Pro-Gun Stalwart Rep. Joe Wilson Under Attack
By Tim Macy, Gun Owners of America Vice Chairman
Even if you missed the President's speech to the Congress on health care last week, you certainly have seen the news following the event.
Most notable was the fact that pro-gun congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina -- rated "A" by GOA -- decided to call out the President because of his... well, shall we say... his failure to communicate truthfully.
No matter what you think about the time and place Wilson chose to tell President Obama "You lie," the facts are on Joe Wilson's side.
The President lied repeatedly throughout his speech. Even the Associated Press -- hardly a bastion of conservatism -- noted that the President failed to accurately articulate the truth in several instances.
Wilson's opponent, however, is trying to use the national attention on Wilson to raise money for his campaign. In fact, Wilson's opponent says he raised over $1 million in the first 48 hours following the speech.
It's up to the pro-gun community to respond in kind and help Wilson through this difficult time. But first, who is Rep. Joe Wilson and what has he done for gun owners?
Not only has he consistently supported the Second Amendment with his votes, he has also cosponsored needed gun rights legislation. This year, he has cosponsored two reciprocity bills in the House -- including the GOA-supported HR 1620, which protects Vermont-style carry -- plus a bill that removes certain restrictions on the interstate sale of firearms.
In previous years, Wilson was the chief sponsor of the Citizen's Self-Defense Act, a bill that would protect individuals who successfully defend themselves or others from violent attack, only to find themselves in the clutches of anti-gun prosecutors.
And when a conference committee watered down GOA's language to arm airline pilots following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Rep. Wilson stepped up to the plate. He successfully pushed through legislation to allow all commercial pilots (not just passenger pilots) to carry guns. Further, when TSA bureaucrats dragged their feet once armed pilots became the law of the land, Wilson authored yet another bill that streamlined the certification process.
Here's the bottom line: Joe Wilson couldn't stand listening to the President dish out lie after lie. He says his emotions got the best of him, and he yelled "You lie" in the midst of a presidential address. He regrets the time and place he did it... but he is not sorry for what he said.
He was ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. He did what millions of Americans -- many people like you -- would have loved to do. How many of us would like the chance to tell the President, to his face, to stop lying?
It's ironic. The President stood there on national television and said his opponents were lying. But when Joe Wilson countered that it was the President who was, in fact, lying... it was Wilson who came under attack from the liberal media.
That's why we need to stand with Rep. Joe Wilson. If we lose a pro-gun stalwart because of his willingness to call out the President on his lies, it will be a crying shame.
You can contribute to the Wilson campaign by going online at https://www.completecampaigns.com/public.asp?name=Wilson&page=2
Even if it is a contribution of solidarity -- only $5 or $10 -- it will be worth it. But if you can afford more, please do so.
Wilson is in for a tough race because the left-wing, anti-gun movement smells blood and they will pour even more money into this race.
Representative Wilson deserves all the help we can give. Let him know that gun owners are standing with him!
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How can you tell if a politician is lying, his mouth is moving. Get real, lets approach this like a resume, and stick to the facts that can be verified. If he is getting hammered this bad by the media I'm inclined to think there is probably some truth to his assertion that Obama lied. After all he was part of the committee that drafted the legislation in the first place, I would hope he would know what is in it!
Pro-Gun is a plus, but getting fed up with the BS, and speaking out got my support, I have seen little honesty and transparency from the White House that could be verified anywhere else but their website.
If every person who agrees with with Rep. Joe Wilson put their money where there mouth is, he would have plenty of campaign support - TIME TO PUT UP OR SHUT UP, I HAVE ALREADY SENT IN A CONTRIBUTION TO HIM!
Just for one second ditch the Left and Right, Conservative and Liberal, Democrat and Republican. Let's look at it from the perspective that a person is conducting a speech and then was not the time to use such an outburst. If you strip away the Left and Right, it's wrong no matter who interrupts someone performing a public speech.
It certainly hurts the Republican party, especially when so many people have abandoned it due to some immaturity stemming from a portion of the base. It is adolescent behavior, fit for an eight year old but with no place in civilized debate amongst adults making rather important decisions.
A lot of Republicans need to calm themselves down a few notches and have the responsibility to counter the Democrats without acting like unintelligent representatives or niche revolutionaries. Force them to be more Moderate using logic and reason. Not being sensationalists and shooting down all ideas - even good ideas - because you don't agree with some of the other party's ideas.
Get your hands in on the reform instead of constantly arguing it.
You'd think that elected officials would do more research and be far more prepared. I watched Alan Gottlieb of the 2nd Amendment Foundation get his ass handed to him in a clip from MSNBC. He got caught flat-footed, which wouldn't have happened if he had collected some data to bring to the argument. I know he has data...
Hell, lots of the commentators on sites like this have all the facts and can cite much of the data to support plenty of the Right-Wing beliefs being necessary for a better America. But the Left-Wingers sometimes have a point too.
We all get it wrong when we don't realize People need to be more in the Center than on either side. It's where we find the most balance as a society . Not by having a majority of Democrats or Republicans.
So when are they going to punnish the democrats who booed Bush during his State of the Union address?
Fair is Fair
You said "Just for one second ditch the Left and Right" and then spent the rest of your post dogging the right. So you meant for everyone but you to ditch it, right?
I do, however, agree that in OUR system interrupting the President during a speech is frowned upon, but in many other countries it's how they do business.
As for immaturity, is that purely a Republican, or a conservative, or a right, or whatever you want to call it issue? The inference was surely there, but I'm sure you didn't mean that.
Finally, if this is the video where Gottlieb got "his ass handed to him" I suggest you put down the Kool Aid. First, Helmke states the same old tired position that he states whenever a pro- gun law is passed that it will inevitably lead to more shootings. It hasn't happened in the past, and won't happen in the future. Just because MSNBC didn't call Helmke on it doesn't mean anyone got their ass handed to them. If anything, other than Helmke's lame arguments, I think it was a pretty even debate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pwehWBJ8Gs
"We all get it wrong when we don't realize People need to be more in the Center than on either side. It's where we find the most balance as a society . Not by having a majority of Democrats or Republicans."
Bingo. Time to do away with the two party system and let each candidate stand purely on merit and what they will do for the people. It would make it a lot harder to demonize someone just because they're a Republican or a Democrat without looking at what they actually stand for and what they have done.
Nope. That wasn't the video . It's the one titled "Guns, Lies, and Videotape" I believe. Either way, he didn't bring the data with him to the argument. He didn't bring the radical quotes from the czars and cabinet. On MSNBC, Conservatives should know to bring facts. They'll usually let Liberals get away with wordsmithing but they will beat down any sort of Republican strategist who doesn't come with precise quotes or charts. So it does appear as though he "gets his ass handed to him."
While I didn't mean to bash the Right in particular, I was pointing out the clever ways in which they are discredited on issues they are often correct on. The slant isn't coming from me. It's my observation on how hosts and editors on certain channels tend to not have the non-biased opinions or allow a fair argument to be had. Something that was once the media 's job, right?
While both sides can be extremely immature, the Right needs to set an example right now more than ever.
Outbursts like the one that Wilson made is going to hurt him politically and it is going to hurt the Republican party. That's not how I feel about it personally, since I'm all-around indifferent towards most of the politicians at this point. I'm just saying his name's going to get dragged around in the mud and it can't possibly be good for him.
Even though its ideal to get rid of the two party system, I don't know an easy way through it. It will be a very difficult road ahead as the mold perpetuates rot.
On the one or two occasions during my lifetime when I am mistaken, I will fess up. ;-) Here it is. I misunderstood your post, and concede that you are indeed correct. All good points in your response, none of which I can argue with.
Articles like this defy response. It's the same old tired rhetoric. Don't you guys get tired of hearing it or repeating it?