From: Lawrence.V.Cipriani@att.com
To: chan@shell.portal.com
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 95 12:30:30 EST
Subject: PROponent Newsletter - June 1995

The
      PROponent

                   Peoples Rights Organization
3953 Indianola Ave;   Columbus, OH 43214;   (614) 268-0122

Volume 7           June, 1995               Number 6

[headline]
Battle of the Bulge

SAVAGE COUNTERATTACK ...

     I suppose you thought that after our massive victory last
November that the opposition would just put their tail between
their legs and slink off.  Not a chance!  We warned you not to get
complacent because the counter-offensive would come and now using
the Oklahoma bombing as an excuse, it has.  Just like the Germans
in WWII, surprised by the conservative invasion of the Washington
mainland, they have thrown everything they've got against our lines
at the spot they perceive to be the weakest ... the militia
movement.
     I have seen a lot of things in my lifetime.  I remember the
McCarthy witch hunts where perfectly innocent lives were ruined by
press character assassination and employer blacklisting simply
because someone attended a communist political meeting looking for
economic answers during the Depression.  I remember the massive
files Hoover kept on large numbers of Americans simply because he
didn't like their political views.  I even remember the press
railroading of innocent Dr. Sam to prison by a campaign of lies and
half-truths, but I have never seen anything to match the political
hardball in the media in the wake of Oklahoma City.
     The sheer volume of hate, lies, slander, half-truth, innuendo,
emotionalism, and character assassination simply defies
description!  Then as the icing on the cake, they all with one
voice with exactly zero facts to back it up, assert loudly that it
is the conservatives, the gun owners, the NRA and the militia who
are engaging in their own "dangerous" practices.  It's rather like
what one expects from a criminal mind.  You know, he beats you over
the head with a club to steal your wallet, then proclaims to the
police that you attacked him!  "No, officer, that bag of crack and
wad of bills belonged to the guy in the suit there with the bashed
head!" "They fell out of his pocket when he attacked me!"
     PRO is an educational political organization and we expect our
members to become educated in ways of "real" political battles.  To
that end we are going to take time here to explain in detail
exactly how the current efforts in the liberal media are an
orchestrated move right out of the Joe Goebbels songbook.  This
assault upon Rights, guns and the militias is all lies.  There is
more foundation to connect Hillary Clinton with the bombing and the
alleged bombers, than the Michigan Militia, Rush Limbaugh, or the
NRA!
     According to media wisdom, the alleged bomber is "connected"
or as one talking head put it "a fringe member" of the Michigan
Militia because he once attended one or two of their meetings.
That was good enough for all the major medial to begin a campaign
of condemnation against anyone having a gun.  The cry was guns =
bombs!  The emotional campaign cleverly tied in to the emotionalism
of the tragic bombing was essentially that bombers are scary and
the idea of people owning guns is scary, so lets kill them both
now!
     Of course, nobody bothered to mention that the truth was that
McVeigh (the accused bomber) was so kooky the Michigan Militia
kicked him out of the meetings (he never was a member, "fringe" or
otherwise) and even called the FBI to report him.  The FBI
apparently did nothing.  So the Michigan Militia actually did more
to prevent the Oklahoma bombing than all the media and FBI
combined!  Yet the jackal press is screaming that the Michigan
Militia is somehow "linked" or "responsible" for the act.  By their
own logic, Lesley Stahl of 60 minutes is a "fringe member" of the
Michigan Militia because she attended one of their meetings.  Could
this mean that 60 minutes is connected to the militia movement and
the bombing?  What insane logic!  Just how ignorant do these media
people think the American public is?
     But you know and I know that logic, truth, justice or for that
matter the American Way have nothing to do with this crap.  It's
politics pure and simple.  The statist-socialist crowd which
controls the media has seized the moment in an attempt to get their
vision of an America where every life is government controlled down
to the last detail.  They are waving the bloody romper suit to get
revenge for their recent defeat in Congress and to discredit those
who did it.
     So we hear of "hate" radio, and a "climate of anger and fear"
and "purveyors of hate and division" and "advocates of violence"
and "extremist militias."  Indeed, with a single voice they are
characterizing anyone more conservative than Hillary Clinton as
"rightwing extremists."  According to the attack in the media there
is no moderate right.  All are "fringe" and dangerously "extreme."
It's a good thing that there are no liberal extremists.  I'm sure
you all know that in their opinion it is impossible to be too
liberal!
     But lets stop a minute here and ask what exactly do the media
have as an excuse to shower the right with all this hate and venom?
Well supposedly, the alleged bomber, McVeigh, or John Doe #1., was
a "far right extremist," thus allowing all on the right to be
painted with the broad brush of the bombing victim's blood.
     So what hard evidence does anyone have that either McVeigh or
his friends the Nichols brothers held views that were even "right"
let alone "far right?"  The lone piece of evidence seems to be that
he "once" attended a militia meeting!
     But we do know a little more about this McVeigh guy.  It seems
a couple letters to the editor he wrote to a newspaper have
surfaced.  The media were all screaming how it showed he threatened
violence and "anti-government" actions. But PRO will tell you what
he really said and what kind of guy he really was.  You want to
hear the "hate" and "threats" from his letter?  Here it is:
     "What is it going to take to open up the eyes of our elected
officials?  America is in serious decline!"
     "We have no proverbial tea to dump; should we instead sink a
ship full of Japanese imports?  Is a Civil War imminent?  Do we
have to shed blood to reform the current system?  I hope it doesn't
come to that!  But it might."
     "MIGHT??!!"  "I hope it doesn't come to that?"  This is a
threat of violence?  Someone give me a break!  In fact, given that
one whole letter was a rant against the raising of cows for beef
and the fact that the Nichols brothers were said to be "organic"
farmers, I'd say these guys sound a lot closer to "extremist
liberal new-agers" than to the right, "fringe" or no.
     But wait, it gets even better!  The McVeigh letter says:
"America Faces Problems" and "Crime is out of control" and "The
'American Dream' of the middle class has all but disappeared,
substituted with people struggling just to buy next week's
groceries."  Is this guy Bill Clinton's long lost brother?
     He continues: "Racism on the rise?  You had better believe it!
Is this America's frustrations venting themselves?"  And get this!
"At a point when the world has seen communism falter as an
imperfect system to manage people; democracy seems to be headed
down the same road. No one is seeing the "big" picture.
     "Maybe we have to combine ideologies to achieve the perfect
utopian government.  Remember, government-sponsored health care was
a communist idea. Should only the rich be allowed to live long?
Does that say that because a person is poor, he is a lesser human
being; and doesn't deserve to live as long, because he doesn't wear
a tie to work?"
     WOW!  The mad bomber is a raving COMMUNIST!  He supports the
"workers" he seeks "utopian" government.  He is actually advocating
Hillary's socialized medicine agenda!  Will someone please tell me
how the media placed this guy on the "extreme right?"  Never mind,
I know the answer.  It's because truth has no place in a political
battle, only your agenda does.
     And the agenda of the jackal media is not new.  It is the same
as it ever was.  More government.  More control.  Less freedom.  So
now we see the odd phenomena of the press itself screaming to
eliminate the First Amendment!  They cheer as a station, pulls the
plug on Mark Koernke's "Mark from Michigan" show.   They cheer as
Oklahoma senators vote 39-0 to ask broadcasters to use their power
of censorship to ban the Gordon Liddy show.  I suppose these
ignoramuses will be cheering then the "officers" (we don't dare
call them "goons" anymore, even if we can prove they have acted
that way) of the three-letter agencies come to pull the plug on
THEM!
     Even our President, who after a few days of acting fair and
"presidential" which gave him a 10 point rise in the polls,
couldn't stand to see all this lying going on with out him being a
part of it, jumped in with both feet.  (Which caused him to lose
the 10 points he just gained.)  His message was one essentially of
how free we all are here and because of that, we should all support
him in the removal of what freedom we have left through "his" bills
to expand police powers to the point where virtually anyone can be
searched without cause and thrown in jail at will.
     Even the "real" left isn't buying.  By that I mean people who
favor socialism but only through a constitutional process.  They
know what all these charges of "anti-government" speech mean.  They
know that when Soviet patriots (we called them "dissidents" here)
would oppose official policies, the charge that sent them to the
Gulag was "anti-soviet crimes."
     Think about it.  How can American patriots who cherish and are
fighting to preserve the constitution which is the highest law of
the land be "anti-government?"  Our constitution is (or is supposed
to be) our government.  Anti-government is anti-constitution, or
more exactly, those who are pushing hard to institute laws that
define a police state.  (Sorry, there is no delicate way to put
this, that is exactly what these proposed new measures do.)
     The left is not buying this police state stuff either.  In a
statement Ira Glaser of the ACLU said: "But no one should be
targeted because they believe in the Second Amendment, or belong to
far right organizations."  Glasser said, "No matter how much we may
disagree with some of those organizations, we must not target
people associated with them in the absence of credible evidence of
criminal conduct."
      In other words, we hate your conservative guts, but when it
comes to the Bill of Rights we all need to begin to join hands and
sway and sing, "left and right together, we shall overcome." AMEN!
Arguing about politics is one thing, but if we cannot figure out
that being an American and  protecting our rights and freedom
transcends politics, then we are all in heap big trouble.
     So what of these Newspapers, magazines, Radio and TV reporters
and all the rest waging this political campaign of deception?  We
would remind them of an oft-quoted statement by Abraham Lincoln
about not being able to fool all of the people all of the time.
And beyond that we would point out to these ladies and gentlemen of
the fourth estate that the quote to which we refer, has a part
which is much less quoted, but nevertheless also rings with truth.
Lincoln said, "If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow
citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem."   Think
about it.

GUN SHOWS ARE BACK...

     PRO Gun Shows are finally back.  On Father's Day weekend plan
on attending the PRO Marion County Gun Show on June 17 and 18.
There is also a giant steam engine show in conjunction with our
show.  Our building is air conditioned.
     Price is $4.00 for adults, ladies and children under 13 get in
free.  Children must be accompanied by responsible adult.  See you
there.

THE PRO OFFICE IS MOVING ...

     PRO is moving from its downtown location to the League of Ohio
Sportsmen building at 3953 Indianola Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43214.
PRO's HOTLINE number will remain the same.
     In 1991, PRO moved into the Hi-Long Building for several
reasons.  First, was to remove PRO material from the various houses
in which it had accumulated, thus making several wives very happy.
The downtown address looked very good on our letterhead in our
continual battles for the Second Amendment.  Thirdly, it gave us
access to a meeting room that we could use at our discretion,
instead of a bar.  It proved adequate for a time.
     Four years ago, PRO started holding NRA certified firearm
classes at the League of Ohio Sportsmen (LOOS).  We paid for the
rental of the facilities and to have someone from the LOOS to be
there.  PRO holds one firearm class a month at the LOOS.  With the
advent of a concealed carry bill, this may expand.
     PRO will now be paying $200.00 a month rent for a two year
lease.  This is renewable at the end of that time.  Rivers
Unlimited will also be sharing the LOOS building.
     PRO looks forward to a closer working relationship with the
League of Ohio Sportsmen and hopes that we have a fruitful
partnership.

RESOLVED ...

     There is also more to the new PRO offices than meets the eye.
PRO has long tried to form alliances with groups interested in
hunting, fishing and the shooting sports.  PRO has long tried to
educate sportsmen and women that despite gun-grabber protestations
that they really don't want all guns, that is, in truth, their real
goal.
     For the longest time, many of the shooting clubs were
convinced that PRO was acting extreme.  They never expected bans on
hunting rifles.  Hey, the politicians said they weren't after
"sporting purpose" guns.  Well, Hello!  Even the most rural clubs
have finally noticed that PRO was not lying.  They really do want
all guns.  There is a connection between animal "rights" extremists
and efforts to ban hunting guns.  It is time for all gun owners to
band together to put a stop to the media anti-gun blitz.
     A great step in the right direction has been taken by the LOOS
leadership and PRO.  The plan is for these two organizations to
adopt a mutual statement of cooperation.  PRO and LOOS intend to
formally seal a bargain wherein both groups will pledge to work
together to further the causes of gun ownership and sportsmen,
including Concealed carry of a firearm, pre-emption, and Sunday
hunting bills.
     Working for sporting issues is not new to PRO which supported
the dove hunting bill, and has pressed hard to block the proposed
EPA ban on lead sinkers.  Working together on these important
issues will surely give us the kind of clout that will make those
at the State House finally sit up and take notice.

HELP US AT THE OHIO STATE FAIR ...

     There is a strong likelihood that PRO will assist the LOOS at
this years Ohio State Fair during the month of August.  If you have
any free time in August, please let us know, so that we can start
planning for the event.  Let's begin to build a strong bond between
PRO members an the sporting community.  The State Fair should be a
wonderful opportunity to begin to educate those many hunters and
outdoors persons who have begun to realize their activities are
coming under attack, but do not know how to respond.  Please
consider sparing some time during the fair this year to help us
operate the booth.  It's important.

CUI BONO ...

     The Romans had an expression they used whenever they wanted to
understand the underlying political significance of some event.
They would ask, "Cui bono?" It meant "for what purpose?" or "for
whose benefit?"  We would do well to ask the same questions with
regard to the tragic bombing in Oklahoma City.
     On thing is certain.  The unorganized militias have not been
a beneficiary of these events.  With virtually no evidence linking
these groups to the bombing, the media has nevertheless mounted a
savage campaign to discredit them in particular, as well as gun
owners in general.  While gun owners and their organizations have
been able to deal with this assault, the largely rural militias
were woefully ill-prepared for political battle and were creamed by
the press.  Thus, it would appear that the "liberal left" has been
a major beneficiary of the tragedy.
     Let's just take a quick review of some of the political
benefits the statist liberals have squeezed out of these bombing
victims:
     1.  To discredit the rapidly growing militia and "patriot"
movements.
     2.  To discredit the Republican leadership by "linking" them
with those who allegedly caused the tragedy.
     3.  To discredit conservative talk radio hosts who played such
a large role in the November elections by saying they are
"responsible" for the tragedy by creating a "climate of hate."
     4.  To discredit gun owners and the political gains the
pro-gun movement has made by linking "guns equals bombs" in the
public mind.
     5.  Provide political cover and public support to allow
politicians to vote for the hideous and totally unconstitutional
Schumer "anti-terrorist" bill which includes effective repeal of
the Posse Comitatus act.
     6.  Provide political cover for a vote to eliminate habeas
corpus.
     7.  Provide political cover for the Senate vote on the  bill
to eliminate the search warrant requirements by calling it
necessary "reform."
     8.  Provide political cover for a congressional vote to
restore the old 1960s FBI investigation guidelines that allowed the
infiltration and wiretapping of virtually ANY organization.
     9.  Provide political cover for a vote to further increase and
fund the already passed laws forcing the telephone companies to
provide government wiretap access to all phones.
     10.  Gives an excuse to attack the free speech found on the
computer INTERNET by linking that network with the "militias" and
"bomb making instructions."
     11.  Derail the proposed investigations into the events at
Waco.
     12.  Derail the proposed investigations into the out of
control actions of the BATF.
     13.  Stall the crime bill "assault weapon" ban repeal as well
as other proposed modifications of that law.
     14.  Block current efforts to cut federal law enforcement
spending to help balance the budget.
     15.  Help pass the pending "federal police" bill that Clinton
is pushing through Congress.
     16.  Stop the movement toward concealed carry of a weapon laws
(CCW) in the various states including Ohio.
     17.  Restore Clinton's re-election chances by giving him a
chance to look "concerned," "caring," and presidential.
(He actually did do this for a while, and rose in the polls, but
then he couldn't help himself and went back to normal!)
     18.  Restore public support for the liberal (Democrat) agenda
by showing them to be "caring" while conservatives (Republicans)
will be shown to have "connections" to bombing "kooks."
     OK.  Now lets list the political benefits that gun owners and
conservatives and Republicans got from the events in Oklahoma.
     1.  ..........
There may be some, but I certainly can't think of any.
     Of course, this balance sheet in no way indicates that the
Clinton administration planned or even was aware of the bombing
before it happened, but even if they had learned of the plans
before the fact, one can only speculate as to how great was the
temptation to look the other way until after the blast.
     Of particular interest are early reports from Oklahoma
indicating that few persons in the FBI and ATF offices came to work
that fateful day.  A secretary reported that their offices looked
like a morgue they were so deserted.  There were reports of bomb
scares circulating in the FBI before the blast.  It is difficult to
believe that ANY law enforcement official would look the other way
when innocent men, women and children were being put in grave
danger.  Yet there have been enough stories out of Washington to
tell us what blind ambition can do to a person.  And we have to be
strong enough to face the truth that there may indeed be some
people employed in government who would approach the case of the
potential bombers with "benign neglect" simply to further a
political agenda.  Yes, cui bono, is indeed the question that needs
to be asked.

A REMBRANDT ...

     Bo Gritz speaking of the Oklahoma bombing called it "a
Rembrandt, a masterpiece of art and science."  It's going to take
a little work, given the rabid attacks by the media upon anyone
from the right or pro-gun side to understand this statement for
what it really means, but we will try.
     First off, you should know that Bo Gritz is the most decorated
Green Beret commander of the Viet Nam era.  If you ever saw his
picture with his chest covered with an absolutely unbelievable
number of medals, there would be little doubt in your mind that his
man has some military experience.  He knows what explosives can and
cannot do.  He understands Ops.  Bo was also the person who
negotiated Randy Weaver out of his cabin in the face of an FBI time
limit and threats to do it their way.  In this case "their way"
appeared to be related to a helicopter fitted with some large tanks
reportedly for the purpose of burning him out of the cabin.
     Bo took one look at the Oklahoma blast damage and a number of
things obviously struck his experienced consciousness.  The first
is that no fertilizer-fuel oil bomb could have created this damage
and that secondly the "wonderful" daily TV of the partially
collapsed building starkly illuminated against the night Oklahoma
sky was indeed a "masterpiece" of imagery that could not help but
be indelibly burned into the minds of the American people.  Bo's
comments are thus, not those of some wild militia wacko who cheers
when women and children die, but rather the considered opinion of
a military commander in who's opinion the bombing was a
"masterpiece" of an operation in execution and deception.
     But there is more to this than just one man's theories.  Like
some "perfect" crime on Perry Mason or Matlock, where the master
criminal who had all bases covered for the perfect crime, is then
at the last instant, tripped up by some odd circumstance he hadn't
planned on,  there turns up unexpectedly a seismographic record of
the explosion at the University of Oklahoma.  It shows TWO "events"
spaced about 10 seconds apart.  The first is a trace consistent
with a slow-burning Ammonium Nitrate-fuel oil explosion, but the
second trace (which is actually higher than the first) is more
consistent with a military explosive.
     CNN reported that unexploded explosives were found at the
scene:  "But, again, we do have confirmation. There is a second
bomb in the Federal Building. We know it's on the East side. We're
not sure what Floor, what Level, but there is definitely danger of
a major second explosion. They're warning everybody to get as far
back as they can. They're trying to get the bomb defused right now.
They are in the process of doing it, but this could take some time.
They're telling people that this is something to take very
seriously, and not to slip forward to get a look at this, because
this thing could definitely go off."  Also CNN reported on some
audio recordings taken nearby that showed two "spikes" in the
waveforms.
     There have been a number of "explanations" of the Seismic data
including the time difference between "S" and "P" waves as well as
the collapse of the building being the second "event."  These do
not hold water on a number of counts.  First off, the equipment
does not respond to both waves.  Second, the stronger trace and
"sharper" characteristics of the second event make the falling of
the building an unlikely source.  This was later verified from the
traces of the building demolition which were all weaker than the
original traces and showed no "echo" that might explain the second
trace.
     Other suspicious data indicating that the "single truck bomb"
theory has problems are the fact that while the fertilizer bomb is
supposed to have demolished the building, right across the street
a free standing cement wall remains intact.  Also, while the
windows of a nursery across from the federal building had the
windows blown out and children cut by flying glass, but none were
killed and the building was not demolished.  This truck bomb
certainly had to be amazingly asymmetric in power to say the least.
     These data have caused at least one other military man,
Brigadier General Benton Partin retired USAF to write Congress
detailing his reservations about the explosion in a letter dated
May 17, 1995. He writes: "I can say with a high level of
confidence, that the damage pattern on the reinforced concrete
superstructure could not possibly have been attained from the
single truck bomb without supplementing demolition charges at some
of the reinforced column bases.  The total incompatibility with a
single truck bomb lies in the fact that either some of the columns
collapsed that should not have collapsed or some of the columns are
still standing that should have collapsed and did not."  The
General, presents a diagram of the collapsed pillars to help make
his case.
     Then as rescue operations and digging almost reached the level
where the second "demolition" bomb would have been located,
suddenly everything is halted.  "the building is too unstable and
too dangerous" say those in charge of rescue operations.  Something
stinks here.  The building was not too unstable as massive amounts
of debris was being removed and shoved around with cranes and
dozers, but as we near the first floor and basement (with all the
upper floors cleared of loose materials and open for shoring if
needed), where evidence of a second bomb would have been located,
the area suddenly becomes "too dangerous."
     Defense attorneys for the alleged bomber McVeigh demand that
the building demolition be stopped to prevent evidence from being
destroyed, but the judge only grants them a short delay and
permission to videotape the building, which they do.  And then the
building is demolished.  And with it probably any chance of a
detailed analysis of the destruction at the bases of the supporting
pillars.
     Already some writers are finding the government explanations
for the bombing just a little too "pat" and wonder why it is that
unnamed mysterious right-wing extremist "militia" groups that are
supposedly responsible are in actual fact taking the hardest
political hits as a result of the bombing.  Are these people this
dumb, or are some other people in government with a hidden agenda
this smart?  We wonder.

SUPPORT THE DOLLAR COIN ...

     You have probably seen the recent articles in the paper about
Congress once again trying to introduce one dollar coins.
Considering the pain that the previous Susan B. Anthony coins were,
you are probably wondering why PRO is commenting on this issue.
The answer is that as with so much in Washington, there is much
more to this seemingly straight-forward policy decision than meets
the eye.  We will fill you in.
     First of all you must understand that all money printed by the
United States is debt.  When the United States prints dollar bills
of any denomination, they are given to the Federal Reserve (a
private corporation) for the cost of printing (about 4 cents).  At
that point the bills are given face value and become debt held
against the real and other property of this country.  In other
words, YOUR house, YOUR land, YOUR possessions are all used for
collateral for this "debt."  This is not imaginary paranoia.  The
proof of these assertions can be found right in testimony in the
Congressional record if you know where to look.
     Thus, should the Federal Reserve directors choose to call in
the debt, they can foreclose on your property to the tune of about
$20,000 per each and every individual in the country at the present
time. (Assuming that they could avoid stretching a rope as would be
the fate of most criminals who ran a scam like this once the public
understood what they did.)  Obviously something needs to be done in
spite of the large number of bought-off politicians supporting the
scam.
     Obviously, there still exist a few politicians in Washington
who have not sold out.  There exists a few who are working hard
behind the scenes to save our republic. (The fact that you are not
yet enslaved proves that not everyone in power has sold out.)
     The first thing that needs to be done to counteract the
growing debt owed the Federal Reserve is to stop allowing printed
money to be counted as debt.  The dollar coin idea is one tiny step
in that direction.  You see, paper money is debt, but coins are
DEBT FREE!
     What is amazing, is that this point came right out in the
Congressional hearings on the dollar coin issue.  Former Federal
Reserve Chairman Bimmer came to (understandably) denounce the coin
idea.  He noted that the buying power of the dollar had not
decreased since the 1930's and that it bought as much then as now.
(Sure, we believe that ... NOT!)  He said the idea would cost banks
and businesses millions to implement and that we didn't need it
anyway because of the approaching "smartcard" cashless (and
presumably gunless) society.  Any alarm bells going off in your
head yet?
     Congressman Jack Metcalf (R-WA) got right down to the nitty
gritty:
     "When the Fed. Gov. Factory (US MINT) makes quarters, they
take them and deposit them and get FULL FACE VALUE.  The US
treasury gets FULL FACE value. When they print bills, they sell
them to the FED for the cost of printing.  About 4 cents per bill.
For they....that is they get $100 bills as cheap as they get $1
bills, and then THE FED puts them into circulation at face value.
And the FED essentially creates that $99.99 and 94 or 96 cents ..
for the $100 bill.  And that's the difference, and it's a very
significant difference."
     The Congressman just spelled it out in public saying, "The
Federal Reserve prints money out of nothing..."  It is thus very
clear that anyone who wishes to see this country extracted from the
grip of those who would control not only this nation, but your
personal life as well by means of control of your money, needs to
support the dollar coin idea.
     In fact, we should start a movement for a return to $10, $20
and even $100 dollar coins as well.  This may be just a small step
in the return of control of our money to the people, but it is a
"good first step" in the right direction for a change.
____________________________________________________________

"There is nothing patriotic about"..."pretending that you can love
your country but despise your government."

     William Jefferson Clinton, 1995

[Many Americans] "find themselves still loving their country but
loathing the military."
     William Jefferson Clinton, 1969
____________________________________________________________

BOO ! ...

Dear PRO:
     I want to extol the April 1995 issue of The PROponent, which
in my opinion is the best to date of an excellent newsletter. Its
lead article in particular, entitled "Canada Teeters!", deserves
high praise for its coherence, its readability, and its bullseye
targeting of the significant political issues of our day. Why is
the authorship of such a fine piece of work not indicated? Indeed,
why in general are we left to guess who the authors of particular
articles might be? Is it modesty or shyness that determines this
unnecessary anonymity?
     Could it be that only one person is writing most of each
PROponent?  If that is the case, then to whom might that one
articulate voice belong?
     Having praised your lead article in this April's issue I would
be remiss if I did not remark also a flaw in its perfection. In its
section entitled REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES... the article takes some
unproductive and unfair swipes at Antioch College, at the Yellow
Springs community as a whole, and at the mishmash philosophies of
disparate values and opinions which it tars with a common brush as
"liberalism."
     Does it never cross anybody's mind that people, who bear the
name of "liberals" for some reasons, might not be solid supporters
of most of the explicit and central aims of PRO? Is it not possible
that "liberalism" in some of its better senses of the word might
not denote the philosophy inherent in most of the article I have
praised here? Thomas Jefferson himself was "liberal" in that lofty
sense of the word.
     Many people still call themselves "liberal" to align
themselves with Jefferson. These people are not the statist or
totalitarian sheep that they are automatically regarded as being.
They are neither Schumers nor Clintons, this sort of "liberal",
even if they attend the College in Yellow Springs. But for PRO to
decry and to denigrate the entire hippie and freethinker subculture
accomplishes for PRO only this self-defeating end: It unprofitably
alienates millions of its potential allies.
     Who are those potential allies? They are the American citizens
to whose sympathies the notions put forth in PROponent would appeal
but whom those notions never reach. Those citizens represent wide
spectrums of values. On one side there is R. Coleman-Roush, to
whose very fine letter you gave exactly the answer I myself would
have chosen to give. On the other side, there is yours truly.
     Where do I fit in your scheme? You answer R. Coleman-Roush's
letter courteously. My letters you do not answer at all!
     Well, who in Hell is yours truly, this Donald Silberger,
anyway?
     I am a person who has not yet submitted his 1995 membership
dues to PRO for the single reason which I have already indicated in
two letters I wrote you from which I have not received even "Boo!"
as a response. I was invited to join PRO in 1994, and I accepted
immediately. Since I reside in NY State, I was obviously not out to
gain cheap admission to PRO's gun shows. I joined because I saw
myself as PRO's political ally.
     My views? I am one of those secular-humanist agnostics whose
morals R. Coleman-Roush would doubt. I am also one of the founding
members of DF8; I invented the very name, DF8, for the DeFoleyate
effort which threw out of office the back-stabber, Tom Foley, the
first Speaker of the House of Representatives to have been
dethroned in a century and a half.
     My views?  I would repeal every gun-control law enacted since
1900, would disband the BATF, the FDA, and the IRS, and would send
the FBI back to investigating instead of playing SS to Waco's or
Ruby Hills' new Jews. I would deregulate and liberate until the
federal government were reduced to about 5% of its present size and
power over our individual lives.
     This deregulation and liberation which I would promote
includes the freeing of citizens to purchase pharmaceuticals
explicitly at their own informed risk and responsibility, and
without the paternalistic state's requiring those citizens to
obtain an expensive physician's prescription. And, yes, while I'm
spelling this out let me add that, in the America I would endeavor
to create, there would be no such thing as a "controlled
substance."
     Free Americans, of the sort whom I respect, are adults; they
require neither Big Mamma with her overflowing and tax-supported
tits, nor Big Daddy with his prisons and whips, to lord over what
we adults can buy from or sell to one another without fraud, or
what vitamin pills or toxins we can informedly choose to put into
our own bodies. For, with either the "liberal" Big Mamma and or the
"conservative" Big Daddy we invariably get Big Brother as well.
And Big Brother has already arrived!
     The War on Guns, against which PRO has been waging the good
fight, has its roots in the War on Drugs. Alas, PRO seems still to
be unaware of that obvious and indubitably planned connection. All
laws are passed for putatively "good" reasons. Nobody gets a bill
enacted in Congress by pointing out how it is antithetical to
motherhood or apple pie. In 1993 Hitler seized power in Germany on
a wave of bruited righteousness.
     The anti-gun laws are proposed on a platform of "public good."
And after all, don't we all applaud "public safety," "disarming
criminals," and "protecting the children?" It is very hard to
repeal bad laws.
     All of the anti-drug laws were proposed and were enacted on
the same fraudulent basis. Remember the propaganda movie, "Reefer
Madness?" Now we are suffocating under a barrage of anti-gun
propaganda movies aimed at a similarly soporific consciousness. Why
does PRO ignore the congruence?
     In the Twenties, alcohol Prohibition promoted gang warfare
over turf whose value was artificially inflated by the Prohibition
Amendment. This gang warfare provided the excuse for the anti-gun
law of 1934. If that 1934 law had not come as a precedent
engendering citizen doubt concerning the absolute force of the
Second Amendment of our Bill of Rights, then the outrageous Gun
Control Act of 1968 would never have been possible.
     The stealthy "controlling" of one "substance" after another,
backed this time not even by the gesture of a Constitutional
amendment!, has given rise once again to gang warfare over sales
turfs whose value has been artificially inflated. Familiar?
     If I had been a member of an influential cabal planning to
achieve a totalitarian control of the American citizenry, and if it
were 1988, then how would I have proposed my cabal accomplish its
end? I would of course have known that the American citizenry would
have to be disarmed, because otherwise they might shoot back at my
Storm Troopers, as the Troopers who were Storming in Waco on 28
February 1993 were shot back at by citizens.
     And, how would I engineer the disarming of the American
citizenry? Well, I would seek to divide them from one another on
bogus ideological grounds, as the patriotic PROmoters are divided
from the Antioch hippies.
     Then I would endeavor to re-institute the essence of
Prohibition, so that violent turf warfare, which would predictably
result from a renewed Prohibition, would provide our Machiavellian
dictatorial selves with the excuses and piously bleated slogans we
would need and that now are loud: "Stop the violence! Ban firearms!
More police! More prisons!"

Donald Silberger, Ph.D., NRA Life Member BCJ7873J
New Paltz, NY

[Editors:  WOW!  We would like to suggest Dr., that first of all
you get a copy of the NRA/ILA suggestions for writing letters to
the editor.  We are not being nasty, but your letter is much too
long and covers way too many points.  What with the current feeding
frenzy against Rights in the media, we need every strong voice on
our side to be published as often as possible.
     But, the PROponent isn't the NY Times so we will publish your
letter anyway and try to comment upon your many points.
     With regard to who writes the unattributed pieces, we feel
like we need to put together a Frequently Asked Question sheet
(FAQ) on this.  Once again, all articles without a byline are
written by the two PROponent editors: Us.  Virtually all are a
joint effort.  Sometimes they are written 50-50 and sometimes they
are written by one of the editors and reviewed or discussed by
both.  Both of us thank you for your praise.
     We really do tend to think and write alike.  In fact, in
answering this letter, we noticed that your two editors have never
(!) had an argument with respect to the style, content or slant of
any article during the time we have been producing the newsletter.
We find this rather strange, but revealing.  Obviously the same
cannot be said with respect to our readership or even the PRO
leadership!
     As to your previous letters, we really don't know what
happened to them.  Sometimes when we receive many letters on the
same subject, we only print one of them.  On the other hand, if you
could view the enormous pile of crap that surrounds each editor's
computer, you would realize that we are not nearly as organized as
the final PROponent makes us appear.  If we have lost your letters
we apologize. Please consider this to be hearing "Boo!" from us.
     In the matter of "liberal" vs "Conservative" we really do have
a terminology problem.  The side of this Rights question which we
will term "statist" are very, very good with words.  They can come
up with labels at the drop of a hat.  They can in a short time
twist the public perception of certain terms until they soon mean
the opposite of what they first meant.  Unfortunately, we are not
so skilled.  Thus, often we are forced into using terminology the
other side has picked for us.  The terms "liberal" and
"conservative" are two such difficult terms.  What exactly do they
mean anyway?
     First of all note that when we use these terms we are really
meaning "modern liberal" and "modern conservative".  We need this
distinction, because as you point out these terms are quite
different from what they once were.  PRO has often noted that when
we say "liberal" we do NOT mean "Jeffersonian liberal" which in our
opinion is a view nearly identical to modern conservatism.  And
when we say "conservative" we do not refer to the old conservative
"southern sheriff" view of "rights" when being conservative was
more like being a monarchist which is actually much more in line
with the all-powerful government views of "modern" liberals. There
is indeed a serious terminology problem here and we really don't
know what the answer to it is, except to keep repeating what we
stand for.
     Now that being said, lets tackle the extremely difficult
issues of drugs and our "unfair swipe" at the hippie philosophy.
First you should understand that PRO is close to Yellow Springs (as
evidenced by the fact that the students came to Columbus to
protest) and we do have sources of information down there.  Some
are even relatively high in the Antioch administration.  Nothing we
said was false.  Of course, we often have disagreed with the ideas
of these people, we but we hope everyone understands that our
comparison of Yellow Springs to a "Mystery Hill" tourist trap was
a little good-natured fun-poking.
     Hippie philosophy and drug culture an the other hand is a much
more serious matter.  PRO has had a difficult time dealing with the
Libertarian Party, because of their drug stance.  We love their
pro-gun policy, but some of our members have doubts about
government "promotion" of drugs.  PRO itself, simply takes the
official position that we do not support illegal activity of any
kind.  PRO never suggests that anyone break the law no matter how
"bad" or "unfair" or "unenlightened" it may be.  If alcohol is
legal then you have every right to drink.  If cigarettes become
banned, then PRO says, "give them up".  However, we certainly do
support the right of every citizen to engage in political activity
to change laws they don't like.  Indeed, PRO's founding purpose is
exactly to encourage that activity.
     But let's now talk a little political reality.  Power.  It's
all about power.  The war on drugs is clearly a disaster foisted
upon the American people.  Any of these "wars" are.  The term "war"
gives it way.  It says to the public in essence, "it's a 'war', and
everyone knows in a war you have to give up Rights and grant
extraordinary powers to leaders."  In other words it's a
power-grabbing scam.
     But as always with those seeking absolute power, the attack is
not simple and straight-forward.  It is a multi-pronged affair.
You find evidence on the one hand of involvement in the drug trade
at the highest levels of government, and at the same time the same
people in government are demanding dictatorial powers to fight the
"problem" they are involved in up to their necks.
     Look at how this works.  First you have a world drug trade run
by a cartel known as "the corporation." (which bears a strange
similarity to "the company" which is the insider term for the CIA).
There has been evidence of even cabinet level involvement in this
country and many others in this operation.  There is evidence of
CIA and other involvement (Including the President & Co. in Mena
Arkansas) using government planes to bring in drugs and state
agencies to launder money.  There is evidence that any bust going
higher than a certain level just never happens or is sabotaged.
     On the other hand, these drugs largely go for sale to the
weak, the poor, the oppressed.  They are sold to people who have by
the very unfairness of government among others, been forced into a
hard life, from which they seek chemical escape.  But the whole use
of the drug issue as a political hammer has so many wonderful
attacks upon "the People."  Because when drugs are made illegal,
they become expensive.  The target groups among the poor and
minorities and others, cannot afford them.  They must turn to crime
to pay for their habits.
     Now they have created the problem (drug addiction) which one
proposes to solve with "substance control" which raises the price
of the drugs, which leads to an increase in crime to fund the drug
habits, which leads to a proposed "solution" of police state
measures, which include confiscation of property, use of military
forces against civilians, confiscation of guns, cancellation of
rights, and the institution of anti-constitutional "war" measures.
All of us have seen these things with our own eyes.
     Dr. Silberger knows these things and we believe is one of the
few people to have correctly guessed that there is indeed some kind
of connection between the Hippie movement of the 60's and the "war"
on drugs and guns which is in really a "war on rights."  We would
like to suggest, however, that he has not carried his thoughts far
enough.
     The editors are of the "hippie" generation.  We know what this
hippie philosophy is about.  We lived through the era of the
slogans "Drugs, Sex, Rock and Roll" and "turn on, tune in, drop
out."  Just where exactly did this hippie philosophy come from and
what exactly is its essence?  We suspect that the whole hippie
movement was in many ways nothing more than a giant media event
promoting the destruction of American values.
     While the editors have themselves been known to indulge in a
number of chemically induced stupors (especially in our mis-spent
youth) we do have enough sense to know that chemicals do not make
you smart, or handsome, or witty, or artistic or anything else but
stoned.  The pioneer spirit that made America great was not a
"dropping out" but a "digging in."  The so-called "sexual
revolution" was again nothing more than the promotion of blatant
sexual self-gratification.  Not a highest form of love between a
man and a woman, but rather, mind-numbing lust.  The "dumbing down"
of America is right in line with the hippie "drop out" philosophy.
     So no wonder hippie politics was all communist. (now called
socialist or "progressive")   It's nothing, but lay back, get
stoned, gratify your senses and put forth no more effort than that
required to "rip off" the property of more productive people.  No
wonder the Antioch hippies were demonstrating to keep government
handouts.  So if you had been a member of a power seeking cabal in
1968, you could have had no better program for breaking the back of
the pioneer spirit of America than hippie philosophy.
     Lets' speculate here.  How would a conspirator start a
"hippie" movement to break the American spirit?  Let's say you
start with some think tank that studies human behavior for the
purpose of psychological warfare.  We will just pick a name out of
the air, like say "The Tavistock Institute for Human Relations."
Suppose these psychologists understood very well the need for each
generation of adolescents to show their independence by rejecting
the values of their parents.  Suppose mass media and in particular
the lyrics of music popular with youth were "seeded" with the
"hippie" ideas which would automatically provide a motor for the
teenage "reject the values of your parents" syndrome.
     I remember when religious groups used to rail against the
"evils" of Rock and Roll.  I know it sounds like a stupid thing to
do on the face of it.  But if you turn your attention from the
music as a "style" to the content of the lyrics and then integrate
that with the big picture as seen from our vantage point years
latter, you just might find a hint that the "freethinking" hippies
were not quite as imaginative as they themselves liked to think.
     So should PRO suck up to Antioch hippies because that would
gain us more members?  Should PRO mollify our criticism of Dewey
Stokes or Sarah Brady because that would possibly increase our
membership roles?  Obviously, never!  They stand diametrically
opposed to what we stand for.  The same goes for hippie philosophy.
I know that they "think" that "progressive, single-payer" ideas are
the future, but we are here to tell them that communism is dead.
It is a failed idea.  The Eastern Bloc countries are in a shambles.
The whole idea of parasitic existence off the backs of the
productive and the "dumbing down" and "dropping out" of life is a
destructive idea.  We will never support this no matter how many
members we might gain by selling out.
     But this does not mean that PRO cannot see that the whole
"drug war" is a war on us.  PRO can see that all the calls for more
police are not to fight crime, but to eventually arrest any who
would fight for their rights.  That the newly built prisons are
being built to house us.  The promotion of a self-gratifying drug
culture and the destruction of real education is to make sure we
never acquire the skills to understand what the power elite are
doing to us.  Even today, advertisements drum hourly the idea of
"taking something" for your trouble.  Take "pain relievers,"
"take your fiber in two caplets."  How about taking your fiber from
a heathy diet?  Note how well socialized medicine to pay for all
this fits right into the overall scheme.
     So Dr. Silberger, you obviously understand much of what we
have said here.  We seriously doubt that the Antioch crowd does.
If you choose not to join us, that is your choice.  Your dues just
about cover our newsletter and legislative alerts anyway.   Of
course, PRO deeply appreciates the support of every member, but you
don't have to be a member to help.  The PROponent is available free
every month on the INTERNET.  Read it and feel free to send us your
comments if you think we are out of line.  We want you on our side
and we strongly suspect that your opinions on many of these matters
are, in reality, not much different from our own.]

"OUTDOORS WOMAN" EVENT A SUCCESS ...

     By Pam Sheets

     The second "Becoming an Outdoors Woman" event, sponsored by
ODNR Division of Wildlife was a fantastic weekend!  The beautiful
weather was a bonus! The most popular course was shotgun with over
50% of the ladies participating.  All 19 gals who took the Hunter
Ed course passed with flying colors! Video was taken for use on
public access TV.  The Outdoors Woman program is one of several
local recipients of funds from the Friends of the NRA.  Pam Sheets
presented the official check to Susan Adkinson, Executive
Administrator of Information and Education of the Division of
Wildlife during the Saturday evening program. Outdoors Woman events
will be expanding throughout the state with one day events in each
of the state districts later this year.  These events are also
taking place throughout the country.  Now is the time to become an
outdoors woman!

____________________________________________________________

"If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States
for an _out-right ban_, picking up every one of them... 'Mr. and
Mrs. America, turn 'em all in,' I would have done it."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, CBS-TV "60 Minutes", What Assault Weapons
Ban?, aired 2/5/95

"And, I know the sense of helplessness that people feel.  I know
the urge to arm yourself because that's what I did.  I was trained
in firearms.  I'd walk to the hospital when my husband was sick.
I carried a concealed weapon.  I made the determination that if
somebody was going to try to take me out, I was going to take them
with me."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Senate hearings on terrorism, held on
April 27, 1995.
____________________________________________________________

LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FORUM ...

     The Lorain County Firearms Defense Association will host David
Thibodeau, Louis Katona and Rep. Mike Wise at Liberty and Justice
Forum on June 22, 1995.  For further details call 216-329-9977.
     Thibodeau was one of the few that survived the fire at Waco,
and will speak from his perspective as to what happened at Waco.
He was not charged with any wrong-doing at Waco, but was held as a
material witness but not used.
     Katona is the Bucyrus police officer that was harassed by the
BATF, taking his gun collection.  They allege that agents of the
BATF deny caused his wife to miscarriage.
Wise has introduced the "tenth Amendment Resolution" in the Ohio
General Assembly, and has co-sponsored the Concealed Carry bill in
the House.
     Lately, the media and even the President of the United States
have tried to demonize anyone who is critical of illegal and
unprofessional actions by law enforcement officials.  PRO has
always had the greatest respect and support for the honest and
hard-working police officers who try to make a dent in the nations
crime problems.  But this does not mean we will turn a blind eye
when cops go bad.  It is precisely our respect for the good cops
that moves us to demand an example be made of a few rogues.
     This program promises to be a wonderful opportunity to learn
some of the truth of the events at Waco and the BATF actions.  And
armed with that knowledge, hopefully, those in the audience will
then be better able to determine exactly which law enforcement
officials deserve praise and support and which are those few who
seem to think that their badge places them above the law.
     Along with the Lorain County Firearms Defense Association, the
evening is being co-sponsored by the Conservative Forum.  On June
22, 1995, at 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm plan on attending the Forum.
Tickets are $8.00 in advance and $10.00 at the door.
     Don't forget to call 216-329-9977 for further details.

     There is a strong possibility that PRO will host Thibodeau and
Katona in Columbus on June 23, 1995.  If it is held, it will be at
Veteran's Memorial in Columbus.  Please call the HOTLINE for
further details.  268-0122

CORRECTION...

     In a recent edition we listed Cybil Shepard, Anfernee Hardaway
and 300 others as losing their Shelby County Deputy Commissions.
We said that Shelby was in Florida.  It's not.  Shelby County is in
Tennessee.

ONE MORE CORRECTION...

     One more correction.  Several issues ago, we printed that the
Ohio Gun Collectors Association (OGCA) would help fund the law suit
that PRO has filed against the city of Columbus.  It was hoped that
the OGCA would jump at the chance to help defeat ill-advised gun
bans so that they could possibly move back to Columbus with their
"meetings."  Such was not the case.
     Dennis Walker contacted Mike Beko, OGCA elected officer and
NRA Board member, about soliciting funds from OGCA for the law
suit.  Beko contacted the executive committee of the OGCA, which
turned down his request for funds to help in our law suit.  We
apologize for the error in our reporting of the facts.
     One does wonder how the OGCA can afford to have a hospitality
suite at the NRA national convention, but cannot assist in a law
suit that could favorably affect them?  They seem totally unaware
that the last Columbus law suit is forming the basis for the NRA
assault on the Crime Bill bans.
     PRO members, (many of whom are also OGCA members) just can't
understand what is wrong with the old heads that run OGCA.  With a
political action fund rumored to be over a million dollars, they
seem totally unwilling to do anything with their money to fight for
gun rights.  You go to one of their "meeting" shows and they are
all standing around cluckling about how the next show may be the
last one for ever, but they all seem unmoved to action.  "We had
our fun" they seem to be saying, so when they take our guns, let
the next generation figure out what to do.
     Well, PRO can't demand that anyone contribute to our lawsuit,
but for crying out loud, we wish the OGCA would contribute to
someone ... anyone, rather than just let the money go to Sarah
Brady or the like, when they go out of business.  We have ripped
Bill Ruger up one side and down the other and even HE had the sense
to understand the importance of what our lawsuit is trying to do
for gun owners in this country.
     If you would like to aid in our fight against the city of
Columbus, please send your generous donation to:
     PRO Legal Defense Fund
     3953 Indianola Ave.
     Columbus, Ohio 43214

     Your contributions will be most welcomed.

BIG BROTHER ENROLLS AT OHIO STATE ...

     I'm sure all PRO members know that PRO does not think that
criminals should have "easy access" to firearms.  We say that if
your profession is crime, we don't think that the "tools of your
trade" should be easy to get and once gotten should be illegal to
have.  But the gun-grabber idea is to simply deny EVERYONE the
right to buy or own firearms.  Their every scheme is some kind of
surveillance of citizens that inevitably leads to some list of gun
owners which can later be used to confiscate guns ... or worse.
     Because PRO doesn't want felons buying guns, we support an
"instant check" system.  But we want to emphasis that we are not
talking about just any "instant check" system.  This is so
important that we want to go over it again.
     When a person carries a card that uniquely identifies him or
her such as a driver's license, use of that card for any purpose
has the potential to create a computer trail that fills your
personal files with data about what you are up to.
     Consider your Credit card.  It identifies you and more
important, links you with the stores cash register inventory of
what you bought.  Thus, if the store's computer just happens to be
linked with some central database computer, we find under your name
entries like, such and such a day, at such and such time, this list
of things was purchased at such and such location.  When all stores
have this system, your files soon swell with a neat little trail of
where you were and what you did.
     What if you bought a gun?  A little flag goes up and, bingo,
your name goes on the gun owner list telling exactly what you have
and when and where you got it.
     Note that the whole essence of this statist scheme revolves
around the link between the ID reader and a central database
computer.  The "instant check" for Ohio that PRO supported involved
readers WITHOUT the data link.  You stick in your ID, a light says
you are not a felon, you buy the gun, and wait for the illegal
"Brady" restrictions to be executed.  No records anywhere, except
the old-style store sheets.
     However, if you want proof, that linked readers are what the
government bureaucrats really want, no matter how much they protest
to the contrary, you need look no farther than The Ohio State
University.
     According to the May, 30 Lantern (student newspaper),
beginning Autumn quarter OSU students will be tracked with a series
of interconnected ID readers that will replace the old stickers
used to show that a student has paid all fees.  Valerie Schafer,
school official, said, "The readers will be connected to a network
of databases across campus.  Information about students, faculty
and staff will be available instantly and will be updated daily."
     Zbigniew Brzezinski's "technetronic" society here at last!
University bureaucrats can sit at their desk anywhere on campus and
can at the touch of a button call up a trail on any student,
faculty or staff member they wish to trace.  Every place they used
their ID card is on the list:  The bookstore, the library, the gym,
the health service, the list goes on and on.
     Beginning the Autumn Big Brother will be watching everyone at
Ohio State and to paraphrase another "great leader": today, OSU,
tomorrow, the world!
____________________________________________________________

"It will be a society increasingly unlike any of its predecessors,
a technetronic society that could easily become a technetronic
dictatorship... It will soon be possible to assert almost continual
surveillance over every citizen and to maintain up-to-date complete
files containing even the most personal information about health or
personal behavior of a citizen in addition to the more customary
data.  These files will be subject to instantaneous retrieval by
the authorities."

Zbigniew Brzezinski (cfr, tc), Prof. Johns Hopkins, former
presidential advisor for National Security.
____________________________________________________________

EX-MEMBER OF NRA...

     Following the media attack on the NRA after the Oklahoma
bombing and the politically motivated "resignation" of ex-president
George Bush, it seems that Sarah Brady's NRA members are coming out
of the woodwork.  The following is a letter written by an ex-member
of the NRA to the Columbus Dispatch and was published on May 14,
1995.  Following it is an enthusiastic reply penned the same day.


     "Several years ago, I wrote a letter to the editor defending
the National Rifle Association's stance against misguided
gun-control citizens.  Since that time , I have left the NRA for
several reasons: the constant telephone and mail harassment for
more money to support its Committee for Legislative Action, the
militant attitude that was beginning to grow at an alarming rate,
and the fanatical contempt for the government and anyone who
supported weapons regulation.
     "I am still against gun control and the infringement of
government on our constitutional rights; however, I can voice my
opinions and concerns quite well without the NRA.
     "Wayne LaPierre has led a once great club of sportsmen and
conservationists down a political road to militant and anarchistic
beliefs.  The true purpose of the NRA has been lost in this
politically motivated monster that spews disinformation and
rhetoric to its members.
     "Those true members of the NRA-the sportsmen, educators and
patriots of freedom-need to curb LaPierre and his militant cohorts,
who are giving the NRA a fanatical reputation associated with
domestic terrorists, bomb builders and anti-government militant
groups, all under the guise of protecting one's rights."

Craig M. Lipke,  Columbus, Ohio


Re:  Letter in reply to Craig M. Lipke's Letter of May 14, 1995.

Dear Editor:

     Personally, I am glad to be a member of an organization that
Lipke is not.  I am a life member of the National Rifle
Association, a member that is not going to quit when the media and
has-been politicians gratuitously attack my organization.
     Rep. John Dingell (D-Michigan)  was elected to office in 1955.
He was the first one to use the phrase of "jack-booted thugs" in
reference to the abuses of American citizens by members of the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the FBI.
     In their fervor and zeal to abolish firearms and make America
safe for everyone, Handgun Control Incorporated has used far more
sinister language to denigrate the law-abiding gun-owner.  And
their non-productive laws have done more to infringe upon the
hunter, target shooter and collector than any criminal who obtains
a firearm by nefarious means.
     The NRA is also the only organization that I know of that has
devised a successful strategy to educate children about firearms
with their Eddie Eagle program, which teaches school-age children:
DON'T TOUCH, LEAVE THE AREA, AND TELL AN ADULT if they see a
firearm.  The NRA has gone even farther in devising a four-hour
class concerning Home Firearm Safety for the general public.This
class has been taught to classes of teachers in the central Ohio
area.  Several weeks after one class, a teacher got a gun from a
student and unloaded it without causing any injuries to anyone.
     If any member of the NRA so wishes, they may contact the NRA
and inform them that they wish to be taken off their mailing list
for contributions to their various programs, including the
Committee for Legislative Action, the ILA, or any others.  The
number to call is 1-800-672-3888.
     The NRA has also been a leader in helping the Division of
Wildlife develop it's Hunter Education programs for the various
states.
     In closing, the NRA has always denounced terrorism and
extremists that wish to change the political climate of our country
by force
     So to Lipke and others of his ilk, I say farewell. The NRA
will be a stronger and better organization with you out of it.

Dennis Walker

[Editor's Note:  Lipke's letter appeared in the Dispatch just days
after George Bush's resignation from the NRA became a topic of
conversation for the media pundits.
     Bush's "resignation" is about as politically honest as his
"pro-gun" bans on imported "assault" rifles.  There is no doubt in
our minds that he knows darn well that Wayne La Pierre didn't call
"all" law enforcement officers "jack-booted thugs."
     Next month we will continue the discussion with comments on a
letter written by Tom Washington, President, National Rifle
Association to former president Bush. Next month we will also let
Mr. La Pierre defend himself in his own words.  We will print his
recent speech to the NRA convention.  It's a barn-burner.
     So far the Dispatch has not seen fit to print Mr. Walkers
reply.]

{LAST MINUTE UPDATE!  Not only Mr. Walker's letter, BUT A WHOLE
PAGE OF PRO-GUN LETTERS TO THE EDITOR were published in the
Saturday, June 3, issue of the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch.  I only
wish we could express the satisfaction the PRO leadership feels
when we see things like this indicating that all those years of
hard work are finally beginning to pay off!}

GRANT...

     PRO has received a grant of $1,500.00 from the NRA Foundation.
The foundation hosts all the Friends of NRA banquets across the
country.  Half the funds raised are kept in Fairfax, while the
remaining half returns to the various states.  The PRO grant will
be used to purchase Eddie Eagle materials to distribute at the
Franklin County Fair, the Ohio State Fair, firearm classes and our
gun shows.
     To those that helped put on the dinners in Ohio, or attended
an event, thank you.  $42,000.00 was returned to the state of Ohio
for projects such as those listed above.

     Other projects funded in Ohio include:
>  Fort St. Clair Gun Club, $500.00 to improve junior shooting.
>  North Dayton Anglers and Shooting Club to expand their Junior
shooting program.
>  Butler County Sportsman to improve their junior shooting
program.
>  Twin Valley Rod and Gun Club to maintain and improve 13 acres of
prairie grass, plus 19 other worthwhile projects.

     The Central Ohio Friends of NRA Committee is actively looking
for people to underwrite our merchandise package for the 1996
event.  This will cost between six and seven thousand dollars.  If
you can help underwrite all or part of that cost, please contact
the PRO Hotline.  Thank you.

____________________________________________________________
The PROponent is published by:
Peoples Rights Organization
3953 Indianola Ave.
Columbus, OH 43214;
Tel (614) 268-0122
Fax (614) 275-0092
EMAIL: 73427.1615@compuserve.com

Michael T. Regan, Chairman;  Dennis Walker, Vice Chairman
Todd Koehler, Secretary;  Ron 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 PRO is credited.

     PRO general meetings are held the third Tuesday of every month
8:00pm 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"
_________________________________________________________________