GUNS/BARMS

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NRA's LaPierre Promises 1994 Gun Ban Will Be
Defeated

Jeff Johnson, CNSNews.com
Friday, April 25, 2003

ORLANDO, Fla. – The chief of staff for the nation's largest defender of
gun owners' rights said today that the 1994 ban on so-called "assault
weapons" enacted by then-President Bill Clinton will not be renewed
under President Bush.

"We are bound and determined that that the Clinton gun ban on
semi-autos and so-called 'assault rifles' will not be re-enacted," said
Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of National Rifle Association to
a standing ovation. "I promise you that."

LaPierre's comments came at a gathering of more than 300 NRA
members attending a workshop on grassroots political activism before
the group's annual meeting Saturday.

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the anti-gun group formerly
known as Handgun Control Inc., has attacked NRA for not supporting the
Clinton ban on semi-automatic hunting and sporting rifles.

"As a former U.S. Marine, I have fired 'assault weapons,' and there is no
legitimate civilian use for these weapons," said Michael Barnes,
president of Brady Campaign. "There is no good reason, no defensible
reason to turn back the clock and allow 'assault weapons' to be on the
streets."

Though Brady Campaign refers to the law as an "assault weapons ban,"
the legislation actually bans the manufacture and importation of
hundreds of types of semi-automatic firearms commonly used by
hunters and sport shooters. "Assault weapon" is a technical and legal
term referring to fully automatic weapons, more commonly called
"machine guns."

According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of
Justice Statistics, only about 2 percent of criminals in state or federal
prisons for committing a crime with a firearm used a weapon banned by
the law.

Establishment Media Don't Understand NRA; Politicians Do

LaPierre said the reason the establishment national news media always
predict defeat for gun owners' rights is because they don't understand
the devotion of those who support the Second Amendment.

"What they don't see is all of you and folks like you all over the country
that, one by one, believe in freedom, believe in what we stand for ... it
changes everything," he said. "I don't have to tell you that without what
you've done, without the NRA, President Bush wouldn't be there today.

"There's absolutely no doubt it would be Al Gore," LaPierre continued.
"Even Bill Clinton said it."

Chris Cox, executive director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Action,
said NRA members - like those who took off from work and traveled from
all over the country to attend the session this morning - were the reason
the group was so successful in Congress and in state legislatures.

"It's not because of me; it's not because of Wayne. It's because of you,"
Cox said. "When we have legislative victories, it's because of you. When
we have election victories, it's because of you.

"When I walk into a politician's office, they're not scared of me," he
added, "they're scared of you."

According to Kayne Robinson, first vice president of the organization,
approximately 50,000 of the NRA's 4 million members are expected to
attend the group's 132nd annual meeting Saturday. The meeting will
include a tribute to NRA President Charlton Heston, who was recently
diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and additional workshops on
defending the Second Amendment.