---------------------------------------------------------------------- Topic No. 1 Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 23:37:25 -0500 (EST) From: NRA Alerts To: general-rkba-real.nra Subject: CRIMESTRIKE: Pa. Murder Prompts Call For Interstate Parolee Transfer Law Message-ID: <199801160437.XAA26584@fs1.mainstream.net> NRA CrimeStrike's CrimeWatch Weekly Breaking news on critical crime-fighting issues, policies and legislation Vol. 4, No. 2 January 13, 1998 Pa. Murder Prompts Call For Interstate Parolee Transfer Law A law restricting transfers of out-of-state parolees into Pennsylvania is proposed in the wake of the controversy over a paroled Nevada killer now charged with murdering a 22-year-old Philadelphia-area woman and suspected in another death. (CWW 12/16/97, 1/6/98) State Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf said his bill will require states sending parolees to Pennsylvania to conduct psychological exams and to document the convicts' supervision and treatment. It would also allow parole authorities to electronically monitor parolees, if necessary. The state's Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing into the state parole board's handling of the case of Arthur Bomar, 38, earlier. That came after Philadelphia police revealed in mid-December that Bomar had been charged with the June, 1996, murder of Aimee Willard, a stellar athlete at George Mason University in Virginia. Nevada and Pennsylvania parole authorities traded recriminations after the news broke. Bomar, who served 12 years in Nevada for murder, has since been named as a suspect in a second Pennsylvania woman's death. Pennsylvania may not be able to make changes unilaterally, however, since it has signed the Interstate Compact on Probation and Parole, which requires that states accept parolees from other jurisdictions. Washington Rape Victim Sues State, Two Treatment Workers Washington state officials, already forced to pay out nearly $7 million in claims by families victimized by parolees (CWW 12/9/97), were hit with another lawsuit last week in one the state's high profile crimes. Similar suits have been filed in other states, including Texas, Minnesota, Massachusetts, North Carolina and the District of Columbia. Barbara Bell, a Spokane real estate agent who was abducted while showing a home to Bryan Eugene Scherf and then raped in October 1995, named the state and two "treatment specialists" employed by contractors in her lawsuit. The pair, employed by Cedar Bridge Associates and John W. Colson Associates, Spokane, were negligent in their supervision of Scherf, according to allegations in the suit filed last week in Spokane County Superior Court. "Scherf violated the terms of his parole," said Janet Rice, Bell's Seattle attorney. "He should have been sent back to prison because he was out of control and likely to rape again. Frankly, she is lucky to be alive." Scherf, who had been on parole for two years after release from prison for raping a woman and setting her on fire in 1981, was convicted in the attack on Ms. Bell and was sentenced to life in prison under Washington's "Three Strikes and You're Out" law. As further evidence that Americans are increasingly ready to demand accountability from state officials, the father of a murdered Kansas girl said last week that he will sue to force the state to open his daughter's killer's parole records. Gary Kleypas was convicted of capital murder in July for murdering college student Carrie Williams, 20. The jury recommended the death penalty for Kleypas, who had transferred from Missouri to Kansas after serving 15 years of a 30-year sentence for the murder of a Missouri woman. After Klelypas' conviction, Larry Williams led a petition drive that saw a grand jury convened last fall to investigate Kleypas' parole supervision. After the jury failed to return any indictments, Williams said he would sue to open the killer's parole record. "Unfortunately for the victims," said CrimeStrike's Elizabeth Swasey, "these suits come after another crime has been committed, and unfortunately, for taxpayers, they pay the parole board's fines. The only way to win is to make criminals serve their sentences." Staving Off The Death Penalty If Raymond Eugene Brown finally dies as scheduled in Alabama's a electric chair on Friday, many people will be surprised. He still has another appeal pending in Montgomery County Circuit Court. Never mind that the U.S. Supreme Court has denied his appeal. No one can say Brown hasn't worked at getting his death sentence. Back in 1961, he was convicted of killing three family members his grandmother, great-grandmother and an aunt. He was 14 then. Paroled after 12 years, he was convicted of stabbing to death his girlfriend and her 9-year-old daughter in 1988. That's five victims. Count them. Tenn. First To Eye Total Privatization As the many states with more criminals than prison beds ship inmates to out-of-state facilities both public and private, Tennessee legislators will soon discuss doing the previously unthinkable, totally privatizing a prison system that now has about 16,000 inmates. Privatization advocates say it will save the state millions, a premise opponents will challenge. Tennessee's prison system has a 1998 operating budget of $430 million. With capital expenditures rolled in, the state is spending about $450 million this year. =+=+=+=+ This information is provided as a service of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, Fairfax, VA. This and other information on the Second Amendment and the NRA is available at: http://WWW.NRA.Org ------------------------------ -=Continued in next post=- ... ******** NOTE: THIS IS A FORWARDED MESSAGE ******** --- FMail 1.22 * Origin: CyberSupport Hq/Co.A (602)231-9377 PRN/SURV/FIDO/+ (1:114/428) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 185 RIGHT/BEAR ARMS Ref: F1R00004Date: 01/16/98 From: SCOTT SCHEIBE Time: 08:23pm \/To: ALL (Read 1 times) Subj: 2/4 NRA General RKBA Digest 329 -=Continued from previous post=- Topic No. 2 Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 23:37:55 -0500 (EST) From: NRA Alerts To: general-rkba-real.nra Subject: GRASSFIRE: Past is Prelude for Bigger Clinton Gun Ban Message-ID: <199801160437.XAA26601@fs1.mainstream.net> NRA-ILA GRASSFIRE! January 1998 PAST IS PRELUDE FOR BIGGER CLINTON GUN BAN President Clinton has officially directed the Secretary of the Treasury to begin an immediate review to determine whether modified semi-automatic firearms meet the sporting purposes import criteria of the 1968 Gun Control Act. Additionally, this directive charges the Secretary to suspend all outstanding import permits for a 120-day period. This latest action by the Clinton-Gore Administration confirms what we have said all along that the Clinton White House and its anti-gun cronies are seeking an incremental gun ban. During the debate on the original Clinton gun ban, we noted that the guns targeted by the President were being banned based solely upon their appearance. This latest Bigger Clinton Gun Ban confirms that fact, as all the guns on the latest hit list conform in every way to the legal requirements set forth in both the Clinton Gun Ban of 1994 and the 1989 import ban. It makes no sense that guns that can be legally manufactured, sold, and possessed in the U.S. should be banned from importation. This latest action was strongly encouraged and supported by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Cal.) and Sarah Brady. The directive currently affects some 600,000 outstanding import permits. As NRA-ILA Executive Director Tanya Metaksa aptly noted, Every gun ban advocate in America has shamelessly confirmed everything NRA has ever said about the 1994 ban on semi-automatic firearms. One strategy we are pursuing to combat the new gun ban is to attach language to a future fast track trade bill to prohibit the President from banning the importation of legal semi-automatic firearms. Therefore, we encourage you to contact your U.S. lawmakers at 202/224-3121, and urge them to oppose any fast track bill that does not include this prohibition. Pro-gun stalwarts Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) have already taken steps to this effect. Rep. Barr's bill is H.R. 2734, and Sen. Craig has filed an amendment to this effect with the Senate Clerk. SUIT ATTACKING CLINTON GUN BAN GETS NEW LIFE In late November, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a portion of Judge Robert Cleland's 1995 decision that rejected a challenge to the 1994 Clinton gun ban. Along with NRA, a number of gun manufacturers, dealers, and gun owners filed the suit. As you may recall, in 1995, the federal government petitioned Judge Cleland to dismiss the NRA's challenge to the Clinton gun ban, and Cleland acquiesced, claiming the plaintiffs lacked sufficient standing. However, according to an AP story on November 22, Judge Cleland will now hear the reinstated part of the suit that challenges Congress's authority to enact the ban and contends that the gun ban violates the plaintiffs' right to equal protection. In reversing Judge Cleland's earlier decision, the appeals court ruled that manufacturers and dealers may forge ahead with the litigation because they've demonstrated that the gun ban could harm them economically. David Hardy, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, noted he's examining the court's most recent actions to determine if a more favorable ruling may be issued by appealing the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. GUN BAN GROUP ATTACKS EDDIE EAGLE Critics Say NRA Uses Safety Campaign to Lure Children, blared a recent New York Times headline of a story detailing a new study by the gun ban group the Violence Policy Center (VPC) which criticized NRA's award winning Eddie Eagle gun safety program. The VPC's latest study would be laughable if it wasn't so patently false and offensive. For the anti-gun lobby to criticize NRA, which has spent $100 million over the past eight years on gun safety, demonstrates that the anti-gunners will stoop to the lowest of lows to further their gun ban agenda. In its claims, the VPC preposterously accuses NRA of promoting the program to boost future gun sales! As anyone familiar with the program knows, since its inception in 1988, Eddie Eagle's life-saving message has reached 10 million schoolchildren and has been taught by more than 500 law enforcement agencies nationwide including the FBI! Rest assured, NRA will not sit idly by while the VPC attacks one of our most effective gun safety programs a program which, incidentally, has received numerous accolades and awards, and has led to a reduction in the number of accidental gun fatalities among children. In fact, NRA President Marion Hammer and Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre directed legal counsel to explore a number of options NRA may have. The questions the media should be asking are: What have groups like VPC done? and How much have they spent on firearms safety and education? We believe the answers to those questions would be far more telling than the outrageous conclusions of this latest ruse of a study. Members are encouraged to write their local newspapers and spread the word about the effectiveness of NRA's Eddie Eagle gun safety program and call the opponents of gun safety on the carpet! EDDIE EAGLE CONTEST FOR KIDS! And speaking of Eddie Eagle, to commemorate the program's 10th anniversary, the Association invites all children grades pre-K through the sixth grade to submit a poster featuring the mascot and Eddie's message of STOP! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult. All entrants will receive a special Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Kit, and winners will be awarded in each grade level. Winning entries will be featured at the 1998 NRA Annual Meetings in Philadelphia, Pa., and will also be on display at NRA Headquarters. Posters must be originals, made by the entrant, may be no larger than 24 by 36, and must be mailed by April 1, 1998, to Eddie Eagle Poster Contest, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA, 22030-9400. If you have questions, call the Eddie Eagle Department at (800) 231-0752. REGISTER TO VOTE OR REGISTER YOUR GUNS! What can you do in literally a matter of minutes, often from your living room, that will have a huge impact on our fight to protect our rights? REGISTER TO VOTE! The 1998 primary and general elections are nearly upon us, and it's critical that gun owners everywhere register to vote, and then vote in the upcoming elections. Your vote is your voice, and if you don't take the first step of registering to vote, you may find yourself registering your guns! NRA-ILA has compiled information on all 50 states' voter registration requirements and deadlines, and we even have voter registration applications for a number of states. For information on voter registration in your state, or to see if NRA-ILA has applications for your place of residence, call the Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683. Re-member, if you haven't voted in recent elections or have moved, you may no longer be registered. And, if you're not registered, you can't vote. If you are currently registered, you should work on making sure your family, friends, and fellow gun owners are registered to vote as well, and ILA can help. Please call us to find out how we can work together to ensure all of this nation's gun owners and sportsmen are registered to vote so we may continue our successes at the ballot box this year. -=Continued in next post=- ... ******** NOTE: THIS IS A FORWARDED MESSAGE ******** --- FMail 1.22 * Origin: CyberSupport Hq/Co.A (602)231-9377 PRN/SURV/FIDO/+ (1:114/428) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 185 RIGHT/BEAR ARMS Ref: F1R00005Date: 01/16/98 From: SCOTT SCHEIBE Time: 08:23pm \/To: ALL (Read 1 times) Subj: 3/4 NRA General RKBA Digest 329 -=Continued from previous post=- NRA...IT KEEPS WINNING AND WINNING... Journalist Jeffrey Birnbaum seems to have figured out what many of his colleagues have never been able to NRA's political strength is not determined by our financial statement, but by the statement our members make when they go to the polls. In a report in the December 8 edition of Fortune magazine, Birnbaum ranked NRA sixth on what he calls Washington's Power 25, the most influential special interest groups in America today. But unlike others who have grudgingly admitted NRA's ability to represent our members' interests, Birnbaum did not reach his conclusion by simply examining the amount of money spent in the legislative and political arenas. Instead, he talked with the policy makers in Washington members of Congress, their staffs, and White House officials and asked them what worked, what didn't, and to which organizations they listened. What these insiders told Birnbaum will undoubtedly surprise many NRA critics who always seem to write off our successes as a direct result of the size of our bank account. Among the lobbying tactics that work: delivering the straight facts to lawmakers, mobilizing grassroots action, and getting along with legislators and their staffs. In fact, five of the 10 most influential groups on the list were propelled there on the strength of their long-established grassroots networks. Interestingly, Fortune also found that NRA didn't make the most loved or most hated list of either political party, which is a clear rebuke to those who have claimed NRA has become too friendly with one party at the expense of the other. Handgun Control, Incorporated (HCI), on the other hand, was found to be loved by Democrats in general and hated by members of the GOP. Maybe we should send a copy of the Fortune article to journalists who covered the recent anti-gun ballot initiative in Washington state I-676. In an article on the editorial page of a recent issue of the Wall Street Journal, Brent Bozell and Tim Graham of the Alexandria, Virginia-based Media Research Center looked back at the strange difference between the media's pre- and post-election coverage of I-676. For instance, the New York Times said I-676 would test the NRA, and there was no bigger battle in 1997 for NRA. Tom Brokaw of NBC News called I-676 the result of grassroots anger. And ABC's Judy Mueller echoed the hopes of anti-gunners everywhere when she claimed just days before election day that If this measure wins in this gun friendly state, it could spell trouble for the NRA elsewhere. But when the votes were tallied and it was clear that the people of Washington had overwhelmingly rejected I-676 (71%- 29%), the press was nowhere to be found. And those reporters who did bother to mention the defeat of I-676 claimed, not surprisingly, that NRA had somehow bought the election. No credit at all was given to the hard work of the thousands of volunteer activists who led the fight against I-676. In their post-election briefs, wrote Bozell and Graham, the national media gave no emphasis to the NRA's stunning come from behind victory. Bozell and Graham hit the nail right on the head when they wrote of the lack of post-election coverage: after spending years labeling a group as 'extreme,' 'radical' and the like how to explain a 71% landslide?...Backed by majority support in just about every region of the country, the NRA is just like the Energizer Bunny...it keeps going and going, and winning and winning. It is always nice when our activities are recognized, but we cannot become complacent. While we know our strengths, and have demonstrated our effectiveness, we cannot rest on our laurels. The fight for freedom will wage on, and the fight will be exceptionally intense as long as the Clinton-Gore Administration continues its endless attacks on our rights. With the 1998 elections being the next major national battleground, your continued financial support and grassroots activism will be integral to our continued success! FIREARMS OWNED BY CIVILIANS ARE THE TARGET The United Nations recently wrapped up its second regional workshop on firearms regulation in Africa, and from all indications, the UN is becoming even more brazen about its commitment to global gun control. Not surprisingly, the Japanese government appears to be directly responsible for this increased enthusiasm for worldwide restrictions on firearms ownership. In fact, through the UN, the government of Japan actually paid the expenses for 23 of the 28 governments who sent representatives to the Africa conference! While the meeting was dominated by anti-gun governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of the UN, NRA-ILA was able to secure a place at the table to monitor the workshop, and make known our objections to any UN interference in the United States' domestic firearms policies. Unfortunately, what our representative in Africa discovered is not very good news. It has become obvious that the various gun control groups from around the world are working more closely together now than ever before. They are actively exchanging intelligence and information on how to advance their gun ban agenda, sharing the secrets to their recent successes in places like Australia and Great Britain. Making matters even worse is the fact that the anti-gun movement also appears to be extremely well-funded. The anti-gunners' new-found confidence was reflected in the address by UN official Eric Kibuka, Director of the UN's African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders, who labeled civilian-owned firearms the target, and declared that the international community has decided that firearms regulation is at the core of democracy and good government. NRA-ILA will continue to monitor events on the international stage and keep you informed. U.S. ORIGIN HISTORIC ARMS IMPORT FIX REMAINS UNFIXED The first session of the 105th Congress ended without resolution to the problem of the U.S. State Department denying import permits for such firearms as M-1s and M-1 Carbines eagerly sought by collectors. In the closing days of the session, Representative Alan Mollohan (D-W.V.), ranking Member of the Commerce, State, and Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, tirelessly worked to insert language into the final bill requiring the State Department to stop impeding lawful imports of U.S. origin firearms. Unfortunately, a workable agreement wasn't reached, although the final bill does direct the State Department to report to Congress regarding their non-approval of firearm import permits. Please continue to contact your Representative and ask him to urge the State Department to obey the law. Also, call Congressman Mollohan at (202) 225-4172 to let him know gun owners appreciate and support his continued efforts on our behalf. Representative Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) also deserves thanks, as he too was very supportive throughout the process. ARMY MARKSMANSHIP UNIT PRESERVED Just weeks before press time, informed sources notified the NRA that a letter was sitting on the U.S. Army Chief of Staff's desk to deactivate the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) as of December 1, 1997. Thankfully, the U.S. Army informed us that the action to kill the USAMU has since been rescinded. This quick turn-around was due, in part, to NRA members, who came through in this crisis with flying colors, sending hundreds of e-mails and making phone calls to the Army. NRA wishes to thank its members for their assistance in preserving this unit, that has historically undertaken missions that no one else could. It is the only reservoir of marksmanship knowledge in the Army and is the home of some of the world's greatest shooters. LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR A FREE FUTURE With the academic season in full swing, the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division has been working with students at a number of colleges and universities to promote our Second Amendment freedoms, by running ads in student publications, speaking on campuses, and working with existing student groups to promote our rights. If we don't educate and train tomorrow's leaders on the importance of the Second Amendment, we run the risk of allowing the gun grabbers to run roughshod over our rights in the future. -=Continued in next post=- ... ******** NOTE: THIS IS A FORWARDED MESSAGE ******** --- FMail 1.22 * Origin: CyberSupport Hq/Co.A (602)231-9377 PRN/SURV/FIDO/+ (1:114/428) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 185 RIGHT/BEAR ARMS Ref: F1R00006Date: 01/16/98 From: SCOTT SCHEIBE Time: 08:24pm \/To: ALL (Read 1 times) Subj: 4/4 NRA General RKBA Digest 329 -=Continued from previous post=- Currently, NRA-ILA is working with students at Augusta State University in Georgia, Auburn University in Alabama, Brandeis University in Massa-chusetts, George Mason University in Virginia, the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, and a number of Washington, D.C., area schools, to name just a few. We hope that this college outreach program will take root and spread nationwide, but we need your help. If you're a student, or if you have children attending school, we need to begin working together to plant the seeds of freedom at our nation's colleges and universities. Remember, all of our work today could be lost tomorrow if we don't begin preparing now for the future. For more information on this college program, or to find out how to form a pro-Second Amendment student group or host an NRA speaker at your campus, please call the Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683. Rest assured the anti-gunners are mobilizing the student community, and we can't afford to let them get a leg up on us with this vital constituency. Call the Grassroots Division today! SHARE YOUR NAME WITH FELLOW NRA MEMBERS Attention all NRA members and NRA-ILA Volunteers. Have you ever wanted to know who your fellow NRA members are in your area? While NRA is prohibited from releasing our membership lists, we do wish to aid those of you who want to network and work with area NRA members. If you wish to have your name shared with concerned NRA members and pro-gun groups in your area, call the Grassroots Division. We'll send you an official NRA-ILA Volunteer Information Form, to enroll you in the NRA-ILA Grassroots Network, and allow you to indicate to us that you wish for your name to be shared with other NRA members in your area who want to work together to protect our freedom. In addition to helping you identify NRA members in your community that you can work with, by joining the Grassroots Network you'll receive: up-to-the-minute legislative alerts and analyses, crime and safety studies and statistics, NRA-ILA's Fax Network, and direct access to ILA staff and resources via our toll free Volunteer Hotline. With the impending elections looming, there is no better time than now to join the Grassroots Network, and to begin working with other like-minded members in your community. When we receive your completed form, we'll send you a Grassroots Action Kit. The volunteer program and Grassroots Kit are absolutely free! All you need to do is make the commitment and determine your level of involvement. NORTH CAROLINA RIGHT TO CARRY POPULAR AND SAFE When the Tar Heel State's legislature debated the concealed carry issue in 1995, anti-self-defense Senator Leslie Winner (D-Mecklenburg) predicted, As more people carry guns, more will use them. According to a piece in the Charlotte News and Observer, however, critics like Winner have been proven wrong two years later, as statistics throughout the state show decreasing crime rates and safe handling by permit holders. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Dennis Nowicki admitted in the same article, The concerns that I had with more guns on the street, folks may be more apt to square off against one another with weapons we haven't experienced that. In fact, the counties with the heaviest per capita concentration of permit holders are in the suburbs around Charlotte, in some places as high as 11 per every 1,000 adults, are the areas that have experienced the most significant drop in crime rates more indisputable evidence that states that allow law-abiding citizens to obtain permits to carry concealed firearms are enjoying crime decreases, not increases. SPECIAL FEATURE: 1998 ELECTION VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS WANTED They may seem like a long way off, but in reality, the 1998 elections are rapidly approaching. As you know, the NRA-Political Victory Fund has successfully helped elect over 80% of our endorsed candidates to office in the past two election cycles. The reason for our success has been members like you. NRA members nationwide organized early, and continued to work through Election Day to elect committed, pro-gun lawmakers, and we know that with your help, that success rate will continue in 1998. With that said, NRA-ILA is looking for Election Volunteer Coordinators (EVCs) for 1998. EVCs act as the liaisons between NRA members and gun owners in their districts and the campaigns of pro-gun candidates. EVCs work directly with both the campaign and fellow NRA members to provide critically-needed volunteer support from the gun-owning community. In a future issue of NRA magazines, the EVC's name and phone number will appear along with a message encouraging area members to contact the EVC to help work to elect pro-gun candidates. To ensure we have a qualified slate of EVCs for the upcoming elections, NRA-ILA's recruitment of EVCs for 1998 is well underway. EVCs should possess some campaign experience and an interest in working to elect NRA-PVF-endorsed candidates to office. The EVC will work with campaigns to provide volunteer support for mailings, phone banks, precinct walking, rallies, fundraisers, literature drops, the placement of signs basically any volunteer activity that pro-gun candidates need to get elected! It's true the EVC program requires a lot of work, and will involve coordinating dozens if not hundreds of gun owners. But the rewards of being NRA's point man for the 1998 elections elections that will influence the future rights of gun owners cannot be overstated! If you are interested in volunteering to become the EVC for your congressional district, want to know who the EVC is for your district, or simply want more information, please call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683. =+=+=+=+ This information is provided as a service of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, Fairfax, VA. This and other information on the Second Amendment and the NRA is available at: http://WWW.NRA.Org ------------------------------ End of GENERAL-RKBA Digest 329 ****************************** ... ******** NOTE: THIS IS A FORWARDED MESSAGE ******** --- FMail 1.22 * Origin: CyberSupport Hq/Co.A (602)231-9377 PRN/SURV/FIDO/+ (1:114/428) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 185 RIGHT/BEAR ARMS Ref: F1S00000Date: 01/22/98 From: SCOTT SCHEIBE Time: 07:40pm \/To: ALL (Read 1 times) Subj: 1/2 NRA General RKBA Digest 330 *********** NOTICE: THIS IS A FORWARDED MESSAGE *********** ============================================================================ GENERAL-RKBA Digest 330 Topics covered in this issue include: 1)FAXALERT:Violence Policy Center Attacks Texas Right-to-Carry by NRA Alerts -!-------------------------------------------------------------------- Topic No. 1 Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 22:03:18 -0500 (EST) From: NRA Alerts To: general-rkba-real.nra Subject: FAXALERT: Violence Policy Center Attacks Texas Right-to-Carry Message-ID: <199801170303.WAA01921@fs1.mainstream.net> NRA-ILA FAX ALERT 11250 Waples Mill Road * Fairfax, VA 22030 Phone: 1-800-392-8683 * Fax: 703-267-3918 * GROOTS@NRA.org Vol. 5, No. 2 1/16/98 VIOLENCE POLICY CENTER ATTACKS TEXAS RIGHT TO CARRY Not satisfied with the embarassing exposure for their unwarranted attack on NRA's award-winning Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program, the Washington, DC-based Violence Policy Center (VPC) held a press conference this week in Texas. This time their target was the law-abiding gun owners in the Lone Star state, as they attacked the lawful carrying of firearms. What VPC fails to recognize is the tremendous success of Right to Carry laws throughout the country, including in Texas. "Here is the simple, irrefutable fact about Right to Carry," said NRA-ILA Executive Director Tanya K. Metaksa. "Permit holders out perform their critics. Whether it's the permit holders of Texas, those in any of 31 states where Right to Carry is the law, or permit holders in all those states combined, the story is the same. Permit holders out perform their critics." Also in response to VPC's claims, State Senator Jerry Patterson (R-Pasadena) commented, "The preponderance of the evidence suggests that the vast majority [of permit holders] act responsibly." While the media has been giving VPC full coverage, we have the facts to refute their claims. If you hear biased reporting on this issue in the media, please call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at 1-800- 392-8683, and we will send you our Texas' Right-to-Carry Law Under Attack Fact Sheet, so that you may respond. JUSTICE AT ALL? Last week we told you how an Idaho state judge had ruled that Lon Horiuchi, the man who shot and killed Vicki Weaver during the 1992 siege at Ruby Ridge, must stand trial for his actions and face involuntary manslaughter charges. We also told you that the taxpayer-funded defense team was working to move the trial to a federal court. Citing a rarely used statute intended to protect federal agents from overzealous state agencies, U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge ruled this week in favor of Horiuchi, allowing the trial to be heard in federal court. According to the 1/13/98 edition of The Washington Post, it is anticipated that Horiuchi will now seek to have the charges against him dismissed on the grounds he was acting in his capacity as a federal agent when he pulled the trigger. The Justice Department had no comment when asked if they would support a dismissal motion, although they have been funding his defense with your tax dollars, and have yet to issue even a reprimand of Horiuchi for taking Mrs. Weaver's life. In order to have the charges dismissed, Horiuchi needs to show that he was acting within his duties, and reasonably believed the shooting was necessary and proper.' This case is certainly not over, and we will be sure to bring you further reports as the trial develops. HESTON TO BE HONORED NRA First Vice President Charlton Heston will receive the Ashbrook Award at the 25th Anniversary Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, January 29, during the Presidential Banquet. Former Vice President Dan Quayle, as well as numerous other leaders and activists, will be on hand for the presentation. Other recipients of the Ashbrook Award include such icons as Ronald Reagan, Patrick Buchanan, Jesse Helms, and Malcolm Wallop. This year's CPAC, proudly co-sponsored by NRA, will be held from January 29-31, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA, where the NRA-ILA Grassroots Staff will be manning an information and Grassroots recruiting booth. Also, Virginia's Governor-Elect Jim Gilmore, who was endorsed by NRA- PVF, will be the special guest at the Ronald Reagan Banquet on Friday, January 30. -=Continued in next post=- ... ******** NOTE: THIS IS A FORWARDED MESSAGE ******** --- FMail 1.22 * Origin: CyberSupport Hq/Co.A (602)231-9377 PRN/SURV/FIDO/+ (1:114/428) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 185 RIGHT/BEAR ARMS Ref: F1S00001Date: 01/22/98 From: SCOTT SCHEIBE Time: 07:41pm \/To: ALL (Read 1 times) Subj: 2/2 NRA General RKBA Digest 330 -=Continued from previous post=- A LOOK AT THE STATES ALASKA: Great Work! On Wednesday, January 14, the Alaska Legislature voted to override anti-gun Governor Knowles' veto of SB 141, the Right to Carry reform bill. 40 votes were needed for the override, and 45 bi-partisan votes were cast against the Governor. This success was achieved thanks to the thousands of phone calls made by law-abiding gun owners from across the state to their legislative representatives. COLORADO: As early as next Wednesday, January 21, the Senate Judiciary Committee could consider SB 81, the Right to Carry reform bill. SB 81 would, among, other things, allow carry permit holders to travel through and into Denver, as well as other cities and counties where this is currently prohibited. Members: Please contact the Senate Judiciary Committee members at (303) 866-2206 and urge them to support SB 81. OHIO: This week, the full Senate voted 32-1 to pass SB 103, a measure removing the prohibition on Sunday hunting. SB 103 now moves to the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee for consideration. Members are encouraged to contact their State Representatives and urge them to support SB 103 when it comes before them on the House floor. MASSACHUSETTS: The Springfield City Council will meet once again on Tuesday, January 20, to consider Mayor Albano's (D) proposed ordinance requiring all firearms kept in the home and those transported within city limits to be stored with a so-called "child safety device" or trigger lock at all times. The meeting will be held on the second floor of the Springfield City Hall, located at 36 Court Street starting at 7:00 P.M. The Council will hear public input from 7:00 to 7:30, and if you would like to sign up to speak, or if you are unable to attend the meeting and would like to make your voice heard, you can call the Council at (413)787-6170. MINNESOTA: On Tuesday, January 20, a special election will be held in State House District 51 B, where the NRA-PVF has endorsed pro-gun candidate Ray Vandeveer (R) for election to this office. Be sure and get to the polls on Tuesday and support Ray Vandeveer for State Representative! NORTH CAROLINA: On Thursday, February, 19, the Pitt County Republican Party will be holding "An Eastern North Carolina Salute to U.S. Sen. Lauch Faircloth" in the Carolina Ballroom of the Greenville Hilton in Greenville, N.C. at 7:00 PM. Tickets for the event are $35.00, which will include dinner, and the opportunity to hear Sen. Faircloth speak, as well as guest speaker Haley Barbour, former RNC Chairman. There will be no tickets sold at the door for this event, so please call (919)321- 1996 to reserve your spot in advance. VIRGINIA: Double Good News! In Tuesday's special elections all three NRA-PVF endorsed candidates were victorious. Those winning election were Harry Blevins (R-HD 78), Michele McQuigg (R-HD 51) and Lee Ware (R-HD 65). Also, Attorney General Richard Cullen (R) released his official opinion this week regarding the issuance of Right to Carry permits. His opinion stated that the 45-day period for permits to be issued starts when the applications are submitted to the county clerk. Previously, several localities interpreted the law to mean that the 45 days started when the FBI criminal background check was returned, leaving some applicants waiting for up to six months. Considering this opinion , members are encouraged to report issuance delays to NRA-ILA's Grassroots Division at 1-800-392-8683. =+=+=+=+ This information is provided as a service of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, Fairfax, VA. This and other information on the Second Amendment and the NRA is available at: http://WWW.NRA.Org -!---------------------------- End of GENERAL-RKBA Digest 330 ****************************** ... ******** NOTE: THIS IS A FORWARDED MESSAGE ******** --- FMail 1.22 * Origin: CyberSupport Hq/Co.A (602)231-9377 PRN/SURV/FIDO/+ (1:114/428)