(courtesy petitions.whitehouse.gov)

The White House has raised the number of signatures needed for petitions filed on the whitehouse.gov website to “trigger” an official response. It’s now 100 grand. One wonders how long it will take this effort—asking the Obama administration to rescind the Executive Order banning the re-importation of U.S. military firearms—to make that mark. One doesn’t wonder, however, if it will have the slightest impact on Administration policy. Like the man said, elections have consequences.

This petition is for the retraction of the Executive Action, announced 08/29/2013, which would prohibit the re-importation of former U.S. military firearms for sale to U.S. citizens. The primary firearms that this would impact are the U.S. M1 Garand and Carbine rifles, prized by collectors, competitive sports shooters, and “plinkers” who are interested in U.S. military history. These are NOT the type of firearms that have been associated with crimes. This Executive Action will solve no firearms-related problems, is political grandstanding at its worst, and only serves to discriminate against legitimate firearms collectors. [Click here to sign]

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92 COMMENTS

  2. This is a waste of time. All these whitehouse.gov petitions are good for is putting you on an alphabet agency’s list.

    • You’re already there, for chrissakes. What the hell are you worried about? “Here’s a hundred thousand people who might have guns.” That’s real useful information. Actually, it’s less than that. “Here’s a hundred thousand people who want to buy a gun.” OH NOES.

      How about you remove your tinfoil hat, set it down gently (those things are fragile, after all), and just sign it to help out? It’s probably pissing in the wind to push a policy change, but at least we’ll have their response on record to point to at election time.

      • The outer party members are watched most closely. If any change can happen, it must come from within the proles.

        • Big Brother already knows. Your fate is sealed. The Ministry of Love will contact you when the time is right, and they will introduce you to Truth in Room 101. Until then, carry on as you were.

      • You are clueless Matt. Voting is 100 times more useful than the petition site and even that has been useless for the most part. The fact that you call people who are truthfully telling you that this is a site that collects info on it’s users and nothing more tells all you are blind to reality. Read up on what the white house petition site is all about. Your stupid electronic vote means nothing.

        • Lars, please read the reply to your first comment all the way at the bottom of the page before you basically say the same thing for a third time. The point is, I don’t care if it’s got my name on yet another list, because the number of other things that I’m likely on a list for (owning multiple firearms all purchased retail, having an FFL03/C&R license, etc.) makes being on this particular list (if it even exists) completely inconsequential. It’s like someone who owns two or three NFA items being worried about being on a list for buying ammo at Walmart.

        • Molybdenum-impregnated tantalum foil is much more effective than aluminum foil.

          Tin worked well, but tinfoil hasn’t been available since the era of detachable collars and cuffed trousers. Another executive action, most likely.

          BTW, I actually HAVE a phased plasma “rifle” in the 40 watt range…

  3. Yep, I signed it. Just wanted my name at the top of this list of the dangerous people who like guns. But I’m probably already on a bunch of other lists.

  4. i had to open an account and the test question – to prove i wasn’t a autobot – was: “How may colours are listed…?” The european spelling of color, hmm, guess the White House is going to all lengths and areas to ensure we become like our old masters………..

  6. I created an account to put in my 2 cents.
    This man is as corrupt a human being as the city he came from………..

  7. I wonder what the administration would think if a “challenge question” was asked as a condition to voting?

  8. The CMP was created by congress through federal statute. Depending on how the arms got to foreign country, it may be that congress gave exclusive authority to reimport to the Secretary of the Army, not the president:

    http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/36/subtitle-II/part-B/chapter-407 (creates the CMP)

    http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/36/40728A (Authority to recover:)
    (a) Authority to Recover.— The Secretary of the Army may recover from any country to which rifles, ammunition, repair parts, or other supplies described in section 40731 (a) of this title are furnished on a grant basis under the conditions imposed by section 505 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2314) any such rifles, ammunition, repair parts, or supplies that become excess to the needs of such country.

      • An argument can be made that Congress gave the power to the Army so as not to be a politicized decision by the President. The Secretary of the Army should make an independent decision. That would be awesome and great political drama, and an interesting court battle, if the Army would countermand the president on this, pursuant to authority in that statute.

  9. I can’t help recalling another petition that made 100K. The WH response was something like thanks for your input but we will continue with whatever it was they had done. The same thing will happen here I fear. We really have to be boots on the ground for the 2014 election to give the Repubs a veto proof Senate and retain the House. This is the only way we can stop this madman.

    • True. But Congress can override him. I not only have signed the petition, I have written my Congressman. Numbers on the petition show support, and can encourage Congress to stand up to him. It would be nice to get several times the 100,000 signatures. There are enough of us out here to do it

  10. Created account with my info, but no place to create password to sign in.
    No sign in = no signature = no voice

  13. Off topic but as to “being on a list”, I wonder how many people would be dissapointed to find the NSA/FBI/whoever didn’t actually have a file on them.

    • I have a security clearance for work – I am sure there is a file on me. maybe this moves me up to the top of the list ?

      • Me too, I asked our FSO and he said stuff like this doesn’t affect your clearance. Just don’t get arrested or anything 🙂 DSS is back logged about 18 months anyways, I doubt they have time to do anything but reinvestigations and process SF-86s.

    • I’m pretty GD sure I’m on a list. That’s Ok if I’m keeping company with RF, Nick, Ralph, Dan Z, Matt in FL, jwm, Alpha, etc.

  16. I think this thread should be “stickied” so that more people can see this. Also, if you’re a member of any other firearms forums, post it!

  19. Legal question for someone… The president signs an executive order banning reimportation of these rifles, what if the house bill passes that is trying to get the Korean m1s sent back over here? Executive order vs actual law, which would trump which?

    • Have you been asleep? Obuma pays no attention to the Law (or Constitution). Leg and Judicail dont’t care. And the press is only interested in NotaLady gugu and such.

      Sec Def/Sec Army, Top 3 layers (at a min) of “leadership” are OWNED by Obuma. They don’t fart without Whitehouse instructions.

      • Asleep? No. That’s why I asked for an opinion about the conflicting interests. Thanks for your mini rant tho, hope it made you feel better.

    • If both houses of Congress pass a law, override the President’s veto and it passes judicial scrutiny, that’s it, done. Don’t hold your breath though.

    • Executive Orders/Actions are not law. They do not supersede or modify existing codified laws regarding imports.

  22. Got an AIM surplus email….maybe I should just buy one of those COMMUNIST surplus guns – the way things are going.

  23. Just because they are required to address the petition doesnt mean they will do a d@mn thing. I signed it but for what worth? Obama and his chronies have blatently demonstrated over the years that they dont give a fvck what anyone in this country wants.

  25. There are 3205 of now. whats the over under? lets not stop at 100k. lets see if we can get a million.

  26. Signed earlier today. We’ve got until 9/28 to get to 100k. Not that it’s going to do any goog mind you, but if we can’t get 500k or 1M signatures on this in a month, what with all of our mad interwebs skillz, our commitment and dedication to the cause, our grassroots networking, etc., we flat out SUCK. Period. Full stop.

    Here’s an almost effortless way to send a message to the petty, pathetic little buggers; a message that’s loud and clear. Part of that message is that we are watching you, we are engaged, we are numerous, we are strong, we are sick and tired of being sick and tired of this crap and that they are going to lose. Let them know that that day is coming sooner rather than later.

    If for no other reason, we need to sign this petition just to piss them off and watch them go apoplectic to see that there are so many savage brutes and brutesses out there in fly over country who want OUR guns repatriated. Let’s have some fun!!

  27. I hope we get all those “military grade weapons” repatriated from Syria before Obama blows them up.

  28. To all the “on a list” folks: Have you shopped for guns, gun accessories, ammo, etc and also logged into TTAG? You’re on a list the NSA has tucked away somewhere, so that if anyone “snaps” they’ll be able to point and say look, he bought gun stuff online, visited that reactionary site, and we knew about it. The NSA worked. Huzzah.

    • You may be right. I guess I’m doubly screwed, ’cause I visit radical lefty/environmentalist sites, too. I even visit crazy White Power sites, because that shit interests me like a good car crash followed by a bar fight. I haven’t bought any ammo online. The prices seem reasonable, until you see the shipping…

  30. There is little interest in Washington in curbing violence, with firearm or without.

    There is however great interest in making of us a mass of disarmed, compliant sheeple, interested only in made in China creature comforts.

    When the herd reaches 600,000,000 and subsists on a cup of kibble and a litre of water per day, rifles in our hands would not suit the interests of our shepards.

  31. #3,239, baby! Yeah! I’m already in the gov’t’s system and fingerprinted, something about BDU’s, a place called Benning, 11Mike…I dunno…

  32. No. 3306 on the petition. I’m on several lists I presume; including the NFA for a SBR tax stamp that I presume (now) may never arrive. You know…missed placed paperwork…not approved before the Presidential order…whatever. I feel like a criminal without doing anything criminal. Yet Chiraq is more dangerous than official war zones. GO AFTER THE CRIMINALS! Sorry for the all caps. Tired.

  33. Signed. If you don’t bitch where they can hear you…

    So how about the NRA and GOA and SAF send out a link to sign this petition…what’s that like 5 million plus people on their email lists?

    Even if 10% go through the trouble fill it out it would easily crush the 100k sigs needed.

  34. i can’t be bothered to create an account. The opportunity costs of signing a futile petition are too high for me.

    • If you can’t be bothered to do this impossibly easy thing, how can anyone expect you to be bothered to do anything that takes more than 30 whole seconds?

  35. In June, Rep. Cynthia Lummis introduced HR 2247, which would allow repatriation of the Korean M1 Garands and M1 carbines without State Department approval.

    I guess this is POTUS’ way of telling her to FOAD.

  36. Just an historical note, Benjamin “Bugsy” Segal was shot to death with an M1 carbine. FWIW. 😉

  37. You people do know that the white house petition site is a tracking site, right? It’s main purpose, other than making some Americans think they can be more involved in our government’s decision making, is to track and categorize what people support or don’t. Since the site’s conception less an 1% of all petitions that reached the goal mark changed policy or a specific decision. This is part of the Obama campaign promise of a more transparent government, this is it. This is their version of transparency and ironically it’s about more spying. Quit using the white house petition site, if you are registered, un-register.

    As for the shameful executive order or bark on banning re-importation of military firearms, I agree with the petition to retract it, but signing this petition is meaningless. We could get 1 million signatures and it’s not going to overturn anything. All this site is used for is for collecting info on us.

    • And that info is what, Lars? That I might want to buy a Korean War surplus M1 Garand? Or that I just think it’s a stupid friggin’ rule?

      When numbered among all the gun related things I do that could get me on some sort of list, signing this petition ranks somewhere between inconsequential and nonexistent.

      • You have serious issues friend. Are you monitoring everyone’s comments here? I literally just commented and here you are, stalking comments.

        The site is about collecting info on what people support, it’s simple. It’s not like if one doesn’t use the site they are not already on a list, hell everyone here probably is on a list from being registered at TTAG. But your tech hippie protest of signing a electronic signature does nothing but show others that you honestly believe your voice matters. If you wish to believe this than vote, I do, but to think voting on some online petition is going to do anything to change Obama’s mind it’s not, it’s not about that.

        You can protest from your chair all you want, unless you are out there on your feet making a physical presence somehow at a worthy event your actions mean nothing. I can blog about how bad this order is until the end of my life, it will produce nothing positive.

        If the petition reaches it’s mark should we all join electronic hands and sing kumbaya?

        • “Are you monitoring everyone’s comments here?”

          Actually, yes, it’s what I do here. Watching the comments, cleaning out the spam filter.

          “But your tech hippie protest of signing a electronic signature does nothing but show others that you honestly believe your voice matters.”

          Actually, if you look at my response to S_J all the way at the top of the page, you’ll see that I really don’t think my voice matters. “It’s probably pissing in the wind to push a policy change, but at least we’ll have their response on record to point to at election time.” If the petition makes a difference, great. If not, but the administration responds, it gives us that much more insight into their state of mind, and gives us yet one more thing to point at when pleading our case during future elections.

        • We won’t change barry’s mind with this petition. But enough signatures may erode some of the support he gets for gun control in the house and the senate. 2014 is coming and more than one of barry’s “freinds” may be getting worried about their future employment prospects.

          Bill Clinton warned them to stay away from gun control and now his wife has bailed on barry and company. She’s worried about her future employment prospects.

  39. This is pointless. The US Army already determined that the rifles were still US property. These rifles were loaned to the Koreans and they want to sell rifles that the American people already own. That is why there is a hold on bringing the rifles back into the country. The facts have been spun into an “Obama and gun control” issue.

  40. Signed. A statement of principles is never pointless. It may fall on deaf ears, but we’ve done what’s right.

  42. Oh, boo.

    I read the numbers wrong – I saw the 98 thousand something and thought “Yay! We’re almost there!”
    and when I checked, the 98 something had turned to 96 something – Huh? Turns out I was looking at the wrong number. So I went back to see the site, and thought I’d scroll down to see what number I was. After scrolling through about 100 pages, I finally saw that the new ones were on top. Sheesh!

    Anyhoo, I’m #3,443, FWIW

  43. Raise you hand if you don’t believe the WH will raise the petition number again. And again. And when X number is achieved, ignore the petition.

    Obama believes in POWER, not Democracy. Make that a lower-case “d”.

  44. These petitions are stupid anyway. All it’s going to do is create a response that will essentially say, “The U.S. is diverse with opinion, HOWEVER ever and all steps must be taken to ensure the safety of our children by gun violence. The President is committed to doing just such, by any measure.”

    It’s already no surprise that he is intent to nickle and dime us, literally and figuratively, into civilian disarmament. Why would an essentially fake petition, that his administration created (the website) do anything to change this? It’s just feelgood theater for us, and them.

    • I remember the last petition to the WH, about “Hey, if gun free zones are such a neat idea, why not take the guns away from the SS?” – it was reported here. Their response was essentially, “Yes, we hear you, but fuck off and die, peasants.”

  46. Waste of time.

    Barry-Boy basically told me to pucker up and suck his dick last time I petitioned against him.

  48. “One doesn’t wonder, however, if it will have the slightest impact on Administration policy. Like the man said, elections have consequences.”

    “Waste of time.

    Barry-Boy basically told me to pucker up and suck his dick last time I petitioned against him.”

    No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Also, no.

    Of course he won’t repeal the exec order, whatever the petition says. We’ll never convince the operatives or the hard-core agenda mongers.

    That’s not the point. Never miss an opportunity to let them embarrass themselves, discredit their own argument, or both. It wastes their time. It makes them crazy, so they screw up more. They look ridiculous which erodes their support in the lukewarm middle & energizes their opposition.

    This petition is only good for us, in so many ways. President Man of the People did the petition thing to show how transparent and responsive this administration is (as opposed to those other guys), and it’s up there in front of *his* coalition, and *it is news because it’s up in that place.*

    – Having a petition *on the White House site* gives it legitimacy and visibility.

    – Having a petition against their policy shows that people think differently, to an audience that generally won’t ever hear from the opposition.

    Once it’s up there, there is no good response:

    – Ignoring it makes him / them look disingenuous and officious.

    – Responding to the petition with “there, there” like last time highlights that he/they are not actually listening. Exposes the petition nonsense as a PR ploy, *which casts doubt on every other claim of support.*

    – Changing position looks weak and will enrage his / their base.

    Doing this won’t rescind the executive orders. It will steal a couple of news cycles, which is what we really need. They talk like oaks, but they are really reeds. You gotta control the breeze to control which way they sway.

    • “It makes them crazy,”

      So, to “paraphrase” the Prince of Peace, “Love your enemies, it drives them nuts!”

  49. In case I wasn’t clear…

    Everybody sign the petition. They’ll never walk back the exec orders, but having the petition is good for us in so many other ways & having the petition get over the response threshold is even better.

    Never interrupt your enemy when he’s making a mistake. Once it’s made, however…

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