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http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000524/ts/gore_nra_1.html
Gore Snickers at Heston's
Life-Or-Death Gun Vow
By Thomas Ferraro
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A vow by National Rifle Association President Charlton Heston to defend to the death the right to bear arms drew a snicker on Wednesday from the person he has made the NRA's top foe, Vice President Al Gore.
Gore said despite charges to the contrary by Heston and others at the NRA's annual convention last weekend in Charlotte, N.C., he has no intentions of trying to confiscate guns from lawful citizens.
"I would not do what he accuses me of planning," the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said in an interview
with National Public Radio.
"I have no intentions of proposing or supporting policies or allowing policies that would disarm America or take guns away from law-abiding gun owners," he said.
At the NRA's convention on Saturday, Heston, the actor turned gun rights activists, raised a handcrafted musket over his head and invoked a popular pledge of gun owners to defend to the death their constitutional right to bear arms.
Heston urged NRA members to support gun-rights candidates in congressional and White House elections this November, and took direct aim at Gore, who is running against Republican George W. Bush, a longtime friend of the NRA.
"So as we set out this year to defeat the divisive forces that would take freedom away, I want to say those fighting words, for everyone within the sound of my voice to hear and to heed, and especially you, Mr. Gore: From my cold, dead hands," Heston said.
On Wednesday, those comments were read to Gore, drawing laughter from the vice president.
Gore said, "What I have proposed that has upset him so much is a set of common sense restrictions on the availability of handguns
to people who should not have them -- like children for example, convicted felons, those who are obviously, according to medical diagnoses, not the kind of person you want walking around with loaded guns."
The vice president noted he also supports mandatory child-safety trigger locks, a ban on cheap guns and a photo identification license for the purchase of a handgun.
Gore said unlike Texas Gov. Bush, he opposes giving gun makers protection against lawsuits by localities.
Under Heston's leadership the past two years, the NRA's membership rose by more than 1 million to a record 3.6 million.
Gun rights have emerged as a key election-year issue, with Gore calling for tougher laws, and Bush saying what is really needed is better enforcement of existing measures.
------------------
NRA/GOA/SAF/USMC
Oregon residents please support the Oregon Firearms Federation, our only "No compromise" gun lobby. http://www.oregonfirearms.org
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000524/ts/gore_nra_1.html
Gore Snickers at Heston's
Life-Or-Death Gun Vow
By Thomas Ferraro
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A vow by National Rifle Association President Charlton Heston to defend to the death the right to bear arms drew a snicker on Wednesday from the person he has made the NRA's top foe, Vice President Al Gore.
Gore said despite charges to the contrary by Heston and others at the NRA's annual convention last weekend in Charlotte, N.C., he has no intentions of trying to confiscate guns from lawful citizens.
"I would not do what he accuses me of planning," the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said in an interview
with National Public Radio.
"I have no intentions of proposing or supporting policies or allowing policies that would disarm America or take guns away from law-abiding gun owners," he said.
At the NRA's convention on Saturday, Heston, the actor turned gun rights activists, raised a handcrafted musket over his head and invoked a popular pledge of gun owners to defend to the death their constitutional right to bear arms.
Heston urged NRA members to support gun-rights candidates in congressional and White House elections this November, and took direct aim at Gore, who is running against Republican George W. Bush, a longtime friend of the NRA.
"So as we set out this year to defeat the divisive forces that would take freedom away, I want to say those fighting words, for everyone within the sound of my voice to hear and to heed, and especially you, Mr. Gore: From my cold, dead hands," Heston said.
On Wednesday, those comments were read to Gore, drawing laughter from the vice president.
Gore said, "What I have proposed that has upset him so much is a set of common sense restrictions on the availability of handguns
to people who should not have them -- like children for example, convicted felons, those who are obviously, according to medical diagnoses, not the kind of person you want walking around with loaded guns."
The vice president noted he also supports mandatory child-safety trigger locks, a ban on cheap guns and a photo identification license for the purchase of a handgun.
Gore said unlike Texas Gov. Bush, he opposes giving gun makers protection against lawsuits by localities.
Under Heston's leadership the past two years, the NRA's membership rose by more than 1 million to a record 3.6 million.
Gun rights have emerged as a key election-year issue, with Gore calling for tougher laws, and Bush saying what is really needed is better enforcement of existing measures.
------------------
NRA/GOA/SAF/USMC
Oregon residents please support the Oregon Firearms Federation, our only "No compromise" gun lobby. http://www.oregonfirearms.org
