Gov. Bush scrambling!! GOA action is working

[DC]

Texas Governor Bush Scrambling for Cover
-- Grassroots pressure sheds light on gun issue

"The person caught with his hand in the cookie jar is the person
most likely to insist he wasn't looking for cookies" -- GOA's Guide
to Grassroots Lobbying.

Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org


(Thursday, May 6, 1999) -- On Tuesday, GOA alerted activists all
over America that Texas Governor George W. Bush's support for gun
control may have revived a dangerous anti-gun bill in the Texas
legislature. Since Bush appears to be running for President, he
should be interested in hearing your point of view, regardless of
where you live.

Liberal Texas Rep. Debra Danburg (D-Houston) introduced the anti-gun
bill (HB 1199) which Gov. Bush has now endorsed. This bill would
require anyone at a gun show, even those who want to sell a single
gun from his or her private collection, to undertake intrusive,
big-government background checks.

Your response on Tuesday was overwhelming, and his offices were
flooded with your phone calls. Feedback from activists suggests an
interesting "progression of response" as the day wore on.

First, staffers cheerfully recorded your viewpoints. Then,
activists were directed to a separate legislative phone line. Next,
the campaign office tersely stopped taking calls related to the gun
issue. Finally, Bush's people began telling activists that GOA was
totally wrong-- that Bush never supported gun control and the bill
was dead. They even called Larry Pratt at the GOA offices to
complain.

Caught with his hand in the cookie jar

Currently, Gov. Bush is denying that he ever backed the anti-gun
bill. GOA's Pratt responded by asking his office why nothing has
been written to challenge the Houston Chronicle story which
specifically highlighted the Governor's support for the bill? On
Tuesday, April 27 (page A1) the paper reported:

"Gov. George W. Bush, in the wake of the Colorado school shooting
last week, endorsed a controversial gun control proposal that had
been killed hours earlier by a Texas House committee."

That "controversial gun control proposal" was HB 1199, the bill to
require an instant registration check for *private* sales at gun
shows.

Unfortunately, this anti-gun proposal is NOT truly dead. Even
Tuesday (as you were making your calls), efforts were underway in
the Texas House to attach the anti-gun language to another
legislative vehicle. HB 1199 may be "officially" dead as a bill
number per se, but its anti-gun provisions are alive and well--
perhaps, thanks in part to Gov. Bush.

As stated in Tuesday's alert: "Even though pro-gun legislators
killed HB 1199 in committee, insiders are concerned Gov. Bush may
make a back-room deal to revive HB 1199 in the closing days of the
legislature." To legislative insiders, this doesn't come as a
surprise.

Consider a recent Associated Press wire story (04/30/99) which
quotes Karen Hughes, an aide to Bush, as saying that the Governor
has "consistently supported since 1994 the idea of instant
background checks at gun shows." Such a proposal would, of course,
further the government's ability to register gun buyers.

Bush's aide also noted that "Bush previously signed legislation
prohibiting anyone from carrying a weapon within 300 yards of a
school, and holding adults criminally liable if they allow a
juvenile access to a loaded gun."

All this to say it would not be the first time that the Governor has
supported a gun control measure.

ACTION: There is still time to stop the Texas legislature from
enacting more gun control. And there is still time for gun owners
nationwide to stand with their fellow gun owners in Texas . . . and
to let one of the Presidential frontrunners know that the Second
Amendment is as sacred as the Constitution itself.

Please use the letter below to communicate your views to Governor
Bush. You can reach him at:

Capitol office: 512-463-2000
legislative office: 512-463-1830
campaign office: 512-637-2000
Texas-only legislation line: 800-252-9600

Fax numbers:
512-463-1849 (Capitol office)
512-637-8800 (campaign office)

Websites from which to send e-mail (Bush does not have a "normal"
e-mail address):

http://www.governor.state.tx.us/email.html
http://www.georgewbush.com/Contact/contact.html


NOTE: Tuesday's alert only asked for phone calls as a means of
focusing pressure through a specific medium. Giving several
different avenues for activists to respond can sometimes diffuse the
rate of response. Tuesday's phone calls were VERY successful in
generating the needed pressure to get the Governor's attention and
let him know that the Second Amendment issue is not one to take for
granted. Since the Governor is denying his earlier statements, it
would be productive today to send a second "wave" of grassroots
contacts. If you called Governor Bush earlier this week, then
please follow up with a fax or email. You can also contact him by
"snail-mail:"

Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428

George W. Bush Presidential Exploratory Committee, Inc.
P.O. Box 1902
Austin, Texas 78767-1902


Dear Governor Bush:

I was disappointed to see the quote from the Houston Chronicle
(04/27/99) which cited your support for gun control in the aftermath
of the Colorado tragedy. The article reported,

"Gov. George W. Bush, in the wake of the Colorado school shooting
last week, endorsed a controversial gun control proposal that had
been killed hours earlier by a Texas House committee. . . . 'What
do you think about instant background checks at gun shows?' one
reporter asked Bush in a follow-up question. 'I support that,' he
replied."

I would like to see any letter that you might have sent to the
Chronicle in an effort to clear the record.

The young thugs in Littleton, Colorado broke at least 19 gun laws to
perpetrate their crime. Adding more restrictions would not have
kept those monsters from getting firearms.

In fact, an instant check at gun shows would not only be
unconstitutional, it would serve to register law-abiding gun buyers
with the government. We don't impose background checks on
journalists to prevent them from committing libel, or muzzle
movie-goers to keep them from yelling "fire" in a crowded theater.

Why does our society respect the First Amendment and not the Second?
The Second Amendment says, in part, "that the right of the people to
keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." The words "shall not be
infringed" would seem to preclude ANY gun control.

To be honest, I was troubled to see that your aide, Karen Hughes,
was bragging about your gun control record to David Espo of the
Associated Press (04/30/99). According to Ms. Hughes, you have
"consistently supported since 1994 the idea of instant background
checks at gun shows." Moreover, she notes that you had "previously
signed legislation prohibiting anyone from carrying a weapon within
300 yards of a school, and holding adults criminally liable if they
allow a juvenile access to a loaded gun."

The school zones provision does nothing to stop killers like those
in Colorado from bringing guns to school. However, such a provision
does punish people like Assistant Principal Joel Myrick of Pearl,
Mississippi, who used a gun at his school in 1997 to stop a violent
teen who was shooting up the school.

The other proposal-- punishing parents for the crimes of their
children-- is a horrendous concept, as well. Yes, parents should be
responsible. But according to the National Safety Council, more
people die in car accidents than from guns. Does this mean we
should punish parents for not locking up their keys when their
children steal the family car and run over a pedestrian?

More children die from drowning than from guns. Do we punish
parents for not locking up the five-gallon buckets in their homes?

If any of the above news stories have misrepresented your views, I
would like to see any response that you may have sent to these news
sources. Journalists are notorious for twisting and misrepresenting
people's words. As a concerned citizen who will be watching the
Presidential race very closely, I want to make sure that all my
information is accurate.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

**************
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"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"

 

[Brett Bellmore]

Alright, I suppose that all things considered, it's better to have politicians respond to our pressure, than to have them NOT respond. But let's not pretend that because Bush is suddenly bowing and scraping, that he's actually changed his mind! The best case scenario is that he actually has no principled position on gun control, and will only do what he thinks is in his own best interest at any given moment. Which means that if the tide turns for even a moment, he'll turn on US. Worst case is that he's lying in order to get elected, and will stick the knife in, and enjoy turning it, once he's conned us out of our votes. Why can't we for once vote for a candidate who AGREES with us, instead of one who's either afraid of us, or scamming us?

 

[Mike in VA]

An honest politician, they say, is one who, when bribed, stays bought. In any other context, it is an oxymoron.
M2

 

[jimmy]

Well, I have to admit that I'm almost totally confused about Bush Jr.'s role in this matter. My confusion is probably my own fault. I've loyally supported Gov. Bush for years, have benefitted individually from his pro-gun policy (through the Texas concealed handgun law), and have believed that he is an honorable and decent individual and elected official. However, since the attention of the national media has turned toward him, he hasn't seemed the same--like he's tuning into media groupthink instead of practicing statecraft. I hope that at the end of this smoky tunnel the REAL George W. Bush, Jr. emerges and becomes visible. When he does, I hope he's pro-gun (that is, pro-civil liberty and pro-respect for the empowerment of the individual citizen). Otherwise, he'll have aligned himself not only against the very people, like me, who've supported him, but also against what I still believe to be his own better judgment.

 

[Ipecac]

Jimmy, I think it runs in the family. Not to mention the Republican party. Brett is right on target; why not vote for a politician who is actually on our side for a change? The Republicrats have proven time and again that they are not the pro-gun party.

I did call Bush's campaign office to wind their crank a little, and the instant I said, "I'm calling about Bush's stance on gun control" the man on the other end cut me off and began the bit about how it was all a mistake. Hilarious.

Bush has proven to me that he bends with the political winds, and cannot be trusted as a pro-gun candidate.

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"The only good bureaucrat is one with pistol at his head. Put it in his hand and it's goodbye to the Bill of Rights." H.L. Mencken

 

[Cheapo]

Geo. W. Bush Jr.:

"The best case scenario is that he actually has no principled position on gun control, and will only do what he thinks is in his own best interest at any given moment."

Just like his daddy, "king George" Bush.

I do not trust the new bum very much, but fear that he may be the only viable Republi-dumb candidate who can fight off "queen Elizabeth" Dole. She's every bit as dangerous as most Dumb-o-crats!

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Let us never forget that the only legitimate source of government power is the citizens. If WE cannot exercise a certain power, we cannot grant it to the state.