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Used car dealer targets gun-rights advocates with rifle vouchers
Copyright © 2000 Nando Media
Copyright © 2000 Scripps Howard News Service
By DON JACOBS, Knoxville News-Sentinel of Tennessee
(August 21, 2000 2:49 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - A Powell, Tenn., auto dealer anticipates angering some people with his Second Amendment promotion of awarding a voucher for a rifle with each car sale and providing water pistols to children who visit his business Saturday.
But Greg "Lumpy" Lambert figures the publicity certainly isn't going to hurt his Advantage Auto Sales.
"I understand it'll tick a few people off," the 34-year-old Lambert said. "But for every person I tick off, I hope there's two I turn on. I guess I'm expecting more flak over the water pistols."
He's partly right.
"If it is possible to further lower the image of used car salesmen, this guy has done it," said Naomi Paiss, director of communications for Handgun Control Inc., in Washington, D.C.
Paiss called Lambert's promotion "the height of irresponsibility" to provide rifles to people who may not know how to load, fire or properly store a firearm. She also said she was unaware of any other similar promotion "to benefit a commercial enterprise."
The water pistol giveaway, however, didn't phase Paiss.
"There are plenty of handgun control advocates, including myself, who had water pistols as a child," she said.
Lambert said the idea stemmed from the recent gun buy-back efforts by the Knoxville, Tenn., police department and the federal government. Lambert, already a member of the National Rifle Association, quickly joined a loose-knit group called the Rights Education Fund formed to oppose the buy-back program.
During Lambert's Second Amendment Saturday, Rights Education Fund members will distribute literature about the group and discuss gun issues with interested parties.
"Guns do prevent crimes," Lambert said. "The reason we don't have more people kicking in doors to homes is because of the fear the homeowner has a gun. It's too much like Russian roulette for the criminal.
"I guess you might say I'd like to put a few more rounds in the chamber in the game of Russian roulette."
Lambert's vouchers will be redeemable at GunCraft Sports in Knoxville for a bolt-action rifle. The voucher, he said, "is null and void if they aren't qualified to get a firearm. I'm certainly not going to give a gun to someone who's forbidden to have one."
Todd Reichert, special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in Nashville, said as long as GunCraft Sports performs the mandatory background checks on people presenting Lambert's voucher, the promotion is legal.
"As far as we're concerned, it doesn't matter if money changes hands as long as the proper procedures are followed," Reichert said.
Lambert said he respects that gun-control advocates are entitled to their opinions, but he wants those people to respond mutually to his opinions and his rights under the Second Amendment.
"I hope it lets a lot of pro-gun folks know there's a car dealer out there who thinks like they do," he said.
Contact Don Jacobs of The Knoxville News-Sentinel in Tennessee at http://www.knoxnews.com.
[/quote]
Good news! I'm in the market for a new car!
The story can be found HERE.
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God, Guns and Guts made this country a great country!
Used car dealer targets gun-rights advocates with rifle vouchers
Copyright © 2000 Nando Media
Copyright © 2000 Scripps Howard News Service
By DON JACOBS, Knoxville News-Sentinel of Tennessee
(August 21, 2000 2:49 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - A Powell, Tenn., auto dealer anticipates angering some people with his Second Amendment promotion of awarding a voucher for a rifle with each car sale and providing water pistols to children who visit his business Saturday.
But Greg "Lumpy" Lambert figures the publicity certainly isn't going to hurt his Advantage Auto Sales.
"I understand it'll tick a few people off," the 34-year-old Lambert said. "But for every person I tick off, I hope there's two I turn on. I guess I'm expecting more flak over the water pistols."
He's partly right.
"If it is possible to further lower the image of used car salesmen, this guy has done it," said Naomi Paiss, director of communications for Handgun Control Inc., in Washington, D.C.
Paiss called Lambert's promotion "the height of irresponsibility" to provide rifles to people who may not know how to load, fire or properly store a firearm. She also said she was unaware of any other similar promotion "to benefit a commercial enterprise."
The water pistol giveaway, however, didn't phase Paiss.
"There are plenty of handgun control advocates, including myself, who had water pistols as a child," she said.
Lambert said the idea stemmed from the recent gun buy-back efforts by the Knoxville, Tenn., police department and the federal government. Lambert, already a member of the National Rifle Association, quickly joined a loose-knit group called the Rights Education Fund formed to oppose the buy-back program.
During Lambert's Second Amendment Saturday, Rights Education Fund members will distribute literature about the group and discuss gun issues with interested parties.
"Guns do prevent crimes," Lambert said. "The reason we don't have more people kicking in doors to homes is because of the fear the homeowner has a gun. It's too much like Russian roulette for the criminal.
"I guess you might say I'd like to put a few more rounds in the chamber in the game of Russian roulette."
Lambert's vouchers will be redeemable at GunCraft Sports in Knoxville for a bolt-action rifle. The voucher, he said, "is null and void if they aren't qualified to get a firearm. I'm certainly not going to give a gun to someone who's forbidden to have one."
Todd Reichert, special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in Nashville, said as long as GunCraft Sports performs the mandatory background checks on people presenting Lambert's voucher, the promotion is legal.
"As far as we're concerned, it doesn't matter if money changes hands as long as the proper procedures are followed," Reichert said.
Lambert said he respects that gun-control advocates are entitled to their opinions, but he wants those people to respond mutually to his opinions and his rights under the Second Amendment.
"I hope it lets a lot of pro-gun folks know there's a car dealer out there who thinks like they do," he said.
Contact Don Jacobs of The Knoxville News-Sentinel in Tennessee at http://www.knoxnews.com.
[/quote]
Good news! I'm in the market for a new car!The story can be found HERE.
------------------
God, Guns and Guts made this country a great country!