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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The primary purpose of the right to keep and bear |
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arms is to protect oneself, one's family, and one's possessions from |
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either the lawlessness of other persons or the tyranny of the |
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government; and |
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WHEREAS, The right to keep and bear arms is also meant to |
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protect the general private uses of firearms in hunting and other |
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sporting activities; and |
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WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court, in District of |
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Columbia v. Heller, 128 S. Ct. 2783 (2008), recently struck down a |
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firearms ban in Washington, D.C., explicitly ruling that the Second |
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Amendment protects the right of people to possess firearms for |
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private use; and |
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WHEREAS, Despite this ruling, legislation has been |
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introduced in the United States House of Representatives calling |
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for a system of mandatory federal licensing of all firearm owners; |
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titled the Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of |
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2009, this legislation would require all firearm owners to apply |
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for and carry a federally issued picture identification in order to |
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keep any firearm in their homes; and |
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WHEREAS, The legislation would also make it a federal crime, |
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under certain circumstances, to keep a loaded firearm or an |
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unloaded firearm and ammunition within any premises, including |
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American homes, where a child may be present; in addition, the |
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legislation specifically purports to preempt any state or local law |
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inconsistent with it; and |
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WHEREAS, The Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of |
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Sale Act of 2009 is a direct imposition on each American's |
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individual right to keep and bear arms in one's home and for one's |
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protection; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby memorialize the United States Congress to cease and desist |
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attempting to enact federal legislation impinging on the individual |
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right of every American to keep and bear arms in any manner and urge |
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that members of Congress oppose the passage of the Blair Holt's |
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Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the |
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senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the |
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Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this resolution |
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be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to |
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the Congress of the United States of America. |
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