From: owner-utah-firearms-digest@lists.xmission.com (utah-firearms-digest) To: utah-firearms-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: utah-firearms-digest V2 #170 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 Friday, December 17 1999 Volume 02 : Number 170 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 15 Dec 99 14:17:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: GOUtah! Political Alert #36 - 13 December 1999 1/2 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! Political Alert #36 - 13 December 1999 Today's Voice of Liberty: "A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves" -- Edward R. Murrow If you wish to be added to 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 the GOUtah! list. CCW Classes at Crossroads Gun Shows No Longer a Fund-Raiser for USSC. From a prepared statement received from Concealed Carry Specialists, 8 December 1999 On November 27, 1999, the Utah Shooting Sports Council (USSC) received their last fund-raising check from Concealed Carry Specialists (CCS) for teaching concealed carry classes at the Crossroads of the West Gun Shows. When asked why, Shirley Spain, CCS Business Manager replied, "In a word: Politics. The gap between our definition of 'protecting' gun rights and USSC's was widening. Terms like 'reasonable' and 'compromise' seemed to be rolling off the lips of some (USSC) board members too easily for our liking. It was time for us to get out." However, CCS isn't going to "get out" of the training classes at the gun show. Spain has made a business arrangement with Crossroads proprietor, Bob Templeton, to continue to teach the classes. Thus the $25 concealed carry classes will continue to be offered by CCS at the Salt Lake and Ogden Crossroads of the West Gun Shows, the only difference being they will no longer be a fund-raiser for USSC. Since CCS began this unique fund-raiser with Crossroads in the fall of 1995, the gun show training classes have raised over $35,000 for USSC. - -End of the CCS Prepared Statement- GOUtah! Note: We have long been vocal critics of USSC's recently-demonstrated 'pro-compromise' approach to gun rights advocacy as being at serious odds with the needs, interests and desires of the vast majority of Utah gun owners and gun-rights advocates. That's why GOUtah! came into being, TO UPHOLD A NO-COMPROMISE POSITION PROTECTING YOUR GUN RIGHTS! As a reward for their unswerving devotion to principle, many activists in GOUtah! have been publicly-labeled in the media and in public policy circles as 'radicals' and 'extremists' by USSC's leaders. The privately-expressed opinions of USSC's leadership regarding your (and our) firm commitment to upholding these important principles are widely-reported to be even more unflattering and antagonistic. It would seem that the recent CCS decision to cease funding USSC's operations tends to vindicate the 'no-compromise' stance of both GOUtah!, and the vast majority of Utah's gun rights activists. We're sure this was a difficult decision for CCS to make. We applaud CCS' courage,and recognize them as ardent, long-time supporters of our rights of self-defense and firearms ownership. We're proud to be GOUtah! We're on the right track. We will continue to stand tall and unbending in the defense of our rights and interests. We hope all of you will continue to stand firm with us as well. Bridgeport, CT Lawsuit Against Gun Industry Thrown Out From NRA/ILA - 13 December 1999 Decision follows October dismissal of Cincinnati suit; NRA predicts growing trend against efforts to hold legitimate industry liable for criminal actions of third parties. (WASHINGTON, DC) -- The National Rifle Association today hailed a Connecticut Superior Court decision to dismiss the City of Bridgeport's lawsuit against firearms manufacturers, as evidence of a growing trend against efforts to hold a legitimate industry liable for the criminal actions of third parties. The decision to throw out of court the Bridgeport suit follows last October's ruling to dismiss with prejudice a similar suit filed by the municipality of Cincinnati. "All those mayors who jumped on the lawsuit bandwagon in order to get their names in the papers ought to buckle their seatbelts, because the bandwagon is starting to come to a screeching, judicial halt," said James J. Baker, executive director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Action. "Once again, just as in the Cincinnati case, the court has employed sound judgement and common sense. These reckless lawsuits have no place in our judicial system." In his written opinion, Judge Robert McWeeny dismissed the case and ruled that Bridgeport and other cities, "... lack any statutory authorization to initiate such claims" of liability against the firearms industry. Baker applauded the decision, noting a December 12, 1999 Houston Chronicle report of a Tarrance Group poll that found that 84% of Americans feel that those who illegally misuse firearms should be held responsible, while only 5% believe that manufacturers or retailers should be held responsible for the criminal misuse of firearms. "The idea of holding a lawful industry responsible for the criminal acts of third parties flies in the face of common sense and our system of jurisprudence," Baker said. "Americans want to see the laws already on the books enforced to hold armed criminals directly responsible for their actions. They don't support these suits, nor the greedy lawyers and mayors behind them." During the past year, 14 states have adopted legislation to prevent municipalities from filing similar lawsuits against the lawful, legitimate firearms industry. Baker predicted that more states would adopt such measures next year. NRA Ranked High in Influence on U.S. Capitol Hill From the NRA-ILA Fax Alert- Vol. 6, No. 45 11/19/99 For the third year in a row, NRA moved up in the top 10 of FORTUNE magazine's "Power 25," its listing of the most influential lobbying groups in America. Compiled by Fortune's senior writer and Washington bureau chief Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, the "Power 25" is based on responses to a survey sent to nearly 2,700 individuals, including every member of Congress, Hill staffers, senior White House aides, professional lobbyists, and top-ranking officers of lobbying organizations and companies. In 1998, NRA was ranked 4th on the list, moving up two spots from the 6th spot the year before. This year our position improved two more spots again, moving us into a tie for second most influential, just behind the AARP. Even more important, however, is the fact that NRA was ranked No. 1 by lawmakers and Hill staffers, the people who really count when it comes to effective lobbying. Birnbaum correctly points out that NRA's influence starts with its nearly 3 million members, and he states, "[T]he NRA is a force with few equals in Washington." This sentiment was echoed as recently as yesterday by anti-gun U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), who said, "I have never seen a lobby with more clout than the NRA." And on a somewhat amusing note, HCI President Bob Walker was quoted as saying, "We (HCI) are the ones making progress, not the NRA. The NRA is basically running out of gas." This comment is amusing because, yet again, HCI failed to make its way onto the "Power 25" list, finishing in the bottom half of 114 groups tested. [ Continued In Next Message... ] - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Dec 99 14:17:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: GOUtah! Political Alert #36 - 13 December 1999 2/2 [ ...Continued From Previous Message ] Clinton Adds to Legacy of Lies From the NRA-ILA Fax Alert- Vol. 6, No. 45 11/19/99 While the nation has grown shamefully accustomed to Bill Clinton's propensity for deceit and outright lies, it is worth mentioning that he recently tried to spin a yarn about being a Life Member of NRA. According to a recent article in the Washington Times, while attending a Democratic National Committee fund-raiser in Atlanta, Ga., Clinton claimed, "I once had a lifetime membership in the NRA. I've even got my jacket there." NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, however, dispelled the President's claim, stating, "He never had a lifetime membership, he never had a jacket. He made it up." Perhaps Clinton was trying to win over attendees of the fund-raiser who are NRA members, as Georgia boasts many pro-Second Amendment Democrats. Mr. LaPierre, tongue in cheek, offered his own insights. "You know, if he's that delusional, maybe he did inhale." Chenoweth-Hage Reintroduces Bill (H.R. 3444) To Repeal (Federal) Lautenberg Gun Ban From Gun Owners of America Yesterday, Rep. Helen Chenoweth-Hage (R-ID) reintroduced her very popular bill to repeal the misdemeanor gun ban. Passed in 1996 as part of the omnibus spending bill, the Lautenberg ban would disarm people for offenses that include pushing, shoving (or in some cases, even yelling at) a family member. The language of the gun ban is so expansive that legitimate corporal punishment can be used-- and has been used-- to disarm unsuspecting parents. Chenoweth-Hage's bill would repeal the entire ban, unlike other proposals in Congress which only repeal the retroactive nature of the law. Those unfamiliar with the Lautenberg ban should see http://www.gunowners.org/kldvtb.htm on the GOA website. H.R. 3444 currently has 19 cosponsors. During the Congressional recess, gun owners should ask their (Federal) Representatives to cosponsor the bill. GOUtah! Gun Rights (and Wrongs) QuoteWatch. "When you find out, tell me." -- U.S. Senator Larry Craig, (R-Idaho), responding to a reporter's question on why he thought Orrin Hatch was running for President, as reported in the Salt Lake Tribune, 10 December 1999 "I believe in miracles. It would probably take that to elect me." -- Orrin Hatch, in his assessment of his chances to gain the office of the Presidency, in the same article in the Salt Lake Tribune, 10 December 1999 "Face it,...Hatch (has) no more chance of winning the Republican nomination than a 100-shooter winning the U.S. Open." -- Sandy Grady, syndicated columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, as appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune, 13 December 1999. "It's time to remind Senator Hatch that the people of Utah elected him to protect their rights in Washington, rather than to allow him to ignore their urgent needs and concerns while he is obsessively engaged in the pursuit of a clearly-doomed Presidential nomination bid." -- GOUtah! This concludes the GOUtah! Political and Legislative Alert #36 - 13 December 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: Wed, 15 Dec 99 14:17:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: UPS Discriminates Against Firearms & Owners I'd hope guns are shipped "Signature Required"! Scott - ----- To: 2nd-Amendment-News@frostbit.com From: "Weldon Clark" Subject: UPS Discriminates Against Firearms & Owners Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 21:34:31 -0500 UPS Discriminates Against Firearms & Owners Comment by moderator Weldon Clark If you used to use UPS in your Christmas shipping you might call 1-800-PICK-UPS every time you ship a present and tell them why you won't be using them to ship it. Merry Christmas. UPS Boycott As you probably know, UPS announced that it no longer accepts ground shipment of handguns. Moreover, for practical purposes air shipment is now likely to require you to go to a UPS office: Handguns may only be shipped via Next Day Air, Next Day Air Early AM and Next Day Saver with the "Adult Signature Required" label properly affixed. Handguns are prohibited from the UPS Ground system, SonicAir BestFlight Service, On-Call Air Pickup, Internet Shipping, Letter Centers (drop Boxes), or One-time Pickup requests. UPS will accept handguns from Daily Pickup accounts & Customer Counters. Packages [with] handguns must be segregated. The driver or clerk must be informed which packages contain handguns. Authorized Shipping Outlets & Commercial Counters are prohibited from accepting any firearms for UPS. This may be intended at least in part to raise the price of firearms. Amazingly, the ostensible reason seems to be that too many guns were being stolen, i.e. by UPS employees. Well, if they're stealing guns, is there anything they won't steal from UPS customers? UPS' response - punish the victim instead of the perpetrator - would seem to reveal that they don't much care if their employees are thieves. In light of this, and regardless of your view on guns, why would anyone want to use UPS? It should also be considered that UPS helped bring about the Waco Massacre by serving as a government snitch. According to Waco Rules of Engagement Producer Dan Gifford, "The driver told the local Sheriff that a package had broken open [with] what looked like hand grenades. They were confirmed to be harmless hulls... From there, someone in the Sheriff's department made a routine referral to ATF for who knows what reason..." "Broke open." Well isn't that special? No doubt UPS employees only steal when packages "break open" by all by themselves. Again, regardless of your feelings about guns, we can't imagine wanting to patronize a company that has little regard for its customers' privacy & property and in one case helped get over 80 of them murdered – including two dozen children. A UPS boycott was shaping up until Fedex subsidiary RPS said it too was banning ground shipments of guns, and Airborne announced a ban on ALL guns. DHL says that they do not ship any guns either. So what do we do now that UPS air & Fedex air are the only private game in town? As concerned citizens & consumers, we can either do nothing or pick one and boycott it. We recommend boycotting UPS: They started it, they snitched at Waco, and they'd rather punish their customers than their paid thieves. Since they seemingly can't be trusted to ship anything anyway, it's easier to spread the effect beyond the Constitutional Rights Community. Of course, we'd also avoid doing business with Airborne Express. Or you can boycott all the private companies and switch to the US Postal Service. Unfortunately, most businesses probably won't do that since the post office is many cases is inconvenient for overnight delivery, but they might switch to another private delivery company if they heard about UPS's theft problem (and their preanimistic "solution" to it). Rather than "go postal," it may be more effective to single out UPS and spread the word on their kleptophilia to their broader, non-gun-rights-oriented customer base. UPS Corporate Headquarters United Parcel Service of America, Inc. 55 Glenlake Parkway, NE Atlanta, GA 30328 1-800-PICK-UPS (1-800-742-5877) UPS E-Mail: customer.service@ups.com norman.black@ups.com jflick@ups.com srosenberg@ups.com com1jns@is.ups.com pgardner@ups.com ssoltis@ups.com tsegal@corpmail.ups.com air2kes@air.ups.com RPS e-mail WEB http://www.ups.com AIRBORNE EXPRESS e-mail: cac.web@airborne.com webmaster@airborne.com Also see Leroy Pyle's UPS boycott site http://www.paulrevere.org/boycottups/ Related item: Contact your Federal Representatives and insist that any further Waco hearings not be a whitewash like the last congressional investigation. From The 2ndAmendmentNews Team What To Do If The Police Come To Confiscate Your Militia Weapons see www.2ndamendment.net For legislative updates contact www.nealknox.com and go to "Scripts from the Firearms Coalition Legislative Update Line" Write your CONGRESSMAN OR STATE LEGISLATORS can now be accomplished at the speed of light, thanks to WorldNetDaily's new Legislative Action Center. http://congress.nw.dc.us/wnd/ You can call your two Senators at (202) 224-3121 and your Representative at (202) 225-3121 at the Capitol Switchboard. Here is the URL for Congressional Telephone Directory: http://clerkweb.house.gov/106/mbrcmtee/members/teledir/me mbers/cdframe.htm Here's an e-mail link to Congress. http://in-search-of.org/ http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ http://www.gunowners.org/mailerx.html The way to protect your own rights is to protect the rights of others. Our right to own and use firearms is under attack. To join or be removed please send: E-MAil to listserver@frostbit.com with the following text in the message body: SUBSCRIBE 2nd-Amendment-News Or UNSUBSCRIBE 2nd-Amendment-News To send a message to the list administrator, send E-mail to luz.clark@prodigy.net Feel free to forward our alerts. If you've received this as a forward and wish to subscribe please send a reply to me at luz.clark@prodigy.net or behanna@fast.net Cordially Yours, The 2ndAmendmentNews Team 2ndAmendmentNews is published by volunteer activists who support the full original individual rights intent of the 2nd Amendment and oppose any appeasement on gun rights. The moderators include Chris Behanna, Weldon Clark (an NRA director) and Steve Cicero. If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen. -- Samuel Adams, speech at the Philadelphia State House, August 1, 1776. - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 12:38:38 -0700 From: "larry larsen" Subject: Re: UPS Discriminates Against Firearms & Owners UPS also steals jewlery, a ring replacement , for one that was stolen by a house breakin, was stolen from the package prior to Thanksgiving this year by a UPS employee in LA. The local jewler says it happens more than they would like, and insurance claims with UPS take up to 4 months. Larry - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 14:41:13 -0700 From: charles hardy Subject: Re: UPS Discriminates Against Firearms & Owners My brother-in-law recently mailed--via the US Post Office--a diamond ring to California and back for some work. He sent it their highest security (Certified, insured?) and was very impressed. Apparantly every opening is taped and stamped and the box is then locked in a safe for transport. If the seal is broken prior to obtaining the receivers release sig, the issurance is paid. I don't know the USPS's policy on shipping guns, but it would probably be worth a look for any gun dealers out there. Of course for the rest of us it doesn't really matter too much as we can't ship gun across state lines via any method other than private transport anyway. On Thu, 16 Dec 1999 12:38:38 -0700 "larry larsen" writes: > UPS also steals jewlery, a ring replacement , for one that was > stolen by a > house breakin, was stolen from the package prior to Thanksgiving > this year > by a UPS employee in LA. The local jewler says it happens more > than they > would like, and insurance claims with UPS take up to 4 months. > Larry > > > > > - > ================================================================== Charles C. Hardy ___________________________________________________________________ Why pay more to get Web access? Try Juno for FREE -- then it's just $9.95/month if you act NOW! Get your free software today: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj. - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 15:35:30 -0700 From: Dave Subject: Re: UPS Discriminates Against Firearms & Owners charles hardy wrote: > > I don't know the USPS's policy on shipping guns, but it would probably be > worth a look for any gun dealers out there. I believe that both dealers and non dealers can ship LONG GUNS via USPS. Dealers can also ship handguns, but it has to be dealer to dealer. The postmaster likes to see copies of both (sending and receiving) licenses. > Of course for the rest of us it doesn't really matter too much as we can't > ship gun across state lines via any method other than private transport > anyway. Not quite true. An individual (non dealer) can ship guns across state lines to the factory for repair or to an FFL holder. I am trying to use USPS whenever possible since I am really pissed off at UPS. Dave at DAVE'S GUNS - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 15:48:44 -0700 From: charles hardy Subject: Re: UPS Discriminates Against Firearms & Owners On Thu, 16 Dec 1999 15:35:30 -0700 Dave writes: > Not quite true. An individual (non dealer) can ship guns across > state lines > to the factory for repair or to an FFL holder. I did not realize that. Thanks for the info. Can the factory or FFL holder ship it directly back to the non-dealer or must return be arranged via a dealer? > > I am trying to use USPS whenever possible since I am really pissed > off at > UPS. The USPS has problems, but they are pretty good at some things and I think security is one of them. And with all the private carriers acting as they are with guns, they are they only alternative to allow a boycott. ================================================================== Charles C. Hardy ___________________________________________________________________ Why pay more to get Web access? Try Juno for FREE -- then it's just $9.95/month if you act NOW! Get your free software today: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj. - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 16:03:23 -0700 From: Dave Subject: Re: UPS Discriminates Against Firearms & Owners charles hardy wrote: > On Thu, 16 Dec 1999 15:35:30 -0700 Dave writes: > > > Not quite true. An individual (non dealer) can ship guns across > > state lines > > to the factory for repair or to an FFL holder. > > I did not realize that. Thanks for the info. > > Can the factory or FFL holder ship it directly back to the non-dealer or > must return be arranged via a dealer? In the past, I know that guns would be returned to an individual. Now I'm not sure. If a customer brings me a gun for repair I need to do a NICS check when he/she picks it up. > > > > > > I am trying to use USPS whenever possible since I am really pissed > > off at > > UPS. > > The USPS has problems, but they are pretty good at some things and I > think security is one of them. And with all the private carriers acting > as they are with guns, they are they only alternative to allow a boycott. > > ================================================================== > Charles C. Hardy > > > ___________________________________________________________________ > Why pay more to get Web access? > Try Juno for FREE -- then it's just $9.95/month if you act NOW! > Get your free software today: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj. > > - - - ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 99 10:06:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: GOUtah! Alert #37 - 17 December 1999 2/2 [ ...Continued From Previous Message ] Judge Dismisses Miami-Dade Gun Lawsuit According to Reuters, a Florida judge has thrown out a Miami-Dade County lawsuit against U.S. gun manufacturers, ruling that the lawsuit was too vague and the county lacked legal standing as a plaintiff. Miami-Dade County had filed the product liability lawsuit against the gun industry to recoup tax dollars spent treating gunfire victims and investigating gun-related crimes. Circuit Court Judge Amy Dean granted the gun manufacturers' request to dismiss the lawsuit on Monday, ruling that the county ``is not the proper party plaintiff to bring this lawsuit.'' In September, an Ohio judge dismissed a similar suit filed against the gun makers by the City of Cincinnati. Give the Gift of Freedom for Christmas We at GOUtah! wish you and yours a very happy holiday season. While the holidays are indeed hectic and sometimes the real meaning gets lost in the commercial clutter, GOUtah! suggests you gather your loved ones around you and tell them what the gift of freedom means to you. Discuss as a family what you can do today to insure the gift of freedom is passed to the next generation tomorrow. Set aside the price of at least one Christmas present this year and donate that cost to a worthwhile cause, one actively involved in protecting gun rights and individual freedom. A local or national gun-rights group, a local or state pro-gun political candidate, a youth firearms program or some other similar cause would very much appreciate your financial support and involvement. Buy a friend a membership in the NRA or some other gun rights group. Buy a friend a gun-rights book. Take a friend shooting. Buy them a Utah CCW training class. Become a pro-gun delegate in your political party. Volunteer your time to a pro-gun candidate's campaign or to a gun-rights organization. Give the gift of freedom every Christmas! It starts with you! GOUtah! Editorial Response of the Week GOUtah! wishes to recognize the efforts of Utah's proud, dedicated gun rights advocates for excellence in their editorial responses and letters to the editor published in Utah's many newspapers or other publications. If you have a letter you'd like to submit or nominate for this recognition, please send a verifiable copy of the published letter, along with the publication's name and date of publication to GOUtah! by email or fax. We'll reprint it here. Get those word processors humming and let your community know the truth and just where you stand on the issue! From the 20 September 1999 issue of Newsweek, in rebuttal to their 23 August 1999 issue "America Under the Gun." "I'm a lifelong gun owner, having been raised in the West in a culture that teaches responsibility in ownership and handling of guns, and have never seen any of the negatives you decry in your cover story. In response to your misbegotten agenda, I bought another rifle, another handgun, and many boxes of ammunition, and sent a nice fat check to the NRA. Please reconsider your wrongheaded views on this subject." James M. Shaw, Salt Lake City, Utah GOUtah! reminds you that these pro-gun letters do not write themselves. You, as a concerned citizen protecting your gun rights, have to take the time and make the effort to keep up an ongoing stream of letters to the editor to counter the endless stream of misinformation published and broadcast every day on the gun rights issue. Make the time today to write a short, pro-gun rights letter to your local paper or broadcast station. You can mail it, fax it or submit it via e-mail. Go to the GOUtah! web site at http://www.slpsa.org/goutah! select the Other Gun Rightst and Info Link and then select the Utah Media Link. You can send your letter instantly to many of Utah's newspapers, magazines and broadcast stations. Do it now! GOUtah! Gun Rights (and Wrongs) QuoteWatch. "I will not be a candidate for governor. In addition, I will be supporting Mike Leavitt." -- Rep. Marty Stephens, Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives, at a joint press conference with Mike Leavitt at the Utah State Capitol, as reported in the Salt Lake Tribune, 15 December 1999 "It's going to be anything but a Kumbyah, but there will be respect." -- Rep. David Ure, Utah House Majority Whip, in his assessment of the relationship between Governor Leavitt and the Utah House Republicans in the 2000 General Session, as reported in the same article in the Salt Lake Tribune, 15 December 1999 "There is always going to be about 25% of the party that is going to be unhappy with (Leavitt). That other 25% may try and find a candidate." - -- Rep. Susan Koehn, House Rules Committee Chair, in the same article in the Salt Lake Tribune, 15 December 1999. "The battle is definitely not over yet." -- Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, (D-NY), a leading gun control advocate on Capitol Hill, forecasting more gun control legislation in the months to come, as reported in the Salt Lake Tribune, 12 December 1999. "...This is hardly a dead issue. It's a very volatile issue, and it changes day to day, literally. It'll carry over and become a campaign issue in November 2000." -- James J. Baker, NRA/ILA Executive Director, as quoted in the same Salt Lake Tribune article, 12 December 1999 This concludes the GOUtah! Political and Legislative Alert #37 - 17 December 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: Fri, 17 Dec 99 10:06:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: GOUtah! Alert #37 - 17 December 1999 1/2 - ----- Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 06:20:44 -0700 From: Gavin Wallace Subject: GOUtah! Alert #37 - 17 December 1999 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 http://www.slpsa.org/goutah! GOUtah! Alert #37 - 17 December 1999 Today's Voice of Liberty: "Tyranny is always better organized than freedom" -- Charles Peguy If you wish to be added to the GOUtah! list, please log onto our website at http://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 the GOUtah! list. We strongly encourage you to forward, copy and share this information with others, 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. Utah Police Shoot 21, Kill 14 (So Far) in 1999, While Utah CCW Holders are Holding Their Fire...Why? According to several press accounts, Utah's approximately 5000 fully-sworn police officers have now shot 21 individuals in calendar 1999, killing 14. The 1999 death toll at the hands of Utah police is now equal to the police-involved shooting death toll for all of 1998, 1997 and 1996 combined. The most recent police shooting reportedly occurred when two Granite School District officers pulled over a car at I-215 and requested backup from Salt Lake County officers. The suspects were ordered from the vehicle at gunpoint, and one individual was shot and killed when he reportedly reached for a weapon in the back seat. According to published reports, the deceased may have matched the description of a robbery suspect from earlier in the evening. In contrast, GOUtah! is currently aware of none of the some 30,000 Utah CCW permit holders shooting or killing anyone else since the 'no-cause' permit went into effect in mid-1995. The sum total of episodes in which any Utah CCW permit holder discharged their firearm during that same period appears to be as follows: 1) The widely-reported 'warning-shot-into-a-canal-bank' incident in West Jordan, resulting in no injury. 2) A reported single accidental discharge into an office wall at a government office building in Salt Lake City, by a senior state employee, also with no injury. 3) A single accidental discharge at a church facility in Bountiful during a reported 'show-and-tell' episode in which the CCW permit holder reportedly received a minor injury to his hand. That's it. No deaths, no wrongful shootings and only one reported minor injury over nearly five years by nearly 30,000 Utah CCW permit holders. Many large law-enforcement agencies probably have this many firearms accidents in the average month among only a few hundred officers. While these three incidents are unfortunate and perhaps even debatable, a couple of minor problems among some 30,000 CCW permit holders over nearly a half-decade cannot be considered an epidemic, cannot be demonstrated as a pressing safety problem requiring an immediate solution and thus no public policy remedy is required. GOUtah! has and will continue to be supportive of legitimate, reasonable, restrained and responsible law enforcement efforts. We understand that law enforcement officers have a very difficult and thankless job, filled with potential dangers, and that their split-second decisions over life or death will be closely scrutinized by press, prosecutors and the public. It should be noted that several of these recent police shootings have been at best 'questionable,' and at least one held to be unjustified. The officer involved in that case reportedly shot an unarmed jail prisoner attempting to flee a vehicle during transport. The officer was fired, not prosecuted, and quietly re-hired by the same agency as a jail guard. However, we believe it is time that an effective, independent statewide board of citizen oversight be established over police use of force issues and incidents. We also believe that the policies and procedures regarding use of force by law enforcement officers may need to be more closely scrutinized in light of this recent surge in police shootings. We will also stack up the record of responsible restraint compiled by Utah's 30,000 CCW holders against that of any other group. Based on the statistics of the last 12 months, the average law enforcement officer in Utah has about a 0.42% chance of shooting a citizen and about a 0.28% chance of killing that citizen during the next 12 months. In contrast, based on the record of the last 5 years, over the next 12 months Utah CCW holders will shoot no one, kill no one and the chances of injuring themselves or others is functionally too small to even compute. The lack of a 'body count' by Utah's CCW holders should not be viewed in any way as CCW not working to help protect civilian lives and individual safety, but rather that Utah CCW holders are very restrained and responsible in their use of force decisions. So, based on these documented numbers, who'd you rather to be sitting next to in church, on the bus, at work, or have in a school room with your kids? U.S. Gun Industry Opens Their Records to BATF for Direct Online Tracing of Guns U.S. gun makers and wholesalers are giving BATF agents direct access to their computerized gun records so they can trace guns used in crimes. In an article by Gary Fields for USA Today, the full gun records of five major U.S. manufac- turers and wholesalers; H&R 1881 Inc., Smith & Wesson, Taurus, RSR Wholesale and Davidson's Wholesale are now online with BATF. Beretta USA is in the process of creating an online link, and BATF expects about 10 other major U.S. companies to allow direct access to their gun records in the next year. Federal law has long prohibited any centralized listing or database of firearms and/or firearms owners. While BATF claims the records will only be used to trace guns used in crimes, gun rights advocates are not so sure abuses won't take place. Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America was quoted in the article as saying the BATF was "at least as ethically challenged as the FBI. When they're getting all that information from a manufacturer, that is a registration system and it's a centralized one." Pratt noted that the history of federal agencies have had on the gun issue makes it difficult to accept that the records won't be stored somehow and used against law-abiding gun owners. Alan Gottlieb of the Second Amendment Foundation echoed the concern about records abuse, stating "The problem is the trust, or lack of, we have in government agencies not to misuse it." GOUtah! believes that any online access by any governmental entity to any firearms records held by private industry, even if such access is voluntary, will very likely result in wholesale firearms records retrieval, recording and storage by public and/or private parties for future use and/or misuse. We need look no further that the FBI-NICS records abuses to demonstrate that this concern is indeed valid. Even if the actual source of the records is at a remote location and is the property of or under control of a private company, such unfettered federal access to these records is a very dangerous undertaking. Clearly one should not look to the U.S. gun industry to protect freedom or privacy. They will protect their own economic and political interests first. [ Continued In Next Message... ] - - ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 17 Dec 99 15:37:00 -0700 From: scott.bergeson@ucs.org (SCOTT BERGESON) Subject: FW: GOA Annual Report Gun Owners' End Of The Year Report (December 1999) Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408 http://www.gunowners.org It's tempting, all too often, for people to despair from the bad news that appears in the media. But gun owners should cheer some of the positive gains made this year-gains that could not have been achieved without your help. Here's what they're saying about GOA and its activists: U.S. Representative Helen Chenoweth-Hage, Idaho: "GOA is close to standing alone in Washington. They do not tell their members one thing and do another inside the beltway. They are tough and they don't give up." U.S. Senator Bob Smith, New Hampshire: "You and your members are great patriots." Roll Call, the newspaper of record on Capitol Hill, 8/12/99: "Gun Owners of America is considered the most aggressive pro-gun lobbying organization." "Gun Owners [of America] is... much more active. They moved quickly and we heard from their people," said one House leadership source close to the juvenile crime issue. Thanks For Helping GOA Deliver A "No Compromise" Message To Congress! We've been through a lot together this year. Remember the media frenzy that kicked in after the Colorado shooting in April? As the weeks passed, gun owners were demonized once again for the actions of a few miscreants. At the national level, the media began relying upon GOA spokesmen almost exclusively to give the pro-gun response to the Columbine tragedy. GOA talking heads appeared on dozens of TV, radio and newspaper outlets. From CBS' This Morning to CNN News, and on countless radio shows around the clock, GOA debated with Handgun Control, Inc. and others who would try to take away the guns of law-abiding citizens. GOA Grassroots Helped Gain Victory In The House At the same time, Gun Owners of America was ginning up its grassroots machine, generating thousands upon thousands of postcards, faxes, emails and phone calls into Congressional offices. For several months, gun owners stood with GOA to lead the charge in opposition to all of the gun control provisions in the juvenile crime bill. GOA activists made it absolutely clear that no compromise would be acceptable. In alert after alert, GOA pounded away at the crime bill, exposing the many ways it would rob gun owners of their Constitutional rights. But the White House was also busy during this time. The President had selected a list of targets, and was relentlessly hounding fellow Democrats in support of greater gun restrictions. Rep. Baron Hill of Indiana was one of the Democrats on that target list. He was a freshman, and he had only won with 51% of the vote in 1998. The White House pressed its case, thinking this conservative Democrat might buckle under the pressure. Thankfully, the President was sorely disappointed. In June, The Washington Times reported what happened, and clearly showed what grassroots action can do: Clinton administration operatives went to [Rep. Hill of Indiana] and told him they had done a survey in his district that showed an overwhelming majority-- 77 percent to 23 percent-supported the gun control legislation. However, Mr. Hill pointed out to them that... his office had received more than 1,100 phone calls against gun control and only a "half dozen or a dozen" in favor. In the end, Mr. Hill joined a substantial number of Democrats who helped block gun-control legislation passed by the Senate. Again, this shows how the grassroots can trump the media and political pressures inside the Beltway! GOA Putting Your Money To Good Use On The Front Lines From its national headquarters in northern Virginia, GOA staff also focused their lobbying efforts on key Congressional offices. GOA's lobbying efforts, combined with a dynamic grassroots campaign, provided the one-two punch that produced the dramatic results that were reported in the June 19 issue of The New Haven Register: Although the Republican House leadership and the NRA urged support for the final version, they were hampered by opposition from [GOA] who were unhappy it required gun safety locks and raised to 21 the legal age for owning a handgun. "Please vote no on passage of HR 2122," urged a letter from Gun Owners of America. And many conservative Republicans did just that. Pro-gun Congressional offices heap praise on GOA and its activists. Following the defeat of the anti-gun crime bill, one Capitol Hill newspaper, Roll Call, surveyed several Congressional offices. This article reported that pro-gun offices on the Hill were quite appreciative of the work done by GOA and its activists. According to the article, Gun Owners of America was labeled "the most aggressive pro-gun lobbying organization," a testimony to the hard work and dedication of its grassroots. This effort by GOA members cannot be underestimated. Roll Call reported that some lobby groups had sold Representatives on the idea that their constituents would "not care" if they voted for gun control. But GOA members were instrumental in disabusing Congressmen of that notion. After an avalanche of postcards, letters, faxes and emails from GOA activists, Representatives realized that people "did care," and these legislators were "not happy" they had been tricked into thinking their constituents would not mind, Roll Call reported. As it stands now, the anti-gun juvenile bill has been buried in a House-Senate conference committee. Many legislators have reported that they don't want to "walk the plank" again, and they are lobbying the leadership to just let the bill die. Of course, this was not the only victory that GOA was involved in. While there were other noteworthy accomplishments at the state and local level that GOA took part in, clearly the victory over the juvenile justice bill was the most significant. GOA and its activists led the fight against this bill; and in all candor, you guys are the reason that the anti-gun juvenile bill has now become a "hot potato." If You're Not Yet A GOA Member, Is It Time You Became One? The ability of GOA to continue putting pressure on politicians depends on loyal activists like yourself. So if you would like to keep up on other issues; if you would like to get our special Fact Sheets which are only provided to GOA members; if you would like to receive our very informative newsletter and get pre-printed postcards that enable you to easily lobby your own Congressmen- even to the point of becoming an "arm chair lobbyist" while watching TV commercials-then please become a GOA member today! Join GOA today online at http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoa.htm or call 703-321-8585. U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas says, "Your membership in Gun Owners makes a difference on Capitol Hill every single day.... I know that GOA will continue to be the 'no compromise' leader in defending America's gun rights and personal freedoms." Join online at http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoa.htm ************** Did someone else forward this to you? To be certain of getting up to date information, please consider subscribing to the GOA E-Mail Alert Network directly. There is no cost or obligation, and the volume of mail is quite low. To subscribe, simply send a message to goamail@gunowners.org and include the state in which you live, in either the subject or the body. - - ------------------------------ End of utah-firearms-digest V2 #170 ***********************************