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Politics : The 2nd Amendment-- The Facts........ -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: PatiBob who wrote (532)	4/15/1999 8:47:00 AM
From: The Street	Respond to of 10167

Help Build Momentum for Pro-gun Legislation -- Get postcards and multiply your efforts Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408 gunowners.org (Wednesday, April 14, 1999) -- Now you can increase the effectiveness of your lobbying efforts by 30, 60 or even 100 percent! As you may know, getting Congressmen to cosponsor pro-gun bills is an important part in building the momentum for good legislation. Right now there are more than 1300 bills in the House and another 700+ in the Senate. Not surprisingly, legislators usually tend to ignore most of the bills that have been put in the "hopper." So how do they decide which ones they will cosponsor? Well, that's where you come in, as legislators will quite often respond to pressure from the folks back home. For example, Rep. Tom Coburn's office told GOA today that our recent postcard mailing had resulted in several offices wanting to sign on to his Brady Abuse Cut-off bill (H.R. 1178). "Those postcards!" his office told us. "You've got every office calling us" so they can get on the bill as a cosponsor. Coburn's bill went from 0 to 35 cosponsors almost overnight. To crank up the heat even more, Gun Owners of America has printed postcards that you can take to your gun clubs, gun shows, your office, family gatherings, etc. If you hit our website at gunowners.org or call 1-800-417-1486 (at any time, 24 hours a day), you can order sets of postcards dealing with the following bills: 1. Citizen's Self-Defense Act (H.R. 347). This postcard set asks your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 347, the bill that will protect citizens who use a gun in self-defense from anti-gun prosecutors and judges, even if the gun was carried without a permit or possessed without a license. 2. Concealed Carry Reciprocity (H.R. 407). Leave it to Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) to always take the no-compromise approach in defending your gun rights. Of all the bills in Congress, H.R. 407 takes the greatest strides toward restoring the 2nd Amendment right to "bear" arms for ALL citizens. Other bills with similar goals don't even come close. These postcards will create the grassroots demand for enacting real carry legislation allowing honest gun owners to carry their firearms across the country. Remember, your right to carry doesn't evaporate at the state line! 3. Brady Abuse Cut-off (H.R. 1178 & S. 597). This is the "Smith amendment" of 1998, a provision which GOA members supported with a flood of postcards right before it passed with an overwhelming, veto-proof majority. Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) and Rep. Tom Coburn (R-OK) have each reintroduced this important legislation. Like its predecessor, this legislation will stop the FBI from taxing and registering gun owners. But the best part is that these bills contain "teeth"-- private individuals will be specifically authorized to sue the FBI for any violations of privacy under the Brady Law and will be able to receive compensation for attorney's fees. 4. Legislative "Action Pack." Can't make up your mind? Get the special Legislative "Action Pack" which will give you a representative sampling of all the postcards above-- 50 postcards in all. Each set above comes with 50 postcards. The sliding price scale goes as follows: * $6.00 for the first set of 50 postcards, * $10.00 for two sets (100 postcards), * $2.50 for each additional set of 50 postcards. This "descending" price scale applies whether you are buying many different sets or just purchasing multiple packs of the same set. The above prices include shipping and handling. For those who have access to a copier and a supply of cardstock, GOA has placed the "masters" for the cards on the web. ACTION: Call 1-800-417-1486 or 1-888-886-GUNS and simply choose option "4" to place your order for the postcards. Make sure you specify which of the above set(s) you would like (#1-4) and please mention the bill number(s) as well. Or, order them from the web by going to gunowners.org where you can also download the masters. The beginning of the end? Well, "mums the word" at Handgun Control, Inc. It seems that HCI has had very little to say about the recent federal decision arising out of Texas-- a decision that could mark the beginning of the end for gun control. If you haven't seen this April 1 decision already, read the case at txnd.uscourts.gov by scrolling down to U.S. v Emerson. This landmark Second Amendment decision is certain to be appealed-- and Gun Owners Foundation (the legal arm of GOA) is looking to aid in its defense. Gun owners should bear in mind that federal appellate judges are unelected, largely unaccountable, and often refuse to admit that the Constitution means what it says. It will always be necessary to defend gun rights where citizens have actual power: in the state legislatures and the U.S. Congress. ************** Did someone else forward this to you? To be certain of getting up to date information, please consider subscribing to the GOA E-Mail Alert network directly. There is no cost or obligation, and the volume of mail is quite low. To subscribe, simply send a message to goamail@gunowners.org and include the state in which you live, in either the subject or the body. To unsubscribe, reply to any alert and ask to be removed.

To: PatiBob who wrote (532)	4/17/1999 8:13:00 AM
From: The Street	Respond to of 10167

NRA-ILA FAX ALERT 11250 Waples Mill Road * Fairfax, VA 22030 Phone: (800) 392-8683 * Fax: (703) 267-3918 * GROOTS@NRA.org Vol. 6, No. 14 4/16/99 GORE SEES 100,000 INVISIBLE COPS When the 1994 Clinton Crime Bill was debated in Congress and the media, one of the more widely spread claims used to ensure its passage was that it would add 100,000 more police officers to our nation's streets through the Community Oriented Police Services (COPS) program. Of course, the legislation also contained the infamous ban on "assault weapons," but adding more cops to the front lines to combat violent crime was the bill's alleged shining jewel, and without the claims of putting cops on the street, the bill might not have passed. An April 13 USA Today editorial, however, cites an audit by the Justice Department that supports the claims made by many of the bill's original opponents, including NRA, that the 100,000 police officers were nothing more than a pipe dream. The audit showed more than 100 communities that received federal grants for new officers used the funding for other purposes. In Nassau County, N.Y., for example, $26 million in federal funding was approved to add 383 police officers. However, from May 1995 to May 1998, the number of county-funded police officers actually fell by 218. In Atlanta, Ga., where the city's mayor has attempted to attack firearm manufacturers through civil action, the audit showed that federal funds were used to replace its own police funds, rather than add new officers as intended. Vice President Al Gore recently attempted to further the myth of the 100,000 police officers by claiming that COPS had already injected 92,000 new officers into the fight against crime. As the editorial states, though, "the numbers don't add up." The "success" of COPS is just another in the long list of lies propagated by the Clinton- Gore Administration. RECKLESS LAWSUITS Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White (D) recently announced that his city has joined the ranks of those filing reckless lawsuits against firearm manufacturers, claiming that firearms are unreasonably dangerous because they lack certain mechanical safety devices. Our work at the state and federal levels to prohibit this kind of irresponsible litigation is ongoing. Continue calling your U.S. Rep. at (202) 225-3121, and ask him to co-sponsor H.R. 1032 (Barr -R-Ga.), a bill to stop these suits. GRASSROOTS ACTIVITIES AT NRA's ANNUAL MEETINGS The Grassroots Div. will be spearheading a number of events and activities at the NRA's Annual Meetings 4/30-5/2. First, there are still seats available for the free Grassroots/Clubs & Associations Workshop, on Fri., 4/30 from 9:00 a.m.-Noon, with a free continental breakfast at 8:00 a.m. This meeting will cover grassroots strategies to ensure a successful 1999 legislative season and 2000 election cycle. Also, be sure to stop by the ILA booth in the lobby of the Colorado Convention Center. Booth hours are: Fri., 4/30, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Sat. 5/1, 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Sun. 5/2, 9:00-5:00 p.m. For more information, or to reserve your seat at the workshop, call ILA Grassroots at (800) 392-8683. A LOOK AT THE STATES ARIZONA: HB 2275, a bill to prevent municipalities from filing reckless lawsuits against gun manufacturers, passed the Senate. HB 2275 included an amendment strengthening Arizona's firearms preemption law by adding ammunition to the statute, thus preventing municipalities from regulating ammunition. HB 2275, now goes to the House for concurrence. Contact your Rep. at (800) 352-8494 in support of HB 2275. CALIFORNIA: SB 23, which seeks to significantly expand the current ban on so-called "assault weapons," will be considered in the Sen. Approps. Cmte. on Mon., 4/ 19. Also, on Tues., 4/20, the Sen. Pub. Safety Cmte. will hear SB 547, which seeks to authorize the issuance of a carry permit to an individual protected by a restraining order under specified circumstances. Contact members of these committees in opposition to SB 23 and in support of SB 547. For committee members' names and phone numbers, contact ILA Grassroots. COLORADO: SB 205, which seeks to prevent municipalities from filing reckless lawsuits against gun manufacturers, passed the House and awaits Gov. Bill Owens' (R) signature. Also, SB 84, the NRA-backed Right To Carry bill, is currently pending before the House State Affairs Cmte. Contact your Rep. at (303) 866-2316 in support of SB 84. Finally, HB 1305, a bill to establish uniform firearms laws throughout Colorado, still awaits concurrence by both chambers. Contact your lawmakers at (888) 473-8136 and urge them to give final approval to HB 1305, and call Gov. Owens at (303) 866-2471 and urge him to sign HB 1305. ILLINOIS: SB 177, a trigger lock/mandatory storage bill, may be voted on in the House next week. Contact your Rep. At (217) 782- 3885 in opposition to SB 177. MASSACHUSETTS: Glen Caroline, Dir. of the ILA Grassroots Div., will speak at Brandeis Univ. on Thurs., 4/22, at 7:00 p.m., in Olin-Sang Room 104. For more information on this event and Brandeis Students for the Second Amendment, which organized it, contact Bryan Rudnick at (781) 529-3557 or tzvi@ix.netcom.com, or check out the school's conservative newspaper's ("Freedom Magazine") website at freedommagazine.org. NEVADA: AB 543, which seeks to prevent municipalities from filing reckless lawsuits against gun manufacturers, passed the Assembly and now awaits consideration by the Sen. Jud. Cmte. Also, SB 420, the NRA-backed reciprocity bill, has passed the Senate and awaits consideration in the Assy. Jud. Cmte. Contact members of these committees in support of AB 543 and SB 420. For committee members' names and phone numbers, contact the Grassroots Div. OREGON: The Senate narrowly passed SB 700, sponsored by anti-gun Sen. Ginny Burdick (D-6), which seeks to ban all private firearm sales (that are not conducted through dealers licensed by the federal government) at gun shows and other venues. SB 700 now awaits action in the Hse. Business & Consumer Affairs Cmte. Contact Cmte. Chair Roger Beyer (D-28) at (503) 986-1428 and urge him NOT to hold a hearing on SB 700. Also, contact Sen. Pres. Brady Adams (R-25), at (503) 986-1600, who cast the deciding vote in the Senate on SB 700, to express your disappointment with his actions. TENNESSEE: HB 585, which seeks to prevent municipalities from filing reckless lawsuits against gun manufacturers, passed the Hse. Jud. Cmte. and awaits action by the full House. Contact your Rep. at (615) 741-2901 in support of HB 585. TEXAS: The Hse. Pub. Safety Cmte. may vote next week on HB 1199, a bill to ban private sales at gun shows not conducted by FFLs, and HB 2169, which seeks to impose statewide construction & operation standards on shooting ranges. Contact committee members in opposition to these bills. For contact information, call ILA Grassroots. VIRGINIA: NASCAR Busch Series driver Philip Morris, who displays the NRA logo on his car, will be at NRA Headquarters at noon on Monday, April 19. The event is open to the public, so please come by to show your support. =+=+=+=+ This information is provided as a service of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action -- www.NRAILA.org

To: PatiBob who wrote (532)	4/19/1999 12:43:00 PM
From: The Street	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10167

A very important show on HBO tonight: The OSCAR NOMINATED "Waco: Rules of Engagement" In addition to an Oscar nomination, WACO: THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT was honored with the prestigious International Documentary Association's Distinguished Documentary Achievement Award in 1997. It is on at 6:30PM EST-- so check your listings. Here are some reviews: waco93.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Such as: "Two Thumbs Up..." Siskel & Ebert COMPELLING OSCAR® NOMINEE WACO: THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT REVEALS THE UNTOLD STORY BEHIND THE GOVERNMENT SIEGE OF THE BRANCH DAVIDIAN COMPOUND WHEN IT DEBUTS APRIL 19 ON HBO. Film Airs On Sixth Anniversary Of Controversial Siege It started with a small botched raid by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on Feb. 28, 1993. The target: The mount Carmel compound (located just outside of Waco, Texas) of the Branch Davidians, an offshoot of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church led by the charismatic David Koresh. The official reason; reports of a huge stockpile of automatic and semi-automatic weapons, some of them illegal, and possible criminal sexual practices within the sect. Four agents and six Branch Davidians died that day, sparking a 51-day siege, first by the ATF and later the FBI. It ended in an inferno that killed 76 sect members, including 29 children under age 14. The government called it mass suicide, but WACO: THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT suggests the truth might be otherwise when it debuts MONDAY, APRIL 19 (6:30-8:00 p.m. ET) - the sixth anniversary of the deadly fire - on HBO. Nominated for an Academy Award¨ in the Documentary Features category last year, WACO: THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT combines archival news footage, video and audio tapes, testimony from the televised House of Representatives investigation, and interviews with survivors. The Branch Davidians originated in California and lived near Waco for 60 years before coming to the attention of the ATF in the early '90s. The sect had acquired a huge cache of automatic and semiautomatic weapons, which it maintained were resold for profit to finance their compound. The government, however, publicly labeled the sect as a threat to the community and its own members, while emphasizing their unorthodox lifestyle and alleging sex crimes that intensified media coverage. The Feb. 28 raid backfired, and was followed in subsequent weeks by excruciated negotiations and attempts to root out the besieged with spotlights, embargoes and all-night blasting of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walking." During one taped conversation heard in the documentary, a government negotiator promises, "Nobody's comin' in there...you got my word..." However, on April 19, the FBI went in with tanks and highly flammable tear gas. The tanks bored huge holes in the compound's wooden structures, creating a ventilation system likened to a pot-bellied stove that feeds a fire. One expert testified that the extreme concentration of tear gas could be lethal, especially to children. Attempting to escape the gas, sect members took refuge in a windowless concrete kitchen bunker that shortly became an oven. Heat-sensitive infrared cameras on reconnaissance aircraft show suspicious flashes which appear to be coming from the tanks moments before a series of fireballs ripped through the compound. Although FBI representatives testified before the House that its agents never fired a shot, some experts believe those flashes could have been gunfire that ignited the tear gas. The authorities pointed to gunshot wounds in some of the charred corpses as evidence of a suicide pact, although the audio tapes from FBI bugs that are heard in the documentary do not reveal any discussion of a suicide plan by sect members. Fire and rescue equipment were not permitted near the inferno for crucial minutes by FBI agents who cited safety concerns. Attorney General Janet Reno maintained that law enforcement agents acted responsibly, and the official House of Representatives investigation concluded that the fire was started deliberately by the Branch Davidians. WACO: THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT suggests this may not be the case - the truth may not be what the public was led to believe. The executive producers of WACO: THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT are Dan Gifford and Amy Sommer Gifford; producers and writers, Dan Gifford, William Gazecki and Michael McNulty; director, William Gazecki. For HBO: executive producer Sheila Nevins; producer, Nancy Abraham. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And the Web Site: waco93.com