Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 10:51:04 -0500 From: "Christopher W. Knox" To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: FCO 1-9-95 -----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 ======================================================================== January 9, 1995 Vol. 2, No. 1 ======================================================================== In this issue: * Catching up ======================================================================== As I noted in the (virtual) Christmas Card I sent to you a couple of weeks ago, I'm well aware that it's been quiet in these quarters of late. Holidays are much busier with little kids around! I'm also making some changes. Among other things, I'm passing my Mac to my sister and am even still in the process of migrating to a PC. One of the changes of the past year is the election of Neal Knox as Second Vice-President of NRA. As a result of that election, Dad had to change the manner in which he does his thing in order to avoid any conflict -- or appearance of conflict. As an NRA officer, any time he speaks, he is speaking for NRA. Therefore, he can't lobby in the name of the Firearms Coalition. Consequently, the Firearms Coalition is no longer a lobbying organization. It's an information and news reporting organization. I stated here -- erroneously -- that the Firearms Coalition is now a non- profit corporation. That was my mistake. Dad considered it, but decided against it. The Firearms Coalition is a for-profit business. Its business is reporting on political matters involving firearms civil liberties. It seems a trivial point, but I want to make sure I haven't misled anyone. Gee, what a way to start a year. Mea culpa, mea culpa! Another change I tumbled to myself is that I cannot accept credit card numbers via e-mail. It's insecure to transmit a credit card number in the clear and for me to decrypt using PGP could constitute a commercial use. So I can't do it unless I buy ViaCrypt, which I won't for the time being. Do note my brand new PGP 2.6.2 Public Key wich appears below. ======================================================================== MLK Day Firearms Rights Rally in Olympia, Washington Some of those nice folks who sent Tom Foley to the showers are staging a rally on the steps of the capitol of the Great State of Washington on Martin Luther King Day (January 16). You can get more information at (206) 747-7603 or via e-mail by subscribing to their mailing list. Send an e-mail message to: bor-rally-request@chc.com with Subject: subscribe. Thanks to Boyd Kneeland for the heads-up and to all the de-Foley-ate Congress folks for their service to the country in the elections. ======================================================================== And now, word from our sponsor I heard a story on NPR recently about all the "progressive" organizations that had found a bonanza in the late elections. The Sierra Club, People for the American Way, Planned Parenthood and, of course, our friends at Handgun Control, Inc. all reported a surge in contributions in the wake of the elections. Contributions had dropped following the election of Clinton. Seems people get complacent on both sides of the aisle. This election has given gun owners the best opportunity in many years, perhaps ever, to turn the fight around. But you know how it happens. Do your part. If I do move you to part with a few of your hard-earned dollars, be sure to include your e-mail address. Seeing the "@" helps remind Neal that he has an audience here in cyberspace. ======================================================================== - -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.6.2 mQCNAy8Q4mIAAAEEALKdSCTF6BvTg4luk1IOYtiQyxPotnTjjijSawo9htwZeFS/ KU0WAPkeDuhgKSN3H5242irpkfUu8g84fAPBH6a6joaFN7OchRa49WXnz2dReT0V iT9xeec9rPSASH04dz+lEONeDZ17yh/JGt+tjYq0CIenFZ9JMCGz4I2lBJDFAAUR tCdDaHJpc3RvcGhlciBXYXJyZW4gS25veCA8Y2tub3hAY3JsLmNvbT4= =Sz/w - -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Chris Knox wrote and is responsible for everything appearing above this line. ======================================================================== BATF Cut or Merger? By NEAL KNOX WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 20) -- The Treasury Department is considering merging its three law enforcement agencies -- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Customs; and Secret Service -- as an alternative to major budget cuts, particularly in BATF. The proposed reorganization is apparently a contingency plan by rabidly anti-gun Assistant Treasury Secretary for Enforcement Ron Noble, who was incensed that the White House Office of Management and Budget has proposed eliminating 600 jobs from the 2,000 member BATF. Noble denounced the proposed BATF cuts as "stupid" and "completely out of synch with what this President stands for." He was immediately backed up by a letter to the President from the Law Enforcement Steering Committee, a coalition of police organization s which has never played any visible role -- that I can recall -- on any issue other than "gun control." That's because the coalition was created by Handgun Control, Inc. Predictably, Fraternal Order of Police President -- and HCI poster boy -- Dewey Stokes also chimed in with his own letter to the President, written the same day. It condemned the cuts "at a time when the balance of law enforcement thrust is aimed at gun- related crime." The delicious irony of all this is that the OMB has proposed the BATF cuts in order to pay for funding the additional law enforcement officers required by the crime bill -- which included the so-called "assault weapons" ban that HCI, Law Enforcement Steering Committee and Stokes so desperately wanted. This lobbying effort has so far failed to dissuade OMB, which is still recommending the cuts. However, I'll be surprised if Bill Clinton accepts it. "Gun control" is too big an item on his agenda. But the OMB has publicly identified an area that is ripe for a budget cut, the very thing that the sharp-knived, mainly pro-gun new Congressional leadership is looking for -- and will undoubtedly want to adopt and expand. This is a peach that should be plucked, and should be your first letter or phone call to Congress this year. Noble's idea of merging BATF with other Treasury agencies is anything but a new idea. Treasury got into gun law enforcement in 1934 when the National Firearms Act registering machine guns was passed as a tax measure -- for then-Attorney General Homer Cummings, the law's chief proponent, had declared that the Second Amendment prohibited Congress from banning guns. The $200 machine gun transfer tax, along with the 1938 $1 license for gun dealers who wanted to be able to mail handguns, was administered by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Unit (ATTU_ of the Internal Revenue Service. The 1968 Gun Control Act greatly expanded the gun laws, resulting in the ATTU becoming the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Division (ATD) of IRS; in 1971 it was made an independent Treasury Bureau. Various reorganization proposals have been called for BATF to be folded into FBI, but FBI wanted only the BATF's gun law enforcement, not BATF's agents, who didn't have the required training or smarts of FBI agents. In 1981 the Reagan Administration proposed to fold BATF into Secret Service, but Secret Service didn't want those agents either. Then-Deputy Assistant Treasury (Enforcement) Robert Powls, who came to my ILA office to sell NRA on the plan, told Wayne LaPierre (the head of ILA's Federal Division) and me that job applicants who scored in the 90 percentile were assigned to Secret Service, the 80 percentile went to Customs, and the 70 percentile were assigned to BATF. Powls insisted the proposed merger would result in a gradual upgrading of the quality of gun law enforcement, fewer problems for gun owners who inadvertently violate the law and much more trouble for criminals who use guns to commit violence. That sounded good until Powls told us they needed BATF's agents to monitor firearms traffic at gun shows, "so we can know where the guns are going and better protect the President." Wayne literally fell out of his chair. We wanted no part of such a dangerous scheme and the Reagan Administration eventually withdrew it. The then-head of Secret Service explained it best: "Mix dirty water with clean water, you get dirty water." The New Congress By NEAL KNOX WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 2) -- Incoming Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) today said in a taping of the "Court TV" cable program: "I don't expect (the Brady and semi-auto laws) to be touched." That's wishful thinking by a guy who voted for both those laws -- and who I once saw come down from his Judiciary Committee perch to hug and be pecked by Sarah Brady. But Hyde said that if such legislation is introduced, it will have a fair hearing and vote. While I am confident that such bills can be forced out the House, I'm not sure we can even pass them in the Senate, much less survive a filibuster, or have them signed into law by Bill Clinton. Clinton's first words after the election rout, were that he would fight any effort to repeal either of the new gun laws. And again today, he told the National League of Cities: "I will do all in my power to keep the next Congress from doing anything that will jeopardize the ('assault weapons')ban." Fact is, he can do a lot. But so can we. The new House, despite Mr. Hyde, is going to be much more receptive to gun owners' concerns. Forty-seven anti-gunners, 22 wafflers and 16 solid pro-gunners were replaced by a whopping 69 NRA-rated "A's," seven "B's" or unknowns, and eight "F's." An "A-rated" candidate is ahead in the remaining undecided race. On the basis of how departing House members voted on the semi-auto ban, which passed 216-214 May 5, if every pledged newcomer opposes it, and the questionable new Congressmen all supported it, the same bill would fail about 184-250. The picture isn't as pretty in the Senate. Eight Senators who usually voted with the retired (Praise be!) Howard Metzenbaum were replaced by seven "A's" and one "C." Considering how the returning Senators voted on the semi- auto ban (56-43), the net six vote shift after the election would make it 50-50 -- allowing Vice President Al Gore to cast the deciding vote for the ban. There is little doubt that new Democrat Minority Leader Tom Daschle (S. Dak.), who was picked today with one more vote than Sen. Tom Dodd's son, Chris, (Conn.), would mount an unbreakable filibuster on a stand-alone bill -- though the Democrats might not be so quick to kill a popular-with-the-public omnibus revision of the crime bill. The Republican "Contract With America" promises a vote on a revised crime bill within 100 days. The changes that incipient Chairman Hyde outlined today -- "habeas corpus reform," exclusionary rule revision, and whacking out funding for social programs -- would probably bring a Clinton veto whether or not it had any gun law changes. So are we going to be locked in stalemated trench warfare for the next four years? Not necessarily. There's a lot that can be done, both in the way of educating the public about the effect of gun laws -- through hearings on what happened at Waco and in the Randy Weaver case, both of which were in the name of "gun control" -- and in passing legislation to repeal, or at least disembowel, the new gun laws. The chances of doing just that were considerably improved by today's Senate Republican election of Trent Lott (Miss.) as Republican Whip. The former whip, Alan Simpson (Wyo.), soon-to- be-Majority Leader Bob Dole's choice, has a near-perfect record on gun votes, but, like Dole, he's a negotiator and deal-maker rather than a confrontationalist. Mr. Lott, a solid pro-gunner who was House Republican Whip before coming to the Senate in 1989, is a close ally to Sens. Larry Craig (Idaho), Phil Gramm (Tex.) and new Speaker Gingrich - - - making a series of coordinated, imaginative legislative assaults and maneuvers more likely. NRA is already meeting with these new leaders to plot strategy. It's going to be interesting -- and a lot more fun than the battles that we've been fighting. --- Send SASE for how the old Congress fared. --- (Help Neal Knox defend the Second Amendment and begin receiving the bi-monthly "Hard Corps Report" by contributing to the Firearms Coalition, Box 6537, Silver Spring, MD 20906. For legislative updates call (301) 871-3006 [automated voice] or the Bullet'N Board [computers] (703) 971-4491. Email: NEALKNOX@GENIE.GEIS.COM) ============================ Gun Owners Lead Election Revolution Politically energized gunowners, angered by passage of two major new gun laws by the 103rd Congress, achieved a net gain of at least 35 seats in the House and six in the Senate, virtually assuring that no new gun laws will pass in the next two years. With Republicans in control of both Houses, and far friendlier committee chairmen -- even if anti-gun Conservative Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) heads the Judiciary Committee -- it may be possible to at least partially overturn the defeats of the past year, but it won't be easy (see "Nosecount"). In the most sweeping change in the Senate, Orrin Hatch (R- Utah) will replace Joe Biden (D-Del.) as chairman of the Senate Judiciary. Sen. Hatch told Arizona firearms group leaders in late October that if he became chairman, there'd be no anti-gun bills coming out of Judiciary "until after the year 2000." President Bill Clinton, in his first comments on the severe losses for his party, specifically promised to veto any repeal of either the Brady Bill or the so-called "assault weapon" ban. President Clinton and Handgun Control Inc. both denied the elections were a referendum on "gun control," but 31 of 36 defeated House incumbents had voted for the crime bill. Not one pro-gun incumbent targeted by HCI was defeated while 41 of 45 NRA-endorsed Democrats were re-elected -- and the losers were replaced by equally pro-gun Republicans. A stunned Washington Post reported on Nov. 10 that "Exit poll data showed that more than third of all voters who cast ballots Tuesday said they supported the National Rifle Association -- and two thirds of those voters cast their ballots for Republican candidates." The same day The Los Angeles Times quoted Mike Casey of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: "Those folks have mastered the art of influencing Federal elections." And retiring Rep. Bill Hughes told The Richmond Times Dispatch "Their grassroots effort is the best. They are alive and well." One of the stranger events of this election were the anti- gun incumbents who wrapped themselves in the Second Amendment. One was sued by NRA-ILA for using the trademarked "I'm the NRA" theme in his re-election ads, though his opponent had NRA's endorsement. By contrast, Reps. Karen Shepherd (D-Utah), Jane Harman (D- Calif.), Mike Kreidler (D-Wash.), Peter Hoagland (D-Neb.), former HCI lobbyist Eric Fingerhut (D-Ohio) and Arizona Democrats Karan English and Sam Coppersmith (who ran for DeConcincini's Senate seat) said they wore NRA's opposition, and Sarah Brady's support, as "badges of honor." All were defeated except Harman, who is in a recount. It's going to take time to adapt to the new landscape on Capitol Hill, where gunowners can again get investigations into the growing reports of abuses by BATF and other law enforcement agencies, including both the Waco and Randy Weaver outrages. Thanks to NRA-ILA's courageous all-out assault on Speaker Tom Foley (D-Wash) -- who supported both Brady and the semi-auto ban after years of claiming he opposed such laws -- he's no longer in the Congress. Since the Speaker controls the Rules Committee, which determines what issues and amendments will be brought to the floor, Foley's retribution could have been devastating. Jack Brooks (D-Texas) will no longer be House Judiciary Chairman -- or even a member of Congress -- because he infuriated constituents by voting for final passage of the crime bill, despite its ban on semi-autos. That cost him NRA-ILA's endorsement, given because of his active opposition to both the Brady Bill and the semi-auto ban. (Many Beaumont area NRA members were furious that NRA didn't endorse Brooks' pro-gun opponent, Steve Stockman. ILA decided to formally stay out of the race in deference to his usual support for gun owners and the near-certainty that his replacement as chairman would be Charles Schumer [D-N.Y.] or, in the unlikely event of Republican control, Henry Hyde.) Thankfully, Schumer will only be a minority member of the Crime Subcommittee. But he and Sen. Bill Bradley are trying to put together hearings on parts of "Brady II" before the 103rd Congress adjourns; there is zero chance of it being enacted, even if it got to the House floor, thanks to a guaranteed filibuster in the Senate. Howard Metzenbaum will be gone -- and his unanointed heir son-in-law won't be there as his replacement. Metzenbaum's probable successor as the Senate's leading anti-gunner, Dianne Feinstein, has declared victory in her re- election, but Michael Huffington hasn't conceded. Huffington wouldn't vote much better, but wouldn't be Sarah Brady's point persons. He is looking at voting by illegal immigrants, who registered to oppose Prop. 187 sanctions against illegals. Congressional Nosecount Gun owners made great gains in the Nov. 8 elections, enough to block more gun laws, but clearly not enough to force an outright repeal of the new laws on the books. Eight Senators who usually or always voted with the retiring Howard Metzenbaum, were replaced by seven "A's" and one "C." In the 435-member House, 47 anti-gunners, 22 wafflers and 16 solid pro-gunners who retired or ran for higher office (usually successfully), were replaced by 69 "A's," seven "B's" or unknowns, and only eight anti-gunners. (One "A" vs. "F" race is still undecided.) Based on how the departing House members actually voted on the May 5 semi-auto ban -- which passed 216-214 -- and the promised votes of the incoming members, the bill would have failed 184-250 (if all the questionable votes went for the bill). However, if the fury of their constituents and the Nov. 8 election failed to affect the votes of returning Senators, the Feinstein semi-auto ban -- which the Senate approved 56-43 -- would tie 50-50 in the new Senate, so Vice President Gore's vote would pass it. That simple nosecount explains why Speaker-to-be Newt Gingrich and other House members are eagerly talking about repealing the "assault weapon" ban, but Senators Bob Dole and Phil Gramm are more cautious. Pro-Gunners Win Key State Races, Statehouses With the new Congress unlikely to enact any new gun legislation, anti-gun forces will be driven to the states to pursue their agenda. But the pickings there are going to be significantly leaner than during the past two years due to the defeat of dozens of anti-gunners and significant shifts in leadership. The final ballot count in California isn't yet complete, but close observers believe Republicans will take the Assembly -- which would mean saying goodbye to F-rated Speaker Willie Brown, who would be replaced by A+-rated Jim Brulte. Republicans -- more likely to oppose gun restrictions than Democrats -- took control of the Senates of Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon and South Dakota, and will control the Assemblies in Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin. Of equal or greater importance, 20 of 25 NRA-ILA-endorsed gubernatorial candidates won or retained their mansions -- and the ability to veto anti-selfdefense legislation. NRA-backed governors will be sworn in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The outcome of the Alaska governor's race is still teetering. Texas governor-elect George W. Bush has said he will sign a concealed carry law even better than the one defeated Gov. Ann Richards vetoed last year (which was a significant factor in her defeat). ILA also endorsed, and helped elect, numerous other statewide candidates for lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state (including in Florida, where an F-rated supporter of gun bans lost his bid to run the office which administers the state's carrying license law). One of the most significant shifts was Washington State, which not only dumped six of its nine Congressmen (including Speaker Foley), 27 Democrats lost state House seats. That will swap F-rated Speaker Brian Ebersole with A+-rated Clyde Ballard, and make it possible to repeal much of last year's crime bill. The same kind of "A+" for "F" leadership change will occur in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Illinois. Referendums Defeated In Milwaukee, Kenosha The major Wisconsin cities of Milwaukee and Kenosha firmly rejected handgun ban referenda by margins of 67-33 percent and 75-25 percent. They join Madison, where anti-gunners lost such a referendum two years ago. The Village of Shorewood, however, narrowly approved -- 54 to 46 percent -- a non-binding recommendation to the village board to enact such a law next year. In Alaska, voters overwhelmingly approved -- 72 to 28 percent -- a provision clarifying and strengthening the state's right to bear arms constitutional provision. Georgia gave even stronger approval -- 81 to 19 percent -- to a "Two Strikes You're Out" constitutional amendment requiring violent offenders to serve mandatory minimum sentences and life sentences without parole for a second violent offense. Oregon voters narrowly approved -- 51 to 49 percent -- a measure to use bait to attract black bear, or use dogs for hunting bear or cougar. Voters in Branch County, Mich., approved a referendum to allow Sunday hunting. Guns Not On Agenda For Lame Duck Congress Though the much-battered 103rd Congress is coming back to debate the GATT trade agreement, and its World Trade Organization which could infringe on U.S. sovereignty, guns aren't on the agenda. House Crime Subcommittee Chairman Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) may hold hearings on parts of Brady II before he loses the gavel to Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), but nothing but anti-gun publicity will result. As they ended their regular session in October, the 103rd passed the California Desert Protection Act, containing the LaRocco-Lewis amendment which allows hunting to continue in the 1.4 million-acre East Mojave. But the final bill doesn't allow hunters to use motorized vehicles to get in, or their game out. Congress also attempted to pass restrictions on grass roots lobbying, which could have required NRA to report the names of its contributors and activists. Those provisions were added by the House-Senate Conference only a couple of weeks before Congress adjourned and the House passed the "compromise." Thankfully it ran into a Republican filibuster which succeeded because of a wide range of groups opposing the bill, surprisingly including NRA, HCI, and even the American Civil Liberties Union. Another Senate filibuster killed "Campaign Reform," a bill to limit the influence of "special interests" -- like NRA -- and grass roots political action. Watch for such legislation to reappear whichever party is in power, for the Washington establishment does not like major boat rocking -- such as the NRA demonstrated Nov. 8. NRA Draws Bead On Semi-Auto Ban The NRA Board of Directors determined at its October meeting to challenge the so-called "assault weapon ban" in several court cases on various grounds including the Second Amendment. The Supreme Court has twice declined to consider NRA-backed Second Amendment challenges to the Morton Grove handgun ban (Quillici, 1982) and the 1986 machine gun ban (Farmer, 1988). Nothing could be clearer than the equivalent provision in the Connecticut Constitution which says, in its entirety, "Every citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the state." Yet a state judge recently held that that provision did not prohibit the Connecticut law banning so-called "assault weapons." The NRA has spent a quarter-million dollars-plus supporting that case, which is also backed by other gun groups. The legal team challenging the law includes some of the best talent in the nation, including perhaps the foremost constitutional attorney in the state. Several attorneys with no Constitutional law experience are attempting to raise funds to bring a Second Amendment challenge; it would be sheer foolishness to bring anything but the very best case possible. Court Questions School Gun Ban The rediscovered Tenth Amendment's reservation of unenumerated powers to the states and the people -- basis of the NRA-backed challenges to the Brady Law -- was before the Supreme Court in another gun law challenge on election day. The case, U.S. v. Lopez, challenges Congress' authority to prohibit guns within 1,000 feet of schools, part of the 1990 Federal crime bill. Solicitor General Drew Davis III claimed that the authority came under the government's Constitutional authority to regulate interstate commerce, like most other Federal gun laws. Alfonso Lopez is a San Antonio teenager who claimed to have taken a handgun to school for use in a "gang war" -- the kind of distasteful case that the Justice Department likes to use to expand its powers. During oral argument, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor demanded to know why the law -- and "the general ban on assault weapons" - - - didn't violate the Tenth Amendment. And Chief Justice William Rehnquist asked what Congress could not do under the broad argument that everything has some vague connection to interstate commerce. The Justice Department's answers seemed to satisfy only Justices Stevens and Breyer, the newest member, whose emotional words and body language revealed himself to be viscerally anti- gun. The Court's decision should be handed down in late winter. Supreme Court Hears NRA-FEC The Supreme Court heard NRA's challenge to the Federal Election Commission in October. In 1988 ILA paid for a fundraiser for the NRA Political Victory Fund. Though not required, the NRA-PVF (run by the ILA director) reimbursed ILA for the mailing. Fifty-six days later, ILA transferred the money back to the PVF. FEC fined NRA-ILA $40,000, claiming the return of the reimbursement was an illegal corporate contribution -- though it would have been okay, they said, had it occurred within 30 days. NRA challenged the fine, and the makeup of the FEC as unconstitutional, on the grounds that the law's requirement for two Congressional staffers violates the Constitution's separation of legislative and executive powers. The Court of Appeals agreed with NRA's attack on the FEC, removing the House and Senate officials and eliminating the $40,000 fine. The Justice Department appealed. 'Sniper Bill' A Hoax We've received several copies of "H.R. 5904," by Schumer, et al, which supposedly would make unlawful the possession of "Sniper Weapons" -- "bolt action rifles greater than .22 caliber." It's a hoax. The format of the bill is not the usual House typeface or style. Besides, Congress never reached that high a number. The bill is disinformation -- designed to get gun owners stirred up about something which the anti-gunners are not doing, so we pay less attention to what they are doing. ===================== Nov. 25 update -- I hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving. We're still giving thanks over the elections. It's now official that the Republicans have taken control of the California Assembly -- 41-39. So long Willie Brown. Crime Subcommittee Chairman Charles Schumer held hearings in New York City this week on school violence. Guess what he thinks the solution is. This morning's New York Times talks about a novel experiment with "gun control" laws -- looking for illegally carried and illegally possessed guns in the cars and pockets of bad guys in high-crime areas. A test in Kansas City says it has reduced violent crime. We have no objection to such concentrated efforts to enforce existing gun laws so long as the target is those who intend to use them for illegal purpose. It has always outraged gun owners that when police catch an armed robber the first charge to be plea bargained away is possession of a firearm. Gun laws are rarely used against those who misuse them, but by those who possess them without evil intent. The incredible one-man raid on Washington, D.C. Police Headquarters has been blamed on the lack of national gun laws, naturally. The guy who killed a homicide detective and two FBI agents was a member of a drug-dealing gang who has a long criminal record -- and had been interviewed by police the previous week concerning a triple murder. When police searched his home they found he had written numerous "gangsta rap" lyrics talking about his obsession with killing police officers, particularly the chief of D.C. Homicide Detectives. Remember a couple of years ago when NRA, LEAA and Charlton Heston forced Times-Warner to pull such cop-killer rap songs. Times-Warner denied that anyone would take cop-killer "gangsta rap" as anything but entertainment. Now we know better. By the way, the TEC-9 pistol used in the police department murders is being described by a new phrase: "compact assault weapon." You'll be hearing that phrase a lot in the months to come. - ------- Nov. 30 update -- Good news out of Ohio. The City of Columbus has agreed to pay $63,680.45 in settlement of attorney fees and will not appeal the Sixth Circuit decision striking down the city's ban on so-called "assault weapons." The bad news is that the Columbus city council immediately reinstated a ban based on the generic descriptions used in the Cleveland ban. The basis for the lawsuit was that the ordinance was "unconstitutionally vague" because, like most other such laws, it banned guns which were not properly described, and did not ban substantially identical guns. The case was funded by Springfield Armory and a grant from the NRA's Firearms Civil Rights Legal Defense Fund. Although there are legitimate concerns about whether the GATT treaty and the proposed World Trade Organization would reduce U.S. sovereignty, we've seen no evidence that the agreement would allow any foreign government to impose gun laws. The Clinton Administration has been participating in discussions for a United Nations effort to "harmonize" gun laws internationally, which is certainly something we must be watching. But GATT has nothing to do with that. ======================================================================== Copyright 1994 by Neal Knox Associates P.O. Box 6537 Rockville, MD 20916. Reproduction and distribution of this bulletin by any means is encouraged so long as this statement is retained. ======================================================================== Do not put your credit card number in e-mail. ======================================================================== Dear Neal, I use the information you provide to protect my gun rights. Enclosed is my contribution so that you can continue your work: $500 [ ] $250 [ ] $50 [ ] $25 [ ] Other:____ [ ] Bill my MasterCard [ ] Visa [ ] Quarterly [ ]; Monthly [ ]; Once [ ] Card No. ______________________ Expiration Date _____ Mr. [ ] Mrs.[ ]______________________________ Signature ______________________ Ms. [ ] Address __________________________________________ Phone _______________ City _____________________________________________ State ____ Zip_______ Email Address ______________________ Print and mail to: Firearms Coalition Box 6537 Silver Spring, MD 20916 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBLxITLCGz4I2lBJDFAQHGBAP/T4ndHkfBgo/vLYodVBLWfIPH3beSlvle Qsdm4NHQGaY58Fi0evmQ5kIN3Lx6y6qk4I8xtC29iarQHm/Uo4JrAX3n8roB3mKE l+F3saZSCln7QzXYEqA5mjKs8Nt5KYzFNvBEoNn2Z5JcKEqy8mDx36gXONXEPDNL ltrg1yHlQww= =iA7w -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- To receive the Online Firearms Coalition Bulletin send mail to listproc@mainstream.com containing in the message body: subscribe fco