Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns From: [l v c] at [cbnews.cb.att.com] (Larry Cipriani) Subject: Gun Talk downloads Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1993 13:06:30 GMT The following files were downloaded from Bluemoon and/or Gun Talk. NRA response to Bill Clinton's crime bill Clinton's Executive Order On Crime and Guns Knox Report on the Clintonista crime bull Texas Great American Hunters Tour J. Baker Response to Wall Street Journal Ohio Meeting PA Preemption Reform Subject: NRA response to Bill Clinton's crime bill August 11, 1993 NRA: CLINTON AIM ON GUNS, CRIME OFF THE MARK Washington, D.C. -- The President's aim on violent crime is off- target, the National Rifle Association of America said today, and law-abiding citizens, not criminals, are in the sights. "Criminals don't wait a week to steal guns or buy guns on the black market," said James Jay Baker, Executive Director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Action. "Yet the President wants a 'Brady'-style wait -- already law for two-thirds of the U.S. population -- which has failed to impact violent crime. "The president also wants to restrict importation of 'bulky' handguns -- expensive firearms rarely seen by criminals, much less used by them in crime. First, gun control advocates went after cheap, small handguns. Next, it was expensive, large rifles. Now it is expensive, 'bulky' handguns. This bears out the real intent: to disarm American citizens incrementally for reasons having nothing to do with violent crime," Baker said. The chief lobbyist of the 3.2 million member NRA repeated the association's call for mandatory, point-of-sale background checks for handgun purchasers, better background investigations for gun dealer license applicants and overhaul of the nation's criminal justice system. "Congress has already moved toward automating the records of fathers who are delinquent in their child care payments and the licensing of interstate truckers. Isn't automation and tracking of convicted felons a priority? "We can do it by implementing the NRA-backed interstate felon identification system, but neither a waiting period nor a point- of-sale check addresses the prevailing source of guns for criminals -- the black market. Until our resources are dedicated to effective enforcement of laws already on the books, and certain punishment for violent criminals, violent crime will continue unabated." Baker urged adoption of NRA-backed improvements to the Federal Firearms License system, including increased cooperation between federal and local law enforcement and a reasonable fee increase to cover the cost of a thorough background investigation. NRA views the President's memorandum to the Treasury Secretary calling for a reexamination of criteria governing importation of handguns as another salvo in the continuing move to ban self- loading arms. Baker explained that these firearms, first introduced at the turn of the century, are functionally identical to those lawfully owned today by some 30 million Americans and are not a crime problem according to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports and forensic experts at major city police departments. NRA again called on President Clinton to drop his bid to reduce prison construction by $500 million. "The surest way for the Administration to refocus its sights on criminals -- and prevent and deter violent crime -- is to abandon its apparent preference for replacing mandatory incarceration with 'community corrections' and prison-building with prison-cutbacks." Downloaded from GUN-TALK (703-719-6406) A service of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action Washington, DC 20036 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Clinton's Executive Order On Crime and Guns CLINTON'S EXECUTIVE ORDER DEALING WITH CRIME & GUNS ---- August 11, 1993 President Clinton today, 8/11/93, unveiled his anti-crime package as a "major down payment" on his campaign pledge to put tens of thousands of new police officers on the street and tighten gun controls. The President said he would sign an executive order today suspending imports of foreign-made assault-style handguns. A second executive order seeks to tighten regulations about who can sell guns. Clinton also reiterated his support of the gun-control bill named for James Brady, the former White House press secretary who was wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Knox Report on the Clintonista crime bull NEAL KNOX REPORT 'Assault Pistol' Imports Banned By NEAL KNOX WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 11) -- President Bill Clinton today suspended importation of vaguely described "assault pistols" and called for passage of the Brady Bill as part of a crime package that will be introduced next month. In fact, the crime bill was to have been introduced at this long-scheduled White House dog and pony show, but there are still significant disagreements about what the bill will contain -- and not just the gun provisions. That's a good sign. The President proclaimed that "This effort against crime will not be complete if we do not eliminate assault weapons." But he announced no such effort because of strong opposition from within the House -- which overwhelmingly rejected such a bill two years ago. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jack Brooks (D-Texas), who spoke at today's session, is widely known to oppose legislation restricting guns which are mechanically identical to common hunting, target and self-defense guns. Though no "assault weapons" provisions are in the described bill, General Reno's rhetoric -- like President Clinton's -- leaves no doubt that the Administration will be pressing for such legislation on the House floor, regardless of Chairman Brooks' objections. "Deadly assault weapons which were developed to wage war have no place in civilian hands, and we will work to pass a ban on these weapons," she said. Treasury Department is to immediately suspend importation of "foreign-made assault pistols" while preparing proposed regulations to permanently eliminate such imports as not "particularly suitable for sporting purposes." That's the same provision of the 1968 Gun Control Act that President George Bush used to ban imports of military-style semi- autos in 1989. The "assault pistols" to be banned from importation are "generally characterized by their bulky military- style appearance and large magazine capacity," That's the exact opposite of the small, cheap, low-powered handguns that GCA '68 was written to ban. The President is also signing an executive order for Treasury "to make sure that only legitimate gun dealers" are licensed. BATF is already going to the limits of the law -- and beyond -- in actively discouraging licenses. They are imposing barriers which go much beyond existing law. This legislative/regulatory effort was announced with the obligatory backdrop of about 20 uniformed police officers on risers behind the speakers. The conference was attended by Vice President Gore, Attorney General Reno, the Judiciary Committee chairmen, state attorneys general and prosecutors -- all of whom spoke -- and members of Congress from both parties. But noticeably missing was Handgun Control Inc. Chair Sarah Brady, whom we have heard boycotted the meeting because the White House didn't call for specific legislation to ban so-called "assault weapons." Further, Sen. William Cohen (R-Me.), one of the two lonely Republican members who attended -- the other was Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) -- told reporters that his presence only "indicates that I'm willing to work with the chairman in a bi- partisan fashion to come up with a bill that we can all support." That's far from a ringing endorsement. In the press interviews afterwards, there were indications that Liberals aren't happy with either the bill's death penalty or the "habeas corpus" agreement with the National District Attorneys Association -- which opposed last year's crime bill. Senate Judiciary Chairman Biden was emphatic (it sounded like he was still negotiating) that what the crime bill would contain was the same Conference Committee version of the Brady Bill which passed the House last year. It calls for a five Federal working day wait on handgun purchases, to be followed after 30 to 60 months by a version of a "point of sale" check on all firearms buyers, to be devised by Janet Reno's Justice Department. That Dole-Metzenbaum-Mitchell compromise bill has none of the safeguards against retention of purchaser information contained in the Staggers Bill, which the NRA supported in 1991. Several key supporters of the crime bill have objected to the all-firearms provision, the lack of a specific time by which the waiting period would be dropped in favor of an "instant check," and, particularly, a cute provision exempting law enforcement officers and agencies from being sued for arbitrarily and unjustifiably denying a gun to a qualified buyer. As Crime Subcommittee Chairman Charles Schumer told reporters, "the Brady Bill is not a done deal." --- (Retain Neal Knox Associates as your lobbyist and begin receiving the bi-monthly "Hard Corps Report" by contributing to the Firearms Coalition, Box 6537, Silver Spring, MD 20906. For legislative updates call (301) 871-3006 [automated voice] or the Bullet'N Board [computers] (703) 971-4491.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Texas Great American Hunters Tour FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, August 12, 1993 SEPTEMBER SLATED FOR TEXAS NRA HUNTERS TOUR Biggest all-hunting program in history wraps-up 1993 with five events statewide. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The 1993 NRA Great American Hunters Tour (GAHT) ends its run of 64 cities and 38 states with five stops in Texas beginning September 7. The biggest national all-hunting program ever undertaken by any organization, the GAHT has informed and entertained over 40,000 hunters since January. The events are scheduled for September 7, in Arlington; September 8, in Austin; San Antonio on September 9; September 11, in Mt. Pleasant; and in Houston on September 14. Registration begins at 5:00 p.m., with the three-hour show starting at 6:30 p.m. (A list of locations follows this release). Headlining the events are three nationally recognized hunters and writers: Bill Bynum and Texans Larry Weishuhn and John Wootters. Joining them will be Don Steinbach and Billy Higginbotham of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. The state-of-the-art shows will focus on tips and techniques for hunting whitetail deer. Bow and rifle hunters at every level will get valuable information and have an opportunity to talk one-on-one with some of the top whitetail hunters in North America. Texas often ranks as the number one hunting state in the nation with approximately one million hunting licenses issued annually. Of these, some 550,000 are deer hunters. Topics will range from scents and calls to whitetail biology, rattling during the rut, hunter safety, ethics and responsibility. The NRA Great American Whitetail Collection will be one of the top attractions. The collection has been cited as the most realistic display of replicas ever produced. Industry tour sponsors will also be on hand with the latest in gadgets and gear. Admission is only $12.00. And to make it a family event, young hunters 16 and under will be admitted at no charge. Pre-registration is suggested by calling 1-800-492-HUNT. Everyone who pre-registers will receive a free NRA Great American Hunters Tour collector pin. The 1993 NRA Great American Hunters Tour is one of a series of new programs and services that have made the National Rifle Association of America the number one hunter organization in the nation. NRA works on the legislative level to protect hunters rights and through the Hunter Services Division to promote the tradition of hunting in America as well as hunter safety, ethics and responsibility. Planning for the 1994 tour is currently underway with 100 cities in 46 states on the schedule. -nra- FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, Contact: Ed Klecka 202-828-6326 TEXAS HUNTER TOUR SITES September 7: Arlington Convention Center 1200 Stadium Drive East Arlington, TX September 8: Travis County Expo Center 3114 W. 11th Street, Suite 110 Austin, TX September 9: San Antonio Livestock Expo 3201 E. Houston San Antonio, TX September 11: Mt. Pleasant High School Farm to Market 1734 Mt. Pleasant, TX September 14: AstroArena Complex 8400 Kirby Houston, TX # # # Downloaded from GUN-TALK (703-719-6406) A service of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action Washington, DC 20036 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: J. Baker Response to Wall Street Journal August 12, 1993 Mr. Robert Bartley Editorial Page Editor Wall Street Journal 200 Liberty Street New York, New York 10281 (f/ 212-416-2658) Dear Mr. Bartley: Re: August 11, 1993, Wall Street Journal. To add to Jim Perry's "novel" ideas, titled in part "What Should Come Next," I suggest accurate reporting. You can begin with a retraction. I would never characterize a $2500 Federal Firearms License (FFL) fee as "reasonable" and never did so to Perry. Just days ago, NRA lobbied successfully to defeat an amendment in the Senate to raise the fee to $375. Why? The fee should cover the true cost of a background check (about $150, according to the Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms), rather than be artificially inflated to reduce the number of dealers. Because the Gun Control Act of 1968 made handguns the only consumer item the law-abiding can buy only in their state of residence, a stated purpose of the Act was to encourage a number of FFLs in order to keep in-state prices affordable to all law-abiding persons. None of the NRA-backed FFL reforms -- including provisions to deter firearms theft (the primary source of felon arms) and notify local law enforcement when a person applies for a license -- made Perry's "novel" review. I never discussed magnetometers with Perry, but many of our police members have discussed them with me. They're concerned that their use can prompt less reliance on tried-and-true physical techniques ("frisks"). An FBI review of police slayings, first reported nationally in an NRA periodical in March 1991, found that improper procedures, including poorly executed searches, were prime contributing factors in almost all cases studied. Since 1988, NRA has pushed for upgraded, automated criminal records and a mandatory check of those records for handgun purchasers. This evidently is a novel idea, since no form of the obsolete "Brady" bill has ever mandated a check, and it has never reduced violent crime in states where a Brady-style system is already law -- covering two-thirds of the U.S. population. Congress is already moving toward automation of records for tracking delinquent fathers for child support, and the licensing of interstate truckers. Why not adopt the NRA's novel idea of tracking violent felons? Sportsmen in the 1930s asked for a tax on guns and ammo and later hiked and extended it to other hunting gear. That novel idea has sent $2.5 billion to wildlife conservation and hunter safety training. Taxes designed to discourage firearms ownership would destroy conservation and threaten the safety of hunters afield. And, because they steal guns or buy them on the black market, criminals won't pay the tax. Nor will teenagers. Commercial dealers are already prohibited by law from selling any handgun to any teenager anywhere in the USA. Perry, if not Professor Cook of Duke, should know the law before proposing changes. Here's a novel idea untried since the relatively crime-free 1950s: swift, sure punishment for violent criminals. While talking tough on crime, the Clinton Administration cuts some $500 million from prison construction and favors "sentencing alternatives" to incarceration. This year, 60,000 convicted criminals, including 1,200 murderers and 7,000 rapists, will be sentenced and never see prison but the streets. Prison has become the novel idea and the sentencing alternative. Sincerely, James Jay Baker Executive Director ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Ohio Meeting GREEN, OHIO The Green City Council will meet on Tuesday, August 24, 1993 to have a third reading of Ordinance 93-18, which would prohibit hunting and the discharge of a firearm within 400 feet of an "occupied structure". There is a good possibility that a vote will be held following the third reading. PLEASE ATTEND THE MEETING at 6:30 p.m. at 1900 Steese Road (This is the West side of the Fire Department complex), and CALL MAYOR JOHN TORAK AND EVERY MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL TODAY to let them know that you oppose this or any other gun control measure! The numbers are as follows: MAYOR JOHN TORAK 896-6602 Don Sample 896-1111 Roger Gallagher 896-0940 Fred Bates 896-2177 Dave Zakikian 896-4798 Del Haefka 896-1371 Fred Mosser 896-4912 Downloaded from GUN-TALK (703-719-6406) A service of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action Washington, DC 20036 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: PA Preemption Reform PENNSYLVANIA Despite an existing preemption law, the Philadelphia City Council recently passed an assault weapons ban. State House Bill 185, which has already passed the State Senate, would simply strengthen the definitions in the existing preemption law and insure the original intent of the General Assembly -- that only the General Assembly may enact statutes regulating the acquisition, possession, sale, transfer and transportation of firearms within the Commonwealth. Pro-gun forces have the necessary votes in the House to pass this measure, however, House Majority Leader Ivan Itkin, who is also chairman of the Rules Committee, is refusing to release HB 185 from Committee for a floor vote. The House will reconvene in mid-September -- it is IMPERATIVE that you call or write Representative Itkin and let him know the importance of the House being granted the opportunity to vote on HB 185. Here is how you can reach him: CAPITOL ADDRESS The Honorable Ivan Itkin House Majority Leader House Post Office Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120-0028 PHONE (717) 783-5360 FAX (717) 787-9014 Downloaded from GUN-TALK (703-719-6406) A service of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action Washington, DC 20036 -- Larry Cipriani -- [l v cipriani] at [att.com] or attmail!lcipriani