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

[Richard Stevens]

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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