textfiles/politics/GUNS/nra_obj

From: rrw@philabs.Philips.Com  (Roger White)

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                NRA PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES
                                 
- To protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,
especially with reference to the inalienable right of the
individual American citizen guaranteed by such Constitution to
acquire, possess, transport, carry, transfer ownership of, and
enjoy the right to use arms, in order that the people may always
be in a position to exercise their legitimate individual rights
of self-preservation and defense of family, person and property,
as well at to serve effectively in the appropriate militia for
the common defense of the republic and the individual liberty of
its citizens;

- To promote the public safety, law and order, and the national
defense;

- To train members of law enforcement agencies, the armed
forces, the militia, and people of good repute in marksmanship
and in the safe handling and efficient use of small arms;

- To foster and promote the shooting sports, including the
advancement of amateur competitions in marksmanship at the
local, state, regional. national and international levels;

- To promote hunter safety, and to promote and defend hunting as
a shooting sport and as a viable and necessary method of
fostering the propagation, growth, conservation and wise use of
our renewable wildlife resources.



                    NRA POSITIONS IN BRIEF


FIREARMS LICENSING AND REGISTRATION

We believe that any type of licensing and computer registration
scheme aimed at law-abiding citizens is a direct violation of
Second Amendment rights, serves no law enforcement purpose, and
could ultimately resort in the prohibition and/or confiscation
of legally owned firearms.  Nationally, registration and
proposed confiscation has already happened in Cleveland, Ohio,
Washington, D.C., New Jersey and Massachusetts; internationally,
confiscation is a reality in Soviet Georgia, Cuba, Lithuania and
Bermuda, among numerous other countries.  Such laws would not
keep guns out of the hands of criminals, drug addicts, or mental
incompetents who are already prohibited by law from legally
purchasing, owning or using firearms.  Registration for
criminals, according to the Supreme Court, would be a form of
self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment and thus be
unconstitutional.  Also, licensing systems have been used by
issuing authorities to prohibit firearms ownership.


SEMIAUTOMATIC FIREARMS

We believe the press and anti-gun groups have misled the
American people concerning this issue, since true "assault
rifles" are fully automatic firearms and the sale of such
newly-manufactured rifles has been prohibited since 1986.  It is
lawful to hunt with semiautomatic firearms of one kind or
another in 49 states, and 71 percent of the competitors at the
National Matches at Camp Perry use semiauto rifles and pistols. 
In competitions held nationwide, 74 percent of the matches can
be accomplished using semiautos.

There are an estimated 30 million lawfully owned semiautomatic
firearms in the U.S., 3 million to 4 million of which have a
military-style appearance.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms has testified that the functional mechanisms of all
these guns are identical; banning a particular firearm because
it is a semiauto will by definition affect all semiauto firearms
in this country.

Finally, according to law enforcement statistics and testimony,
military-style semiauto firearms are involved in only about 0.5
percent to 1 percent of all homicides.


"WAITING PERIODS" FOR THE PURCHASE OF FIREARMS

We believe only law-abiding citizens are affected by "waiting
periods."  Research proves that "waiting periods"/police
investigations drain law enforcement resources, and do nothing
to deter crime.  Common sense and criminological research show
that criminals avoid legal channels or use fake identification
to circumvent the screening system.  In addition, criminal
record systems are inadequate; only 40 percent to 60 percent of
all state felony records are automated, making an accurate and
timely check in detecting criminals no better  than the toss of
a coin.  This is why 28 states and the federal government have
rejected the scheme.


"ARMOR-PIERCING" AMMUNITION 

We believe the American public should know that despite media
disinformation and anti-gun propaganda, the NRA has never
lobbied for so-called "cop-killer bullets." IN fact, NRA helped
gain passage of the legislation that limited the sale of a
narrowly defined type of ammunition to police and military -
therefore regulating what had long been an industry practice. 
The final legislation insured that popular rounds of sporting
and hunting ammunition were not banned by the U.S. Congress, as
originally proposed.


"PLASTIC GUNS"

We believe that anti-gun groups, ultimately seeking a blanket
handgun ban, created and used the non-existent "plastic gun"
issue to push legislation that would have banned millions of
detectable, metal firearms.  NRA efforts refocused the issue to
highlight the inadequate airport security and proved to
lawmakers that no undetectable "plastic guns" exist.  NRA helped
gain passage of legislation insuring that all firearms remain
detectable by state-of-the-art security devices.


"SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIALS"

We believe this meaningless but derogatory term was coined to
promote legislation banning many popular models of handguns. 
Research shows that small, inexpensive firearms are not favored
by criminals, as their detractors insist, but are
disproportionately used for sport and especially for
self-defense by honest citizens.  Research shows that criminals
will use whatever firearms they can get - preferring
log-barreled, heavy, large caliber pistols or revolvers to small
caliber, alloy frame, low melting point guns.  The few who
prefer smaller guns would, in their absence, move to bigger and
potentially deadlier handguns or long guns.


FIREARMS PROHIBITION

We believe that gun bans only disarm honest citizens, not
criminals.  Since adopting a virtual handgun ban, Washington,
D.C. has recorded an increase of almost 200 percent in its
murder rate, making it the nation's murder capital.  NRA and the
nation's law enforcement community agree that criminals, not
guns, are responsible for crime.  No make or model of firearms
should be blamed for the actions of outlaws, particularly when
the supporters of such legislation readily admit their plans are
to add more and more models to banned lists.  NRA calls for
tougher anti-crime laws and mandatory sentencing - proven to
reduce crime - rather than ineffective gun bans.


HUNTER PROTECTION LAWS

We believe that hunting is a cherished American tradition and a
viable wildlife management tool.  Therefore, NRA has helped pass
legislation in 38 states protecting your hunting heritage from
attacks by hunting saboteurs who are intent on using all manner
of disruptive tactics to end lawful hunting.


CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

We believe that stronger law enforcement, tougher prosecutors,
tougher judges, harsher sentences and more prisons - not
firearms restrictions or prohibition - are major, proven ways to
bring crime under control.

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The above has been copied (without permission) from the 32 page
NRA Member Guide which appeared in a recent (February?) issue of
the American Rifleman magazine.