Women's Shooting Sports League

Guns in Church?

2009-02-15T08:34:00.000-08:00

Last week a bill was passed to allow concealed carry in churches.

From the AP:
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Some pastors are concerned about a bill in the Arkansas Senate that would allow concealed weapons in churches.

“I believe it would disturb the sanctity and tranquillity of church,” said Pastor John Phillips, a shooting victim who opposes the measure.

Churches would be allowed to bar guns, but, Mr. Phillips said, “Do you want ushers to stop you at the door and frisk you?”

The bill’s supporters say the issue is not about gun rights but a constitutionally protected right for churches to set their own rules.

Grant Exton, the executive director of the Arkansas Concealed Carry Association, said that allowing concealed weapons would not make churches more likely to have volatile situations, but that that was not the point.

It is a problem of the government “telling churches what to do in an area of moral issue, where that should be none of their business,” Mr. Exton said.

Of 48 states that allow concealed carry, 42 let churches make the decision, he said.

To view the rest of this article, go here.

Interested to hear what you think about this!
Cathryne

More AHSA

2009-02-04T15:20:00.000-08:00

The message below is from the American Hunters and Shooters Association, an affiliation I could (probably) live with....if, and that's a big "IF" there, the WSSL needs an affiliation.

I'd like to talk to others in the group to see if we could stay away from what many of us feel is the extremism of the NRA -- in our case that is the NY State Rifle and Pistol Association, the "local" of the NRA. For some reason we even have their letters sewn into our shirts.

_______________________

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January 12, 2009
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Dear Margit,

It was a crazy election; especially because of the NRA leadership’s vow to spend $40 million to scare voters into defeating Obama and his so-called "gun-grabbing" cohorts. I've been saying for years that we shouldn't cede the gun vote to the NRA. There are over 80 million gun owners in the U.S. and fewer than 3 million belong to that group. They do not speak for all of us – especially those of us who are Democrats, progressives and conservationists. That's why I started the American Hunters and Shooters Association and why I'm ecstatic that Obama won.

In honor of this moment we have produced a full-size vinyl bumper sticker that we are giving out for free if you click here My organization, AHSA, is dedicated to issues like public access, conservation and global warming, which have been ignored by the gun lobby for too long, and when we looked at the two candidates running for president, we saw clearly that only one of them "got it," and that was Barack Obama. Obama didn’t pretend to be a gun owner, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t understand the concerns of sportsmen. In addition, he is a constitutional scholar who agrees that gun ownership is an individual right, and he knows that guns are viewed differently in different parts of the country.

Click here for your free Pro Gun/Pro Obama bumpersticker!At AHSA, we spent far less than the NRA’s $40 million dollars, but we didn’t campaign on fear. Time and time again the folks I met said they had enough of the NRA fear mongering and crying wolf. And as we move from the election into the inauguration of our new president, we are glad to see that the extreme agenda of the NRA has been exposed.

Click here for your free Pro Gun/Pro Obama bumpersticker! Thank you for taking the time to take in my thoughts and I hope you take up my offer for the sticker!

Warmest regards,
Ray Schoenke, President

Kick off the inauguration with your free bumper sticker
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Why I'm looking at AHSA positions

2009-02-04T15:12:00.001-08:00

Dear Margit-
Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2009! Here at AHSA, we've started the new year by adding new key staff, and opening a new headquarters.
I've also posted a new blog entry on the AHSA website today (I have attached it below). And, next week we will be launching a place for you to sign up to receive a free "Pro-Gun, Pro-Obama" bumper sticker in appreciation for your support!
Thanks,
Ray
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My latest blog entry:
In 2008, NRA Shot Blanks. American Hunters and Shooters Hit the Target.By Ray Schoenke at January 6, 2009 - 5:08pm
I just got back from spending the holidays with my family out on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where I got in some great time with the grandkids. I was able to sneak out to the duck blind early in the mornings and do a little shooting. That always gives me some time to think.

It's been a couple years since we started the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA). And, I have to admit, it's exceeded my expectations especially as I look back at the last year and what we accomplished. While I was out there I realized it has been just over a year since I wrote my first diary on DailyKos, on the subject of how global warming was impacting hunting. This community has been very suppo rtive of our work. So many of you share both my commitment to gun rights and my love for the environment.

It's been a crazy year, especially because of the NRA leadership's vow to spend $40 million to scare voters into defeating Obama and his so-called "gun-grabbing" cohorts.Let me tell you straight out, the NRA failed. In 10 of the 11 states where the NRA Political Victory Fund's efforts against Obama were concentrated -- gun-friendly regions in states like Colorado, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico - they lost. They got Texas right; McCain won, but was that state was ever in doubt? Today, as the new Congress is sworn in, we're seeing a slew of new members who defeated NRA-backed incumbents and candidates. And in House contests, NRA-backed candidates in pro-gun states, like Ed Tinsley (NM), Bill Sali (ID), Steve Chabot (OH), and Phil English (PA), also lost. For their efforts, the National Journal (sub. req.) ranked the group #2 in their "Bottom Five" of effective political gr oups. On the plus side, the NRA's histrionics and fear-mongering tactics did succeed in bolstering gun sales after the election, which is a good thing in this dreadful economy.

So why is the NRA "shooting blanks" these days? Because they don't get it. The landscape has changed. With the Supreme Court overturning the D.C. gun ban, our gun rights are secure and government confiscation is off the table. Now, we can actually talk about responsible gun laws, conservation, public access, global warming - and even the economy. My organization, AHSA, is dedicated to these issues, and when we looked at the two candidates running for president, we saw clearly that only one of them "got it," and that was Barack Obama. Obama didn't pretend to be a gun owner, but that doesn't mean he didn't understand the concerns of sportsmen. In addition, he is a constitutional scholar who agrees that gun ownership is an individual right, and he knows that guns are viewed differently in different parts of the country.

So we went all out for Obama. I was a fulltime surrogate for the campaign and did more than thirty campaign events in Ohio, Florida, Colorado and Minnesota. The campaign aired a radio ad in the battleground states and a YouTube video that featured me, and sent direct mail with my face on it as we ll. AHSA also ran an extensive outreach campaign to dispel the myths and lies the NRA was promoting in the swing states. The AFL-CIO also touted our endorsement of Obama in mailers to gun owners in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.Furthermore, our success against the NRA was mirrored at the congressional level, too. We worked to educate folks about nine Senate and House candidates this year. Seven won and their terms start today. This includes Senate candidates Kay Hagan (NC), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Mark Udall (CO) and Tom Udall (NM) and House Candidates Walt Minnick (ID-01), Harry Teague (NM-02) and Eric Massa (NY-29). We also endorsed Delaware's new Governor, Jack Markell. At AHSA, we spent far less than the NRA's $40 million dollars, but we didn't campaign on fear. Time and time again the folks I met said they had enough of the NRA fear-mongering and crying "Wolf". And as we move from the election into the inauguration of our new president, we are glad to see that the extreme right-wing agenda of the NRA has been exposed. Folks are no longer buying their "snake-oil" style politics, and we are excited to see what change the Obama administration brings to our great country. I've already met wi th the Obama transition team. I'll do everything I can to make sure the new administration keeps our issues front and center.