111 lines
5.5 KiB
Plaintext
111 lines
5.5 KiB
Plaintext
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Outdoor Editor Says NRA Easy Target For Media
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Media cliches find the NRA an easy target, noted Rich Landers,
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outdoors editor of the Spokane, WA, Spokesman-Reviews in a Nov. 24
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column.
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"The National Rifle Association is the nation's favorite
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stereotype," Landers said. "Political cartoonists like to picture
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the NRA as 'Bubba,' the burly goon with a gun. National reporters
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approach virtually every gun-related story assuming the NRA is the
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villian.
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"But the public deserves more than the cliches the media seem to
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relish.
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"For example, a Washington Post wire story, published in this and
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numerous other papers, reported that the NRA had supported certain
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candidates in the Nov. 3 elections. The story said that the so-
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called 'gun lobby' gave $1.8 million to political candidates.
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"The story is objective and factual. But it's ludicrous when you
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consider what stories did not run in newspapers across the country.
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Real Estate
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"Here's some perspective.
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"In the 1988 elections (complete figures aren't available yet for
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1992), the national associations representing real estate agents
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spent $3 million to lead the nation in contributions to candidates,
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according to the Federal Elections Commission.
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"The NRA was No. 32 on the list, with contributions totalling
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$772,000.
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"The real estate lobby spent another $5.9 million for political
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purposes not directly connected to candidates.
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"Yet, when was the last time you saw a national story about the
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'real estate lobby' and its influence in land-use decisions that
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affect everything from homeless people to wildlife habitat?"
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Landers added, "Extremists are delighted that the media are
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gullible for cliches.
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"Consider the letter that appeared in Sunday's sport section from
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Chris Bowers of Liberty Lake. (His name should be familiar because
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he and his housemate, Kerry Masters, average nearly a letter a week
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devoted to trashing hunters, medical researchers and all meat
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eaters.)
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Cliches
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"Bowers launched into a litany of anti-NRA cliches, virtually every
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one of which is either a lie or a sensational misrepresentation.
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"For example:
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"--Bowers said the NRA defends the sale of cop-killer bullets.
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"Fact: In the early '80's, the NRA opposed legislation that would
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have banned the use of teflon-coated bullets, which can pierce
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through bullet-proof vests. But the ambiguous legislation also would
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have outlawed about 85% of the bullets commonly used for deer
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hunting.
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"In 1983, the NRA, working with law enforcement groups, supported
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a bill that zeroed in on the issue by prohibiting the sale of teflon-
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coated bullets to the public while allowing them to be used by law
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officers.
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"Nowadays, they're called 'cop-saver' bullets.
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Plastic Guns
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"--Bowers said the NRA defends the possession of plastic handguns
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that don't trigger metal detectors.
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"Fact: The so-called plastic gun issue came up several years ago
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after Glock, an Austrian gun manufacturer, introduced a handgun that
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incorporated plastic in its metal construction. The media dubbed it
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the terrorist's gun of choice, claiming it could not be detected in
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airline security systems.
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"The gun, however, has plenty of metal to be detected.
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"The NRA opposed legislation to ban the Glock, but supported
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legislation that specifically prohibits the sale of firearms capable
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of evading airport security systems.
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Armed Felons
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"--Bowers said the NRA fought to allow convicted felons to apply
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to the government to rearm themselves.
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"Fact: On May 5, 1992, the NRA testified before a U.S. Senate
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subcommittee that it supported laws that deny restoration of firearms
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rights to felons, especially in cases where guns are used in crimes
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involving drugs or violence.
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"However, the NRA suggested that the law provide some avenue to
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review applications, considering that the definition of a felon
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differs from state to state.
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"--Bowers said the NRA promotes contest killing of wildlife, such
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as prairie dog shoots.
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"Fact: Wilflife biologists have promoted the shooting of prairie
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dogs in some areas to help control the growth of prairie dog towns
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without wiping them out.
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"Previously, pairie dogs were controlled with non-discriminating
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poisons that killed everything from ravens and eaglkes to snakes and
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ferrets."
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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The preceeding was transcribed from The New GUN WEEK for Friday,
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February 19, 1993, page 7, in accordance with GW's standard reprint
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permission clause.
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All contents Copyright (c) 1993 by Second Amendment Foundation,
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Buffalo, NY 14209. SAF is a non-profit, tax-exempt, educational,
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literary research and publishing organization.
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For Gun Week subscription information, contact:
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Gun Week
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P.O. Box 488, Station C
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Buffalo, NY 14209
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Transcriber: Lee Knoper / Tucson, AZ
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