NRA Members Must Oppose Sotomayor
by Sandy Froman

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Barack Obama’s first nominee to the
U.S. Supreme Court, has a narrow view of the Second Amendment that
contradicts the Court’s landmark decision in District of Columbia v.
Heller. A heated debate has started in the U.S. Senate over her
opposition to the right to keep and bear arms. This issue, which has
decided the fate of presidential elections, could also decide her
nomination. Gun owners, and especially the members of the National Rifle
Association, must aggressively oppose Judge Sotomayor’s confirmation to
the Supreme Court.

On June 24, senators began speaking on the floor of the Senate
expressing grave concerns over Judge Sotomayor’s Second Amendment
record. Senator Jeff Sessions R-AL, the Ranking Member of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, pointed out that although her record on the issue
is “fairly scant,” she has twice stated that the Second
Amendment is not
a fundamental right. Senator Sessions also noted that in Second
Amendment and other constitutional cases, Sotomayor’s analysis of
important constitutional issues has been lacking suggesting “a troubling
tendency to avoid or casually dismiss difficult Constitutional issues of
exceptional importance.” Sotomayor’s view on the Second Amendment
clearly reflects an extreme anti-gun philosophy, and some Democrat
senators from pro-gun states are justifiably nervous.

Last year, the Supreme Court held in Heller that the Second Amendment
guarantees the right of individual Americans to keep and bear firearms.
But that ruling was a fiercely-contested, 5-4 split decision. Justice
Kennedy joined the four conservatives on the Court to make the majority,
with the four liberal justices writing passionate dissents about how the
Second Amendment does not apply to private citizens.

Bluntly speaking, the Second Amendment survived by a single vote. Had
one justice voted differently, the Second Amendment would have been
erased from the Bill of Rights forever. Today in the Supreme Court, the
right to bear arms hangs by a single vote.

The next question the Supreme Court will decide is whether the Second
Amendment is a “fundamental right” that applies to cities and
states,
thus preventing them from restricting gun rights. Even the liberal
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held earlier this year in Nordyke v. King
that the Second Amendment is a fundamental right, yet Judge Sotomayor
disagrees.

When Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, it
belied his flowery rhetoric about respecting our constitutional gun
rights. Out of almost 200 federal appeals judges in this country, Judge
Sotomayor is one of only six to weigh in (after the Heller case) to hold
that the Second Amendment only limits federal actions. If your state or
city chooses to ban all guns or take away the ones that you already have
in your home for hunting and self-defense, Sonia Sotomayor says the
Constitution can’t help you.

This position becomes all the more radical when it’s revealed how she
reached this conclusion. Only six judges have denied gun rights against
the states. Of these, three did so in a recent Seventh Circuit case, NRA
v. Chicago, writing a detailed opinion that the Second Amendment doesn’t
apply to the states because they thought an old 1800s Supreme Court case
tied their hands on the issue, and they commended the case up to the
Supreme Court after long and scholarly consideration. Judge Sotomayor
and two of her liberal colleagues, however, wrote only a single
paragraph on the whole issue when deciding their own New York case,
Maloney v. Cuomo. In one paragraph, she said the Second Amendment gives
people no rights at all when it comes to state or city laws. She gave no
explanation, and made no call for Supreme Court action.

Then we find that this has been a consistent belief for Sotomayor. In a
case before her in 2004, she and her colleagues concluded that there is
no fundamental right in the Second Amendment but provided no substantive
analysis to justify this conclusion. Throughout her career, Judge
Sotomayor’s record is one of consistent opposition to the private
ownership of firearms.

America has almost 90 million gun owners who value their rights. And of
these, no one does more to protect the Second Amendment than the four
million members of the National Rifle Association.

I served as an officer of the NRA for nine years, including a two-year
term as president. I saw NRA members turn the tide on Election Day 2000
to defeat Al Gore. We fought again to help defeat John Kerry in 2004. We
can do the same with Sonia Sotomayor, if we call our U.S. Senators and
tell them to vote against this anti-gun judge. No fewer than fourteen
Democrat senators have solid records on the Second Amendment, and we
must urge them to oppose this nominee.

Next year, the Supreme Court is likely to take up NRA v. Chicago, which
will decide whether the Second Amendment applies to states and cities
like it does the federal government. This case is as important as
Heller, and will massively impact gun rights forever.

We already know where Judge Sotomayor stands. It’s time to tell the
Senate, “Vote No! on Sonia Sotomayor.”

(McLean, Virginia — During the Annual FNH USA Midwest Three-Gun Championships, $20 raffle tickets will be sold for a chance to win an FN SCAR 16S. Proceeds of the raffle will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Ken Pfau, vice president of law enforcement and commercial sales for FNH USA, said, “We were looking for a way to support the cause of the Wounded Warrior Project and saw an opportunity with the participants and spectators at our Three-Gun to do just that. The SCAR 16S - our highly sought after semi-automatic carbine — creates excitement wherever we take it, so that is why we decided to raffle one.”

According to its web site, the mission of the Wounded Warrior Project “is to honor and empower wounded warriors.” Its purpose is to:

* Raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women,
* Help severely injured service members aid and assist each other, and
* Offer unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of severely injured service members (www.woundedwarriorproject.org .

FNH USA is the sales and marketing arm of FN Herstal, S.A., Belgium. Its corporate mission is to expand its global leadership position in defense, law enforcement and commercial markets by delivering superior products and the finest in training and logistical support. Visit www.fnhusa.com to view the entire line of FNH USA products and services. FNH USA, P.O. Box 697, McLean, VA, 22101, U.S.A.

With three years of development and patented technology, the OutBounder has arrived.

You will be amazed as you easily navigate over logs, curbs, and other obstacles. Maneuver through snow, mud, sand, and other rough terrain with ease as you visit beaches and hunting properties. You will be able to mow the lawn, garden, and do other yard maintenance with the Outbounder. The Outbounder provides power and confidence, personal freedom and outdoor enjoyment through rough terrain. Its torque will allow you to go hunting, fishing, and ice fishing as conditions allow. You will be able to explore the back country wilderness, transporting wild game, firewood, and many other items.

The Outbounder will operate all day on a full battery charge. Silently enter the woods or parks and enjoy the great outdoors. Enough power to haul your gear and get you to places you may not have been before. No more limits. This machine is tough enough to handle many obstacles, terrain, and abuse. This is truly a vehicle to get you outbound. This machine is beefy and built to last. It is designed specifically for outdoor use yet small enough to fit through a standard 36″ door.

There is no need to worry about the turning radius. This machine turns just like a skid steer or tank. The six-wheel Outbounder can turn within the radius of the machine virtually making it a zero-turn radius to get in and out of tight spaces. Use this machine while hunting and be able to turn or spin within a hunting blind or tent.

The 24 volt battery-powered machine provides extremely quiet operation, essentially silent, with enough power to get you where you want to be. It can be customized to your specifications to help around the house, farm, business, or hunting.

http://outboundmobility.com/index.html

About Outbound Mobility

Located in Grant Michigan, Outbound Mobility is a privately-held company dedicated to improve your lifestyle so you can get outdoors. All Outbound Mobility members are outdoor enthusiasts who want you to experience all nature has to offer. Don’t let conventional wheelchairs and vehicles prevent you from enjoying what you love. Pursue the outdoors with the Outbounder.

Our kayak fishing brothers in Texas have started a movement for soldiers that have been wounded defending our country and they are taking them kayak fishing.   This movement is called Heroes on The Water

Check out

The lastest news:

On Saturday, June 6th, Georgia Kayak Fishing Association is privileged to participate with the Wounded Warriors stationed on Ft Gordon near Augusta, GA. Fort Gordon has a private retreat on Clarks Hill Lake that is being made available to us for the purpose of hosting a kayak fishing day with these Heroes!

Georgetown, Texas– A new patriotic and uplifting show honoring our country’s heroes is a refreshing antidote to the excessive negativity of most reality programs on television today. Hunts for Heroes’ Veteran Outdoors, a platform for wounded veterans to share their stories and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime hunting or fishing adventure, will air on 10 regions of Fox Sports Net channels beginning Saturday July 4th, 2009.

Thirteen (13) original episodes will begin airing weekly at 7:00 a.m. (local) on Saturdays, and will run through December 26th. The show will reach an estimated 110 million households weekly and will also be re-ran a second time each week (times to be announced) for 26 consecutive weeks. Hunts for Heroes’ Veteran Outdoors will be aired on FSN Arizona, FSN Detroit, FSN Midwest, FSN Ohio, FSN South, FSN Southwest, FSN West, FSN North, FSN Wisconsin, and FSN Florida.

“We are extremely pleased that Hunts for Heroes’ Veteran Outdoors will be airing on Fox Sports Net, and we couldn’t have hand picked a better day for it to debut than our country’s Independence Day,” says host Cody Hirt. “Our goal is to give our heroes a platform to tell their inspiring stories. We want to honor their patriotism and their sacrifice to our country.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted on 30th April 2009
Under: Disabled hunting groups, Hunters helping others, News you can use, Other stuff | 1 Comment »