Supporting NRA’s Policy Proposal for School Security

Yet another White House petition, to demand the White get behind NRA, but unlike the one for Piers Morgan, this one is serious. Some folks are questioning the value of these petitions. Here’s the value:

So I think they have some value. Do I expect them to result in a reaction from the White House? Do I expect it to translate into real policy? No. But it at least let’s them know we’re here and paying attention.

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11 thoughts on “Supporting NRA’s Policy Proposal for School Security”

  4. This might offer a “show of support” but it also has the counter effect of going to the well and our troops will fatigue over time. At some point, some of our team are going to get another alert to call their congressmen or senators, maybe from NRA, maybe from a state affiliate, maybe from a grassroots org, or a blog or all of those and at some point they stop and say… “to heck with it, I filled out the damn petition on whitehouse.gov, what more do they want from me?

    This is likely to involve administrative action by ATF at some point next year as well, where we make a traditionally much worse showing in public comments. It would be interesting to see how many of these persons also opposed ATF’s registration of multiple rifle sales, and their proposed shotgun importation ban. In fact, it’s too bad more didn’t opposed these efforts. Bloomberg was responsible for delivering over 10,000 petition entries on the rifle sale information collection. So these efforts might have some positive benefit, but I’d prefer to see the effort go to calling congressional offices and opposing any new gun bans.

    1. just to clarify ‘we make a traditionally worse showing in public comments’ – by that I mean that our response to administrative actions as a team are traditionally less enthusiastic than higher profile legislation.

    2. This might offer a “show of support” but it also has the counter effect of going to the well and our troops will fatigue over time.

      That’s a real concern, but I’m hoping people who read here aren’t the types that will easily wear out.

      1. And I’m pretty sure all of us realize “signing” a whitehouse.gov petition that’ll get in return the following won’t accomplish much:

        A Message from President Obama about Your Petition on Reducing Gun Violence

        By Bruce Reed, Chief of Staff to Vice President Biden

        Assuring us that (just the relevant sentences, no attempt to indicate snipped sections):

        The President asked the Vice President to lead this effort in part because he wrote and passed the 1994 Crime Bill that helped law enforcement bring down the rate of violent crime in America. That bill included the assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004.

        Two decades ago, as domestic policy adviser in the Clinton White House, I first worked with Joe Biden as he fought to enact the Crime Bill, the assault weapons ban, and the Brady Bill.

        The President called on Congress to pass important legislation “banning the sale of military-style assault weapons,” “banning the sale of high-capacity ammunition clips,” and “requiring background checks before all gun purchases, so that criminals can’t take advantage of legal loopholes to buy a gun from somebody who won’t take the responsibility of doing a background check at all.”

        [That’s pretty nasty given that we don’t have access to the NICS.]

        And let’s be clear, any action we take will respect the Second Amendment. As the President said:

        [A lot of BS, more of the same on banning our guns and magazines.]

        If we’re going to change things, it’s going to take a wave of Americans — mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, pastors, law enforcement, mental health professionals — and, yes, gun owners — standing up and saying ‘enough’ on behalf of our kids.”

        I think we can figure out who that “enough” is aimed at….

    1. I hope Sebastian is right. I’m helping draft a ‘canned correspondence’ for the upcoming busy season. One of many I’m sure. That video of the Joe Manchin protest ought to be an object lesson for any politician thinking of jumping on the gun ban bandwagon ( apologies, I know that sounds a little goofy ), there will be a stiff political price to pay.

      All of us need to be willing to -be- the boots on the ground in such a protest, or the one typing the email, sending the fax or calling the congressional office. We can’t buy our way out of this or “tithe” to NRA and expect them to do it for us. Like it or not we are all in this fight.

  6. I’ve been involved in some activism on some other fronts and the WH petitions were generally part of the grass roots ground game. At the risk of sounding cynical, I really think that the petitions just help the WH compose their platitudes. I’ve yet to see any real action come of them. The responses generally go something like this:
    “The Prez has been notified that this petition, like 100s of others today, has reached the threshold where we’re bound to answer. So, uh, yeah; the President heard about your cause and feels very passionate about ______________. When the President took office, he promised America that he would _________________. There are many challenges related to [YOUR ISSUE] and the President wants you to know how important he thinks it is. We sincerely hope that this form letter properly conveys the administration’s concern about ______________ .”

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