From: owner-utah-firearms-digest@lists.xmission.com (utah-firearms-digest) To: utah-firearms-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: utah-firearms-digest V2 #191 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 Wednesday, June 14 2000 Volume 02 : Number 191 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 26 May 2000 12:33:13 -0600 From: charles hardy Subject: FW: Rosie gets a gun? Forwarded ================================================================== Charles C. Hardy Utah Email Coordinator--Women Against Gun Control http://www.NewsMax.com/showinsidecover.shtml?a=2000/5/25/94428 With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff For the story behind the story... Thursday May 25, 2000 Rosie O'Donnell's Bodyguard Gets a Gun - How Nice! Rosie O'Donnell just hates guns. They are evil. They hurt people. They kill people. Remember how she treated Tom Selleck on her show for supporting the NRA. Rosie would like a gun-free world for America - or should we say for the rest of America. For herself, she would like a gun. She would like one for her bodyguard. Why? To keep her and her children safe. Some of Rosie's Greenwich, Conn., neighbors noted the irony recently when her bodyguard applied for a gun permit. Greenwich Police Chief Peter Robbins told the Stamford Advocate that indeed Rosie's bodyguard had applied for a concealed weapon permit. "The facts are [O'Donnell's] bodyguard has made an application for a carry permit," Robbins told the paper. "It's under review and I haven't yet granted a permit for this applicant." O'Donnell's spokeswoman, Jennifer Glaisek, explained the move to the Stamford Advocate. She said that O'Donnell's children "need a bodyguard because they have been the targets of threats, on which she refused to elaborate." Rosie's request raised worries with the local school district after rumors floated that the bodyguard would be armed when he brought one of O'Donnell's sons to school. O'Donnell denies that will happen. She said she has no problem with her decision to get the gun. "I don't personally own a gun," Rosie told the Advocate, "but if you are qualified, licensed and registered, I have no problem." Funny, Rosie, that's the same policy of the NRA. O'Donnell also may not be fitting in with her wealthy neighbors in Greenwich. "People here have too much money," she complained to the paper. Get this, she also claims she wants her kids to attend public schools. "I come from a working-class background. That's always been the plan." We'll believe it when we see it. After all, if she wanted to live in a blue collar neighborhood and have her kids attend public schools, she would have moved to Hoboken, not Greenwich. ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 15:52:06 -0600 From: charles hardy Subject: The rest of the story? From today's DesNews' letters to the editor: No 'heckling,' just nice chat I found it interesting to read the reports of the so-called "heckling" being done by gun advocates recently over the conceal-carry petition issue. The article stated that a volunteer in South Jordan was "repeatedly harassed until she packed up and went home." Somehow that statement didn't have the ring of truth to it, since I was the individual being accused of committing the alleged harassment. The harassing conversation we supposedly had consisted of me inquiring about the well-being of her recently returned missionary, the warm weather and the beautiful trees found in the valley. It was a very pleasant conversation, I might add! Sure, we have differing political views, but we both tried to exhibit courtesy to the other in spite of the fact. I'm afraid I didn't find the news report of the incident as objective. In the end, I carried her chair for her to her van and we parted, if not as friends, at least as individuals who respect each other's rights. It would be interesting to see how many other situations were inflated by inaccurate reporting in that article as well. Two truths are becoming readily apparent in this day and age: Guns save lives and freedom, and the press will not tell the truth about that. Cory Seegmiller South Jordan ================================================================== Charles C. Hardy Utah Email Coordinator--Women Against Gun Control - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 15:55:05 -0600 From: charles hardy Subject: Fw: Tell this to Rosie ================================================================== Charles C. Hardy Utah Email Coordinator--Women Against Gun Control - --------- Forwarded message ---------- >RKBA Defenders, > >especially WAGC*, SAS-AIMM*, Mothers Arms*... >[those with their e-mail addresses*, please forward] > >This is from a 04/13/1999 NPR Real Audio file interview of an ethnic >Albanian Kosovar refugee. This lady had once been responsible for the >health and safety for Women and Children. > >Listen to the introduction and then particularly what she says after the >3:45 time marker... > >>"The overwhelming attitude of everyone, men, women, children, young, and old, was that they just wished that they had arms to protect themselves and their homes. To protect their dignity. If they had arms, they would not have left their homes. They would have stayed." > >http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atc/19990413.atc.07.ram > >NPR knows this. They have seen the situation and reported on it first >hand. They have heard the voice of the oppressed, yet their coverage >consistently comes down against the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. >Likewise, Rosie O'Donnell -- mouthpiece for the Misguided Mothers March, >now seeks her own arms, even while campaigning to disarm the Great >Unwashed. > >"The ruling class doesn't care about public safety. Having made it very >difficult for States and localities to police themselves, having left >ordinary citizens with no choice but to protect themselves as best they >can, they now try to take our guns away. In fact they blame us and our >guns for crime. This is so wrong that it cannot be an honest mistake." >--former U.S. Sen. Malcolm Wallop (R-Wy.) > >Doing my best to "earn this" freedom, on Memorial Day, 2000. > >Rick V. >Jurist > > >-- >Guns Are Tyranny Control http://www.freeyellow.com/members8/iurist >--------------------------------------------------------------- >The Right to Self Defense is a Fundamental Human Right - RKBA >--------------------------------------------------------------- - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 09:12:03 -0600 From: Scott Bergeson Subject: Fifty Million Round March Endorsements You may want to send the casings anonymously but clearly postmarked from the appropriate congressional and senatorial districts. Perhaps also buff out any traceable chamber marks. from the Vigo Examiner... Fifty Million Round March Endorsements The Fifty Million Round March http://www.50mrmarch.com, a grassroots effort to energize the gun owners of America to take part, on a direct and individual basis, in influencing their elected representatives regarding the need to preserve their Second Amendment rights continues to gain momentum. Several notable individuals and organizations have endorsed the effort and are working together to make the first event, to be held on Father's Day, June 18th, a great success. Fathers and their families, friends and neighbors will be gathering at gun ranges all over this nation to shoot simultaneously over fifty million rounds as a demonstration of their determination to preserve their Second Amendment rights. They will then write letters to their elected representatives directly charging them to not infringe upon those rights. In support of this effort, J. J. Johnson, a well-known writer, speaker, and defender of the Second Amendment said that this effort, "asks not for us to travel to Washington, but to stay home. Not to cower under the pressure of 'political correctness,' but to stand and be counted. We here at the Sierra Times (an internet publication, of which Mr. Johnson is editor-in-chief) stand in proud support of this effort, as well as of those who will join in this -- the ultimate statement to Washington by the Real Men of America..." L. Neil Smith, another well known and respected Second Amendment activist and writer, had these comments about the effort, "The Fifty Million Round March is an important, ongoing effort to preserve and expand the unalienable individual, civil, Constitutional, and human right of every man, woman, and responsible child to obtain, own, and carry, openly or concealed, any weapon -- rifle, shotgun, handgun, machinegun, anything -- any time, any place, without asking anyone's permission. It also represents an unignorable means of communication to those who previously would not hear us and who mistakenly believe they own us. Let them now learn differently." Gary Fleetwood, an Executive Director from the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia http://www.ssaa.org.au, whose group endorses the Fifty Million Round March in America, added his unique perspective when he stated, "Australian firearm owners have experienced the swift and savage consequences of firearm legislation which was implemented because of political expediency. I urge you to participate in this activity to indicate to politicians that law abiding firearm owners in the United States are unified and will deal swiftly at the ballot box with those who support the same draconian gun legislation as seen in Australia. The same legislation that is being promoted in the United States by individuals without roots who prostitute themselves for a social agenda." In addition, two major activist groups, The Second Amendment Sisters [www.sas-aim.org], and The Tyranny Response Team [www.TRTeam.com], have also declared themselves as endorsing organizations of this new Second Amendment preservation effort. In a further, major development Sierra Times http://www.sierratimes.com has announced plans to create an on-line "Fifty Million Round Photo Gallery" of fathers, their families, and their children exercising their Second Amendment rights at the various Fifty Million Round March events. J. J. Johnson, Editor-in-Chief of Sierra Times, indicates that, "The goal of Sierra Times in support of the Fifty Million Round March: 100,000 fathers and their children together on Father's day at the gun range. An Internet Gallery of Armed Americans -- and their children. A message Washington will never forget -- and can't ignore." Jeff Head, an organizer of the Fifty Million Round March, adds, "The Fifty Million Round March fully supports Sierra Times in creating an on-line storage medium of pictures of fathers and their children ... families and their children, exercising their Second Amendment rights together. This will send a most powerful message, a message not only to the politicians of today, but equally important, a message to the upcoming generation in America about a great hallmark of their liberty and how it is to be preserved." For more information, please visit www.50mrmarch.com - --------------------------------------------- Enjoy a 90 day free trial subscription to the E-mail edition of the Vigo Examiner. You will receive up to three of our top stories, editorials or letters each day. Send your trial subscription request to Circulation@Vigo-Examiner.com. - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 12:29:00 -0600 From: charles hardy Subject: Fw: Invitation to Governor Leavitt to debate Glen Davis FYI or particular interest to Davis county residents. ================================================================== Charles C. Hardy Utah Email Coordinator--Women Against Gun Control - --------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "D. Hansen" Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 00:05:59 -0600 Subject: Invitation to Governor Leavitt to debate Glen Davis To All: Could you all call Governor Leavitt's office at 538-1000 or email him at governor@state.ut.us to request that he participate in this debate. Be sure to mention to his secretary that he promised to carry the debate from one end of the state to the other. Please pass on this email to everyone you know. Thanks, Dave PRESS RELEASE--May 30, 2000 The public is invited to hear gubernatorial candidate Glen Davis and his running mate Greg Hawkins (lieutenant governor candidate) speak at Kaysville's Barnes Park (pavilion #1) on Wednesday June 7, 2000 at 7:00 P.M. Governor Michael Leavitt has also been invited to participate in this event. At the recent Republican Party State Convention, Glen Davis forced Governor Leavitt into a primary election, drawing 46% of approximately 3,500 state delegate votes, a surprise result that has rocked across the nation. At the end of the convention, Governor Leavitt promised delegates that he would "carry this debate from one end of this state to the other." Will the Governor keep this promise to debate his opponents? So far there have been no debates. If Governor Leavitt does decide to attend this debate, citizens will be treated to what is sure to be an enthralling debate. If not, Davis and Hawkins are still sure to stir citizens' deepest patriotic senses. Davis County citizens may submit questions for this debate prior to the start time on a 3"X5" cards or email their questions to David A. Hansen at davehansen@juno.com. Please include your name and telephone number in case I need clarification on your question for the Governor. Barnes Park is located two blocks west of I-15, just north of 200 North. Below is a copy of the invitation sent to Governor Leavitt: INVITATION TO GOVERNOR MICHAEL LEAVITT TO DEBATE GLEN DAVIS Governor Michael O. Leavitt: Candidate Glen Davis will be at Barnes Park pavilion #1 (two blocks west of I-15, just north of 200 North) in Kaysville at 7:00 p.m. on June 7, 2000. He will be prepared to participate in a debate with you on issues important to citizens of Davis county and the state of Utah. At the recent Republican Convention you promised to "carry this debate from one end of this state to the other." I urge you to keep that promise. You said in a recent Deseret News (Bob Bernick/Lucinda Dillon) article that you didn't understand why the "right wing" can't see the bigger picture. This is your opportunity to explain the bigger picture to all Utah citizens. I assure you that the debate will be run in a fair and impartial manner. Questions will be selected from Davis county citizens. Will you join in the debate? Please call me to accept this invitation. Thank you, - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 23:02:25 -0600 From: Scott Bergeson Subject: Trib Poll on guns in unSafe to Learn/unSafe to Worship Dave sez: - ----- Subject: Trib Poll on guns in unSafe to Learn/unSafe to Worship Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 22:25:59 -0600 From: "D. Hansen" To All: I just wanted to let you know that the Trib has fired up a poll concerning the just recently failed ballot initiative. At this time, the good guys are losing with only 20%. However, there have only been 25 voters so we can still make some good headway. Please send out a notice to invite everyone to vote. The poll is located on the front page of the Trib: http://www.sltrib.com/ and center right. Thanks to Dana for the notice - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2000 15:09:07 -0600 From: charles hardy Subject: WW in DN--pro gun article From today's DesNews editorial page: Gun control's costs exceed benefits By Walter Williams More than anything else, economics is a way of thinking. At the heart of economics are several simple and easily observable characteristics of humans and the world in which we live. The first is that people prefer more of those things that give them satisfaction and fewer of those things that give them dissatisfaction. Second, when the cost of something goes down, people tend to take or do more of it, and when the cost of something increases, people tend to take or do less of it. Finally, having more of one thing requires less of something else. Or, as my colleague Professor Milton Friedman puts it, "There's no free lunch." Let's apply these simple postulates to public-policy issues. With any public policy, there's a benefit and there's a cost. Intelligent public-policy discussion requires an examination to determine whether benefits outweigh costs. For example, there'd be a clear benefit to mandating a national speed limit of 5 mph. The enormous benefit from doing so would be the virtual elimination of the tens of thousands of highway fatalities and injuries each year. But the costs of a 5 mph speed limit would be enormous. We sensibly conclude, without saying so, that a 5 mph speed limit and the lives it would save wouldn't be worth the hassle. The lesson here is that we can't simply look at the benefits. If we only look at benefits, we'd do just about anything because everything has a benefit. Our nation is in a frenzy about child victims of gun homicides and accidents. Many people are becoming increasingly shrill in demands for all manner of supposed gun-safety measures. First, let's put the magnitude of accidental gun deaths in perspective. The following are Centers for Disease Control 1997 statistics for types of accidental deaths of children from birth to age 14: drowning (1,010), auto (2,608), bicycle (201), pedestrian (675) and gun accidents (142). gun homicide in the same age group totaled 346. It turns out that among all the causes of accidental deaths of children, the chances of death by a gun accident are the remotest. That means the benefit of child safety locks might be 142 fewer accidental deaths in 1997. Reported in John R. Lott's book "More guns, Less Crime," 15 national polls, by groups such as the Los Angeles Times, Gallup and Peter Hart Research Associates, have found there are an estimated 760,000 defensive handgun uses to 3.6 million defensive uses of any kind of gun per year. Crimes that have been prevented included robbery, car-jacking, burglary, assault and murder. I doubt whether these crimes would have been as effectively prevented if a gun owner, awakened by a burglar in the dead of night or approached by a carjacker, had to first worry about scrounging around for the key to unlock the safety lock. But you might say whatever it takes to prevent the accidental death of our children is worth it. Then I suggest that you prioritize things a bit. The number of children killed accidentally by guns is 142. We'd save more child lives (1,010) by closing swimming pools, save 201 lives by banning cycling and 675 by banning pedestrian activities. Again, if we only look to the benefit (saving lives), we might outlaw these activities, but what would be the cost? Our children would lose all the joy and entertainment from swimming, bicycling and playing in the streets. Economics gives no clue about the motivation of people who push for one public policy or another. So I'm going to go out on the limb regarding the motivation of gun-safety-lock advocates: These people want ultimate gun confiscation, and gun locks are just another nuisance factor toward that end. Creators Syndicate Inc. ================================================================== Charles C. Hardy Utah Email Coordinator--Women Against Gun Control - - ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Jun 2000 09:12:00 -0600 From: Scott Bergeson Subject: FW: KABA Liberty Advocate 6-9-2000 KABA LIBERTY ADVOCATE June 9, 2000 -- Today is Liberty Day. Welcome all new subscribers. Thanks for your time. Please report any problems with our web site to Webmaster@KeepAndBearArms.com. Thank you. A note about server speed is below the items in today's report. A note follows for our subscribers who do not have full internet access or prefer to receive text over links to our website. IN TODAY'S REPORT... http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com Today's Cartoon: JUST SAY NO TO GUNS Today's KABA Features: An Open Letter to Law Enforcement by "Henry Bowman" Hungary cracks down on gun ownership (But industry strikes back) I'm Not Even a Gun Nut by Tsun The MMM-Richmond Integrity Deficit by Jim in Virginia Linked from KABA to Other Sites... "Carry a Gun Without a License, you'll do time" says a judge in Pittsburgh. City of Chicago Suing ATF to try to force them to turn over records to bolster their treasonous lawsuits against the manufacturers of self-defense devices. (Wouldn't be surprised if this were nothing more than a smokescreen to make it look like the ATF isn't bending over backwards to bodyslam the gun industry.) 50 Million Round March Considerations (Consider why to get involved for Father's Day, and then to to the 50MRM site.) Reality vs. Rosie: What Every Woman Must Know by Richard Stevens, JPFO 4 Ex-Governors Back Gun Control Initiative (Trying to remain relevant and see how they can still screw America.) New Technology Streamlines Trapshooting for Competition Voice activate pull. (When are they going to have heat-seeking commie bullets?) And, as always, on the left side of our home page in our Daily Shots section, we have our PARTING SHOT: Bill & Hillary & Puppies http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com KABA SERVER SPEED If you are experiencing some slower-than-desirable access to our site, please read this message. We have received our long-awaited new server. It is a dual Pentium III 650Mhz system with redundant backup and three hard drives operating simultaneously. It will be installed at a new internet farm that has five internet backbones coming into the building. The 512 Megs of RAM and the above are expected to dramatically improve load time on the site. The server has RAID controllers (for you techie types) and is capable of taking 100,000 hits in any given SECOND. This should do us okay for at least the next 90-180 days, at which point a second server located on the other side of the country will be installed (funds permitting). We expect to have the new server fully loaded and operational in 10 days. Your patience and understanding are appreciated. (or at least keep the flames to under two paragraphs!) :-) Thanks. FOR PEOPLE WITHOUT FULL INTERNET ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WHO PREFER TEXT EMAILS TO WEBSITE Much juggling is still afoot with KABA getting settled in to our new home at .com. We are exploring the best way to offer some of our information, by popular request, in a text format that doesn't necessitate a trip over to our site. It's coming; please be patient or, if you don't have internet access and want to unsubscribe for the moment, ask one of your internet friends to give you a heads up when we announce that feature of our site. Double Thanks. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Lawful people being criminalized for choosing the means and ability to defend our own lives are tired of being demonized for refusing to be victimizable. If you want to be easy prey, suit yourself, but Don't Tread On Me!" ~~ Angel Shamaya, Director ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Subscribe or unsubscribe at our web site. http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 22:04:18 -0600 From: Scott Bergeson Subject: LPU: FW: SB72 chickens come home to roost. - ----- Subject: LPU: FW: SB72 chickens come home to roost. Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 16:48:19 -0600 From: "Jim Dexter" To: "LPUtah Forum" The Libertarian Party owns RKBA as an issue in Utah! Thank you, Rob Bishop. :-) - ---------- Well, well, the proof regarding Sen. Terry Spencer, USSC and Rob Bishop selling us out at the Utah legislature is in this article. Wait a minute I though USSC was supposed to be preserving our gun rights. (YEA RIGHT!) This is the same ROB BISHOP that called the Republican platform and bylaws ětechnicalitiesî and refused to make the Governor adhere to them. - ------------------ Terry Spencer's SB72 comes back to haunt Utahns convicted of offences 30 or 40 years ago (including non-violent felonies)--now they cannot even own a bow and arrow, cross-bow, blow-gun, pellet gun, or, if it is used as a weapon, a knife. "The people who are going to be caught unaware are those folks who may have had some criminal problems when they were 18 or 19 years old and they're 40 now and have never had any trouble with the law since," aid Capt. Stuart Smith of the Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI). - ---------------------------------------- Thank you Terry Spencer for sponsoring this bill. Thank you, Utah Shooting Sports Council for pushing it through in the last 2 minutes of the legislative session. I feel sooooo safe now. - ------------------------------------------------------- Felons to Be Denied Hunting Licenses BY CHRISTOPHER SMITH THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE A new regulation prohibiting convicted felons from purchasing Utah hunting licenses is being drawn up, part of a crackdown triggered by a gun-control law passed minutes before the gavel fell on the 2000 Legislature. The law also may prompt an increase in requests to the state Department of Public Safety for criminal record "expungments" -- a legal process of erasing a past conviction -- for people with nonviolent felony convictions who now find themselves barred from hunting. Senate Bill 72, the final measure passed by legislators before adjourning March 1, closed a bizarre loophole in state law that allowed violent felons - -- banned from possessing firearms under federal law -- to hunt with guns in Utah. "We were increasingly encountering people with violent felony convictions, people that you wouldn't want to see with a dangerous weapon, who, when they were stopped by law enforcement, would say they were on a hunting trip or going target shooting," said Bob Elswood, chief of law enforcement for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. "These people could just say they were going hunting jackrabbits, an uncontrolled animal that can be hunted year-round, even at night. And we had a law on the books that allowed them to have a gun for that, even though federal law doesn't." SB72 closed that discrepancy by eliminating the state's so-called "hunting exception," which had permitted those convicted of violent felonies, such as aggravated assault, to legally possess a firearm if they were going hunting or target practicing. But the law, which was primarily aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, went farther in limiting who can legally possess weapons and hunt in Utah. Among the changes that went into effect with Gov. Mike Leavitt's signature on March 16: - -- A person convicted of any felony -- not just a violent felony -- is now a "restricted person" under state law and cannot possess any "dangerous weapon," and therefore is prohibited from hunting or target shooting. Authorities say substituting the term "dangerous weapon" for "firearm" in the law now means that restricted persons cannot legally possess bows and arrows, cross-bows, blow-guns, pellet guns and even a knife if it is used as a weapon. Penalties range from second-degree felony to class A misdemeanor charges, depending on the nature of the weapon and the seriousness of the previous felony conviction. - -- A person who is an unlawful user of a controlled substance -- regardless of any previous convictions -- is now considered a restricted person under state gun-control law and is prohibited from possessing, purchasing, owning or transferring any dangerous weapon. Violators face third-degree felony or class A misdemeanor charges, depending whether the weapon is a firearm. - -- A person in possession of a weapon and knowingly and intentionally in unlawful possession of a "Schedule 1" controlled substance, such as marijuana, peyote or hallucinogenic mushrooms, is now classified as a restricted person under state law and banned from possessing dangerous weapons or hunting, regardless of any previous convictions. "I can think of an actual case where one of our officers on the opening day of the deer hunt saw a man slumped over the wheel of his pickup truck and when the officer investigated, this hunter was bending down to snort lines of cocaine," said Elswood. "Under the old law, he was arrested for the drug possession. Under the new law, he could also be charged with a felony count of having a firearm while possessing a controlled substance, even if he was not previously a felon." The changes to the state's gun-control laws affecting hunting came too late to be included in this year's printed booklet of state hunting regulations. The changes won't prohibit restricted persons from fishing, trapping or handling pursuit hounds, although restricted persons won't be allowed to carry any "dangerous weapon" as defined by the new state law while engaging in such activities. While next year's hunting proclamation will explain the changes, DWR officials are planning to ask the Utah Wildlife Board to consider passage of a new regulation that would prohibit people convicted of any felony from purchasing a state hunting license. "Right now, a convicted felon can buy a license but they can't hunt because they can't possess a dangerous weapon," said Elswood. "We want to fix that so people with felonies in their past don't get the impression they can hunt. We feel that's the intention of the Legislature and the public." At the same time, authorities suspect there may be many hunters with nonviolent felony convictions in their past that may be surprised this fall when they are arrested by a game warden for possessing a dangerous weapon while hunting. "The people who are going to be caught unaware are those folks who may have had some criminal problems when they were 18 or 19 years old and they're 40 now and have never had any trouble with the law since," said Capt. Stuart Smith of the Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI). "It is hard to have a whole lot of sympathy for someone who did the crime, but the reality is people make mistakes and they do have a way of fixing things through our expungment law." Requests for expunging Utah convictions are processed by the BCI, which conducts an exhaustive search of all criminal justice databases across the country before certifying a report to the court that determines whether the applicant meets standards outlined in state law for having the conviction wiped away. Although the final determination is up to a judge, the cost for the search is minimal and applicants do not need an attorney. (Details of the expungment process and application forms are available online at www.bci.state.ut.us or by calling the division's expungment clerk at 801-965-4966.) "We are predicting that this change in not allowing any felons to hunt and certainly enforcing it to a much higher level is going to get a lot more people out there wanting their records expunged," said Smith. "How many people is very tough to measure. We may have already processed the more responsible ones because the biggest thing driving expungment requests lately has been employers, more of whom are demanding proof of a clean criminal record before hiring." Elswood said DWR conservation officers have been trained on the intricacies of the new gun-control law and, while more criminal background checks may be made during future hunting seasons, officers will continue to primarily focus on wildlife resource enforcement. "We don't just run people's criminal histories when we're out in the field doing regular checks unless they may be associated with an offense," said the state's chief game warden. "If a person is involved in an offense, it's part of the drill to run their record. So a person who is now restricted from weapons possession under the new law may be found out if they commit another violation." - - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 23:06:49 -0600 From: charles hardy Subject: Fw: Federal Firearm alert ================================================================== Charles C. Hardy Utah Email Coordinator--Women Against Gun Control - --------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Nancy" Important Gun Vote Could Occur In The House Tomorrow -- Good news for grassroots activists on "secret searches" provision 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 This alert posted on the web at: http://www.gunowners.org/a061300.htm (Tuesday, June 13, 2000) -- The moment of truth has arrived. Clinton's illegitimate grab of power will go on trial as early as tomorrow in the House of Representatives. Pro-gun Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) is taking aim at gun control policies imposed by President Clinton this past March when his Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agreed to back door gun control with firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson. The Clinton & Wesson pact regulates and restricts the sales of ALL firearms sold by dealers carrying S&W products -- including Glocks, Berettas, Brownings, etc. Moreover, no gun can be sold by an S&W dealer until the FBI gives a definitive "yes" or "no." Thus, if the FBI's computers go down (like they did just a few weeks ago) no S&W dealer can transfer a firearm until the government's computers go back online and the FBI gives its verdict. Per the terms of the agreement, government bureaucrats will sit on an Oversight Commission, helping to enforce the Clinton & Wesson accord. Most notably, the commission will include BATF agents -- a fact that should concern gun owners everywhere. Rep. Hostettler plans to offer two amendments to the VA-HUD funding bill this week. One amendment will defund HUD's ability to enforce the agreement. The other will stop HUD's ability to "organize, implement, manage, promote, coordinate, or administrate" any gun control coalition efforts in which they are currently involved. (HUD has been helping to organize state and local officials in an anti-gun "Communities for Safer Guns Coalition.") ACTION: Please contact your Representative and urge him to SUPPORT the Hostettler amendments to the VA-HUD appropriations bill. (The bill is scheduled for debate tomorrow, even though it still does not have a bill number.) Tell your Congressman it's outrageous for the President to bypass Congress and impose gun control upon the people of this nation. Moreover, it's outrageous that your tax dollars are helping organize anti-gun coalitions around the country. No more! Tell him you support Hostettler's amendments 100 percent. The GOA Legislative Action Center is available at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm so you can locate and contact your Representative. The Capitol switchboard may be called toll-free at 1-888-449-3511, or at 202-225-3121. Secret Searches Provision Pulled From The Bankruptcy Bill GOA would like to thank activists for all their hard work in contacting their legislators during the last two weeks. Last month, GOA informed you about the "sneak and peek" provisions that could adversely affect your rights. Well, Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA) told GOA last week that the secret searches provision has been pulled from the bankruptcy bill. This means that, to the best of our knowledge, the provision only remains in the Methamphetamine bill (H.R. 2987). Gun owners should continue urging their Representatives to oppose this provision in ANY bill that should come to the floor of the House. Finally, just one more piece of evidence that grassroots gun owners should NOT be ignored: "Smith & Wesson plans to shut down two of its manufacturing plants for a month partly because of the fallout from its landmark gun-safety deal with the government." -- Associated Press, June 13, 2000 - ----- Pre-written message ----- Dear Representative: When the VA-HUD appropriations bill comes up for debate, please support two amendments expected to be offered by Rep. John Hostettler that will benefit gun owners. It is outrageous that President Clinton did an end run around Congress and imposed more gun control on the citizens of this nation. The gun control agreement between the Clinton administration and firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson regulates ALL FIREARMS SOLD by retailers who stock even a single Smith & Wesson model. Moreover, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is encouraging state and local officials to become more aggressive in attacking the rights of gun owners. Rep. Hostettler's amendments will reign in HUD's gun control agenda. The Clinton administration has no business bypassing the legislative branch in this arena. Please let me know what you intend to do. Sincerely, ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. - - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 09:35:54 -0600 From: "Karl Pearson" Subject: gunfight at the Canadian Corral A friend's nephew sent this to me. He felt we might be interested. He doesn't know the source. Gunfight at the Canadian Corral Dr. Michael S. Brown June 5, 2000 Americans breathed a sigh of relief this week as our national gun rights debate took a break from the overheated rhetoric of recent months. Much needed comic relief was provided by Rosie O'Donnell. The gun-hating talk show host admitted that she is protected by bodyguards armed with guns. Unfortunately, things are not going as well for our Canadian cousins. A poorly crafted and mean spirited law called the Firearms Act (C-68) was forced through Parliament in 1994 by the ruling Liberal Party. In an ugly example of cultural warfare, the Liberals used falsified statistics to convince members of Parliament that Canada was suffering from an epidemic of gun violence. The result was a strict new law with Draconian penalties on gun owners. The law passed despite the Justice Minister's inability to show that Canada's previous sixty years of handgun registration had prevented any crimes. The law has two major parts, which are very similar to proposals by the American anti-gun lobby. The first phase requires all gun owners to obtain a license. They must comply by the end of this year or face up to ten years in prison. The second phase is the registration of all firearms, which must be complete by January, 2003. Again, the penalty for violations is up to ten years in prison. As a final insult to honest citizens, the type of handguns most suitable for self defense are banned outright by C-68. Confiscation of these guns from law abiding owners will be easy due to the existing registration system, but criminals have never registered their guns and will not be affected. Apparently, Canadian criminals have a more effective lobby than the gun owners. The Liberal sponsors of the law estimated start-up costs for the new system would be under 85 million dollars. So far, it has consumed over $300 million and massive annual operating costs are being predicted. Over 1,400 government workers have been assigned to the project. Despite this commitment of resources, the system is plagued by long delays and error rates as high as 90% have been reported by outside analysts. Even if Canadian gun owners were planning to cooperate, the size and complexity of the task would be overwhelming. The gun owners, however, are not cooperating. Only 10% have turned in the lengthy application forms and many have announced that they will never comply with such an unfair law. The Law-abiding Unregistered Firearms Association (www.lufa.ca) is planning organized civil disobedience. This new organization has grown from nothing to 16,000 members since it was founded in November of 1998. Their plan is to wait until the first gun owner is charged with failing to obey the new law. Then, tens of thousands of gun owners will present themselves at RCMP stations across Canada and announce that they are in violation of C-68. Perhaps the Liberal politicians will send them all off to prison, but harsh action would harm the warm fuzzy image the party wants to project. There is a good chance the whole licensing scheme will collapse as firearms cases clog the courts and cost the Liberals their majority in Parliament. This is not certain, as they are masters at generating public support. One Clintonesque tactic takes advantage of the fact that many license applications are rejected due to errors. The Liberals claim this represents the number of "potential criminals" who have been denied access to firearms as a result of the wonderful new law. They are obviously borrowing this tactic from the U.S. administration which has made similar false claims for the Brady bill. Another useful gambit takes advantage of any change in the crime rate. If crime decreases, the Liberals will say that this proves the effectiveness of gun control and ask for even stricter anti-gun laws. If crime increases, they can say that the current law is inadequate and will still have a reason to ask for stricter laws. They probably think they can't lose. The Canadian Supreme Court may invalidate the law. If not, a moment of reckoning will occur sometime after January 1, 2001. Americans could learn a lot from this episode, but our media has historically ignored both Canadian affairs and anything that shows the failure of gun control. A priceless lesson is likely to be wasted. - - ------------------------------ End of utah-firearms-digest V2 #191 ***********************************