Matt -- we must protest when "our side" errs

3 Jul 2001

      Dear Colleagues,

The July 2001 Issue of NRA's America's First Freedom
magazine featured a cover picture of John Ashcroft and
highlighted the story of Ashcroft's letter indicating
that "the Constitution protects the private ownership
of firearms for lawful purposes."  The magazine (at
pp. 35-37) exults in the reversal of Justice
Department policy on the Second Amendment.

That's great.  On page 37, the NRA reprints Ashcroft's
letter -- as though it were *in full* -- but omits the
footnote that exists in Ashcroft's actual letter.

As you know, Ashcroft also said in that footnote in
his letter that the Constitution "does not prohibit
Congress from enacting laws restricting firearms
ownership for compelling state interests, such as
prohibiting firearms ownership by convicted felons."

The NRA omitted a key element of Ashcroft's position
- -- and then published the letter as though it were
complete.

That omission is a terrible distortion -- and
seriously damages NRA's credibility with those of us
who know the whole truth.  What else might the NRA
choose to omit, where the omission serves a PR
purpose?  Are their reports from the UN correct?
Their reports about lobbying efforts and the positions
taken by NRA-backed candidates?

I wonder who at the NRA thought it was a good idea to
distort the facts, and conceal the somewhat negative
truth, just to advance the appearance of NRA success?
That's the conduct we came to expect from HCI & Co.
... now it has infected the NRA.

Members like me should demand the NRA publish an
accounting of this mistake, fire the person who made
the mistake, apologize and repent from such conduct.

- --Richard Stevens
(my personal views only)

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<TITLE>RE: General Ashcroft make his move</TITLE>
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I get the NRA's American Rifleman magazine. The July issue also has
 an article about Ashcroft's letter, which does not quote the rather
 lengthy footnote. However, it does contain a legible image of BOTH
 pages of the letter, including the ENTIRE text of the footnote. This
 is hardly the action of an organization bent on distorting Ashcroft's
 view on the Second Amendment. Stupid editing on the part of the
 America's First Freedom team, perhaps, but not an organization-wide
 conspiracy.

<P><FONT SIZE=2>Jonathan Wienke</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>- -----Original Message-----</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>From: Matthew Gaylor [<A HREF="mailto:freematt@coil.com">mailto:freematt@coil.com</A>]</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2001 12:01 PM</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>To: George@Orwellian.Org</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Cc: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Subject: Re: General Ashcroft make his move</FONT>
</P>
<BR>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>[Note from Matthew Gaylor:  Richard Stevens is author of the recent </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>book "Dial 911 and Die" published by the Jews for the Preservation of</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Firearms Ownership.   <A HREF="http://www.jpfo.org" TARGET="_blank">http://www.jpfo.org</A> ]</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2001 16:00:46 -0700 (PDT)</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>From: Richard Stevens <dial911book@yahoo.com></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Subject: Matt -- we must protest when "our side" errs</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>To: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com></FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>Dear Colleagues,</FONT>
</P>

The July 2001 Issue of NRA's America's First Freedom
 magazine featured a cover picture of John Ashcroft and
 highlighted the story of Ashcroft's letter indicating
 that "the Constitution protects the private ownership
 of firearms for lawful purposes."  The magazine (at
 pp. 35-37) exults in the reversal of Justice
 Department policy on the Second Amendment.

<P><FONT SIZE=2>That's great.  On page 37, the NRA reprints Ashcroft's</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>letter -- as though it were *in full* -- but omits the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>footnote that exists in Ashcroft's actual letter.</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>As you know, Ashcroft also said in that footnote in</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>his letter that the Constitution "does not prohibit</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Congress from enacting laws restricting firearms</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>ownership for compelling state interests, such as</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>prohibiting firearms ownership by convicted felons."</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>The NRA omitted a key element of Ashcroft's position</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>- -- and then published the letter as though it were</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>complete.</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>That omission is a terrible distortion -- and</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>seriously damages NRA's credibility with those of us</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>who know the whole truth.  What else might the NRA</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>choose to omit, where the omission serves a PR</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>purpose?  Are their reports from the UN correct?</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Their reports about lobbying efforts and the positions</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>taken by NRA-backed candidates?</FONT>
</P>

I wonder who at the NRA thought it was a good idea to
 distort the facts, and conceal the somewhat negative
 truth, just to advance the appearance of NRA success?
 That's the conduct we came to expect from HCI & Co.
 ... now it has infected the NRA.

<P><FONT SIZE=2>Members like me should demand the NRA publish an</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>accounting of this mistake, fire the person who made</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>the mistake, apologize and repent from such conduct.</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>- --Richard Stevens</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>(my personal views only)</FONT>
</P>

**********************************************************************
 ****
 Subscribe to Freematt's Alerts: Pro-Individual Rights Issues
 Send a blank message to: freematt@coil.com with the words subscribe
 FA
 on the subject line. List is private and moderated (7-30 messages per
 week)
 Matthew Gaylor, (614) 313-5722  ICQ: 106212065   Archived at 
 <A HREF="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fa/" TARGET="_blank">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fa/</A>
 **********************************************************************
 ****

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Richard Stevens

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