Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 02:29:57 -0500 From: alerts@gatekeeper.nra.org (NRA Alerts) To: firearms-alert@shell.portal.com Subject: INFO: Letter from Ron Noble in re NRA's BATF Ad DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY WASHINGTON, D. C. UNDER SECRETARY March 3, 1995 Ms. Tanya K. Metaska Executive Director Institute for Legislative Action National Rifle Association of America 11250 Waples Mill Road Fairfax, Virginia 22030-7400 Dear Ms. Metaska: This week, The National Rifle Association, in a full page advertisement in the Washington Post and USA Today vilified the brave Treasury agents who serve the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). The ad profoundly misrepresented ATF, its agents, and its mission -- even the photo is of paid models and not ATF agents. ATF agents and all of law enforcement carrying out crime fighting legislation deserve public gratitude, not public contempt. The advertisement alludes darkly to ATF's "threat[s] to civil liberties," "contempt for civil rights," and a "tyrannical record of misconduct and abuse of power." Allow me to provide the truth about ATF's record. Of the over 10,000 search warrants served by ATF agents in the last decade, not one has led to any civil court to render any adverse judgements for constitutional violations. Not one. While the NRA spends lavishly on ads to fight ATF, ATF agents put their lives on the line to fight crime and to protect our communities and our citizens' property from armed criminals. Since 1986, the more than 6,000 armed career criminals and armed drug traffickers ATF brought to justice have been sentenced to more than 55,000 years in prison. Taking these felons off our streets has, by some estimates, prevented over 4 million crimes and saved countless lives and dollars. ATF agents make America safer. Your true target, of course, is President Clinton's landmark firearms legislation, including the Brady Law and the Assault Weapons Ban. The great majority of Americans stand with law enforcement in supporting sensible firearms laws. The NRA should join them. ============================================================ -2- The NRA leadership may choose to oppose moderate, reasonable firearms laws. But it is wrong to single out for abuse the courageous agents who enforce laws championed by the President and duly enacted by the people's elected representatives. Rather than casting about for villains, the NRA should join the American public and a vast majority of your members in recognizing and praising the men and women who risk their lives to protect public safety. Sincerely, (signed) Ronald K. Noble Under Secretary (Enforcement) -- This information is presented as a service to the Internet community by the NRA/ILA. Many files are available via anonymous ftp from ftp.nra.org, via WWW at http://www.nra.org, via gopher at gopher.nra.org, and via WAIS at wais.nra.org Be sure to subscribe to the NRA mailing lists. Send the word help as the body of a message to listproc@NRA.org Information can also be obtained by connecting to the NRA-ILA GUN-TALK BBS at (703) 934-2121.