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Thursday, August 23, 2007
Brace yourself for another fight over guns in company lots
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Remember that huge fight this spring between Republicans in the state Senate and the National Rifle Association?
It’s back again.
The topic, if you’ve forgotten, is whether employees should have the right to keep firearms in automobiles parked on company lots. Fistfights nearly broke out last time between property rights advocates and enthusiasts of the Second Amendment.
We’re got our hands on a fund-raising “Georgia Legislative Alert” from the NRA’s branch that lobbies state assemblies around the country.
“The Brady Center and gun-ban lawyers representing major corporate interests have teamed up to wage war on law-abiding gun owners who store their firearms in their cars or trucks in parking lots during work hours,” the letter asserts.
The NRA is asking for postcards to be sent to legislators in support of H.B. 89.
This particular letter, page one and page two, urges contact with state Sen. Ronnie Chance (R-Tyrone) and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.
See the postcard topic on the jump.
Dear Senator _______:
I urge you in the strongest possible way to give your vigorous support to legislation to protect the rights of law abiding workers to store firearms in their vehicles in parking lots. Don’t let the Brady Campaign and anti gun corporate lawyers destroy opportunities for Georgia citizens to go hunting or target shooting before or after work. And don’t let them undermine our Right-to-Carry law by prohibiting workers from having firearms in their vehicles. This issue is important to me—and your help on this bill will be important to me in future elections! Thank you.
Sincerely ______________
Instructions on how to hold your very own presidential rally
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This week, the Washington Post published an article about a White House manual from 2002 that explains how presidential advance teams are to keep demonstrators and the indifferent away from President Bush at public appearances around the country.
The piece said the manual “recently” came to light. Truth be told, it was posted on the ACLU web site on June 28. That kind of recent.
And so, courtesy of the ACLU, this newspaper is proud to provide you with your own copy of the Presidential Advance Manual, obtained from the Office of Presidential Advance via a lawsuit.
Kids, print this out and take it to school. Impress your teacher. Most of the pages have been redacted for security reasons, but that only increases the panache of such a document.
And what’s left can easily be applied to those upcoming class elections. For instance:
— Tickets behind the president should be reserved for those “extremely supportive of the administration.”
— “All presidential events must be ticketed or accessed by a name list. This is the best method for preventing demonstrators.”
— “Work with the Secret Service and have them ask the local police department to designate a protest area where demonstrators can be placed, preferably not in view of the event site or the motorcade route.”
— “The formation of ‘rally squads is a common way to prepare for demonstrators by countering their message…The rally squad’s task is to use their signs and banners as shields between the demonstrators and the main press platform.”
— “As a last resort security should remove the demonstrators from the event site. The rally squads can include, but are not limited to, college/young republican organizations, local athletic teams, and fraternities/sororities.”
— “For larger rallies…at least one squad should be ‘roaming’ throughout the perimeter of the event to look for potential problems.”
— “Remember avoid physical contact with demonstrators! Most often, the demonstrators want a physical confrontation. Do not fall into their trap! Also, do not do anything or say anything that might result in the physical harm to demonstrators.”
In other words, crying out, “Seize them!” is inadvisable, unless approved by a senior member of the advance team.
Now, go forth — and good luck with your own campaigns.
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