Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > March > 26 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USNRA loses senator, who says gun group acting like ‘hysterical teenaged girl’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The National Rifle Association has apparently lost state Sen. John Douglas (R-Social Circle) in its effort to drum up support for S.B. 43, the bill to permit employees to keep guns in cars parked on corporate parking lots.
Over the weekend, the NRA sent out a crush of e-mails to members, accusing many big corporations — United Parcel Service, Wal-Mart and AFLAC among them — of curtailing Second Amendment rights.
Douglas is important as a bellwether. He’s one of the most conservative Republicans in the Senate, and usually supports NRA-backed legislation. Check out this bottom-to-top exchange of e-mails between the senator and a voter in south Georgia, distributed today by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
In the finale, Douglas accuses the NRA of “acting like a hysterical teenaged girl.” We’ve removed the e-mail and street address of the voter.
Here ‘tis:
From: Douglas, John [mailto:John.Douglas@senate.ga.gov]
Sent: Sat 3/24/2007 11:28 PM
To: Keith L.
Subject: RE: SB 43
While you are contacting others, contact the NRA and tell them their bullying, threatening tactics are backfiring. I have for the past two years earned an A+ and A rating from them and supported their efforts all the way. They are accusing every major company in Georgia of being anti gun, sending out their alerts every few hours naming more companies as anti gun and acting like a hysterical teenaged girl.
They are falling on their swords over this bill and so am I. There is no way I would vote yes with the way they are conducting themselves.
I am sorry we have come to this point and I look forward to supporting logical, rational gun legislation in the future, but not SB 43. I appreciate your efforts, but the NRA is making their supporters look foolish on this one.
By the way, Sen Tommie Williams is your Senator. He is an excellent, articulate spokesman for southeast Georgia. Feel free to call on him at tommie@tommiewilliams.com
John Douglas
From: Keith L.
Sent: Sat 3/24/2007 11:21 PM
To: Douglas, John
Subject: Re: SB 43
Sorry to hear that. I’ll let others know how you feel. Thanks anyway.
From: Douglas, John John.Douglas@senate.ga.gov
To: Keith L.
Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2007 8:53 PM
Subject: RE: SB 43
Don’t count on me, I dont represent Lyons and am voting NO.
John Douglas
From: Keith L.
Sent: Sat 3/24/2007 10:38 PM
To: Douglas, John
Subject: SB 43
I’m counting on you to stand up for me & get SB 43 to the floor & support it . It’s time to put a stop of having our Second Amendment rights played with.
Keith L.
Lyons, Ga.
Services »
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Oliver
March 26, 2007 10:12 AM | Link to this
I am for SB43. I grew up on a farm and had my own rifle at eleven years old. I have always own guns and will always!
If somone trys to have a shootout in the company parking lot at least you are able to defend yourself. Of course I am not and I mean NOT for drive-by shootings.
Oh yes it would be wise to have a trigger lock just incase one of the little learn how to knock the safety off.
By Earl
March 26, 2007 11:00 AM | Link to this
Love it.
NRA = hysterical teenage girl
Perfect.
By Craig
March 26, 2007 11:28 AM | Link to this
Se. Douglas,
As my senator I thank you for standing up to this intimidation and abuse of using the Second Amendment to supercede property rights. To those who think that the Second Amendment supercedes all other rights, they need to go back to school and take a Constitutional Law class. Your rights are protected until they interfere with my rights. If I deem my property, both private and business, a gun-free zone, I am well within my rights to do so. I do not want a shootout in which everyone with a gun goes running back into my building shooting each other including law enforcement. Law enforcement will lock the building down so if you come running out to your car, you aren’t going back in. If you were to make it back in, who is to say law enforcement doesn’t mistake you as a criminal? How can they trust someone with a firearm running around the building? You are as guilty as anyone else in their eyes and you could be shot and killed in the process.
It will take cooler heads like Sen. Douglas to resolve this issue. I am glad to see my senator is one who can handle this and chase off special interests.
By ts
March 26, 2007 11:55 AM | Link to this
As an avid supporter of the 2nd amendment and a member of the NRA…I am disgusted at the tactics the NRA is now using. I am canceling my membership with the NRA and continuing my fight for 2nd amendment rights with another organization that will conduct itself with some honor and dignity.
By Jim's a Cherry Picker
March 26, 2007 2:46 PM | Link to this
Don’t forget about Al Qaeda.
When they attack, it will come at our places of work.
By liberalandproud
March 26, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this
As an hysterical teenage girl, I would like to notify Senator Douglas of my intention to sue him for libel for comparing me to the NRA. ; p
By Bo
March 26, 2007 3:35 PM | Link to this
FROM MY COLD DEAD HAND
By Tony
March 26, 2007 3:41 PM | Link to this
Jim’s a Cherry Picker has turned into Rambo and plans on pulling out his M-60 to gun down all of Al Qaeda at work.
By Bo
March 26, 2007 4:25 PM | Link to this
Once we’re done with the heathens, we’re going after the Godless Libs.
By Bull Moose
March 26, 2007 4:42 PM | Link to this
Thank you Senator Douglas. I don’t agree with you much, but thanks for having the guts to stand up to the NRA on this issue.
By Tom
March 26, 2007 7:20 PM | Link to this
Folks this is about protecting the 2nd Amendment from anti-gun businesses plain and simple. Over the weekend, the Georgia Traditional Manufacturers Association, in a position paper prepared for legislators, said the following:
*“Supporters of the bill who favor placing gun rights above the rights of private property owners rely on a questionable understanding of Second Amendment rights for legitimacy. Often the NRA and its supporters will argue that individual gun ownership is an inalienable right provided for in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. This is not consistent, however, with the text of that amendment nor with the courts that have interpreted it. The federal courts have consistently upheld restrictions on individual gun ownership and recognized that the origins of the Second Amendment arose from the needs of collective defense at the time the nation was founded.
The Second Amendment states: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” The “militia” at the time the Bill of Rights was adopted referred to state-run militias, which were viewed as an important counterbalance to the power of the federal army. Modern gun control laws do not impact the operation of state militias and therefore do not raise Second Amendment concerns.”*
If a business can prohibit an employee or customer from keeping a firearm in a vehicle, what else can it prohibit. Last year in Florida, some business groups argued they could even ban bibles. Vehicles are private property as well and people have legitimate property rights where their vehicles and their vehicles contents are concerned.
By Tom is a commie?
March 26, 2007 9:20 PM | Link to this
Tom—since when did property rights not matter? Can I drive my car in your yard, spin it around a bit and mess up your grass? Why not?
I’m a gun owner. I think its BS I can’t carry my cgun to public gatherings or the public library parking lot. But if I don’t want my employees bringing a gun, pot, child, etc. to work, then I have the right to do what I want with my property. The constitution isn’t enforceable against private individuals . Go shoot yourself.
By Tony
March 26, 2007 10:16 PM | Link to this
So Tom you think it is OK to use government power to restrict or regulate private property? You have no qualms about using government to erode private property rights? If government has the power to force guns on people’s property even if they do not want to, where does that power stop?
You step foot on someone’s property you agree to honor their property rights - their Constitutional rights. What makes you think you have more rights than they on their own property? Are you no different than the British government or military in trampling the rights won during the American Revolution? Have you forgotten that property rights were as essential as gun rights?
By Schumacher
March 26, 2007 10:20 PM | Link to this
There are also property rights attributed to individuals within the confines of a vehicle; it is their property. They have been invited onto the property. I understand the limitations being exercised as far as possession within the building, but prior to that, I think it is a reach.
By BURT RUFFTON
March 27, 2007 10:18 AM | Link to this
ELECT FRED THOMPSON AS PRES AND NEWT AS VICE PRES TO SOLVE OUR PROBELMS
By Craig
March 27, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this
Burt,
I take it you like Fred’s support of McCain-Feingold?
By Tim
March 27, 2007 9:33 PM | Link to this
The US constitution is not about giving government the power to interpret rights. It’s about what Government cannot do to our rights. private property is the staple of all Freedom & Liberty. Though My Car may be parked in my Employers Parking area. The Car is still MY PROPERTY! SEPERATE from the employers property even though it is PARKED their upon his property, it is a seperate entity in its own right and deserves rights protection to its’ owner. My Car is not your property Mr Business owner. It just so happens to be the conveiance of the day to which is the standard. If we were still riding horses. They would be no way in the heavens you’d be able to tell me that I could’nt have a rifle in a scabbard on my Saddle. The problem with congressmen is they forget that all our rights aren’t up to their interpretations. Or anyone elses.
We aren’t your servants…….
By Tim
March 27, 2007 9:52 PM | Link to this
I tell ya how stupid this all is. Even if the law did not pass to pffft allow employees (Free citizens) to have their firearms in their cars. A large percentgae will still do IT! How would anyone know unless you broke into it or illegally searched My CAR?
What stinks is Laws are being passed that allow other laws that Protect privacy to be broken. In the name of enforcing a law? Which is unconstitutional to begin WITH! But only because the majority says it is? I’m sorry, but did we turn into a communist country somewhere along the line and someone forgot to tell Us? Or are we just turning into a Communist country period?