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HCI Losing Touch With Reality?
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"...[I]f HCI is reduced to
considering it the 'greatest legal victory,' then the organization's
supporters should be truly concerned..." |
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It seems the gun-ban lobby formerly known as HCI (a.k.a. the Brady
Campaign or Brady Center) is either in a deep state of denial, or has
simply lost touch with reality. The organization regularly tries to
deny that Democratic candidates are trying to distance themselves from
HCI's anti-gun agenda, even though the vast majority of political
pundits and media outlets (even those that are anti-gun) have been
pointing out this fact since the 2000 elections. But HCI's spin on this
week's court decisions is further proof of the group having abandoned
any semblance of rationality.
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"...[W]hat's
more mind-boggling is [HCI] labeling as 'extremist' a view held by
the overwhelming majority of America's voters..." |
Although Monday's decision by the Supreme Court of the United States is
far from ground-breaking, a press release from the gun-ban lobby makes
the outrageous claim the non-ruling is a "Major Blow to NRA's Extremist
View of the Second Amendment." And while it boggles the mind trying to
determine how the organization came to such a wild conclusion, what's
more mind-boggling is the group labeling as "extremist" a view held by
the overwhelming majority of America's voters.
Last week we reported
that a Zogby International poll found 75% of American voters shared the
correct view that the Second Amendment protects an individual right.
The idea that HCI finds a view held by tens-of-millions of Americans to
be "extremist" just goes to show how out of step with the general public
the group has become.
And if declaring the majority of American voters hold "extremist" views
is not enough proof that HCI no longer exercises common sense or
restraint when issuing its outlandish rhetoric, the spin the group tried
to put on the Ohio Supreme Court's ruling on the Cincinnati reckless
lawsuit should remove all doubt. The organization is calling the close
4-3 ruling the "greatest legal victory yet against the gun industry."
But as was pointed out in the earlier story on this ruling, it barely
qualifies as a victory-as the case may still be dropped or rejected,
and, if it proceeds, it is likely to lose-and if HCI is reduced to
considering it the "greatest legal victory," then the organization's
supporters should be truly concerned.
Then again, this isn't the first time the gun-ban lobby has made such
bizarre claims. In 1999, HCI called an appellate court ruling in
California that allowed another reckless lawsuit to proceed a "historic
victory" that would have "far-reaching implications" for similar suits.
That case was thrown out two years later by the California Supreme
Court. So much for HCI's prognosticating skills.
Rep. Ehrlich (R-Md) |
Even some long-time supporters of HCI's agenda are now having to
question the group's rhetoric. A June 7 editorial in the Washington
Post - a paper that openly supports most gun-control proposals as part of
its editorial policy - has taken the gun-ban lobby to task over its
involvement in the Maryland gubernatorial race. Recently, the
organization began running radio ads as part of its campaign to help
elect Maryland's anti-gun gubernatorial candidate Kathleen Kennedy
Townsend (D). The ads-which another Post article from June 13 refers to
as "the opening salvo of a planned $250,000 campaign" - feature HCI
president Mike Barnes claiming Townsend's Republican opponent,
U.S.
Representative Robert Ehrlich, Jr., has an "extremist record" when it
comes to firearms. But the Post's editorial points out that, while "Mr.
Ehrlich's record on gun issues is not one that we embrace," his "record
is...fairly mainstream." And the article from June 13 indicates that
the HCI/Barnes ad is quite misleading - although dishonest may be a better
word - when it comes to representing Ehrlich's record.
The Townsend campaign claims it was not involved with the HCI attack
ads, but it has yet to comment on HCI's use of the "extremist" label
when discussing her opponent. Does Townsend support HCI's position that
Representative Ehrlich has an "extremist record" on guns? And do all of
HCI's supporters, including those lawmakers who regularly introduce or
promote HCI-endorsed legislation, share the gun-ban lobby's view that
the belief the Second Amendment protects an individual right is an
"extremist view"? The vast majority of American voters-75%, to be
exact-would certainly like to know who considers their views to be
"extremist."
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