Posted on 11/06/2003 8:46:00 AM PST by neverdem
Edited on 05/07/2004 6:01:30 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
"Fifty Caliber Institute Update – Gun Grabbers on the Attack
In this update:
1. VPC uses liberal media allies for new attack on the 50
2. City of Long Beach, CA passes ban on 50 sales
3. Election 2003 – What are the results for the 50?
1. VPC uses liberal allies for new attack on the 50
If you want to scout out any potential enemy activity by the VPC, all you have to do is scan the New York Times. Preceding nearly every anti-gun effort launched by the VPC is a ‘timely’ article in the New York Times about the subject.
This practice held true over the weekend, when the Times ran an anti-50 piece, digging up the same old recycled and tired VPC arguments about the 50.
There is now new event to trigger this reporting, no new incident with a 50, it’s simply the result of a cozy relationship between a couple of America’s most extremist anti-gun groups, the Violence Policy Center and the New York Times.
But VPC didn’t stop with their gun banning pals in New York, the also farmed out a bogus article through a subscription publication that purports to provide news about aviation safety.
This so-called aviation safety article read like a bad screenplay, as it described the dangers of 50 caliber rifles being wielded by terrorist sniper teams who target jetliners parked on the runway, igniting fuel tanks with fireball inducing explosions.
Despite the best efforts of VPC and their allies in the press to produce a terrorist ‘how to’ manual, the only danger in the scenarios put forth is that they have all the makings of a really bad action movie.
The reality is that there never has been a documented attack on US jetliners or military aircraft anywhere in the world with a 50 caliber target rifle.
Terrorists seem to prefer the SA-7 heat seeking shoulder fired surface to air missile, which happens to be available on the black market for less than many 50 caliber target rifles, has ten times the range and is far easier to use.
But reality, facts, logic and sound judgment are no barrier to those seeking to grab headlines by grabbing your guns.
That’s why liberal Democratic Senators pushed through legislation extending a ten year ban on “x-ray invisible” plastic guns that can evade airport metal detectors and x-ray machines.
With these devices existing only in the imagination of anti-gun extremists like Ted Kennedy and Chuck Schumer, it’s no wonder that the threat they pose is beyond imagination.
The Fifty Caliber Institute has been hard at work preparing a thorough debunking of the ridiculous claims made by VPC.
We’ve been working with experts in aviation, the oil and chemical storage industry, experts in ballistic armor, as well as current and former members of America’s special operations community to compile the most authoritative data on the subject.
These unimpeachable sources have provided us with clear and convincing evidence to refute the lies put forth by those seeking to ban these rifles.
We’re in the process of preparing this report for publication, in cooperation with other noted experts from the gun rights community and will share it with you as soon as possible.
2. City of Long Beach Passes 50 Caliber Ordinance
Long Beach, CA recently passed an ordinance that bans the sale or transfer of 50 caliber rifles within city limits, as well as a resolution supporting the efforts for a statewide ban.
The Fifty Caliber Institute had worked diligently to fight the Long Beach proposal, and we lost in a narrow one vote margin. Since blocking the statewide ban this summer, the Fifty Caliber Institute has been busy with a number of local efforts to ban or restrict the 50 caliber target rifle.
3. Election 2003 – How the results affect you and your guns
A number of states held off year elections this November which will impact the debate over 50 caliber target rifles. California replaced a Democrat supporter of gun control with a Republican supporter of gun control.
On its face, this offers no change to the status quo of gun rights, however the extremely partisan nature of this fight in CA might allow for slight improvement.
Governor Arnold has a lot of learning to do when it comes to California public policy issues, and firearms rights are included. While the Governor has indicated a willingness to support a 50 ban, his office may be more receptive to reasoned discussion than that of Governor Davis.
We’ll be fighting hard, but not holding our breath.
Republican victories in Mississippi and Kentucky will offer gains for gun owners. Both Republican candidates held stronger pro-gun views than their Democratic opponents.
More important than the impact on gun rights in just those two states is the impact of these gains on the national Democratic Party. Lately it has been the talk of Capitol Hill that Democrats are learning to avoid the gun control issue like a bad case of SARS!
Perhaps some key gun victories in states that used to be governed by Democrats will reinforce that view.
On the down side, anti-gun Democrats won control of the New Jersey Senate. This chamber had been split 50-50 on party lines and now is in complete Democrat control. New Jersey has seen attempts to ban 50’s and will likely be a target for gun grabbing in the near future.
Stay tuned for more information that affects your 50’s and your rights!
Sincerely
John Burtt
Chairman
Michael Marks
Executive Director" Fifty Caliber Institute
I dare say, the '89 AWB in CA was more resposible than any other one thing to pass literally millions more of semi auto rifles into the hands of private citizenry.
Last count had the subsequent rate of registration of "outlawed" guns in the low teen thou's, something they are not too keen on stating out loud, or in any major media outlet.
Since then, every time another (illegal) law passes, from the time it passes until it becomes law, the firearms that the particular law effects are snapped up faster than corn by a hungry flock of chickens. The passed laws have done more to arm the citizenry than if laws were actually passed to make it mandatory to posess a firearm or face jail time. Talk about unintended consequences.:-)
Reversing the trend of these legislative acts of treason and then erasing them off the books must be preceeded by first slowing them down. To do so requires (unfortunately)the cooperation of a majority of voters, who must first be convinced that firearms are tools, nothing more, and in fact can and are used far more for good than bad.
Regards your 50, I am definately envious.
Done!
Molon Labe!
Hat-Trick
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