Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership, Inc.
P.O. Box 270143
Hartford, WI 53027
Phone (800) 869-1884
Fax (425) 451-3959
Not Time for Gunowners to Relax
With the sunsetting of the 1994 "Assault Weapons Ban" there may be fewer firearms restrictions on the federal level, but gunowners can't relax yet. Well-organized state level gun-prohibitionists are taking up where the feds left off, proposing and enacting draconian laws restricting your rights.
- Earlier this year, California made waves in RKBA circles by banning the .50 caliber rifle. Similar prohibition campaigns against the .50 caliber have been launched in other state legislatures, including Connecticut, Maryland, Washington and Colorado.
- Iowa's Senate recently introduced Senate Bill 207, which would criminalize the ownership of any "semiautomatic assault weapon". Persons who lawfully possess firearms designated as "assault weapon" on the effective date of the law would be allowed to keep their firearms, provided that they obtain a "permit to possess assault weapons" from their county sheriff. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Connolly (D), Dvorsky (D), Lundby (R), and Tinsman (R).
- Oregon's State Senator Ginny Burdick (D) introduced FIVE new bills to the Oregon state Senate over the past week. The bills ban the sale of so-called "assault weapons" and high-capacity magazines and require permits for those residents who already own semi-automatic rifles. Even advertising the sale of semi-automatic rifles would garner jail-time and thousands of dollars in fines.
- Maryland Assemblyman Neil Quinter (D) introduced legislation that would prohibit the possession and transfer of "assault weapons" within the state; the list includes both pistols and rifles, as well as "copycats". Current owners are grandfathered in ... providing they register their firearms with local law enforcement.
- Senator Adam Kline (D) of the Washington State Senate is pushing a series of bills which would ban the sale of semi-automatic rifles, hunting rifles, shotguns and of course, the .50 caliber rifle mentioned earlier. One of the bills -- SB 5342 -- imposes fines and jail time if a child obtains your loaded firearm, even if no harm resulted. Another -- SB 5475 -- grandfathers in current owners, but imposes draconian limitations including permits (renewed annually), annual background checks, and even annual home inspections to ensure the firearms are stored per regulation!
- Not wanting to be left out of the fun, the New York State Assembly recently introduced bill A.2466, which expands a current ban on "assault weapons" by redefining the term. Additionally, A.2466 would require those who currently own a so-called "assault weapon" to either register it, make it inoperable, or turn it over to the police. Anyone choosing to register their firearms would be forced to undergo a NICS check and would be required to have the firearm tested for entry in to the state's ballistic imaging program.
This is not a coincidence by any stretch of the imagination. No, this is a deliberate, coordinated attack on YOUR right to bear arms. The anti-gun Legal Community Against Violence, for example, states unequivocally in its mission statement, "In the absence of comprehensive federal regulation, it is up to state and local governments to adopt policies to prevent gun violence." They even offer a legal primer for banning "assault weapons" at the state and local level.
And it's working.
JPFO has no position whatsoever on _any_ legislation due to our 501(c)(3) status. Instead, we believe that education and cultural change are the best ways to prevent the erosion of rights. Educated citizens would not support bills like the above or the politicians who try to force those bills upon us. We offer a variety of hard-hitting, educational tools to win hearts and minds so all Americans will become supporters of the Second Amendment:
- Our award-winning documentary Innocents Betrayed shows the connection between licensing, permits, and registration which leads to confiscation and ultimately genocide.
- Our recently-released video BATFE Fails the Test documents an attempt by the BATFE to railroad the innocent owner of a semi- automatic rifle with manufactured charges.
- Our line of Gran'pa Jack comic-style booklets, which break down complex topics such as "gun control" into easily an easily understood and readable form.
These and other valuable resources are available at the JPFO online store. Use them to open the eyes of your friends, associates, and others to understand what happens when the state controls your ability to defend your life.
- The Liberty Crew