46 lines
2.4 KiB
Cheetah
46 lines
2.4 KiB
Cheetah
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NRA CHANGES CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENT PROCEDURES
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Will Consider Financial Support of Libertarians
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(Libertarian Party News, August 1990)
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In what was described by Libertarian Party founding member David Nolan
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as "a major breakthrough," the voting membership of the National Rifle
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Association at its national convention in Anaheim, California, approved
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a resolution authored by John Vernon, immediate past chairman of the
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California Libertarian Party.
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The text of the resolution follows:
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"BE IT RESOLVED: That the NRA shall abandon the policy of only endorsing
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candidates of the Republican and Democratic Parties, and shall
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henceforth also consider the 2nd Amendment positions and qualifications
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of the candidates of the Libertarian and other political parties in its
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determination of endorsements and financial support: That the criteria
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for said endorsement and financial support shall be ranked as follows:
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First: the clear commitment of the candidate to the principles of the
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Second Amendment. Second: The electability of the candidate for the
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office sought. And be it further resolved that no candidate lacking a
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clear commitment to the principles of the Second Amendment shall receive
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any endorsement or financial support from the Institute for Legislative
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Action." (The ILA is the NRA's lobbying organization.)
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The resolution was introduced and read by Eric Sprik, who joined the
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Libertarian Party as a result of the Party's involvement in California
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Justice Department hearings on new gun regulations related to the
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enactment of California's Assault Rifle Ban. At that event,
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Libertarians joined several hundred members of gun owners' groups in
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opposing the proposed regulations.
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Libertarian Party member Jerry Lustig also spoke for the resolution, as
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did California Region 62 Chairman Bob Weber, both long-time NRA members.
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Libertarians who are NRA members are urged to keep the pressure on the
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NRA leadership for endorsements and financial support for Libertarian
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candidates, since the leadership has a history of ignoring the
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positions and qualifications of candidates who are not Democrats or
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Republicans. The passage of the resolution signals growing distrust
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among NRA membership of Republican and Democratic politicos, following
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the recent actions of George Bush and George Deukmejian, which resulted
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in the enactment of more anti-gun legislation.
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