I would like to think Howard Nemerov will have better luck with this than the NRA, GOA, and others do:

I am building a national network to ensure the survival of our civil right of self-defense. Our mission is to contact our congressional representatives at least once a month with a short fact-bite explaining why this civil right is so vital to the preservation of all other rights, as well as the survival of our nation as the international torch-bearer of Liberty.

Initially, we will create and support a minimum of 20,000 activists in each state. One million people contacting their representatives each month will make even the most rabid anti-rights advocate hesitate, because they know that each of you represents an even larger number of votes, and getting re-elected is the goal of most representatives: of the 435 seats in Congress in 2008, 400 incumbents were running for re-election (92% of all available seats).

You will receive a sample talking point each month, or you can say whatever you think will make the best point with your representative.

I tried doing something on a much, much smaller scale and was very disappointed. I had about 15 people on an email list that were “very committed” to the gun rights issue and agreed to help influence the Washington State legislature on the gun issue. I sent out about a half dozen different requests for them to contact their representatives over the course of about a year. I later asked them in person if they had responded as I had requested. There were only about 10 TOTAL contacts that resulted from my requests.

My conclusion was liberty minded people are not easily herded like sheep. That they value their liberty may also mean they will not be easily persuaded to do as someone else asks.

As others have said, it’s like herding cats.

Hence, my conclusion is that Mr. Nemerov had better have some trick up his sleeve that many others have failed to figure out and/or execute successfully on.

Robb posted about being irked that he can’t legally carry his firearm into a Post Office. He can carry at the hospital, shopping malls, his kids soccer games and virtually all public places. What is so special about a Post Office that he is disallowed from carrying their? Of course the answer is there is nothing special about the Post Office that should be grounds for disallowing the carrying defensive tools while picking up your mail. Just as prohibiting blacks from public swimming pools and using the same water fountains as others had no basis other than the bigotry of those making the rules. Still, spending time in a Federal prison isn’t my favorite way of standing by my principles.

That said I had looked into the guns in Post Offices before and had heard others talk of the law being somewhat ambigous. With that background I was going to point out to Robb that according to 18 USC 930, which I’m fairly certain is what I have seen posted on Post Office doors, there are exemptions to the part about fines and imprisonment for “whoever knowingly possesses or causes to be present a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a Federal facility”. These exemptions are never posted on the wall of the post office:

(d) Subsection (a) shall not apply to—

(1) the lawful performance of official duties by an officer, agent, or employee of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision thereof, who is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of any violation of law;

(2) the possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapon by a Federal official or a member of the Armed Forces if such possession is authorized by law; or

(3) the lawful carrying of firearms or other dangerous weapons in a Federal facility incident to hunting or other lawful purposes.

Notice the last three words of (d)(3), “other lawful purpose”. Self defense–isn’t that a lawful purpose?

But as I was doing my research on the topic, just to make sure, I ran across this post from a lawyer which says that 18 USC 930 isn’t the controlling law. 39 USC 410 says (emphasis added):

(a) Except as provided by subsection (b) of this section, and except as otherwise provided in this title or insofar as such laws remain in force as rules or regulations of the Postal Service, no Federal law dealing with public or Federal contracts, property, works, officers, employees, budgets, or funds, including the provisions of chapters 5 and 7 of title 5, shall apply to the exercise of the powers of the Postal Service.

(b) The following provisions shall apply to the Postal Service:

(1) section 552 (public information), section 552a (records about individuals), section 552b (open meetings), section 3102 (employment of personal assistants for blind, deaf, or otherwise handicapped employees), section 3110 (restrictions on employment of relatives), section 3333 and chapters 72 (antidiscrimination; right to petition Congress) and 73 (suitability, security, and conduct of employees), section 5520 (withholding city income or employment taxes), and section 5532 (!1) (dual pay) of title 5, except that no regulation issued under such chapters or section shall apply to the Postal Service unless expressly made applicable;

In the Postal rules I found that bringing a firearm onto the property is a rule violation but apparently it is not a felony:

  (l) Weapons and explosives. No person while on postal property may carry firearms, other dangerous or deadly weapons, or explosives, either openly or concealed, or store the same on postal property, except for official purposes.

…

  (p) Penalties and other law. (1) Alleged violations of these rules and regulations are heard, and the penalties prescribed herein are imposed, either in a Federal district court or by a Federal magistrate in accordance with applicable court rules. Questions regarding such rules should be directed to the regional counsel for the region involved.
(2) Whoever shall be found guilty of violating the rules and regulations in this section while on property under the charge and control of the Postal Service is subject to fine of not more than $50 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days, or both.

Further reading of the rules revealed you give up your Fourth Amendment rights once you set foot on U.S. Postal Property (232.1 (b)):

  (b) Inspection, recording presence. (1) Purses, briefcases, and other containers brought into, while on, or being removed from the property are subject to inspection. However, items brought directly to a postal facility’s customer mailing acceptance area and deposited in the mail are not subject to inspection, except as provided by section 274 of the Administrative Support Manual. A person arrested for violation of this section may be searched incident to that arrest.

I am not a lawyer. You are receiving this legal review for free and my own personal entertainment. It’s probably worth every penny you paid for it.