Kirby,
I strongly agree everyone should vote. However, I would encourage everyone to vote based on the individual candidate's views, not for any particular party. They do vary and not all Republicans are the best candidate on this issue or any issue and not all Democrats are bad. Here is the link to the NRA's analysis of candidates. You can click on it for your area and see there analysis of your candidates. In my area, they mostly favor Republicans, but in some races do favor Democrats.
http://www.nrapvf.org/
Also of importance for hunters and outsdoorsmen are a candidate's views on funding for public lands, conservation issues which are frequently embedded in the Farm Bill, and water policy.
Finally, here is a law passed as H.R. 5122 by the Republican controlled Congress and signed by Bush in October. It was included in a defense appropriation bill. Sometimes when you see a Congressman voting against what appears to be a good bill, it is because it is chock full of these kinds of truly frightening amendments.
So yes, most definitely go vote, but spend a few hours reading about each of your candidates before you show up and vote for the best candidate, not the political party.
SEC. 1076. USE OF THE ARMED FORCES IN MAJOR PUBLIC EMERGENCIES.
(a) Use of the Armed Forces Authorized-
(1) IN GENERAL- Section 333 of title 10, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 333. Major public emergencies; interference with State and Federal law
`(a) Use of Armed Forces in Major Public Emergencies- (1) The President may employ the armed forces, including the National Guard in Federal service, to--
`(A) restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as a result of a natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition in any State or possession of the United States, the President determines that--
`(i) domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of maintaining public order; and
`(ii) such violence results in a condition described in paragraph (2); or
`(B) suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy if such insurrection, violation, combination, or conspiracy results in a condition described in paragraph (2).
`(2) A condition described in this paragraph is a condition that--
`(A) so hinders the execution of the laws of a State or possession, as applicable, and of the United States within that State or possession, that any part or class of its people is deprived of a right, privilege, immunity, or protection named in the Constitution and secured by law, and the constituted authorities of that State or possession are unable, fail, or refuse to protect that right, privilege, or immunity, or to give that protection; or
`(B) opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws.
`(3) In any situation covered by paragraph (1)(B), the State shall be considered to have denied the equal protection of the laws secured by the Constitution.\
