As I mentioned in a post comment yesterday, it's time to add our voices to those of Ryan Horsley in defending Red's Trading Post against persecution by BATFU.
WarOnGuns visitors: you know I never ask anything for myself, and you also know I never ask anything of you I have not already committed to. Please support this effort. Please write a letter to the judge ruling on Ryan's case.
Here are some basic guidelines:
Address your letter to:
Please keep your letter respectful. The intent is to help Ryan, not anger the judge. Under no circumstances imply anything that could even loosely be perceived as threatening--if you do, you will be hurting Ryan, not helping him.
Please keep your letter brief. The shorter the letter, the greater the likelihood it will be read--or at least skimmed over. Keep it under a 500 word maximum, and fewer is better. If you need talking points, there are plenty of stories on this blog (Type "Red's" into the "Search Blog" box in the top left corner), but don't try to cover them all--pick a few main points and stick with them.
Here is my letter--excluding salutation and closing, it is 432 words. It is going into the mail as soon as I'm done posting this.
We can stand by and do nothing and let another gun shop go under, and watch the rest get intimidated, or we can each of us invest 15 minutes and a stamp.
Will you do this, and do it right now?
UPDATE: I just had a "Doh!" moment. Reader JH reminds me this may be time sensitive, and suggests faxing is another useful alternative vs. snail mail. I agree--the court's fax number is (208) 334-9229
WarOnGuns visitors: you know I never ask anything for myself, and you also know I never ask anything of you I have not already committed to. Please support this effort. Please write a letter to the judge ruling on Ryan's case.
Here are some basic guidelines:
Address your letter to:
Hon. Edward J. Lodge
Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse, MSC 039
550 W. Fort St., Room 400
Boise, ID 83724-0039
Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse, MSC 039
550 W. Fort St., Room 400
Boise, ID 83724-0039
Please keep your letter respectful. The intent is to help Ryan, not anger the judge. Under no circumstances imply anything that could even loosely be perceived as threatening--if you do, you will be hurting Ryan, not helping him.
Please keep your letter brief. The shorter the letter, the greater the likelihood it will be read--or at least skimmed over. Keep it under a 500 word maximum, and fewer is better. If you need talking points, there are plenty of stories on this blog (Type "Red's" into the "Search Blog" box in the top left corner), but don't try to cover them all--pick a few main points and stick with them.
Here is my letter--excluding salutation and closing, it is 432 words. It is going into the mail as soon as I'm done posting this.
June 7, 2007Please join me in this. Please ask other blogs to post on this, please pass the link to this post to your friends, and ask them to write letters and forward the information to theirs.
Hon. Edward J. Lodge
Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse, MSC 039
550 W. Fort St., Room 400
Boise, ID 83724-0039
In re: RED’S TRADING POST, INC. v. RICHARD VAN LOAN
Dear Judge Lodge,
It is apparent from recent actions by representatives of BATFE that they are attempting to do an end run around your recent injunction by cherry-picking minor infractions in their unmasked desire to close down a lawful gun store. As you found, ATF’s conduct in terms of “double counting,” and their calculated exclusion of mentioning audits where no violations were found, shows the agency is itself incapable of achieving the perfection they demand of those they hold power over.
DIO Van Loan’s assertion that he is the sole authority and determiner of what “justice so requires” is an affront to our system of open government with clear standards applicable to all, and most importantly, with checks and balances to prevent abuse. The concept is chilling, presumes authority over the rulings of your court, and allows for what we are seeing now: an apparent vendetta against Mr. Horsley for daring to exercise his First Amendment rights by telling the public of his experiences.
The infractions themselves are meritless reasons for shutting down a family business. We have no public safety issue here, no blatant and willful acts of defiance. Alphabetical vs chronological filings—the information is still there. “Y” and “N” instead of “Yes” and “No” on occasional forms—who in their right mind would maintain the meaning is unclear? Incomplete addresses? Complete information was maintained and on premises. Even the transaction with the resident alien showed a good faith attempt to establish proper compliance, and in fact, this was not a prohibited person and no harm was done.
I half expect Director Van Loan and his staff to write Ryan up for parting his hair on the wrong side, or for wearing the wrong color shirt on Tuesday. I don’t mean to sound facetious, your Honor, but I have worked for many years ensuring compliance with stringent government regulations across a wide variety of industries—from defense contracting, to pharmaceutical and medical device production, to medical practice management—and have never seen anything this intentionally petty and calculating, with but one goal in mind: destruction of the “insolent” who refuse to grovel, rather than public safety.
This is naked bullying and vengeance under color of authority, and I pray you will not tolerate it. Director Van Loan was correct when he stated in his amended declaration that his actions were applicable “not just with respect to Red’s Trading Post, but across the firearm’s industry.” But it’s not justice he’s pursuing, Judge Lodge, it’s judicially sanctioned approval of tactics designed to ensure intimidation instead of compliance.
Please don’t let him get away with it.
Respectfully,
David Codrea
[address, phone, email]
We can stand by and do nothing and let another gun shop go under, and watch the rest get intimidated, or we can each of us invest 15 minutes and a stamp.
Will you do this, and do it right now?
------------
UPDATE: I just had a "Doh!" moment. Reader JH reminds me this may be time sensitive, and suggests faxing is another useful alternative vs. snail mail. I agree--the court's fax number is (208) 334-9229