UPI - Reno rips Congress over gun control

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Slowpoke_Rodrigo

New member
STORY

Thursday, 11 May 2000 13:07 (ET)

Reno rips Congress over gun control
By MICHAEL KIRKLAND

WASHINGTON, May 11 (UPI) -- Attorney General Janet Reno cut herself a
switch and whipped Congress with it Thursday, saying thousands have died by
gun violence while "common sense" gun safety measures have "languished" in a
conference committee for nine months.

Speaking to reporters at the Justice Department during her weekly news
conference, Reno said the Senate passed two of the administration's gun
control measures last year -- mandatory child-safety trigger locks and
background checks for all gun show sales.

Currently, unlicensed gun dealers can sell handguns or other controlled
weapons at gun shows or flea markets without Brady background checks of
purchasers.

"Despite this being just a matter of common sense," Reno said of the two
measures, "the bill has languished in (a House-Senate) conference for nine
months...(while) over 20,000 people have died from gunfire in America."

Reno also expressed support for the "Million Mom March" scheduled for this
weekend in Washington, culminating in a major demonstration Sunday. The
demonstration, which organizers concede is not a "march" and will fall far
short of a million people, is designed to show Congress that most Americans
are proponents of gun control.

The attorney general said she is in sync with the demonstration's purpose.
"Gun violence doesn't have to be a fact of our life," Reno said.

She conceded that even though polls show a large majority in the United
States supports the bottled-up measures, the National Rifle Association and
similar groups have far more clout with Congress because their members often
base their votes and political contributions on gun issues.

But Reno insisted that events such as the "Million Mom March" are teaching
gun-control proponents "how to let their voices be heard."

The attorney general said she had a prior commitment to attend a school
commencement on Sunday, but would join demonstrators later that day.

"This is one of the most violent countries in the world," Reno said. "It
doesn't have to be."

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Slowpoke Rodrigo...he pack a gon...

I voted for the Neal Knox 13

I'll see you at the TFL End Of Summer Meet!
 
Does anyone here think it's just coincidence that the previous story hit the wire 90 minutes after this one?

UPI - Reno interviewed in Waco probe

STORY

Thursday, 11 May 2000 11:36 (ET)

Reno interviewed in Waco probe
By MICHAEL KIRKLAND

WASHINGTON, May 11 (UPI) -- Attorney General Janet Reno said Thursday she
was interviewed last week by the special counsel investigating the deadly
1993 federal siege at Waco, Texas.

Neither Reno nor other Justice Department officials would give details,
referring questions to the special counsel in St. Louis.

At her weekly news conference at the Justice Department, Reno said she did
not remember how long the interview lasted, though the participants "broke
several times" during the course of the day.

Later, a department official said the interview in the attorney general's
conference room on May 3 with former Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo., lasted
almost six hours. Special Counsel John Danforth was accompanied by three
staff members, while Reno was accompanied by an aide taking notes.

The official said he could not say what questions were asked during the
interview, and like Reno referred questions to Danforth.

Reno appointed Danforth, a former U.S. senator from Missouri, to head an
independent Waco probe last year after FBI documents revealed agents had
used two military style tear-gas canisters before the end of the siege. The
canisters, which the FBI said bounced harmlessly off a side bunker, were
capable of starting a fire.

The FBI and the Justice Department point to mounds of evidence, including
audio surveillance tapes, showing the fire was started by members of the
Branch Davidian sect on the orders of cult leaders.

Reno ordered the independent probe last year because she had ordered that
no flammable devices be used to end the siege. The Independent Counsel Act
expired last summer, and Reno appointed Danforth under new Justice
Department regulations for a special counsel who works independently of the
department but reports to the attorney general.

Also Thursday, the Justice Department officials said "we have provided
(Danforth) with a number of documents" concerning the case.

Reno was deposed last month by the attorney for Waco survivors who are
suing the Justice Department in a wrongful death suit filed in Texas. The
Justice Department has asked that the transcript of the deposition be
included in the trial.

The 51-day federal siege at Waco began when a gunfight broke out at the
cult compound as Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents attempted to
arrest Davidian leader David Koresh on weapons charges. The Davidians were
stockpiling weapons in anticipation of the end of the world and a
confrontation with government, as preached by Koresh.

The siege ended on April 19, 1993, when the FBI began knocking down walls
and inserting non-flammable tear gas.

The compound burned to the ground. More than 80 Davidians, including
leader David Koresh and a score of children, died. The FBI said most were
killed in the flames but many, including Koresh, were killed by cult leaders
rather than let them fall into the hands of federal authorities.

Surveillance tapes reveal the wounded Koresh telling a lieutenant it was
"not my time" to die shortly before the aide shot him to death, the FBI has
said.



[This message has been edited by Slowpoke_Rodrigo (edited May 11, 2000).]
 
This witch would love to see law-abiding US citizens disarmed so that her storm-troopers could rip us a new @sshole with their “military rifles”.

Grrrrr

Skyhawk
 
I may have mentioned this before, but where does an appointed hench-thing of the Executive Branch get the authority to chastize a large section of the Legislative Branch?

LawDog
 
Originally posted by Slowpoke_Rodrigo:
STORY


The demonstration, which organizers concede is not a "march" and will fall far
short of a million people, is designed to show Congress that most Americans
are proponents of gun control.

So how do they figure that these mis-guided Million Mom Morons speak for the 250 million people in this country?
Click to expand...
 
"the bill has languished in (a House-Senate) conference for nine
months...(while) over 20,000 people have died from gunfire in America."

Doesn't she mean Yugoslavia? 20,000 my a$$.

Why is it that so many of Klinton's cabinet members seem to think they are the damn President!?

CMOS :mad:


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NRA? Good. Now joing the GOA!
 
Cause he gives the ok and their marching orders and that way there exposed, he's protected and he gets accomplished what he wants while telling us that "he didnt have sex with that women"......lol....if it wasnt so sad, and serious, it could make a great comedy....fubsy.
 
Over 20,000 people??? I gotta wonder which moron came up with that number ;)

They must be including "legal" gunfire by Police, ATF, FBI, etc, and no doubt the thousands of sillouettes shot each day in ranges throughout the country ;)
 
Roughly 30,000 people die as a result of shootings every year. That figure includes about 11,000 by homicide (justifiable and non-justifiable), 1,300 accidental, and 18,000 suicide. 9 months is 75% of one year, so 75% of 30,000 is 22,500 or 'over 20,000 in the last 9 months.'
 
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