Rand Paul: First Question--
HOW ON EARTH DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT???
I was just quietly opening my emails late tonight when I came across an email from Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul, and son of quixotic perennial presidential candidate, TX U.S. Representative Ron Paul. I’m on oodles of email lists, left and right, and have received several pro-gun lobby emails from Mr. Paul in recent months. This time I took a bit of time to read it, and actually fired off a reply email, supporting proposals by both the Obama Administration and Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York. I note at the outset of this article that I am requesting an interview with the Kentucky Senator so he can explain himself, even insisting upon it as an American citizen who is frightened by his irresponsible and dangerous affiliations and actions.
After sending this email out, I delved a bit further to find out exactly which organization he was representing in what was basically a pitch for donations at the website of the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), based in Fredericksburg, VA apparently. Well it did not take long for me to find out how questionable an organization Rand is representing, with not only his name, his signature, but with his office of U.S. Senator. Their Executive Director is a guy named Dudley Brown, and he is a resident of Colorado, and I found an interview of him by the Denver Westword News in which Mr. Brown is quoted as saying “WE’RE NOT AFRAID TO BE CALLED RADICALS ON THE GUN ISSUE, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT WE ARE.” If Mr. Paul is an active member of, soliciting funds for, and representing with his name and his office an organization which calls itself “Radical” then what does that make Mr. Paul?? Appalled, I fired off a second email, all the emails are attached to this article; beginning with the one I received from Mr. Paul, followed by my initial email response to his pitch for cash for the organization, a few comments otherwise, AND A REQUEST FOR AN INTERVIEW ON THE TOPIC. The last email cited here is one I sent accompanying the other three which I sent to his Senate office at his senate.gov email address, where I acquired his scheduling phone number and I most definitely WILL call tomorrow and try and secure a conversation with the Senator.
Who can forget this image of the Rand Paul 2010 Campaign!
OMG!
Delving just a slight bit deeper, I’ve learned that even other right wing pro-gun groups are suspicious of this one! At an avidly pro-gun website, Gunbroker.com, I found this query posed just two years ago: “A few weeks ago I started getting emails from a supposedly pro-gun rights organization called "National Association for Gun Rights" (NAGR) apparently headed up by a Dudley Brown…I even got odd emails from people supposedly associated with Dudley Brown (one such posted below) and one email even stated that the anti-gun politicians were trying to arrest Dudley Brown and poor old Dudley desperately need my donation to help with his legal fees to keep out of jail; with the threat of jail simply because ol Dudley was pushing too hard for "my gun rights…So, it appears that ol Dudley is making money by acting he is active all across America risking being jailed for "fighting too hard" for our gun rights and, to supposedly give him some instant credibility he has a website in which he tries to gain trust by being a world class NRA basher. I guess some here actually are unable to see how they are being fooled by ol Dudley.” And further comments there from other right wingers on the gun issue: “I get emails from these fly by night organizations all the time, they get a mailing list from the other "Money grubbing" organizations...Just delete them and go on your merry way.”
Radical in the extreme, and horrifyingly anti-woman and even anti-girl!
Yahoo.com was asked this question about the group: “Is the National Association for Gun Rights a Legitimate Gun Rights Organization?*?” Answers provided included: “The organization looks legitimate but it also looks to be out of touch and pretty pointless. They don't even know the status of HR45 and seem to be using it to drum up support and money. Even the extremist NRA isn’t too fond of this suspicious and radical group, here’s a letter to an NRA member who asked about NAGR:
“Thank you for contacting NRA-ILA.
NAGR is a legit Second Amendment organization. However, they choose to slander the NRA's name in order to gain support.
Should you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us again.
Cordially,
Kaelan Jones
NRA-ILA Grassroots Division”
And just look at the frightening posters accompanying this article which NAGR posts on its Facebook webpage, and is the manufacturer of them! OMG! Radical to say the least!
Texts of the email exchange follow, [and by the way, all the misspellings, grammatical and typographical errors actually came in the email from Paul, and I simply left them intact--also scary] and I WILL follow up with details of my interactions with his Senate office. How dare you Rand Paul!
OMG, and this trash comes from a sitting U.S. Senator!
Dear fellow Patriot,
Nearly 1 million American rifles.
Banned by a stroke of Barack Obama’s pen.
In a move unprecedented in American history, the Obama Administration quietly banned the re-importation ofnearly one million American made M1 Garand and Carbine rifles.
The M1 Garand, developed in thelate 1930’s, carried the United States through World War II seeing action in every major battle.
General Patton at the time called the M1 Garand “the greatest battle implement ever devised.”
The rifle is largely credited with giving American soldiers the advantage and securing victory for the allies.
During the Korean War, nearly one million of these rifles were brought to South Korea and left with the South Koreangovernment afterward.
Now, South Korea wants to give American gun collectors the chance to gettheir hands on this unique piece of history.
A piece of American history that Barack Obamawould like to see go down the memory hole.
That’s why I want as many Americans aspossible to put themselves on record opposing this gun ban by signing the Official Firearms Freedom Surveythe National Association for Gun Rights has prepared for you.
Will you please join me? AfterWorld War II, the United States government sent millions of these rifles overseas to our allies and friends.
Over the past 50 years, many of the countries we lent them to returned them to America to be bought and sold by firearms collectors.
This is nothing new.
Make no mistake; theserifles were made in America, by Americans, for Americans, to defend freedom on foreign shores.
As a part of our history, they are greatly sought after by American shooters and collectors.
Butaccording to Hillary Clinton’s State Department there is a danger they might “fall into the wrong hands.”
That they might, possibly, one day be used in a crime.
No mention of the hundreds of thousands of gun owners deprived of the opportunity to own an integral part of American history.
The State Department’s outrageous claims are nothing more than a thinly veiled ploy to distractfrom the real issue:
President Obama’s deep seated hatred for gun rights
While his gun-grabbing base is giddy with praise at this back-door gun ban, law-abiding citizens across theUnited States are crying foul.
Let me be clear: at no time in U.S. history has the ownership ofthis firearm -- or any part of this firearm -- been illegal, restricted or banned.
Americanshave collected World War II M1 Garand and Carbine rifles for decades.
Now they are soldthrough the Civilian Marksmanship Program.
You can even purchase a newly manufactured model fromSpringfield Armory that was made just a month or two ago.
And the M1 Garand’s caliber orcapacity is no more dangerous than the millions of modern firearms owned by Americans across the country today.As you can see, there is absolutely no justification for this unconstitutional gun ban. This is just the latest in a series of anti-gun schemes from the Obama Administration:
*** A newso-called “Assaults Weapon Ban" -- targeting ALL semi-automatic rifles and shotguns -- which, unlike the Clinton ban, would NEVER expire;
*** An outright BAN on “high capacity”magazines -- banning the sale and manufacture of magazines holding more than just a handful of rounds;
*** A NationalConcealed Carry “Standard” -- designed to make it even more difficult for law-abiding citizens to carry a gun to protect themselves and their families from assault;
*** Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “Catch-All Gun Control Scheme” -- to create a national “cannot buy registry,” allowing citizens to be stripped of their Second Amendment rights on a Justice Department whim, effectivelybanning all private gun sales.
That’s why it is essential that Americans like you and I take a stand against the M1 Garand gun ban!
It has been common practice since the end of World War II to re-import these American made rifles from the foreign allies they were lent toduring the war.
But the Obama Administration departs radically from the American tradition.
In fact, on top of banning American citizens from owning these historic firearms, Obama’s StateDepartment is arranging for the destruction of nearly one million of them -- ironically, at a time of ballooning federal deficits.
It’s an outrage!
These firearms -- truly pieces ofAmerican history -- rightly belong in the hands of U.S. citizens.
That’s why I was gladto hear that the National Association for Gun Rights is helping fight this power grab in the U.S. Senate.
Do you believe the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Second Amendment are the supreme law of the land?
Do you believe that President Obama banning the re-importation of these historic firearms is an unprecedented andunconstitutional power grab?
Do you support Congress forcing President Obama to reverse his banand save these American made rifles from destruction?
If you said “Yes” to thesequestions, please sign the Firearms Freedom Survey the National Association for Gun Rights has prepared for you.
Your survey will put you squarely on the record AGAINST Barack Obama’s Rifle Ban. And along with your signed survey, I hope you’ll send a generous contribution of $250,$100, $50 or even just $35 to help finance this battle.
With your generous contribution, theNational Association for Gun Rights will continue contacting Second Amendment supporters to turn up the heat on targeted U.S. Senators.
Not only that, but they’re preparing a massive program to launch the designed to force President Obama toreverse this ban.
Direct mail. Phones. E-mail. Blogs. Guesteditorials. Press conferences. Hard-hitting internet, newspaper, radio and even TV ads if funding permits. The whole nine yards.
Of course, a program of this scale is only possible if the National Association for Gun Rightscan raise the money.
But that’s not easy.
So please put yourself on record AGAINST Barack Obama’s Rifle Ban by signing NAGR’s Firearms Freedom Survey.
And the bottom line IS the bottom line, it's a pitch for cash
for a RADICAL and scandalous group!
But along with your survey, please agree tomake a generous contribution of $250, $100, $50 or even just $35.
And everydollar counts in this fight so even if you can only chip in $10 or $20, your helpwill still make a difference.
Thank you in advance for your time and money devoted to defendingour Second Amendment rights.
For Freedom,
Rand Paul
United States Senator
P.S. In a move unprecedented in American history, Barack Obama secretly banned the re-importation of nearly a million American made M1 Garandand Carbine rifles.
The M1 Garand, developed in the 1930’s, carried the U.S. throughWorld War II seeing action in every major battle.
So please put yourself on record AGAINSTthe Barack Obama’s Rifle Ban by signing NAGR’s Firearms Freedom Survey.
But along with your survey, please agree tomake a generous contribution to the National Association for Gun Rights of $250, $100, $50 or even just $35.
And every dollar counts in this fight so even if you can only chip in $10 or $20, your helpwill still make a difference.
Neither Rand nor Ron are Libertarians, but Rand is even more whacked
and potentially dangerous than his father.
Dear Mr. Paul,
You, sir, are in no way, shape or form a "PATRIOT!" And typical of you and others of your ilk, your father for example, you make far too many assumptions of others. I happen to favor the scrapping of that absurd Second Amendment altogether. There is obviously way too much room for interpretation, with some believing it authorizes the possession and use of hunting rifles, and that's it, too the far extremists on the NRA side who believe that it gives license to everyone owning an arsenal from snub nose revolvers whose only purpose is to kill other humans, to AK 47's, tanks and missiles. Then you have the ludicrous fringe which believes it not only authorizes the states to have their own militias, but that the 2nd authorizes privately organized militias.
LET'S SCRAP THE SECOND AMENDMENT NOW! I FURTHER CALL FOR THE OUTLAWING OF ALL HANDGUNS, PERIOD; THEIR POSSESSION, MANUFACTURE AND SALE; except by law enforcement and national security personnel. And since this obviously cannot be enforced, as all gun laws cannot possibly be effective at the state level I advocate strict limits on the possession of only hunting rifles, and those guns which actually have a legitimate purpose besides target (which in the case of handguns, practice shooting to enhance one's ability to kill other humans--these guns have NO other purpose) shooting and killing other people, I strongly advocate that the laws and the modifications following the scrapping of the absurd, controversial and dangerous Second Amendment be done at the federal level and that the states have NO say in private gun ownership laws. I further believe that any effort to rid us of handguns (the number one criminal murder weapon of choice in America and worldwide) that a WORLDWIDE BAN ON THE POSSESSION, MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF HANDGUNS (except perhaps one global manufacturer for the national security needs of all countries, be negotiated and pronto! I don’t often find myself agreeing with Mayor Bloomberg, but I can only applaud both his and Barack’s efforts to curb criminal killing tools which are out of control, especially in the hands of teens and tweens in our urban areas from Los Angeles to New York. Mayor Bloomberg has reason to know, and DOES have genuine concern for folks, even though I often disagree with him on policy. Your concerns are obviously questionable.
I regret giving you the salutation "Sir" at the beginning of this letter, but I do so only because you absurdly hold the office of U.S. Senator and I have respect for the office you presently hold. I have NOT forgotten your basic endorsement, and your father's intentional dead silence, when a witty and innocent costumed female protester exercising another amendment which actually makes all the sense in the world, the First Amendment, was ruthlessly beaten outside a public debate site by cowardly male supporters of your candidacy for the Senate 2 years ago. I can assure you few have forgotten this, and I find you to be a spoiled rotten silver-spooner and eagerly await you making the mistaken action, comments or behavior which will result in your departure from the Senate before your 6 year term is up. That was and remains my prediction for your Senate tenure, ever since I saw you in action in 2010. Your father and your ideas are dangerous, dogmatic and impractical; however your father has had just enough common sense to have avoided prosecutable comments and/or actions or behaving in manners which would result in him finding himself forced to resign HIS seat in Congress and/or face prosecution for criminal incendiary comments which could incite violence. You, Mr. Paul are prone to hollering fire in crowded theaters and I sincerely and honestly hope and pray that you leave office as soon as possible and by any legal and peaceful means possible. You are dangerous in my opinion, and in way over your head, do not comprehend governance in a nation with the largest economy and killing machine (the Defense Department, replete with its most deadly nuclear arsenal on earth), and I do NOT hesitate at all to tell you that I would like you out of office. You have demonstrated a total lack of understanding of what governance and politics are about, Rand.
A frightening duo, but now RAND HAS SOME EXPLAINING TO DO AND A
SCANDAL ON HIS HANDS. HE BELONGS TO AND RAISES FUNDS
IN THE NAME OF THE US SENATE FOR A RADICAL GROUP!
TIME TO TALK RAND!
If you disagree with ANYTHING in this letter I invite--no I URGE--you to call, or contact me by any means you choose at any time of day or night. I am a journalist writing for the largest online newspaper Examiner.com, my own website, and for CBS, AND I'D WELCOME AN INTERVIEW WITH YOU AT ANY TIME TO DISCUSS GUN CONTROL OR WHATEVER ELSE MIGHT BE ON YOUR MIND, RAND. All my contact information is below and I certainly would work my schedule around yours if you DID have the courage to talk with somebody on the record who actually has different opinions than yours. That would do a little to begin repairing the reputation you've acquired nationwide as a coward, ever since that woman-stomping incident in 2010.
Sincerely,
Steve Alexander
Examiner.com/government-in-hartford/steve-alexander
cbslocal.com
unabashedleft.blogspot.com
unabashedleft@gmail.com
Steve Alexander
Senator,
I have to add to this letter I just sent you! I AM APPALLED TO LEARN THAT YOUR GROUP, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR GUN RIGHTS IS LED BY A MAN WHO HAS SAID PUBLICLY:
“WE’RE NOT AFRAID TO BE CALLED RADICALS ON THE GUN ISSUE, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT WE ARE.”
The Executive Director of the group, Dudley Brown made this statement in the Denver Westword News, and YOU, are not only using your name but also your title of U.S. Senator to represent an admittedly "RADICAL" group! If the leader of the group you represent calls his group radical. What, Rand does that make YOU? And to use your office to further the ends of an admittedly RADICAL group is simply unbelievable. I CALL UPON YOU TO RESIGN EITHER FROM THIS GROUP OR FROM THE SENATE!
I again also call upon you to contact me directly, as I am eager to interview you about this topic and the Second Amendment and a whole host of issues.
Sincerely,
Steve Alexander
And this is the email I submitted to his Washington Senate office in addition to the previous three email exchanges:
Senator Paul's Membership and Advancement of "Radical" Group.
I received this email from Senator Paul, and then replied with the following two to the National Association for Gun Rights email address from which this emanated. I am APPALLED THAT MR. PAUL BELONGS TO AN ADMITTEDLY 'RADICAL'GROUP SUCH AS THIS AND IS USING HIS OFFICE TO ADVANCE IT'S CAUSE. I request an answer, and I am requesting an interview with Senator Paul so that he can explain his role in the organization and on the issue of gun 'rights' as well as others. I see that requests for scheduling must be done at the 202-224-4343 phone number, and I assure you I will call tomorrow. Thank you.
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