From: Lawrence.V.Cipriani@att.com To: chan@shell.portal.com Date: Sat, 14 Oct 95 06:06:30 EST Subject: PROponent - October 1995 - PRO Newsletter The PROponent Peoples Rights Organization 3953 Indianola Ave Columbus, OH 43214 (614) 268-0122 Volume 7 October, 1995 Number 10 [headline] CCW Heats Up! VERMONT-STYLE CCW INTRODUCED IN OHIO GENERAL ASSEMBLY... There is good news and bad news. First the good news: Representative Ron Hood has introduced HB 485 which is a Vermont-style concealed carry of a firearm bill. For those not familiar with Vermont law, this bill essentially grants a carry permit to every law-abiding citizen in the state. In other words, only criminals, the insane, those under the influence or otherwise mentally impaired are barred from concealed carry. This, of course is the essence of the PRO gun registration plan. If the right to vote and the right to carry are both restricted by the same conditions, then the list of those permitted to carry arms is the same as the list of registered voters. In this way, the use of carry permits as a backdoor gun owner registration scheme is blocked. HB 485 is an excellent bill permitting any law-abiding citizen to carry a firearm just about anywhere. Even if the bill may not have the support it needs to pass, your calls and letters to your state representative urging it's passage have never been more important. And the reason your calls are important has to do with the bad news. Dewey Stokes of the Fraternal Order of Police and his New World Order pals have apparently bought governor Voinovich. The FOP has indicated unless the governor opposes the CCW bill, they will not support his planned 1998 Senate campaign. And no doubt there are other financial supporters that remain hidden who are also siding with Stokes & Co. The net result has been that the Governor has apparently taken a position that women need no protection from rapists and attackers since shooting a rapist just contributes to "violence" where your life is threatened. Self-defense is just that much more "violence." So while the Highway Patrol is sworn to protect our Governor, they have no duty to "protect and serve" you! He says he will veto the CCW bill as it passed the Senate. He says that unless the "right" to carry a gun for self-defense is made more restrictive, then he is going to veto any CCW bill. The arrogance of the Governor's position is absolutely astounding. He uses your hard-earned tax dollars to keep his flip-flopping butt safe and sound, while sniffing that you and your family should only have the right to die if attacked. Voinovich seems to have forgotten how he got elected! He seems to think that the FOP and insider money will be more important than the grassroots votes and the NRA that put him where he is today. Like Deborah Pryce, and John Kasich, and Jennette Bradley before him, he has used the pro-gun vote to gain public office, but once there decides that the public exposure from being in office will give him the votes he needs to be elected without further help from us. So maybe that's right, even though the plan didn't work so hot for George Bush, the speaker of the house and some others. But that doesn't mean you can't call the governors office and tell his aides what you think of his pro-rape stance. It doesn't mean you can't call and express your opposition to his plan to restrict the right of concealed carry of a firearm to only those "special" people approved by those in power. Tell them you think armed protection for him and his rich pals but not for working women, threatened families, or poor blacks in dangerous situations or neighborhoods, stinks! Every Ohioan should remember that the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right in Ohio. No I'm not talking about the Second Amendment, but about the Ohio Constitution and the recent ruling of the Ohio Supreme court in Arnold v Cleveland where the High court said so! So does that mean a nurse or other woman who works late hours can get a gun to protect herself as she walks to her car at night? The Governor says, "No." He favors a restrictive system like in Nevada. One where the permit application says right on the cover, "The authorization to carry a concealed firearm is a privilege granted by the sheriff and may be denied or revoked at any time and for any reason." To this Vin Suprynowicz of the Freedom News Service, asks in a Florida OP-Ed piece, "Doesn't sound very much like a God-given Right, does it?" HOUSE HEARS SB 68... The first House hearing for SB 68 will be on October 3, 1995 at 1:30 pm in room G-4. There are five hearings scheduled, with the other four tentatively scheduled for October 11, 18, 25, and November 1, 1995. These dates are not cast in stone, since they have already changed the date for the opening hearing twice. Call Chairman Kasputis' office to confirm hearing dates. House of Representatives Judiciary and Criminal Justice Chairman Edward Kasputis (R-Cleveland) said "It will be one of those close ones." Kasputis puts even odds on whether his committee of 15 members will recommend the bill for passage. The names and numbers of those on the committee follow: Chairman Edward Kasputis 466-0961 Vice-Chairman James Mason 644-6002 Republicans Ronald Suster 466-8012 Karen Doty 644-5085 Jack Ford 466-1401 David Hartley 466-3787 June Lucas 466-3488 Betty Sutton 644-6037 Democrats John Garcia 466-1418 Ron Hood 466-1464 Jon Myers 466-8100 Marilyn Reid 644-6020 Dr. Wm. Taylor 466-1957 Michael Wise 644-6041 Ann Womer Benjamin 466-2004. All phone numbers in Columbus are area code 614. 1-800-282-0253 is also available for long distance calls. Their mailing address is: Ohio House of Representatives 77 S. High Street Columbus, Ohio 43266-0603. Representative Joy Padgett (R-Coshocton) should also be contacted at 644-6014. Rep. Padgett is spear-heading SB 68 through the House. As you remember, the Senate approved passage of SB 68 26-6. This was through the efforts of the Senator Joseph Vukovich, NRA, Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA), PRO, Ohio Constitution Defense Council (OCDC) and other groups in favor of a concealed carry law in Ohio. Opposition to the bill came from the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) union leaders and many other police organizations. Their big argument was that this bill would turn Ohio into a giant Dodge City, with gunfights happening on every corner. Their weighty argument has not been proven in any other state which has passed a concealed carry law. Kasputis, who said he favors the legislation, has received more than 60 letters in favor of a concealed carry law. He went on: "We have conflicting studies. One says there is an increase in shootings where the law is in effect. Another says there is a decrease. So it boils down to philosophical debate." Charleta Tavaras (R-Columbus), Ray Miller's hand-picked successor, said: "It will encourage more fights, more shootings and more maimings. People will assume everyone is armed, and they will go for their gun first rather than talking it out." This is similar to the FOP argument that police officers will have to treat everyone they stop as if they had a firearm. They should be doing so anyway. Tavaras went on to say that urban areas such as her east-side, denser populated district will be at greater risk. The only ones at greater risk will be the criminal. It seems Tavaras is in favor of job safety for criminals. Under the current bill, sheriffs would be required to issue permits to applicants, 21 or older, who pass a background check, complete 15 hours of training and pass tests on firearm use and state firearm laws. Those who are convicted felons, drunken drivers, drug addicts or those with a history of mental illness would not be allowed a license. Firearms also could not be carried on school grounds, government buildings or in establishments where alcohol is sold. The NRA and other groups are hoping to ease the restrictions where firearms can be carried. Mike Dawson, spokesman for Governor George Voinovich, said "We're still studying the issue." In other words, he is sitting on the fence, trying to avoid calls and letters from either side of the issue. Governor Voinovich's phone number is 466-3555. His mailing address is: Governor George Voinovich Riffe Center, 30th Floor Columbus, Ohio 43266-0601. When SB 68 passes, Ohio could be the 42nd state to pass a law allowing it's citizens to defend themselves against criminal attack almost anywhere they wish. This means your mother, sister, daughter and grandmother, if they so choose, can carry a concealed firearm to protect themselves against rape and other crimes. CITY COUNCIL RACE... This is an exciting race for Columbus City Council. We finally have clear-cut choices for several seats on council. One of the most important is the remaining term of Cindy Lazarus. Lazarus resigned her seat on council to accept a judgeship. Lisa Griffin was appointed to her remaining term of office and has to run for election this November. Griffin is the appointed council member who promoted and passed legislation banning the sale of spray paint and magic markers to minors; an ordinance banning backyard mechanics from working on their cars; and a resolution opposing SB 68, that passed the Ohio Senate 26-6 allowing concealed carry of firearms for law-abiding citizens. She even went so far as to say that she would lead a referendum drive to repeal SB 68 if the House passed it. Griffin even toyed with the idea of banning concealed carry permits inside Columbus city limits if it does pass. This is in violation of state law because cities and municipalities cannot pass laws in conflict with state law. It is imperative PRO members back Peggy Fisher in her race against Griffin. Law-abiding gun owners need to fire the incumbent, appointed Griffin. Mike Wise is another candidate needed for our side. With the election of Wise and Fisher to the Council, Jennette Bradley will have republican support on council. Bradley has been a lone republican council-member for too long and it has affected her judgement concerning gun owners and the just plain folks of Columbus. Over the years, council has, in most instances, sided with those with the power and the money over the wishes of residents and voters of Columbus. When we fire some of these council members, we will begin the return of our city to the people and wrest power from the Les Wexners (The Limited and Galyans) of our community. We must all remember the ultimate power rests in the ballot box and we can continue the revolution that began with the 1994 elections debacle of the democrats. JUDGES... Judges are hard to elect because judicial cannons prohibit them from expressing their own views on subjects germane to their election. This is due to the fact that they be called to sit on a case on which they may have offered an opinion in their campaign and it could be ruled prejudicial to the case of the defendant. Judge James Green has judicial and law enforcement experience. As a Franklin County Prosecutor, he had to handle a firearm in a case. A juror kept ducking every time Green waved the firearm about in his prosecution of the defendant. Green noticed this and asked the juror what his problem was after the trial. The juror asked Green if he had any firearm experience? Green honestly replied no. The Juror said it showed. As a result of this exchange, Green chose to become proficient in the use and handling of firearms. Green has worked with youth groups to combat the influence of drugs, alcohol and crime and to promote the values of our society. He also investigated claims against unethical attorneys who victimized their clients through fraud or other means. As a prosecutor, Green was successful in taking hardened criminals, murderers, drug dealers and rapists off of our streets. Judge James Green is a responsible family man and deserves your support in his bid for election. CANDIDATES... City council candidates Peggy Fisher, Mike Wise, Chris Obetz, Greg Powers and Judge James Green attended the September, 19, PRO meeting. The editors, officers and members of PRO wish to thank all of the candidates who took time out of their busy campaign schedule to attend our meeting. Chris Obetz, a descendant of the family that founded Obetz, Ohio, has been to the range in Grove City and learned the basics in the shooting and handling of firearms from PRO instructors. He seems to be an eager candidate for the Columbus City council and needs your support to win a seat. Greg Powers is running as an independent candidate. His ideals and feelings are akin to those of PRO since he also is fed up with the present city council and their attempts to restrict our Second Amendment rights. Again, we would like to thank those candidates who attended our Candidate's Night to meet with our members. ____________________________________________________________ "If you're willing to protect and defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights - and there are many ways of doing that - then you're a friend. But if you will not or suppose to take this document from us, then you are my enemy and I care not WHO YOU ARE." Mark Koernke (Mark from Michigan) in an exclusive interview in Columbus' own Transdimensional Times. (It apparently requires a mystic to determine the issue date and number, but it was copyrighted July 1995) ____________________________________________________________ DANA PREISSE FOR COUNCIL ... Dana Priesse is right for our Columbus City Council. Her last name is pronounced price, and is no relation to US Representative Deborah Pryce who stabbed us in the back when she voted for the Crime Bill. In a recent Columbus Dispatch poll, Preisse is ahead of one incumbent, and running a close fifth behind three incumbents and first time council candidate Hugh DeMoss. Another local paper stated if there are any surprises in this year's council race, it will be Preisse's defeat of an incumbent. Preisse is a 35-year old lawyer and has practiced law in Columbus for ten years. Her practice covers family law and domestic violence. In this area she has filed many civil protection orders for her clients as a result of physical abuse or threats. She has represented clients who have been the victim of stalking and are in constant fear for their safety. Preisse warns her clients that a civil protection order should not give them a complete sense of security, and advises them to consider additional options to increase their personal safety. Preisse also supports SB 68, which would allow law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed firearm after the issuance of a permit. Additionally, she opposes mandatory registration of gun ownership and believes the present "five-day cooling off" waiting period should be reduced. Preisse favors the pursuit of an instant background check for firearm buyers. Preisse needs help with her campaign, monetarily and labor, to gain a seat on city council. Donations can be made to: Preisse for City Council 4705 Barrington Club Drive Columbus, Ohio 43220. She can be reached at 228-7949. DEAR PRO ... Please change my PROponent e-mail address from my office e-mail address [office address] to my home e-mail address [home address]. Your last issue was great. The Chicago nuke in 6/44 I'd never heard of and I work in the nuclear power industry! Thank you Mike Sivertsen [Editors: The location was Port Chicago, California, not Chicago. Other people must have liked that issue too since several articles from it were copied and widely posted. And this is exactly what we love to see happening: Getting the word out!] DEAR PRO... Your Port Chicago story was engrossing reading and I wanted to obtain further confirmation. My NEXIS-LEXIS database search turned up 49 articles under the search terms 'Port Chicago' and 'bomb'. I read all of these and downloaded the best. I am attaching the two most pertinent articles. (you can have the rest if you'd like. They never found the 'cause' of the explosion. The descriptions are interesting reading.) The 1990 TV special discusses the atomic bomb and Vogel's theory. Edward Teller's alleged comments are very interesting and raise more questions. However, the complete absence of radioactivity (as I began to think about since I read your e-mail), if it is true (and radiation is very easy to detect with simple meters) is convincing. Now, they may have covered it up then, but measuring the longer-lived radioisotopes TODAY would be a simple matter. And we KNOW Greenpest and Fiends of the Earth would be out there with rubber rafts and meters if there was something they could use to fan public hysteria over with that 'eevvil' radiation. (The French have detected radioisotopes from a natural nuclear reactor that operated for 500 years two BILLION years ago in Gabon, West Africa.) Anyway, the lack of the radioisotope 'signature' makes it hard for me to believe the Vogel story. Or should we go look for them now? Maybe I should ask Teller what he meant by his comments. He's still alive and has spoken at Health Physics meetings (of which I am a member). Mike Sivertsen Scientist-Information Technology Member-Health Physics (Radiation Protection) Society [Editors: The quote by Edward Teller, "the father of the H-bomb" he refers to is that when Vogel approached Dr. Teller about the "gizmo" paper, he reportedly replied, "I believe you have a classified document. I will never acknowledge having seen this or having discussed Port Chicago with you." Obviously questioning Teller will be of little value since if he didn't make the statement he will deny making the remark and if he did, he has already indicated that he will deny making it. As to residual isotopes, PRO also wonders about this test to confirm or debunk the claims of atomic explosions. However, we would like to indicate that this test is more complex than just taking a reading with a simple detector. Just after the detonation, you could just read the high radiation level, but after this much time, you have to measure the remaining longer-lived isotopes which is a more complicated matter. Nevertheless, the test is still quite simple by scientific standards. (PRO would be hard-pressed to buy the equipment, but we are not talking super-collider level experiments.) The equivalent experiment here would be to travel to Bikini and "prove" an atomic test took place there. We also seem to remember hearing that someone once tried to test Port Chicago but the area of the blast is government property and permission was denied. PRO has recently learned that there is more information available on the Port Chicago disaster. Emma Freeman posted the following information to the INTERNET: "Peter Vogel deserves much credit for his excellent and persistent research on the Port Chicago explosion." If you would like more info on this subject, there are a series of audio tapes available from Archives On Audio. The URL is as follows: http://www.cygnus.com/misc/kfjc/emory/ archives-on-audio.html If you order series #M23 titled "What Really Happened at Port Chicago; Was the First A-Bomb Tested in the San Francisco/Bay Area?" you will receive 360 minutes of tape recorded on this subject from researcher Dave Emory's radio program which includes interviews with Peter Vogel. PRO does not have information at present on a U. S. Mail address for these tapes.] HOLLYWOOD PRO-GUN ... The September 25, National Review published an excerpt from the up-coming book In The Arena by our favorite NRA spokesman, Charleton Heston. The book will be published by Simon and Schuster. It's just too good for us to ignore. "This may surprise you, but I'm not the only man in Hollywood with an appreciation for the Second Amendment. There are numbers of gun owners--collectors, hunters, sport shooters--in the film community, plus many more who keep firearms for protection. I suspect, in fact, that there are more filmmakers who are closet gun enthusiasts than closet homosexuals. . . . "Still, many people in the film community oppose firearms, some quite virulently. During the Los Angeles riots of 1992, a good many of these folk suffered a change of heart. As smoke from burning buildings smudged the skyline and the TV news showed looters smashing windows, laughing as they carted off boom boxes and booze, I got a few phone calls from firmly anti-gun friends in clear conflict. 'Umm, Chuck, you have quite a few . . . ah, *guns*, don't you?' 'Indeed.' 'Could you lend me one for a day or so? I tried to buy one, but they have this waiting period . . .' 'Yeah, I know. I remember you voted for that. Do you know how to use a shotgun?' 'No, I thought maybe you could teach me. This is getting a little scary.' 'I noticed. It does that sometimes. I could teach you, but not in an hour. You might shoot yourself instead of the bad guys. The Marines are coming up from Pendelton; that'll end it. When it does, go buy yourself a good shotgun and take some lessons.' "My friend writer-director John Milius got more calls than I did. His answer was more forthright: 'Sorry. They're all being used.' "Public opinion on this issue seems to be shifting, in view of rising violence. No police force can guarantee always to protect all citizens, nor are the police legally responsible for failing to do so. "Besides, it seems to me ethically questionable to expect a policeman earning $35,000 a year to risk his life to protect you if you accept no responsibility for protecting yourself." Obviously, this is going to be a dynamite book and we can't wait until it hits the stands. And when it does, PRO says check it out. DETROIT... You are sitting in your car as a young woman runs by, after being pulled from her car and partially stripped. She is being chased by three men, one weighing 300 pounds. She weighed 115 pounds. After being pulled from her car, she was beaten by the huge man. She escaped, and ran to the side of the bridge and was either forced off the structure or she jumped to escape her tormentors. She fell to her death, her body found downstream, missing a leg. This is a true story. It happened in Detroit on the Belle Island Bridge that connects the island to the city. It was 3 am and Deletha Word was involved in a minor accident with another vehicle carrying three men. She left the scene of the accident with the other car in pursuit. They rammed her car, forcing her to stop. They pulled her from her car, partially disrobed her and began beating her, and smashing her car with a crowbar. She ran to the edge of the bridge, where she either jumped, or was forced to fall to her death. It has been reported that up to 40 bystanders cheered as this atrocity was taking place. Lawrence Walker jumped into the river after her, but was unable to rescue her. He thought she might have considered him one of her attackers. Three men were arrested as a result of this incident. Two are 20, and one is 19. It is not yet known what charges they will face. They have not been convicted of any crime and are innocent until proven guilty. This tragedy happened in Detroit, a city with strict prohibitions against the personal ownership of firearms. If Word, or one of the bystanders had the opportunity to legally own a firearm, would any of the preceding events have occurred? If one brave soul had defied the laws against their ownership of a firearm, and used it in her defense, would this tragedy have unfolded as it did? We will never know. It has been reported bystanders cheered as the events unfolded, and one person refused to call police on his cellular phone when asked to do so. Why didn't someone help her? Fear is the answer. A 300 pound man wielding a crowbar is an imposing figure to anyone that is denied their right to own a firearm for self-defense. If you see an incident such as this, you can use your cellular phone to call the police. You could drive to the nearest pay-phone and call for help. You do not have to get out of your vehicle to confront the antagonists. Flash your lights and honk your horn. Almost anything is better than letting an unarmed woman die. If you have access to a firearm, be sure you are capable of using it in defense of the person being attacked and yourself. If you are not, leave it where it is, but notify the authorities as quickly as possible. In a society that equates gun control with safety for the unarmed, we once again see they are wrong. As long as this country has predators roaming it's cities, our mothers, daughters and wives have the inalienable right to protect themselves against those who wish to do them harm. $3.1 MILLION JACKBOOTS... Our law abiding government will pay $3.1 million to the family of Randy Weaver, as the result of a shoot-out at his home in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, when his son and wife were killed by federal agents. Weaver has been cleared of all the serious charges in the incident. The Justice Department announced it has "resolved all claims by the Weaver family against the United States and its employees." The department went on to say, "The United States does not admit wrongdoing or legal liability to the plaintiffs." The civil settlement was reached after Weaver and his family filed suit against the federal government for $200 million. There are still several criminal investigations under way into the shooting and an alleged FBI cover-up of its role. With all the resources at the command of the federal government, and their ability to tie this case up in court for decades, why did they settle out of court? Could it be because they were wrong? It would seem that if you settle out of court by paying a lump sum to those suing you, it just might mean there is some truth to the accusations. Why settle out of court unless there are facts that you do not want made public, such as your guilt. Attorney Gerry Spence said, "The government acknowledges wrongdoing by the payment of these monies as damages." Weaver will receive $100,000, while his children will receive $1,000,000 each. But there is much more to this development than a simple court settlement. As you know the owned media has been mercilessly and unfairly attacking the NRA recently. They have portrayed the NRA as some kind of over-zealous fringe group out to turn America into a cesspool of crime and violence (like it wasn't already in the cities and states that have adopted the media's anti-gun policies). One major "hook" the media grabbed was the NRA fund-raising letter referring to some ATF agents as acting like "jackbooted thugs." The actual phrase coming from a speech by a Democratic Congressman, no less. The major media argued that federal law enforcement agents are all above the law. How dare any mere citizen question the actions of these federal servants, the media asked. But many of us didn't buy it. We pushed hard for justice. And while the punishment of federal minions for their atrocities appears to be slow in coming, the NRA's statements have been totally vindicated by the Weaver settlement. You should note, however, that this time these jackboots cost the taxpayers $3.1 million dollars. And this doesn't count the $1.2 million spent on electronic surveillance of the Weavers and to buy the adjacent property to do it. All this and the salaries of the vast array of government law enforcement officers used in the "siege" and the people can't figure out that federal law enforcement is totally out of control? The guy was only guilty of being scared to appear in court for a charge later determined to be entrapment. You now look back at the record and see a government willing to spend maybe $5 million dollars, simply to arrest some guy living in a shack back in the woods for a minor offense. You can't tell me Weaver wasn't justified in being fearful of his government. So just as the FBI played the Nancy Sinatra tune "These boots were made for walking" at Waco which contains the line "One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you." It seems now that the NRA is vindicated in saying ATF "jackboots" have been walking all over gun owners. And even worse, the bureaucrats don't care how much of YOUR money they use to do it or cover up illegal actions after the fact. HUNTER'S ORANGE... Several months ago, the PROponent reported the story of the two Amish brothers who were cited for their failure to wear hunter orange while deer hunting. Judge William Hart found them guilty and fined them $50. Samuel Bontrager and his brother Joas said they would rather go to jail than to pay a fine. "It's against our religion to wear that. We're not allowed. Our forefathers taught us that" said Samuel. The fine has been suspended pending appeal. The brothers were arrested on their father's farm while deer hunting on Nov. 28, 1994. They were on private property and their religion forbids them from wearing "worldly clothes." They also reject cars, electricity, telephones, indoor plumbing and motorized farm equipment. At the original hearing in May, the brothers asked for the charges be dismissed on the grounds their religious beliefs were in conflict with Ohio law. In his ruling, Judge Hart wrote: "Because the Amish do not have to hunt to provide food for their families and because their religion does not compel them to hunt deer, they could not be granted an exemption from the law. They hunt merely for sport and enjoyment." The Amish brothers, and church leaders, feel that if God intends for them to be shot, it will occur whether or not they are wearing orange. Hunting is a privilege which requires a license, which the brothers have been convicted of failing to purchase in 1994, and of failing to wear some type of orange clothing. If one of the brothers were shot by a hunter, there would be a two-fold tragedy. First, for the one shot and his family. Second, for the hunter who shot him. PRO has some mixed feelings about this case. We do support the right of the religious to practice their faith. The decision is particularly arguable since the men were hunting on private property. We do not know if the property was posted, but we wonder how the state can find the authority and the social arguments to demand that hunter-orange be worn on your own private land. On the other hand PRO does not believe God "intends" for any person to be shot. Those who hunt where other hunters may be present need to follow the dictum, "God helps those who help themselves." The requirement for hunter's orange during deer week is a modicum of protection for all hunters. It would be an awful feeling to know that you shot another hunter because they refused to wear orange and because you did not make sure of your target. FIRST STEPS HAS ARRIVED... NRA FIRST Steps training program has arrived. The new NRA personalized basic firearms training program course outlines have arrived and look pretty good. Firearm Instruction, Responsibility and Safety Training (FIRST Steps) is a formal program of one to one training between an NRA Certified instructor and a student. The program is modeled after the highly successful courses utilizing the concept of Total Participant Involvement (TPI). Course outlines are available for Rifle, Pistol, and Shotgun and may be taught by any instructor currently certified in one of those three disciplines. Instead of introducing the student to a plethora of firearms, FIRST Steps concentrates on the student and his or her specific firearm. The course includes range time, and is an excellent way to introduce a person to the safe care and handling of their first firearm, in a formal and proven way. The outlines are available to instructors at a cost of $5.00 each from the NRA training division. John Lydic PRO CAN NOW TRAIN FIREARMS INSTRUCTORS ... As of the weekend of September 8-10 the central Ohio area has 17 new NRA Certified Firearms instructors. It was a long process that started a very long time ago, on a VERY long weekend last January 12-15. That was the weekend Ron Herman and I spent at Camp Perry for the Training Counselor (TC) workshop. I'm thankful that the blizzard came the following weekend. PRO made an investment for the tuition, and Ron and I each spent our own money for books, meals, lodging, etc. We met the training facilitators from NRA HQ as well as most of the TC's for about a 4 state area. The weekend was long, but we learned more from the facilitators and the other TC's and TC candidates than we could have imagined. It also provided networking with a lot of people who are involved in the second amendment fight and a lot of good fun. By the way, the next time any of you see Ron you might ask him about the afternoon he walked around with his shirt hanging out of his half zipped fly. (See, I said we had fun; but I digress). We then filled out applications and submitted them to NRA along with 3 references. Our references had to answer a questionnaire and provide a letter of recommendation. Then, in typical NRA fashion, the waiting began. Finally in August, Ron and I received our credentials as NRA Training Counselors, and on September 8-10 we put on our new bright red TC Polo shirts, and conducted our first instructor course. A long weekend with a lot of teaching techniques like BUZZ, TPI, and ASK (ask one of us for more details), and some written tests, and we now have 17 new instructors certified for Pistol, Personal Protection, and Home Firearm Safety. The actual credentials will be sent to each instructor after waiting in typical NRA fashion (about 6-8 weeks). Based on the success of our first course, we are looking to run an additional course sometime in early November, so check with Ron or me if you're interested. The cost will be about $125-150. In last month's PROponent you might remember a copy of a letter to the ODNR Division of Wildlife giving Kudo's to PRO's Hunter Education team, and the editors note about the NRA Instructors team. What wasn't mentioned was the fact that both of these volunteer teams, consist of mostly the same people. We are volunteers and based on the number of students we reach every year (500-600), we feel that education IS the KEY, and could use more volunteer help. If you're interested, give the PRO Hotline a call at (614) 268-0122, or call 614-846-0587 to register for NRA personal protection classes or for information on becoming an NRA or Hunter Education instructor. John W. Lydic Jr. NRA Instructor & Training Counselor Hunter Education Instructor PRO Hunter Education Coordinator DEAR PRO... Thanks again for another well-written, on-target, and to-the-point newsletter. I am proud to forward these to my friends, who have expressed appreciation. I know you strive for quality in the subject matter and in the choice of issues. There are a couple of things I want you to know about. First, Prodigy seems to truncate the messages at about 58KB. I don't know why. They promise that the complete text is available in 'message.txt' (which contains the truncated text also). I have learned to forward, without comment, because my added comments have caused further truncation to the recipients. This is a problem I need to solve, but I wanted you to know. This time, we are truncated shortly into the Jap atrocities. I hope I can find my note on this subject to copy to you that was expunged as unacceptable when I tried to post as a comment to a Prodigy bulletin-board on WWII. Secondly, I am a pretty good editor, and as your friend, want to pass on the following to enhance the quality of your already outstanding text: "It's" always translates to "it is." The possessive pronoun is always "its." The usual error is the use of "it's" as possessive, as most possessives are formed with apostrophe-s this way in our language. (I am looking forward to your speaking out as to exactly what language needs to be the language of the United States of America). Tony Overfield at Prodigy XGCN37D P.S. The Prodigy Spell Checker has reported that "it's" should be changed to (its'). I don't know what (its') is, so maybe I should withdraw the remark... [Editors: We (and our electronic committee) are aware that some news readers will truncate the electronic version of the PROponent. In the past we have occasionally posted the PROponent in sections to eliminate the problem. Since few people complained about the truncation problem, we discontinued that since it makes the newsletter harder to read and save for those whose newsreaders operate properly. One possible solution is to get the issues from our archive site. Anyway, we are still studying the problem. We also thank you for your comments on our editorial skills. As it turns out we do indeed know the difference between (it's) and (its). However, our proofreading has been extremely lax. I'm sure you know it is very difficult for writers to effectively proof their own work. A number of PRO members (notably Pam Sheets) have been beating on the editors, saying these simple errors are making our fine newsletter look unprofessional. That's true, of course, but it's also true we are always behind schedule, in a rush to get it out and reluctant to take the extra time for detailed proofing. (Let the reader proof it, we said.) But Pam won. The PROponent now has a proofreader so our newsletter will contain fewer grammatical and spelling errors. Pam Sheets has volunteered her time to correct our mistakes and keep the PROponent a more professional missive. For insuring that our newsletter remains a first class publication, the editors wish to thank Pam for her time and efforts in helping to publish the PROponent. Every little bit helps and I'm sure many readers have noticed your editors need all the help they can get! In answer to your question on official languages, let us say PRO thinks bilingualism is a wonderful idea. That is for people, not government documents. My grandparents came to Cleveland speaking no English. They lived in a section of town where they needed to speak no English. My mother went to a school that taught her to read and write Slovak. BUT MY GRANDPARENTS AND MY MOM ALL LEARNED ENGLISH TOO! To do less is to fail to become part of America. This "modern" idea of encouraging immigrants not to learn English is little more than a hidden scheme to keep immigrants subservient slaves to the more affluent classes and make sure they never really become true citizens of this county. It's as simple as that.] LATE RUSH... WSYX TV, channel 6, in Columbus, is messing with Rush Limbaugh. He used to be on at 12:35 am. This is a late hour, but a lot better than the 1:35 am slot where Channel 6 is moving him. Channel six is airing a new female talk show after Ted Koppel's show. This will last an hour, and then they will air Rush. What is needed is an earlier airing of Limbaugh's show, say in place of Seinfeld, which airs at 11:35 pm. To voice your opposition against the time change of Limbaugh's show, contact: WSYX-TV 6 Jim Willi, General Manager 1261 Dublin Road Columbus, Ohio 43215. Their phone number is: 481-6666. SEND A LETTER ... Telephone calls to broadcast stations and legislators are important, but letters and post cards are the best way to contact them. One letter is worth 10 phone calls. It takes more effort to write a letter or post card than it does to make a phone call. Station managers and politicians put more credence in letters because of this. Make an effort to write a letter to these people and see your efforts rewarded. If you do write, you will be more likely to receive a reply from the person to whom you are writing. SWARM... SWARM, which stands for Safety for Women And Responsible Motherhood, was founded by Rebecca John (John Wyatt since she recently married) in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. In our last Personal Protection with Pistol class, a student brought her newsletter to us. It is an excellent publication. Wyatt also had an excellent article published in the September, 1995 issue of Guns and Ammo. When the article was written, SWARM had 1,700 members and they are now over 3,500 members. As a result of their success in Colorado, SWARM is going national. They are looking for women to head chapters in the other 49 states. SWARM welcomes male membership, but focuses on women's issues due to their "civil disability." "Women are physically disadvantaged to men and are most often attacked by men. When citizens are told that they can't carry guns, it logically follows that it is women who are hurt the most," said Wyatt. She began Swarm after having been attacked and was advised not to get a gun. She was told it would only add to the violence. The advice seemed to make sense to her until she was attacked again. At that point, Wyatt knew she would have to have some sort of an equalizer to protect herself from criminal violation. In her search to decide what the best equalizer would be, Wyatt researched Dr. Arthur Kellermann, an emergency room doctor, and Dr. Gary Kleck, a professor of Criminology at Florida State University. These two are as far apart on the gun-control issue as two people can be, though they both agree that a gun is the single most effective tool for self-defense--especially for women. Dr. Kellermann was quoted in the March 1994 issue of Health Magazine: "If you've got to resist, your chances of being hurt are less the more lethal your weapon." Kellermann advocates no guns in the home. He also answered "yeah" to the question "If she were my wife, would I want her to have a .38 Special in her hand?" Dr. Kleck concurred. "Other forms of forceful self-protection are far more risky than resisting with a gun." Kleck also maintains that women who carry guns are far less likely to be raped. Wyatt describes three essential requirements women need in a self-defense tool. "It must be reliable in a majority of situations. This is why pepper sprays are dangerous as a final defense, they don't work in many weather conditions or if the criminal is on drugs or alcohol. "It must be highly effective at a distance. Weapons which require physical contact with the criminal violate the number one rule of safety for women: Keep out of reach of the criminal. Weapons which require physical contact for effectiveness are the ones which can be taken away from women and used against them. "It should be the tool least dependent upon the physical strength of the user." There isn't any tool, other than a firearm which meets all of the above requirements for the special needs of a woman. When Wyatt sought to carry a firearm outside the home, her state wanted to call her a criminal. Prohibiting concealed carry is, in effect, a deeply violent form of discrimination against women. Our government should not be in the business of limiting our options for self-defense when three out of four women will become victims of crime in their lifetime. As the PROponent has published in earlier articles, the police are not responsible for the protection of an individual, but for society as a whole. This has held up in many Supreme Court cases over the last thirty years. Nationally, there is one police officer for every 3,200 citizens. Police cannot be your bodyguard twenty-four hours a day. Personal safety is always up to the individual man or woman. "Weakness is a provocation; vulnerability invites attack. Criminals are cowards," said Wyatt. She went on, "They will choose only the easiest of prey." Very rarely do we read of those women who have fended off criminal attack, don't become victims and train with a gun and become familiar with its use. These women exude a self-confidence which sends a message to would-be rapists and thugs to pick on someone else. This women is one of the 2.5 million people who defend themselves with a firearm that Kleck refers to in his book. Kleck also states that 99 times out of a hundred, when a gun is used in self-defense, no one is shot. Self-defense is a right as old as Cain and Abel. It is our right to defend ourselves against criminals. This is not a government privilege which it can deny its citizens. It is a basic instinct, inherent in everyone. In Florida, .007% of its several-hundred-thousand permit holders wind up with some type of criminal record. These are usually due to carrying inadvertently into a restricted area. Of all of the permit holders in the United States, not one has ever been convicted of murder. Law-abiding citizens merely seeking to protect themselves are not the problem. The carrying of guns by decent citizens never adds to the violence. Statistically, when a gun is used in self-defense, your chances of being raped, injured or killed are lessened by a third. A drastic reduction in violence against women. It also shifts the minimal risk of violence to the criminal-where it belongs-instead of the proposed victim. Gun carry is the quintessential victimless crime. Wyatt states that ninety percent of all women killed are murdered by men; most of the time this accomplished with their bare hands. This is an awesome weapon, with their superior strength, against a women. She feels a truly "Barbaric society" is one which grants solely to whomever happens to be the biggest brute, the power to violate others. "We've come full circle back to the morals of the caveman." Our court system seems to be on the side of the criminal in many instances. With victims unable to adequately protect themselves criminals work in comparative safety, have flexible hours and have tax-free income. Liberal judges provide them with all-expense paid vacations, light sentences and early parole. Why should criminals worry about victimizing people? President Clinton recently acknowledged, "It's a bigger threat to women than cancer or car accidents." He then started the Violence Against Women program with $26 million in grants to protect women. Hopefully the grants are to purchase firearms for women and then train them in their use. SWARM and other such organizations face two major adversaries of our rights to self-preservation. The first is the anti-self-defense lobby, which includes groups like Handgun Control, Inc. (HCI), the League of Women Voters and the National Organization of Women. Instead of preaching "choice" and "empowerment" women need the tools to defend themselves against attack and violent criminals. The other major adversary is the alliance of police and district attorney officials. SWARM refers to them as the "Flat Earth Society." That is because they demand that law-abiding citizens ignore all modern science AND the success stories of the 20-plus states allowing concealed carry. They often mention the Dodge City wild west theory. It is a notion that is completely false. Women could walk the streets in safety and leave their doors unlocked without fear of robbery or worse. The crime rate was low. The practice of family values was high. Hollywood, to the contrary not with standing, Dodge City at it's former heyday was but a shadow of the crime seen in any large American city today. The flat earthers demand they be the only ones allowed to carry guns. They see themselves as the strongest and most dominant of humankind, thus deserving of self-defense. We see it differently. Many beat cops disagree with the flat earthers, but have been intimated into silence by their superiors. This silence helps lead to a class society: the police class and the lower class. Women fall to the bottom of the lower class. Senator Gene Watts in Ohio has introduced a bill which will increase penalties for offenses against police officers, thus widening the gap between the police and the lower class (regular citizens). Since many officials, elected and appointed, and those with star status crave absolute power or the power for themselves alone, women are our best weapon in fighting for concealed carry in a free society. A soft-spoken, well-dressed woman carrying a gun could become a media darling. SWARM, in their first seven months has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, US News and World Report, the Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, Fox Cable TV, NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, and in Australia and London, England. This works. When Alaska's governor recently signed their gun carry bill he said he was doing this for the women. Representative Chlouber of Colorado stated after a demonstration of 200 women at the state capital, "At day's end, the move by SWARM was the most impressive and compelling lobbying effort I've ever seen down here." We need chapters of SWARM in all fifty states. Please contact SWARM at: SWARM Dept. GA 3440 Youngfield #204 Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033, or call them at: 303-969-0708, Option 3. TRAFFICANT... James Trafficant is a US Representative from southern Ohio who has been featured on Rush Limbaugh several times. Trafficant has made several derogatory statements concerning fellow democrats and their leader, President Clinton. After the Waco Hearings, on August 2, 1995, Trafficant said: "Mr. Speaker, the Waco hearings are over. There are two issues. No. 1: Is Janet Reno truly responsible for the most incompetent police maneuver in American history; or is Janet Reno carrying the water, protecting Larry Potts, the FBI, and the ATF for their actions? Quite frankly I do not know; but if `the buck stops here' means anything, Janet Reno should be fired and the people of Waco, Texas, should petition their county prosecutor to immediately convene a grand jury, because it appeared to me as a former sheriff that FBI and ATF agents were lying through their teeth to the US Congress. `The buck stops here' should mean something." [Editors: The Trafficant quote was gratefully stolen from the Midland County Sportsman's Club September, 1995 newsletter.] HUNTING SEASON... The fall hunting season is upon us and in Ohio first time hunters are required to take and pass a Hunter Education class. PRO offers these classes at our late summer, early fall gun shows. If these are not convenient for you, call the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Education Division, Outdoor Skills at: 1-800-282-3557. They will be able to tell you when a course is scheduled in your county or near you and register you for a course. Hunters that are planning on going out of state are also required to have taken a course within the last several years. Call the Wildlife department of the state or country that you plan to hunt and confirm their requirements for out-of-state hunters. Remember what Canada has done to firearm owners and that you have to declare your firearms when entering their country. A record is kept that could be accessed by the US government. Many hunters are planning on boycotting Canada until they change their attitudes concerning firearms. I'M GONNA GET CAPONE ... You'll find it in the October 1995 issue of the Columbus Monthly. The article on the pending Concealed carry of a firearm legislation begins on page 32. While the article freely quotes both sides, it is quite fair and perhaps even leans a little toward the friendly. And we can't blame them. Who can be FOR allowing women and seniors and other people not up to duking it out with a 300 pound pumped-up convict to be helpless victims. But the high spot of this article occurs on page 33. There you will find a full page photograph which is by universal acclamation of the PRO board, the finest picture of our Vice Chairman and PROponent co-editor Dennis Walker we have ever seen. Dennis is demonstrating shoulder holster carry and looks for all the world like he is about to take an axe and go out busting kegs of Al Capone's bootleg whiskey! PRO says pick up a copy at your local newsstand and check it out! If you live out of the Columbus area, check any large library for the Monthly. And by the way, those tiny hands placing the .32 into a fannypack on the first page belong to none other than PROponent proof-reader Pam Sheets. And don't forget to keep the heat on the governor and the Ohio House members. Call them, write them, and tell them you want the right to refuse to be a victim. ____________________________________________________________ The PROponent is published by: Peoples Rights Organization; 3953 Indianola Ave.; Columbus, OH 43214; Tel (614) 268-0122 Fax (614) 261-9100 (note new fax number!) EMAIL: 73427.1615@compuserve.com or dcarney@freenet.columbus.oh.us Back issues of the PROponent are available via the World Wide Web at: http://www.portal.com/~chan/orgs/pro/ 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" _________________________________________________________________