VSSA Membership Drive

Since 1938 VSSA has been fighting to protect the rights of law abiding gun owners. The fact that Virginia is one of the most friendly states in which to own a keep and bear arms is a testament to the success of our efforts on behalf of gun owners. This year, with the help of our members who contacted their state senators, we defeated the so-called gun show loophole bill, the gun show promoter tax bill, and bills that would have undercut the state's preemption statute. We also helped some good pro-rights legislation progress and are continuing to work for the passage of bills related to compensated confiscation schemes, strengthening preemption and repeal of the restaurant ban. In short, VSSA has a long list of accomplishments working for gun owners. In addition, VSSA is actively promoting the shooting sports and Second Amendment to the next generation.

But, as I have said since last fall, there are storm clouds on the horizon. It is no secret that President Obama is no friend of gun owners or our rights. It is also well known that he has a four point agenda to directly attack those rights at some point in his administration. In addition, the news of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg's pancreatic cancer shows how quickly a President may have the ability to appoint a new justice to the Court. While we pray that Justice Ginsburg successfully recovers from her cancer surgery, the President may have an opportunity to attack our rights without signing one piece of legislation - appointing a Supreme Court Justice sooner rather than later. He has made it clear that he prefers jurists in the mold of Ginsburg and Breyer - two justices that sided with the minority decision in Heller that the Second Amendment does not protect an individual right to keep and bear arms,

Also, this year Virginia will elect a new Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and all 100 seats in the House of Delegates. We have lived with a Governor the last four years who has vetoed two important pro-rights bills while signing other pro-rights legislation into law. We need a Governor that will stand with us 100% of the time.

At the same time, we have had an Attorney General that has stood with gun owners and introduced legislation to bar New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's gun dealer entrapment schemes. With a federal administration that is against us and appointing more anti-rights individuals to high levels of government every day, a pro-rights state Attorney General will be more important than ever.

With all this in mind, now is the time for all Virginia gun owners to stand up and join VSSA. If we wait until the federal administration starts its legislative attack, it will be too late. At the state level, we need to mobilize all gun owners to support a pro-rights candidate for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General.

Washington is filled with talk of "Economic Stimulus." I doubt any of what is contained in that massive spending bill will impact you or me. But, VSSA's membership drive not only will help protect your gun rights, you just might win a prize that can be used at your favorite gun shop or at a shooting range. Starting today, any current VSSA member that recruits a new member will have their name entered in a bi-monthly drawing. That's one entry for every new member you recruit! The new member will be entered in the drawing too. That new member can get another entry for every new member they recruit.

Prizes include gift certificates from such retailers as Dance's Sporting Goods, Greentop, Dicks Sporting Goods, Gander Mountain, and Bob's Gun Shop in Norfolk. And that is just the beginning. So far we have 40 prizes. So sign up a new member today. If you are not a member, join, then sign up a friend. You can get your member application here. If you are recruiting a new member, don't forget to complete the "Recruited By" line on the application. Your member number is not necessary but will be helpful.