13. Register Voters, Not Guns

``SO THEY COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO THE WILL OF GOD AND RESOLVED TO
PROCEED.'' William Bradford, Plymouth Plantation (1647).

Does Registering to Vote Matter?

	Some people may tell you that voting by our side doesn't make
a difference. Nonsense. Just ask Moody Stallings. Virginia State
Senator Moody Stallings centered his re-election campaign with boasts
about his attacks on the NRA. In November 1991, Stallings was defeated
for re-election, thanks in large part to pro-rights volunteers who
flocked to Stallings' opponent, and got out the vote.

	Every single vote really does count. During the 1980s in
California, over 21 local elections were decided by a single vote.

	Even in Presidential elections, pro-gun voters can make a
difference. In 1980 and 1988, the pro-gun vote swung Pennsylvania (and
several other states) to Ronald Reagan and George Bush.

	Some folks complain about the paperwork and bother involved in
registration. The question to ask them is: ``Would you rather register
to vote, or register your guns?'' Either we vote and win elections, or
the other side wins, and national registration of all guns will become
a reality.

	When we don't win elections, we pay a heavy price.

	In 1990, Senator Howard Metzenbaum helped push a bill banning
semi-automatics through the Senate by pointing out that the NRA had
failed to defeat him in 1988, despite his being a fierce opponent of
gun rights.

	New York Governor Mario Cuomo expressed the sentiment that
shows why many politicians feel free to ignore the opinion of gun
owners. He called people who opposed his mandatory seat belt law ``NRA
hunters who drink beer, don't vote and lie to their wives about where
they were all weekend.'' Beer-drinking is your own business, and where
you were this weekend is between you and your spouse. As an American
citizen you have a duty to vote, and a duty to vote against
politicians who want to destroy our rights.

	(Cuomo, by the way, apologized for the slur on the NRA,
although he never recanted his anti-gun positions.)

Finding Information about Registration

	The starting point for every registration campaign is the
county election commission or similar office. The Commission will have
all the information you need about registration. Procedures vary a lot
from state to state. The Commission will also probably have plenty of
free ``how to register'' literature that you can take and distribute.

	In addition to county election commissions, the Secretary of
State's office (located in the capital city of each state) also has
voter registration information. At the state government level, the
Secretary of State (usually an elected official) is the person
responsible for supervising elections.

	Another source for registration information is the local
League of Women Voters. You could also contact the Election Services
Division, League of Women Voters Education Fund, 1730 M St. NW,
Washington, DC 20036, (202) 429-1965. The League is, unfortunately,
anti-gun, which will make it all the more satisfying to use its
resources to elect pro-rights candidates.

	Political parties are also an excellent place to go for
registration assistance.

Getting People Registered

	After you've gotten yourself registered, the next step is
registering as many pro-rights voters as you can.

	In many states, you can take voting registration sheets and
sign up new voters yourself. Once the forms are filled out, you mail
them to the county election commission. Be sure to read the
instructions carefully, and follow them exactly. One tiny error could
easily invalidate a whole sheet of new voters.

	In states that don't have registration by mail, you can still
distribute how-to-register information, and encourage individuals to
register. Lots of potential voters who are intimidated by the
bureaucracy will register once you put the how-to information in their
hands.

	Gun clubs are a good starting point for voter registration.
Just as every gun club member should belong to the NRA, every club
member should be registered to vote. No excuses.

	In states with registration by mail, all it takes is about 20
minutes at a regular club meeting to distribute, fill out, and collect
all necessary information for every single club member to register.
The following states allow mail registration: Alaska, California,
Delaware, Florida (under special circumstances), Hawaii, Iowa,
Kentucky, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,
New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas,
Utah, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.

	In states which don't allow registration by mail, a gun club
meeting can be scheduled during which to march the whole club down to
the election commission, and register en masse.

	Gun shows and gun stores are other good places to distribute
registration material. Gun store owners might want to put a
registration leaflet in every customer's sack, and gun show operators
might want to give such a leaflet to everyone buying an admission
ticket.

	And when you're handing out the registration material, hand
out some other literature on the right to bear arms, and the threat it
faces. (Some good sources of free materials include the NRA/ILA
Research & Information office, the Second Amendment Foundation, and
the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. See
chapter 1 for more info.)