NRA Voting Endorsements Alarm the New York Times

     Dear Friends,
     I just came across an article that made me chuckle: a New York Times article that sounds the alarm about the NRA's "get out the vote" effort.  One thing that made me laugh was the following line: "The gun-rights group is set to send out 4 million — 4 million! — voter cards to members in every state."  Are they scared, incredulous, or heaven forbid encouraging law-abiding citizens to exercise their right to vote?  It is hard to tell, but I think it might be all of those things.  Perhaps even more enlightening are the comments about the article.  I'll leave it up to you to give them a look and to draw your own conclusions.  Suffice it to say that the opponents of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms don't seem like they are only limited in their desire to curtail our liberties guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment.  If you ever needed a reason to vote, that should be enough.
     I've received one of those endorsement cards in the mail already.  Please don't glance at it and toss it. Share it with your family and friends. Make copies and post them on bulletin boards at work, leave some at your local gun shop or hunting club. There are a lot of folks out their who share our interest in liberty but don't know who to vote for, what to ask or where to get unvarnished information. That is where you can help by sharing endorsement cards. When you send e-mails, insert a link to my blog or the NRA-PVF endorsement page under your signature.
     So the New York Times is alarmed.  We must be doing something right.
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Tip of the Day:  Need a ride to the polls?  With early voting your opportunity to vote is even more convenient than ever before.  Drop me a line and I'll put you in touch with one of our Frontlines Volunteers who can help out.  Whatever you do, make sure your voice is heard at the ballot box.  If you need help in any way, please let me know what I can do.

     Sincerely yours,
     Tom Goffe

Why Vote? Another Non-Victim, Another Reason

     Dear Friends,
     I was doing some follow-up to a posting about a store owner who saved himself and three others from two armed thugs when I came across this story.  Two armed men confronted a mother and son in Halifax County and tried to rob them on their carport.  What they didn't expect was that the son would run into the house, retrieve a gun and fire back. One suspect was wounded and the other was apprehended along with their getaway driver. Police later recovered a double barreled shotgun and a 12 guage pump believed to have been used in the crime.  One of the robbers was wounded and all three are in custody and being held on bond. Two of the men have criminal records.
    I sure hope that we will continue to enjoy the Right to Keep and Bear Arms that is illustrated in this story and in my last posting.  If we vote for candidates who support the 2nd Amendment, our rights stand a much better chance of remaining intact.
     Sincerely yours,
     Tom Goffe

Sen. Burr Coming to Smithfield + Early Voting Information

     Dear Friends,
     Our NRA endorsed candidate for the U.S. Senate will be coming to Smithfield.  Senator Richard Burr will be at the Central Marketing Tobacco Warehouse, 1416 Wal-Pat Road on Friday, October 22 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Mark your calendars now and join me in turning out for this stalwart supporter of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
     I look forward to seeing you there!
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Tip of the day: did you know that you can register and then vote all in one fell swoop?  You can do it at one of the one-stop voting sites in your county.  A list of the locations can be found at this link.  The following information on how to do this comes from the NC Board of Elections web site.

A North Carolina resident who is qualified to register to vote may register In-Person and vote at a One-Stop Site in the person's county of residence during the One-Stop Absentee Voting period. The One-Stop Voting period extends from 19 to 3 days before Election Day. However, there is no voter registration during the One-Stop Voting period for a Second Primary. The process is sometimes referred to as “In-Person Registration,” but it is important to recognize that it not permitted on Election Day itself.


To use this process, a citizen must (1) go to a One-Stop Voting Site in the county of residence during the One Stop Absentee Voting period, (2) fill out a voter registration application, and (3) provide proof of residency by showing the elections official an appropriate form of identification with the citizen’s current name and current address.  The new registrant may vote ONLY at a One-Stop Absentee Voting Site in the county of registration during One-Stop Absentee Voting period and not on Election Day.  Acceptable forms of identification include:

• A North Carolina driver’s license with current address
• A utility bill with name and current address
  • A telephone or mobile phone bill
  • An electric or gas bill
  • A cable television bill
  • A water or sewage bill
• A document with name and current address from a local, state, or U.S. government agency, such as:
  • A passport
  • A government-issued photo ID
  • U.S. military ID
  • A license to hunt, fish, own a gun, etc.
  • A property or other tax bill
  • Automotive or vehicle registration
  • Certified documentation of naturalization
  • A public housing or Social Service Agency document
  • A check, invoice, or letter from a government agency
  • A birth certificate
• A student photo ID along with a document from the school showing the student’s name and current address
• A paycheck or paycheck stub from an employer or a W-2 statement

• A bank statement or bank-issued credit card statement.  

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     I hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity if you are not already registered. You can also vote there if you are already registered.  This is a great way to beat the lines on November 2.
     Sincerely yours,
     Tom Goffe

Lee County Candidates Forum Oct. 7

     Dear Friends,
     The Sanford Herald is sponsoring a Candidates Forum at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center Lecture Hall at 1801 Nash Street, Sanford, NC on Thursday, October 7 from 6:00 p.m.to 9:00 p.m.  Rumor has it that Congressman Bob Etheridge might make a rare public appearance.
     This will also be a great opportunity to hear NC Senate District 18 candidate Wesley Meredith and NC House District 51 candidate Jimmy L. Love, Sr.  Both of these fine men are NRA Endorsed candidates. I hope that you will join me in taking a little time to support their candidacies. For those of you who think the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is important just let me mention that the candidates opposing both of these men did not bother to answer the NRA's candidate survey. This event is a great forum to let them know that our rights are important to us and will be fundamental to how we vote on November 2.  I hope to see you there.
     Sincerely yours,
     Tom Goffe

NRA Ratings Across Our District

     Dear Friends,
     As of today, the following list shows the official National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) candidate ratings.  In those races where an endorsement has been made, I have highlighted that designation.  Please note that the NRA does NOT make an endorsement in every race, nor do they consider the party of a candidate nor their stances on issues outside the 2nd Amendment in their endorsements.  More detailed information about their grades and current endorsements are online at the NRA-PVF web site.
     For the record, I am a volunteer donating my time and effort to support NRA endorsed candidates.  I do not represent them in any capacity. I do not endorse candidates, never have and never will as a part of my duties supporting the NRA. I am not a party to the endorsement process in any way, shape or form. Those determinations are made by the NRA Political Victory Fund using an established endorsement policy.  Members of the NRA or other citizens interested in the cause of liberty espoused by the 2nd Amendment should make their opinions and preferences known to the NRA by calling them at (800) 392-8683 or use the NRA-PVF online contact form. Candidates are listed in order based on their NRA rating.

US Senate
   Richard Burr (A) Endorsed
   Elaine Marshall (?)

US House of Representatives
District2
   Renee Ellmers (AQ)
   Bob Etheridge (D)

North Carolina Senate
District 7
   Doug Berger (A+) Endorsed
   Michael Schriver (B+)
District 10
   Brent Jackson (AQ) Endorsed
   Dewey Hudson (?)
District 11
   A. B. Swindell (A) Endorsed
   E. S. "Buck" Newton (A-)
District 12
   David Rouzer (A) Endorsed
   Jody McLeod (?)
District 14
   Dan Blue (C+)
   Geoffrey M. Hurlburt (?)
District 16
   Josh Stein (B-)
   Michael Beezly (?)
District 17
   Richard Stevens (B+) Endorsed
   David Donovan (?)
District 18
   Roger Gerber (AQ)
   Bob Atwater (B)
District 19
   Wesley Meredith (AQ) Endorsed
   Margaret Highsmith Dickson (C+)
District 21
   Wade Fowler (AQ)
   Eric Mansfield (?)
District 22
   Harris D. Blake (A) Endorsed

North Carolina House of Representatives
District 7
   Angela R. Bryant (C)
District 21
   DeAnn G. Poirier (?)
   Larry M. Bell (C-)
District 25
   Jeffrey L. Collins (A-) Endorsed
   Randy Stewart (?)
District 26
   Leo Daughtry (A) Endorsed
District 27
    Michael H. Wray (A-) Endorsed
District 28
    James H. Langdon, Jr. (C+)
    Brian Allen (?)
District 32
   Jim Crawford (A-) Endorsed
District 33
   Paul Terrell (AQ)
   Rosa Gill (?)
District 35
   Don Frantz (AQ) Endorsed
   Jennifer Weiss (F)
District 36
   Nelson Dollar (A-) Endorsed
   Robin Anderson (?)
District 38
   Madison E. Shook (AQ)
   Deborah K. Ross (F)
District 42
   Marvin W. Lucas (A-)
District 43
   Elmer Floyd (?)
District 44
   Johnny Dawkins (B+)
   Diane Parfitt (?)
District 45
   Jackie Warner (AQ) Endorsed
   Rick Glazier (C+)
District 49
   Glen Bradley (AQ)
   John May (?)
District 51
   Michael Stone (?)
   Jimmy L. Love, Sr. (A) Endorsed
District 53
   David Lewis (A-) Endorsed
   Abraham Oudeh (?)
District 54
   Cathy Wright (B+)
   Joe Hackney (F)
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   Tip of the day - questions, comments or concerns concerning these endorsements should be addressed directly to the NRA at (800) 392-8683.

Sincerely yours,
Tom Goffe

NRA Endorses Senator Richard Burr

The following is the text of a press release announcing yesterday that the National Rifle Association has endorsed Senator Burr.  My two cents will follow shortly....

Fairfax, Va. -- The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) is endorsing U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.) for re-election this November.
“Richard Burr’s steadfast commitment to preserving our Second Amendment freedoms and hunting heritage has earned him the NRA-PVF endorsement,” said Chris W. Cox, chairman of NRA-PVF. “I know Senator Burr will continue to fight for and protect the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding gun owners in North Carolina and across the United States.”
During his tenure in the U.S. Senate and U.S House of Representatives, Richard Burr has consistently supported gun rights for law-abiding Americans. Burr cosponsored and voted for the District of Columbia Personal Protection Act, to repeal the D.C. gun ban and restore gun rights to residents of our nation’s capital. He signed the pro-gun congressional “friend of the court” brief in the McDonald case, supporting the position that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right that protects all Americans. He also signed the pro-gun congressional brief in the 2008 Heller case, supporting the Second Amendment as an individual right and striking down the gun ban in our nation’s capital. Burr cosponsored legislation to force much-needed reform of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), voted for the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity amendment, cosponsored and voted for the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act preventing attempts to bankrupt the American gun industry through bogus lawsuits, voted for an amendment that prohibits gun confiscation during states of emergency and voted against confirmation of anti-gun Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.
Senator Burr’s unwavering commitment to preserving our Second Amendment rights and hunting heritage has earned him an “A” rating and endorsement from the NRA-PVF.
“North Carolinians value their Second Amendment freedoms, and Richard Burr is the clear choice to represent them,” Cox concluded. “We ask all North Carolina gun-owners and hunters to re-elect Senator Richard Burr on November 2nd.”

Which Candidates Will the NRA Support?

Dear Friends,
I've had a few questions in recent days asking which candidates will receive an NRA endorsement.  Frankly, I know as much as you do.  The selections have not been announced, but it is worthwhile to review the criteria the NRA Political Victory Fund will use in making the endorsements official.

First, the NRA is first and foremost a single issue organization dedicated to allowing all citizens the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in the manner intended by our founding fathers. That is it in a nutshell.  They focus like a laser on this important goal.

Their selection criteria does not account for party affiliation or a candidate's position on issues that are not related to our 2nd Amendment liberties.  This might cause some heartburn for some members who do not care for what a legislator thinks about other issues. What does matter is that the selectee has demonstrated an ability to deliver the goods when it comes to this individual right. Details about the selection process can be found on the NRA Political Victory Fund web site. 

As NRA members, we might have to take a moment to work out the rationale in our minds. First and foremost we have to remember to stay focused. The sole criteria is that candidates are selected based not just on what they say, but what they do when it comes to gun and hunting issues.  That is the way it should be.

I'd like to know what you have heard, and more importantly, what have you think. Working together, we can clear up some of the disinformation and dispel the myths and half-truths that are flying around. I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,
-Tom