Saturday, May 28, 2011

Will gun owner apathy enable ATF’s ‘emergency’ long gun registration scheme?

“Comments for multiple rifle sales reporting re-opened,” Chris Knox of The Firearms Coalition reported yesterday.

The comment period for the ATF’s proposed “temporary,” emergency regulation requiring firearms dealers to file reports every time someone purchases more than one semi-auto long gun was reopened, but that comment period closes this Tuesday, May 31.

They share some disturbing, inexcusable news:

During the last comment period on this gun owners were outnumbered by the prohibitionists. That should NEVER happen! We outnumber them 10 to one and our response to outrageous proposals like this should reflect that numbers advantage.

“Profiles in apathy.” You know, inaction by gun owners that enables “gun control," derails valiant efforts and disheartens those who continually find themselves carrying an inordinate share of the burden?

Those who’ve done nothing to date: What excuse do you have?

Particularly in light of this reminder:

The ATF claims the reporting is necessary to combat the flow of firearms across the border into Mexico, but in light of the “Gunwalker” scandal currently being investigated in Congress and by the Justice Department Inspector General’s office, it looks like ATF is the problem, not the solution.

Read the rest of Knox’s analysis, but don’t stop there. Use his sample comment or create one of your own, and send it in. Now. And copy your senators and representatives. Now.

Here:

oira_submission@omb.eop.gov

Here:

http://www.senate.gov/

Here:

http://www.house.gov/

Could it possibly be made any easier?

And then tell every one of your gun-owning friends. And bug the hell out of them to follow suit.

Or do nothing, and embolden and enable the opposition. It’s up to you.

UPDATE: I am advised the antis got that superior ratio by using an automated form emailer. Activists on our side are fighting fire with fire and could not have made things any easier for us.

UPDATE 2: Kurt Hofmann is in no damn mood for excuses.

Also see:
ATF ‘emergency’ long gun reporting an agenda-driven power grab
‘Project Gunwalker’ protest can help kill ATF’s long gun reporting proposal
A journalist’s guide to ‘Project Gunwalker' Part One, Part Two and Part Three for a complete list with links of independent investigative reporting and commentary done to date by Sipsey Street Irregulars and Gun Rights Examiner.

Note to newcomers to this story: “Project Gunrunner” is the name ATF assigned to its Southwest Border Initiative to interdict gun smuggling to Mexico. “Project Gunwalker” is the name I assigned to the scandal after allegations by agents that monitored guns were allowed to fall into criminal hands on both sides of the border through a surveillance process termed “walking” surfaced.

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