Anti-Gunners Shamelessly Exploit
September 11 Tragedies
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"...Oliphant and AGS seem to have collaborated in a deliberate
attempt to inject the word "terrorist" into the gun show debate..." |
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Boston Globe's
Tom Oliphant
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As we predicted, the anti-Second Amendment community has employed
the disgraceful tactic of exploiting our nation`s fear over
terrorism to promote attacks on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
On September 25, the Boston Globe published a grossly misleading
attack on gun shows by syndicated columnist Tom Oliphant - an
attack clearly inspired by a "fact sheet" provided to him by the
anti-gun organization called
Americans for Gun Safety (AGS).
Oliphant and AGS seem to have collaborated in a deliberate
attempt to inject the word "terrorist" into the gun show debate
by digging up a case the FBI began investigating more than a year
ago. Oliphant and AGS attempted to use the case of a convicted
felon, Ali Boumelhem, suspected of going to gun shows to purchase
firearms intended to be shipped overseas for use in terrorist
activities as a reason for promoting legislation that would shut
down gun shows as we know them today. The facts do not support
the anti-gunners, though, because the system worked - the suspect
was arrested, prosecuted, and convicted in federal court.
In order to foster the ruse that there was a link between gun
shows and terrorism, AGS selectively edited material it sent
journalists and members of Congress to try to create a nexus for
its agenda of placing new restrictions on law-abiding gun owners.
The AGS "fact sheet" mailing states an FBI informant previously
had seen Boumelhem in Beirut unloading shipments of weapons and
explosives. The Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, which AGS
cites as its source, is much more specific, saying the FBI
informant "had seen Boumelhem in Beirut unloading shipments of
automatic weapons, explosives, grenades and rocket launchers."
Clearly, "automatic weapons, explosives, grenades and rocket
launchers" was changed to "weapons and explosives" by AGS,
knowing full well that none of those items can be bought or sold
at any gun show anywhere in America.
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"...[AGS] has zero Americans for members and
nothing to do with gun safety programs..."
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AGS, the recent creation of anti-gun billionaire (and a past
board member of the gun-ban lobby formally known as HCI) Andrew
McKelvey, was conceived as a public relations ploy to push the
same old gun control agenda behind the facade of "third way"
centrist rhetoric. And despite its carefully focus-grouped
moniker, McKelvey`s creation has zero Americans for members and
nothing to do with gun safety programs.
AGS is joined in its shameless exploitation of tragedy by
McKelvey`s old friends at HCI. But Sarah Brady`s gun-ban lobby
took Oliphant`s column a step further, and is using it to promote
the registration of all law-abiding gun purchasers. But even more
shamelessly than AGS, which refuses to publicly admit its true
national agenda is the licensing and registration of all gun
owners, HCI has further expanded the exploitation of the tragic
events of September 11. Virtually every release from the gun-ban
lobby concerning the recent terrorist attacks-attacks, we should
all remember, that did not involve any firearms - has included a
pitch promoting its anti-gun agenda. Even a recent release
regarding the discussion of arming airline pilots as a possible
safeguard against terrorist hijackings saw the gun-ban lobby`s
president, Michael Barnes, include a pitch for registering gun
owners.
In the days and weeks to come, Congress will consider many
proposals that seek to ensure America`s safety from terrorists,
but promoting attacks on legal gun shows and pushing registration
schemes for law-abiding gun owners have no place in this
discussion. Be sure to let your federal lawmakers know that the
debate over legislative attacks on legal gun shows, such as
S. 767, introduced by U.S. Senator
Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and
S. 890,
introduced by U.S. Senators Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) and John
McCain (R-Ariz.), have no place in an appropriate congressional
debate on the threat of terrorism.
Be sure to contact your U.S.
Senators, at (202) 224-3121, and your U.S. Representative, at
(202) 225-3121, and urge them to do everything possible to end
the threat of terrorism, but not at the expense of our freedom.
You can also find contact information for your federal lawmakers
by using our "Write Your Reps" tool
found at
www.NRAILA.org.
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