Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 01:31:13 EDT
From: URMS16A@prodigy.com (MR ROBERT L MCCARTY)
To: abcnews@class.org, vice.president@whitehouse.gov, President@whitehouse.gov,
        georgia6@hr.house.gov, MAJORDOMO@Dartmouth.EDU, libernet@Dartmouth.EDU,
        mary@indirect.com, nightly@nbc.com, dzimmer@hr.house.gov,
        heraldedit@delphi.com
Subject: Schumer Questions Heroism of Decorated Vet


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Date: Sunday, 09-Apr-95 12:14 AM

From: Nra Alerts               \ Internet:    
(alerts@gatekeeper.nra.org)
To:   Robert L. McCarty        \ PRODIGY:     (URMS16A)

Subject: RELEASE: Rep. Schumer Questions Heroism of Decorated Vet

          THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ALLIANCE OF AMERICA
     The Nation's Largest Coalition of Law Enforcement, 
          Crime Victims and Concerned Citizens 
           Dedicated to Making America Safer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE             Please Contact: Nancy Ross
April 6, 1995                            Tel: (202) 638-4858


     REP. SCHUMER QUESTIONS HEROISM OF DECORATED VIETNAM VET
               IN CRIME SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING

Washington, DC -- A panel of six highly decorated law enforcement
officers from around the country, appeared before the House
Subcommittee on Crime yesterday, offering testimony in favor of
repealing the assault weapons ban.
 Their testimony provoked fire from Rep. Charles Schumer (D-NY), who
has maintained that the ban is widely supported by law enforcement. 
Rep. Schumer spearheaded the assault weapons ban last year when he was
chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime.

     Rep. Schumer criticized one witness, a disabled former Marine who
was awarded nine decorations for his service in Vietnam, for displaying
his medals.  After the witness left the room, the congressman tried to
discredit the officer by claiming that a "real hero" would not need
such a display to prove his heroism.

     The witness, master Officer Craig Roberts, who has worked for the
past 25 years in the Tulsa, Oklahoma Police Department, drew the
congressman's fire by disputing the effectiveness of the assault
weapons ban in protecting either the police or the public.  Officer
Roberts testified that, "It has been my experience that enacting laws
that restrict the ownership or right to bear firearms does not help the
police, nor does it help keep citizens safe."  Refuting the contention
that the gun ban had the backing of law enforcement, Officer Roberts
told the subcommittee members that "rank-and-file officers do not
support this federal attack on the people's right to bear arms--even so-
called assault weapons."  Speaking from personal experience, the former
Marine told subcommittee members: "I've faced the muzzle end of _real_
assault weapons, and I learned the hard way--to fear the man, not the
device."

     Officer Roberts, who said he brought his medals along as "physical
evidence" of the truth of his testimony, was stunned by the
congressman's remarks.  "I can't believe that anyone would question my
credibility, after my service to my country in Vietnam, and my service
to my city of Tulsa," he said.

     The panel of six officers, who ranged in rank from patrolman to
chief, and represented six different areas of the country, was
organized by Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA), the nation's
largest organization of police officers, crime victims and concerned
citizens working to make America safer.

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