So here's what I've done with the information.
My buddy is the President of Pink Pistols. Sinema is openly bi and an LGBTQ advocate. I provided the information we've processed here to Erin and asked if PP would reach out to her as a "sister" to provide the LGBTQ pro 2A view on why Chipman is a train wreck as an ATF director.
Great idea!
One thing
all politicritters understand is
numbers! The more numbers you can put on the table, the more they feel the heat, IMO.
Case in point, back when NRA was working hard to remove the prohibitions on mail order ammo, components, etc., a friend of mine who was the NRA area rep for Texas and Puerto Rico called me and asked if I had any pull with my congressman. It seems that an anti-gun committee member was holding up the bill to repeal the prohibition (of ammo shipments) in committee and that they had the votes to pass it if only they could get it to the floor for a vote before the session ended in a few days! NRA lacked only two more signatures on the bill's discharge petition which would force the bill out of committee and our congressman had not signed the petition.
I had zero influence w/said congressman, but I was the high power rifle director for our local club, held membership in and connections with two other rifle clubs
in his district, so called his office and introduced myself as **** Gun Club
legislative director (self appointed and elected by acclamation of all club member(s) present at the moment
). Explained that I was sending out a bulletin to club members (I was sending out our monthly HP match bulletin) and wanted to know where the congressman stood on the matter so I could report his views to the membership.
I was told he was considering signing, but had not made up his mind.
Long story short, after two or three calls and getting noncommittal response, we were running out of time, so I advised that our club was strongly in favor of the bill and had a membership of over 300 members, that I was a member of another gun club w/750 members and in close contact with the officers/members of a third club of 1000+ members (all of like mind on the issue and in his district) and would advise all that our congressman had not decided whether to sign or not.
Only then did I received a call back from his office advising that he had signed petition, the bill went on to the floor and passed.
Numbers count!
Regards,
hps