0254
Johnson D 035 770-436-4193
Jordan D 096 770-471-3370
Joyce R 001 404-656-0265 bjoyce@mcwebs.com
Kaye R 037 404-656-0109 mkaye@gahouse.com
Keen R 174 912-634-1645
Knox R 028 770-887-0400
Lane D 146 404-656-6831
Lanier R 145 912-685-2101
Lewis R 014 404-656-0188
Lord D 121 404-656-5099
Lucas D 124 404-656-5126
Lunsford R 109 770-898-0607
Maddox D 072 404-656-0188
Mangham D 075 404-525-0100
Mann R 005 404-656-0109
Manning R 032 404-656-0287
Martin D 047 404-656-5125
Massey R 086 404-656-0305
McBee D 088 404-656-0213
McCall D 090 404-656-0287
McClinton D 068 404-656-0126
McKinney D 051 404-656-0188
Millar R 059 404-656-0116
Mills R 021 404-656-0152
Mobley D 069 404-656-0126
Morris D 155 404-656-0254
Mosley D 171 404-656-0298
Mueller R 152 404-656-0109
Murphy D 018 404-656-5020
Orrock D 056 404-656-9198
Parham D 122 404-656-5132
Parrish D 144 404-656-5096
Parsons R 040 404-656-0314 dparsons@inteliview.com
Pelote D 149 404-656-3996
Pinholster R 015 404-656-0265
Poag D 006 404-656-0298
Porter D 143 404-656-5126
Powell D 023 404-656-0287
Purcell D 147 404-657-8440
Ragas D 064 404-656-0220
Randall D 127 404-656-0325
Ray D 128 404-656-7855
Reece D 011 404-656-0126 bcrmlr@aol.com
Reed D 052 404-656-7859
Reese R 085 404-656-6372
Reichert D 126 404-656-0254
Rice R 079 404-656-0325 TQGRICE@AOL.COM
Richardson R 026 404-656-0314
Roberts D R 132 706-327-6809
Roberts L D 162 404-656-0177
Rogers D 020 404-656-0220
Royal D 164 404-656-5105
Sailor D 071 770-963-8447
Sanders R 107 404-656-0202
Scheid R 017 404-656-0137
Scott R 165 404-656-0177
Seay D 093 404-842-5032
Shanahan D 010 404-656-0298
Shaw D 176 404-656-0152
Sholar D 179 404-656-7859
Sims D 167 404-656-0287
Sinkfield D 057 404-656-9210
Skipper D 137 404-656-5024 jskipper@americuslaw.com
Smith B R 091 404-656-0305 smith98@bellsouth.net
Smith CH D 175 912-882-2264 iwrk4u@gnatnet.net
Smith CL R 019 404-656-0287
Smith L R 103 404-656-7859
Smith P D 012 404-656-5138
Smith T D 012 404-656-5069
Smith V R 102 404-656-0126
Smyre D 136 404-656-5024
Snelling R 099 404-656-0265 snelling@atl.mindspring.com
Snow D 002 404-656-7153
Squires D 078 404-656-0325
Stallings D 100 404-656-0202
Stancil R 016 404-656-0265
Stanley D 050 404-656-5024
Stanley D 049 404-656-7859
Stephens R 150 404-656-0202
Stokes D 092 404-656-0126
Stuckey D 067 404-656-6372
Taylor D 134 404-656-6372
Teague D 058 404-656-0188
Teper D 061 404-656-7855 repteper@mindspring.com
Tillman D 173 404-656-6372
Turnquest D 073 404-656-0126
Twiggs D 008 404-656-6801
Unterman R 084 404-656-0177
Walker LA D 141 404-656-5024
Walker LE R 087 404-656-0137
Watson D 070 404-656-0220
West D 101 404-656-0116
Westmoreland R 104 404-656-0177
Wiles R 034 404-656-0314 jwiles@atl.mindspring.com
Wilkinson R 043 404-843-8630
Willard R 044 770-481-7100
Williams R 083 404-656-0177 coopundr@ix.netcom.com
Wix D 033 404-656-0314
Yates R 106 404-656-0126

**************
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[hube1236]

I will call again.