GUN-TALK CALLERS, FELLOW CYBER EAGLES, FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A MEMORANDUM
FROM TANYA METAKSA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ILA, TO ALL NRA STAFF. YOU MAY 
DOWNLOAD THIS FILE, REPRINT IT AND DISTRIBUTE AS WIDELY AS YOU WISH!

                   National Rifle Association of America
                     Institute for Legislative Action
                                April 1994
  Office of the                                            Tanya K. Metaksa
Executive Director

                                MEMORANDUM

To:       All NRA Staff and Official Family

Subject:  Gun Bans, House Crime Bill and Feinstein Amendment

Never has the Federal government taken to itself the power to outlaw small
arms as private property, lawfully possessed by an ordinary citizen.

The Feinstein amendment to the Crime Bill directs the Federal government to
seize that power.

Within days, we expect the anti-gun owner forces in the U.S. House of
Representatives to attempt to amend their version of the Crime Bill with a
ban on so-called "assault weapons".  We are not certain exactly what form
it will take.  The principle is the same, in any case.

Any ban or prohibition on private citizens owning any kind of firearm must
be stopped.  The very concept breaches a principle at the heart of our
liberty.

It is critical to understand that the ordinary person is the target.

In the old Soviet Union, the BATF would be called an "organ of the state". 
After Feinstein-Schumer, or any variations of any such gun ban, the organs
of the state will focus their immense power on ordinary citizens one by
one.  The government will have hordes of agents, prosecutors, and keepers. 
They will all be working to deprive a single helpless citizen of his right
to own an item of private property.  That's what this is about.  People
will be hurt one by one.

At the heart of the Feinstein amendment to the Senate Crime Bill are the
words:

"It shall be unlawful for a person to manufacture, transfer or possess a
semi-automatic assault weapon."

Forget "semi-automatic assault weapons."  That is a diversion.  Forget
definitions.  Forget exemptions.  They are all tricks to divide and conquer
firearms owners into thinking they are safe.  They are NOT.  Strip the cold
black letter of the law down to what it really says:

"It shall be unlawful for a person... to possess a... weapon."  Nothing
else matters in the Feinstein amendment, or anything like it that Congress
might consider!

The target of this prohibition is "a person."

If Congress takes this evil step, the law will say that an ordinary
"person" cannot possess a type of small arms.

An ordinary "person" is subject to arrest, imprisonment and fines if he or
she fails to meet the terms of this prohibition against private property
ownership.  An ordinary person convicted on one count - even a simple
paperwork violation - will lose his or her firearms rights for life.

This is a leap into a police state.  Nazi Germany had such laws, the old
Soviet Union had such laws.  Today's China and Russia have such laws. 
Never has the United States had such a law.  This cuts to the heart of our
being a free people.

This is not about "assault weapons", it is about the individual rights of
an ordinary peaceable American.  Every peaceable ordinary American is
placed in terrible jeopardy by the organs of the state under this
legislation.  And we must stop it.

Federal law has long existed making it illegal for criminals to possess
firearms.  There has never been a certain danger that a Federal law might
be enacted to make it illegal for ordinary, law-abiding peaceable
individuals to possess a particular firearm.

It is here now.

If Congress can ban ordinary persons from owning one kind of gun now, they
can ban another kind of gun later.

To placate ordinary people who own small arms, they are saying, "You can
keep some guns," and "we'll take a few."  Our friends in Congress must not
be lulled into believing this lie.  They must understand that once the
principle is breached, this will be only the beginning.  They must
understand and argue, that in our free nation, the government does not and
must not ever possess such a power.  And they must understand that the
principle here is what the black letter of the law says:

"IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON TO POSSESS A WEAPON."

YOU MAY USE THE SHOWME COMMAND AT THE MAIN MENU TO GET A LIST OF YOUR
CONGRESSMEN, THEIR DC TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS AS WELL AS SOME OF
THEIR HOME DISTRICT TELEPHONE NUMBERS.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CQUERY DOOR (WHICH IS AVAILABLE TO ALL NRA
MEMBERS) WILL TELL YOU IF YOUR CONGRESSMAN IS HOLDING ANY TOWN
MEETINGS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.  PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR 
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WHEN YOU CALL AND GET THE TIMES AND
LOCATIONS FOR ANY TOWN MEETINGS.  IF THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME,
PLEASE TRY TO ATTEND AND BRING AS MANY OF YOUR GUN OWNING FRIENDS
AS YOU CAN.  GO AND TALK WITH YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND EXPLAIN WHY
THEY NEED TO DEFEND YOUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS!

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