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AGS Launches Next Phase of Shameless Exploitation Campaign
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"...AGS clearly could not wait for
the formalities of our criminal justice system to bring the facts of the
case to light..." |
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Gov. Jeb Bush (R) |
The anti-gun organization that calls itself
"Americans for Gun Safety"
(AGS) - in spite of the fact that it has zero Americans for members, and
nothing to do with gun safety programs - is determined to stick to its
shameless strategy of exploiting the fear of global terrorism in an
attempt to advance its attacks on legal gun shows. Last Friday, AGS,
along with a Florida affiliate of
>the gun-ban lobby formerly known as
HCI, sent a letter to
Florida Governor
Jeb Bush (R) that calls on the
governor to author legislation at the state level that would promote
AGS's attacks on gun shows, and
also urges Bush to lobby Florida's
congressional delegation to support S. 890, the AGS-endorsed bill that
would end gun shows as we know them today. According to AGS, this is
the first step in a concerted campaign that will target a total of 37
governors.
The letter, signed by Jonathan Cowan, president of AGS, and Arthur
Hayhoe, the executive director of the Florida Coalition to Stop Gun
Violence (FCSGV), continues to misrepresent two isolated cases, one in
Michigan and one in
Florida. (AGS's distortions of the facts in these
cases have already been exposed in
NRA-ILA FAX Alert, Vol. 8, No. 39.)
In addition to these two cases, AGS has now added a third case from
Texas. This case also involves an individual who, under existing laws,
was investigated, arrested, charged, prosecuted, pleaded guilty to some
charges, and is still being investigated by a federal grand jury to
determine if he has any actual involvement with terrorist activities.
Once again, the AGS citation of the case proves that no new laws
restricting legal gun shows are needed to fight crime or terrorism.
In citing the Texas case, however, AGS has shown that it will not only
resort to exploiting fears over terrorism to promote its attacks on gun
shows, but it will also stoop to exploiting fears many Americans have
over any individual whose name or country of origin might be associated
with the region of the world where America's armed forces are currently
waging a war against real threats of terrorism. In the recent mailing
to Governor Bush, AGS carefully notes the name Ali Boumelhem from the
Michigan case, and states he is a member of a known terrorist
organization - as it has done previously in advertisements and an e-mail
to members of congress.
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"...[AGS is] shamelessly capitalizing on the deaths of
thousands of innocent civilians who lost their lives at the hands of
terrorists who hijacked airplanes with box cutters and knives..."
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AGS then alleges a link to the Irish Republican Army in the Florida
case - although a jury rejected the prosecutor's attempt to link the
defendants to the IRA. AGS, however, never mentions any names in the
Florida case, as they probably did not sound enough like a stereotypical
"terrorist name." In the Texas case, AGS never mentions an actual link
to terrorists, as none has been proven. AGS clearly could not wait for
the formalities of our criminal justice system to bring the facts of the
case to light. Instead, the AGS letter makes sure to mention the name
of the accused, Muhammad Asrar, and further notes that he is from
Pakistan. Considering most news outlets have carefully covered violent,
anti-American protests in Pakistan, it is likely AGS was hoping that by
noting Mr. Asrar's name and homeland, it would have a better chance of
successfully promoting its anti-gun show campaign by illegitimately
exploiting fears over legitimate potential threats to America.
AGS, along with other anti-gun organizations, has disgracefully
attempted to promote anti-gun legislation by exploiting our nation's
concern over terrorism while showing complete disregard for the facts.
Prior to September 11, AGS and its anti-gun collaborators falsely
characterized legal gun shows as causing "guns to land in the hands of
criminals and children." But as crass political opportunists, the AGS
campaign has shifted to shamelessly capitalizing on the deaths of
thousands of innocent civilians who lost their lives at the hands of
terrorists who hijacked airplanes with box cutters and knives. At the
same time, they are turning a blind eye to the obvious sentiment of an
American public seeking fewer - not more - obstacles to effective self
defense.
Please be sure to contact your governor and urge him to reject any
attempt by AGS or other anti-gun organizations to exploit the September
11 attacks. Tell him to oppose any effort to end legal gun shows as we
know them today - especially those efforts callously promoted by AGS and
its allies. You can find contact information for your Governor in the
Blue Pages (Government Listings) of your phone book, or by using the
"Write Your Reps" tool at
www.NRAILA.org.
In addition, be sure to remind your federal lawmakers that 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.) (and supported by AGS), have no
place in a legitimate congressional debate on the threat of terrorism.
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 find additional contact information for your federal
lawmakers by using NRAILA.org's "Write Your Reps" tool.
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