You will hear from NRA Officers and NRA-ILA Staff on what you can do locally to defend our Second Amendment rights.  We will provide you with the materials and strategies you will need to educate and empower your fellow gun owners.

Your attendance at this year’s NRA-ILA Grassroots Workshop in Pittsburgh is a critical step toward ensuring the future of our gun rights.  This Workshop has been a staple of NRA’s Annual Meetings, and is one of the most popular events of the week, attended by hundreds of freedom-loving NRA members.

FREE NRA-ILA Grassroots Workshop
Friday, April 29, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
(Registration and free continental breakfast from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.)
Allegheny Ballrooms 2&3, The Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh
1000 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

For more information, please contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683), or click here to sign up for the NRA-ILA Grassroots Workshop.

There is no better time to prepare for success for the inevitable battles we will face than while we are in Pittsburgh!  Please encourage your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to attend as well!

Nearly half of all voters (44 percent) say they listened for the NRA’s message all, most, or some of the time. …

A sizeable 42 percent of independents also listened for the message of the NRA.

Among those who attend church weekly, … a 57 percent majority say they listened for the NRA’s message.

…a very strong majority of tea party voters (76 percent) say they listened for the NRA’s message.

[Among small business owners,] 53 percent majority said they listened for NRA’s message as well.

“These numbers show that the tea party and the NRA were the two major voices that influenced voter opinion in the midterm elections,” said Brad O’Leary, publisher of The O’Leary Report.

According to the report, more than two thousand voters were polled and the margin of error is approximately 2 points.

Tuesday, September 28
Three rallies with Pat Toomey will be hosted around the state. The Senate seat will be absolutely vital in the event President Obama tries to appoint another anti-gun justice to the Supreme Court in coming years. Joe Sestak refused to even concede that guns can be used for self-defense in a debate earlier this year, so he will not be a friend to gun owners in the US Senate. We must unite behind Pat Toomey to make sure our rights are defended!

9:00 a.m.
Green Tree Volunteer Fire company
825 Poplar St
Pittsburgh, PA 15220-2827

12:00 p.m.
Clarks Summit Ramada
820 Northern Blvd
Clarks Summit, PA 18411

3:00 p.m.
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
4800 W Market St
York, PA 17408

No RSVP is required for these three events.

Thursday, September 30
In preparation for the 2010 elections, NRA-ILA has hired Campaign Field Representatives who are working in key states to recruit and mobilize pro-gun volunteers. As part of this grassroots plan, NRA will host “Volunteer Kick-Off” meetings, featuring CFRs and ILA Grassroots Headquarters staff.

6:00 P.M.
Lower Providence Rod & Gun Club
2857 Egypt Road
Audubon, PA 19407

RSVP here.

If you know anyone who is currently serving, make sure they know that NRA members say thanks for everything they do. In fact, NRA has created a special free membership for active duty military, guard, and reservists. These memberships are gifts from other NRA members who want to show their gratitude for all our men and women in uniform do to keep us safe.

If you would like to say thanks by donating a membership to a member of the military, click here.

At last month’s Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally, PAFOA not only embraced using Twitter and Facebook as a means of spreading news, but members used coordinated tags to have and track conversations about the events. Using the hashtag #2ARally, gun owners were able to label their live reports so folks at home could track them, and they could find each other in real time and in real life through this new digital medium.

This weekend, that same example will play itself out on a much larger scale at the NRA Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. Much like PAFOA, NRA has now set up a Twitter account to make announcements, share news, and stir up the conversation about the event – @AnnualMeetings. In addition, they have embraced a hashtag already used by members, #NRAAM. It will allow members to keep track of what others are doing, seeing, and experiencing on the floor.

In addition, members are organizing a Foursquare swarm for users of the location services social application. By “checking in” using the service, it announces to the user’s closest friends that they are taking part in a massive event – upwards of 80,000 people are predicted to attend this year’s festivities.

Given that the NRA Annual Meeting is a much larger affair than the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally, it also makes sense that NRA has finally expanded into mobile technology for users on site to keep up with everything going on. In recent weeks, they have announced both an iPhone app and a mobile Annual Meeting website. With more than 6 acres of exhibit halls and events that span three days, it makes sense to enter into this new arena of technology.

With the NRA bringing their show to Pittsburgh in 2011, the first use of many of these technologies will be a great trial run in Charlotte.

We announced the effort on Twitter today, and now is your chance to join in the vote:

You can also “like” us on Facebook to get updates right in your stream – we’ll publish photos as soon as we can share them.

If you can’t make it down to the Capitol today, please take a moment to contact your lawmakers and let them know you’re with us in spirit and want to see Castle Doctrine moved through the House and Senate. Remind them that for every one gun owner who could turn out, there are thousands more supporting the rally from home or the office, and we’ll remember their action come November.

Week 4
Jim Gerlach
Congressman Jim Gerlach has been targeted by many groups to try and flip this A rated seat to less friendly opposition. The seat leans Democratic by voter registration, so it will draw many outside groups who want to defeat this Republican Congressman. In fact, out-of-state groups have been airing attack ads throughout the Philadelphia-area media markets consistently since last year.

On gun rights issues, Congressman Gerlach has been working on our behalf recently, including signing on to a brief in the McDonald case to support the incorporation of the Second Amendment. With major political initiatives from President Obama’s agenda likely to take the back burner after the elections, we need to make sure that gun rights don’t become a target in Congress. Representative Gerlach will make sure we’re protected in Washington, DC.
Contribute ** Volunteer

Week 3
Jim Wansacz
With a six-way Democratic primary in an overwhelmingly Democratic district, we have a chance to put a pro-gun leader into higher office. Representative Jim Wansacz has been a consistent friend to the Second Amendment and sportsmen around his district during his decade in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. On the other hand, one of his biggest opponents, Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty, has endorsed a bigger wish list of gun control than the Brady Campaign has even tried to push in Pennsylvania. He vowed to work to end preemption across the state, which would make carry permits worthless and even put hunters in danger of breaking dozens of gun laws as they drive from their homes to the tree stand. In addition, Doherty would put limits on how many guns we would even be able to buy in the first place.

This race is to replace a longtime friend to gun owners, Senator Bob Mellow. We should make sure to fill the seat with a candidate who respects our rights and won’t work with anti-gun groups to pass legislation that faced massive opposition even in New Jersey! Rep. Wansacz deserves our united support in his competitive primary race.
Contribute ** Volunteer

We’d also like to let you know that the full candidate page will be updated in coming weeks. While we have already examined most of the races in our districts, there are still a few outstanding candidate petition challenges waiting to be heard by the courts. These cases should be wrapped up by next Friday. When decisions have been issued for all of the candidates on the May ballot, we will post the final list on the page at that time. The list will also be updated after winners of the May primary are announced.

Please understand that NRA does not typically get involved in primary races, and usually the candidate grades are not issued until later in the year. However, we will try to make note when candidates have previously held the NRA endorsement and any notes about known actions since the last endorsement that may or may not influence future grades and decisions.

Since this website is maintained by only 3 of Pennsylvania’s 14 EVCs, we will not have a full list of statewide candidates. However, we will have all candidates from our regions, along with key races in the rest of state.

The chart above reflects the number of search results for the phrase “repeal the __ amendment” for each and every amendment in the US Constitution. This chart only measures the prevalence of such statements on the internet, and may not represent the sentiment you might assume.

Another consideration for these results is that the supporters of various amendments may be writing about efforts to repeal specific amendments and want to mobilize to stop it. Clearly, we hope that is the case with the Second Amendment!

If $10/week is still too steep, considering giving a couple of hours each week, or a full day each month. Your time is worth gold to any candidate, and they could use it just as much as any financial contributions.

Week 2
Jonathan Jenkins
On the surface, this might seem like an unusual race for us to profile since the candidate doesn’t actually have an NRA rating yet. But Jonathan Jenkins is an NRA life member and has worked closely with NRA’s EVC in his district for a number of years. Jenkins is challenging an incumbent in his own party who has not only been poorly rated for years, but his grade has continued to drop down to a D- in the last election. By the time things get to the November general election, things won’t look any better since the Democratic opposition also maintains a D- rating. This House seat is actually represented by a strongly pro-gun Senator, so we know that gun owners can make the difference in the region when they show up at the polls. Let’s help Jonathan raise the funds he needs to get his message out to the voters and finally turn this House seat into one that represents the people of Chester County!
Contribute ** Volunteer

With hundreds of exhibitors on hand, acres upon acres of guns, gear, and other goodies will be on display for you to try. From the time the event opens to the time they shut her down on Sunday, there will be seminars on everything from handloading to hunting Africa.

For political junkies, politicians from around the country will flock to the event for speeches and an opportunity to promote their positions on the Second Amendment. In addition the Grassroots Division of NRA-ILA will host two opportunities for activists – the Grassroots Workshop and “In Their Own Words,” a session here real world gun owners talk about the work they do in their own communities to advance the cause.

It’s not too late to join us and register for the event. Come on down to get a taste of what is in store when the NRA Meeting returns to Pittsburgh in 2011. If you attend once, you’ll want to come back every year.

For those of you who participate in the new media sphere, there is a special opportunity for you to have special access through the Second Amendment Blog Bash.

Join Wayne LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President, Pennsylvania State Representative Daryl Metcalfe, other Second Amendment activists, and countless patriots for the opportunity to voice support for our cherished firearm freedoms.

On Tuesday, April 27 at 10 a.m. at the State Capitol in Harrisburg, Second Amendment supporters will gather in solidarity for our gun rights.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to meet with legislators and urge them to stand up and support the Second Amendment by passing pro-gun advancements currently pending action in the legislature.

For more information and to register, please visit www.2ARally.com.

Those who pre-register and show up will have a shot at winning a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22, Brownell’s high-quality range bags, and more great prizes.

This annual event is a powerful reminder to lawmakers in Harrisburg that we’re watching everything they do on our rights. Check out these photos taken by PA-19′s EVC, Jason Epperson, last year.

For one, I really love this idea from one blogger itching to make a difference right now:

Conservatives/Libertarians/Independents are, by this point, acutely aware of the need to remove Democrats from office. This takes money. Lots and lots of money. As someone who is woefully underemployed, I don’t have large stashes of cash to send to candidates, so I was thinking that the best option would be to contribute $10 every week to a candidate of my choice until the election.

Obviously, his focus is a partisan one. However, the idea of choosing one or more candidates for regular donations throughout the course of an election year is not a bad one. In fact, it’s a great one! It doesn’t matter if the donations are small, they make a difference!

So with that idea in mind, we’re going to profile a different pro-gun campaign around Pennsylvania that could use your financial support each week. Giving just $10 is about the price of two lunches a week. Surely our rights are worth brown-bagging it for two days?

If $10/week is still too steep, considering giving a couple of hours each week, or a full day each month. Your time is worth gold to any candidate, and they could use it just as much as any financial contributions.

Week 1
Charlie Dent
Rep. Dent is facing a serious challenge from a local mayor who has been working with NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg to bring his vision of gun control to Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, Dent’s opponent, as a White House recruit & friend of Bloomberg, is very well funded. This means that donations to Rep. Dent make a tangible difference in the race. These donations will pay for airtime, yard signs, and campaign literature that must cover every inch of the district if we want to send a pro-gun vote to Washington in 2010. This seat is at serious risk of flipping from A rated incumbent to an F rated freshman if we gun owners don’t step up and help our friend in Congress out during this tough time.
Contribute ** Volunteer

Here are a few tips for organizing and delivering a message at city council meetings based on recent observations of local activists at work:

• Organize with other gun owners as much as possible before the event. First, it increases likely turnout when gun owners know there will be others there to back them up and they are part of a team. Second, you can divide the arguments. Finally, there is power in numbers. Whether you can recruit from your gun club, an email to friends and family, or on online forums (such as the state-specific Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association), try to convince folks to come out even if they sit silently in support of our rights. Don’t forget about relevant non-residents who might have standing to speak – business owners, employees in town, and those who also visit and spend money in the area.
• Dress accordingly. Not every speaker needs to dressed to the nines, but double check that your clothes are clean and appropriate. Remember that the underlying message you’re trying to send is that you’re an average resident and taxpayer who is concerned about the direction of city government getting into areas where they are not legally allowed to legislate. Just look neighborly.
• For those willing to speak, divide your arguments by topic. Assign one speaker to tackle each of your primary arguments to the fullest extent possible in only a few minutes. This means each topic can be discussed at a deeper level in the limited time allotted for each speaker in many government meetings. It also minimizes redundancy which could make leaders tune out remarks. Consider working to review each other’s prepared remarks to make sure each point is tackled.
• If you do have help from out-of-towners, try to keep the core arguments limited to residents. If the anti-gun leaders want to shut down debate, they will aim to limit it to residents only. They may not realize how many gun owners actually live in town.
• If you’re not used to speaking in public, write out your statement and print it in an easy-to-read format. It’s better to read well crafted remarks and stay on point than risk rambling on about other topics off the cuff. If you want to improve your presentation skills, practice at home in front of a video camera. Watching yourself speak on video is a harsh lesson, but it is the most honest assessment of both bad and good habits.
• Don’t forget to identify yourself and how you are related to the community. Sometimes it’s hard to remember to introduce yourself, but it is often required in town meetings and it serves to advance the argument that there are gun owners all around who want their rights respected.
• If you have several arguments to make on a topic, number them in your remarks. It will let councillors know that you have a well-developed argument that should be easier to follow. If time begins to run out, it also gives them a polite way to ask you to quickly make the rest of your points.
• Don’t fight with city leaders. If gun control is brought up at all, it is likely because there is at least one anti-gun leader on the board. Understand that they are likely to try and defend their legislation. At best, you may want to politely rebut any stinging arguments, but do not try to pick a fight with them. Choose your battles wisely.
• Don’t fight with the anti-gun leaders in the audience. We know 99% of what they will say in advance. There’s a very good chance that in your efforts to divide arguments, gun owners will have made the factual arguments that defeat their emotional pleas. Unless a new argument is made, don’t worry about getting up to argue again and again.
• Stick with the relevant facts. As inspiring as it may feel to talk about the importance of the Second Amendment, most local leaders don’t really think about their responsibility to respect the federal Bill of Rights. Unfortunately, until we end up with a favorable result in McDonald, the argument doesn’t hold much legal weight, either. While a lofty reference or two for inspiration won’t derail your argument, keep the focus on immediate concerns they – and other residents – can identify with.
• Look to other city issues that can supplement your arguments. For example, with a major pothole problem, is it really in the city’s best interest to spend money on a gun control measure that’s likely to be struck down? Remind them that as much as gun control might “feel good” to them, there are bigger local issues that must be dealt with at the moment. Whether it comes in the form of potholes, schools, or taxes, most towns have more pressing needs on their agenda than gun control.

Perhaps the most important tip in all of this is to stay in touch with those who turn out and help. Connect online again – use Facebook, PAFOA, or even just have business cards with your email address to share. Maybe grab some coffee or hit the range with your new fellow activists. Don’t forget that while we’re always trying to defend our rights, most of us were attracted to this issue because we truly enjoy the sports and the other people in the movement.

The 2010 legislative session has started, with Congress and most states currently in session.

With the holidays now in our rearview mirrors, it is time to turn our energies toward our critically important legislative agenda and the 2010 elections. Much is on the line for our gun rights, our country, and our future. In recent election cycles, gun owners have enjoyed great successes. But none of our victories have happened by accident. It takes careful, long-term, advance planning to ensure victory for the Second Amendment on Election Day, as well as in the legislative arena. In order for us to meet the inevitable challenges and opportunities we will face this year, our preparation must begin now.

As in every election year, two things will win this year’s elections for gun owners — votes and volunteers. And no pro-Second Amendment candidate can do without both. Be assured, the anti-gun crowd is hoping you don’t turn out in support of, or volunteer for, our candidates.

If you are not currently registered to vote, or if you have recently moved, please make sure you register to vote at once. And please ensure every one of your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners are registered voters as well. For information on voter registration requirements, deadlines, and applications for your state, contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683), or visit here.

The second part of our formula for electoral success is actively volunteering your time to the campaigns of candidates who support our rights. This is where your NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinator (EVC) becomes integral to our efforts. Your EVC is an NRA member — just like you — who spearheads our volunteer campaign activities in your congressional district. For more than 15 years, EVCs have been acting as the liaisons between NRA members and gun owners in their districts and various pro-freedom campaigns. The main role of an EVC is to provide these campaigns with dedicated, educated volunteers to assist with phone banks, literature drops, precinct walks, voter registration drives, Election Day activities, and other volunteer campaign activities. Your EVC is also your local point of contact to assist with NRA-ILA’s legislative agendas at the federal, state, and local levels. This year’s elections are critical, but we must also remain vigilant in defending our gun rights from inevitable legislative attacks.

Even if you can spare only a few hours here and there, your EVC needs to hear from you. To identify and contact your EVC, please click here, or call ILA Grassroots at (800) 392-VOTE (8683). Please do not hesitate. Contact your EVC today!

While most congressional districts are currently covered by an EVC, there are still vacancies we are trying to fill. Please click here to review the EVC vacancies in your state and help us find replacements. Spread the word to your fellow activists in these districts, educate them on the EVC program, and either have them contact their state Grassroots Coordinator directly, or pass their information along to your state’s Grassroots Coordinator, so he/she may follow up with these individuals to learn if they are interested and able to step into the breach and serve as an EVC. Remember, the more competent and active EVCs we have in districts across the country, the better prepared we all will be to achieve victory this year — politically and legislatively. If you are interested in serving as your district’s EVC, or want to learn more about the program, please visit ILA’s website, or contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots at (800) 392-VOTE (8683), and ask to speak to your state’s Grassroots Coordinator.

For us to succeed this year, our grassroots campaign battle plan needs to be in place NOW. There simply isn’t any time to spare.

In Pennsylvania, Election Volunteer Coordinators are needed in Congressional districts 1, 2, 4, 14, and 15.

The Congressional elections in districts 4 and 15 are expected to be very competitive, and gun owners may be particularly useful in making sure our interests remain represented. Even in Congressional districts considered safe, NRA members have the opportunity to make a difference in state elections for top offices, as well as local House & Senate seats.

If you’re in a different district, find your EVC here or here.

Find the Candidates
Most candidates are declaring for office right now. The paperwork for office isn’t due until March, but anyone looking to have a solid campaign for the nomination of a major party is likely to have some kind of structure in place by now. While a dedicated candidate could certainly try to build momentum at the last minute, it may be more of a challenge.

Search online to find out who is running in your district. Candidates for Congress are likely to have the highest profile, but with the ease of creating webpages, state and local candidates may already have a public presence.

Local party websites in most counties don’t have a list of candidates for 2010 posted at this time. Based on past posting behavior, they will likely only post a list of candidates after the primary election. However, you could contact the local party leaders to find out if anyone has declared for specific races.

Go Where the Candidates Are
While the rights to self-defense and hunt are not partisan issues, this may be a time to check out organizations on the right and left to find out if they are hosting “meet the candidate” evenings or events. Some of these may only be open to members, but others may be open to the public.

On the right, local “tea party” organizations have made a difference in Republican races around the country, perhaps most notably in New York’s special election late last year. However, some are taking a more informed voter approach and hosting candidate forums. Check online on sites like MeetUp.com or other organizing sites to find out more.

Contact the Candidates
Whether you find them online or meet them in person, contact candidates running on either side of the aisle in your district. Let them know that you are a gun owner, and it is important to you as a voter that they complete a questionnaire from the NRA. Candidates should be able to contact NRA-ILA to get a copy of it when it is available, or they may email us at admin (at) pagunrights (dot) com for appropriate contact information.

Here at PAGunRights.com, we will update you with information as we find out more during the upcoming election season. If you have tips or candidates to highlight, contact the appropriate EVC at:

Bucks/Philadelphia/Montgomery Counties – 8thDistrictEVC (at) pagunrights (dot) com
Montgomery/Philadelphia Counties – 13thDistrictEVC (at) pagunrights (dot) com
Adams/Cumberland/York Counties – 19thDistrictEVC (at) pagunrights (dot) com

With two clicks & a Twitter account, you can thank one Senator & three Congressmen who supported the Second Amendment.

If you’re on Facebook, leave a short note of thanks on their pages:

• Bob Casey
• Arlen Specter
• Jason Altmire
• Glenn Thompson
• Jim Gerlach
• Patrick Murphy
• Paul Kanjorski
• John Murtha
• Charlie Dent
• Joe Pitts
• Tim Murphy
• Todd Platts

Make sure you let them know when they’ve done well!

Did you realize you can follow many Pennsylvania politicians on Twitter as well? Whether they support your rights or not, you can keep up with what they have to say about the issues. Want to know what sassy comments Sen. Daylin Leach is hurling at those he disagrees with this week? @DaylinLeach is by far one of the most colorful political Twitter accounts online. Or do you want to know what his colleague across the the aisle, Sen. Lloyd Smucker has to say about the goings on in Harrisburg? @SenatorSmucker updates with information on the Senate session times, especially during the contentious budget debates.

Here are the Pennsylvania politicians in and around the Congressional districts we represent who are using Twitter to communicate. (All grades are the last ratings issued. It is likely some ratings will change before the next election based on recent voting records.)

Pennsylvania House Members
Rep. Bob Mensch – @RepMensch & @Mensch4Senate – A
Rep. Denny O’Brien – @RepOBrien – A
Rep. Scott Perry – @RepScottPerry – A
Rep. Eugene DePasquale – @RepDePasquale – B
Rep. Mike Vereb – @RepVereb – B
Rep. Josh Shapiro – @Josh_Shapiro – D
Rep. Mark Cohen* – @RepMarkBCohen – F
Rep. Scott Grove – @RepGrove – unknown

Pennsylvania Senate Members
Sen. Lloyd Smucker – @SenatorSmucker – A
Sen. Daylin Leach – @DaylinLeach – F

Candidates for US Senate, 2010
Pat Toomey – @ToomeyForSenate – A
Sen. Arlen Specter – @SenArlenSpecter – A
Rep. Joe Sestak – @JoeSestak & @Sestak2010 – F
Peg Luksik – @PegLuksik – unknown
Robert Townsend – @VoteCommonSense – unknown

Other Statewide Candidates, 2010
Rep. Jim Gerlach – @GerlachforPA & @JimGerlach – A
Atty. Gen. Tom Corbett – @Tom_Corbett & @CorbettForGov – A
Dan Onorato – @Dan_Onorato – unknown
Tom Knox – @KnoxforGovernor – unknown

If you follow us at @PAGunRights, we’ll periodically participate in the #FollowFriday with themed lists of folks to follow on Twitter. It may be candidates in a specific political race, Pennsylvania politicians debating a major gun rights bill, or NRA activists from around the country.

*Rep. Cohen keeps his updates private, though it is unclear how to get on the approval list. @PAGunRights which strives to cover issues fairly to both parties and all candidates has requested to follow him since we represent his constituents. However, he has so far refused to approved our request, presumably over disagreement on Second Amendment rights.