Date: Sat, 7 Oct 1995 03:31:59 -0400 From: NRA Alerts To: firearms-alert@shell.portal.com Subject: INFO: Letter Re Article Attacking Firearm Ownership The following letter was written by NRA-ILA P.R. & Communications Director, Tom Wyld, in response to a Fairfax Connection Newspaper article attacking firearm ownership, Virginians' right to self- defense, and the privacy of gun owners and permit applicants. ================================================================= October 6, 1995 Mary Dixon, Editor Fairfax Connection Newspapers 7670 Old Springhouse Road McClean, VA 22102 (703) 917 6444 (DELIVER VIA COURIER) Dear Ms. Dixon: Having worked with the press for more than fifteen years, I've seen my share of sloppy, biased reporting. But if it doesn't win first place, the October 5 issue of Fairfax Connection Newspapers certainly deserves (dis)honorable mention. Jennifer Lafley twice quoted advocates of restrictive gun control. One was pictured in her article. Newsmakers she chose to quote mentioned the National Rifle Association five times and maligned NRA in several instances. Yet the writer never quoted an NRA spokesman. In fact, according to our records, Connection Newspapers never called NRA -- a corporate neighbor headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia -- to respond to reckless, irresponsible comments maligning this 125-year-old association, its thousands of Fairfax County members and Right to Carry, legislation NRA encouraged this year to give honest citizens an honest chance against criminal attack. Right to Carry in Virginia allows law-abiding citizens to obtain a permit to carry a firearm for personal protection after their backgrounds are checked and their training is documented. It's a law based on a simple fact: good citizens are not crime problems, but, all too often, crime victims. When Right to Carry was introduced in Florida in the late 1980s, opponents made the same allegations. They charged that Right to Carry would bring the Wild West to every corner. Florida, the "Sunshine State," would become the "Gunshine State." Tall tales all. Since Right to Carry passed in Florida in 1987, the state's homicide rate decreased 22%, and its handgun-related homicide rate decreased 29%. During the same period, U.S. rates rose 15% and 50%, respectively. The critics claimed that everyone would carry. Also untrue. As of August 28, 1995, Florida issued 295,220 carry licenses in a state of some 14 million. Then naysayers charged that permit carriers would commit crimes. Hardly. Of the nearly 300,000 permits issued since 1987, only 48 -- 0.016% -- have been revoked. Earlier this year, Florida's Law Enforcement Commissioner, James T. Moore, reported to the governor and other state officials: "From a law enforcement perspective, the licensing process has not resulted in problems in the community from people arming themselves with concealed weapons. The strict provisions of [the Right to Carry law] preclude the licensing of convicted felons, etc.... " For crime victims and law enforcement, Right to Carry works -- in Florida and 28 other states -- and it will work in Virginia. The latest data from the FBI demonstrates that states with fair carry laws had a 29% lower overall firearm violent crime rate than states with restrictive permit policies. Connection papers also spilled a lot of ink to publish the names of applicants who, if approved, will be -- what? -- certified as law- abiding. If a newspaper has a right to publish public records, why is it wrong to publish Right to Carry permit holders? Let me discuss just one reason. Licensees are not crime perpetrators but potentially crime victims. Many permit holders have been victimized in the past. The vast majority of journalists I encounter are sensitive to the privacy concerns of crime victims. For example, reporters frequently call us for a lead on a victim who, after his or her experience, chose to own a gun for protection. Indeed, NRA knows, trains and represents many crime victims. But for every victim who has worked through a personal tragedy and is ready to tell his or her story publicly, there are many, many more who shun publicity. Something's wrong in a country where the records of juvenile violent criminals have more privacy than those of law-abiding citizens, honest people whose only intent is to make it safely home. Newspapers take a bold step against crime when they expose criminals , not law-abiding citizens. Community newspapers are uniquely situated to do what the print giants cannot: publish notices of parole boards meeting to consider the release of violent offenders. Publishing such notices before release decisions are made allows readers to tell parole boards how they feel about proven predators being released to their neighborhoods. Public pressure in this vein works to reduce the likelihood of criminal attack. NRA's CrimeStrike division has used such pressure to block the parole of killers in 9 states just this year. Despite our best efforts, criminals do get released. Every year in America, convicted criminals on parole or some form of release commit some 150,000 violent crimes. That's about 150,000 reasons to support what NRA safeguards, day-in and day-out: the right of self-defense. Sincerely, Thomas C. Wyld Director PR & Communications NRA Institute for Legislative Action cc: http://www.nra.org =+=+=+=+ This information is provided as a service of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, Fairfax, VA. This and other information on the Second Amendment and the NRA is available at any of the following URL's: http://WWW.NRA.Org, gopher://GOPHER.NRA.Org, wais://WAIS.NRA.Org, ftp://FTP.NRA.Org, mailto:LISTPROC@NRA.Org (Send the word help as the body of a message) Information may also be obtained by connecting directly to the NRA-ILA GUN-TALK Bulletin Board System at (703) 934-2121.