http://208.246.212.80/national/default-2000515225639.htm
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>May 15, 2000
NRA leader warns of
danger to the Second
Amendment
By Joyce Howard Price
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
National Rifle Association leader Wayne LaPierre
said yesterday that gun registration and licensing of
gun owners — key goals of yesterday's "Million
Mom March" — would be tantamount to a
"controlled burn of the Second Amendment.
"And setting fire to freedom should never be the
answer," Mr. LaPierre, executive vice president of
the 3 and 1/2 million member NRA, said yesterday in
an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" in which he
took a sharp punch at Vice President Al Gore.
"Al Gore and all of his firearms-hating crowd . . .
ought to get their hands off the matches, because the
American people don't want a constitutional arsonist
in the White House. They want their freedoms
protected. They want the laws enforced," the NRA's
top staff official said.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, New York Democrat,
who took part in the march, said on NBC she
supports the registration and licensing goals. But
asked if they are "politically viable" at this time, she
said, "No."
"After today, maybe for the future, we'll see that,"
Mrs. Maloney said on "Meet the Press." In the
meantime, she said, the two sides in the gun control
debate should be working together to come up with
ways to reduce firearms violence, and there should
be better enforcement of existing federal gun laws.
The latter is an argument the NRA has made
repeatedly.
It's not clear if yesterday's march will spark any
movement in a stalemate that has existed for months
in Congress over provisions in a proposed gun safety
law. President Clinton has repeatedly asked
Republicans and Democrats to try to work out their
differences.
But Rep. Bob Barr, Georgia Republican, who
also appeared on NBC yesterday, contended Mr.
Clinton really "doesn't want this issue resolved."
"He wants it to remain a political football. He
wants it to remain an issue going into the campaign,"
Mr. Barr said.
The heart of the disagreement between
Democrats and Republicans about the gun safety bill
is the length of time that should be allowed for
background checks of those who buy firearms at gun
shows. Democrats say 72 hours are needed to do a
thorough background check. Republicans believe 24
hours would be sufficient.
Mr. Barr was asked about a compromise being
put forward that would set 24-hour background
checks for 95 percent of people who try to buy guns
at gun shows, but would require three-day
background checks for the other 5 percent.
"If you say you're going to give them up to three
working days, which means six days with a three-day
weekend, then you are going to put gun shows out of
business, and that is the real agenda: gun control and
eradication of handguns by these people," the
Georgia Republican said.
Mr. LaPierre, who also appeared on CNN's
"Late Edition" and CBS' "Face the Nation," said on
NBC he finds it ironic the government says it needs
more time to do background checks of "these really
bad people."
"They have no prosecutions of any of these
people. They're all walking the streets of America
tonight," the NRA official said.
Mr. Barr and television personality Rosie
O'Donnell, who was master of ceremonies at
yesterday's Million Mom March and rally, offered
diametrically opposed observations as to the number
of guns that are bought at gun shows. "Only about 2
percent of firearms are ever purchased at gun
shows," Mr. Barr said on NBC.
But Miss O'Donnell, who appeared on ABC's
"This Week," said, "The fact is, most of the guns that
are purchased are purchased at gun shows . . .
where they don't have the checks they have in
stores."
[/quote]
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>May 15, 2000
NRA leader warns of
danger to the Second
Amendment
By Joyce Howard Price
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
National Rifle Association leader Wayne LaPierre
said yesterday that gun registration and licensing of
gun owners — key goals of yesterday's "Million
Mom March" — would be tantamount to a
"controlled burn of the Second Amendment.
"And setting fire to freedom should never be the
answer," Mr. LaPierre, executive vice president of
the 3 and 1/2 million member NRA, said yesterday in
an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" in which he
took a sharp punch at Vice President Al Gore.
"Al Gore and all of his firearms-hating crowd . . .
ought to get their hands off the matches, because the
American people don't want a constitutional arsonist
in the White House. They want their freedoms
protected. They want the laws enforced," the NRA's
top staff official said.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, New York Democrat,
who took part in the march, said on NBC she
supports the registration and licensing goals. But
asked if they are "politically viable" at this time, she
said, "No."
"After today, maybe for the future, we'll see that,"
Mrs. Maloney said on "Meet the Press." In the
meantime, she said, the two sides in the gun control
debate should be working together to come up with
ways to reduce firearms violence, and there should
be better enforcement of existing federal gun laws.
The latter is an argument the NRA has made
repeatedly.
It's not clear if yesterday's march will spark any
movement in a stalemate that has existed for months
in Congress over provisions in a proposed gun safety
law. President Clinton has repeatedly asked
Republicans and Democrats to try to work out their
differences.
But Rep. Bob Barr, Georgia Republican, who
also appeared on NBC yesterday, contended Mr.
Clinton really "doesn't want this issue resolved."
"He wants it to remain a political football. He
wants it to remain an issue going into the campaign,"
Mr. Barr said.
The heart of the disagreement between
Democrats and Republicans about the gun safety bill
is the length of time that should be allowed for
background checks of those who buy firearms at gun
shows. Democrats say 72 hours are needed to do a
thorough background check. Republicans believe 24
hours would be sufficient.
Mr. Barr was asked about a compromise being
put forward that would set 24-hour background
checks for 95 percent of people who try to buy guns
at gun shows, but would require three-day
background checks for the other 5 percent.
"If you say you're going to give them up to three
working days, which means six days with a three-day
weekend, then you are going to put gun shows out of
business, and that is the real agenda: gun control and
eradication of handguns by these people," the
Georgia Republican said.
Mr. LaPierre, who also appeared on CNN's
"Late Edition" and CBS' "Face the Nation," said on
NBC he finds it ironic the government says it needs
more time to do background checks of "these really
bad people."
"They have no prosecutions of any of these
people. They're all walking the streets of America
tonight," the NRA official said.
Mr. Barr and television personality Rosie
O'Donnell, who was master of ceremonies at
yesterday's Million Mom March and rally, offered
diametrically opposed observations as to the number
of guns that are bought at gun shows. "Only about 2
percent of firearms are ever purchased at gun
shows," Mr. Barr said on NBC.
But Miss O'Donnell, who appeared on ABC's
"This Week," said, "The fact is, most of the guns that
are purchased are purchased at gun shows . . .
where they don't have the checks they have in
stores."
[/quote]
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!