Gun-Ban Lobby Continues To Exploit Fear
Over Terrorism
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"...[The Gun-Ban Lobby's report] combines purposeful lies with
sloppy fact checking in an amateurish attempt to link a number of
anti-gun proposals to the war on terrorism..." |
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"...the usual crowd of
anti-gun
lawmakers..." |
The gun-ban lobby formerly known as HCI is continuing its despicable
tactic of exploiting our nation's concerns over terrorism in order to
further their attacks on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. On Wednesday,
the group's president, Michael Barnes, held a press conference to
announce the release of a "comprehensive report" he hopes will help
rejuvenate several aspects of his stalled anti-gun agenda. This
particular piece of propaganda, however, combines purposeful lies with
sloppy fact checking in an amateurish attempt to link a number of
anti-gun proposals to the war on terrorism.
The report offers nothing new, though. One aspect includes attacks on
traditional American gun shows that consist of little more than a
simple regurgitation of the myth that "terrorists" use gun shows to pose
a threat to national security - a myth created by the anti-gun
organization
Americans for Gun Safety (AGS) that was completely
discredited by NRA (see NRA-ILA FAX Alerts
Vol. 8, No. 39 &
Vol. 8, No. 46).
Besides the terrorist/gun shows myth that has become widely popular
among the anti-gun crowd, the gun-ban lobby's report also promotes
renewing the ban on so-called "assault weapons," implementing a firearm
rationing scheme, establishing a registration system for all gun
purchasers, and it also attempts to justify the reckless lawsuits
designed to bankrupt law-abiding gun makers.
The report itself is a rather curious document, and in many ways, rather
amateurishly constructed. As should be expected, it makes a number of
outrageous claims regarding the "need" to pass new anti-gun laws, then
tries to "support" them. For example, the report claims that no laws
currently exist that prevent "terrorists from quickly amassing arsenals
of weapons," although the fact is that there are numerous laws,
including federal laws, that prohibit violent criminals from purchasing
or possessing a single firearm. But strangely, to justify its claim,
the gun-ban lobby's report highlights a case that had nothing to do with
a terrorist organization that had amassed an "arsenal." Instead, it
discussed a single violent criminal who had knowingly violated current
federal law when he acquired two handguns.
And to further justify a
firearm rationing scheme, the report also addresses "corrupt gun
dealers," but cites three cases that actually showed existing laws
worked to uncover criminal activity.
Targeting so-called "assault weapons," the gun-ban lobby boldly lies,
claiming anybody can "purchase through the mail every part necessary to
make a completed high-capacity, untraceable, assault weapon" - a claim
that is absurdly false. And one case cited in the report is more an
example of slipshod "research" than anything else. It states that Mir
Aimal Kasi murdered two CIA employees and wounded three other
individuals on January 24, 1997. This crime, however, took place on
January 25, 1993, and other inaccurate dates confirm a complete
disregard for accuracy.
Wednesday's press conference was attended by the usual crowd of anti-gun
lawmakers, including U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne
Feinstein (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and U.S. Representative
Henry Waxman (D-Calif.). Also on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Tom
Daschle (D-S.D.) pledged to bring
Jack Reed's anti-gun shows bill, S.
767, to the floor early next year.
NRA members and the rest of the
pro-gun community must continue to contact their federal lawmakers to
object to the passage of any anti-gun legislation. Remind your elected
officials that the war on terrorism will not be won by attacking the
rights of American citizens. You can reach your U.S. Representative at
(202) 225-3121, and your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121. You can also
find additional contact information by using the "Write Your Reps" tool at
www.NRAILA.org.
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