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New Group, Same Old Lies
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"...[Americans for Gun
Safety] is nothing more than a rehash of many of
the existing anti-gun organizations..." |
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Upon Reflection... |
The most recent salvo in the war against our Right to Keep and
Bear Arms was fired by one of the newer groups to enter the
fray - the fledgling anti-gun organization, "Americans for Gun
Safety" (AGS). The organization, which refers to itself as a
"centrist, non-partisan group," was launched last year with heavy
funding from billionaire Andrew J. McKelvey of Monster.com, and
has begun running ads that renew the attack on gun shows. And
while the ads claim the group recognizes "the right to own a
gun," the truth is, AGS is nothing more than a rehash of many of
the existing anti-gun organizations.
So what is the true agenda of AGS? Although it clearly wants to
create the illusion that it is somehow different from the
extremists at HCI, the truth is, the roots of AGS are firmly
embedded in HCI. McKelvey, a former board member of HCI, formed
AGS after apparently becoming disillusioned with the
ineffectiveness of HCI.
And materials distributed at a recent AGS
meeting clearly highlighted its real "top national
priority" - "passage of licensing and/or registration in the next
Congress." This goal, of course, is a mirror image of one of
HCI's publicly stated top goals. Furthermore, AGS has thus far
worked to expand its base by affiliating not with "centrist"
groups, but with radical anti-gun groups at the state and local
levels. In fact, the majority of the groups that have affiliated
with AGS are longtime HCI affiliates. These affiliated groups
have yet to adopt the softer facade of AGS, as they promote
extremely anti-gun messages such as:
| "Remove any guns from your home" |
| -- Women Against Gun Violence |
| |
| "The second amendment of the United States Constitution has
nothing to do whatsoever with personal use of firearms" |
| -- Citizens
of Arizona to Prevent Gun Violence |
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| "The best way to protect your family is not to keep a gun in the
home" |
| -- Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence |
But AGS is misleading in more than just its stated agenda. A
visit to the AGS website will show a "softer" image than you
normally see from most of the other anti-gun organization.
However, further investigation of the AGS site reveals it is
nothing more than just another anti-gun extremist organization.
In a press release from October 3, 2000, McKelvey himself claimed
he wanted to "present...unbiased facts," but the AGS website
exudes anti-gun bias. The website includes sections on gun laws,
gun deaths, and the frequency of firearm-related fatalities,
which are either extremely misleading, downright inaccurate, and
sometimes both. Furthermore, nowhere does the site discuss our
Right to Keep and Bear Arms (other than casual comments such as
"we have the right to own a gun"), nor does it mention the
benefits of safe, responsible firearms ownership - especially the
estimated 2.5 million defensive uses of firearms that take place
every year.
And while the site is riddled with claims that it
wishes to "promote gun safety," nowhere can one find a section
that refers to an actual safety program, like the ones developed
by NRA that reach nearly three-quarters of a million responsible
gun owners every year.
- The ad campaign AGS launched this week targets gun shows,
spouting the myth that there is a "Gun Show Loophole." This, of
course, is the same lie that other anti-gun extremists have been
spouting for some time. The fact is that the same federal, state,
and local laws that regulate firearm sales at gun shops remain in
effect and are fully enforceable at any gun show.
- The AGS ad
claims that background checks are not required at gun shows. In
fact, federal law requires any Federal Firearms License (FFL)
holder to run the same National Instant Check System (NICS) check
on the transfer of a firearm that takes place at a gun show that
he is required to run at his place of business.
- The AGS ad also
claims that "convicted felons are buying guns at gun shows." In
fact, a Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) report found that only
1.7% of federal inmates who possessed a firearm during their
offense reported the gun was purchased or traded at a gun show.
Another study, by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ),
supports the BJS report, indicating that less than 2% of guns
used by criminals came from gun shows.
- And while the AGS website
claims that it has not endorsed any of the proposals discussed
under its section called "Possible Solutions," it is obvious that
it publicly supports an effort to impose additional regulations
on gun shows - while privately endorsing the national licensing and
registration of all law-abiding gun owners and their firearms in
internal documents.
Be sure to contact your federal lawmakers and tell them that the
AGS is nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing. Tell them
that it neither respects nor truly believes in our Right to Keep
and Bear Arms, and its true agenda is nothing more than a
full-scale attack on the Second Amendment. Remind your lawmakers
to oppose any legislation that would end gun shows as we know
them today. And, of course, convey your adamant opposition to
licensing and registration. You can call your U.S. Senators at
(202) 224-3121, and your U.S. Representatives at (202) 225-3121.
For those on the Internet, you can find additional contact
information for your federal lawmakers by using the "Write Your Reps" tool at
NRAILA.org.
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