From: CHASPEN@aol.com Date: Tue, 27 Jun 1995 16:08:28 -0400 To: ila-wa@chc.com Cc: wac@chc.com, ilrg@chc.com, nws@chc.com, roc@chc.com, rkba-list@celestial.com, firearms-alert@shell.portal.com, libernet@dartmouth.edu Subject: WA: Anti-Terrorism Rally/Spin Friends, Straight from the Horse's Mouth, here is a release from Joe Waldron at the Second Amendment Foundation. The SAF will be spearheading the RKBA contingency. Point of Contact: Joe Waldron, Second Amendment Foundation, (206)454-7012. CHAS Charles Long Political Action Director, Council For Legislative Action, Washington --------------------------------------------- RALLY AGAINST FEDERAL ANTI-TERRORISM BILLS Where: Jackson Federal Bldg., 915 Second Ave. Seattle, WA When: Noon, Thursday, 29 June 1995 Who: A coalition of groups from the Right AND Left of the political spectrum What: S. 735 and H.R. 1710 - the "Antiterrorism" bills pending action in Congress Dress: Media-genic civilian attire Why: These bills are essentially a civil rights disaster. While the gun lobby has been largely successful in keeping anti-gun legislation out of them -- so far -- they still have a major negative impact on other amendments to the Bill of Rights. The two bills are very different. S. 735 has passed the Senate and is awaiting House action. H.R. 1710 has passed out of the House Judiciary Committee and is awaiting floor action. When (not IF) passed, it will join S. 735 in a Conference Committee where a single bill will be reported out. Senate Democrats attempted to insert more than a dozen anti-gun amendments in their version. These include: * limiting handgun purchases to one gun a month (thus creating handgun registration); * placing taggants in propellant powders; * elimination of the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) program; * removing sunset clause on Brady (waiting period remains in effect even after the "insta-chek" comes on line); * increasing FFL fees; AND MANY OTHER ANTI-GUN PROVISIONS. Congressman Charles Schumer (D-NY), HCI's poster boy of the year, attempted to place an amendment in the House version (HR 1710) redefining "Cop Killer" ammunition by performance levels, as opposed to specific projectile construction. Using a threat level II-A protective vest as the standard, this amendment would ban ANY ammunition capable of penetrating this vest. THAT INCLUDES ALL RIFLE AMMUNITION! The amendment passed committee initially, but was defeated on reconsideration. Rest assured, the gun grabbers in Congress will attempt to add these and other anti-gun amendments to the bill, either on the House floor or in conference. BUT EVEN WORSE, without ANY anti-gun amendments added, the bills remain a civil rights disaster. The bills pose severe limitations on EVERYONE'S First, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights. Specific measures include: -waiver of "POSSE COMITATUS," allowing military personnes to be used against U.S. civilians; * increasing BATF budget by more than $100 million over the next five years; * extending STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS on the 1934 National Firearms Act from 3 to 5 years; * permitting WIRETAP of YOUR HOME if the subject of a wiretap visits you; * allowing the President to DESIGNATE GROUPS AS TERRORISTS; * limiting donations to TERRORIST-RELATED GROUPS, even humanitarian donations. To be sure, terrorism is a threat to our liberty. But it's not the terrorist groups that threaten liberty the most. The greatest threat to liberty is OUR OWN GOVERNMENT, overreacting to what is essentially a limited threat. The Administration is exploiting the disaster of Oklahoma city, shamelessly using it as a vehicle to pass the greatest restriction on the Bill of Rights since martial law was declared at the beginning of World War II. The Bill of Rights is an interrelated document. No amendment will stand on its own. Violate one, and you violate them all. As champions of the Second Amendment, we owe it to all Americans to oppose this ill-conceived legislation. Point of Contact: Joe Waldron, Second Amendment Foundation, (206)454-7012. SEE YOU IN SEATTLE!