05-28-2010, 01:49 PM
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President of the NRA, had this to say on May 25, 2010. It is posted on the [url "http://dataservices.nranews.com/svc/nra_classic"][#0000bf]NRA News[/#0000bf][/url] website.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000]When I spoke to NRA members in Charlotte, I noted that there is a sickness in this country. Americans are sick and tired of the lies and corruption in Washington, D.C. They're sick of politicians who are more willing to stand up TO voters, rather than standing up for them. And when the president of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, recently spoke before a joint session of Congress, Americans saw firsthand what I'm talking about.[/#000000][/font][/size]
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[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000]Calderon used his speech to blast both Arizona's new immigration law and our constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms. He implored Congress to pass sweeping legislation banning semi-automatic rifles, contending that our gun laws are to blame for the violence inflicted by Mexico's drug cartels.[/#000000][/font][/size]
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[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000]I'm used to seeing craven politicians blame law-abiding gun owners for the actions of violent criminals, but what happened after President Calderon's finger pointing did take me by surprise. Dozens of our representatives stood and gave Calderon a standing ovation. Those elected officials looked ready and willing to cast away your rights just because a foreign leader says we shouldn't have them anymore.[/#000000][/font][/size]
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[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000]Calderon said that 80% of the firearms recovered in Mexico and submitted for tracing come from the United States. But what Calderon didn't say is what percentage of firearms recovered are actually submitted for tracing. Last year, ATF Deputy Director Bill McMahon told Congress that of the 100,000 firearms Mexico claims to have seized since 2006, just 20,000 were submitted for tracing. And of those 20,000, just 7,900 were traced back to a sale by a federally licensed firearms retailer here in the U.S.[/#000000][/font][/size]
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[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000]While Calderon was receiving a standing ovation from the likes of Nancy Pelosi, he conveniently ignored the inescapable fact that the drug cartels are using the international black market to get their hands on military-grade firepower. An Associated Press story from May 17th covered a grenade attack on a television station in the state of Nayarit. Newsweek reported on May 19th that an internal report from Mexico's government showed the cartels "now pack explosive, armor-piercing bullets; fragmentation grenades; missile launchers; and even antiaircraft guns," none of which can be found at your local gun store.[/#000000][/font][/size]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][size 4]Felipe Calderon can ignore these facts. Anti-gun politicians in Congress can ignore these facts. The Obama administration can ignore these facts. But as long as these officials try to scapegoat our Right to Keep and Bear Arms instead of dealing with reality, don't expect a lot of progress in the fight against the increasingly militarized drug cartels south of our border.[/size][/#000000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4][/size][/#800000][/font]
[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000]When I spoke to NRA members in Charlotte, I noted that there is a sickness in this country. Americans are sick and tired of the lies and corruption in Washington, D.C. They're sick of politicians who are more willing to stand up TO voters, rather than standing up for them. And when the president of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, recently spoke before a joint session of Congress, Americans saw firsthand what I'm talking about.[/#000000][/font][/size]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][size 4] [/size][/#000000][/font]
[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000]Calderon used his speech to blast both Arizona's new immigration law and our constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms. He implored Congress to pass sweeping legislation banning semi-automatic rifles, contending that our gun laws are to blame for the violence inflicted by Mexico's drug cartels.[/#000000][/font][/size]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][size 4] [/size][/#000000][/font]
[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000]I'm used to seeing craven politicians blame law-abiding gun owners for the actions of violent criminals, but what happened after President Calderon's finger pointing did take me by surprise. Dozens of our representatives stood and gave Calderon a standing ovation. Those elected officials looked ready and willing to cast away your rights just because a foreign leader says we shouldn't have them anymore.[/#000000][/font][/size]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][size 4] [/size][/#000000][/font]
[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000]Calderon said that 80% of the firearms recovered in Mexico and submitted for tracing come from the United States. But what Calderon didn't say is what percentage of firearms recovered are actually submitted for tracing. Last year, ATF Deputy Director Bill McMahon told Congress that of the 100,000 firearms Mexico claims to have seized since 2006, just 20,000 were submitted for tracing. And of those 20,000, just 7,900 were traced back to a sale by a federally licensed firearms retailer here in the U.S.[/#000000][/font][/size]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][size 4] [/size][/#000000][/font]
[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000]While Calderon was receiving a standing ovation from the likes of Nancy Pelosi, he conveniently ignored the inescapable fact that the drug cartels are using the international black market to get their hands on military-grade firepower. An Associated Press story from May 17th covered a grenade attack on a television station in the state of Nayarit. Newsweek reported on May 19th that an internal report from Mexico's government showed the cartels "now pack explosive, armor-piercing bullets; fragmentation grenades; missile launchers; and even antiaircraft guns," none of which can be found at your local gun store.[/#000000][/font][/size]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][size 4] [/size][/#000000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][size 4]Felipe Calderon can ignore these facts. Anti-gun politicians in Congress can ignore these facts. The Obama administration can ignore these facts. But as long as these officials try to scapegoat our Right to Keep and Bear Arms instead of dealing with reality, don't expect a lot of progress in the fight against the increasingly militarized drug cartels south of our border.[/size][/#000000][/font]
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Bob Hicks, from Utah
I'm 82 years young and going as hard as I can for as long as I can.
"Free men do not ask permission to bear arms."
I'm 82 years young and going as hard as I can for as long as I can.
"Free men do not ask permission to bear arms."
