Category Archives: Jeff’s Blog

Jeff's Blog

Hello Gun Lobby!

Much of what you see here you might later see as a the core of a full column in The Knox Report which is a regular feature of Shotgun News and many club and organization newsletters, or featured in our own newsletter, The Hard Corps Report. This area will serve as my notes and brain-storming zone for other writing so you'll see it here first.

Please let me know what you think of the information you find here and the work that we are doing.

Yours for the Second Amendment,

Jeff Knox

Jeff's Blog

Keep Calling About Holder!

January 29 Update

Final Confirmation Vote Set for Monday, February 2!

    During his confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Eric Holder stated that the Second Amendment means what the Supreme Court says it means and then went on to declare that the Court's decision in Heller leaves plenty of room for such things as closing the "gun show loophole,"restricting "cop-killer bullets," and reinstituting a ban on "assault weapons."  So much for supporting theSecond Amendment.

    The Judiciary Committee delayed their vote by a week and finally voted last Wednesday.  They recommended confirmation by a vote of 17 to 2. (See related story)  The final vote of the full Senate is now scheduled for Monday!

    Please continue contacting your senators and urging them to oppose the Holder confirmation.   Ask your senators to place a hold on the confirmation or to support a hold placed by another senator.

    To contact your senators click here and go to your senators' web pages to use their web contact forms and to get their phone numbers.  Put a call in to each office number they list and call and e0mail every day until the vote!  Get friends and family to do likewise.

    Remind your senators that Holder has been vocally anti-gun, vocally anti-Second Amendment, and actively supported illegal restrictions and record keeping on guns and gunowners.  Tell your senators that you see a vote for Holder, or a vote for cloture to end a filibuster against Holder's confirmation, as an anti-gun vote and you will remember their decision in their next election.

    Please spread this message to every friend, forum, blog and bulletin board you can find.  Since NRA has told Senators that they are not counting the Holder vote in their grading, calls and letters from outraged constituants are the only real pressure being brought to bear against the nomination.  Your Calls Can Make ALL the Difference!  Don't Let Up!

    Learn more about Holder by following the links below and on the next several pages.  This guy is really bad news.

Jeff's Blog

Next Newsletter

Another "Knox Hard Corps Report" Coming Soon!

Between the crush to raise awareness and opposition to the confirmation of Eric Holder as Attorney General, the weekend trip to Orlando for the SHOT Show, and the rallies in Richmond on Monday, I've been pretty swamped.  Now I find I'm several days behind in preparing the next edition of our newsletter, but don't fret, it will be hitting subscriber's mail boxes soon.

If you have not yet subscribed to the "Knox Hard Corps Report" Now would be a great time to do so.  Don't Miss Another Issue!

To subscribe, just send your name and address along with a donation of $20 or more to PO Box 3313, Manassas, VA 20108, or you can subscribe on-line using the "Contribute" link in the main menu.  Contributions can also be made over the phone with a credit card by calling 703-753-0424. 

Contributions of $50 or more can take their pick of the book, "The Founder's Second Amendment" by Stephen Halbrook, "The Heller Case: Gun Rights Affirmed" by Alan Korwin and David Kopel, or the video DVD "In Search of the Second Amendment" by David Hardy.  A contribution of $120 or more gets you all three titles and the newsletter!

Stay active and informed and help us stay in the fight with your contribution.

Also worth noting; I am trying to post all updates to the site on the front page first so they will be logged by the RSS feeder.  If you are not familiar with RSS, it is a system which will keep tabs on your favorits web sites and let you know about new content.  By installing an RSS reader (free from Google and other sources) you can have your own "newspaper" that shows you what's going on on your favorite web sites like FirearmsCoalition.org so you don't have to bounce from web site to web site looking for new information; the RSS feed and reader puts it all in one place for you to see.  I encourage you to give it a try and let me know what you think.   I'm always interested in your feed-back so please don't hesitate to drop me a note.  Just add "Jeff@" to our web site to get directly to me.  I can't promise a rapid response, but I am interested in your thoughts.

Don't miss the next "Knox Hard Corps Report."  Subscribe with a contribution now.

Jeff

Jeff's Blog

SHOT Show 2009

EBR's Rule!

Evil Black Rifles once again dominated the Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Orlando, FL.  I was not planning to attend, but Chris talked me into it when we found a $28 a night hotel and discount air fares and I'm glad I made the trip.  It seems like everyone and his brother is making an AR-pattern rifle these days in everything from .17 caliber up to .50 BMG and 40mm grenade launchers.  There was even a fancy cross-bow that uses an AR lower.  Most of the manufacturers and distributors I spoke with say that they are 3 to 12 weeks behind in production and working overtime to get caught up. 

There were some interesting new products and I met with some folks who are really doing some innovative things.  More importantly, I met with a lot of folks who are very supportive of the work we are doing and are interested in working with us to help us do more and grow stronger.  

The Firearms Coalition fills a unique niche in the gun rights movement and we're glad that more and more folks like you are joining and supporting us in our efforts.  One thing you can do to really help is to be sure and tell your friends about us and encourage them to join.  Along with the scary news that we expect from the Obama administration and the new Congress, there is some exciting news around the corner so stay tuned.

Jeff

Jeff's Blog

Senate Soft on Holder

Holder Skating Toward Confirmation

   Barack Obama's choice for Attorney General appears to be skating toward easy confirmation in the Senate.  During confirmation hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee Holder declared his support for the Second Amendment as defined by the Supreme Court in the Heller decision and then went on to say that closing the "gun show loophole" and banning "cop killer bullets"should be the primary focus and that banning "assault weapons" permanently is something which should be done and that doing so is not in conflict with the Heller decision.

  The NRA sent a letter to committee members earlier this week telling them that they weren't happy with the Holder nomination and that they hoped the senators would keep NRA's position in mind when they cast their votes.  Previously NRA had let Senate leadership know that they were not going to weigh votes for holder in determining grades for politicians.

  Republican Senator Mel Martinez of Florida has joined Orrin Hatch (R-UT) in supporting of Holder.  This is surprising considering the low esteem Holder enjoys in the powerful Cuban community in Florida due to his involvement in the forced deportation of six-year old Elian Gonzalez.  The declarations of support from Republicans signals that even procedural moves like a filibuster would be quickly defeated and a confirmation vote taken.

   Until the vote is taken in the full Senate though, the nomination remains in play.  Readers are urged to continue contacting their senators to express opposition to Holder's confirmation.

   For contact information for your senator, click here or follow the link below:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

   Keep the pressure on!

Jeff's Blog

Hatch Slaps Gunowners – Again

   Utah Republican Orin Hatch, the former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee betrayed gunowners and his own party today by declaring to The Hill newspaper that he is going to support confirmation of Eric Holder for Attorney General.  Other Republicans on the committee have expressed concern over some of Holder's actions and positions and have promised serious questions in the hearings scheduled for Thursday and Friday.  By declaring support before any questions are asked or answered, Hatch proves that he is more concerned about politics than facts.  Previously, committee chairman Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, had "promised" that Holder would be confirmed.  Such a promise is pure partisan politics on Leahy's part and should be roundly criticized as such by the media.  I'm not holding my breath.

   I intend to be on the phone first thing in the morning to Hatch's office denouncing his betrayal and calling for him to retract his statement.  I encourage others to do likewise.  The position of Attorney General is simply too important to allow it to be filled without question by a proven Democrat lackey.

Jeff's Blog

Congress Fires First Shot

H.R. 45 Filed on First Day

   Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL) filed a comprehensive anti-gun wish-list bill in the 111th Congress on its first day in session.  No sooner were the new members of Congress sworn in than Mr. Rush, a former Black Panther leader, file his bill which he calls the "Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009".  The bill has no cosponsors and was automatically referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

   If passed, this bill would require that anyone wishing to purchase, own, or possess a "qualifying firearm" – that's any handgun, and any long gun capable of accepting a detachable magazine – would have to be licensed by the state or the federal government in a licensing program managed by the Attorney General.  To get a license you would have to prove you're you, provide a passport-style photo, a thumbprint, and take a written exam which includes questions about firearms safety, safe storage, the risks of firearms ownership, and anything else the Attorney General deems appropriate.   All transfers would be required to go through a licensed dealer with the exception of occasional gifts or bequests between parents, children (18 or over), and grandparents, or loans of not more than 30 days between "persons who are personally known to one another." (It actually says that.  I'm not making this up.)  And all transfers would have to be recorded in a "Transfer Record" established and maintained by the Attorney General.

Continue reading Congress Fires First Shot →

Jeff's Blog

Knox on Gun Talk

Jeff Knox on "Gun Talk"

(Sunday, January 11, 2009) I appeared on Tom Gresham's Gun Talk Radio today. Chris also paid a brief visit.  To the Gun Talk listeners visiting for the first time, welcome!  We appreciate the visit.  While you're here you may be interested in subscribing to our FCAlerts List by following this link. It's a low volume, high content bulletin, not a chat list.  When things are active we have sent out as many as two or three brief alerts in a single day, but when things are quiet, so are we.  We treat your personal information as confidential and promise never to share it with anyone.

We also want to invite folks to sample our bi-monthly newsletter, the Knox Hard Corps Report by simply dropping a note with your name and mailing address to Info@FirearmsCoalition.org

For those who missed the show, you can listen to an archive or download a podcast at Tom's web site by clicking, Tom Gresham's Gun Talk®.  

Jeff's Blog

More on Holder

Keep Spreading the Word!

As Chris noted, the active opposition to the appointment of Eric Holder to the office of Attorney General continues to build.  Our friends Alan Korwin and David Codrea have recently commented on the subject and their thoughts are worth reading if you haven't already done so.

Here is Alan's analysis of the current "Assault Weapons" ban legislation which has been languishing in the House for the past couple of years and where the anti-rights folks are going from here:

Gun Ban List Details

Be sure to take particular note of the section discussing the AG's powers under the proposed legislation and be aware that the AG currently has much of that power.

Now World Net Daily has picked up the story.  Read the article by clicking here.

David Codrea addresses the issue directly in a three-part series for The Examiner news group here:

Holder: To be or Not to be…

You can click on the "Next" button at the end of the article to go to the next installment or click on the titles below.

How to Hold Holder without Using Guns

How You can Help Hold Holder

I agree with David's suggestion to keep guns out of the discussion when writing to harshly anti-gun Senators, but if the Senator is just mildly anti-gun or better, be sure to at least mention that Holder's record on the Second Amendment is a serious concern to you.  We need to be sure that these folks know it's us.

If you know people who are involved in other issues mentioned: Privacy, Givernment Restrictions on the Internet, Medical Marijuana, Cuban Ex-patriots, etc. be sure to share Codrea's information with them and encourage them to get involved in the fight to block his confirmation.

Together we can win this!

Jeff

 *** THIS JUST IN: The Heritage Foundation is reporting that Holder Authored a memo in 1999 which has led to the serious erosion of Sixth Amendment rights.  This could actually get the ACLU into this on our side.  Read all about it by clicking here.

 

Jeff's Blog

Militia Issue

Author and blogger Mike Vanderboegh and I got off to a rocky start toward the end of 2008, but since then we seem to be agreeing much more than we disagree.  Here are Mike's comments on my recent column "Offensive Defense?"
Mike is absolutely right in his take on this and his call to organize.  Neighborhood Watch type groups are a great way to get some structure and logistics in place. 
Here are Mike's comments:
 
 
 mi·li·tia, noun.
1. An army composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers.
2. A military force that is not part of a regular army and is subject to call for service in an emergency.
3. The whole body of physically fit civilians eligible by law for military service.

Jeff Knox reports here in an article titled "Offensive Defense," about allegations of the murder of innocents by the Algiers Point militia by A.C. Thompson here.

Here is Knox's summary in full:

The repercussions from Hurricane Katrina continue to roll in like the tidal surge that flooded New Orleans. The latest storm takes aim at guns and gunowners . . .write to PO Box 3313, Manassas, VA 20108..

I concur with Jeff, especially his concerns about the bias and accuracy of the reporter, and the need for further investigation. But we need not wait for the results of such an investigation to draw some lessons from the allegations themselves.

Consider whether or not they would have even been made if the Algiers Point militia had not been some motley crew of volunteers put together on the spur of the moment. Consider, rather, what would have happened if they had been a unit of armed citizens who had trained and prepared for such a moment. What if they had been organized with simple CB communications, a chain of command, a roster and rules of engagement? What if, instead of viewing their black neighbors as potential threats, they had worked with them AHEAD OF TIME in a neighborhood watch? What if, instead of manning barricades and turning away everyone, they provided a little food and water and an armed escort guaranteeing their safety to the relief point? What if they had pledged to secure the safety of everyone in the quarter, standing up to the small bands of white racists that did appear? What then?

I can tell you. Then such incidents would never have occurred, and such allegations — even if false — would never have been made or, if made, would not have been believed. Indeed, had that been the case, the Algiers Point militia would have been one of the finest moments of the modern history of the American armed citizenry. In the aftermath, the testimony of the folks they assisted would have stood out above everything else. Instead, we will have an investigation to determine whether they merely acted as a cover for murder.

Let us have the investigation, certainly. But let the rest of us learn the lesson and put what we learn into practice. There is NO substitute for training and organization. There is no substitute in an uncertain situation for command and control, even if it is small group command and the internal control of an individual armed citizen firmly grounded in principle.

Let us also be clear that leadership is more than rounding up a bunch of guys with guns into a "militia." Militia is a generic term, meaning non-professional armed men operating in a group. The militias of the Balkans, Somalia, Rwanda, the Congo and other hellholes of recent history have besmirched the name. It is up to us, the armed citizenry of the United States, to retrieve the name from suspicion and condemnation. We do that by being "well regulated" in the 18th Century sense of that term. So let us do it.

Jeff's Blog

Coalition Against Holder Growing

Our good friend John Snyder, author of "Gun Saint" and the senior lobbyist on the gun issue in Washington, DC, has released a statement to the press outlining the growing coalition building in opposition to the appointment of Eric Holder to the office of Attorney General.

Snyder's press release can be read by clicking here ,

or you can enter this link in your browser:

http://www.expertclick.com/NewsReleaseWire/default.cfm?Action=ReleaseDetail&ID=24619

The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled hearings on the confirmation of Holder for 15 January.  That means we must act quickly.  I have supplied a sample letter and a list of the members of the Senate Judiciary in my January 2 Alert available here.

 

Jeff