From: owner-utah-firearms-digest@lists.xmission.com (utah-firearms-digest) To: utah-firearms-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: utah-firearms-digest V2 #144 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, July 5 1999 Volume 02 : Number 144 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 18:14:57 -0600 From: "S. Thompson" Subject: ALERT! KSL POLL ON HATCH! Do you want "Gun-Grabber" Hatch to be your next president? KSL Poll at http://www.ksl.com/radio/ demands your action! Vote now! - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jun 99 09:12:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: Re: FYI--Fw: Oldies & HCI Talk about a business shooting itself in the foot -- this is one of the most despotic Web sites I have encountered in a while. It is entirely javascript, and absolutely demands a cookie to proceed. Listen to KTKK 630AM rather than these fascists. Scott - ---------- Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 12:36:16 -0600 To: utah-firearms@xmission.com From: charles hardy Subject: FYI--Fw: Oldies & HCI Charles C. Hardy - --------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "David A. Gdog G" Just thought I'd let you know that the radio station "Oldies 94.1" is running commercials from Handgun Control Inc. I can't get through to their web site from work to protest and it is the only computer access I have. I thought maybe you could pass this info along to your E-Mail group. The station's web site is www.oldies941.com. Maybe you could get through and find an E-mail address and let us know. Note from Dave: I just called Tom Sly, who is the general manager of JACOR Broadcasting, the company that owns Oldies 94.1. He says that he defends the playing of the HCI ad in the name of freedom of speech. I pointed out to him that many of us who listen to 94.1 grew up in the 50's, 60's, and 70's, and that these ads leave a terrible taste in our mouths, since we believe that HCI is attempting to subvert the Constitution, freedom, and the right to self-defense. I explained that we listen to 94.1 for the nostaligia of the old times, and that when ads condemning firearms are run, it makes us turn off our radios. Since 94.1 is essentially a business, I believe that their are shooting themselves in the foot by running these ads. The email address of Oldies is oldies@aros.net Tom Sly can be reached at 908-1300, and he does return calls. A few calls might help him avoid political hot potatoes? The ads are ending as of June 22, 1999, says Tom. - - ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1999 14:37:38 -0600 From: "David Sagers" Subject: Fwd: Rosie O'Donnell Call-In 1-800-RINGING (fwd) Received: from wvc ([204.246.130.34]) by icarus.ci.west-valley.ut.us; Fri, 25 Jun 1999 12:10:21 -0600 Received: from fs1.mainstream.net by wvc (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id XAA27123; Wed, 23 Jun 1999 23:23:38 -0600 Received: from (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by fs1.mainstream.net (8.9.3/8.9.3) with SMTP id BAA14106; Thu, 24 Jun 1999 01:35:53 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 24 Jun 1999 01:35:53 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <9906240513.0c72@xpresso.seaslug.org> Errors-To: listproc@mainstream.net Reply-To: noban@xpresso.seaslug.org Originator: noban@mainstream.net Sender: noban@mainstream.net Precedence: first-class From: noban@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Rosie O'Donnell Call-In 1-800-RINGING (fwd) 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 On Jun 23, David Wisniewski wrote: [-------------------- text of forwarded message follows -------------------= - -] It seems that the Bell Campaign is teaming up with Rosie O'Donnell, in a effort to boost Rosie's ratings and promote gun control. On Thursday, = June 24, call 1-800-RINGING and tell them how you feel. From: http://www.jointogether.org/sa/action/advancing_policy/alerts/reader.jtml?O= bject_ID=3D259199 Dear friends and colleagues:=20 When Congress failed last week to close the gun show loophole, it proved that the NRA is still writing our nation's gun policy. The gun lobby is so entrenched in Washington that it will take a national citizen's movement to break the gridlock that is contributing to 93 deaths everyday.=20 The Bell Campaign is a national, grassroots organization created by survivors of gun trauma to mobilize the majority of Americans who support stronger gun laws. One of our founders, Mary Leigh Blek, will appear as a guest on Rosie O'Donnell this Thursday, June 24, 1999. Mary Leigh's son, Matthew, was killed with a handgun during an attempted robbery in June 1994. During her appearance on Rosie, Mary Leigh will invite viewers to help prevent gun death and injury, and support victims of gun trauma by joining The Bell Campaign. She will give out our toll-free number, 1-800-RINGING (1-800-764-4464) and web address: http://www.bellcampaign.org=20 If you have 5 minutes: It is important that Rosie hear from you. We know that she will get blasted by pro-gun people for showcasing The Bell Campaign. Please send Rosie an e-mail thanking her for informing her audience about ways they can help to stop the gun epidemic. You can e-mail Rosie's through her web site by clicking here. http://rosieo.warnerbros.com/cmp/mail.htm If you have a little more time: Invite some friends over to watch Rosie on Thursday, June 24. Call your local newspaper, radio or TV station (especially ABC) and tell them that you are having a 'Rosie watching party' to show your support for stronger gun laws. It is critical that the momentum started by the Columbine shootings = changes how our nation deals with gun policy. The single most important lesson of the recent events in Congress is that meaningful gun policy change will = not happen until ordinary citizens hold elected officials accountable for = their votes. You can do that by joining The Bell Campaign. - --=20 David Wisniewski RKBA & Official Kmart/Rosie O'Donnell Protest Page davidwiz@erols.com http://rosie.acmecity.com/happy/365 [------------------------- end of forwarded message -----------------------= - -] - -- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= - - ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------= - - An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand =3D Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy = a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus = Christ - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------= - - - - ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1999 15:25:14 -0600 From: "David Sagers" Subject: Fwd: Asbestos Lawsuit Ruling to Have Gun Industry Impact? Received: from wvc ([204.246.130.34]) by icarus.ci.west-valley.ut.us; Fri, 25 Jun 1999 12:06:46 -0600 Received: from fs1.mainstream.net by wvc (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id UAA28691; Thu, 24 Jun 1999 20:54:55 -0600 Received: from (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by fs1.mainstream.net (8.9.3/8.9.3) with SMTP id XAA24954; Thu, 24 Jun 1999 23:07:15 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 24 Jun 1999 23:07:15 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <000501bebead$33cac920$9e0b81ce@bugbox> Errors-To: listproc@mainstream.net Reply-To: mcgehee@mosquitonet.com Originator: noban@mainstream.net Sender: noban@mainstream.net Precedence: first-class From: "Kevin McGehee" To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Asbestos Lawsuit Ruling to Have Gun Industry Impact? 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 Nobanners, The Supreme Court's 7-2 ruling in the challenge to a $1.5 billion asbestos settlement involving the Dallas-based Fibreboard company may drive certain = U.S. gunmakers out of their recently forged alliance with the Clinton administra= tion. In the face of multiple product liability lawsuits, and with the proposed federal tobacco settlement serving as a model, many gun manufacturers have = been distancing themselves from the 2A lobby in hopes of positioning themselves = for a better deal when the Gummint gets around to trying to establish a massive mandatory gun liability settlement. Now that SCOTUS has declared such settlements illegal, expect to see gunmakers going back to a harder line = on many of the gun-rights issues. In another case (those who disparage the importance of having a Republican president, take note!), SCOTUS also ruled once again in favor of states' = rights, with all the justices appointed by Democrats voting in the minority. Kevin McGehee Fairbanks/North Pole, AK mcgehee@mosquitonet.com http://www.mcgeheezone.com/ Visit The McGehee Zone Bookstore http://www.mcgeheezone.com/capitalism/bookstore.htm - - ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 03 Jul 99 17:18:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: FW: GOUtah! Alert #18 - 1 July 1999 1/2 - ---------- From: Gavin Wallace To: GOUtah3006@aol.com, JJensen8@compuserve.com Subject: GOUtah! Alert #18 - 1 July 1999 Date: Fri, Jul 2, 1999, 11:34 PM GOUtah! Gun Owners of Utah Utah's Uncompromising, Independent Gun Rights Network. No Compromise. No Retreat. No Surrender. Not Now. Not Ever. Visit our website at www.slpsa.org/goutah! GOUtah! Alert #18 - 1 July 1999 Today's Maxim of Liberty: "The State does not have rights in itself, but only possesses such powers as are necessary to safeguard and uphold the rights of the citizens." - -James Bovard, Author of Freedom in Chains, The Rise of the State and the Demise of the Citizen, 1999 If you wish to be added to or taken off the GOUtah! list, please log onto our website at www.slpsa.org/goutah! or send an e-mail to GOUtah3006@aol.com or send a fax to (801) 944-9937 asking to be added to or removed from the GOUtah! list. If you wish to forward or share this copyrighted information with others, you are welcome to do so, on the condition that you pass along the entire document intact and unmodified, and that GOUtah! is clearly indicated as the original source of the material, unless otherwise noted. Leavitt, Stephens, Utah House GOP Float CCW Permit Compromise That Rapes Your Right of Self Defense! Your Vocal Political Action is Needed TODAY! The Utah print and broadcast media is widely reporting information indicating the so-called 'pro-gun' stance of Utah House Speaker Marty Stephens appears to be little more than shallow window dressing to placate gun rights advocates. Stephens is reported to have crafted a compromise which will strip you of much of the ability to protect yourself under the authority of a Utah CCW permit. Here's what we understand has transpired to date, based on the best information in hand at this time. To recap, Governor Mike Leavitt has recently taken up the role of strident gun control advocate, to make restrictions on gun ownership and CCW validity a major agenda item as he positions himself for higher elected office or a possible appointment in a future GOP federal administration. He has gone so far as to call for a special session of the Utah Legislature to enact this agenda. Utah conservatives in the House have opposed this anti-gun agenda, as have the many GOP party delegates who publicly rebuked Leavitt and others at the recent GOP State Convention in Ogden. GOUtah! representatives, along with other gun-rights representatives, were invited to an informal private meeting at the residence of Speaker Stephens on 28 May 1999 to discuss the issue and to help formulate a rational response. NRA/ILA Liaison Brian Judy was unable to attend due to a schedule conflict, but submitted written NRA positions very close to the established GOUtah! no-compromise stance. This meeting invitation came to GOUtah! from Utah GOP Chairman and USSC-paid lobbyist Rob Bishop. The 28 May meeting was suddenly canceled the night before, and was tentatively rescheduled for 16 June at the Interim Legislative Hearings at the State Capitol. GOUtah! was never informed of or invited to any other policy discussion or meeting with the House Speaker, legislative leadership, legislators or other gun rights activists on the 16th or at any time since. However, some sort of high level gun policy discussion, without any GOUtah! invitation or involvement, clearly took place at or about that time. Paul Rolly in the 27 June issue of the Salt Lake Tribune discusses the situation in more detail. (You may refer to the article on the Tribune's website at www.sltrib.com) GOUtah! also received a forwarded e-mail from reliable pro-gun sources that apparently originated within the Utah Shooting Sports Council, outlining the options proposed by House GOP leadership and asking for input from USSC leadership. We assume the individual listed as "Woody" is Elwood Powell, Chair of the USSC Board of Trustees. Rob Bishop is the paid USSC lobbyist, and Brian Judy is the NRA/ILA Liaison for Utah. Those options appear here exactly as received in the USSC e-mail message, typos and all. "I did receive a call from Rob Bishop yesterday. Marty Stephens called him about a deal. This evidently is a follow up on Rob's and Brian Judy's impromptu meeting on Wednesday with Lane Beattie before the afternoon interim session committee meetings. The options Marty Stephens was calling about were these: 1. A special session with the house and the senate voing their conscience on the gun issues with no muscle from leadership. 2. Ban guns in schools in exchange for a suit ban against manufactures, dealers, instructors, etc. 3. Enact some kind of super concealed carry permit for schools on a "good cause" showing to the Department of Public Safety. This was one of the Governor's task force recommendations. 4. A referendum petition drive which will put the entire horizon of gun restrictions on the ballot in November. 5. The last option was to do nothing in the gun area. The question put to Rob Bishop was "what will we accept" short of do nothing? Rob's tenative reponse without canvasing the Board was option 5. What are your thoughts? Woody" It becomes clear that some substantial and dangerous 'wheeling and dealing' with our gun rights is being proposed and conducted behind our backs at the Utah State Capitol. GOUtah! will maintain our established position of no compromise, no retreat and no surrender on these issues. In response to the options listed above, GOUtah has the following comments: 1: A special legislative session is neither needed nor warranted, and as such GOUtah! is firmly opposed to any special legislative undertaking outside the normally-scheduled annual session. Any changes in the laws should be by the regular legislative process. 2: As GOUtah! has clearly established in our Statement of Purposes and Principles, "GOUtah! will never compromise one portion of our rights or sacrifice one segment of the lawful gun-owning public to preserve or protect the interests of another. We'll throw no one to the sharks in order to buy time or curry political or media favor. We denounce anyone and any organization which elects to do so." As such, GOUtah! will seek to both protect CCW holders from any restriction on their ability to possess a firearm for lawful self defense, and we will also work toward legislation protecting legitimate firearms owners, instructors, dealers and the firearms industry from all abusive or punitive lawsuits as a matter of sound public policy. We will not trade one issue for the other, and we will denounce anyone and any organization that does. 3: Establishment of a two-level permit system takes Utah gun owners right back to the abusive DPS/BCI 'proving need' situation we so long endured before earning 'shall issue' CCW legislation in 1995. The 'Super' CCW permitee would clearly enjoy all the rights available to current permittees, and it would undoubtedly be issued only to politicians, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, agents of government, media and society VIPs and other elites, just as Utah CCW permits were issued prior to 1995. The 'average' Utah CCW permit holder, by contrast, would face an endless and ever-expanding list of prohibited times, places and circumstances where their permit was invalid, and therefore their ability to provide for their own safety and the safety of their families would be seriously compromised. The life of every Utah citizen has equal value. CCW permit holders are not second class citizens, and we will not be treated as such! All the animals in the Utah CCW barnyard are equal, period! 4: Any threatened referendum by anti-gun forces is irrelevant. The statewide referendum undertaking is expensive, time consuming and likely far beyond [ Continued In Next Message... ] - - ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 03 Jul 99 17:18:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: FW: GOUtah! Alert #18 - 1 July 1999 2/2 [ ...Continued From Previous Message ] their ability to successfully execute. Further, any use of tax dollars, public time or public facilities for furthering such an effort is likely illegal, thus professional educators and other public servants would be severely limited in their ability to further that effort in schools and other public facilities. The pro-gun forces have won almost every public initiative battle waged in the last several decades. We can win this one too, if needs be. 5: GOUtah! will also not sit by and 'do nothing.' We will be very active in promoting and expanding the rights of Utah gun owners, and will offer an aggressive legislative agenda to that end. If others wish to sit on the sidelines and 'do nothing,' while claiming to be 'protecting your rights', then let them. Utah's dedicated gun owners will do it for themselves, in spite of the 'spineless' among the ranks. So what's to be done to change this situation? Here's what you must do TODAY to protect your gun rights. Please refer to the GOUtah! positions as listed above in your contact with legislators and the media. Please remember to be polite and respectful but firm and to the point in all your communications. 1: Call, write, email and if possible personally visit with both your elected Utah State Senator and Representative and demand they do not infringe on your rights of self defense or firearms ownership in any way. Further demand that they do not support and not vote for holding any special legislative session dealing with firearms issues. 2: Call, write, email and if possible personally visit with both Utah House Speaker Marty Stephens and Senate President Lane Beattie, and let them know where you stand as a firearms owner and CCW permit holder. They can be reached at: Rep. Marty Stephens, 3159 N. Higley Rd, Farr West, UT 84404, (801) 731-5346 Res, (801) 538-1930 Off, (801) 594-8229 Fax. Email: mstephen@le.state.ut.us Sen. Lane Beattie, 319 State Capitol, SLC, UT, 84114, (801) 292-7406 Res, (801) 538-1400 Off, (801) 538-1414 Fax, Email: lbeattie@le.state.ut.us 3: Call, write, email and if possible personally visit with Governor Leavitt. He can be reached at: Gov. Mike Leavitt, State Capitol, SLC, UT 84114, (801) 538-1000, Email: gov_leavitt@state.ut.us 4: Call, write, email and if possible personally visit with the leadership and membership of your local gun club, your local gun store, and all other interested groups, and spread the word about this issue and the dangers it poses to all of our freedoms. 5: Call, write, email and personally visit your local newspaper editor or editorial board. Write repeated 'letters to the editor' in support of your gun rights. Call in to talk radio programs and spread the truth. 6: Share the GOUtah! message with all your pro-gun friends, family and associates via fax, email, the internet and make photo copies of the GOUtah! alerts to pass out to fellow gun owners at your club, range or gun store. If you don't do it, it will not get done. It's your guns, your rights and your freedom. Do it right now! Utah CCW Permits Now Top 29,000. Utah DPS/BCI Begins Limiting Renewal Services to All of Them. The number of CCW permits in Utah reportedly now tops 29,000, and may approach 30,000 as you read this. There has been a recent run on permits in early 1999 as many gun owners seek to 'get in before the gate closes' on a more restrictive CCW permit system. GOUtah! is very supportive of a broad base of citizens lawfully carrying firearms for self defense under the authority of a CCW permit, but we are also concerned that this 'permit rush' smacks of the same 'panic buying' we all saw during the looming approach of Brady and the 'assault weapon' and ammunition magazine bans of the mid-1990s. At this time many individuals, rather than redoubling their political efforts to help defeat the pending, and at that time still defeatable bans, instead put their time, effort and resources into buying up guns, magazines, ammo and the like as if the proposed bans were already in place. Because of that shift in priorities, from gun owners fighting the political fight for freedom to admitting defeat in the middle of the battle, retreating and 'panic buying' everything in sight, the political battle was lost. That big 17 round magazine for your Glock pistol now costs $75.00 or more used, if and when it can be found, while before the ban it was perhaps $25.00 or less brand new. It's still at very best a $25.00 magazine, but due to far too many gun owners admitting early defeat during the political battle, they now cost everyone at least $75.00 today and perhaps twice that a year from now. It shouldn't be that way. It didn't have to be that way. It's a clear case of misplaced political priorities on the part of gun owners. We believe we all should be putting our very best efforts and resources into blocking any infringement or limitation on the time, place or circumstances of the validity of any Utah CCW permit, rather than running out to get a CCW permit and then sitting back and grumbling to anyone who will listen that the CCW permit is now invalid for many of your necessary daily activities. Having a heavily-restricted CCW permit is like having no permit at all, except you have just submitted your fingerprints, photos, life history and a good chunk of hard-earned cash to the government to get a worthless slip of plastic. Don't get mad after the fact. Work harder now and you'll have nothing to be mad about later. We have also received word from Concealed Carry Specialists (CCS), Utah's largest CCW trainers, that the Utah DPS/BCI administration as of 1 March 1999 will no longer be sending a renewal notice and application when your CCW is about to expire. That means you must now monitor your CCW status and renew without any reminder. We suggest you check your CCW permit now and mark your calendars a couple of months prior to your renewal date and make sure you're submitting your renewal in a timely fashion. Further, according to CCS, DPS/BCI indicates they will allow only a 30 day grace period after a permit expires to renew. After 30 days, you will have to undergo the entire CCW application process again, except for the training requirement. Photos, fingerprints, fees, notary and such will all have to be resubmitted to get a new CCW permit. It is doubtful that any other state issued license or permit is treated in this abusive manner for renewal. It is clear that with the new regulatory authority and fee setting granted to DPS/BCI by the 1999 Utah Legislature, DPS/BCI intends to erect every possible roadblock, 'time and hassle tax', excessive fees, and other administrative impediments to Utah citizens wishing to exercise their right of self defense. This is unacceptable, and we suggest you discuss the issue in great detail with your elected state Senators and Representatives. GOUtah! will be working toward specific legislative remedies to this issue in the next Utah legislative session. GOUtah! Gun Rights (and Wrongs) Quote Watch "I just don't see why we have to be concerned about the safety of a few individuals who want to be armed in schools vs. the safety of the children." - -- Bill Nash, Utahns Against Gun Violence, quoted in the Salt Lake Tribune, 29 June 1999 That concludes the GOUtah! Political and Legislative Alert #18, 1 July 1999. We hope this information will be of assistance to you in defending your firearms rights. Remember that getting this information is meaningless unless YOU ACT ON IT TODAY. If you just read it and dump it in the trash, your gun rights, and the gun rights of future generations go in the trash with it. Get involved, get active and get vocal! Copyright 1999 by GOUtah! All rights reserved. - - ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 04 Jul 99 11:20:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: Special legislative session on guns urgently needed Deseret News column from a local Quisling. http://deseretnews.com/dn/print/1,1442,100009427,00.html Deseret News, Sunday, July 04, 1999, 12:00 AM MDT Special legislative session on guns urgently needed By Sen. Scott Howell The recent tragedy at Columbine High School has once again focused our private and public energies on the issues of youth violence and firearms control. Representatives of the Catholic, Presbyterian, Lutheran, United Methodist, Disciples of Christ and Episcopal churches called for a special legislative session to confront these issues soon after Columbine. The PTA and LDS Church officials, while declining to comment on a special session, have expressed similar concerns about guns. As a responsible gun owner, I recognize and support the constitutional right to bear arms. Not even the Second Amendment, however, condones all types of weapons ownership; instead, it states "a well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." I do not believe that firearms-control legislation is a panacea that will solve all of society's ills. The problem of violence, particularly youth violence, is a complex issue involving everything from parental responsibility to school safety to the entertainment industry. It would be wrong to simply pass firearms-control legislation while ignoring the other issues involved. It would be equally wrong, however, to oppose new firearms-control legislation just because it cannot solve the entire problem. We should not target law-abiding gun owners. However, sensible reforms to keep guns from kids and criminals are a vital part of any comprehensive approach to solving the youth violence crisis. Reasonable gun-control legislation need not be a partisan issue. Instead, we should work together in a bipartisan manner to keep guns out of the hands of children. The Republican speaker of the United States Congress, Denny Hastert, commented, "I don't think kids, and that means anybody under 21 years of age, ought to be able to get handguns; I think that makes sense, and that's something I think that we can work on." I believe that we should consider the following firearms-control measures: 1. We should encourage companies to continue developing "smart technology" as a viable, marketable product which would enable guns to recognize their owners. This technology could potentially personalize weapons so that only an authorized owner could fire the gun. Stolen guns would be rendered useless to criminals. 2. Juveniles involved in serious gun violations should not be allowed to own firearms as an adult. 3. As Hastert urged, we should limit handgun purchases to those over 21 years old. Federal law currently prohibits the sale of handguns from licensed dealers to those under 21; This restriction should apply to all who sell handguns, not just licensed dealers. 4. Background checks should be instituted at gun shows. This would lengthen purchase time by only five or 10 minutes and prevent criminals from acquiring firearms in this manner. 5. All background checks should include information on mental illnesses and prevent those who are mentally ill from acquiring guns. 6. Guns should come equipped with trigger-locks to protect against accidental shootings. Too often we read of children who are accidentally killed while playing with guns that were improperly stored. 7. Churches, schools, hospitals and private-property owners should NOT have to post signs prohibiting concealed weapons. Rather, respecting the right of private-property owners, carriers of concealed weapons should request permission to carry their weapons into these places. I believe that there is simply no place for guns in churches, schools or hospitals. 8. Plea bargaining violations from felonies to misdemeanors should not be allowed except in very rare circumstances. When this is the case, provision should be enacted to prohibit firearms purchase and possession in the future. The problems facing our society are about much more than guns. While addressing reasonable gun-control legislation, we should not ignore the "culture of violence" created and perpetuated by the entertainment industry. Movies and music currently carry ratings and warning labels; what about software and video games? Movie ratings themselves should be tightened; extreme violence, not just graphic sex, should merit an NC-17 rating. As parents, we all need to be more aware of what movies our children are viewing, what video games they are playing and how much TV they are watching. Ultimately parents are responsible for their children. Our young people are being constantly bombarded with images of filth and violence. We need to address all of the issues involved in a bipartisan manner to create a safe environment in which our children can live and learn. For these reasons and more, I applaud the governor for calling a special legislative session to set new public policy; even if we can save just one life, that would be reason enough. Scott Howell is Senate Minority Leader. Elected to the Utah Senate in 1990, he represents Senate District 8. Copyright 1999, Deseret News Publishing Corp. - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 05 Jul 99 14:32:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: FW: Gun Facts Pamphlet1/2 - ----- Date: Sat, 3 Jul 1999 18:20:07 EDT From: Bob Stokes To: Conspiracy Theory Research List Subject: [CTRL] Gun Pamphlet Subject: Gun Facts Pamphlet The following fact sheet is designed to be easily formatted for pamphlet form, on 8-1/2x14 legal-size stock (I use Goldenrod or Yellow). It can be folded in half, and then in half, again, to provide a neat 2-sided, 4-paneled pamphlet. Print this out for friends, family, and your elected officials, and let them know the facts about gun-owners and their firearms, NOT just hysterical propaganda! You can insert your own club or organization's name at the bottom, in place of the information about LAGR shown below. If you send an SASE to me at LAGR's PO Box, I will send back a "master" copy printed out on white legal-size paper, with a blank space in place of LAGR's contact information, so that you can insert your own group's contact information. PAUL GALLANT GUNS IN AMERICA: THE FACTS ...what the media WON'T tell you!! Preventing law-abiding citizens from carrying firearms for self- defense does not end violent crime - it just makes victims more vulnerable! Society benefits from ordinary people who accept the responsibilities of firearm ownership - not from gun-control laws. Here's why: SELF-DEFENSE & CRIME * In 1990, a convicted felon could expect to serve the following prison time: 1.8 years for murder, 60 days for rape, 23 days for robbery, 6.7 days for arson, and 6.4 days for aggravated assault. According to a U.S. Justice Department survey in 17 states, of felony offenders placed on probation in 1986, 43% were rearrested on other felony charges within 3 years of their release. (1) * Passage of the Brady Law in 1994 has NOT been accompanied by a statistically significant decline in murder or robbery. It has been associated with significant increases in rape and aggravated assaults, presumably from the increased difficulty encountered by law-abiding citizens in obtaining firearms for self-defense. (2) * In 1987, Florida's concealed-carry law went from "may-issue" to "shall-issue" (also known as "Right-To-Carry", or RTC). This meant that issuing authorities must provide a concealed-carry handgun license to all qualified applicants. Other states followed suit, and modeled their own RTC laws after Florida's. On 4/7/98 (the latest date such figures were available), Florida's Dept of Law Enforcement announced that the state's murder rate had dropped, again, in 1997, just as it had in each of the 5 previous years. The additional drop marked the lowest murder rate experienced by "Dodge City East" since 1933. (3) * In 1982, Kennesaw GA (pop. 17,000) passed a law requiring heads of households to keep at least one firearm in their home, exempting those with criminal records or religious objections. Seven months after it took effect, the residential burglary rate dropped 89%, vs. 10.4% statewide. Since 1982, only 2 murders have occurred (1984 and 1989), both committed with knives. (4) * Allowing citizens to carry concealed handguns reduces violent crime. The reduction corresponds very closely to the number of concealed-handgun licenses issued. On average, murder rates in states banning concealed-carry are 127% higher than in states having the most liberal carry laws. A 1% increase in firearm ownership reduces violent crime by 4.1%. Large, densely populated urban areas benefit the most from concealed-carry laws. (5) * Ordinary, law-abiding Americans use guns defensively 2.5 million times, or more, each year. About 75% of these instances are with handguns. That translates to rapes prevented, injuries avoided, medical costs saved, and property protected. (6) * Firearms provide the safest and most effective means of resisting violent criminal attack. For robbery and assault, resistance by defenders armed with a gun leads to termination of the incident with the smallest chance of injury to the victim. In U.S. gov't studies, victims resisting robbery with a gun were injured 17.4% of the time. Those who did nothing at all were injured 24.7% of the time. Those who used non-violent resistance, like trying to run away, were injured 35.9% of the time. Those who resisted with a knife were injured 40.3% of the time. For assault, injury rates were 12.1%, 27.3%, 25.5%, and 29.5%, respectively. While 17.4% of those who resisted robbery with a gun were injured overall, this includes victims who were first injured before they used their guns; less than 6% of robbery victims were injured after using a gun to resist. (7) * Women who carry concealed handguns provide a greater margin of safety for other women. While murder rates decline when either more men or more women carry concealed handguns, the drop is even greater among women than among men. Rapists are particularly susceptible to the deterrence of a potentially armed woman. (5) * Increased incidents of "road rage" from allowing more citizens to carry guns have not materialized. In the 31 states where it is currently legal for citizens to carry a concealed handgun, there have been no documented instances of such acts by armed law-abiding citizens. (2) * Armed defenders lose their guns to an attacker less than 1% of the time. (7) * The net value of private firearm ownership - the dollar savings from defensive gun use, minus the costs of "gun-violence" - has been estimated at up to $38.9 billion, annually. (8) * So-called "assault weapons" are military look-alike semi- automatic firearms, and are exactly the same as guns which have been around for over 100 years -only their looks have changed. Semi-automatic firearms do not "spray" bullets, and are not machine guns - they require a separate pull of the trigger for each shot to be fired, just like a revolver - and are used in 3% or less of all firearm-related crimes. They are the most modern tools the law-abiding citizen can use for self-defense and protection of home and family. They are especially valuable for physically handicapped victims. (9) * In 1856, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that local law-enforcement had no duty to protect individuals, but only a general duty to enforce the laws. (10) In 1982, the U.S. Court of Appeals held that "there is no Constitutional right to be protected by the state against criminals or madmen. The Constitution does not require Federal or State government to provide services, even so elementary a service as maintaining law and order."(11) * In Great Britain, handguns are outlawed, and possession of long guns is severely restricted. Yet, despite strict gun-control, as of 1995, rates for robbery, assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft in England and Wales had surpassed those here in the States. On average, for all 4 crimes, English rates were double U.S. rates. (12) MASS SHOOTINGS & "GUN-FREE" SCHOOL ZONES * Deaths and injuries from mass public shootings (like Jonesboro AR, and Littleton CO) fall dramatically after RTC concealed- handgun laws are enacted. Where data was available both before and after passage of such laws, the average death rate from mass shootings plummeted by up to 91% after such laws took effect, and injuries dropped by over 80%! (2,13) * Armed with a hunting rifle, 16-year-old Luke Woodham killed his ex-girlfriend and her close friend, then wounded 7 other students, in 1997 at a high school in Pearl, Mississippi. Assistant Principal Joel Myrick retrieved a handgun from his car, and interrupted Woodham's shooting spree, holding him at bay until police arrived. Earlier that morning, Woodham had stabbed his mother to death. (14) [ Continued In Next Message... ] - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 05 Jul 99 14:32:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: FW: Gun Facts Pamphlet2/2 [ ...Continued From Previous Message ] A similar script played out in 1998 in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, when local merchant James Strand used his shotgun to "coax" 14-year old Andrew Wurst into dropping his gun, and surrendering to police. Wurst had just killed one teacher, wounded another and two classmates. (14) * "...the recent rash of public school shootings...raise[s] questions about the unintentional consequences of laws. The five public school shootings [which occurred during the 1997-98 school year] took place after a 1995 federal law banned guns (including permitted concealed handguns) within a thousand feet of a school. The possibility exists that attempts to outlaw guns from schools, no matter how well meaning, may have produced perverse effects. It is interesting to note that during the 1977 to 1995 period [of our study], 15 shootings took place in schools in states without right-to-carry laws and only one took place in a state with this type of law. There were 19 deaths and 97 injuries in states without the law, while there was one death and two injuries in states with the law." (13) * A July 1993 U.S. Department of Justice study found that "boys who own legal firearms...have much lower rates of delinquency and drug use [than those who obtained them illegally] and are even slightly less delinquent than nonowners of guns." It concluded that, "for legal gunowners, socialization appears to take place in the family; for illegal gunowners, it appears to take place 'on the street'". (15) ACCIDENTS & SUICIDES * In 1994, fatal firearms accidents dropped 11% from 1993 figures, to the lowest annual number since record-keeping began in 1903. They dropped even lower by almost 7% in 1995. Motor vehicle accidents, falls, fires, drownings, poisonings, suffocation, and other accidents all accounted for more deaths than did firearm accidents. Among children aged 0-14 years, there were 185 fatal firearms accidents, vs. 500 per year in the mid-1970s. (16) * In 1993, there were 1,334 drownings and 528 firearm-related accidental deaths from ages 0-19. While firearms outnumber pools by a factor of over 30:1, the risk of drowning in a pool is nearly 100 times higher than from a firearm-related accident. From ages 0-5, the risk of drowning skyrockets to 500 times the risk from a gun! (16,17) * "Trigger-lock" laws don't equal safety. While California has such a law on the books, it saw a 12% increase in fatal firearm accidents in 1994. Texas doesn't have one, and experienced a 28% decrease, instead. (16) "Trigger-locks" do, however, render guns inaccessible for self-defense. * Accident and suicide rates are unaffected by the passage of Right-To-Carry concealed handgun laws. (2) * Suicide rates fluctuate independently of gun control laws and gun ownership. Banning guns will not affect the suicide rate - other equally deadly implements would only be substituted in their place. (18) THE U.S. CONSTITUTION * The scholarship on the 2nd Amendment overwhelmingly agrees that it protects an individual right to keep and bear arms, and not simply the right to arm the "militia". (19) In 1982, the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution evaluated the historical record, and unanimously came to the same conclusion. (20) REFERENCES 1. Reynolds M, Caruth W; "Myths About Gun Control"; National Ctr for Policy Analysis, 1992 2. Lott J; "More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun- Control Laws"; University of Chicago; 1998 3. Florida Department of State documents 4. "Kennesaw Update"; The New American, 6/10/96 5. Lott J, Mustard D; "Crime, Deterrence, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns"; Journal of Legal Studies; Vol 26(1); Jan 97 6. Kleck G, Gertz M; "Nature of Self-Defense with a Gun"; Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology; Vol 86#1, Fall 1995 7. Kleck G; Targeting Guns: Firearms and Their Control; Aldine de Gruyter; NY 1997 8. National Center for Policy Analysis, March 1999 9. Suter E; "Assault-Weapons" Revisited - An Analysis of the AMA Report;Journal of the Medical Association of Georgia, May 1994 10. South v. Maryland, 59 US (HOW) 396, 15 L.Ed.433(1856) 11. Bowers v. DeVito, US Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit 686F.2d 616 (1982) 12."Crime and Justice in the United States and England and Wales, 1981-1996"; U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics; October 1998 13. Lott J, Landes W; "Multiple Victim Public Shootings, Bombings, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handgun Laws: Contrasting Private and Public Law Enforcement"; University of Chicago,Working Paper #73, 1999 14."How to Stop Mass Public Shootings"; Lott J; The L.A. Times 3/25/98 15. U.S. Department of Justice 16. National Center for Health Statistics 17. National Spa and Pool Institute 18. Suter E; "Guns in the Medical Literature: A Failure of Peer Review"; Journal of the Medical Association of Georgia, Mar 1994 19. Reynolds H, Kates D; "The Second Amendment and States' Rights: A Thought Experiment"; William & Mary Law Review; Vol 36 #5,8/955 20. Senate Subcommittee of the Commission of the Judiciary on The Constitution, 97th Congress, 1992 FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: The Committee for Law-Abiding Gun-Owners, Rockland [LAGR] Paul Gallant, O.D., Chairman PO Box 354 Thiells, NY 10984-0354 914-354-9090 914-354-9091 Fax E-Mail: 70274.1222@compuserve.com 05/99 Why do liberals trust the bad guys to be good and expect the law- abiding to be bad? Firearms, self-defense, and other information, with LINKS are available at: http://shell.rmi.net/~davisda Latest additions are found in the group NEW with alerts under the heading ALERTS. Previous E-mail message are being archived. thomasW429 Copy this posting into a word-processor, format it, then make MANY copies to give out at any and all public events. 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