Bullet Points
Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2005 10:48 am
Vol. 6 No. 2 January 10, 2005
You'll find Bullet Points on the NSSF Web site each week at http://www.nssf.org
Flawed reporting on CBS neglected to inform the public about mandatory criminal background checks of FBI records required before all retail gun sales and erroneously denied the existence of permanent gun purchase records used by law enforcement to trace guns since 1968.
MAJOR ERRORS IN 60 MINUTES REPORTING
"Investigative" Reporting Show Shows Its Bias. . . Reporter Ed Bradley on Sunday's 60 Minutes television show at least twice avoided opportunities to assure Americans that the mandatory FBI criminal background check required before any retail purchase of a firearm is one of the ways to prevent terrorists from buying guns in America. That's true whether a dealer is selling guns at a gun show or in a store. In a story prompted by California's outlawing future purchases of .50 BMG rifles, Bradley broadcast hype and misinformation from gun prohibitionist Tom Diaz of the Violence Policy Center to create a scare about attacks on airplanes and chemical storage facilities that have never occurred. Diaz is hoping to repeat in other states California's ban on .50 caliber rifles by promoting their image as a terrorist tool. Rifle manufacturer Ronnie Barrett calls such hype an attempt to precipitate an attack. Indeed, since shortly after terrorists struck with box cutters on September 11, 2001, the VPC Web site discussion of .50 calibers outlines ways to attack aircraft and other vulnerable targets, discussing the kind of ammunition to be used and even supplying maps indicating where tank farm storage of petroleum and dangerous chemicals can be located by terrorists or other deranged persons. Then, the 60 Minutes story concluded with a boldly false assertion from Diaz when Bradley asked, "Aren't records kept when a gun is sold?" "The answer is no!" Diaz falsely asserted in the broadcast, despite the fact that law enforcement routinely tracks gun ownership by using a permanent record-keeping system on retail gun sales begun in 1968. Bradley and the CBS producers responsible for the segment are being asked by NSSF to broadcast a correction to their story.
WHO OWNS GUNS . . . Media misimpressions about gun owners are the focus of Editor and Publisher magazine's summary of a Gallup Poll survey examining Americans who own guns. The magazine's staff indicated surprise that approximately 30 percent of firearm owners are female, according to the story on the E&P Web site. Also contrary to some perceptions, Gallup reports a majority of gun owners, 67 percent, are not Republicans but registered to vote as Democrats or independents. City dwellers are gun owners 29 percent of the time, and suburbanites 40 percent, while 56 percent live in rural areas. Those acknowledging to the pollster that they own a firearm, approximately 40 percent of the people contacted, reported owning an average of 4.4 firearms. A majority of the gun owners surveyed, seven in 10, said having a gun in the home makes it safer, and that's up from the last time the question was asked by Gallup, before September 11, 2001.
AN INDIVIDUAL RIGHT . . . A memorandum prepared by the Bush Administration's Department of Justice strongly supports the traditional interpretation of the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights as acknowledging "...the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Surprisingly, some have asserted otherwise. The Wall Street Journal explains that legal scholars examined history and language usage common in the 18th century to conclude in a 109-page memo that the Second Amendment means just what it says.
NEW YORK MOXIE. . . In an audacious move, even for New York, the City Council voted 43-to-2 essentially to require gun dealers and manufacturers outside its jurisdiction selling firearms in compliance with all state, local and federal laws, to follow additional requirements the Council demands. In a move that NSSF senior vice-president and general counsel Lawrence Keane says is plainly unconstitutional because the city's authority cannot extend across state borders, the city makes several demands of lawful gun store owners. Most notable, perhaps, that they may not sell more than one gun to a person in a 30-day period, even though federal law allows for multiple firearms sales and requires law enforcement be notified anytime a person buys more than one handgun in a five-day period from a dealer.
SENSELESS . . . The U.S. Supreme Court today decided not to hear an appeal of the decision to let a lawsuit go forward against several gun companies because their products were used by the man who went on a racially-motivated shooting spree in 1999. A federal judge initially threw out the suit, deciding there was no indication of wrongdoing by the manufacturer and distributor defendants. California's Ninth Circuit Court reinstated the case, the same court recently gaining infamy for deciding the words "under God" are not constitutional in the pledge of allegiance. This lawsuit's unbelievable assertion is that gun companies through "negligent marketing" somehow support a criminal market for guns. The Associated Press reports the story, and the industry's Web site at www.dontlie.org tells how firearms companies are cooperating with federal law enforcement in its role to prevent illegal purchases.
TWO WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUTH SHOOTING PROGRAMS . . . A DVD vividly showing the benefits of NSSF's Scholastic Clay Target Program is now available for those who want to establish SCTP teams in their communities or schools. Additionally, current or prospective SCTP coaches can apply to NSSF for the opportunity to attend a basic shotgun certification course March 2-7 at the Olympic Training Center. The cost is only $100, and attendees need only provide transportation to the event. Meals and accommodations will be provided at the Colorado Springs facility for a course endorsed by USA Shooting, the National Rifle Association and the Civilian Marksmanship Program. To receive the DVD or to register for the coach's course, contact Diane Vrablic at NSSF with e-mail or a call to (203) 426-1320.
SHOT SHOW NEWS
WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY . . . Women attending SHOT Show are cordially invited to enjoy the third annual “Women in the Industry” luncheon featuring an address by Sandra Froman, first vice-president of the National Rifle Association. It's for an hour at noon on Saturday, January 29, 2005, in Room N221 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Tickets are free, but only to those who reserve a place at the luncheon by January 15, by e-mailing to Melissa Pergola at mpergola@nssf.org or by calling her at (203) 426-1320.
ATTENTION DEALERS . . . On the last day of the SHOT Show, dealers who register between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday, January 31 in the lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center may have their names randomly drawn to win cash credits up to $10,000. Sponsored by NSSF, credits can be used at any booth at the SHOT Show. Other prizes include a similar $5,000 cash credit, $5,000 credit toward advertising in the Original Outdoor Challenge campaign, two 2006 SHOT Show registration and lodging packages, $100 gift certificates for fine dining in Las Vegas and 20 shopping sprees worth $1,000 each to be used at the prize co-sponsor's booth. Co-sponsors include Hi-Point Firearms, U.S. Fire Arms, Smith & Wesson, Columbia River Knife, IST, Western Powder, Inc., Sentry Solutions, Elite Survival Systems, Stag Arms, Versatile Gun Rack Co., Atsko/Sn-Seal, Inc., Cutt Down Game Calls, Pentax Imaging, Inc., Python Holsters Col, Burris Company, Inc., Mustang Company, Safari Press, Inc. and Alpen Outdoor Corporation.
LESSONS IN SUCCESS . . . Learn how to better market and manage your gun shop with a session at SHOT Show University the day before the show opens, on January 27. See the full offering of instruction and register at the Web site of the National Association of Firearms Retailers, www.nafr.org.
BIG SAVINGS . . . Save up to 26% on select FedEx Express® and up to 24% on select FedEx Ground® shipments. It’s the FedEx Association Advantage® -- another great benefit for members of NSSF. “Last year the average NSSF member saved $561 by enrolling in the NSSF FedEx shipping program,” calculates NSSF managing director of program development Chris Dolnack. Even if you already have a FedEx account, complete a one-page enrollment agreement and start saving immediately. To enroll, e-mail NSSF member services manager Bettyjane Swann or visit the FedEx Booth #9530 in the Retail Services Pavilion at Shot Show 2005.
DEADLINE APPROACHING . . .The last day to order tickets is January 15 for the opening night SHOT Show gala featuring the annual State of the Industry multimedia presentation, SHOT Business Awards and a concert by Grammy Award-winner LeAnn Rimes. A limited number of tickets are still available for purchase at www.shotshow.org.
ENFORCING EXISTING LAWS
NEWSPAPER URGES CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT . . . The Cincinnati Enquirer is urging stepped-up citizen involvement in crime-fighting as the cure for increasing violence the paper details in a front-page story in today's edition. Quoting a police officer interviewed for the story, "When a shooter knows no one will show up in court to point the finger at him, 'he's going to keep shooting people.'" Last year, the paper reports, police dropped charges against nine of 12 suspects arrested in a total of 94 shootings in Cincinnati, and only three were convicted in the 94 cases.
SOUTH CAROLINA . . . A 21-year-old felon pled guilty to possessing firearms, ammunition, and drugs in a South Carolina federal court. The man was arrested after police lawfully searching his home found several firearms, ammunition, cocaine and marijuana.
FLORIDA POLICE SELL GUNS TO RAISE MONEY . . . Two suburban Miami police departments are comfortable selling used police guns and some confiscated or surrendered civilian firearms to provide officers with new equipment, according to The Miami Herald.
AROUND THE INTERNET
HUNTING HALL OF FAMER . . . Wade Boggs, the 2004 spokesman for National Hunting and Fishing Day, will be inducted into the baseball hall of fame in recognition of his 18-year career in Major League Baseball. While he was a first-ballot winner, garnering 92 percent of the ballots cast by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, not everybody picks Boggs as their favorite. His love for hunting has earned him the ire of animal rights activists, according to The Boston Herald.
NRA HUNTING HEAD . . . The National Rifle Association, America's oldest sportsmen’s organization, named Dawson R. Hobbs as its manager of hunting policy to serve as the principal liaison for all hunting-related legislative issues at both the congressional and state level. Hobbs fills a new position within the NRA created to consolidate and strengthen American hunters’ political power through a visible advocacy group to preserve the sport, expand seasons, open lands and celebrate the culture of hunting.
PHEASANT FEST . . . Nebraska small game hunting licensees will be eligible for a 50 percent rebate during Pheasants Forever's Pheasant Fest 2005 in Omaha, thanks to a grant from the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation. In total, 2,000 resident and 1,000 non-resident licenses will be available for rebate during the Fest's three days. Fifteen lucky youths will also be awarded free lifetime Nebraska small game hunting licenses as well. For more information about Pheasants Forever and Pheasant Fest 2005, go to www.pheasantsforever.org
PLEASE SHARE . . . Please forward this copy of Bullet Points to friends and co-workers you know who would benefit from reading it. They can also subscribe at www.nssf.org/BP/subscribe.
NSSF's Mission Statement
"Our purpose is to provide trusted leadership in addressing industry challenges and in delivering programs and services to meet the identified needs of our members."
Click here to visit the NSSF Web site and see how we accomplish this mission.
You'll find Bullet Points on the NSSF Web site each week at http://www.nssf.org
Flawed reporting on CBS neglected to inform the public about mandatory criminal background checks of FBI records required before all retail gun sales and erroneously denied the existence of permanent gun purchase records used by law enforcement to trace guns since 1968.
MAJOR ERRORS IN 60 MINUTES REPORTING
"Investigative" Reporting Show Shows Its Bias. . . Reporter Ed Bradley on Sunday's 60 Minutes television show at least twice avoided opportunities to assure Americans that the mandatory FBI criminal background check required before any retail purchase of a firearm is one of the ways to prevent terrorists from buying guns in America. That's true whether a dealer is selling guns at a gun show or in a store. In a story prompted by California's outlawing future purchases of .50 BMG rifles, Bradley broadcast hype and misinformation from gun prohibitionist Tom Diaz of the Violence Policy Center to create a scare about attacks on airplanes and chemical storage facilities that have never occurred. Diaz is hoping to repeat in other states California's ban on .50 caliber rifles by promoting their image as a terrorist tool. Rifle manufacturer Ronnie Barrett calls such hype an attempt to precipitate an attack. Indeed, since shortly after terrorists struck with box cutters on September 11, 2001, the VPC Web site discussion of .50 calibers outlines ways to attack aircraft and other vulnerable targets, discussing the kind of ammunition to be used and even supplying maps indicating where tank farm storage of petroleum and dangerous chemicals can be located by terrorists or other deranged persons. Then, the 60 Minutes story concluded with a boldly false assertion from Diaz when Bradley asked, "Aren't records kept when a gun is sold?" "The answer is no!" Diaz falsely asserted in the broadcast, despite the fact that law enforcement routinely tracks gun ownership by using a permanent record-keeping system on retail gun sales begun in 1968. Bradley and the CBS producers responsible for the segment are being asked by NSSF to broadcast a correction to their story.
WHO OWNS GUNS . . . Media misimpressions about gun owners are the focus of Editor and Publisher magazine's summary of a Gallup Poll survey examining Americans who own guns. The magazine's staff indicated surprise that approximately 30 percent of firearm owners are female, according to the story on the E&P Web site. Also contrary to some perceptions, Gallup reports a majority of gun owners, 67 percent, are not Republicans but registered to vote as Democrats or independents. City dwellers are gun owners 29 percent of the time, and suburbanites 40 percent, while 56 percent live in rural areas. Those acknowledging to the pollster that they own a firearm, approximately 40 percent of the people contacted, reported owning an average of 4.4 firearms. A majority of the gun owners surveyed, seven in 10, said having a gun in the home makes it safer, and that's up from the last time the question was asked by Gallup, before September 11, 2001.
AN INDIVIDUAL RIGHT . . . A memorandum prepared by the Bush Administration's Department of Justice strongly supports the traditional interpretation of the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights as acknowledging "...the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Surprisingly, some have asserted otherwise. The Wall Street Journal explains that legal scholars examined history and language usage common in the 18th century to conclude in a 109-page memo that the Second Amendment means just what it says.
NEW YORK MOXIE. . . In an audacious move, even for New York, the City Council voted 43-to-2 essentially to require gun dealers and manufacturers outside its jurisdiction selling firearms in compliance with all state, local and federal laws, to follow additional requirements the Council demands. In a move that NSSF senior vice-president and general counsel Lawrence Keane says is plainly unconstitutional because the city's authority cannot extend across state borders, the city makes several demands of lawful gun store owners. Most notable, perhaps, that they may not sell more than one gun to a person in a 30-day period, even though federal law allows for multiple firearms sales and requires law enforcement be notified anytime a person buys more than one handgun in a five-day period from a dealer.
SENSELESS . . . The U.S. Supreme Court today decided not to hear an appeal of the decision to let a lawsuit go forward against several gun companies because their products were used by the man who went on a racially-motivated shooting spree in 1999. A federal judge initially threw out the suit, deciding there was no indication of wrongdoing by the manufacturer and distributor defendants. California's Ninth Circuit Court reinstated the case, the same court recently gaining infamy for deciding the words "under God" are not constitutional in the pledge of allegiance. This lawsuit's unbelievable assertion is that gun companies through "negligent marketing" somehow support a criminal market for guns. The Associated Press reports the story, and the industry's Web site at www.dontlie.org tells how firearms companies are cooperating with federal law enforcement in its role to prevent illegal purchases.
TWO WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUTH SHOOTING PROGRAMS . . . A DVD vividly showing the benefits of NSSF's Scholastic Clay Target Program is now available for those who want to establish SCTP teams in their communities or schools. Additionally, current or prospective SCTP coaches can apply to NSSF for the opportunity to attend a basic shotgun certification course March 2-7 at the Olympic Training Center. The cost is only $100, and attendees need only provide transportation to the event. Meals and accommodations will be provided at the Colorado Springs facility for a course endorsed by USA Shooting, the National Rifle Association and the Civilian Marksmanship Program. To receive the DVD or to register for the coach's course, contact Diane Vrablic at NSSF with e-mail or a call to (203) 426-1320.
SHOT SHOW NEWS
WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY . . . Women attending SHOT Show are cordially invited to enjoy the third annual “Women in the Industry” luncheon featuring an address by Sandra Froman, first vice-president of the National Rifle Association. It's for an hour at noon on Saturday, January 29, 2005, in Room N221 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Tickets are free, but only to those who reserve a place at the luncheon by January 15, by e-mailing to Melissa Pergola at mpergola@nssf.org or by calling her at (203) 426-1320.
ATTENTION DEALERS . . . On the last day of the SHOT Show, dealers who register between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday, January 31 in the lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center may have their names randomly drawn to win cash credits up to $10,000. Sponsored by NSSF, credits can be used at any booth at the SHOT Show. Other prizes include a similar $5,000 cash credit, $5,000 credit toward advertising in the Original Outdoor Challenge campaign, two 2006 SHOT Show registration and lodging packages, $100 gift certificates for fine dining in Las Vegas and 20 shopping sprees worth $1,000 each to be used at the prize co-sponsor's booth. Co-sponsors include Hi-Point Firearms, U.S. Fire Arms, Smith & Wesson, Columbia River Knife, IST, Western Powder, Inc., Sentry Solutions, Elite Survival Systems, Stag Arms, Versatile Gun Rack Co., Atsko/Sn-Seal, Inc., Cutt Down Game Calls, Pentax Imaging, Inc., Python Holsters Col, Burris Company, Inc., Mustang Company, Safari Press, Inc. and Alpen Outdoor Corporation.
LESSONS IN SUCCESS . . . Learn how to better market and manage your gun shop with a session at SHOT Show University the day before the show opens, on January 27. See the full offering of instruction and register at the Web site of the National Association of Firearms Retailers, www.nafr.org.
BIG SAVINGS . . . Save up to 26% on select FedEx Express® and up to 24% on select FedEx Ground® shipments. It’s the FedEx Association Advantage® -- another great benefit for members of NSSF. “Last year the average NSSF member saved $561 by enrolling in the NSSF FedEx shipping program,” calculates NSSF managing director of program development Chris Dolnack. Even if you already have a FedEx account, complete a one-page enrollment agreement and start saving immediately. To enroll, e-mail NSSF member services manager Bettyjane Swann or visit the FedEx Booth #9530 in the Retail Services Pavilion at Shot Show 2005.
DEADLINE APPROACHING . . .The last day to order tickets is January 15 for the opening night SHOT Show gala featuring the annual State of the Industry multimedia presentation, SHOT Business Awards and a concert by Grammy Award-winner LeAnn Rimes. A limited number of tickets are still available for purchase at www.shotshow.org.
ENFORCING EXISTING LAWS
NEWSPAPER URGES CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT . . . The Cincinnati Enquirer is urging stepped-up citizen involvement in crime-fighting as the cure for increasing violence the paper details in a front-page story in today's edition. Quoting a police officer interviewed for the story, "When a shooter knows no one will show up in court to point the finger at him, 'he's going to keep shooting people.'" Last year, the paper reports, police dropped charges against nine of 12 suspects arrested in a total of 94 shootings in Cincinnati, and only three were convicted in the 94 cases.
SOUTH CAROLINA . . . A 21-year-old felon pled guilty to possessing firearms, ammunition, and drugs in a South Carolina federal court. The man was arrested after police lawfully searching his home found several firearms, ammunition, cocaine and marijuana.
FLORIDA POLICE SELL GUNS TO RAISE MONEY . . . Two suburban Miami police departments are comfortable selling used police guns and some confiscated or surrendered civilian firearms to provide officers with new equipment, according to The Miami Herald.
AROUND THE INTERNET
HUNTING HALL OF FAMER . . . Wade Boggs, the 2004 spokesman for National Hunting and Fishing Day, will be inducted into the baseball hall of fame in recognition of his 18-year career in Major League Baseball. While he was a first-ballot winner, garnering 92 percent of the ballots cast by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, not everybody picks Boggs as their favorite. His love for hunting has earned him the ire of animal rights activists, according to The Boston Herald.
NRA HUNTING HEAD . . . The National Rifle Association, America's oldest sportsmen’s organization, named Dawson R. Hobbs as its manager of hunting policy to serve as the principal liaison for all hunting-related legislative issues at both the congressional and state level. Hobbs fills a new position within the NRA created to consolidate and strengthen American hunters’ political power through a visible advocacy group to preserve the sport, expand seasons, open lands and celebrate the culture of hunting.
PHEASANT FEST . . . Nebraska small game hunting licensees will be eligible for a 50 percent rebate during Pheasants Forever's Pheasant Fest 2005 in Omaha, thanks to a grant from the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation. In total, 2,000 resident and 1,000 non-resident licenses will be available for rebate during the Fest's three days. Fifteen lucky youths will also be awarded free lifetime Nebraska small game hunting licenses as well. For more information about Pheasants Forever and Pheasant Fest 2005, go to www.pheasantsforever.org
PLEASE SHARE . . . Please forward this copy of Bullet Points to friends and co-workers you know who would benefit from reading it. They can also subscribe at www.nssf.org/BP/subscribe.
NSSF's Mission Statement
"Our purpose is to provide trusted leadership in addressing industry challenges and in delivering programs and services to meet the identified needs of our members."
Click here to visit the NSSF Web site and see how we accomplish this mission.