Politicians launch aggressive misinformation campaign in attempt to save Schoenbeck gun ban
South Dakota Gun Owners E-mail
Alert
PO Box 3845, Rapid City, SD 57709
(605) 737-5583
LibertyTeeth@sdgo.org
http://www.SDGO.org
(January 28, 2005) – Congratulations! The Schoenbeck gun ban is stalling in the Senate Judiciary committee thanks to the outstanding job you have been doing.
Your calls and emails have been burning up the Capitol phone lines and computer terminals! In the face of this widespread opposition, the ban is beginning to bog down.
Politicians who favor the ban are scrambling to combat this flood of constituent participation. Unfortunately, some have been resorting to downright misinformation in their efforts to save the ban.
The primary myth being circulated is the claim that federal officials would lift the federal Lautenberg ban if the Schoenbeck ban were passed. This is based on nothing more than a wish and a prayer that the BATF and the federal courts would consider a one-year state-level ban to be a restoration of civil rights. Not one single actual case has been presented. Furthermore, the BATF does not include the right to arms among the civil rights listed in their position papers on this subject, and when they do mention bearing arms, they do not refer to gun rights, but to “firearms privileges” instead.
(If any of the politicians have been trying to blow smoke in your face, please click here for the facts about the ban)
The battle is far from over. In order to defeat the Schoenbeck gun ban, we must respond to this campaign of half-truths with the facts. Your grassroots action is making an excellent impact so far. Now it’s time to double down and increase the opposition to this gun ban!
Action:
1. If you have contacted Sen. Schoenbeck, and he has responded by trying to tell you that this ban is actually good for gun owners, or that it is not really a ban at all, please take five minutes to send him another email. If you have not yet informed him of your opposition to his ban, please do so today. As the ban sponsor, he needs to hear from you, even if he is not your Senator. You can use the sample message and the facts linked below to direct your comments. Polite and appropriate language will always have the greatest effect.
Sen. Lee Schoenbeck
You can also call and leave a message for him at his law office, (888) 204-0561 (toll free), or at the Capitol, (605) 773-3821.
If you want to reach him on the weekend, you can call him at home (605) 882-0612. If you decide to do so, be sure to use only polite and appropriate language, especially if speaking to a family member.
2. If any of the other politicians that you have contacted on this issue have been repeating misinformation and half-truths about the Schoenbeck ban, please consider using the information below to send them another email. Every legislator’s email address is configured in the same manner. To email a Representative, put his or her name in the following address: rep.______@state.sd.us Example: To email Rep. Larry Rhoden, send to rep.rhoden@state.sd.us. For a Senator, the formula is sen._______@state.sd.us If you have any questions, please feel free to email us.
You can also leave a phone message for any Senator by dialing (605) 773-3821. To leave a message for any Representative, call (605) 773-3851. You can leave messages for two legislators with one phone call. A legislative page should be there to take your call Mon. through Fri. from 8am to 5pm, CST, and will deliver your messages to the legislators’ desks.
3. If you have not yet had a chance to contact your legislators about the Schoenbeck ban, please do so right now. To leave messages for them, dial (605) 773-3821 for your Senator and (605) 773-3851 for your two Representatives.
To find both your state Representatives and your Senator, click on this link, chose state and search by ZIP code: http://capwiz.com/gunowners/dbq/officials. You can also email us with your city or your seven digit ZIP code and we will send you their names and contact info.
---Sample message---
Dear _____________:
There is a lot of misinformation being spread about the gun ban proposed in section 269 of SB 43. The bottom line is that this gun control measure duplicates the onerous federal Lautenberg ban.
Despite claims made to the contrary, the proposed ban could increase the penalty for anyone who has been trapped by the federal ban and who subsequently uses a firearm for self-defense. The proposed state-level ban is clearly an ex post facto law that violates both the state and federal constitutions.
I care deeply about the folks who have been victimized by the horrendous federal ban. I strongly support any plan that would truly help them, and oppose any new legislation that would worsen their plight. That is why I oppose section 269 of SB 43. There is nothing in federal law that would require federal officials to lift the federal ban because of a comparable state ban, restoration of civil rights arguments not withstanding. At the same time, there is nothing to keep the proposed state ban from increasing the penalty.
Please defend the people who have been victimized by the Lautenberg gun ban by voting against section 269 of SB 43. Don’t entrench this bad federal law in South Dakota.
Sincerely,
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Unfortunately, even a few gun rights supporters have been taken in by the misinformation about the ban. Please consider all of the facts. Click here to read the truth about the Schoenbeck gun ban.