The Knox Update

From the Firearms Coalition

Effective Activist Politics

Lesson Six: Strategic Planning

By Jeff Knox

(Manassas, VA, February 4, 2010) It’s been awhile since I have written an installment of my Effective Activist Politics series, but this is one of the most important topics for activists and activist organizations to pay attention to so I’m adding it to the series.  If you’d like to read or re-read the other articles in the series they are available at www.FirearmsCoalition.org and also at www.GunVoter.org.

Every grass roots lobbying organization needs to schedule two strategic planning sessions every year.  The output of one is a legislative plan, and the other is a political action plan.

The legislative session should be held after elections and before the legislature convenes.  In most states, that will fall in December or January.  The political action planning session should be held as soon after the legislature adjourns as possible. Continue reading Strategic Planning →

The Knox Update

From the Firearms Coalition

Swing for the Fences!

By Jeff Knox

(Manassas, VA, January 28, 2010) In politics, like baseball, there is a time to bunt and a time to swing for the fence.  This year is ripe for home runs.  The political climate this year offers a unique opportunity for rights advocates to make major gains – both legislatively and politically.  To make those gains we need to pull out all of the stops and go big.

The election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts was clear proof that voters are unhappy.  Politicians who were already concerned about disgruntled voters are now terrified as they look toward the November elections.  Pundits and analysts can spin the Brown victory any way they wish but the facts are clear.  Voters are not happy with the way Democrats have exercised control of both houses of Congress and the Presidency.  The backlash won’t stop at congressional elections and the local politicians know it.  Many state legislators rode the wave of Democrat ascendancy to gain control of their state legislatures and as they watch that wave crashing on the rocks, they know they have a serious fight on the way this November. Continue reading Swing for the Fences! →

The Knox Update

From the Firearms Coalition

A Lot of Work to Do

By Jeff Knox

(Manassas, VA, January 14, 2010) I recently wrote about the need for preaching to the choir – too many of our own friends, family members, and fellow shooters are woefully uninformed about the fight for liberty.  A chance conversation in a hardware store this week really brought home just how much work there is to do beyond the choir room doors.  At the hardware store I got into a conversation with a fellow shopper.  As conversations with me tend to do, it wasn’t long before we were talking about guns and gun laws.  The fellow’s wife had joined the conversation by this time and while his reaction was troubling, her reaction was down right scary.

This was a nice couple in their 50’s, fairly conservative, into classic cars, and in the market for a .38 for home protection.  They were not loony-tune lefties by any means.  They also mentioned a good friend who owns many guns and reloads.  The conversation rolled along smoothly until the topic of “Uzi’s and machineguns” came up.  As you can imagine, it wasn’t me talking about “Uzi’s and machineguns.” Continue reading A Lot of Work to Do →

The Knox Update

From the Firearms Coalition

NRA Director Elections 2010

By Jeff Knox

(Manassas, VA, February 18, 2010) It is time again to elect one third of the absurdly large Board of Directors of NRA.  Each year 25 seats come up for election for a 3-year term and then one of the runner-ups is elected to a 1-year term at the annual meetings.  This year 24 of the current directors are running for reelection and there are 7 non-incumbent nominees also running resulting in 31 candidates for 25 seats.

As usual, the field includes a number of big names and celebrities, all of whom are certain to win.  This category includes Bob Barr, Dave Butz, Richard Childress, Sandy Froman, Marion Hammer, Susan Howard, Karl Malone, Oliver North, Ted Nugent, and Don Young.

Normally Joaquin Jackson and Larry Craig would have made the shoo-in list, but Senator Craig’s highly publicized personal issues and Ranger Jackson’s televised comments suggesting that “assault rifles” should be restricted to 5 round capacity place their reelection in doubt.  While both of these men have served well on the board and I consider both to be personal friends, I would have preferred it if they had stepped aside to give someone else a chance to serve. Continue reading NRA Board Elections 2010 →

The Knox Update

From the Firearms Coalition

An End to the Lautenberg Amendment?

By Jeff Knox

(Manassas, VA, January 7, 2009) The Federal Court of Appeals for the 7^th Circuit recently declared that the infamous Lautenberg Amendment, barring possession of firearms from anyone ever convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, is a violation of Second Amendment rights.

That’s good news, but don’t fire up the band just yet.  The actual conclusion of the 7^th Circuit panel was not that Lautenberg violates the Second Amendment, but that prosecutors had failed to effectively argue that it does not.  Rather than declaring the law unconstitutional and throwing the case out, the court reversed the guilty verdict and sent the case back to the lower court to give federal prosecutors another chance to build a case.  Included in the decision are rather detailed instructions explaining what arguments the prosecution needs to make if they wish to prevail.  Like a child’s game, the court said, “You forgot to say ‘Mother may I’ so try it again.”  If prosecutors carefully apply the lessons laid out in the 7^th Circuit’s order, the case should result in another conviction that would then be upheld on appeal, but even that isn’t assured because the court didn’t only provide instructions to the prosecution, they also dropped a hint or two for the defense. Continue reading Losing Lautenberg →

The Knox Update

From the Firearms Coalition

Protecting Gun Shows

By Jeff Knox

(Manassas, VA, December 2, 2009) Anyone who does not hold an FFL and sells a firearm to someone he doesn’t know well is incurring a certain amount of liability.  And, a bit of bad judgment could cause trouble not just for the seller, but for the rest of the gun owning community as well.  There is no question that individuals have the right to buy, sell, and trade firearms between themselves without government infringement.  But there are laws on the books and failing to know and follow them is just asking for trouble.  A prudent trader will take into account not only the legal technicalities, but the political environment also.

Title 18, Section 922 of the U.S. Code, the 1968 Gun Control Act, covers sales and transfer of guns.  The law forbids transfers between residents of different states except through an FFL in the buyer’s state.  Of course it is also illegal for a federally “prohibited person” – a felon, fugitive, someone dishonorably discharged from the service, etc. – to purchase a firearm from anyone, FFL dealer or not.  If the seller has any indication that the prospective buyer is a “prohibited person,” selling the gun is a crime.  It is also illegal for anyone to purchase a firearm on behalf of someone else – even if that someone else could legally purchase it himself – and a seller can again be held criminally responsible if they had any indication that such a “straw” transaction was taking place. Continue reading Gun Show Policing →

The Knox Update

From the Firearms Coalition

Lessons from the Dark Side

By Jeff Knox

(Manassas, VA, December 28, 2009) Mike Bloomberg and his Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) caused quite a stir in the gun rights community recently when they released a poll declaring that gun owners and NRA members support the group’s gun control agenda.  The poll was conducted by Frank Lutz’s company “Word Doctors.”  The media gleefully reported the poll as indisputable fact while NRA and others cried “Foul,” pointing out flaws in the pollster’s methodology and challenging the results.

The flaws and distortions are undoubtedly real, but it is important for rights activists to carefully examine this poll to find data we can use to help our cause.  In spite of its flaws, this poll demonstrates a serious failure on the part of rights groups and supporters in efforts to educate our less activist brethren.  We’re not preaching to the choir enough and not getting the right messages through to them.

Continue reading Lessons from the Dark Side →