Sotomayor: Wherefore art thou, NRA?

July 16, 10:01 AMCharlotte Gun Rights ExaminerPaul Valone

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Anti-gun Judge Sonia Sotomayor dodges questions on Second Amendment
during Senate confirmation hearings. Photo: AP/Charles Dharapak

From statements, rulings and writings, there is little doubt that Obama Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is an enemy of the Second Amendment. Even beyond hints of racism and liberal judicial activism, beyond numerous overturned rulings, gun owners should realize that once seated, she would have an immediate impact on the court’s interpretation of the right to keep and bear arms.

Following the recent Heller v. DC decision, NRA v. Chicago will quite likely determine whether the Second Amendment should be “incorporated,” thus precluding draconian gun bans not only by the federal government, but also by states. The case will likely make it to the Supreme Court.

Yet in Maloney v. Cuomo, Mayor has already opposed such incorporation. If Sotomayor serves on the court, rest assured she will vote to render meaningless the landmark DC v. Heller decision of last year.

Additionally, according to The Hill: “In US v. Sanchez-Villar, Sotomayor concluded that the right to possess a gun is not fundamental.”

So given the obvious conclusions, where is the NRA?

Oh, they’ve expressed “strong concerns” about her. But why has the organization not taken a position? Why have they not begun flooding Judiciary Committee members with thousands of phone calls, faxes and e-mails from angry gun-owning voters?

Yesterday, The Hill published an article entitled, “NRA growing more alarmed over Sotomayor” in which it quoted NRA Institute for Legislative Action director Chris Cox as saying: “should her answers regarding the Second Amendment at the upcoming hearings be hostile or evasive, we will have no choice but to oppose her nomination to the Court.”

So now that Sotomayor has spent two days dodging questions by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on whether the Second Amendment affirms an individual right, and from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) on whether individuals have a right to self defense, where is the NRA?

Will the NRA pursue the same half-hearted opposition they displayed during confirmation hearings for anti-gun Attorney General Eric Holder? (At least one gun rights insider relays consistent reports that the NRA not only failed to fully mobilize against Holder, but may have actually facilitated his confirmation.)

Starkly underlining the NRA’s inaction is the fact that one of its former officers, once-NRA president Sandra Froman, has said she will break from the organization to personally testify before Congress against the Sotomayor confirmation.

Said Froman:

“I think there are real problems with seating a nominee on the U.S. Supreme Court who is hostile to the Second Amendment. Many, many gun owners in this country and people who maybe don’t own guns now but might in the future want to be able to own guns, who want to believe that they’ll be able to have their rights protected not just against the federal government but against cities and states as well.”

DON’T JUST SIT THERE, DO SOMETHING!

First, contact the NRA and let them know there is more to opposing a judicial candidate than fretting about it in letters to the Senate Judiciary Committee. They should be mobilizing its 2.5 million-plus members to contact their senators and let them know that a vote for Sotomayor is a vote against the Second Amendment.

You can reach the NRA Institute for Legislative Action by phone (best) at (800) 392-VOTE (8683), Monday-Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., EST. You can reach the NRA by e-mail at https://secure.nraila.org/Contact.aspx

A VOTE FOR SOTOMAYOR IS A VOTE AGAINST GUN RIGHTS

That is the message you should be delivering both to your Senators – even if they are not on the Judiciary Committee – and to Senators who are on the committee, even if not from your state. (Note: Politicians’ e-mail forms often prevent contacts from outside their districts. It may be necessary to call.)

SENATORS TO CALL

Tom Coburn 202-224-5754
John Cornyn 202-224-2934
Lindsey Graham 202-224-5972
Charles Grassley 202-224-3744
Orin Hatch 202-224-5251
Jon Kyle 202-224-4521
Jeff Sessions 202-224-4124

North Carolinians: Also contact Sen. Kay Hagan (202) 224-6342 and Sen. Richard Burr at (202) 224-3154.

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Dear Senator:

I strongly urge you to oppose the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court:
 

• She is hostile to the Second Amendment. She has spoken out against the Heller decision. She has expressed disdain for private gun ownership dating back to her senior thesis at Princeton and most recently stated that “the right to possess a gun is clearly not a fundamental right” in United States v. Sanchez-Villar.
• She is a member of the open borders, pro-amnesty, anti-enforcement illegal alien lobby, La Raza (a.k.a. “The Race”).
• She is a bigot who expressed, on more than one occasion, that Hispanic women would make better judges than white men.
• She is a judicial activist who sees the Courts of Appeals as a vehicle to “make policy,” a view clearly in violation of her judicial oath.

I urge you to vote “No” on the confirmation of Judge Sotomayor for the Supreme Court of the United States. Please be advised that I will consider any vote for Sotomayor to be a vote against the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Sincerely,