The PROponent Peoples Rights Organization 5 E. Long St., Suite 412; Columbus, OH 43215; (614) 268-0122 Volume 6 September, 1994 Number 9 ________________________________________________________________ (headline) Crime bill NOT dead! "A STUNNING DEFEAT ... Let' see now. The bill was brimming over with pork. It had strong opposition from conservatives. It had strong opposition from liberals. Virtually nobody was really happy with it. It began without nearly enough support even to get the rules change needed to bring it to a vote passed. After a great deal of arm-twisting and behind the scenes wheeling and dealing, the rules vote still seemed to appear to not be able to make it. And indeed it did not make it by 8 votes. (That is if 8 representatives had changed their vote it would have passed.) You might call this minor story, "Bogus bill doesn't get enough support and goes back to the drawing board." But not the ABC Nightly News. They headlined it: "A stunning defeat!" What gives? Their treatment reveals the real agenda behind the "Crime" bill. This bill is in no way the simple "let's appear to do something to please the public who are sick and tired of crime" bill that it has been portrayed in the media. It is not even just a pork-barrel measure. ABC's reactions tells you quite clearly that the Crime Bill is front-row, top of the line, number one priority of the New World Order agenda. Why? Just look at what it does. First, it establishes the principle of overturning the Second Amendment. Militia firearms, instead of being the only ones truly protected, now are to become the only ones completely banned. As a bonus, the bill immediately bans 294 firearms of the type most suitable for militia and self-defense use and the number of banned guns continues to rise. Second, it beefs up the private New World Order police. While purporting to put 100,000 new police "on the street" (actually more like 20,000) implying that these men will be fighting crime in Detroit or Chicago, in actuality this is to be a Federal force, a private army useful for any New World Order future purpose such as the gathering up of the horrible banned "weapons." These federal police appear to have the function of coming into local jurisdictions and commandeering local law enforcement (like they did in Waco). Third, places the federal police above the law by eliminating the possibility that they might be sued for "making a mistake." So when the federales break into your home and shoot you and your family while they are looking for guns, but it turns out that none were there (as one would expect if you have half a brain, in spite of the fact that prior to the police actions you used to have the biggest collection in the OGCA), you can't sue for damages. The new gun police are above the law. If they steal things, if they break things, if they burn down your house, sorry, the crime bill says you have to eat the costs yourself. Forth, it sets up the potential for gun ownership and "conspiracies" related to gun owning to be a death penalty crime. So when gun ownership is defined to be a "crime of violence", you may be on your way to death row. If guns in a box on shelf during a crack sale can be called "using a gun in a drug crime" what do you think they will come up with for "terrorist" gun owners. Now do you see why the Crime Bill is so high priority and why it's being stalled temporarily is called a "stunning defeat"? But the Crime Bill is NOT dead! The 225-210 vote on the procedural rule just sent it back to committee. Those in the shadows speaking through their stooge Clinton have indicated that they will NEVER give up on this. Are they serious? YOU BET! They actually stopped debate on their other high priority item - "health care" taxes to smash the middle class - to concentrate on the Crime Bill blockage. PROs contacts in Washington have indicated that lobbying to get those last 8 votes has reached phenomenal levels. Clinton in typical fashion has started a campaign-style effort to "pressure" some vote changes. His name-calling of Republicans and blaming the NRA for the defeat is supposed to get people to call in their support for this Crime Bill, and though some calls have come in it is probably just to give cover to congressmen who change sides after being bought off. The "Crime Bill" is NOT dead. Keep calling both your Representatives and Senators and express opposition to this bill. "It ain't over till it's over." EVOLUTION... The evolution of ..."ation". Information... Registration... Verification... Confiscation... Subjugation... Annihilation... A member of PRO... JAQUIE MILLER... During the recent hearings on the so-called "assault weapon" ban, Jaquie Miller testified in Washington against it. Miller was shot four times by a co-worker's AK-47 in Louisville, Ky in 1989. Some of her comments follow. "The killer used an AK-47. Because of that 12 people lived instead of 20 dying. If he had used a shotgun or a various model of hunting rifle, none of us would have made it. "It completely enrages me that my tragedy is being used against me to deny me and the all the law-abiding citizens of this country the right to the firearm of our choosing. I refuse in return to use my tragedy for retribution against innocent people just to make myself feel better for having this misfortune. "Enforce the laws against the criminals already on the books. After all, there are already over 20,000 of them. More won't do a thing for crime control without everything working together for the common good. Plea bargaining, early release from prison and the way juvenile crime is being handled are killing our society. If we don't start practicing morality and decency and worshipping God instead of ourselves, all the new laws in the world won't help. You cannot ban everything in the world that can be used as a weapon because you fear it, don't understand it or don't agree with it. This is America, not Lithuania or China. Our most cherished possession is our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Let's not sell those down the river or we could one day find ourselves in a boat without a paddle against the criminals who think we're easy pickings." THE PRICE THEY PAID... Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. These men valued liberty, and standing straight and tall they pledged: "For support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." Five of the signers were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost sons in the Revolutionary Army. Another had two sons captured. Nine fought and died from wounds or the hardships of the Revolutionary War. Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and plantation owners. These were not wild-eyed rabble, but soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but valued liberty more. Can we say the same? It is time for each and every-one of us to become more involved in the defense of our liberty. Are we any better than those who lost their homes, their wives or their children during our country's fight for freedom? No, we are not! Please put forth an effort as have many of your friends, neighbors and fellow members in PRO. Volunteer to work the gun shows. Donate money to Second Amendment causes. Come out to the Ohio Game Fair and help. Become a NRA instructor or a Hunter Education instructor. Can we do any less than those that began our country? I say no! Those that have come close to matching the dedication of the signers of the Declaration of Independence are PRO's legal staff, Dave Buda and Scott Mote. During the first six months of our existence they led weekly meetings of PRO, helped pick out our name, established Articles of Incorporation and put up with countless stupid ideas from the rest of us. They have guided the editors of the PROponent when we have touched on sticky topics, guided many members on how to stay legal with existing gun laws in the city and state. They have both become NRA instructors and teach the law part of our classes. During the years since PRO began, both Scott and Dave have fielded many questions concerning firearms and gun legislation in Grove City, Dublin and Delaware. They also took an unbearable amount of heat from the NRA and others around the state in their instigating a lawsuit against the city of Columbus to overturn their gun ban. Their suit was finally dropped, and the NRA backed Bill of Attainder began it's way through the court system. On July 11, 1994, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit struck down the Columbus ban. Our attorneys were vindicated in their efforts to bring a suit against Columbus. Their plan was to keep the heat on our city council and other governmental bodies to let them know that the citizens were not going to roll over and play dead for the gun control advocates. They succeeded. These two lawyers and jurists have contributed more than their share to the success of PRO. Thank you gentleman. ____________________________________________________________ "Although the Supreme Court has held this Amendment (2nd) to include only arms necessary to a well-regulated militia, as so construed, its prohibition is absolute." Hugo L. Black, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, New York University Law Review Vol. 35, No. 4, April 1960. ____________________________________________________________ ANN (SELL-OUT) LANDERS... Dear Friend: Thank you for your good letter. Unfortunately, it is impossible for me to print every letter that reaches my desk. I receive over 2000 pieces of mail every day. I appreciate your taking the time and trouble to write, and I hope you will continue to read and enjoy the column. Sincerely, Ann Landers The above letter is a personal reply from the great advice columnist, Ann Landers. I am touched. Several weeks ago, she ran a diatribe against guns that had been written by a reader. I refuted his every comment and shot down all his arguments. Landers was also told that she probably wouldn't publish the reply. I was right. She wouldn't grace me with an original reply. And thousands rely on her for advice. I feel sorry for them. NEA & RUSH... The National Education Association has launched a boycott against Florida orange juice if they hire Rush Limbaugh to sell orange products for them again. I thought teachers were supposed to teach, not get involved in politics, or the freedom of speech. If those of us that enjoy Rush would contact our local NEA and tell them that we are going to vote against any and all school levies, teacher's raises and school improvements until they rescind their ban on orange juice, one wonders what they would do. It seems as if it is hard enough for them to get the needed monies that they think they need to teach and run schools. Teach, don't preach. Let the individual make up his own mind about what to listen to or to ingest. GIVE US BACK OUR GOVERNMENT! [Editors: We have a standing request for written contributions to the PROponent and we always print every one that is good. This one is good. Sure, the editors can stand on our soapbox each month, but we find no better way to wake up the sleeping public than for ordinary PRO members to begin to speak out saying, "Hey, we all better start DOING SOMETHING fast or it will soon be too late!" This one even suggests some things to do.] DEAR PRO: I read in your July issue that you welcome quest editorials from almost anybody. I am a 47 year old "nobody." I was raised to love my country and to honor its flag. I volunteered for service in the U. S. Army in 1967 (Patriotic, but dumb!) and served proudly while Comrade Klinton was kissing Red ass in Moscow. Firearms have been my first love since I was a small boy and today I operate a part-time gunsmithing business (Legend Arms Repair). These past few years I have acquired a new interest - The Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It infuriates me to watch the Socialists in Washington try at every turn to destroy all that I hold dear. Our biggest problem today, in my opinion, is pure ignorance. Citizens today, especially schoolkids, have no concept of what the Bill of Rights and Constitution are. Just the other day a young man called in to the "after Rush hour" and was asking about the 10th Amendment. He had never heard of it and thought it had come into being after the civil war. He also sounded as if he thought it was terribly radical. No wonder the Ship of State is sinking! Want to prove to yourself how ignorant people are about how our government is supposed to work? Just start asking people to explain the difference between a congressman and a senator. Be prepared for blank stares, dumb looks and lots of mumbling. Through ignorance, We the People have lost control of the Congress and through the 17th Amendment the states have given up control of the Senate. As I understand the original intent of the Founding Fathers, the People (that's us) were to elect representatives to Congress to guard our Rights and best interests. The state legislatures were to elect two senators to guard the Rights and best interests of the state government. When Congressmen and Senators were attending to the Rights and interests of the People and the states, the Federal Government was held in its proper place. The 17th Amendment took the senators away form the state legislatures and allowed them to be elected by the people. This opened wide the door for states rights abuse by the Federal Government. As anyone who has at least two functioning brain cells can plainly see, elections are won by money and help from powerful groups. [ed. like media] We the People are left in most cases to simply vote for the lesser of the evils available on the ballot. Once in office all they need to do is to keep the propaganda flowing to the people and money flowing in from the power groups that got them elected. I have never seen a senator's or congressman's pay check, but I assume they come from the government. You can't serve The People on the one hand and be dependent upon the "government" for your income on the other. They are two different masters with totally different objectives! The People want to keep their Rights and retain control while the Federal Government wants to take those Rights and usurp control. We need to do two things: First, we must repeal the 17th Amendment to give some control back to the states. Second, we should insure that both Congressmen and Senators receive all salaries and benefits ONLY from their home state. At tax time I propose that the states withhold an amount equal to all compensation and place it in an interest bearing fund from which checks will be issued. Any interest on those funds would be retained by the states to cover costs. If elected officials get out of line, you withhold their pay and benefits. This could be accomplished by a vote in the state legislature or by petition in the various congressional districts. The effect is similar to a recall election, but provides a finer tuned control. Another area that the Founding Fathers were quite clear on was a standing army. Most people today feel that the current world situation merits the maintenance of the various branches of the military at some level. Fair enough. However, it is the PRIVATE standing army of the Federal Government that should worry us. What "Private Army?" Think about it folks, the BATF, Federal Marshalls, IRS, FBI, Secret Service, CIA etc. all have "troops" carrying military weapons, using military tactics, receiving military training, getting military support and military equipment. These troops are all under the command of Political Appointees! If this is not a private army, what is? [ed. Note that most of these agencies have no authorization to exist in the Constitution and NONE are authorized to have police powers which are reserved to the states.] How do we correct this? My proposal is to simply disarm them. Totally and completely. Perhaps Secret Service agents assigned as body guards should be armed but no one else. [ed. We would disarm the SS first!] These organizations need nothing more than investigative powers for any of their functions. If an arrest is to be made or a raid is to be staged, then there is absolutely no reason that local law enforcement couldn't be used. If this had been done at Waco or with Randy Weaver no one would have died! [ed. Note that they were all killed for suspicion of not having paid a $200 tax!] I don't know much about politics. Being a lousy liar I wouldn't be a very good politician. Besides, I would be to much given to guarding Rights to be good a buying votes with pork barrel projects and give-away programs. What I do know is what the people who come through my shop tell me. Gunsmiths are like barbers - people will open up to them and speak their minds. The people I've talked with (hundreds of them), including police officers, are not only fed up with the power grab going on in government, they are preparing for a fight. The firearms and ammunition sold in the last year or two is mind bending! All of those surplus military rifles, pistols and ammo isn't being stockpiled to hunt squirrels! The socialists in power are getting nervous about this and I believe that this is the reason for all the current activity in gun control. They have overplayed their hand and the people are calling their bluff. [ed. And they made a giant mistake (recently corrected) in trying to boost trade for their pal, Communist China, by allowing vast arms and ammo imports!] Smoke screens are being thrown up in the form of "serious issues" - crime, health care, foreign crisis situations, etc., but the real crisis is right here at home with the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. All else is a diversion designed to convince you to give up freedom for security. Fortunately, there are millions of us who love our country and cherish our freedom. Millions of us who refuse to leave our children a country that is anything less than it was when we were children. Are we militant radicals? No, we are just people - police officers, bricklayers, doctors, moms and dads, - just people. We the People. You and I. My fondest hope is that the current ignorance of how our government is supposed to work gives way to understanding. I hope enough people wake up by November and send a message to Billary and all their social misfits that we are mad as hell and we will not tolerate it anymore. And that like our forefathers, we just want to be and left alone. But if push comes to shove, we will fight. Not only do we want it to stop, we want much of what has been done to be un-done. We want our Rights and our Government back NOW! Make no mistake about one thing - It is entirely up to us, right now, to accomplish this. Our young are being conditioned to shun freedom and to seek security from the "government." My daughter is in the ninth grade and has not yet been introduced to American History. You can bet that when she finally is, the Constitution will be treated as an outdated document with little relevance in the "modern" (read "socialist") world. The time is now and the responsibility is ours. The minute men are alive and well. Whether they can use the ballot box or end up forced to use the cartridge box depends on each of us and upon our ability and efforts to dispel ignorance and move the fence-sitters to action. Art Clary Newark, Ohio [Mr. Clary you are NOT a "nobody." You are a very rare and special person in today's world. You are a fervent and loyal American. You possess the vision of what this country was meant to be. God bless you. God Bless America!] (Ad for Gun Rights Policy Conference, Sept 30 - Oct 2; San Francisco, CA) "ASSAULT WEAPON" BAN FOR YOU; "TACTICAL CARBINE" PURCHASE FOR THEM... The following was reported in the July 28, 1994 Commerce Business Daily: "From: BATF "Desires to procure up to 800 tactical carbines over the next 4 years. "The firearm, hereinafter referred to as a 'tactical carbine', is to be a shoulder-mounted, magazine-fed, short-barreled weapon and chambered to fire the 9mm parabellum cartridge (9 x 19mm). The tactical carbine shall be available in semi-automatic and select fire modes. The Bureau should have the option of selecting either the two-round burst or fully-automatic select fire models. The tactical carbine selected as a result of this competition will become the standard issue for the Bureau." Let's see: when the BATF breaks down my door to arrest me for owning a semi-auto mini-14 hunting "assault rifle", they, on the other hand, will be "getting the criminal weapons of choice" "off the street" by carrying some of the 800 "tactical carbines" that they purchased for the job. These are also known as sub-machineguns with high capacity magazines, "which have the sole function of killing and maiming hunting rifle owners" (or perhaps some women and children too, if they happen to be nearby). In enforcing firearms laws, it all seems to be in the names, doesn't it? It is obvious to me that a lot of lives could be saved and 800 REAL assault weapons could be kept "off the street" if we disarmed the BATF right now. ____________________________________________________________ "The end of war is the control of a conquered people. If enough people can be conquered in the absence of war, the end of war will have been achieved without the destruction of war. A worthy goal." Underground Communist training manual on "psychopolitics" (brain washing), it has been used in America for training communist cadre since the 1930s and this is taken from the revised edition written after the invention of the atomic bomb. ____________________________________________________________ THE PEEBLES FLAP ... We found the following information floating about the information "superhighway": "The following report is not rumor, I am relaying it from 3 eyewitnesses. Last weekend, July 22-24, over 200 troops suited in black uniforms patrolled a small town in southern Ohio known as Peebles, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. Witnesses said that the troops carried around M-16's, and that half of them did not speak English. As well, the infamous 'black helicopters' were all over the place, landing in fields and pastures in full view for everyone to see. They were practicing house to house searches and car stops." "There is a GE test facility that encompasses some 14,000 acres of wooded land, and several employees of the facility have begun reporting strange goings on in the last year, mainly the construction of hugh [sic] buildings, capable of holding 10,000 people at a time, as well as the helicopters, and the building of an airstrip that is larger than the one here at Cincinnati National Airport. This facility is located in the middle of Peebles. The townspeople are very quiet this week, and everyone is scared to death." We wonder what "practicing house to house searches and car stops" means. Were they just doing this among themselves with civilian "volunteers" or were they actually illegally stopping townspeople, trespassing, and violating privacy? Were they just on government contractor property or in town? Note that government activities inside the GE fence are none of our business unless we have reason to believe illegalities are involved. Also note that if a huge black helicopter just lands in your yard without your permission, it doesn't matter if they jump out and run up to you shouting "This is just a test!", it's still illegal. I hope some Peebles-person had the sense to (discreetly, of course) whip out his or her camera or camcorder and squeeze off a few shots! Does anyone have friends or relatives near Peebles that can confirm this? Preliminary reports from the area seem to indicate that this report is bogus, but PRO would still like to hear from trustworthy people in the area in any case. THE BUCKEL POSITION ... So while Mr. John (deficit fighter) Kasich is saying of the crime bill that he never saw a Democrat pork bill that he wouldn't vote for and Deborah (I'll do what Kasich does) Price thinks that banning 294 of firearms is only a "minor" infringement of the Constitution and her oath of office, Bill Buckel, Price's opponent has taken a hardcore stand on firearms ownership. PRO has obtained a draft copy of Mr. Buckel's position paper and we thought our readers might be interested in his Second Amendment views. "3. Remove almost all restrictions and tracing on the manufacture and sale of small arms up to and including .50 caliber automatic machine guns to adult law-abiding citizens. Moreover, possession of such weapons would not be a crime. Of course, manufacturers and importers would still be responsible for the quality (safety and accuracy) of their products." As you can see Mr. Buckel's views on "gun control" are essentially those of pre-1930 America. We will report further as Mr. Buckel's position paper becomes finalized. A NEW PLATFORM ... That new shooting magazine in town, The Greater Columbus Shooters Exchange, has caught on like wildfire and has expanded it's service so much that it has changed its name to The Ohio State Area Shooters Exchange. What's so great about this is that the publisher has bent over backwards to allow PRO use his publication as a platform to get gun owners active in politics. He gives us space in each issue to address the shooters and sportsmen (of course, that word includes women shooters too!) in his distribution area. For PRO this is in many ways a dream come true. Over the years PRO has been trying to reach the members of the rural county shooting clubs, particularly for legislative alerts and evaluations of candidates for state-wide offices. Unfortunately, the sound of sawing logs could be heard clear to Columbus as club members told each other that "they don't want my guns." and stayed fast asleep. Well, they DO want your guns and we can all thank the Clintonista administration and the back-stabbing politicians for sounding reveille. And now that shooters are waking up, the Shooters Exchange magazine is a great way to get the word out. PRO members are encouraged to support this magazine and the publisher is once again making a special subscription offer to PRO members. Just fill out the advertisement below and take advantage of this great deal! (Ad here for PRO members to save $12 on the Ohio State Area Shooters Exchange Magazine.) BAN ASSAULT ANIMALS ... When it comes to protecting the public from dangerous weapons PRO has always been leading the efforts to pass new laws to ban them. It was PRO that announced the first opposition to assault vegetables when a man was killed by a turnip thrown from a car and it was PRO that was screaming to ban assault turtles when a man was robbed in Texas by a thief armed with a snapping turtle. But I'm sure all PRO members understand that banning one "assault animal" is never enough. The key is to use each crime to keep adding banned "weapons" to the list until finally, the public is safe. So now we have the case of Clarence Joseph Gland, 63, and Kim Denise Williams who were out for a walk late one night in Camden, New Jersey when two men got out a car and one of them shoved a large black snake in Gland's face. The pair made off with cash, a radio and a watch. PRO says it's pretty bad when senior citizens can't go for a walk without fear of being robbed by some snake-wielding bandit. (PRO suggests a nice tight news shot here of the blubbering victim's face as they tell how frightened they were of the assault snake.) PRO demands that the list of assault animals immediately be expanded to include black snakes. However, PRO does wish to assure animal "rights" activists that we do not oppose ALL snakes. We are not snake-o-phobes. We only wish to keep those snakes that have no purpose but the terrorizing and robbing of citizens "out of the wrong hands." For that reason PRO suggests than any snake-ban law should include a long list of furry cuddly "good" animals to show that only the criminal's assault animals of choice are to be banned. Any liberal having the need to feel morally superior to all those "inbred" conservatives can show that they care and feel the pain of snake-crime victims by calling the PRO office and joining us in this fight. ____________________________________________________________ "In the United States or Britain, for example, where neither trade unions nor religious groups nor political parties are sufficiently militant to oppose a coup . . . If, for example, we failed to neutralize the organization of, say, the National Rifle Association in the USA . . . their reaction . . . could still endanger the coup . . . ." Coup d'Etat, a Practical Handbook, Edward Luttwak, Knopf, NY, 1969 ____________________________________________________________ FROEHLICH VISITS PRO ... Mark S. Froehlich showed up at the August PRO meeting to touch base with PRO members. Its true that Mr. Froehlich, who is running against gun-grabber Stokes for county commissioner would automatically have the support of PRO members simply by virtue of his opposition, but the news is much better than that. This candidate, who has been the mayor of Obetz for 12 years is not just a gun-grabber opponent, but is in fact a pro-gunner himself. Mr. Froehlich told the PRO meeting that he will need our help this fall. He knows that fighting the big money that Dewey can pull, will be an uphill battle. He indicated that any PRO member who wishes to help with the campaign or make a donation will be welcomed. It should be obvious after the way the sky rained Stokes signs during the primary that every bit of help will be needed. There are some in this town who think that Columbus IS Franklin County. However, many of us, including this editor who lives in Columbus, prefer to see Franklin County government controlled more by those outside the city and less by movers and shakers. So while Dewey is promising to connect all his rich and powerful friends to our county, many feel that this idea of bringing Franklin county inside the Washington beltway does not reflect the wishes of the people who live here. Citizens Against Crime strongly supports keeping control of Franklin county in the hands of those like mayor Froehlich with strong ties to our more rural community. Mr. Froehlich has promised to provide PRO with a written position statement which we will publish next month. OHIO CCW - YES OR NO ? It's called "concealed carry of a weapon" or CCW for short and it is more or less a crime here in Ohio. The "less" has to do with the part of the law called an "affirmative defense." If you are caught with a concealed weapon (which could be many things including a firearm) you will be arrested and go to court. However, the law provides that under certain circumstances you will be found not guilty. That is if you are a businessman carrying money, or someone has threatened your life or you were in a situation where it is very clear that a "prudent man" should be armed, you get off. There are a number of problems with this system. First of all it calls upon the law abiding citizen to give up their right to bear arms except under certain extreme circumstances. Also, since you only have an affirmative defense, the police can arrest you every time you take your daily receipts to the bank. And every time you can go to court and every time get off, but they can still keep arresting you if they so choose. Now correctly viewed, CCW laws can make some sense. The idea is that a criminal should not be allowed to carry a concealed firearm for the purpose of committing a crime. Of course, anti-gunners who believe that men, women, minorities, the handicapped, gays and you and me should all be willing victims, also believe that firearms "only" have the purpose of committing crimes. In their view, self-defense is a crime so that CCW laws therefore should apply equally to criminals and the law-abiding. Needless to say, we do not hold this view. We have no problem with a bank robber or a burglar getting extra CCW time if he is found with a gun in his boot or pocket, but we are appalled at a case like Bernard Goetz who goes to jail for defending himself against hardened criminals who admitted they were on their way to commit crimes and possessed themselves a concealed deadly weapon. You see the problem here is that CCW laws interpreted this way become "thought crimes" wherein the state says it must arrest you because they know what was in your mind. They say that mere possession of a certain device is clear evidence that you "intended" to commit a crime with it. This is of course pure hooey. The political realities of CCW laws, however, has PRO members divided on what to do. Some favor a law granting CCW permits and are willing to be registered and voluntarily give up some of their Second Amendment Rights in order to not face the constant threat of arrest. Others, do not favor any law which registers gun owners. Here in Ohio the question is particularly pointed because gun owners are not registered (yet). In states which already require a gun owner ID card (FOID), pushing for a CCW law makes perfect pro-gun sense. You are already registered so why not demand the right to carry. You lose nothing by being registered twice. But where there is no registration, a CCW bill is viewed by gun-grabbers as a great victory for their side. A PRO member sent us an anti-gun article from the April 15, The Arizona Republic that shows what we mean. (Yes Virginia, the anti-gun media is EVERYWHERE even in the supposed pro-gun heaven of the western states. We snicker when we hear people telling us how pro-gun it is out west. Phooey. PRO hunters returning from out West, brought us back some Denver newspapers that were so liberal and anti-gun as to make the New York Times look like the Washington Times in comparison.) Arizona columnist E.J. Montini wrote: "I can't possibly convey to you how happy I am that the state Legislature passed a law this week allowing Arizona citizens to carry concealed weapons. "It is by far, the most positive, encouraging and beneficial action taken by our politicians on behalf of each and every person who favors strict gun control. "Of course this will come as a complete shock to Gov. J. Fife Symington and the other politicians who backed the bill. They actually believe the concealed weapons law is a powerful argument AGAINST gun control. "But it's just the opposite. "It's even better than that. It's the most straightforward and powerful argument FOR gun control ever produced in Arizona. Maybe anywhere. "...All of a sudden, anti-gun-control people ... are making pro-gun-control statements. "And they don't even KNOW it. "Which is why I asked Keegan [bill's sponsor]: If everything you just said is true, then why shouldn't those same rules and requirements be expanded to cover everyone who wants to buy a gun, no matter where the weapon is carried." Why indeed? So that what was once a right is now a privilege granted by the state and then expanded so that EVERY gun buyer needs to pay a fee, pass an examination, take mandatory training, and always have his "papers" at the ready in case he is stopped by the Gestapo. Rather than allowing CCW to sell out all gun owners as is happening in Arizona, a better approach would be to push for a Vermont style CCW law. There, concealed carry is illegal only for criminals. My personal view (though not shared by all PRO members) is that it would be better to push for expanded conditions of CCW affirmative defense rather than for an Ohio CCW license system. Use the old gun grabber techniques of chip, chip, chip. For example, a real strong case could be made that stalking or a court order keeping a spouse away during divorce or child custody cases should be as much as an affirmative defense as taking money to the bank. All Ohio gun owners need to think long and hard about these issues. (Ad here for the Conservative Consensus newsletter) A JUDAS GOAT ... The armed march on Washington called by Linda Thompson of Waco tape fame is called off and we think it's time PRO made a few observations about Linda and her wild statements and schemes. When she proposed her "armed militia" march to D.C. most pro-gunners were appalled. This was obviously the absolute worst thing anyone could do from any viewpoint: tactical, political, public relations or even revolutionary. One PRO member with real revolutionary experiences in his former country observed, "it sounds to me like a Judas goat." A Judas goat is a trained animal used to lead sheep to slaughter. And there certainly was some of that in this plan. There actually were some misguided "patriots" itching for battle, who gladly handed in their names and signed on. They obviously learned nothing from Viet Nam. You never take on Goliath at his own game. But our observation is that the mere proposal of this armed rally had a very chilling effect upon the "real" grassroots rally in Washington D.C. The NRA, PRO and I am sure many individuals who might have otherwise attended, backed off from whole-hearted support of the national rally because of fear that a few of Thompson's crazy supporters might show up armed and give all pro-gunners a black eye. This was all very unfortunate since our rally turned out to have perfect timing. Think of how great it might have been with Slick Willie twisting arms to pass his bogus Crime Bill and then a mass of people in numbers not seen since the Viet Nam era show up expressing their disgust with the legislation Clinton claims the "American people" desperately want. If we had all been there, the Crime Bill would have a far greater chance of defeat than it currently does. Was this all just bad luck or some diabolically clever scheme? Only Linda Thompson knows for sure. But Linda portrays herself as Saint Joan coming to save America. She writes. "There was no one in the country effectively calling attention to the problems we are facing and at the same time, offering a solution to the problem that would actually work, or any solution other than 'write your congressman' or 'vote them out.'" She not only ridicules PRO's political approach, but goes on to accuse those of us working in that arena of only being in it for the money. If you criticize her armed militia approach, she says you are "lame, lazy and cowardly who MUST find a way to attack anyone actually doing something so they don't look like the lame, lazy, cowards they are!" This whole thing has the ring of a classic CIA-style disinformation campaign to me. She calls her armed march a success because she claims: "1. In the process of publicly ridiculing me, radios, televisions, newsletters, magazines, etc. had to give publicity to the entire issue..." "2. ...people who 'had a better idea of what to do with a militia' had to first FORM a militia. Leaders began to lead and militia units appeared where none had ever existed before --hundreds of units -- and those already in existence, tripled their numbers." "3. In the process of trying to talk me out of the 'tactically stupid' march on D.C., all these units had to come up with their own, better plan, to propose -- and they did." "4. In the process of preparing for either their own plan or the Sept. 19 assembly, militia units TRAINED, RECRUITED, STOCKPILED WEAPONS, AMMO, FOOD, AND MEDICAL GEAR, arranged safe houses, and actually GOT PREPARED." This is all pure hogwash. The people responsible for causing skyrocketing sales of arms and ammo and for the formation and practicing of unorganized militias and for the making of "better" plans, all over the country is NOT "Acting Adjutant General, UMUS", Linda Thompson, but old Slick Willie, himself, together with all his gun-grabbing cronies. And while we are on the subject of Linda Thompson, let's talk a little bit about her Waco tapes. The video tape she sells purports to show flamethrowing tanks burning down the Branch Davidian church. The tapes have (understandably) created a large uproar and controversy among students of the Waco massacre. Linda asserts that the video shows real flames. Having seen the tape, I agree. Flamethrowers have certain characteristics (a "dripping" of fire when they turn off) that are seen in this footage. But that is the WRONG question. The real question is: "Were those flames photographed at Waco?" Who Knows. Again, only Linda Thompson knows for sure. We again seem to have the appearance of a classic disinformation diversion campaign. The use of tanks at Waco for any purpose is a very serious question, as is the government lies about "drug labs" that got governor Ann Richards to allow the tanks to be used. The use of tanks to obstruct justice by destroying all evidence at the "compound" is also a very serious matter worthy of discussion. In addition, the question of whether the government agents actually started or at least contributed to the fire needs to be brought before the public awareness. There is much evidence in the public record, apart from the Thompson claims, suggesting serious crimes committed by law enforcement officers. We have the fact that a sniper saw a black suited individual trying to start a fire. Which side wore the ninja suits, huh? The fact that a great many Davidians were killed with a single bullet through the forehead, OPs-style suggests agreement with the Thompson video showing government ninja prowling the burning buildings. But in classic disinformation fashion, the Thompson tape begins with real information, some of it rather startling, but then seems to veer off in a direction designed to deflect thoughtful critics of the Waco operation. The net effect of the Thompson claims is that when any serious student of the Waco events begins to raise REAL questions about the tanks, the fire, or the "suicides" they are immediately discredited as being one of those "flamethrower nuts". Quite frankly, we find the actions of Linda Thompson at best to be those of a person with misguided enthusiasm and at worst possibly a cold calculated operation against the pro-gun movement. In either case, we should exercise great discernment and skepticism lest all our hard work in this fight come to naught. FORTH ANNUAL SPORTING CLAYS... Please come to our fourth annual sporting clays fundraiser shoot. Join with us this year on September 25 at the Van Darby Club in Mechanicsburg. The program is 50 targets for $15. Numerous prizes (donated by our gun show dealers) shall be awarded to shooters at all levels of ability. There will be hot food available at modest cost. An NRA CLAYS 5 stand practice field will be available, so bring extra shells. Smaller pellets with open chokes are best. Please have eye and ear protection. For more information call the PRO hotline (614) 268-0122. (map of Mechanicsburg here) Directions: Once on Rt 29, head to North end of town. Turn right (North) onto Parkview Dr. Club is first gravel Driveway on right. Park near the barn. ____________________________________________________________ (correction box) Editor's Brain Slips Cog... On page 9 of the August PROponent we discussed a review of our newsletter in another newsletter which we referred to as "Your Liberty". That is incorrect. The correct name of the newsletter is YOUR FREEDOM. We hope you can understand how the editors could make this mistake since the name of the newsletter was only in giant inch and one half letters across the top of the first page. And then to make matters worse, we confused the address of the publication YOUR FREEDOM with that of another magazine, LIBERTY, which was reviewed in that issue. The correct address of YOUR FREEDOM is PO Box 54562, Oklahoma City, OK 73154-1562. Happily, in the spirit of grassroots cooperation, the publisher YOUR FREEDOM has taken pity on PRO members who have to suffer with their newsletter editors each month. He makes the following offer: "Sample issues of my newsletter are $2 each, but for readers of the PROponent, I'll send a free sample upon request if they mention they read of YOUR FREEDOM in your newsletter." PRO says get a sample of YOUR FREEDOM and check it out. A subscription for a full year is only $18 if you pay by check or M.O. or only $14 if you pay by cash. ____________________________________________________________ ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ... By Amy Salerno Candidate for State Representative Do you know that 60% of all crimes are committed by only 6% of the criminals? That in Ohio alone there were 2 murders yesterday? In Columbus alone, more than 20 auto thefts? Good government begins in our neighborhoods, with each one of us taking an active and informed role. It is in our neighborhoods that we can build good schools, strong businesses, and build better lives for ourselves. And it is in our neighborhoods where we will not tolerate crime. Crime, however, is one major issue where we also need support in the Statehouse. We can protect our homes, organize block watches, and refuse to accept crime where we live. But once a criminal is arrested, the state is letting us down. Criminals are sentenced to ten years in prison, but only serve two. Prison space is filled with non-violent first time offenders while repeat offenders are let loose to make room for them. Criminal sentences are delayed for months and years because of an inefficient court system-until the victim is forgotten. And all the while the damage done to survivors and their families goes unheeded. Let's be realistic. We know that gun control is not the solution to crime control. What we need to eliminate crime is some real solutions. Simply joining the bandwagon with the popular crime slogan - "Three strikes and you're out" - will not solve the problem. Criminals should serve the time to which they are sentenced the first time that they commit a felony. They should not have the opportunity to commit second and third felonies. We need real reform in the criminal system, not slogans. Truth in sentencing should be a priority, so that both criminals and judges will know that five (5) years means five years, not a few months. Our criminal sentencing structure needs updated to insure that there is room in prisons for violent offenders. We need creation of computerized DNA genetic systems in addition to the current fingerprint database. Within the juvenile system, juveniles who commit adult crimes should receive adult sentencing. Restitution laws need to be stronger - criminals should go to jail and they should compensate their victims. We all know that these are good ideas. Now we need to work for and elect strong, honest leaders to the Statehouse who understand the importance of strong community and strong government leadership and are not afraid to take action and make these changes. It is time to say "Enough is enough!" [editors: Don't you just love it when Amy starts kicking butt and taking names! If you live in her district and don't vote for her or are a PRO member and haven't volunteered to help with her campaign, then you need YOUR butt kicked.] WASHINGTON, D.C. RALLY ... According to an AP wire service article, one that the Columbus Dispatch failed to carry, the mostly black churchgoers that listened to Clinton on August 14th. should have been at the Committee of 1776's Second Amendment Rally at the Lincoln Memorial. CORE leader Roy Innis went on to say that "We need to reach out to people in the black and Hispanic communities...they are our allies, not our enemies." "Minorities are the main victims of crime and they need to be armed to deter criminals from preying on them. Just one armed passenger could have saved most of the dead and wounded victims of a berserk gunmen aboard a Long Island commuter train last year," Innis said. "We want a real crime bill, not a criminal support bill. We want police, not promises; we want prisons, not social workers," he added. Innis added that mayors such as Rudolf Guiliani and others are on the wrong side. Jay Simkin, of the Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownerships(JPFO) stated that "The downside of gun control is genocide--mountains of corpses." Including the World War II Holocaust, 20th century genocides have killed 56 million people, all by countries with gun control laws. "Without bringing in gun control, you can't have genocide, or force people into concentration camps," Simkin said. He listed the Turkish killings of Armenians in 1915-1917, and Soviet Union, Nazi Germany and occupied Europe, China, Guatemala, Uganda, Cambodia and Rwanda. JPFO members were passing out the yellow Star of David on a red background with the words "GUN OWNER" on it. There were many placards and signs with one saying "Take a Bite Out of Crime, Abolish Congress." Sally Brodbeck, from Lorain County, Ohio, led chants of "Power to the People." Gene Burns, New York radio talk show host, said that those that expected a bigger turnout should realize that during the American Revolution "two-thirds of the people sat home and dreamed about remaining British." "This is the start of another American Revolution," he added. The Committee of 1776 estimated the crowd at over 10,000 people, while the Park Police said that it was 2,000. Ron Long, Master of Ceremonies, did an excellent job of planning and hosting the Second Amendment Rally. In conversations with attendees from all over the country, people have reported that their were no outbreaks of violence or rowdiness during the day long rally. Only one or two people showed up in army clothes. There was one person that tried to inveigle himself in front of the cameras at every chance. He was gently eased out of the picture at each attempt by the peaceable gun owners. Many of those attending the Rally were upset that the NRA and other pro Second Amendment organizations did not fully support the event, or do more to advertise the rally. With the events unfolding as they did in Congress, and the Second Amendment Rally falling in a crucial weekend, all the effort and help from any organization was mandatory in order to insure as big a turn-out as possible. The grass-roots efforts of the Committee of 1776 are to be commended for their hard work and commitment to the Second Amendment. SAY IT AIN'T SO... STOP THE PRESSES! When we wrote the front page article in this issue on the Crime Bill everyone was saying it was dead. We knew better. When those in power failed to pass this all-important element of their plans with sell-out democrats, the answer was simple: Go out and gather up the sell-out republicans to get enough votes to put it over the top. Recent New World Order convert Rep. John Kasich appeared to be assigned the task of gathering up sell-out R's. He spearheaded the effort for the passage of the crime bill. He worked very hard to trim a cosmetic three billion dollars from the legislation. He twisted arms of fellow republicans and kissed the rosy derrieres of hard line democrats to get a compromise bill passed. He did this so diligently that his office was not taking any calls on Sunday, August 21, 1994. Another day of infamy to the American public. Rep. Deborah Pryce also did her best to enact passage of the crime bill. Rep. Marcy Kaptur voted for the bill and thinks that passage of the gun ban will have no effect on Camp Perry and the hi-powered shooting matches. Those matches bring in between 10 and 15 million dollars a year to the 9th Ohio Congressional District. Eventually, Camp Perry will die from lack of participation and all that money will no longer be flowing through her district for restaurants, hotels, motels, gas stations and various other service industries. Summer jobs for the young and retired will disappear. A real intelligent vote by a democrat that professes to be for the working class and poor. 64 democrats voted against the crime bill, up from 55 that voted against the rule. 46 republicans voted for the bill while 11 voted for the procedural vote earlier in August. They can now claim a victory against crime, while freedom suffers a damaging blow. You can be assured that they will use this to their advantage in the upcoming November election. Those that love freedom should also remember them in the November election. Rep. Timothy Penny (D-Minnesota) spoke on the House floor after Kasich did. "Say it ain't so, John" were his words, paraphrasing the famous statement of the kid asking the ballplayer about a baseball scandal. Penny went on to pinpoint all the pork that was still in the bill and that he could not understand why Kasich hadn't taken it all out. Penny and Kasich had previously collaborated on a deficit-reduction bill that was narrowly defeated in Congress. Since his conversion, however, John Kasich seems to have lobbied hard to disarm the law-abiding, give America a more European constitution though a constitutional convention and pass as much pork-barrel legislation as possible. As of this writing, the Crime Bill has yet to be passed by the Senate. Call your Senators and tell them no. Fax them, also. Let your voice be heard loud and clear. Be sure to call Metzenbaum and stress the death penalty provisions when asking him to support a filibuster. He never supports gun control measures when they include death penalty laws. Call and fax the following Senators: Dole: 202-224-3121, FAX: 202-224-3163 Gramm: same 202-224-8387 Wallop: same 202-224-3230 Craig: same 202-224-2573. Gun owners should contact Haley Barbour, Republican National Committee, and inform him that you will no longer contribute money to either the Republican party or to Republican candidates that vote to restrict your Constitutional Rights. Remind him that the right to keep and bear arms is in the Republican Party's National platform. Ask him to bring pressure on the Republican Senators in your state to vote against the Crime Bill and for the filibuster. You can reach him at: 202-863-8700 or FAX at 202-863-8774. AND DON'T FORGET THE ELECTION THIS NOVEMBER! Of special importance to pro-guners is the defeat of Republican back-stabbers Kasich, Pryce and Hobson who all voted against their oath of office to pass this clearly unconstitutional Crime Bill. Also remember to support Democrat Ted Strictland who despite tremendous pressure (GET THIS!) KEPT his campaign promise to vote against gun control. ____________________________________________________________ The PROponent is published by: Peoples Rights Organization; 5 E. Long St., Suite 412; Columbus, OH 43215; Tel (614) 268-0122 Fax (614) 275-0092 EMAIL: 73427.1615@compuserve.com Michael T. Regan, Chairman; Ron Herman, Vice Chairman Dennis Walker, Secretary; Sherry Herman, Treasurer Editors: Dennis Walker and Frank Jacoby Contributions, either written or financial are gladly accepted. Anyone wishing to reprint all or part of an article from the PROponent may do so. Please mention the PROponent and the issue that the article was in, and send a copy of your publication to our PRO office. (We like to know what your organization is doing too.) Also, PRO will exchange newsletters with any pro-gun, pro-rights, pro-hunting, etc. group to further grass-roots communication. Put us on your newsletter mailing list and we will put your club on ours. Unlimited electronic distribution of all or part of this text file is permitted so long as this footer remains attached. PRO general meetings are held the third Tuesday of every month at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, W. Broad St. Columbus, Ohio. "That government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth" _________________________________________________________________