From: <info@nraila.org>
To: <rharrold@harrold.org>
Subject: NRA-ILA FAX Alert   Vol. 9, No. 21     5/24/02
Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 12:28:12 -0400
Message-ID: <786001c20409$29c183c0$3702b7ce@lenny>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Thread-Index: AcIECSnBI/7Bfrl5RV6MVA//6waLzQ==
Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message

MAGAW & MINETA SAY "NO" TO ARMED PILOTS

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Undersecretary John Magaw =
-- who headed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (BATF) during =
the Clinton/Gore Administration -- proclaimed on Tuesday that he would =
not allow properly trained commercial airline pilots or any other flight =
deck crew to have access to firearms as a last line of defense against =
terrorist hijackers.  Magaw, who has been supported in his stance =
against arming pilots by Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary =
Norman Mineta (a former California Congressman who received an "F" from =
NRA when he last sought re-election), told the Senate Aviation =
Subcommittee, "Pilots need to concentrate on flying the plane," then =
made it clear his position was that only federal air marshals could be =
trusted with firearms aboard commercial aircraft.  While the general =
public overwhelmingly supports the idea of armed pilots, and the vast =
majority of pilots support the idea, it seems the major airlines are =
opposed to the concept.  The airlines have exerted the necessary =
pressure on the DOT to oppose arming pilots, despite the more than 5,000 =
favorable comments reportedly received by the FAA in evaluating the =
issue.

     Contact Secretary Mineta and Undersecretary Magaw and remind them =
that, just as we trust pilots to be able to fly complicated aircraft, we =
can trust them to be able to use a firearm as a last line of defense =
against terrorist hijackers.  Also remind them that poll after poll =
shows the general public also trusts airline pilots with firearms in the =
cockpit.  You can contact both the DOT and TSA using the same mailing =
address: 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, DC, 20590.  E-mail can be =
sent to the DOT at dot.comments@ost.dot.gov, and to the TSA at =
9-AWA-TELLFAA@faa.gov.

     In addition, there are two bills in Congress that would provide for =
the arming of properly trained flight deck crew.  H.R. 4635 introduced =
by U.S. Representatives John Mica (R-Fla.) and Don Young (R-Alas.) has =
31 co-sponsors, and is gaining support.  S. 2554 was introduced =
yesterday by U.S. Senator Bob Smith (R-N.H.), and already has five =
co-sponsors.  The Senate bill would also provide self defense training =
for flight attendants, and is likely to gain their support.   Please =
contact your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121 and your U.S. =
Representative at (202) 225-3121, and urge them to co-sponsor these =
bills.  Those on the Internet can find additional contact information by =
using our "Write Your Reps" tool at NRAILA.org. =20

REPRESENTATIVE DINGELL PUSHES FOR NICS REFORM

Last week, U.S. Representatives John Dingell (D-Mich.) and Carolyn =
McCarthy (D-N.Y.) introduced H.R. 4757.  And while a bill with Carolyn =
McCarthy`s name on it is usually bad news for gun owners, this one would =
actually take positive, corrective steps to improve the ailing National =
Instant Check System (NICS).  H.R. 4757 seeks to improve the operation =
of NICS by pressuring all 50 states to ensure NICS has instant access to =
the records of individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm.

     Unfortunately, some within the anti-gun community, including =
members of the media, are misclassifying this legislation as an =
expansion of gun control.  However, as Rep. McCarthy told the Los =
Angeles Times, "Basically, we`re just going to enforce the current gun =
laws."  The agenda of those who misidentify this legislation as =
"something of an expansion," such as Kristen Rand of the extremist =
Violence Policy Center, is unclear, but some may be doing so in an =
attempt to harm Representative Dingell`s reelection campaign by trying =
to weaken support for him among gun owners.  In fact, it is because of =
Rep. Dingell`s involvement with the shaping of this legislation that it =
became a positive, productive measure.

     Regardless of how the anti-gun community wishes to try to spin H.R. =
4757, the bill should help to improve NICS performance.  By making sure =
the system has instant access to any relevant and legally permissible =
records necessary to determine if an individual is prohibited from =
possessing a firearm, law-abiding gun purchasers should experience fewer =
delays, while firearms can be successfully denied to violent criminals =
and those adjudicated mentally incompetent.

PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS...

On Tuesday, voters in Arkansas`s Republican primary chose U.S. Senator =
Tim Hutchinson as the Republican Party`s candidate for the U.S. Senate =
in the November election.  Senator Hutchinson, who received the NRA =
Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) endorsement in this primary race, =
defeated his opponent by a margin greater than 3-to-1.  In Pennsylvania, =
U.S. Representative John Murtha easily defeated fellow Representative =
Frank Mascara in Tuesday`s Democratic primary for Pennsylvania`s 12th =
Congressional District.  Mascara chose to run against Murtha -- who =
received the NRA-PVF endorsement in this primary -- after redistricting =
effectively eliminated Pennsylvania`s 20th Congressional District, which =
Mascara currently serves as Congressman.

     Also in Pennsylvania, former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell defeated =
Pennsylvania`s Auditor General Bob Casey, Jr., in the Democratic =
gubernatorial primary.  Although no official endorsement was made in =
this race, NRA opposed Rendell because of his history of supporting the =
anti-gun agenda.  In 1998, Rendell became one of the pioneers of the =
reckless lawsuit campaign when he began publicly exploring the idea of =
launching a baseless lawsuit against law-abiding members of the firearms =
industry.  This strategy soon became extremely popular among Rendell`s =
fellow anti-gun big city mayors.  And while HCI has hailed Rendell`s =
successful campaign as "a victory for gun control, and a defeat for the =
National Rifle Association," it is more accurately described as an =
example of an extremely deceptive campaign.

     Michael Barnes, president of the gun-ban lobby, claimed on =
Wednesday, "Ed Rendell is to be commended for having the  courage of his =
convictions,`" and proclaimed, "Ed never wavered in his support...."  =
But during his campaign, Rendell repeatedly claimed, "I support the =
Second Amendment and the rights of hunters, and I will not take away the =
guns owned by law-abiding citizens."  Whether or not Rendell will =
actually stand by this statement is doubtful, but he clearly chose to =
distance himself from the anti-gun agenda of HCI.

     Furthermore, the Rendell campaign did everything it could to create =
the false impression that NRA supports his efforts, while saying little =
about the gun-ban agenda.  After Rendell`s anti-gun views began to =
become a major topic of discussion late in the campaign, the former =
Philadelphia Mayor sent out a statewide mailing intended to create the =
false impression he is not anti-gun.  He even went so far as to include =
in his mailing a reprint of a full-page ad NRA placed in The Washington =
Post in January of 1999.

     But the three-year-old ad merely thanked Rendell for finally taking =
up our challenge "to make Philadelphia a model city for Project Exile," =
the proven crime-fighting prosecution model that targets violent gun =
crimes rather than law-abiding gun owners.  Moreover, it took Rendell =
nearly a year to accept our challenge, and then only after it became =
clear the general public widely embraced such programs over the gun-ban =
lobby`s anti-freedom agenda.  Rendell`s seemingly reluctant adoption of =
this NRA-promoted crime fighting tool also came after a number of other =
anti-gun big city mayors followed his lead by filing their own reckless =
lawsuits designed to cripple law-abiding gun makers.

     Rendell`s claim to support the rights of hunters rings rather =
hollow when one looks over "The Rendell Plan to Conserve and Protect =
Pennsylvania`s Environment."  While a conservation plan would seem to be =
an appropriate place to promote hunting -- as hunters are, of course, =
the first real conservationists -- nowhere in the document is hunting =
even vaguely mentioned.

     Ultimately, Rendell was able to deceive the voters in =
Pennsylvania`s Democratic primary into believing he supports law-abiding =
gun owners and hunters, and now HCI ironically wishes to deceive people =
into believing his victory was some sort of validation of the lobby`s =
gun-ban agenda.

...AND INFORMATION ON THE NEXT ROUND OF PRIMARY ELECTIONS

Idaho and Kentucky will hold primary elections this Tuesday, May 28.   =
NRA members in these states should have already received information on =
candidates endorsed by the NRA-Political Victory Fund for the primary =
election, so please be sure to go to the polls and support pro-gun =
candidates for office, and encourage your family, friends, and fellow =
firearm owners to do the same.  NRA members in these states who have not =
received this information can call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at =
(800) 392-8683.

NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS ELECTION WORKSHOPS

In preparation for the upcoming campaign season, NRA-ILA is hosting FREE =
Grassroots-Election Workshops in several areas across the country.  The =
next upcoming event will be in Charleston, West Virginia, on June 1, =
followed by three Workshops in Arkansas -- in Fayetteville on June 4, =
Jonesboro on June 6, and Little Rock on June 8.  Then, there will be two =
held on June 15 -- one in Orlando, Florida, and one in Dearborn, =
Michigan.  At these Workshops, you will learn what you can do in your =
own community to ensure pro-gun candidates are elected to office this =
election season.  NRA members who are interested in attending should =
contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683 for details =
and to reserve their spots.  NRA members who have access to the Internet =
can also reserve their spots on-line by going to =
http://www.nraila.org/WorkShops.asp.

A LOOK AT THE STATES

ARIZONA:

SB 1008, Arizona`s Range Protection bill, was signed into law by =
Governor Jane Dee Hull (R).  The bill provides shooting ranges with a =
defense against civil liability relating to noise disturbances if they =
operate in compliance with the bill`s established standards.  Contact =
Governor Hull at (602) 542-4331 and thank her for recognizing the value =
of protecting community shooting ranges.

NEW JERSEY:

Mark Your Calendars!  The New Jersey Chapter of the Second Amendment =
Sisters will host its Rally and Funfest on Sunday, July 28, from 11:00 =
a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at Nomehegan Park in Cranford (near Kenilworth, off =
the Garden State Parkway).  Be sure to join fellow gun owners and =
sportsmen for a day of music, speakers, paintball, frisbee, a picnic, =
and trap and skeet shooting!  Let`s show our support for this family fun =
day!  Be sure to tell your friends and family about this pro-Second =
Amendment event!  For more information, please contact Marilyn Lapidus =
at (908) 879-9089 or at TheFramer@outdrs.net.

OHIO:

HB 493, a measure to allow Sunday hunting, has been signed into law by =
Governor Bob Taft (R).  Contact Governor Taft at (614) 466-3555 and =
thank him for signing this bill enabling hunters to participate in the =
hunting tradition on Sundays.