Did 1994 teach the Democrats NOTHING?

[sinanju]

Lifted wholesale from blishlock because he makes an excellent argument.

From http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR01022:@@@P

Author: McCarthy, Carolyn [D-NY-4] - 2/13/07

Rep Ackerman, Gary L. [D-NY-5] - 3/7/2007
Rep Berman, Howard L. [D-CA-28] - 3/13/2007
Rep Capps, Lois [D-CA-23] - 3/9/2007
Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [D-MO-1] - 3/9/2007
Rep Crowley, Joseph [D-NY-7] - 3/7/2007
Rep DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1] - 3/13/2007
Rep Delahunt, William D. [D-MA-10] - 3/13/2007
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-14] - 3/9/2007
Rep Fattah, Chaka [D-PA-2] - 3/7/2007
Rep Filner, Bob [D-CA-51] - 3/7/2007
Rep Frank, Barney [D-MA-4] - 3/7/2007
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [D-AZ-7] - 3/9/2007
Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI-2] - 3/13/2007
Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] - 3/7/2007
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-14] - 3/7/2007
Rep Markey, Edward J. [D-MA-7] - 3/13/2007
Rep McGovern, James P. [D-MA-3] - 3/13/2007
Rep Meehan, Martin T. [D-MA-5] - 3/7/2007
Rep Miller, Brad [D-NC-13] - 3/9/2007
Rep Moran, James P. [D-VA-8] - 3/7/2007
Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [D-NJ-8] - 3/13/2007
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9] - 3/7/2007
Rep Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-29] - 3/7/2007
Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [D-NY-28] - 3/13/2007
Rep Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD-8] - 3/7/2007
Rep Wexler, Robert [D-FL-19] - 3/9/2007

I also decided to write some personal thoughts from some discussions over the last few days. Some of these might upset a few folks so I put them behind a cut. That and it's long... Really long.





Over the last few days I got to talk with some of my friends and business associates, many of them being other FFLs (lawful firearms dealers) and some being SOTs (one Class I importer, a few Class II manufacturers, and a some Class III dealers). H.R. 1022 is a worry; it'd definitely put a damper on business and would drive a few completely out of business. Oh, we've all seen our sales rise-- folks are running us out of AR15 lowers, AK flats and receivers, some magazines (factory Glock, USGI AR15 20 and 30 rounders, and Springfield XD mags readily come to mind) are getting harder to find.

I suppose we should be happy to see our sales increase, I suppose we should be happy to see rarity and desirability of our products rising... But no one is happy. We got into the firearms industry because we love it. Some of us took huge pay cuts after leaving other professions but lead much happier lives as a result. Others started with firearms and don't know anything else. A few folks do this as a sideline and have a "day job."

So yeah, it's nice to have more money coming in. But we don't want it at the expense of our sport.

We're all realizing the same thing, something that a lot of folks don't want to face or don't want to realize.

There's a D after each name. That D stands for Democrat. Right now we've got one Democrat who made a ban to beat all bans and 26 other Democrats putting their name to that ban.

2006 was a referendum over Iraq. I know that, you know that, and all of the folks I mentioned above (both my friends and all of those 26 cosponsors) know that. Democrats got in because the Republicans let their power go to their heads and suffered from massive amounts of hubris. Democrats got in because Republicans were spending like drunken sailors in a bar on payday.

We, the voters of America, got a lot tossed at us prior to the 2006 elections. We heard about the war. We heard about mismanagement. We heard about Scooter Libby and Mark Foley and Bob Taft.

I can't argue with any of that. Republicans screwed up. Big time.

I can argue with what we were told by the Democrats. More specifically, I can argue with what I've heard from others who encouraged me to vote Democrat. I was told - over and over again - that Democrats had learned the lessons of 1994. More specifically, they learned that their 12 year thumping was due in good part to the Assault Weapons Ban.

Looks like they haven't learned a thing. They still want to ban and restrict Americans from owning firearms that they don't think we should be able to own.

I suppose this should turn into a rant against Democrats and those that voted for them, but that won't do much of anything for anybody. Instead, I just want to ask one simple question:

Is this what it really what it all comes down to? Is our choice either loss of our Second Amendment rights by Democrats or putting up with funny business by Republicans?

Is this the trade many Americans must decide upon? Must we give up either the Second Amendment or give up hope of clean government?

I, like many of my friends and business associates, are registered Republicans. Some are Libertarians and a few are independents. We may not agree with everything that went on from 2000 to 2006, but 1994 taught us who believed we had the right to exist as lawful firearms importers/manufacturers/dealers. In 2006 we heard that the Democrats, those who persecuted* us so strongly from 1994-1999, had learned from their mistakes and would welcome us back. Some believed. We all wanted to believe.

*Look at ATF activities between 1994-2000 and the drop in the number of FFLs if you think "persecuted" is too strong of a word.

On January 04, 2007, the new Democrat-controlled 110th Congress was sworn into office.

Tomorrow is March 15, 2007, exactly 10 weeks from the day that this new 110th Congress was sworn into office.

In those mere 10 weeks we have gone from being carefree lawful firearms owners and content (if not somewhat bored) FFLs to returning to the paranoia of 1994. Runs on guns and lowers... Empty shelves... Outages at the wholesale level...

...and it's all because of 27 Democrats.

So, what am I? Frustrated? Disappointed? Angry? All of those, I suppose. That and an emotion I really can't describe too well. Maybe "let down" is the closest to the way I feel.

Perhaps Republicans are the only option for a lawful firearms owner or lawful firearms industry member if they want to see their sport unscathed. I voted Republican in 2006-- but just barely and I had to think before I connected the line.

I guess that I, and other lawful firearm owners, won't have to think so hard about who gets our vote in 2008 if we care about the future our sport.

...and it's pretty sad that it has to be that way.

Comments

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

And I have weapons that will be illegal shoudl this be reauthorized. I better sell them now.

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

Joke?

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

Eh.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

Not really a joke, but not really a problem either. That I even had to reread that piece of crap to find out what the grandfather proviso is makes me slightly irritable. I mean, I can see how a streetsweeper is not all on theup and up, but what about a folding stock is so horrible? I can see how it might make a firearm easier to hide under a coat, but I'm sure that one could hide a myriad other weapons just as easily. Hrg.

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

Right, but why would you even consider getting rid of a weapon to comply with such a travesty of a "law"?

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

The weapons are my late husband's, and I had always intended to sell most of them, but I've just never gotten around to it. I had a moment of concern that the law would affect my ability to sell them legally.

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

Ah, that makes more sense.

The law will affect your ability to sell them legally. It is my understanding that the law bans the transfer of existing grandfathered weapons or magazines.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Excellent post.

[beccadg.livejournal.com]

I can't help noticing that not only do everyone of the signers have a D after their name, but a number of them have an MA. It makes me wonder just how many reps Massachusetts has currently. I mean a full five of those say MA. *Shakes head.* At least I can hope the reps with D after their name from this state have more sense than to support that. Tom may not have the best rating from the NRA, but Mike gets an A.