From: owner-utah-firearms-digest@lists.xmission.com (utah-firearms-digest) To: utah-firearms-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: utah-firearms-digest V2 #94 Reply-To: utah-firearms-digest Sender: owner-utah-firearms-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-utah-firearms-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk utah-firearms-digest Monday, August 10 1998 Volume 02 : Number 094 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 05 Aug 1998 14:12:54 -0600 From: "David Sagers" Subject: Fwd: Head's Up - Intellectual Ammo Received: from wvc ([204.246.130.34]) by icarus.ci.west-valley.ut.us; Wed, 05 Aug 1998 13:22:16 -0600 Received: from fs1.mainstream.net by wvc (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id NAA05007; Wed, 5 Aug 1998 13:11:12 -0600 Received: (from smap@localhost) by fs1.mainstream.net (8.8.8/8.7.3) id PAA25035; Wed, 5 Aug 1998 15:20:09 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 15:20:09 -0400 (EDT) Received: from localhost(127.0.0.1) by fs1.mainstream.net via smap (V1.3) id sma024787; Wed Aug 5 15:18:23 1998 Message-Id: <35C88ECC.218E@tidalwave.net> Errors-To: listproc@mainstream.com Reply-To: globallaw@tidalwave.net Originator: noban@mainstream.net Sender: noban@Mainstream.net Precedence: bulk From: globallaw@tidalwave.net To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Head's Up - Intellectual Ammo X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0 -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Comment: Anti-Gun-Ban list Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline Heads Up Shooters. This just in. =20 Without a doubt, anti-RKBA types are going to stroke this school and Capitol Hill thing, as they have for any incident they wished to exploit to get rid of that pesky Second Amendment. Nestled within the newsprint is the name Lois Fingerhut, the author of a series of studies on youth violence. I have not read her reports in depth, but a quick MetaSearch pulled up some references. =20 At first blush, it appears that she is a favorite of the Anti-gunners. Please take a look at the stuff below and get ready for some LTE's. Note: the two last citations are Must Reads -> Great Intellectual Ammo! [Re: Original Intent and Anti-RKBA methods of attacking the RKBA] Semper Fi, Rick V. Yahoo! News - Top Stories Headlines=20 Tuesday August 4 6:41 PM EDT=20 Experts issue mixed report card on violence in U.S. By Michael Conlon=20 CHICAGO (Reuters) - Experts issued a mixed report card on violence in the United States Tuesday: Fewer young people are being murdered but domestic violence involving attacks on women may be worse than recognized.=20 "Homicide rates have recently begun declining among persons 15 through 24 years old, the age group where rates have been the highest and in which the most rapid increase ... from 1987 through 1991 was experienced," said one report from the National Center for Health Statistics.=20 The drops involve both firearm and non-firearm homicides, are taking place in both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas among white and black males and females, it added.=20 "While the data shows a decline in homicide rates for young adults and adolescents in every subgroup studied, there is a significant decline for 15- to 24-year-old black males, a group for which homicide continues to be the No. 1 leading cause of death," the report said.=20 [article snipped for brevity] The study was one of several published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, an issue devoted to various forms of violence.=20 Lois Fingerhut, a lead author of the study, said that while the research focused on statistics and not causes, law enforcement officials and others have cited a number of reasons for the dropping homicide rates.=20 "They've credited changes in the judicial system, higher incarceration rates, changing drug markets and the stabilization of them and a lot of community activism with people getting tired of violence and working to take back their neighborhoods," she told Reuters.=20 [What? No credit for Right-to-Carry reform?] Asked if those opposed to further gun control efforts would cite the report and others showing crime declines in some major cities as proving that no additional restrictions are needed, she said "that is a danger."=20= "But one of the key messages I want people to take home is that this is no time for complacency. Our efforts need to be redoubled. The (homicide) rates are not nearly as low as they were in 1987," she said.=20 The study found that between 1993 and 1995 firearm homicide rates in the 15 to 24 age group declined an average of 8 percent per year in the biggest metropolitan areas and by more than 15 percent in medium metropolitan areas.=20 "Provisional data for 1996 and 1997 indicate that the national declines in homicide are continuing," it said. "Firearms continue to be the mechanism with which most homicides are committed, with the proportion of homicides resulting from the use of firearms increasing from 66 percent in 1985 to 84 percent of all homicides in 1995."=20 http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/top_stories/story.html?s=3Dz/reuters/9= 80804/news/stories/violence_2.html > University of Toronto holdings:=20 [Say..wasn't Reno just talking about Toronto?] Fingerhut, Lois A. "International and Interstate Comparisons of Homicide Among Young Males." JAMA 263 (June 1990): 3292-5. BMES Fingerhut, Lois A. "Homicide Among Adolescents in the United States." JAMA 266 (Oct 1991): 2223. BMES http://library.utoronto.ca/www/libraries_crim/juvhom.htm Violence Policy Center [Anti-RKBA] Favorites: Fingerhut, Lois, MA and Joel C. Kleinman, PhD, "International and Interstate Comparisons of Homicide Among Young Males," JAMA, June 27, 1990, Vol. 263, No. 24. Fingerhut, Lois, MA, et al, "Firearm and Nonfirearm homicide Among Persons 15 Through 19 Years of Age: Differences by Level of Urbanization, United States, 1979 Through 1989," JAMA, June 10, 1992, Vol. 267, No. 22. [...and our old buddy Kellermann...] Kellermann, Arthur L. and Roberta K. Lee et al, "The Epidemiological Basis for the Prevention of Firearm Injuries," Annual Review of Public Health, Vol. 12, 1991, pp. 17-40. http://www.vpc.org/ytopic.htm Beacons of Hope: New York City's School-Based Community Centers. Series: NIJ Program Focus Published: January 1996=20 - - Daniel McGillis (cites to Fingerhut study) http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/beacons.txt ACHTUNG!! [THESE ARE MUST READ(S)!!!] UNDER FIRE: THE NEW CONSENSUS ON THE SECOND AMENDMENT=20 Randy E. Barnett, Don B. Kates =20 http://www.2ndlawlib.org/journals/bk-ufire.html THE FEDERAL FACTOID FACTORY ON FIREARMS AND VIOLENCE: A Review of CDC Research and Politics, Blackman, NRA-ILA 1994 "From proving that firearms exist and are sometimes misused, the CDC=20 regularly presumes that any and all restrictions on firearms -- self- or government-imposed -- would benefit individuals and society. To enhance that conclusion, the CDC produces research showing bad things associated with firearms, based on a fairly open anti-gun bias (Blackman, 1990:2-4): "The Public Health Service [parent agency of the CDC] has targeted violence as a priority concern....There is a separate objective to reduce the number of handguns in private ownership...." (Fingerhut and Kleinman, 1989:6)=20 http://www.nra.org/pub/ila/95-09-23_federal_factoid_factory_on_firearms_and= _violence - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 06 Aug 1998 13:43:30 -0600 From: Will Thompson Subject: Janet, part of "the most ethical administration in histroy" From UPI.... The House panel probing campaign fund raising has voted to hold Attorney General Janet Reno in contempt of Congress.The vote was 24-19, along party lines. Reno has refused to give Burton memos including one from FBI Director Louis Freeh that urge her to recommend an independent counsel investigate alleged fund-raising abuses. - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 06 Aug 1998 15:05:32 -0600 From: Will Thompson Subject: Or was that "parts of the constitution"? After swearing to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States..... Thursday August 6 1:50 PM EDT Clinton: Gun waiting period should stay WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 (UPI) - President Clinton is warning Congress he will oppose ``any legislation that would gut the Brady law,'' the anti- handgun law named for former press secretary James Brady. In the Rose Garden today, with Brady once again at his side, Clinton called for making permanent the waiting period, which expires at the end of November, and vowed, ``I will oppose any legislation that would gut the Brady law and put guns back into the hands of felons and fugitives when we can prevent it.'' Clinton is supporting legislation that would require a minimum three- day waiting period for all handgun purchases and add up to two additional days if needed. With Vice President Al Gore, Attorney General Janet Reno and Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin also on hand, Clinton said the law has obviously worked since taking effect in 1994, preventing some 250,000 handgun purchases. But he said: ``We should resolve to do better. No serious person believes this country is as safe as it ought to be.'' ``We cannot retreat,'' Clinton said. ``Yet...that is precisely what the gun lobby and its allies on Capitol Hill have asked us to do _ to retreat from a law that is keeping guns out of the hands of criminals.'' He was referring to a recent amendment to the Senate Commerce- Justice-State appropriations bill that the White House says would undermine nationwide background checks. Officials say it would prohibit the FBI from charging gun dealers a fee for background checks, without which the bureau would have to skip processing millions of such checks. Clinton has often summoned Brady, and his wife, Sarah, to the White House for appearances on behalf of the legislation, which passed after many attempts following the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan in which Brady was seriously wounded. Rubin said the administration would soon move to expand the law to cover so-called long guns, such as rifles and shotguns, and require background checks for pawn shop customers who redeem their own firearms. Copyright 1998 by United Press International. All rights reserved. - - ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Aug 98 06:32:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: Counterterrorism Fund 1/3 Search down to 2002 Winter Olympics. Do they have a chemical or biological attack scheduled for the 2002 Olympics, or is this a bribe to the University of Utah? - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 06 Aug 1998 19:07:31 -0400 From: "Mark A. Smith" To: SNET , L & J Cc: David Rydel Subject: Counterterrorism Fund 5 August 1998 Excerpted from Senate Report 105-235 July 2, 1998 105th Congress DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1999 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ***** Counterterrorism Fund (including transfer of funds) Appropriations, 1998.................................... $52,700,000 Budget estimate, 1999................................... 61,703,000 Committee recommendation................................ 193,999,000 The Committee recommends $193,999,000 for the ``Counterterrorism fund'' account which was established in Public Law 104-19, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Additional Disaster Assistance, for Anti-Terrorism Initiatives, for Assistance in the Recovery from the Tragedy that Occurred at Oklahoma City, and Rescissions Act, 1995. The recommendation provides $132,296,000 more than the request and $141,299,000 above the 1998 appropriation. This fund is under the control and direction of the Attorney General to: (1) cover the costs incurred in reestablishing the operational capability of an office or facility which has been damaged or destroyed as a result of any domestic or international terrorist incident; (2) the costs of providing support to counter, investigate, or prosecute domestic or international terrorism, including payment of rewards in connection with these activities; (3) the costs of conducting a terrorism threat assessment of Federal agencies and their facilities; (4) the costs associated with ensuring the continuance of essential Government functions during a time of emergency; and (5) the costs for activities related to the protection of the Nation's critical infrastructure. Counterterrorism initiative.--The administration is starting to realize the threat of terrorists using considerable destructive power on individuals, institutions, and facilities. The Committee is especially concerned with the threat of chemical and biological weapons. The requirements placed upon officials from Federal, State, city, and community agencies are complicated and in many cases unfunded. Most Federal, State, city, and community agencies do not have civil response assets needed to address such a threat or event. These assets include the equipment and training needed to address the demands of terrorist threats or events. The Committee also recognizes that domestic disaster relief is part of each State's responsibility for public safety. The Committee's goals include providing States with an improved ability to respond to terrorist threats or events. This includes training and equipping the first responder who will respond within 1 hour of a threat or event. The Committee is also aware of the State's rapid assessment and initial detection [RAID] elements that are expected to arrive within 6 to 8 hours after an event has occurred. They will assist in confirming the nature of an attack. However, the use of weapons of mass destruction [WMD] could create a situation which is outside the response capabilities of local law enforcement. The role of the Department of Justice is to manage crises that are caused by domestic terrorists. This includes the ability to prevent or resolve an act of terrorism. The fiscal year 1998 conference report directed the Attorney General to develop a 5-year interdepartmental counterterrorism and technology crime plan. The plan covers a broad range of topics encompassing the Nation's efforts to prevent and deter terrorist attacks, as well as manage a crisis created by a terrorist incident. It is to serve as a baseline strategy for coordination of national policy and operational capabilities to combat terrorism. This effort is in accord with Presidential Decision Directive 62. The final plan is due no later than December 31, 1998. Last year, the conferees provided $1,000,000 for the preparation of this plan. On March 3, 1998, the Department provided an initial prospectus outlining the basic topics to be considered in the course of developing the plan with estimated time lines and major milestones for completion of the plan. The prospectus outlines a comprehensive strategy which covers the prevention of, and the reaction to, terrorist events both inside and outside the United States. It also addresses the safeguarding of our information infrastructure and the research and development of critical technologies used in combating terrorism. The goal of the Committee is to create a coordinated posture with respect to our national efforts to combat terrorism. The Committee understands that working groups have been developing specific 5-year objectives to be included in a draft plan. The subject area of these recommendations include: prevention and deterrence; crisis management; consequence management; cyberterrorism; critical technologies; and research and development. The Committee expects field meetings be held to refine the draft plan. The purpose of these meetings is to consult with State and local authorities and interested members of the academic community to obtain input for the plan. The Committee continues to emphasize the importance of input and consultation from State and local authorities, and the academic and private sectors. In consultation with the Office of Management and Budget [OMB], the Coordinating Subgroup on Counterterrorism and key agencies, a final plan should be completed by November 31, 1998. The plan should be presented to the Attorney General for approval and submitted to the appropriate committees no later than December 31, 1998. The Committee looks forward to submission of a comprehensive final product that will serve as a baseline strategy and budget document for coordination of national policy and operational capabilities to combat terrorism. - - ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Aug 98 06:32:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: Counterterrorism Fund 2/3 The Committee commends the Attorney General for her efforts in this process. However, the Committee is concerned with the burdensome process that has been created. The Department has given direct roles to the following agencies: Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Security Agency, Public Health Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Aviation Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, General Services Administration, U.S. Information Agency, Department of Transportation, and Department of Commerce. While many of these agencies have a significant role to play, others do not. It has been estimated that 20 different agencies are involved. As a result, information has been leaked to the media and the process has become burdensome. The Committee urges the Attorney General to conduct an immediate review of the process and in consultation with the Appropriations Committees make appropriate changes. Also, the Committee expects the final plan will contain budget data appropriate for inclusion in the fiscal year 2000 appropriations bills. To advance this effort the Committee recommendation includes language which allows the Attorney General to better manage and coordinate the funding requirements needed for crisis management. Improving State and local response capabilities.--The Committee recommendation includes $197,000,000 within the counterterrorism fund to enable the Office of Justice Programs [OJP] to expand first responder training and equipment program activities. The grant funds available in this program will be targeted to the 157 largest cities and localities in the United States, as well as States. These first responders will be designated by the appropriate local governments. The Committee notes the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium was designed to address and sustain comprehensive and coordinated efforts to respond to incidents of terrorism. This will be done through certification programs, technical assistance, distance learning, test and evaluation, and realistic confidence building exercises based on threat-driven scenarios. The goal of the consortium is to provide a threat responsive, long-term national capability. This capability will be attained through weapons of mass destruction [WMD] emergency first responder training, test, and exercise programs. The consortium should concentrate on using its existing training facilities and staff. This collaborative effort is intended to achieve the most immediate enhancement of local, State, and Federal emergency first responders and emergency management agencies nationwide. The consortium members include the National Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; the National Center for Bio-Med Research and Training, Louisiana State University; the Center for Domestic Preparedness, Fort McClellan, AL; the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center, Texas A&M University; and the National Exercise, Test, and Training Center, Nevada test site. The Committee is aware of and supportive of OJP's administration of this program. This program includes an equipment purchasing program and two training programs. It will address the unmet needs of our Nation's first responders by providing equipment and training to efficiently and safely respond to incidents of terrorism, including those involving nuclear, biological, and chemical agents; explosive devices; and other weapons of mass destruction. OJP expects to accomplish the following activities by the close of fiscal year 1998: (1) offer the first responder basic concepts course to over 74,000 firefighters and emergency medical services personnel in 120 jurisdictions nationwide; (2) award equipment grants, totaling $12,000,000, to 46 State and local first responder agencies for the purpose of outfitting these agencies with basic protective gear and equipment; (3) establish the State and local training center for first responders at Fort McClellan, AL; and (4) award a $2,000,000 grant to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology for the development of a curriculum to train local law enforcement personnel to respond to incidents of terrorism. The Committee recommends the following program increases for fiscal year 1999: - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 1999 budget Committee appropriation estimate recommendation - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Metropolitan medical strike teams training and equipment.... ............... $9,000,000 $5,000,000 Establishment of a Local Law Enforcement Training Program... ............... 7,000,000 7,000,000 Expansion of the equipment acquisition program.............. $12,000,000 73,500,000 95,000,000 Administration.......................................... ............... ............... (2,000,000) Implementation of situational exercises..................... ............... ............... 10,000,000 Technical assistance/national needs assessment.............. ............... 10,000,000 10,000,000 For consortium members: Center for Domestic Preparedness, Fort McClellan, AL.... 2,000,000 5,000,000 12,000,000 National Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.. 2,000,000 ............... 2,500,000 National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center, Texas A&M University................................... ............... ............... 2,500,000 National Exercise, Test and Training Center, Nevada test site................................................... ............... ............... 2,500,000 National Center for Bio-Med Research and Training, Louisiana State University............................. ............... ............... 2,500,000 State and local detection/bomb technician equipment......... ............... 49,000,000 23,000,000 Municipal fire and emergency services....................... ............... ............... 25,000,000 - - ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Aug 98 06:32:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: Counterterrorism Fund 3/3 Should the funds be available in the Department of Justice working capital fund, the Committee directs the Attorney General to provide $23,000,000 for State and local detection/ bomb technician equipment. The Committee finds that the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs [OJP] currently does not have a plan to develop simulations of complex, nonlinear phenomena, such as dispersion and deposition of chemical or biological aerosols for the 2002 Winter Olympics. The Committee directs the Department to explore this possibility, employing the services of the University of Utah which is the Nation's lead institution in the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Computer Graphics. The Committee also notes that the Department of Defense is expected to commit additional funding for this counterterrism effort in fiscal year 1999 pursuant to the Nunn-Lugar-Domenici Program authorized in Public Law 104-201. Improving municipal fire and emergency services.--The Committee recommendation includes $25,000,000 to improve municipal fire and emergency services. This new program will ensure municipal fire and emergency services departments are provided with appropriate equipment necessary to respond to incidents of terrorism involving the release of chemical, biological, and radiological agents, as well as improvised or manufactured explosive devices. The Committee recommendation includes $17,000,000 for grants of equipment directly to local fire departments, hazardous materials response teams, and emergency medical service agencies, and $8,000,000 for grants for interoperable radio equipment to local emergency response agencies. The Committee's recommendation also includes $7,000,000 for grants to firefighters and emergency service personnel within the ``Justice assistance'' account. Topoff exercise.--The Committee commends the administration for its efforts to enhance our ability to prevent and respond to chemical, biological, and cyberweapon attacks. The Committee is aware that numerous exercises are conducted each year to practice operations in the event of a terrorist incident. The Committee understands that few of the top officials of agencies have ever fully participated in these exercises. The Committee directs that an exercise be conducted in fiscal year 1999 with the participation of all key personnel who would participate in the consequence management of such an actual terrorist event. The decision on what type of simulated attack should be based upon the ability to best address one of these three threats. This exercise should be cochaired and administered without notice by the Attorney General and the Administrator of FEMA and coordinated with the National Security Council. Cyberterrorism.--The Committee understands that today our U.S. economy and even our continuing national security is heavily reliant on a vast array of interdependent and critical infrastructures. The Report of the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection in October 1997 and Presidential Decision Directive No. 63, released in May 1998, call for an unprecedented level of cooperation among U.S. Federal law enforcement agencies, national security entities and the private sector owners and operators to reduce the threat of information age crime, terrorism and possibility of a cyber attack. The Committee strongly encourages and expects all Federal agencies to cooperate to the full extent of their authorities and expertise in the response planning, prevention, detection, deterrence, and elimination of vulnerabilities to these critical infrastructures. The Committee further encourages all Federal entities to ensure that resources required to protect critical infrastructures and pursue information age criminals and terrorists are given a high priority within respective programs and initiatives. Today, the potential for an Internet crime wave is staggering. Programs are available which provide marginally skilled people with the tools to threaten national security. These efforts can be contained by simple methods. The Committee urges the FBI to provide guidelines for all agencies within the Department. These guidelines should include the enforcement of strict password policies, employment of firewalls between agency networks and the outside world, the use of encryption, and the reporting of break-ins. Presidential Decision Directive 63 [PDD-63].--The Committee supports PDD-63 in its efforts to address threats to physical and cyberbased critical infrastructure. The Committee notes the requirement by PDD-63 that the Department develop a plan for protecting its own critical infrastructure, including but not limited to its cyberbased systems. This plan should be provided to the Committee no later than August 31, 1998. In addition to this plan the Committee directs the Department to include the necessary legislative authorities and fiscal year 2000 budgetary priorities necessary to begin implementing this plan. National Infrastructure Protection Center [NIPC].--The Committee recommendation includes $26,984,000 for the National Infrastructure Protection Center. The recommendation does not include $6,619,000 for other infrastructure protection projects. Should the funds be available in the Department of Justice working capital fund, the Committee directs the Attorney General to provide $7,985,000 for the National Infrastructure Protection Center [NIPC]. Continuation of operations [COOP]/continuity of government [COG].--The Committee recommendation includes $1,000,000 for the continuation of operations/continuity of government for an alternate crisis management/relocation facility to carry on essential Department of Justice functions in the event the Department, or one of its components, is denied access to its facility for various reasons, such as a terrorist act. The recommendation is $2,100,000 less than the fiscal year 1999 request due to updated funding requirements. The Committee is aware that there are carryover balances from fiscal years 1997 and 1998 in excess of $50,000,000. This amount is adequate to fund the statutory provisions provided in fiscal years 1997-98 counterterrorism fund. The Committee directs the Department of Justice to continue to notify the House and Senate Appropriations Committees prior to obligations of funds. ***** Cybercrime.--Traffic on the Internet continues to rise, yet security controls remain totally inadequate. As a result, the information superhighway has become an avenue for embezzlement, fraud, theft, sabotage, espionage, hate crimes, and pornography. Within available resources and manpower ceilings, the Committee recommendation provides $3,630,000 (and 18 full- time equivalents) for cybercrime prosecutions. - - ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Aug 98 19:27:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: "Anti-Brady" amendment - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 07 Aug 1998 15:33:46 -0400 From: "Jeff S." To: militia@maple.cns.net Subject: Michigan Militia Corps' Weekly Update (5-25) The Michigan Militia Corps' WEEKLY UPDATE **Internet Edition** Volume 5 Issue 25 Week of July 20, 1998 [Other articles snipped] Hats off to GOA members and activists for their tremendous efforts! By Gun Owners of America http://www.gunowners.org (Wednesday, July 22, 1998) As we told you to expect, Sen. Bob Smith (R-NH) introduced his "Anti-Brady" amendment as a rider to the StateJustice-Commerce Appropriations bill (S. 2260) yesterday. The amendment passed overwhelmingly, and, unless it's stripped out in a conference committee, the amendment should become law later this year! The Smith amendment would do three things. As explained by Smith himself yesterday: Stated simply, my legislation will put a stop to the FBI's plan to keep records of private identifying information on law-abiding citizens who buy guns. . . . Why would we want the FBI to maintain a file on a law-abiding gun owner who did nothing [except] exercise his constitutional right to own a gun? They want 18 months to keep these files. I don't want 18 seconds. I want these files destroyed immediately. That is point one in my amendment. . . . Secondly, the amendment prevents the FBI from imposing a tax on these people. Thirdly, it allows a person to go to court if the FBI does that. We have seen abuses by the FBI. We have seen files held in the White House. Do you want this to go on? That is what this issue is about. That is what my amendment is about. Members and activists of Gun Owners of America deserve a lot of credit for this victory. Smith's staff has told GOA that during the past month, they have seen boxes of postcards come in to the Senate in favor of his amendment. Your other contacts were also helpful in overcoming some institutional opposition in the Senate. High-level Senate sources reported that NRA lobbyists were "camped out" in the Senate cloakroom, pushing an alternative to the Smith amendment. They were concerned that Smith's amendment was too tough and that it didn't have enough votes to pass. But despite these objections, your grassroots efforts prevailed! Indeed, Senator Smith's amendment is tougher than other bills that try to stop the FBI from registering gun owners. Smith's proviso actually allows individuals to "punish" the FBI by suing them for any infringement of privacy (i.e., gun owner registration), and then recover all the attorney's fees that one spends on the lawsuit. Strange coalition forms to back Smith amendment Sen. Smith's amendment would, obviously, benefit gun owners first and foremost. But Sen. Smith also appealed to those Democrats who were interested in the issue of privacy. "This is more than a gun issue," he told his colleagues. "This is a privacy issue [as well]." The privacy issue can often cut across party lines. Some liberal, Democratic Senators voted with Smith purely because of the privacy implications. And thus, Smith was able to garner a filibuster-proof and veto-proof majority. To make matters simpler, we have listed the 31 "bad" Senators who voted AGAINST Smith: Akaka (HI), Kohl (WI) Biden (DE), Landrieu (LA), Boxer (CA), Lautenberg (NJ) Bryan (NV), Levin (MI), Bumpers (AR), Lieberman (CT), Byrd (WV), Mikulski (MD), Cleland (GA), Moseley-Braun (IL), Dodd (CT), Moynihan (NY) Durbin (IL), Reed (RI), Feinstein (CA), Robb (VA), Ford (KY), Sarbanes (MD), Glenn (OH), Torricelli (NJ), Graham (FL), Wellstone (MN), Harkin (IA), Wyden (OR), Inouye (HI), Kennedy (MA), Kerry (MA) Fight moves to the House The House version of the Commerce-State-Justice appropriation bill will be coming up for a vote soon. GOA will keep you updated on our efforts to attach a Smith-type amendment on the House bill. Doing so would help guarantee that a HouseSenate conference committee will not strip the amendment from the bill. *** If you would like to submit an editorial, commentary, or news story from your perspective on something you have been keeping an eye on, please e-mail it to update@militia.gen.mi.us and it will be evaluated for entrance. Thanks. To subscribe to the Weekly Update, put out weekly by Michigan Militia Corps 5th Division command, simply send a message to majordom@lists.cns.net with the phrase "subscribe militia" in the BODY of the message. The Weekly Update is archived at the Michigan Militia Corps web page at: http://militia.gen.mi.us Jeff S. 15th Brigade: Kent county 5th Division Michigan Militia Corps - - ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 08 Aug 98 08:16:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: Projections on Y2K - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 06 Aug 1998 22:22:16 -0700 From: Mike Lamb To: Liberty-and-Justice@mailbox.by.net Subject: Projections on Y2K Had to pass this post along to you'all. The last paragraph is quite amusing. Best, Mike Lamb ========================================= Subject: More Valid Y2K projections Date: Thu, 06 Aug 1998 15:13:37 GMT From: edhill@bellsouth.net Organization: Deja News - The Leader in Internet Discussion Newsgroups: misc.survivalism Compadres, Another very good post from AR-15 mailing list with good Y2K technical info and an amusing last line. Ed Hill, Atlanta Date: Wed, 05 Aug 1998 21:28:43 -0700 From: James Rogers Subject: [AR15-L] Y2K.... First off, I am a senior software engineer in Silicon Valley and am very familiar with these issues. There are a lot of aspects of Y2K that a lot of people on this list don't seem to be comprehending. First is that the primary effects of a Y2K failure are *not* the most destructive. The problem is the secondary effects. By secondary effects, I am talking about the impact on the systems that depend on the smaller number of systems that fail. Here is an example: All checks in the U.S. banking system go through one of seven automated clearing houses that run 24/7. If any one of these mainframes goes down for more than a single hour, the entire bank checking system will be unrecoverable due to the volume. Now imagine what it would do to the banks if the entire check clearinghouse systems collapsed in an unrecoverable manner. But not to worry, the U.S. banking software will most likely be Y2K compliant, I am told by my friends who happen to be working on the problem. Unfortunately, most of the European systems and the majority of Asian banking systems will *not* be ready. The reason this is especially bad is that a Y2K failure at a European or Asian bank will very likely cause a secondary failure in the U.S. banking software because all the banks are interconnected and interdependent on each other's data. The U.S. banks are extremely concerned about this but there is little they can do. Now apply this example to your industry of choice. A very small number of failures will topple the house of cards. And because this is a data and software issue, it can affect *all* computers, not just mainframes. Remember earlier this year when a software bug in two Cisco routers killed 40% of the U.S. data network capacity for a day? ATMs stopped working, banks lost their computer capability, and businesses were unable to conduct transactions. And it only required a software failure on two machines. For the record, the so-called "Great Geek Migration" is a real phenomenon. Based on my personal experience, I would estimate that 10% of the software engineers in Silicon Valley are looking at serious bugout/survival preparation. It is considered no joke here. While no one knows what will happen (many system failures *will* occur but the amount of damage is pure speculation), enough people here are risk averse enough to make preparations. And don't even get me started on the possibility of "work camp internment" by FEMA as allowed by EO. At best things will be uncomfortable for a while. It does warm the heart, though, to have left-wing, grass-eating, gun hating co-workers asking me for advice on the purchase of their first gun in preparation for Y2K. I guess the RKBA wasn't important to them until it was their ass on the line... -James Rogers jamesr@best.com - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Aug 98 07:44:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: Forbidden Words Forbidden Words http://www.fatalblindness.com August 9, 1998 Fulton Huxtable Here is something you may not know. If you don't, you are not alone, since most Americans appear to be completely unaware of it. And the reason most do not know it is that the media hasn't provided the details. What is "it"? The fact that legislation recently passed the House that would forbid you to use certain words, during the 60-day period prior to a general election, in any "type of general public communication." It would be illegal for you to engage in "a communication that advocates the election or defeat of a candidate by-(i) containing a phrase such as `vote for', `re-elect', `support', `cast your ballot for', `(name of candidate) for Congress', (name of candidate) in 1997', `vote against', `defeat', `reject' or a campaign slogan or words that in context can have no reasonable meaning other than to advocate the election or defeat of 1 or more clearly identified candidates;" (Title II, Sec. 201 (b) (20) (A). Welcome to the hoped-for, totalitarian world of the Shays-Meehan bill, pleasingly touted to the public as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. This Act does not stop with merely banning the use of certain words in any public forum, during the 60 days before a general election, it makes a sweeping ban of "...a communication that advocates the election or defeat of a candidate by-(iii) expressing unmistakable or unambiguous support for or opposition to 1 or more clearly identified candidates when taken as a whole and with limited reference to external events, such as proximity to an election." (Title II, Sec. 201 (b) (20) (A) (iii)). If this legislation is signed into law it will bring widespread, forcible suppression of freedom of expression, suddenly putting into high gear what has, so far, been a slow-motion death march toward totalitarian rule in America. Even though statists claim that these restrictions would only apply to ads coming from such groups as the Sierra Club or the NRA, consider the possibilities which will be offered to statists and the power they will have against anyone who opposes them. With the power to ban any "...communication.expressing unmistakable and unambiguous support...," logic, as logic always does, will drive statists to take this to its ultimate conclusion. Just what might be the target of statist regulators? Anything and everything: every means of communication would eventually become subject to regulation. How about your web site? It certainly is a means of communication. How about your postings to an online discussion forum or newsgroup? Yep, this would qualify as communication. What if you have a list of individuals to whom you e-mail political messages? This, too, would be a communication. In fact, virtually any form of public expression, anything you might say for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election-a letter to the editor of a newspaper, a telephone call to a talk radio show or a speech given to a group of individuals-would be banned during the 60 days prior to a general election. This legislation would also mean that for the 60 days prior to a general election, no newspaper, magazine or any other publication could issue an editorial either for or against a candidate. Talk radio show hosts, such as Rush Limbaugh, would effectively be silenced for 60 days. There would essentially be no public utterances for or against candidates during 60 days of suppression, except, of course, for the candidates themselves, their political parties and their representatives. According to news reports, the Shays-Meehan bill is given little chance of passing the Senate, but there are only a half-a-dozen or so Senators standing in the way of its passage-that is how close America is to taking one, gigantic step closer to full-blown totalitarianism. What if there are a few changes in the makeup of the Senate in the coming, November elections, changes that alter the philosophic mix of the Senate, making it even more statist than it is now? What if those now standing in the way of the passage of Shays-Meehan are no longer in office? Given the penchant of most Americans to only judge legislation by its cover and the unconscionable editorial support it has received from most newspapers, most will rally around this Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act and will only discover the meaning of their act of support after it is too late. Once statists succeed in establishing censorship for 60 days prior to elections, the collapse of freedom will accelerate with startling swiftness. Statists will soon claim that 60 days isn't long enough, that these restrictions on speech need to be extended and they will call for these extensions during the 60 days of silence, when no one can effectively speak out against them, when only statist politicians can speak and run their ads to influence opinion-and they will get that extension, one that will go to 120 days, then to a year before any election, then to a total ban on public expression for or against a candidate. I have repeatedly warned that America will quickly collapse into complete totalitarian rule shortly after freedom of speech is sharply restricted-and we are now within sight of such restrictions on speech being imposed in the very near future. It could only be a year or two away, or it could be longer-or, if enough act now, it will never happen. (If you are relying on the Supreme Court to save the First Amendment, don't bet your life on it. For decades, the Supreme Court has been sanctioning the nibbling away of the First Amendment.) The passage in the House of the Shays-Meehan bill should be a wake-up call to anyone who values his freedom. The alarm bells should be ringing. There should be a storm of protests. Alarmingly, there are no alarms and no storms of protest-at least, not yet. While you still have the freedom to do so, you had better act now, speak out while you still have the freedom to do so. If you don't, statists will eventually see to it that your voluntary silence now will become involuntary silence in the future. Fulton Huxtable August 9, 1998 Rose Bowen Prophetic Secrets and the New World Order Will they affect your life??? http://www.sayhello.com/secrets - - ------------------------------ End of utah-firearms-digest V2 #94 **********************************