Help - Immediate Action Needed

[AAllen]

From NRA-ILA

Urgent Alert: Ask Your U.S. Senators And Representative To Sign Amicus Brief Supporting Second Amendment Rights In The States! 
 
Friday, November 13, 2009
 
As a critical Second Amendment case goes before the United States Supreme Court, U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Jon Tester (D-MT), and Congressmen Mike Ross (D-AR) and Mark Souder (R-IN) are gathering signatures for an amicus curiae (?friend of the court?) brief by Members of Congress.  And we need your support for this important effort next week.

The case is McDonald v. City of Chicago, and it will answer the question of whether the Second Amendment applies to the states?as the Congress clearly intended in the 1860s, when it adopted the Fourteenth Amendment to protect constitutional rights against abuse by state and local governments.  This brief is an opportunity for today?s Congress to show just as clearly that it respects the Second Amendment?s importance to all Americans?not just residents of the District of Columbia and other federal territories.

The brief describes Congress?s debates on the Fourteenth Amendment, and points out the many occasions?from 1866 to 2005?when the Congress has spoken in favor of the Second Amendment as protecting a right of all Americans, and taken action to protect that right against actions such as gun confiscation and predatory lawsuits.  It also makes the case for Congress?s interest (under its constitutional war powers) in preserving an armed citizenry as part of America?s national defense.


When Congress speaks, the Supreme Court listens.   And it did in the historic Heller case last year when 55 Senators and 250 Representatives signed an amicus brief supporting the Second Amendment as an individual right.  Now every Senator and Congressman who supports the rights of all Americans should step forward to be heard by signing this brief in the McDonald case.


The brief must be filed within the week, so we need your immediate help!   On Monday through Thursday, please call your U.S. Senators and Representative, and urge them to sign on to this critically important brief, which will be a key part of the legal battle to protect the Second Amendment in the U.S. Supreme Court.

[AAllen]

Update, I have called all of Nebraska's representatives offices with the following update:

Senator Nelson - according to his staff he has signed the breif and released a statement ecouraging others to do the same.

Senator Johanns - The staffer I spoke to did not know for sure, the person who would handle this question was unavailable, but due to the Senators strong support for the 2nd Ammendment felt that he most likely did, and passed on the support of the NFOA for this brief.

Congressman Terry - According to his staff he signed onto the brief, along with appx 250 other congressmen.

Congressman Smith - The staff person I spoke with did not know for certain but passed our support on to the congressman and the staff that handles these issues.  According to staff at Lee Terry's office they were certain the Congressman Smith had signed onto the brief.

Congressman Fortenberry - The staff person I spoke with did not know for certain but passed our support on to the congressman and the staff that handles these issues.  According to the staff at Lee Terry's office they felt that most likely he did, the NRA was speaking with him about it last week while he was in town.

It appears that all of our representatives have supported this Amicus Brief, we need to take a mooment and thank them for their support for our rights.  And let them know you are a member of the NFOA, it helps build support for what we tell them when there are issues to debait.

[huskergun]

I'm on it.

I couldn't agree more that we need to let our Reps know that we are part of the NFOA.

[A-FIXER]

I as well contacted Sen. Dubas for her supports on this matter as well

[Jesse T]

Only 4 of our state senators signed on the state legislators brief. The usual suspects I'd say.

NEBRASKA
Mark Christensen, State Senate
Colby Coash, State Senate
Tony Fulton, State Senate
Scott Price, State Senate

http://www.nraila.org/News/Read/NewsReleases.aspx?ID=13140


The national one:
Senator Michael O. Johanns (NE, R)
Senator E. Benjamin Nelson (NE, D)
Representative Jeffrey L. Fortenberry (NE-1, R)
Representative Adrian M. Smith (NE-3, R)
Representative Lee R. Terry (NE-2, R)

http://www.nraila.org/News/Read/NewsReleases.aspx?ID=13139
5 for 5!

Please send a quick email/mail/call and thank them for supporting this NRA brief in this important case!

[AAllen]

Attorney General Jon Bruning also filed a brief joined by thirty-seven other state
attorneys general's, saying the protection of the Second Amendment applies to state and
local governments under the Fourteenth Amendment.

[FarmerRick]

Attorney General Jon Bruning
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Attorney General Bruning Urges Supreme Court to Protect Second Amendment Rights

LINCOLN ? The State of Nebraska has filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court urging justices to protect Second Amendment rights.

In a friend of the court brief, Attorney General Jon Bruning takes the position that the protection of the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments under the Fourteenth Amendment. Thirty-seven other state attorneys general have joined in the amicus brief.

?We?re asking the Court to protect our ability to keep and bear arms to the same degree as the rest of the Bill of Rights,? Bruning said.

The brief in McDonald v. Chicago supports a suit brought by Otis McDonald, a community activist who lives in a high-crime portion of Chicago. His work has drawn threats from local drug dealers, but Chicago city ordinances prohibit owning a handgun for protection.

Last year, Bruning and 31 other state attorneys general filed an amicus brief in District of Columbia v. Heller that successfully argued that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms.

The City of Chicago contends that the Heller decision does not apply to state and city governments. The attorneys general brief explains why Constitutional protections should apply to city, county, and state governments under the provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment.

?Cities and states should not pick and choose what part of the Constitution they want to recognize,? Bruning said. ?They can?t just throw out the Bill of Rights.?

?Just as local governments cannot constitutionally act as ?laboratories? for initiatives to abrogate their citizens? right to free speech or their freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, nor can they nullify the fundamental right to keep and bear arms secured by the Second Amendment,? the brief contends.

[AAllen]

Just received notification that a 5th Nebraska Legislator had signed onto the state brief, Sen. Beau McCoy of District 39, which covers areas of western Douglas County (Elkhorn) as well as parts of Washington and Sarpy counties.  Please remember to thank those who have decided to support this effort that helps to protect all our 2nd Amendment rights.

If you know your senator also supported this Amicus Brief please let us know, we appreciate all who stand with us.