Sotomayor Takes Axe to Second Amendment

[Bohemian]

Sotomayor Takes Axe to Second Amendment
-- Won't answer whether she believes there's a right to self-defense

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

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

The U.S. Senate must vote NO on Judge Sonia Sotomayor!

In defending her decision that the states could enact any form of gun control they wished -- with absolutely no regard to the Second Amendment -- Judge Sonya Sotomayor has developed a new love for Nineteenth Century court opinions.

Demonstrating that she was programmed in her responses, Sotomayor defended one of her earlier legal opinions by citing "footnote 23" of Justice Antonin Scalia's opinion in the DC v. Heller case last year.

But, when pressed by questioner Orrin Hatch yesterday, Sotomayor could not recite the contents of that footnote or the holdings of the cases which it cited. As it turns out, the footnote on which Sotomayor claims to rely, cited -- without approval -- two Nineteenth Century cases which rejected the notion that the Second Amendment was 'incorporated' to apply to the states.

But those were also the days when the Supreme Court held that the rights protected in the First Amendment did not apply to the states. Apparently, Sotomayor wants to base her anti-gun philosophy on antiquated decisions from an era when the U.S. Supreme Court was spitting out racist decisions.

Her answers got even worse today when Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma asked her, point blank, "Is there a constitutional right to self-defense?" Sotomayor said that was an "abstract question" and that she couldn't think of a Supreme Court case that addressed that issue.

Coburn said he didn't want a legal treatise on what Supreme Court holdings have said, rather, he wanted her own personal opinion. Sotomayor would not answer the question, although when pressed, she equated self-defense with vigilantism!

Folks, do you see how important it is to stop this nomination? GOA mailed its members postcards opposing Sotomayor not too long ago. Please make sure you have mailed those in. We need a multi-pronged offensive right now where our Senators are receiving snail mail, email and phone calls.

And, we need ALL PRO-GUN ORGANIZATIONS to take a stance AGAINST this nominee.

Organizational spokesmen can talk a good game and say they have serious "concerns" about Sotomayor. That's all well and good. But unless those organizations (big and small) rate each Senator's vote on Sotomayor -- when she's clearly anti-gun -- then those supposed "concerns" are just meaningless.

Senators have to hear from ALL the pro-gun organizations -- big and small -- that they are going to rate this vote during the 2010 election. Otherwise, those organizations are just Paper Tigers.

We can't let this anti-gun judge infiltrate U.S. Supreme Court! She is dangerous on so many levels -- but, especially, on Second Amendment rights.

GOA considers her nomination to be of the most important gun votes in the HISTORY of the US Senate. We can't think of any other nominee in recent history who has taken such a horrid stand on the basic right of self-defense.

She says that she will follow the precedent in the DC v. Heller (2008) case. But even if she does, that only means that she will vote to apply the Second Amendment in Washington, DC. She has already ruled this year in Maloney v. Cuomo that the amendment doesn't apply to where you live.

-- Tim Macy, Vice-Chairman of Gun Owners of America

ACTION: We need to "pull out the stops" to defeat this nominee. Please contact your two U.S. Senators today and urge them to VOTE NO on Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Please use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Senators the pre-written e-mail message below.

----- Pre-written letter -----

Dear Senator:

Even though President Obama is extremely anti-gun, I still started with an open mind regarding his nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. But after her testimony these past two days, there is no way that she should be confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

When asked by Senator Tom Coburn if there was a right to self-defense, Sotomayor said that was an "abstract question." Sotomayor would not answer directly, although when pressed, she equated self-defense with vigilantism!

How can the Senate confirm a judge to the U.S. Supreme Court who does not believe in the rights that are EXPLICITLY stated in the Bill of Rights?

I also want you to know that Gun Owners of America will heavily score any vote related to the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor -- whether it's a vote on cloture or final passage -- for its rating in 2010.

Moreover, GOA is going to publish its rating so that millions of Americans can see how their Senators voted on this most important vote.

GOA has told me that it considers the Sotomayor nomination to be one of the most significant gun votes in the HISTORY of the US Senate, as there has been no other nominee in recent history who has taken such a horrid stand on the basic right of self-defense.

Sincerely,
yourname

************************************************** *******

U.S. Senate: Senators Home

Senate Judiciary Committee

[AZSATT]

She refuses to share her views on abortion too, which is complete BS if you ask me!

She's nominated to be a judge on the supreme court - not for homecoming queen. (Good thing too, because this chick is so friggin' ugly she makes Hillary look half way decent!)

Her views (clearly revealed in her prior rulings) ARE important to be shared and understood, and she SHOULD be compelled to share them. That "don't ask don't tell" crap is unacceptable for a supreme court nominee.

The Kenyan dork selected her. Enough said.

[tattedupboy]

Hate to burst everyone's bubble, but no amount of letter writing and calling will prevent Sonia Sotomayor from being confirmed. The only thing I think Republicans could do is, on the day the up and down floor vote is scheduled, not show up and try to convince 10 Democrats not to show up, that way there won't be a quorum available. Since the odds of that happening are next to none, say hi to future Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. I don't like it any more than you guys, but unfortunately, there's no stopping this one.

[matthewaynelson]

... hate to burst everyone's bubble, but no amount of letter writing and calling will prevent Sonia Sotomayor from being confirmed.

Tatted... dude... you telling me you'd rather just accept the outcome without at least letting your voice be heard?! It took me all of 2 minutes to go to the GOA Legislative website, edit a note and send emails to my Florida and Texas Senators.

This is the kind of thinking that has resulted in the political mess we are currently in—too many people not wanting to be inconvenienced by doing their “WE THE PEOPLE” duties! If WE don't speak up and at least attempt to exert our will over our representatives, who will we have to blame but ourselves when we lose our liberty and security?!

WE ALL need to write our representatives! It may not change the outcome—but, WE THE PEOPLE had better awaken from this slumber and start kicking and screaming and acting in a manner that demonstrates we still give a crap about what Washington is doing!!

[Ektarr]

Hate to burst everyone's bubble, but no amount of letter writing and calling will prevent Sonia Sotomayor from being confirmed.

Maybe...but I wrote anyway. It may not do any good - especially here in New Jersey - but it can't do any harm, either.

[HK4U]

I hope they do a better job of listening than they did when we told them not to vote for the taxpayer bail outs.

[AZSATT]

I hope they do a better job of listening than they did when we told them not to vote for the taxpayer bail outs.

And in my estimation, THERE lies the root of the problem which has resulted in "the current mess we're in."

The voice of the voters, though "received" is often times ignored - and this is completely unacceptable.

It's time to make changes, and the most effective changes will begin at the ballot box.

[GLOCK4Life]

Sorry to say this, but its this kind of thinking that has lead this country astray. These people work for us! Its time they were reminded of this! Pleas click the link and send our servants the message.http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm

[Bohemian]

Hate to burst everyone's bubble, but no amount of letter writing and calling will prevent Sonia Sotomayor from being confirmed. The only thing I think Republicans could do is, on the day the up and down floor vote is scheduled, not show up and try to convince 10 Democrats not to show up, that way there won't be a quorum available. Since the odds of that happening are next to none, say hi to future Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. I don't like it any more than you guys, but unfortunately, there's no stopping this one.

"IF we do nothing, we can only say we did nothing..." - George Washington

"It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams

Sotomayor can not get confirmed IF all the Republican Senators alone show up and vote... IF any Blue Dog Democrats or Independents join them it will be icing on the cake...

[HK_packer]

I sent a letter to my senators. And as one person posted, I feel my voice will be ignord. I don't like having to sound radical, but action seems like the only way we are going to be noticed. And the government is suppose to work for us.