Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 11:08:24 -0500 From: "Christopher W. Knox" To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: FCO 2-17-96 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- ======================================================================== Online Report to the F I R E A R M S C O A L I T I O N Box 6537, Silver Spring, MD 20916 ======================================================================== February 17, 1996 Vol. 3, No. 3 ======================================================================== In this issue: Hard Corps Report for February 2, 1996 NRA Board Calls For Federal Carry Reciprocity Congress Recesses Until February 26 Concealed Carry Bills Moving in Legislatures Study Supports Pro-CCW Survey -- New Kleck study DCM Receives One Last Shot -- Now funded by sales of DCM guns Pittsburgh Plug Pulled -- Illegal registration scheme unmasked BATF Abolishment Hearings in Air -- "outlived its usefulness" Anti-Hunting Effort -- "Canned" hunts attacked Phil Gramm Support -- NRA backing exaggerated in media Crime Study -- Griffin Bell and Bill Bennet get part of it right Campaign "Reform" -- Surprising support for unreasonable limits Shotgun News Column -- February 1 National Concealed Carry Telephone Log -- From the Firearms Coalition Legislative Hotline 1-900-225-3006 $0.89 per minute January 22 through February 12 ======================================================================== A note from Chris I hate to be on the receiving end of a bloated e-mail message and hate more to send one, so I'll attempt to be brief here at least. There is some news about the tempest in a teapot stirred by a fragment of Bill Glover's NRA TV synopsis of August 31. In that synopsis, Bill mis-paraphrased a rambling statement by Neal. I believe it was an honest mistake. I've attempted to get hold of Bill, but he hasn't responded to my mail. This fragment showed up with some questionable-looking mail headers as a footnote item in a letter circulated by one of Neal's arch-critics. For what it's worth, the letter contained a generous helping of VITAL INFORMATION that should be DISSEMINATED WIDELY!!! Well, the VITAL INFORMATION did get WIDELY DISSEMINATED and it resulted in Neal getting a certain amount of grief. I was more than suspicious about the whole thing, but before I could check it out, Pop fired a salvo in his Shotgun News column under the impression that Bill Glover had represented the synopsis as a transcript (the fragment I saw could certainly be interpreted that way without Bill's disclaimer). Neal makes his apologies below. * * * * * You'll notice in the "Dear Friend" letter that accompanies the Hard Corps Report a p.s. about Excel telecommunications. The snail mail version contains a signup form which I thought best not to clutter your mailbox with. I can send either a scanned file or a paper copy. I can also provide information about how you can set up a similar long distance-based fund raiser. Excel is either the fourth or fifth-largest long distance provider in the country. Rather than hiring Candice Bergen or Whoopi Goldberg (antis both) to front billion-dollar ad campaigns, Excel uses a person- to-person approach. I have to confess I was very leery of the system -- it sounded too much like Amway or vitamins for my tastes. But the more I look at this thing, the more it looks like a serious proposition. Contact me directly if you want to hear more. * * * * * Except where explicitly noted Chris Knox wrote and is solely responsible for everything above this line. ======================================================================== A note from Neal to the Net I came uncorked over the report on the internet that on NRA- TV last August, in response to a question about H.R. 1488, I said "Compromise is the only way." I didn't and wouldn't. But the first time I saw this "quote" was in two pieces of literature put out by some of my most determined critics, who have made a habit of making up things about me. Now it appears that Bill Glover, the guy who originally wrote the synopsis, honestly misunderstood what I was saying. Since the actual transcript shows I did such a clumsy job of saying what I meant, perhaps he could have misunderstood. So I apologize for saying he lied; let's just say he was mistaken when he thought I was preaching compromise. * * * * * LAPTOP RECOMMENDATTION NEEDED You folks on the Net may be able to help me with this. My old TI 2000 286 portable crashed. I can't afford, and don't need, a gee-whiz Pentium, color, or gigabytes of disk space. I hate Windows; I use it only for necessities. What I need a portable for is word-processing and at least 9600 fax/modem. Prime considerations: subnotebook (under 4.5 pounds); good battery life; prefer startup where left off; can get by with 40 meg on up. I can buy a mono HP 200LX palmtop for under $500, Thinkpad 500 mono for about $800, Toshiba 3400C for under $1,200, per recent Computer Shopper. I have thought about getting something with a docking station, for that simplifies mobility but amplifies cost. I'd appreciate recommendations for the most bang for the buck. - -- NK ======================================================================= The Firearms Coalition Neal Knox Associates P.O. Box 6537 Silver Spring, MD 20916 Feb. 2, 1996 Dear Friend and Supporter, The promised House vote to repeal the semi-auto and magazine ban didn't happen; it got tangled in the budget fight. That was a disappointment. But according to statements to mutual friends by Speaker Gingrich, Whip Tom Delay, Majority Leader Dick Armey and others, the commitment will be honored. Trouble is, we're not going to have as much time to force a vote or votes in the Senate, which has always been a tougher nut -- made tougher by this week's election of Ron Wyden. So NRA-ILA is opening a second front: A Federal law requiring states to honor state-issued concealed carry licenses. That was approved Saturday by the NRA Board. It was ILA Director Tanya Metaksa's idea; I helped lead the charge. My concerns about constitutionality have been satisfied by scholars like Steve Halbrook, David Caplan, Bob Dowlut and others. After all, Article IV, Sec. 1 demands: "Full faith and credit shall be given in each State to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State." Further, state reciprocity legislation clearly comes within Congress' interstate commerce powers (unlike most Federal gun laws). Finally, the legislation being considered, H.R. 2634, by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), almost exactly follows the McClure- Volkmer Act language allowing citizens to transport unloaded and cased guns through states with prohibitive laws. I helped write that provision 17 years ago; it has been upheld by the courts. One of my concerns about H.R. 2634 was that it would discourage Vermont-type "no-license-required" laws. NRA's constitutional experts handled that in committee by calling for an amendment deeming persons authorized to carry by their states to be licensed -- whether civilians or police officers. That provision is going to widen the split between anti-gun chiefs and line cops who feel naked when they are where they can't legally protect themselves -- like the rest of us. Admittedly, some friends on the Hill (and on the Board) don't like Congress telling states what to do, but States have no right to disregard the Second Amendment. I would be lying if I claimed we could push this law through Congress this year, much less get Bill Clinton to sign it, but we can have a lot of fun trying -- taking the fight to our foes. As another arrow in our quiver I'm pushing a bill for Congress to create a "shall-issue" concealed carry license valid only on Federal enclaves -- specifically to include the crime- ridden District of Columbia. Sure Clinton would veto. So What? NRA-ILA has done a marvelous job of pushing through state "shall-issue" carry laws -- four in 1994, 10 in 1995, and more pending this year. I'm proud to have played a small role. In states where anti-gun chiefs have killed such licenses we need to push laws stipulating that in jurisdictions where the highest court has declared that police have no legal obligation to protect individual citizens, law-abiding citizens shall have the right to carry the means of protecting themselves. Of course, courts have repeatedly declared police aren't required to protect individual citizens anywhere -- and those "we'll-protect-you" police chiefs know full well that they can't and aren't required to do so. Yet they are opposed to allowing us to protect ourselves. While the public is ambivalent about gun laws, the people are almost unanimous in strongly believing that each of us has the fundamental right to self-defense. That is the rich vein of public support which NRA-ILA has tapped into. The NRA Board, with Marion Hammer -- mother of the Florida carry law -- at the helm, has now authorized a wider playing field: Congress. Not so long ago, the NRA Board opposed any mention of using guns for protection, and wouldn't even allow "humanoid" targets for civilian training. What a change! I'm proud to have been a part of that change, and appreciative that you've made it possible both by supporting my recommendations for the Board [this year, anyone on the Nominating Committee slate] and by keeping me in the real fight through your generous financial support. Yours for the Second Amendment, Neal Knox P.S. In addition to your regular support, please sign up for the guaranteed excellent and low-cost Excel long distance service. We'll receive up to 5% of your long distance charges while you receive low (or lowest) rates -- a great deal for both of us! ================================================================= NRA Board Calls For Federal Carry Reciprocity The NRA Board of Directors on Jan. 27 endorsed "Federal legislation providing for reciprocity of state right to carry (RTC) licenses, with the understanding that a person who resides in a state that does not require a license to carry a firearm shall be deemed to possess an RTC license." That "understanding," is almost certain to be offered as an amendment to H.R. 2634, the RTC reciprocity bill by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.). NRA's proposed change would allow Vermonters to carry concealed firearms in other states and -- of far greater impact -- it would allow law enforcement officers to carry their firearms in other states. Vermont-style laws -- which have no restrictions on carrying a firearm concealed or openly except for the purpose of committing a crime -- have been pushed in several states, and may yet be adopted, but many legislators are leery of simply eliminating prohibitions on concealed carrying. Law enforcement officers -- including those who have opposed concealed carry laws for civilians -- have long complained about not being allowed to carry guns other than in their home states. Some police groups, particularly the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, have pushed a bill by Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R- Calif.) to allow law enforcement officers to carry their guns across state lines. Most gun owners have ignored the Cunningham bill, arguing that police should have no rights denied private citizens. There is great potential for passage if both blocs get behind an NRA- backed bill. There was debate on the NRA board, with considerable opposition to "Feds telling states what to do," though apparently unanimous support to the concept of carrying a firearm for protection -- which was strongly opposed by probably a majority of NRA Directors a decade earlier. H.R. 2634 tracks closely to the language of Sec. 926(a) of the 1986-amended Gun Control Act, which allows a person to transport firearms between two areas where he or she may possess a gun, provided the gun is empty and cased. It would add a Section 926(b) reading, in significant part, "Notwithstanding any provision of the law of any State or political subdivision thereof, a person who is not prohibited by Federal law from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm and who is carrying a valid license which is issued pursuant to the law of any State and which permits the person to carry a concealed firearm (other than a machinegun or destructive device) shall be entitled to carry in any State a concealed firearm ... in accordance with the terms of the license." The bill has passed Constitutional muster by the House legislative counsel's office. It is substantially the same as an act (sponsored by anti- gun Rep. Cardiss Collins [D-Ill.]) requiring states to recognize firearms carry permits for armored car guards who travel interstate. * * * * * Congress Recesses Until February 26 After closing 1995 with the semi-auto and magazine ban sidetracked by the budget battle, which the Republicans say they lost, the House tinkered with only a few bills after the President Clinton's State of the Union address, then again recessed this week until Feb. 26. One of the few items on the agenda is the resurrected anti- terrorism bill, H.R. 1710 (which in mid-December was pulled because of a shortage of votes). There's growing irritation among pro-gun Congressmen in both parties over the reluctance of the leadership to schedule the repeal bill, H.R. 1488, and a growing belief that it is being held hostage to the anti-terrorism bill. Judiciary Chairman Henry Hyde (R-Ill.), who voted for the ban, doesn't want to see it repealed, and supports the anti- terrorism bill, is generally believed to be one of those most responsible for insisting on a vote on H.R. 1710 before the repeal bill. Key pro-gun Democrats, who have no reluctance to challenge the authority of either Hyde or Speaker Gingrich, have been talking about a discharge petition to force a floor vote on a "clean" repeal bill, with no other provisions, as soon as Congress gets back to work in earnest. A discharge petition, which requires the signatures of 218 Congressmen, was used to force a vote on McClure-Volkmer in 1986. Now that petition signers can no longer be kept secret, it would be much easier to get the signators. Rep. Jim Chapman (D-Texas), who has announced his retirement in order to run for Sen. Phil Gramm's seat (but must first beat anti-gun Rep. John Bryant for the Democrat nomination), has sponsored a repeal bill and now has about 30 signatures on a petition to force it to the floor. Several frustrated Republicans, who "don't want to make Chapman a hero," are reported to be ready to bring their own discharge petition if the leadership doesn't quickly schedule a vote. Congress hasn't received a heavy onslaught of mail for the repeal, possibly because of agitation against Section 3 of H.R. 1488, which would make it a Federal offense to use a gun in violent state crimes. The bill's prime sponsor and Republican Firearms Task Force Chairman Bob Barr (R-Ga.) has agreed to eliminate that provision when it comes to a vote. Most of the 19 guns specifically banned from production by the ban are still being produced in slightly modified form -- with silly-looking stocks and bayonet lugs removed. So a lot of gunowners think it's funny that the anti-gun crowd believes they cut the stock of firearms when they didn't; but there's deep resentment against the ban on over-10-shot magazines, which is having its biggest effect on handgunners. The magazine restriction is also having an impact on handgun design -- as evident at the Shooting, Hunting Outdoor Trade show in Dallas in mid-January. Several makers are producing formerly 15-shot 9mm's as more-powerful 10-shot .40's and .45's, and have introduced smaller, slimmer 10-shot 9mm's. So the unintended consequence of the Feinstein-Schumer ban has been the introduction of more-powerful, more-concealable handguns. The House anti-terrorism bill is much improved as a result of efforts by Rep. Barr, but anything that passes the House is going to be melded with the far-reaching Senate passed bill -- which gives even greater power to Federal law enforcement agencies, and has a lot of gunowners and other civil libertarians very nervous. It needs a stake driven through its heart. While your Congressmen are home, try to meet with them to insist on a vote on repealing the semi-auto and magazine bans -- and begin talking about the need for a national reciprocity bill on state concealed carry licenses. * * * * * Concealed Carry Bills Moving In Legislatures There's a footrace among pro-gun legislators to see which state will be the first this year to join the 28 states -- half of them in the past two years -- which have adopted or improved "shall issue" concealed carry laws. The newly Republican California Assembly this week passed an NRA-supported bill by a vote of 42-33. But the bill, which calls for only a $12.50 license fee, is expected to face tough sledding in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Other carry bills are scheduled for floor votes next week in Kentucky, Missouri and West Virginia. The Ohio Senate has passed a bill by a veto-proof margin, which may be needed; Gov. George Voinovich has said he will veto the bill when it passes the Assembly, as expected. But all the state news isn't good. On Jan. 10 New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman signed the "Leader of Firearms Trafficking Law," passed unexpectedly late in the 1995 session after pro-gun groups had thought it had been stopped. The bill provides for a mandatory life sentence, with a minimum 25 years in prison before parole, for conspiring to make or sell an illegal firearm -- which could be done unwittingly, considering New Jersey's draconian laws. Even the most heinous murder doesn't provide for mandatory life sentences. In Maryland, Gov. Parris Glendenning has proposed a wide- ranging package that includes registration, licensing, one- handgun-per-month limits, prohibitions on private handgun transfers and a Handgun Control Inc. wish list of gun restrictions -- which had been formally endorsed by a majority of those elected in 1994. Senate Judicial Proceeding Chair Walter Baker, who has blocked most restrictive gun laws in recent years, has said he "has no objection" to "one-gun" and stopping private transfers. But once the bill is on the Senate floor anti-gunners are expected to add the rest of governor's passage. Next week the Kentucky House will consider H.B. 40 and West Virginia will vote on H.B. 4077, a reform bill intended to correct a court ruling that the state's carry licenses could be issued by courts. Newly elected Kentucky Governor Paul Patton, a Democrat, is giving strong support to the bill, as promised in the campaign. Also as promised, he has ordered state police not to take sides in the legislation. The Missouri Senate, where a strongly supported carry bill was filibustered for the final hours of last year's session, will consider S.B. 679, a considerably better bill than the one which came so close last year. The Missouri bill has support from some of the same folks who gave gunowners trouble in the last session. Range protection bills are moving in several states. * * * * * Study Supports Pro-CCW Survey The Feb. 2-4 USA Weekend, a magazine insert which appears in many Sunday newspapers, shows that 27,929 of 34,146 callers to a 50-cent per call phone poll said concealed carry laws make their communities a safer place to live, while only 6,217 said they make states a more dangerous place to live. The poll was the result of a surprisingly fair Dec. 29-31 cover story featuring both Mikey Voorhees and Suzanna Gratia Hupp, who played a major role in passing the Texas carry law that went into effect Jan. 1. The 82 percent majority is right, according to a new national survey to be reported this weekend at Northwestern University School of Law. Florida State University Professor Gary Kleck's latest study shows that guns in public hands are used for self-defense 2.1 to 2.5 million times per year -- which is about four times the number of reported crimes with guns. Kleck, who describes himself as a liberal, is the author of the 1991 book, Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America. Kleck and Professor Marc Gertz conducted a telephone survey of 5,000 randomly selected U.S. residents. According to a FSU press release, "Of the 213 people who admitted to using a gun when confronted by offenders, about 76 percent said they drew the gun but did not fire it. The other 24 percent said they actually fired their weapons, either as warning shots (one third) or directly at their attacker." Most of those cases involved an attacker who was armed with a weapon other than a gun, but of the 3 percent of reported incidents where people shot at each other "most of the citizens who used guns were successful in protecting themselves and their property. If they were injured it usually occured before they used a firearm, Kleck said. "The policy implication of Kleck's research is: Don't pass legislation that would take guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens." * * * * * DCM Receives One Last Shot The Director of Civilian Marksmanship program, targeted for elimination nearly every year since 1982, would be made a self- supporting semi-independent corporation by the Defense Authorization bill just approved by Congress and expected to be signed by President Clinton. The DCM, which provides support for junior marksmanship program and helps conduct the National Rifle and Pistol Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, will be funded solely through the sale of surplus firearms. The first major sealed bid sale this fall, of 100 rare M1C Garand sniper rifles, brought an average of $3,500 each. One pristine specimen brought $9,000. The guns were saved from the Army's aggressive gun destruction program. A restriction this fall saved from destruction a variety of guns, including M1911A1 .45's and M14's, neither of which are currently availabe for sale. * * * * * Pittsburgh Plug Pulled The Justice Department -- rocked by our revelations that it was financing an illegal gun registration scheme -- has directed the City of Pittsburgh to "cease and desist" activities under a grant to compile gun registration data. For a year the Pittsburgh Gun Task Force had been using a Federal grant, and BATF assistance, to compile gun ownership data from all available sources -- activities prohibited by the no- registration provisions of the Gun Control Act, BATF's appropriations bills and the new Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act. The most outrageous part of the scheme -- which Attorney General Janet Reno had enthusiastically supported during a visit to Pittsburgh last year -- was a computer mapping program that showed the homes of legal gun owners neatly circled. NRA-ILA has retained local legal counsel to ensure that illegally obtained information is destroyed. * * * * * BATF Abolishment Hearings In Air Although Sen. Arlen Specter's (R-Pa.) Terrorism Subcommittee called for immediate hearings into the proper role for BATF -- and the chairman has said he thinks the agency has "outlived its usefulness" -- Capitol Hill sources report that Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has said any hearings will be held only in his full committee. Chairman Hatch opposed the subcommittee hearings into Ruby Ridge, which resulted in sharp bipartisan criticism of all the law enforcement agencies involved. The six weeks of hearings this fall came about only because of the intervention of Speaker Bob Dole. The Specter committee was particularly critical of BATF Director John Magaw's defense of the agency's giving false information about Randy Weaver to the U.S. Marshals and FBI, causing the exaggerated response and the final bloody conclusion in which Weaver's wife, 14-year-old son and a decorated U.S. Marshal were killed, and Weaver and a family friend were critically wounded. The committee also found that the "rules of engagement" given the paramilitary FBI Hostage Rescue Team amounted to a "shoot on sight" command, and were unconstitutional. Further, all but Sen. Dianne Feinstein declared that Sniper Lon Horiuchi's second shot, which killed Vickie Weaver, was unlawful. The Justice Department settled a "wrongful death" lawsuit by the Weaver family for $3.1 million. Six senior FBI officials have been under suspension, with pay, for over a half-year in an investigation of a high level coverup. Those suspended include former Deputy FBI Director Larry Potts, appointed in the middle of the controversy by Director Louis Freeh -- for which Freeh was sharply criticized by the Specter subcommittee, which also praised him for "reforms." * * * * * Cops In Trouble The first major "assault weapons" bust by BATF has 46 Phoenix police under investigation for buying Steyr AUG rifles, restricted to police use, without proper authorization by their department. Twenty of the guns reportedly had been sold to civilians. * * * * * Campaign 'Reform" S. 1219 would prohibit independent expenditure campaigns and even notification of NRA members as to the Second Amendment positions of candidates. Anti-gun sponsors like Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) would be expected. But it is co-sponsored by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who personally thanked NRA Directors Neal Knox and Sandy Froman for NRA's major role in the 1994 Arizona election sweep. Another unexpected co-sponsor is Sen. Fred Thompson (R- Tenn.), who personally benefited from a major NRA independent expenditure effort. * * * * * Anti-Hunting Effort S. 1202, which would effectively ban hunting of ranch-reared exotic game unless it had "roamed free" on more than 1,000 acres for a year, is the latest anti-hunting media's latest crusade. Since "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals" is not able to ban all hunting, they're attempting to ban some hunting. (They also got the Administration to agree not to use sheep to clear mines that are killing and wounding American soldiers in Bosnia.) No one has explained the difference between raising a Sika deer for slaughter and a beef steer for slaughter. * * * * * Phil Gramm Support The media has trumpeted the $440,000 in lifetime contributions by NRA to Presidential Candidate Phil Gramm. Most of that, over $300,000, was an independent expenditure during his initial 1984 Senatorial campaign. NRA has made no endorsements in the Republican primary and is in an "AABC" mode: "Almost Anybody But Clinton." * * * * * Crime Study A study headed by Carter Administration Attorney General Griffin Bell and Bush Administration drug czar William Bennett (neither a friend of firearms owners) has nevertheless concluded: "The common sense of the American people is right when it comes to crime: Tough law enforcement [and imprisonment of violent criminals] is part of the solution, not the problem." ======================================================================= Shotgun News Column National Concealed Carry By NEAL KNOX WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 1) -- The NRA Board of Directors overwhelmingly approved a resolution last weekend calling for a Federal law requiring states to honor concealed carry licenses issued by other states. The proposal, pushed by ILA Executive Director Tanya Metaksa, initially called for NRA to support H.R. 2634, Rep. Cliff Stearns' (R-Fla.) bill, which would add a new section, 926(b), to the Gun Control Act. It states: "Notwithstanding any provision of the law of any State or political subdivision thereof, a person who is not prohibited by Federal law from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm and who is carrying a valid license which is issued pursuant to the law of any State and which permits the person to carry a concealed firearm (other than a machinegun or destructive device) shall be entitled to carry in any State a concealed firearm ... in accordance with the terms of the license." My concerns about constitutionality of that bill -- mentioned in a recent column -- have been satisfied by scholars like Steve Halbrook, David Caplan, Bob Dowlut and others. After all, Article IV, Sec. 1 demands: "Full faith and credit shall be given in each State to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State." Further, H.R. 2634 tracks closely with the language of Sec. 926(a) of the 1986-amended Gun Control Act, which allows a person to transport firearms between two areas where he or she may possess a gun, provided the gun is empty and cased. I helped write that language back in 1979, and it has been upheld by the courts. Finally, state reciprocity legislation clearly comes within Congress' interstate commerce powers (unlike most Federal gun laws). However, one of my concerns about H.R. 2634 was that it would discourage Vermont-type "no-license-required" laws. NRA's constitutional experts handled that in committee by calling for an amendment deeming persons authorized to carry by their states to be licensed -- whether civilians or police officers. That provision not only satisfies my concerns, it will gain support of police officers who feel naked when they are where they can't legally protect themselves -- like the rest of us. Admittedly, some friends on the Hill (and on the Board) don't like Congress telling states what to do, but States have no right to disregard the Second Amendment. The board action allows NRA-ILA to open a new front in their Congressional offense to repeal the semi-auto and magazine ban, and will give even more impetus to ILA's brilliantly successful campaign to enact state "shall issue" carry license laws. Four states passed such legislation in 1994, and ten more approved or expanded similar laws last year, bringing the total to 28 states with 48 percent of the nation's population. Further, the California assembly approved an NRA-supported carry bill last night, and bills are moving in Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia and other states. In states where anti-gun police chiefs have induced governors and legislators to oppose reasonable licensing laws, I think we should introduce bills stipulating: "In jurisdictions where the highest court has ruled that police have no legal obligation to protect individual citizens, law-abiding citizens shall have the right to carry the means of protecting themselves." Of course, all courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have repeatedly declared police aren't legally required to protect individual citizens. Such legislation is most unlikely to pass, but its existence - -- and police opposition -- would underscore the fact that "we'll-protect-you" chiefs know full well that they can't and aren't required to protect anyone. And they don't want us to protect ourselves. Washington police don't have to protect its disarmed citizens (Warren v. D.C., 1979). How about a national "shall issue" carry law on Federal enclaves -- specifically to include Washington, D.C. The almost universal belief in the right of self-protection is the rich vein of public support which NRA-ILA has tapped in passing carrying laws. The NRA Board, with Marion Hammer -- mother of the Florida carry law -- at the helm, has now authorized a wider playing field for right to carry: Congress. ======================================================================= Telephone Log -- January 22 through February 12 Jan 22 update With Congress coming back today, and President Clinton's State of the Union speech tomorrow night, we could see Washington get off high- center and back into action. But don't bet on it. The Senate has scheduled no record votes this week, while the House has announced plans only to consider the Defense Authorization bill and several piddling measures, such as a Congressional Medal to Billy Graham, Wednesday and Thursday. The word is that the House will recess until February 20 -- but at some point, they're going to have to approve a Continuing Resolution to keep the government going after Friday, Jan. 26, and approve an extension of the debt ceiling. While all that is unresolved, there'll be nothing happening on the gun ban repeal. But everything isn't quiet. For some unaccountable reason, Rep. Bill McCollum of Florida is talking about holding hearings in his crime subcommittee on H.R. 1202, a Federal law prohibiting killing exotic game unless it's been roving free on at least 1,000 acres for at least a year. This law is designed to prohibit "canned hunts" like on the Y-O Ranch. I've hunted on the Y-O, but only for deer and turkey, under the same rules and difficulties as any other Texas game. And I've shot exotics, but only Sika deer and auodad sheep that have escaped from game ranches, or their descendants. I can't afford nor do I have any interest in a canned hunt, the shooting of a narrowly penned animal -- though I don't consider 1 1/2 square miles a narrow pen. What this issue is about is prohibiting hunting, period. If the three dozen co-sponsors of this bill could stop all hunting, or prevent me or you from owning any gun, all but two or three of them would. Canned hunting isn't my bag, but will somebody tell me what the difference is between breeding and rearing a Sika deer for slaughter, and breeding and rearing beef, chickens or sheep for slaughter? * * * * * There is action in the state legislatures. Maryland looks like the toughest fight, with judiciary chairman Sen. Walter Baker now making noise about passing one gun per month, and prohibiting private handgun transfers. Sen. Baker and I have discussed the fact that criminals ignore gun laws; and he fully knows that if any gun legislation gets on the floor, it will become a Christmas tree for the rest of the governor's package. But a strong majority of his committee opposes anything moving; maybe the Senator is playing games with the press. There were hearings on an concealed carry bill in Missouri last week. That one is better than the one that was stalled last year, but last year's bill and a Vermont-style bill that would allow carrying without a license, are also in the hopper. Also there will be a vote in the Kentucky house on concealed carry January 31. * * * * * Jan. 31 update Close only counts in horseshoes. Anti-gun Rep. Ron Wyden edged pro-gunner Gordon Smith by 18,058 votes out of 1,100,000 votes cast for the main candidates in the Oregon special Senate election. Four minor candidates made the apparent final 47 to 46 percent. I've already heard rumbles of a recount and investigation. That's always to be expected when the spread is this close, but it is almost certain considering that this is the first-ever all- mail Federal election. Wyden's election makes very little difference in gunowners' Senate position. He will always vote against us while Sen. Bob Packwood usually did. The California assembly rejected eight amendments to weaken the proposed right to carry bill, and accepted two that caused no damage. The final passage vote is expected today. Most of Washington's glitterati was at the annual White House Correspondents dinner last night; the funny thing is that the only Presidential candidate who attended that Washington insiders function was the leading anti-Washington candidate: Steve Forbes. It was an off-the-record affair with Speaker Newt Gingrich as the keynoter; emcee Sam Donaldson and most of the other speakers tried to be funny and sometimes were. But much of the humor wasn't light. There were a lot of Hillary jokes. One speaker said that while the White House West Wing was talking about Four More Years, the East Wing, the First Lady's domain, was talking about 20 years to Life. I was there as a guest of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which may have raised a few eyebrows. This morning's Washington Post has a major story on a computerized forensics ballistics program that allows the scanning of large numbers of fired cartridge cases in order to identify the same gun used in multiple crimes. What the article didn't mention is that this system can only eliminate possible matches; actual matches require tedious examinations by technicians. Even so, the system has revealed that at least 10 percent of the 3,739 shootings in D.C. involved one gun in one or more crimes. Of course that means that even a tinier percentage of the guns sold legally are involved in crime. * * * * * Jan. 28 update The NRA Board of Directors concluded five days of committee and board meetings this afternoon. Yesterday's winter board meetings began with Marion Hammer formally sworn in as NRA's first woman president, in the first meeting of its 125th year. The most far-reaching decision of the meeting was to formally endorse a Federal bill requiring states to recognize concealed carry licenses issued by other states. A state which does not require a license to carry, such as Vermont, is considered to have licensed its citizens. Similarly, it would allow police officers to carry firearms in other states. Such legislation is being developed by Rep. Stearns of Florida. It tracks a section of the 1986 amendment to the Gun Control Act which allows citizens to transport firearms through states regardless of state or local laws. The objective is to use the Constitutional provision requiring states to give "full faith and credit" to the acts of other states. I had questioned the constitutionality of such legislation, given the traditional reservation of police powers to states. However, scholars such as Steve Halbrook, David Caplan and Prof. Joe Olson convinced me and a majority of NRA Directors that the legislation is sound; none of us had any question about the desirability of such a law. It is clearly within the Constitution's interstate commerce powers, not to mention the Second and Fourteenth Amendments, which were designed to make such legislation unneccessary. If anyone doubts the need for citizens to arm themselves, or the validity of self-protection, the Northwest Florida Daily News reported Jan. 6 that eight citizens have shot and killed criminals in central Florida in the last 18 months. All were ruled justifiable self-defense. Considering the rarity of a self-defense gun being fired, much less assailants killed, that indicates thousands of cases of self- protection where the criminal was deterred, captured or wounded. * * * * * Feb. 1 update Late last night the California assembly, by a vote of 42-33 approved a shall-issue right to carry bill based on the highly successful Florida carry law. That's a clear indication of the value of electing enough pro-gunners both to pass a bill and to get the bill brought to a vote. Although we've had enough votes to pass the bill in the assembly since the last election, so long as Speaker Willie Brown and his buddies were in power, that vote could be blocked. Just as in Ohio, Kentucky and Missouri, where votes are pending, the anti-gun crowd was screaming that there would be blood in the streets, that it would be a return to the O.K. Corral, etc. -- but they same thing in Florida and every other state. It didn't happen. In 1986, the year before Florida's law, the murder rate was 11.8 per 100,000 people. By 1993 it had gone down 26 percent. The opponents have glommed on to a biased study from the University of Maryland, funded with your tax dollars by the Centers for Disease Control. It claimed that the murder rates have gone up in three Florida cities since the law went into effect -- that's apparently true, but the researchers had to go back as much as 15 years to get a low number. The important thing is that none of those homicides were licensed carriers. * * * * * The final vote count in Oregon shows that anti-gun Ron Wyden beat pro-gunner Gordon Smith by 47.6 percent to 46.1 percent. So the 2 percent that went to the conservative American Party candidate elected an anti-gun liberal. Remember that this fall. * * * * * Feb. 2 update The House adjourned again today, and will be out until Feb. 26. The first item on the agenda when the get back is expected to be the agricultural bill, then a gambling statute, then the anti-terrorism bill is supposed to be back. The House bill is much improved, but anything that passes is going to be melded with the far-reaching Senate passed bill. It needs a stake driven through its heart. While your Congressmen are home, try to meet with them to insist on a vote on repealing the semi-auto and magazine bans -- and begin talking about the need for a national reciprocity bill on state concealed carry licenses. Next Tuesday, Feb. 6, is going to be a red letter day. A "shall-issue" concealed carry bill, S.B. 1099, is scheduled in the Arizona Senate Judiciary Committee. And similar NRA-supported bills are scheduled for floor votes in three states. The Kentucky House will consider H.B. 40 and West Virginia will vote on H.B. 4077, a reform bill intended to correct a court ruling that the state's carry licenses could be issued by courts. Newly elected Kentucky Governor Patten is giving strong support to the bill, as promised in the campaign. The Missouri Senate, where a strongly supported carry bill was filibustered for the final hours of last year's session, will consider S.B. 679, a considerably better bill than the one which came so close last year. Interestingly, the Missouri bill has support from some of the same folks who gave us trouble in the last session. Even the governor, who was anything but warm when I met with him early last year, has backed away from his former strong opposition. All that will be happening Tuesday. Yesterday the Indiana Senate rejected, by 33-17, a measure dictating how gunowners had to store their handguns. Monday the Indiana Correction and Criminal Code Committee will hold a hearing on H.B. 1011, an NRA-backed range protection bill. * * * * * Feb. 4 update Tucked away on page 10 of this morning's USA Weekend, the magazine insert which appears in many Sunday newspapers, are the results of their 900 number phone poll on concealed carry laws. 27,929 callers said such laws make their states a safer place to live, while only 6,217 said they make states a more dangerous place to live. Granted the USA Weekend survey wasn't what is euphemistically called a "scientific poll," but it was structured so either neither side could stack the results. Only one call could be counted from each phone. The 82 percent majority is right, according to a new national survey reported yesterday at Northwestern University School of Law. Florida State University Professor Gary Kleck's latest study showed that guns in public hands are used for self-defense 2.5 million times per year -- which is about four times the number of reported crimes with guns. Several years ago Kleck estimated that there were a million incidents of armed self-defense by civilians each year. He based that number on eight polls conducted by both pro-gun and anti-gun groups, as well as neutral organizations. His figures produced such an outcry from the anti-gun crowd that he began conducting more detailed research, which showed that his early estimates were less than half the actual total. The scientific paper read at Northwestern Law yesterday discussed his latest telephone survey of 5,000 randomly selected U.S. residents, conducted with Professor Marc Gertz. According to a Florida State University press release, of the 4 percent, or "213 people who admitted to using a gun when confronted by offenders, about 76 percent said they drew the gun but did not fire it. The other 24 percent said they actually fired their weapons, either as warning shots (one third) or directly at their attacker." Most of those cases involved an attacker who was armed with a weapon other than a gun, but "of the 18 percent who were confronted by an attacker with a gun, most of the criminals chose not to fire." In the 3 percent of the reported incidents where people shot at each other "most of the citizens who used guns were successful in protecting themselves and their property. If they were injured it usually occured before they used a firearm, Kleck said. "The policy implication of Kleck's research is: Don't pass legislation that would take guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens." Read 'em and weep, Chuck Schumer. * * * * * Feb. 7 update The Kentucky House late Tuesday passed HB 40, an NRA-backed "shall-issue" concealed carry bill, on a 74-20 vote. It now goes to the Senate. The House approved amendments concerning training requirements and penalties for carrying a handgun into areas where possession is not currently prohibited. Another amendment would allow businesses to post signs prohibiting concealed firearms. However, it does not provide a criminal sanction; it merely allows a business to ask the carrier to leave or face possible trespass charges if he or she doesn't. There is a cure for such signs; gunowners can inform the businesses if duly licensed citizens aren't welcome, then they and their compatriots can and will go elsewhere to shop. J.C. Penney posted such signs, got the message, and pulled the signs down. But recently such signs have gone up in Blockbuster video stores all over the country, including in states where only politicians or the elite are allowed to have carry permits -- such as here in Maryland. Yesterday the West Virginia House passed third reading of its shall-issue concealed carry reform, H.B. 4077, which requires elected sheriffs to do the licensing. The West Virginia bill may be up for final passage today. Yesterday's expected Missouri Senate vote on concealed carry was postponed. If S.B. 679 doesn't come to a vote by mid-day today, it isn't likely to come up until next week. * * * * * Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon was sworn in yesterday, which will make our lives more difficult. That first-ever mail election in Oregon was supposed to bring in more voters. It didn't. But it did bring in 37 union political operatives who held ballot-signing parties all over Oregon. The system didn't achieve a higher vote turnout, but it did open an invitation for increased fraud. Care to bet whether it will be scrapped for the old-fashioned way of voting at the polls? * * * * * Friend and scholar David Kopel had an excellent article in yesterday's Washington Times concerning the "Terrifying Terror Legislation." David, who is a libertarian Democrat, warns about the excessive, intrusive powers that H.R. 1710 will give Federal law enforcement, including a provision that would impose a five-year mandatory minimum sentence for anyone selling a gun if the seller "should" have known that it was to be used in a crime. It's already against the law to sell a gun knowing it's going to be used in a crime, and it should be. But I personally know a guy who spent six months in a Federal pen on a misdemeanor charge -- that he should have known that a buyer was illegally smuggling guns out of the country. It's scary when you can go to jail for what the prosecutors called "willful ignorance," as my acquaintance did. The anti-terrorism bill would make it a mandatory five-year jolt -- and even if that's knocked out of the House version, similarly language is in the overwhelmingly approved Senate bill. * * * * * Feb. 9 update Shortly after the news broke this morning that a former city employee had killed five former co-workers, then himself, we heard a report that he had a Florida carry license. To be blunt, that's what the anti-gun crowd has been praying for, in hopes that it will stem the flood of concealed carry laws. But NRA President Marion Hammer checked with the state; the murderer did not have a license to carry. He was violating the law against carrying a gun. Of course it was also against the law to commit multiple murders. * * * * * It was a big week for NRA-ILA's state lobbyists and local activists. As earlier reported, the Kentucky House overwhelmingly supported a right to carry bill and the Missouri Senate postponed its vote on a similar bill until next week. A fast-moving West Virginia bill to reinstate a carry law struck down by the courts passed the House 100-zip Wednesday; now it goes to the Senate. The Georgia Senate approved improvements in their 20-year- old shall-issue carry law, which started the trend. One provision would recognize out-of-state licenses. It now goes to the House. Two Virginia Senate bills to repeal the state's new carry law were defeated in committee, but Nebraska postponed carry legislation until next session. A Colorado House committee approved a "shall issue" carry bill this week and a committee vote on a similar bill is expected in Alaska. And there's a hearing on yet another carry bill next week in the Arizona Senate. For the third time in less than a year, the Oregon legislature has approved shooting range protection legislation and sent it to the Governor for his signature. And in Indiana , a Senate committee has approved an NRA-backed range bill. But in Utah, the Senate is expected to vote next week on SB 93, a trigger lock bill. It would require dealers to equip each firearm with an external locking device, subject to 90 days in jail and a $750.00 fine. Marylanders have an even rougher row to hoe; Gov. Glendenning has proposed most of Handgun Control Inc.'s dream package. There will be a rally of opponents in Annapolis Monday week, February 19. HCI had its own rally in Annapolis last week, and drew about 250 supporters, according to state police. We need many times as many. I'll be there and I hope you other Marylanders will be too. * * * * * Feb. 12 update Talking with a newspaper reporter today, I predicted the first five places in tonight's Iowa caucuses -- I wish I could do as well in an exacta or prefecta, or whatever the horse bettors call it. What I didn't predict was the tiny three-point margin that Bob Dole finished ahead of Buchanan. Pat was tonight's big winner, partially because of a low turnout, but he has also pulled up almost even with Dole in the latest New Hampshire polls. Alexander did better than expected, and may wind up being the biggest winner, for he will go into New Hampshire with "Big Momentum" and is perceived as being more able to beat Bill Clinton. Despite Forbes falling short of his polling predictions, he did better than anyone could have thought possible for a state caucus which depends on grass roots organization. Of course $6 million can move mountains. I look for Forbes to do better in New Hampshire, mainly because Independents can vote in the Republican primary and they like Forbes better than most Republicans do. But I'm afraid Phil Gramm has got his work cut out for him. He thinks so, too. He said goodbye to his Iowa supporters tonight with tears in his eyes. We gun owners are in good shape with any of the leaders. The contrarian Dick Lugar attempted to amass the anti-gun vote by boasting about his opposition to NRA. He succeeded, taking all four percent of the Republicans. * * * * * Speaking of the anti-gunners, Handgun Control Inc. President Richard Aborn got sacked, I hear. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family. I also hear the folks at HCI are glad to see him gone. I'm not, he was easy to beat. Of course, when neither the logic nor the facts are on their side, they have a hard time winning debates. They win only the emotional argument -- because they are shameless in waving the bloody shirt. * * * * * It was a big week for NRA-ILA's state lobbyists and local activists. As earlier reported, the Kentucky House overwhelmingly supported a right to carry bill and the Missouri Senate postponed its vote on a similar bill until next week. A fast-moving West Virginia bill to reinstate a carry law struck down by the courts passed the House 100-zip Wednesday; now it goes to the Senate. The Georgia Senate approved improvements in their 20-year- old shall-issue carry law, which started the trend. One provision would recognize out-of-state licenses. It now goes to the House. Two Virginia Senate bills to repeal the state's new carry law were defeated in committee, but Nebraska postponed carry legislation until next session. A Colorado House committee approved a "shall issue" carry bill this week and a committee vote on a similar bill is expected in Alaska. And there's a hearing on yet another carry bill next week in the Arizona Senate. For the third time in less than a year, the Oregon legislature has approved shooting range protection legislation and sent it to the Governor for his signature. And in Indiana , a Senate committee has approved an NRA-backed range bill. But in Utah, the Senate is expected to vote next week on SB 93, a trigger lock bill. It would require dealers to equip each firearm with an external locking device, subject to 90 days in jail and a $750.00 fine. Marylanders have an even rougher row to hoe; Gov. Glendenning has proposed most of Handgun Control Inc.'s dream package. There will be a rally of opponents in Annapolis Monday week, February 19. HCI had its own rally in Annapolis last week, and drew about 250 supporters, according to state police. We need many times as many. I'll be there and I hope you other Marylanders will be too. ======================================================================== Copyright 1996 by Neal Knox Associates P.O. Box 6537 Rockville, MD 20916. 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