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The March 16th deadline to submit comments to the BATFE regarding their proposed framework for classification of ammunition is in 22 21 days. While they may accept comments for review after that day, they are not obligated to consider it.
Jim Shepherd notes in The Shooting Wire this morning:
This weekend, we received word that apparently many gun owners didn’t find this to be a compelling reason to record their objections with the federal government. With only a few days remaining in the ATF’s solicitation of comments, fewer than 6,000 shooters have registered their displeasure with the proposal.
That, as one of my least-favorite instructors used to say, is simply unacceptable. So, too, is the ATF’s description of criminals as one of the “consumer groups” that is a prime consumer of the ammunition they seek to ban. Since we’ve rolled out the answers to those ridiculous claims before, I won’t keep beating up on that straw argument. Criminals still don’t care about the rules; it’s why their called “criminals”.
There is a concept that I learned in Economics 101. It is called satisficing. Rather than to seek the best, the optimum, the perfect, the most advantageous, it is often better for our purposes to accept a solution that at least minimally meets our needs. In other words, it ain’t perfect but it’s something and something is good enough.
In this case, while each of us is trying to find the time to craft the perfect response to the BATFE, time to respond is running out. I would make the suggestion that it is better to get some opposition down on record with BATFE now than to miss by a few days the deadline while you are crafting the perfect response.
To make it easy for us, a number of organizations have set up sites with auto-generated letters to send a copy to the BATFE and to each of your Congressional representatives. I’ve taken advantage of these sites and I would say you should, too.
Here is a list with links of sites that I’ve used:
We Will Not Back Down set up by the Trop Gun Shop in Pennsylvania. I found out about this page while watching Cam & Co. on the Sportsman’s Channel on Friday.
National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Take Action Page on M855.
Gun Owners of America’s page which sends a message to your Senators regarding the M855 ban. They urge a defunding of the effort as well as a hold on Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch.
The NRA-ILA’s Take Action page will send the comment to BATFE, your Congressional representatives, the White House, and for some odd reason, good old grabby hands himself Joe Biden.
Are these the ideal way to submit a comment? No but they will satisfice and will get your views on record with the BATFE which is critical.
UPDATE: Here are a couple of more sites that send comments to BATFE with pre-written letters.
First, the Firearms Policy Coalition has set up www.ammoban.org. They will deliver your letter to BATFE for you. Their goal, according to Brandon Combs, is 100,000 letters.
Second, is this one reports that they have 24,000 letters signed and queued up for delivery. Go to Save M855 to send another one.
Personally I think the biggest problem with the numbers of people commenting to ATF is the thought that:
A – "This administration will do what it damn well pleases even if the negative comments outnumber the positives by 20k:1"
B – The way these geeks roll, they would probably get a great deal of satisfaction in a ban that is rolled out in spite of a huge number of comments against it.
We might be able to stall this with the courts but before Jan. 2017?
Its not like "heads are gonna roll" at ATF even if the courts jam it in their backside the week after. They're federal employees. They wouldn't get fired if they were caught red handed stealing internal organs from newborns and selling them at a swap meet.
Ditto above. I went and made my comments to the BATFE, but it is part of the Executive Branch, and clearly these days they do what they want. I don't think that if every single gun owner in America filed opposing comments that it would make one bit of difference to them. Unless Congress steps in and does something to stop it, they're more than happy to make their move and let the courts sort it out. Needless to say, I am not filled with faith that the Republicans in Congress will do what we elected them to do. Meanwhile, law abiding gun owners are left to sit and suck on it.
I'm not sure if this also applies to bureaucrats, but politicians ignore form letters, as they figure there is no real effort to punch out a copy of someone else's letter. Their computers can match them up, so you should make some effort to personalize it, so it doesn't just get round-filed. Carries much more weight in the office.
Sorry gents, but according to the NYT this has been in the works for three years — since before Sandy Hook. We get to 'submit our input' to give this atrocity a faux-democratic glaze, then Eric Holder will rubber-stamp it. Congress will act outraged and Chocolate Nixon will ignore them. It's a done deal. Sorry.