NRA President on the Hill
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Vol. 5, No. 38 |
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9/25/98 |
NRA PRESIDENT MAKES FIRST HILL APPEARANCE
Testifying on Tuesday, September 23rd, before the Senate
Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution,
Charlton Heston made
his first appearance on Capitol Hill as NRA President. Joining
Mr. Heston in support of our Second Amendment rights were: NRA
Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, prominent pro-gun
attorney Stephen Halbrook, and Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Ut.), and
Bob Smith (R-N.H.).
Addressing the subcommittee chairman and
staunch Second Amendment defender Sen. John Ashcroft (R-Mo.), Mr.
Heston firmly stated that the wording of the Second Amendment
could not be more clear, "The law-abiding citizen is entitled to
own a rifle, pistol, or shotgun. The right, put simply, shall not
be infringed." Further, Mr. Heston went on to refute the claims
of gun control advocates that more laws are needed in an effort
to reduce crime. "We have 20,000 gun laws on the books now, but
the Attorney General's office has consistently refused to
prosecute and consequently imprison convicted felons. They too
often go through a revolving door," Mr. Heston said.
Senator
Smith echoed Mr. Heston's message by stating, "Gun control
legislation not only violates the Second Amendment, it is bad
public policy... Gun control has not been shown to reduce crime.
In fact, cities with the strongest gun control laws, such as New
York and Washington, D.C., consistently lead the nation in gun-related
crime and murders."
Additionally, Judiciary Chairman
Orrin Hatch offered his support for both the Second Amendment,
and Mr. Heston's statements by adding, "It is amazing that we
still have this debate. Advocates of gun control seem to believe
that because some individuals commit crimes with guns, the right
to keep and bear arms must not be guaranteed."
