Bullet Points
Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 6:24 pm
Vol. 5 No. 10 March 8, 2004
Senator Under Unfair Attack . . . Idaho's Larry Craig made compelling arguments against amendments proposed to derail legal reform bill. Click to listen to his remarks made in debate on Sen. Craig's Web site.
BRADY GROUP LAUNCHES PERSONAL ATTACK
Politics As Usual . . . With an absurd charge that can be entertained only because it involves the firearms issue, Idaho's Larry Craig, who led the Senate campaign to pass the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, is being accused of wrongdoing because he also serves among more than 50 members of the board of directors at the National Rifle Association. Today's New York Times and other papers support The Brady Campaign strategy, which began with a letter to the Ethics Committee in the Senate demanding that Craig refrain from debate on the bill because the NRA would benefit from its passage. Does that also mean Senator Bill Frist, a Tennessee physician, cannot advocate changes to the many laws regulating drugs or health care or Medicare? Senator Thomas Carper, Democrat from Delaware, is on the board of Amtrak, which couldn't exist without extensive government involvement in its finances. New York's Senator Hillary Clinton lists service on the boards of directors at both Wal-Mart and TCBY, in addition to her involvement with the Children's Defense Fund, an advocacy group with roots in the civil rights movement. The NRA, a non-profit group, is the nation's oldest civil rights organization.
SENATE VOTE REVISITED IN THE PAPERS . . . An insightful after-action report comes from political columnist Collin Levey at The Seattle Times. The Second Amendment Foundation's Alan Gottlieb and Dave Workman look toward the future and ramifications for the presidential election in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, while NRA's Chris Cox addresses the "assault weapon" issue in The San Francisco Chronicle.
MARCH EDITION . . . SHOT Business this month looks at optics from different perspectives, explains what gun store employers need to know about military leave and provides a primer on air guns. Didn't get your copy? Be sure your subscription is up-to-date with a visit to the SHOT Business Web site. Anyone involved in the retail sale of firearms is likely to qualify, and current subscribers are asked to renew.
SHOOTING RANGE SURVIVAL SEMINAR . . . Coming to western Pennsylvania at the end of April, for range managers and shooting grounds owners. Attendance is a must for those who want to stay ahead of the issues that menace the continued successful operation of your range. NSSF and the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, Inc. present two sessions, April 24 in Grove City and in Warrendale on April 25. Learn about successful management techniques, community relations, risk assessment, lead migration, range insurance, and other topics vital to the survival of your facility. Cost is $35, with discounts available for certain memberships. To use a major credit card and register by phone, call Lisa Diehl at 717-232-3480.
COURTING SUCCESS . . . Co-Authors Stephen Halbrook, Dave Kopel and Alan Korwin are a couple of well studied attorneys and a good businessman who all happen to be fine writers, too. That accounts for both the utility and the readability of their recently released book, Supreme Court Gun Cases. With summaries in easy-to-understand, plain English, this 672- page book is the perfect reference for those of us who have tried to make heads and tails of complicated Supreme Court decisions. The laymen is guided with summaries through 92 cases related to firearms issues in a helpful way that ought to produce many more letters to the editor as politics this election year warms over the stale debates about the Second Amendment and what that word "infringe" can mean.
AROUND THE STATES
TENNESSEE . . . Ask your State Representative and Senator to support HB 3360/SB 3228. This legislation puts an end to the lawsuits threatening to close shooting ranges throughout the Volunteer State. Help to save your shooting heritage and call your legislators today. You can find contact information regarding your legislators by using the "Write Your Representatives" feature you'll find at the NRA-ILA's Web site.
VIRGINIA . . .The Virginia Senate has passed HB 404, which will allow holders of valid Virginia concealed-carry permits to purchase more than one handgun a month. Also winning Senate approval were HB 1144 and HB 1302 to allow Virginians to purchase long guns from licensed dealers in other states.
MARYLAND . . . An attempt to create a state ban on certain semi-autos appears to be doomed in a victory for the Governor with the acknowledgement from a key Senate Democrat that outlawing guns won't have an impact on public safety, according to Maryland's Gazette.
INDIANA . . . The state will shield gun owners from civil lawsuits if their firearms are stolen and then used in a crime, under an act approved by the House in the waning hours of the 2004 short session, according to The Indianapolis Courier & Press.
AROUND THE INTERNET
BIG APPLE ANNIE OAKLEYS . . .With a refreshingly objective article that lacks condemnation, The New York Times today profiles women in New York City who have taken up shooting as a sport and chronicles some of the difficulties they encounter trying to pursue their pastime.
STRAIGHT SHOOTING KIDS . . . From Bridgeport comes The Connecticut Post story of the Bunnell High School rifle team. The sports section feature by reporter Tara Driscoll reinforces the positive attributes that disciplined shooting builds in dedicated athletes, notes that most of the team's members are on the honor roll, and speaks well of the ever-present requirement for safety above all else.
VETS TAKE NOTE . . . Joe Foss has been gone for more than a year now. He was a winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, twice elected governor of South Dakota and a president of the National Rifle Association. The Joe Foss Institute was founded shortly before his passing and has established an ambitious goal of reaching one million American students each year with its message promoting the restoration of patriotism, integrity and an appreciation for American freedoms. It needs volunteers, specifically, 1,000 combat veterans to make presentations at school assemblies and in classrooms. The non-profit organization also needs funds. To find out how you can help in its noble mission, email fossinstitute@aol.com or call (480) 348-0316.
PICK A PLACE . .. Anyone who's had the pleasure of dropping the hammer on a few rounds at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in suburban Phoenix knows first hand what a fine facility it is. Now's your chance to share that good opinion, as Ben Avery is nominated to be a Phoenix Point of Pride. Until March 12, no matter where you live, your vote counts to help determine which Phoenix-area attraction will be awarded this distinction. Visit the Ben Avery Web site for a reminder of what makes it so special, and then go to http://www.pride.azcentral.com to vote.
COPYRIGHT 2004 by National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted for broadcast, publication, retransmission to e-mail lists, WWW or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, if 1) the text is forwarded in its entirety, including this paragraph, and 2) no fee is charged. — SUBSCRIPTION to Bullet Points is free, and available at www.nssf.org — To UNSUBSCRIBE, click here and follow the instructions to have your e-mail automatically removed.
Senator Under Unfair Attack . . . Idaho's Larry Craig made compelling arguments against amendments proposed to derail legal reform bill. Click to listen to his remarks made in debate on Sen. Craig's Web site.
BRADY GROUP LAUNCHES PERSONAL ATTACK
Politics As Usual . . . With an absurd charge that can be entertained only because it involves the firearms issue, Idaho's Larry Craig, who led the Senate campaign to pass the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, is being accused of wrongdoing because he also serves among more than 50 members of the board of directors at the National Rifle Association. Today's New York Times and other papers support The Brady Campaign strategy, which began with a letter to the Ethics Committee in the Senate demanding that Craig refrain from debate on the bill because the NRA would benefit from its passage. Does that also mean Senator Bill Frist, a Tennessee physician, cannot advocate changes to the many laws regulating drugs or health care or Medicare? Senator Thomas Carper, Democrat from Delaware, is on the board of Amtrak, which couldn't exist without extensive government involvement in its finances. New York's Senator Hillary Clinton lists service on the boards of directors at both Wal-Mart and TCBY, in addition to her involvement with the Children's Defense Fund, an advocacy group with roots in the civil rights movement. The NRA, a non-profit group, is the nation's oldest civil rights organization.
SENATE VOTE REVISITED IN THE PAPERS . . . An insightful after-action report comes from political columnist Collin Levey at The Seattle Times. The Second Amendment Foundation's Alan Gottlieb and Dave Workman look toward the future and ramifications for the presidential election in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, while NRA's Chris Cox addresses the "assault weapon" issue in The San Francisco Chronicle.
MARCH EDITION . . . SHOT Business this month looks at optics from different perspectives, explains what gun store employers need to know about military leave and provides a primer on air guns. Didn't get your copy? Be sure your subscription is up-to-date with a visit to the SHOT Business Web site. Anyone involved in the retail sale of firearms is likely to qualify, and current subscribers are asked to renew.
SHOOTING RANGE SURVIVAL SEMINAR . . . Coming to western Pennsylvania at the end of April, for range managers and shooting grounds owners. Attendance is a must for those who want to stay ahead of the issues that menace the continued successful operation of your range. NSSF and the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, Inc. present two sessions, April 24 in Grove City and in Warrendale on April 25. Learn about successful management techniques, community relations, risk assessment, lead migration, range insurance, and other topics vital to the survival of your facility. Cost is $35, with discounts available for certain memberships. To use a major credit card and register by phone, call Lisa Diehl at 717-232-3480.
COURTING SUCCESS . . . Co-Authors Stephen Halbrook, Dave Kopel and Alan Korwin are a couple of well studied attorneys and a good businessman who all happen to be fine writers, too. That accounts for both the utility and the readability of their recently released book, Supreme Court Gun Cases. With summaries in easy-to-understand, plain English, this 672- page book is the perfect reference for those of us who have tried to make heads and tails of complicated Supreme Court decisions. The laymen is guided with summaries through 92 cases related to firearms issues in a helpful way that ought to produce many more letters to the editor as politics this election year warms over the stale debates about the Second Amendment and what that word "infringe" can mean.
AROUND THE STATES
TENNESSEE . . . Ask your State Representative and Senator to support HB 3360/SB 3228. This legislation puts an end to the lawsuits threatening to close shooting ranges throughout the Volunteer State. Help to save your shooting heritage and call your legislators today. You can find contact information regarding your legislators by using the "Write Your Representatives" feature you'll find at the NRA-ILA's Web site.
VIRGINIA . . .The Virginia Senate has passed HB 404, which will allow holders of valid Virginia concealed-carry permits to purchase more than one handgun a month. Also winning Senate approval were HB 1144 and HB 1302 to allow Virginians to purchase long guns from licensed dealers in other states.
MARYLAND . . . An attempt to create a state ban on certain semi-autos appears to be doomed in a victory for the Governor with the acknowledgement from a key Senate Democrat that outlawing guns won't have an impact on public safety, according to Maryland's Gazette.
INDIANA . . . The state will shield gun owners from civil lawsuits if their firearms are stolen and then used in a crime, under an act approved by the House in the waning hours of the 2004 short session, according to The Indianapolis Courier & Press.
AROUND THE INTERNET
BIG APPLE ANNIE OAKLEYS . . .With a refreshingly objective article that lacks condemnation, The New York Times today profiles women in New York City who have taken up shooting as a sport and chronicles some of the difficulties they encounter trying to pursue their pastime.
STRAIGHT SHOOTING KIDS . . . From Bridgeport comes The Connecticut Post story of the Bunnell High School rifle team. The sports section feature by reporter Tara Driscoll reinforces the positive attributes that disciplined shooting builds in dedicated athletes, notes that most of the team's members are on the honor roll, and speaks well of the ever-present requirement for safety above all else.
VETS TAKE NOTE . . . Joe Foss has been gone for more than a year now. He was a winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, twice elected governor of South Dakota and a president of the National Rifle Association. The Joe Foss Institute was founded shortly before his passing and has established an ambitious goal of reaching one million American students each year with its message promoting the restoration of patriotism, integrity and an appreciation for American freedoms. It needs volunteers, specifically, 1,000 combat veterans to make presentations at school assemblies and in classrooms. The non-profit organization also needs funds. To find out how you can help in its noble mission, email fossinstitute@aol.com or call (480) 348-0316.
PICK A PLACE . .. Anyone who's had the pleasure of dropping the hammer on a few rounds at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in suburban Phoenix knows first hand what a fine facility it is. Now's your chance to share that good opinion, as Ben Avery is nominated to be a Phoenix Point of Pride. Until March 12, no matter where you live, your vote counts to help determine which Phoenix-area attraction will be awarded this distinction. Visit the Ben Avery Web site for a reminder of what makes it so special, and then go to http://www.pride.azcentral.com to vote.
COPYRIGHT 2004 by National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted for broadcast, publication, retransmission to e-mail lists, WWW or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, if 1) the text is forwarded in its entirety, including this paragraph, and 2) no fee is charged. — SUBSCRIPTION to Bullet Points is free, and available at www.nssf.org — To UNSUBSCRIBE, click here and follow the instructions to have your e-mail automatically removed.