GORE CALLS FOR HANDGUN BAN

      Vice President Al Gore continued with his effort to lock down the title of being the most anti-gun candidate running for U.S. President for the 2000 elections with his September 16 appearance on Larry King Live. When King asked Gore for his reaction to the recent tragic shooting at a Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Tex., the Vice President stated, "These automatic, semiautomatic handguns and assault weapons, they really have no place in our society."

      The firearms used in the crime, 9mm and .380-caliber semi-automatic handguns, are some of the most popular handguns in America, and are commonly owned by law-abiding citizens for personal protection and other lawful purposes.

Police Chief Ramsey

      In contrast to Gore's statement, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre appeared later on the same program and repeated the challenge to the Clinton-Gore Administration to join NRA in supporting and promoting Project Exile, rather than increasing the attacks on our right to keep and bear arms.

      Later that evening, in a similar discussion on ABC's Nightline, Washington, D.C., Police Chief Charles Ramsey stated that he doubted any gun control proposals would have stopped the Texas shooting. "You have a mentally disturbed individual who's bent, for whatever reason, on committing that kind of crime. If he wasn't able to purchase the gun legally, odds are he probably would have found a way to get it in the black market," Ramsey commented. Of course, despite his comments, Ramsey noted his support for additional restrictions.

      Today, NRA-ILA Executive Director James Jay Baker commented on Vice President Gore's interview with King, saying, "Al Gore wants a total ban on lawful ownership of handguns." He added that Gore should do his homework before calling for such extreme measures, stating, "Apparently, Al Gore does not know that literally tens of millions of Americans own these very popular handgun calibers for personal protection, sport shooting, and other lawful purposes. Indeed, these very common firearms hold a valuable place in the hands of peaceful citizens...."

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