Tennessee Firearms Assoc. Inc.

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408


Friday, August 27, 2004

Dear gun rights supporter,

Four years ago this November, the eyes of the world focused on a
single state -- Florida -- as the course of American history was
decided by a mere handful of votes.

Whether or not you think it was a good thing that George W. Bush
eventually emerged victorious, there is no doubt that our country
would be markedly different had Al Gore been in the White House on
September 11, 2001.

What a lot of people fail to realize, however, is even more profound.
The fact of the matter is that were it not for the votes of gun
owners, Florida wouldn't have mattered at all!

You see, Al Gore lost three important states, all of which lean
Democrat and are heavily populated by pro-union voters, normally a
"bank on 'em" Gore constituency. Those states were West Virginia,
Arkansas (home of Bill Clinton), and even Gore's own home state of
Tennessee.

Voters in those states just couldn't abide the thought of Gore taking
away their guns. Had he carried just ONE of those three states, Al
Gore would currently be President.

The point is that the votes of gun owners can tip the balance even
for the nation's highest office. In the halls of Congress (where the
REAL gun battles are fought), those votes carry even more weight.

This November, every single one of the 535 House of Representatives
seats and one-third of all Senate seats are up for grabs. Gun owners,
if they value their freedoms and their firearms, simply cannot afford
to stay at home on November 2nd.

Need more evidence? This month, a GOA-supported candidate for
Congress in North Carolina won his primary-- by a margin of 86 votes.
Grass Roots North Carolina, that state's premier gun rights group,
undoubtedly accounted for many more votes than that through their
efforts... the contest would have gone the other way were it not for
gun owners.

A single vote can and does make a difference. That's why this special
message is being sent... along with an impassioned plea for each and
every one of us to do our civic duty. Please help make gun rights a
massively effective issue this fall. Here's how:

ACTION:

1. First, be certain to vote in November yourself. If you're going to
be away on a hunting vacation that Tuesday, then get an absentee
ballot today!

Of course, you can't vote if you aren't registered. Most states have
deadlines requiring you to be registered well in advance of Election
Day-- and many of those deadlines are literally right around the
corner.

2. So please, if you aren't currently registered to vote, take steps
RIGHT NOW to cover that base. In order to help make this easier, GOA
has provided online voter registration forms. Simply go to
then click on Election &
Candidates. Fill out the requested information, then print and mail
the completed application to the address provided, or drop it off at
your local registrar. Your personal information will remain
confidential.

3. Chances are pretty good that you fully intend to vote and are
already registered-- you guys are dedicated grassroots activists. But
what about your buddy? Your relatives? Everyone at the range, the
church, and all of the clubs you belong to? Please make a concerted
effort to forward this alert widely, or even print it out and
distribute it by hand at meetings. Better yet, do both.

For that matter, slips of paper with the above url can be passed
around with a request to "click on Elections and get registered to
vote."

Bear in mind that keeping politicians in line with respect to our gun
rights is a two-fisted job. First, we send them reeling with our
postcards, e-mails, letters, etc. during the legislative season.
Then, if they don't listen, we hammer them at the polls on Election
Day. The best thing you can do to protect your gun rights right now
is to get registered and then vote-- while encouraging others to do
the same.


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