Gun control education bill stalls for the moment!!
For those that may not receive email alerts from GOA, I thought I would pass this along.
Quote:
Thursday, September 25, 2003
Your activism has gotten the attention of folks on Capitol Hill.
Here' s what has happened since GOA sent out the last alert on
H.R. 1078, the bill that would set up Presidential Academies for
training teachers -- training that would almost certainly track the
anti-gun curriculum which is now being taught in schools:
* After hearing from gun owners, one cosponsor of the bill, Rep.
Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), has removed her name as cosponsor of the
bill;
* Other cosponsors have called the GOA offices, now that they have
been made aware of the dangers in the bill because of the calls
and e-mails coming from their constituents -- specifically, gun
owners;
* Hill sources have told GOA that a group of current cosponsors of
H.R. 1078 have indicated they might remove their names from the
bill; and
* The White House (which is in strong support of this bill) called
Gun Owners of America to express their concern over the mounting
opposition against the bill.
A White House spokesman called GOA Executive Director Larry Pratt
last week in an attempt to allay our fears with the bill. The White
House repeated several times that gun owners were an important
constituency, and they wanted to assure us that there were no
mandates in the bill that would endanger gun owners rights.
" Not true," Pratt responded, " federal funding equals mandates." The
bill authorizes millions of dollars to be spent for training
teachers in history and civics. We have already seen how such
" strings" have moved education in this country towards a pro-UN and
anti-gun direction in the subsidized textbooks which are currently
being used in public schools.
For example, " We the People" -- a federally subsidized textbook --
chips away at our national sovereignty, praises our dependence upon
the United Nations, downplays the Founders' vision on the importance
of federalism, and desecrates the Bill of Rights, suggesting that
our Second Amendment rights are not relevant for today.
As we reported earlier, supporters of H.R. 1078 wanted to get the
bill to the President before Constitution Day on September 17. But
thanks to your activism, the bill has stalled for now.
Because of the defections (mentioned above), the bill' s prime
sponsor is considering amendments to " improve" the bill and
safeguard the rights of gun owners. While GOA appreciates such
efforts, we have reminded Hill offices that the Constitution offers
no authority at all for spending money in this area.
ACTION: Please contact the White House and let the folks there hear
gun owners' concerns directly. They are already feeling the heat
from Representatives in Congress (who in turn, were feeling the heat
from you guys). But the White House is still pushing strongly in
favor of this bill. It is important that they hear directly from
you.
Gun control education bill stalls for the moment!!
