[ftp://ftp.shell.portal.com/pub/chan/action/opinion-leader] [Operation/Project Opinion Leader or Opinion Leader Education was a grassroots project I organized to Federal Express the best firearms scholarship to national opinion leaders who have been outspoken in defense of our firearms rights (but seemed to lack info). It was 98% funded by people from the net. The results so far: Walter Williams has read from the Halbrook book on the air when substituting for Rush Limbaugh's radio show. Rush himself has ridiculed gun control and praised gun ownership. If you see Walter Williams, Rush Limbaugh, George Will, Mike Royko, John Sununu or Thomas Sowell make use of the info in the books/papers, please let us/me know. If they misquote or neglect to use the great info, please contact them directly & correct them. Here follow messages about the project in chronological order. -- Jeff C.] __ Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1993 01:11:12 -0800 From: Jeff Chan To: ca-firearms@shell.portal.com, firearms-politics@ns1.rutgers.edu Subject: Books to Will/Sununu/Limbaugh sent I Fedexed my first batch of books to George Will, John Sununu and Rush Limbaugh. As identifiable pro-gun spokesmen, I felt they could make good use of the info. I sent: Halbrook, That Every Man Be Armed Kates, Restricting Handguns, The Liberal Skeptics Speak Out The Armed Citizen (reprints of the NRA column) Cramer/Kopel, Concealed Handgun Permits... Snyder, A Nation of Cowards and a couple letters of mine. In my cover letter I offered to send: Kleck, Point Blank Wright/Rossi/Daly, Under The Gun if they reply. Let's see if I hear from them. These first few books are relatively low cost. The others are not. I'm funding this out of my own pocket, but at least one person has offered to chip in with the costs. If you'd like to help with this project, let me know. __ [Here are copies of the letters included with the first set of books] George Will c/o This Week with David Brinkley ABC 1717 Desales Street NW Washington, DC 20033 December 20, 1993 Dear Mr. Will: Enclosed are some materials which I hope you'll find useful in support of your position in favor of firearms rights. I'm very glad that you are supporting the individual right to effective self-defense and I wanted to make certain that you had access to what I consider the best scholarship. In particular, Stephen Halbrook's That Every Man Be Armed is an excellent review of the legal, political and philosophical history behind the Second Amendment. Don Kates' collection of essays in Restricting Handguns -- The Liberal Skeptics Speak Out and the collection of newsclippings in The Armed Citizen from NRA might provide useful ammunition (pun intended?) in the debate about guns. In addition I've included a paper from Clayton Cramer and Dave Kopel on the recent reform of concealed carry permits in various states. Like Jeffrey R. Snyder's thoughtful essay "A Nation of Cowards" which changed your own mind, I think Cramer and Kopel present provocative information and ideas that deserve to be heard. I have not included two other pieces which are "must have" references. First, Gary Kleck's Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America is perhaps the best collection of criminological data available on the subject of firearms. Second, the research by Wrights/Rossi/Daly in Under The Gun was originally sponsored by the Carter Administration's Justice Department. Seeking justification for a handgun ban, the administration displayed an intellectual honesty that seems to have evaporated in recent government affairs by abandoning further firearms restrictions when the research showed that they would have little or no effect. Wright and Rossi were self-described anti-gun liberal academics, but have softened their position based on their own findings. Both of these books are available from publisher Aldine de Gruyter at (914) 747-0110. Also an excellent reference is Sanford Levinson's The Embarrassing Second Amendment which appears in Yale Law Journal, Volume 99, pages 637-659. If you will acknowledge receiving the enclosed three books and two papers, I may be able to provide copies of the other two "must have" books. Thank you for your attention and for your support of our Constitutional rights. Sincerely, Jeff Chan __ Rush Limbaugh Rush Limbaugh Show 515 West 57th New York, NY 10019 December 20, 1993 Dear Rush: Enclosed are some materials which I hope you'll find useful in support of your position in favor of firearms rights. I'm very glad that you are supporting the individual right to effective self-defense and I wanted to make certain that you had access to what I consider the best scholarship. In particular, Stephen Halbrook's That Every Man Be Armed is an excellent review of the legal, political and philosophical history behind the Second Amendment. Don Kates' collection of essays in Restricting Handguns -- The Liberal Skeptics Speak Out and the collection of newsclippings in The Armed Citizen from NRA might provide useful ammunition (pun intended?) in the debate about guns. In addition I've included a paper from Clayton Cramer and Dave Kopel on the recent reform of concealed carry permits in various states, and Jeffrey R. Snyder's thoughtful essay "A Nation of Cowards" which changed George Will's mind. I think these present provocative information and ideas that deserve to be heard. I have not included two other pieces which are "must have" references. First, Gary Kleck's Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America is perhaps the best collection of criminological data available on the subject of firearms. Second, the research by Wrights/Rossi/Daly in Under The Gun was originally sponsored by the Carter Administration's Justice Department. Seeking justification for a handgun ban, the administration displayed an intellectual honesty that seems to have evaporated in recent government affairs by abandoning further firearms restrictions when the research showed that they would have little or no effect. Wright and Rossi were self-described anti-gun liberal academics, but have softened their position based on their own findings. Both of these books are available from publisher Aldine de Gruyter at (914) 747-0110. Also an excellent reference is Sanford Levinson's The Embarrassing Second Amendment which appears in Yale Law Journal, Volume 99, pages 637-659. If you will acknowledge receiving the enclosed three books and two papers, I may be able to provide copies of the other two "must have" books. Thank you for your attention and for your support of our Constitutional rights. Sincerely, Jeff Chan __ Hon. John Sununu c/o Crossfire CNN 820 First Street, NE Washington DC 20002 December 20, 1993 Dear Governor Sununu: Enclosed are some materials which I hope you'll find useful in support of your position in favor of firearms rights. I'm very glad that you are supporting the individual right to effective self-defense and I wanted to make certain that you had access to what I consider the best scholarship. In particular, Stephen Halbrook's That Every Man Be Armed is an excellent review of the legal, political and philosophical history behind the Second Amendment. Don Kates' collection of essays in Restricting Handguns -- The Liberal Skeptics Speak Out and the collection of newsclippings in The Armed Citizen from NRA might provide useful ammunition (pun intended?) in the debate about guns. In addition I've included a paper from Clayton Cramer and Dave Kopel on the recent reform of concealed carry permits in various states, and Jeffrey R. Snyder's thoughtful essay "A Nation of Cowards" which changed George Will's mind. I think these present provocative information and ideas that deserve to be heard. I have not included two other pieces which are "must have" references. First, Gary Kleck's Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America is perhaps the best collection of criminological data available on the subject of firearms. Second, the research by Wrights/Rossi/Daly in Under The Gun was originally sponsored by the Carter Administration's Justice Department. Seeking justification for a handgun ban, the administration displayed an intellectual honesty that seems to have evaporated in recent government affairs by abandoning further firearms restrictions when the research showed that they would have little or no effect. Wright and Rossi were self-described anti-gun liberal academics, but have softened their position based on their own findings. Both of these books are available from publisher Aldine de Gruyter at (914) 747-0110. Also an excellent reference is Sanford Levinson's The Embarrassing Second Amendment which appears in Yale Law Journal, Volume 99, pages 637-659. If you will acknowledge receiving the enclosed three books and two papers, I may be able to provide copies of the other two "must have" books. Thank you for your attention and for your support of our Constitutional rights. Sincerely, Jeff Chan __ Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1993 00:36:47 -0800 From: Jeff Chan Subject: Re: Books to Will/Sununu/Limbaugh sent Thanks for your response to my plea for funding Part II of Operation Opinion Leader Education. The first set of 3 books and 2 papers was received by the staffs of Sununu/Will/Limbaugh last Wednesday. I have not heard back from them yet, but plan to go ahead with phase II, given the extreme urgency of getting the facts out to the opinion leaders who've dared come out on our side. The media propaganda campaign has been boiling for the last few months & I fear it will really start cooking us in late January/ early February when Congress comes back to debate Feinstein's semi-auto and magazine ban. We'll need all the well-known friends in the media we can get & we will need them fully armed with the best available facts and arguments. The first Fedex care packages contained: Halbrook, That Every Man Be Armed Kates, Restricting Handguns The Armed Citizen book from NRA Cramer/Kopel, (paper on CCW reform and falling murder rates) Snyder, A Nation of Cowards The next will most likely include: Kopel, The Samurai, The Mountie, and The Cowboy Kleck, Point Blank Wright/Rossi/Daly, Under the Gun If you can think of any significant books that aren't included, let me know. This second batch is particularly expensive; I think we're talking over $110/set, so if you'd like to send a contribution to help out with this effort, please send a check to me at: Jeff Chan xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx If you'd like a copy of the receipts, including the Fedex delivery notices, let me know. If you want to speak with me please call me at work at xxxxxxxxxxxxx between about xxxxxx Pacific time. Thanks in advance for your support, Jeff C. __ Date: 10 Jan 1994 I'm happy to announce some progress on my Operation Opinion Leader book project. So far, I've sent Rush Limbaugh, John Sununu, and George Will: Halbrook, That Every Man Be Armed Kates, Restricting Handguns The Armed Citizen (NRA reprint book) Cramer/Kopel, Independence Institute paper on CCW reform/crime reduction Snyder, A Nation of Cowards (but not to Will) (The cost on this was about $40/each, including Fedex.) I have not heard back form Limbaugh or Sununu, but did get a friendly letter back (reproduced below) from Will's staffer. Tomorrow, I will be Fedexing all three: Kleck, Point Blank Wright/Rossi/Daly, Under The Gun Kopel, The Samurai, The Mountie, and The Cowboy (McGrath, Gunfighters, Highwaymen, & Vigilantes -- to Will only) (Cost on this is significantly higher at $145/each, $160 to Will, including Fedex. Kleck is $60, Under The Gun is $26 in paper, Kopel is <$30 from NRA, but $35 from LibertyTree, McGrath is $17, plus some tax & shipping, etc.) Also good, I've gotten about 63% funding from people on the net as of Saturday. I'm now only about $185 out of pocket on the whole project. The goal of this is to get the people who make opinion & who have spoken out on our side the best possible information so that they can better defend their/our position. I think we've come up with a strong book selection & feel they're ending up in good hands. If you'd like to help me pay for this project, let me know and I'll send you my USPS address. Here's Will's reply: Jeff C. __ OFFICE OF George F. Will December 29, 1993 Jeff Chan xxxxx xxxxx Dear Mr. Chan, I am writing in response to your recent letter to Mr. Will. Mr. Will asked me to thank you for sending him the three books on the right to effective self-defense [my words, planted in their minds hopefully]. It was very kind of you to send them to Mr. Will. I am sure they will help him prove his point more effectively. Sincerely, Tim O'Brien Assistant to Mr. Will __ Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 00:57:07 -0800 From: Jeff Chan To: ca-firearms, firearms-politics@ns1.rutgers.edu Subject: Sources for OOL Books If you'd like to get your own copies of the books I'm sending to Will/Sununu/Limbaugh, here are some sources: Aldine de Gruyter (publisher), (914) 747-0110 Kleck, Point Blank [best available collection of criminology data] Wright/Rossi/Daly, Under The Gun [collection of firearms/crime research] NRA sales (800) 336-7402, LibertyTree Books, (800) 927-8733 Kopel, The Samurai, The Mountie, and The Cowboy [excellent culture & guns] Halbrook, That Every Man Be Armed [excellent history of second amendment] NRA The Armed Citizen (book) [collection of newsclippings of defensive uses] LibertyTree Kates, Restricting Handguns -- The Liberal Skeptics Speak Out McGrath, Gunfighters, Highwaymen & Vigilantes ["wild" west was safer] Independence Institute, (303) 279-6536 Cramer/Kopel, Concealed Handgun Permits for Licensed, Trained Citizens: A Policy that is Saving Lives, paper #14-93 Some of these books are also available from Freedom's Forum Books (415) 864-0952, and Laissez Faire Books (800) 326-0996. I feel these are among the best available information sources & would encourage you to get & use them in your own efforts. Jeff Chan __ [Here is a copy of the letter sent to George Will accompanying the second set of books. Sununu & Limbaugh got similar letters.] George Will c/o This Week with David Brinkley ABC 1717 Desales Street NW Washington, DC 20033 January 7, 1994 Dear Mr. Will: Enclosed are 4 books, some of which I mentioned in my previous letter. First, Gary Kleck's Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America is perhaps the best collection of criminological data available on the subject of firearms. It was recently recognized by the American Society of Criminology as the most important contribution to criminology in recent years. Second, Under The Gun contains research on firearms, crime and violence by Wright and Rossi. Their work was originally sponsored by the National Institute of Justice under Jimmy Carter's Justice Department. Meant to justify a handgun ban, their research found no support and the Carter Administration was honest enough to not pursue further victim disarmament (i.e., gun control). Both of these books are published by Aldine de Gruyter of New York. Also included is David Kopel's comparison of firearms in foreign cultures and America in The Samurai, The Mountie, and The Cowboy. Kopel's thoroughly researched and thoughtful book recently won xxxxxx. Finally, Roger McGrath's Gunfighters, Highwaymen & Vigilantes debunks many of the myths of frontier violence. McGrath's scholarship paints a picture of the American West that was safer and more peaceful than most large cities today. I'm sending these books at considerable personal expense. I hope you are able to extend the courtesy of a reply. Most importantly, I hope that you will be able to make use of the information, especially as the debate over firearms rights intensifies in the coming weeks and months. Sincerely, Jeff Chan __ Date: Wed, 12 Jan 1994 01:15:04 -0800 From: Jeff Chan To: ca-firearms, firearms-politics@ns1.rutgers.edu Subject: Update: Books Sent I Fedexed the second batch of books to Will/Sununu/Limbaugh on Monday. If you've decided to send me a check to help cover the costs of this project I thank you for your support. I may be interested in taking nominations of other high profile pro-gun media people to receive a subset of the books (for example, Kleck, Wright/Rossi/Daly, Kopel, Halbrook). Mike Royko was suggested and makes some sense to me. I'm open to other suggestions, but I may ask you to put your money where your mouth is. My ability to do this depends on the response of the net. As soon as I hear back from Will/Sununu/Limbaugh I'll post. Thanks again for your support of this project. It feels good to put this information in their hands. If anyone catches them using the info, please post. I think we'd all enjoy it (& be better off for it). Jeff C. Here's more info on the 4 books: If you are looking for what I feel are the 4 best books on the subject of firearms policy I suggest you take a look at the following books: Gary Kleck's Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America is perhaps the best collection of criminological data available on the subject of firearms. It recently won the American Society of Criminology Hindelang Prize as "the most important contribution to criminology over the past several years." Under The Gun contains research on firearms, crime and violence by Wright and Rossi. Their work was originally sponsored by the National Institute of Justice under Jimmy Carter's Justice Department. David Kopel compares firearms in foreign cultures and America in The Samurai, The Mountie, and The Cowboy. Kopel's thoroughly researched and thoughtful book also recently won a national award for it's scholarship. Stephen Halbrook's That Every Man Be Armed is an excellent review of the legal, political and philosophical history behind the Second Amendment. Sources: Aldine de Gruyter (publisher), (914) 747-0110 Kleck, Point Blank Wright/Rossi/Daly, Under The Gun LibertyTree Books, (510) 568-6047 Kopel, The Samurai, The Mountie, and The Cowboy Halbrook, That Every Man Be Armed I hope you find this helpful, Jeff Chan chan@shell.portal.com __ Date: Fri, 4 Feb 1994 01:46:57 -0800 From: Jeff Chan To: ca-firearms, firearms-politics@ns1.rutgers.edu Subject: Summary: Project Opinion Leader By hand delivering the three books and two papers together with a cover letter to Thomas Sowell's office at the Hoover Institution, I completed the second phase of Project Opinion Leader. Royko & Williams should also have received the books by Fedex on the same day, Wednesday, February 2nd. Here is a table of the books & papers these six pro-rights national opinion leaders should now have: Kleck NRA McGrath Halbrook Kates Snyder Kopel Wright Cramer/Kopel Rush Limbaugh x x x x x x x x George Will x x x x x x x x John Sununu x x x x x x x x Mike Royko x x x x x x Walter Williams x x x x x Thomas Sowell x x x x x __ (sources) Kleck, Point Blank G Halbrook, That Every Man Be Armed N, L Kopel, The Samurai, The Mountie & The Cowboy N, L, P NRA, The Armed Citizen N Kates, Restricting Handguns L Wright/Rossi/Daly, Under The Gun G McGrath, Gunfighters, Highwaymen & Vigilantes L Snyder, "A Nation of Cowards," The Public Interest: (202) 785-8555 Cramer/Kopel, "Concealed Handgun Permits for Licensed, Trained Citizens: A Policy that is Saving Lives," paper #14-93 (soon revised) Independence Institute, (303) 279-6536 G = Aldine de Gruyter: (914) 747-0110 (publisher) N = NRA Sales: (800) 336-7402 L = LibertyTree Books: (800) 927-8733 P = Prometheus Books: (716) 837-2475 (publisher) Some also available from Freedom's Forum Books: (415) 864-0952, and Laissez Faire Books: (800) 326-0996 While I initially funded this from my own pocket, individuals on the net have generously chipped in and covered about 98% of the costs. Thanks very much to all those who helped! Pat yourself on the back & watch these guys to see it they use/misuse/ignore the info. Write/call/fax them (& let us know) if they do! __ Date: Sun, 13 Feb 1994 16:45:04 -0800 From: Jeff Chan To: ca-firearms, firearms-politics@ns1.rutgers.edu Subject: UPDATE: Project Opinion Leader Got a letter back from Walter Williams thanking me for the Project Opinion Leader books. It's reproduced below. Jeff C. George Mason University Professor Walter E. Williams Department of Economics February 4, 1994 Dear Mr. Chan: Thank you very much for your letter and the three books plus other enclosures. They shall be valuable references in my library for when I do another column on a Second Amendment issue. Best wishes and thank you for your thoughtfulness. Sincerely, [signature] Walter E. Williams John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics __ Date: 07 Apr 94 12:28:05 CDT From: Stuart T Oliver To: chan@shell.portal.com Subject: Walter Williams Article in Conservative Chronicle From: Stuart T Oliver Jeff, I don't know if you get the Cons.Chron.or not, but on pg 6 of the April 6 issue Walter Williams writes a piece titled "How Liberals Plan to Disarm Us". In the article he quotes George Mason, Tom Jefferson, Thomas Paine and others in a style that would do any of us proud. Williams final remark is: "I don't know about you, but if you hear that Williams' guns have been taken, you'll know that Williams is dead." Didn't you send one of your Opinion Leader Information Packets to Williams? If so, it sounds like he's been reading it. Good work! -Stuart Stuart T Oliver ** Opinions are my own ** Programmer/Analyst I ** and not those of ** CIS SIMS ** Texas A&M University ** Phone: (409)845-8435 ** ** __ To: chan@shell.portal.com Cc: ca-firearms@shell.portal.com Subject: You've WON Date: Fri, 08 Apr 94 11:13:21 PDT From: "David S.A. Stine" Jeff, your project "Opinion Leader" has paid off. Big Time. Walter Williams is quoting from the books which you gave him on Limbaugh's show right now. As I type this. He's quoting from Holbrook's book right now. High-fives. dsa