Josh Sugerman, VPC, talking about the willful confusion and conflation of "assaust weapons" with "machine guns" to confuse the public into viewing "assault weapons" as more then just dressed up hunting rifles. "Assault weapons"... EVERY SINGLE ONE... is semi automatic and works just like a hunting rifle and shoots common low-powered hunting rifle rounds - they're merely dressed up to "look like the real thing". This is 100% intellectual dishonest to trick the public into supporting a worthless ban:
"The weapons' menacing looks, coupled with the public's confusion over fully automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons--anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons."
Charles Krauthammer, Pulitzer Prize-winning coumnist, was published in the Washington Post (very mainstream meadia) saying:
"Passing a law like the assault weapons ban is a symbolic — purely symbolic — move in that direction. Its only real justification is not to reduce crime but to desensitize the public to the regulation of weapons in preparation for their ultimate confiscation."
Then there is the fact that enough never seems to be enough for gun control lobbyists. The were at it again before the ink was even dry on the first AWB. After passing 10 round mag limits on new mags in the 1994 AWB, they proposed followup legislation AWB II, that took the limitatoin in the AWB even further... including a new 6 round capacity limit! The only logical reaction for anyone who opposes them and the people they support is to rigorously oppose them at every turn - they brought that kind of trust onto themselves.
Originally published in 1994, here is the plan of HCI - now "The Brady Campaign" - to disarm America.
See Guns & Ammo magazine, July 1994, pgs. 26-27 for more.
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (formerly known as, "Handgun Control, Inc.")
One Million Strong...working to keep handguns out of the wrong hands.
National Headquarters
1225 Eye St, N.W.
Suite 1100
Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 898-0792
CONFIDENTIAL! NOT FOR GENERAL DISTRIBUTION!
Notes and Minutes of Meeting of Friday, December 17, 1993
Rough Draft Proposal for Internal Memo and Five Year Plan
White House Meetings:
It was decided to forward the following to the national office for reference. A series of brainstorming meetings will be held at the White House through Winter 1994. All suggestions should be collated and delivered to our policy team by then.
Fundraisers:
A series of fundraisers should be organized for local political allies through the spring of 1994, the details will be outlined in an attached memo. We should have a stronger presence at Anna Eshoo's fund raiser in early January.
Press Releases:
A subcommittee on media and public affairs assembled as list of press releases and studies, which can be timed to one released to the media per day, in order to fully maintain the high profile of the gun control issue. We don't want to lose the momentum initiated by the massacre in Long Island, however, many local news organizations have been very active in keeping the gun control issue resolutely in view, without any assistance from us. Be sure to call the various station managers and news services to express your thanks.
D-Day is January 1994...
This month will be crucial to swaying votes for Sen. Feinstein's Assault Weapon Ban. Once this passes, we will see the beginning of a landslide which the NRA thugs will not be able to stop, or their few pawns in Congress to able to fillibuster.
Thanking our friends...
A subcommittee will draft a letter of support to Rep. Charles Schumer and offer additional materials that we have collated for his use in testimony and press conferences. A special press conference was proposed in order to thank various State politicians for their support for stricter gun control. The subcommittee urged HCI members to maintain the current high visibility of the gun-control issue and remember to praise President Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno for their political courage for standing up to the old boy network of the Gun Lobby. Special praise to Senator Dianne Feinstein was mentioned for her courage in standing up to the even diminishing number of gun crazy extremists who are actually pushing to make our society a killing field.
What is pending now and can be law in 1994!
-- Ban of all clips holding over 6 bullets
-- Ban on all semiautos which can fire more than 6 bullets without reloading
-- Ban of possession of parts to convert arms into military configuration
-- Ban on all pump shotguns capable of being converted to over 5 shots without reloading
-- Banning of all machine guns, destructive devices, short shotguns/rifles, assault weapons, Saturday Night Specials and Non-Sporting Ammunition.
-- Arsenal licensing (for possession of multiple guns and large amounts of ammunition)
-- Elimination of the Dept. of Civilian Marksmanship, long considered a sacred cow and a dinosaur from the Cold war years (Thank you President Clinton!!!)
-- Ban on possession of a firearm within a home located within 1000 feet of schoolyard
-- Ban on all realistic replicas/toy guns or non-firearms capable of being rendered realistic
-- The right of victims of gun violence to sue manufacturers and dealers to be affirmed and perhaps, aided with money from government programs.
-- Taxes on Ammo, Dealers licenses and guns to offset the medical costs to society. and...
-- the eventual ban of all semi-automatics (regardless of when made or what caliber)
What was only a dream ten years ago can be reality as early as this year!!!
After the meeting, the following ideas were the result of a brainstorming session to guide the focus of gun control initiatives over the next five years. These may not be politically feasible ideas for 1994, but we are confident that with continued pressure we can achieve most if not all of these goals within the next five years. The following list is condensed from our meeting in which we considered the best ideas for public safety expansion. The time is right for action.
Five year Plan:
Licenses:
1. National Licensing of all Handgun purchases.
This is at the top of our list, however, the political climate may be right to initiate this step immediately. Please refer to our memo outlining our ideas on how this should be executed.
2. Licenses for Rifles and Shotguns
We should take our cues from Great Britain. Strict licensing should be mandatory for all firearms, whether handguns or not.
3. State licenses for ownership of firearms
We want to take a workable idea from Great Britain, whereas, we should require the states to issue strict licenses for possession and require the licenses to be signed by at least three public officials -- i.e., the police chief, the city attorney and the mayor, for example, to eliminate ownership by dangerous individuals. It is reasonable to require that all individuals must prove to the signers that they require a firearm. This should be attached to any legislation required purchasers to show a need for a firearm.
4. Reduction of the number of guns to require an Arsenal license
Right now the proposed Arsenal licenses which Senator Feinstein should be pushing for, requires an "Arsenal License" for those people who feel they need more than 20 guns and 1000 rounds of ammunition. We feel that this number is too generous, due to the fact that any number of guns constitutes a grave threat to the safety of the community, we suggest strongly that this license limit be reduced to possession greater than 5 guns and 250 rounds of ammunition.
5. Arsenal License Fees
It is not unreasonable to require a yearly fee for an Arsenal license to be at least $300.00, with a cap of $1000.00. The money collected can be used to defray the immense medical costs directly attributed to these deadly weapons.
6. Limits on Arsenal Licensing
No Arsenal licensing to be permitted in counties with populations of more than 200,000.
7. Requirement of Federally Approved Storage Safe for all guns
We should follow Great Britain's lead on this. All licensed gunowners should be required to have a storage safe which meets minimum federally mandated requirements. Thus step would reduce the tragic accidents which claim the lives of tens of thousands of children a year and make it more difficult for burglars to steal the guns.
8. Inspection license
Another good revenue source would be mandatory inspection of all safes. Each safe would be registered with a specific serial number and the serial numbers and types of weapons stored should be on file with federal and state authorities. Since unannounced inspections can insure that all declared weapons are being properly stored, all safe licenses should have an additional yearly fee to offset the cost of these spot inspections.
Public Safety Regulations:
9. Ban on Manufacturing in counties with a population of more than 200,000
Guns are being built all the time and the number of licensed manufacturers are too great to justify the threat to public safety. This is a small step to reduce the number of these shops where anything, even machine guns, are being built every day.
10. Banning all military style firearms
The Pending National ban on all Assault Weapons, based on a point system can be expanded to eventually cover any firearm with a remotely military appearance. We feel that this aggressive appearance appeals to the type of dangerous individuals who are a definite threat to public safety. We hope that this point system can eventually be expanded to high powered air guns and "paint ball" weapons, which can inflict great damage, and with a little effort can be easily converted into real guns.
11. Banning of any Machine Gun Parts or parts which can be used in a Machine Gun
Periodicals such as "The ShotGun News" particularly cater to individuals which wish to build illegal machine guns. If Senator Feinstein's courageous section of the Crime Bill is successful in banning all machine guns, except for police and military, then there would be no legitimate need for Machine Guns parts except to build illegal weapons.
12. Banning the carrying a firearm anywhere but home or target range or in transit from one to the other
We should institute a federal mandate to the states to strictly regulate the carrying of firearms.
13. Banning replacement parts (mfg, sale, possession, transfer, installation) except barrel, trigger group
Thousands of people are building illegal weapons every day. We can put a dent in this by banning parts and parts kits, except those items like the barrel and trigger group, which are most likely to wear out due to use.
14. Elimination of the Curio Relic list
A gun is a gun. Even an old gun can kill people. This is a loop hole in federal law which has allowed thousands of dangerous weapons to be distributed unchecked. This regulation, if enacted, would automatically eliminate the need for a Curio or relic collector's license. All handguns, rifles and shotguns would fall under the same category as their modern counterparts.
15. Control of Ammunition belonging to Certain Surplus Firearms
Senator Moynihan has already proposed a tax or ban on .22LR, 32 acp, 25 acp and 9mm ammo, however, it has been pointed out to us that there is an extreme proliferation of high powered surplus rifles (i.e. the Moisin-Nagant series and the Enfield series) in which the wholesale prices are as low as $45-75. We suggest that to control the proliferation of violence associated with the large numbers of these types of weapons entering this country that we ban the importation of their ammunition, 7.64x54R and .303 R surplus ammunition.
16. Eventual Ban of Handgun Possession
This may be closer to reality than many of us think. Handguns are becoming increasingly unpopular and we think that within five years we can enact a total ban on possession at the federal level.
17. Banning of Any ammo that fits military guns (post 1945)
With the proliferation of high powered weapons, including semi-automatics and automatics from World War II, we suggest following the lead of Mexico, by prohibiting the sale, manufacture, possession or transfer of any caliber fitting a military firearm in service with a recognized military force after 1945.
Ammunition and Explosives:
18. Banning of any quantity of smokeless powder or black powder which would constitute more than the equivalent of 100 rounds of ammunition.
With the bombing of the World Trade Center, it has been made clear that we must control the amount of explosive materials in public hands. It is arguable that no has any real need to have so much dangerous material on hand.
19. Ban on the possession of explosive powders of more than 1 kilogram at any one time.
Gun nuts are notorious for circumventing the intent of the law, so we can reinforce the above proposed regulation with this additional notation. This additional language can be useful in preventing "bomb-maker" hobbyists and other dangerous individuals.
20. Banning of High Powered Ammo or Wounding ammo
In addition to the banning of military calibers, there is a plethora of dangerous rounds, which are too high powered for sporting use. This includes the highest calibers of pistol and rifle ammunition (of note are the monster calibers for rifles and pistols, like the .50 caliber Desert Eagle Bullet). We should not forget the lessons learned with the insidious Black Talon Ammo, Hollow points, Glaser killing rounds and other types of ammunition design specifically for maiming should be prohibited.
21. A National License for Ammunition
This is an idea whose time has come. We should look at a Federal License for purchasing of ammunition of all kinds. A special form should be forwarded to a new federal office to track those who are purchasing too much ammunition. Remember that a gun is useless without ammunition.
22. Banning or strict licensing of all re-loading components
Ammunition regulation laws can be regularly bypassed by home loaders, creating an underground cottage industry of ammo manufacturers. Possession or purchase of re-loading materials and machines should be restricted and those who wish to use specially loaded ammunition can go to a federally licensed "re-loader".
23. National Registration of ammunition or ammo buyers.
Fees collected from the national licenses should go towards a nationwide database of ammo buyers, with a possible background check to eliminate the purchase of dangerous ammo by felons or mental patients.
24. Requirement of special storage safe for ammunition and licensing
Like the storage safe for guns, there should be a national requirement for special safes to store ammo. These safes should be tamper proof and fireproof and be registered themselves so that on the spot inspections can be held. Again, the costs for these inspections can be absorbed by the license fees.
Gun Ranges:
25. Restricting Gun Ranges to counties with populations of less than 200,000
The obvious threat to public safety of shooting ranges and stray bullets has been lost on many states and counties. We can initiate a federal mandate or incentives to get states to prohibit any kind of shooting range within a county with a population of more than 200,000.
26. Special licensing of ranges
Those ranges which conform to the previous requirement should get special licensing above and beyond that which is required now. Additionally, each existing or new shooting range must get in writing the permission of all property owners within a radius of seven miles.
27. Special Range Tax to visitors
Additional revenue can be a surtax on ranges, requiring the collection of a minimum of $85.00 per visit per person. This can be in addition to required membership fees, upon which the state and local governments get a sizeable portion, to help defray the immense cost of gun violence.
28. Waiting period for rentals on pistol ranges
It has been suggested in the past that felons can acquire pistols and other automatic weapons without a background check by renting a gun on a target range. Deranged individuals are basically being given a license to "practice hunting humans" at these so called "sporting ranges". We think that a national waiting period for gun rentals is yet another idea whose time has come.
Activities with promote Gun Violence:
29. Banning Gun Shows
Illegal transfers and the sales of assault weapons and submachine guns is a common event at these so called gun shows. A huge dent can be made in the illegal trafficking of weapons by banning these shows altogether.
30. Banning of military reenactments
The questionable "Historical" value of these events has escaped public scrutiny for too long. Many of these so called historical events are a mere excuse for gun nuts to blast the countryside with automatic weapons. What is to keep them from loading live bullets and having those stray bullets kill innocent children? What lives in the future will be lost due to this paramilitary training going on right under our noses? We propose the prohibition of Survivalist/paramilitary, World War I and World War II and Civil War Reenactments on federal land, and hope to encourage the states to prohibit them from state and county lands as well.
31. Making unlawful the assembly of more than 4 armed individuals who are not peace officers or military.
Since most hunting parties consist of four, we recognize the need to eliminate the currently legal assembly of shooters for paramilitary training on private lands. This is just one good suggestion for our elimination of the "gun culture" from the mainstream.
32. Begin to curb hunting on all public lands.
Blood sports are an anathema to a civilized society, however, it has been a political reality that the hunters and their ilk have too strong of a stranglehold on Congress. We feel that the impending defeat of high tech assault "killing machines" will open the door to other restrictions. With the diminishing number of hunters, we feel that perhaps in five years we can open up much more of our country to campers and hikers, and eliminate this threat to families out camping, by looking at much more restrictions as to what parcels of land will allow hunting. This will not infringe on sportsmen's right to hunt on private land.
33. Making Gun Owners records and Photos matter of public record
We would have to assemble a legal team, in order to investigate the balance of the right to privacy and the right to safeguard the public. We fully endorse the photographing and fingerprinting of all gun owners, however, these records are usually relegated to law enforcement use only. We think that it would be a good idea to make these record(s) public, so that the communities have the knowledge of who poses a danger to their community before disaster strikes. We realize that this proposal would probably be controversial, thus a long public affairs campaign would have to be initiated in order to build public support and ease the transition of such an idea. We feel that this idea has merit, and can be justified via the past publication of the names of water wasters during drought, customers for prostitution, and deadbeat parents who are delinquent on child support.
34. Random Police Checks for Weapons (like sobriety checkpoints)
This idea was floated before in California in 1989, where some thought it would be a great deterrent to gang crime for police to do sweeps for gang weapons. Right now this idea may have some resistance, however, the political climate can become right to initiate these random vehicle stop and checks at all levels and in all types of neighborhoods. If we continue to maintain the pressure we can make this a reality.
The Next Fifteen Years
With all that is going on, who knows what is possible in the next fifteen years? With murders in the streets, and the public fed up, and the once mighty thugs of the gun lobby whimpering in impotence we have an opportunity to change the face of America for the better! Previously we thought that it would take at least a century to eliminate dangerous weapons and guns from the public hands, but now with allies in the White House and Congress, we can accelerate this trend, and make the barbaric NRA extinct!!! Here are some ideas to consider for the long term:
Banning of military acoutrements
Essential to the Neanderthal gun culture are the typical military clothing, camouflage, pouches, and gear, boots and other combat gear. They euphemistically refer to this as "militaria". Elimination of the future sale of these items will cripple the culture of violence well into the 21st century.
Stricter guidelines for violence in television and the movies
We should look at the possibility of victims of violence initiated by copying an act on television and the movie or video screen, suing the makers of such shows for compensation to their suffering. If the industry cannot regulate itself, we may have to eventually look at an independent branch of government, to determine which scenes cause more harm than good to the public and regulate the numbers of violent acts protrayed.
The total Elimination of arms from Society
We cannot survive into the 21st century unless we remember the need to expand our wave to new thinking to the total disarmament of America. With much of the public disarmed we can become more like Great Britain, where we can also eliminate the need for much of our police to be armed. This would take a long time, however, a concerted public relations campaign can pressure local law enforcement to give up their arms, when the time comes. Weapons, would be still available to special units like SWAT or the military.
Control of dangerous literature (Bomb making, machinegun conversion, etc.)
Too much irresponsible material is purportedly covered by the 1st amendment, however, the time will come when our nation has to agree that some literature does not belong in a safe society, like instruction manuals on how to kill, or how to make homemade explosives, or nuclear bombs. We must realize that there can be such a thing as too much freedom where such literature poses a serious threat to the public safety.
1994 sounds the death knell for the bully tactics of the NRA and the culture of violence in America!!
We are pressing on all fronts and much of this can become reality sooner than we expect. With the loss of power and clout of the NRA and their various smaller crony organizations crumbling to dust, we can eliminate a 200 year old license to murder into history, and enter the 21st century a safer place for our children and our children's children.
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