Shoot to deceive

When is an anti-gunner a pro-gun advocate? The obvious answer is never, but that’s too simple a response. The actual answer is “any time a member of the media wants to portray the anti-gunner in a pro-gun light”. Take, for example, a new article in The New Republic entitled “Gun Crazy: The Revolt Against the NRA” by Michael Blanding. Blanding, a freelance writer from Boston, profiles the group calling itself American Hunters and Shooters Association. AHSA bills itself as a “moderate alternative to the NRA”, but in reality it’s an organization founded by leaders in the anti-gun movement who have strong ties to the Brady Campaign.

Blanding’s article calls John Rosenthal, the president of AHSA’s foundation, a “Boston real estate developer who served a stint on the board of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.” But the article also quotes Rosenthal as saying he left the Brady Campaign because of the organization’s “extreme anti-gun stance”. Blanding leaves out any mention of the fact that Rosenthal created, and still runs, the Massachusetts-based outfit known as Stop Handgun Violence. Despite the fact that Blanding is from Boston, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps Rosenthal didn’t volunteer that information and Blanding simply didn’t do his research. Then I found an article in Boston Magazine from February 2006 entitled “Straight Shooter”. It’s a glowing profile of John Rosenthal, complete with many mentions of his work with Stop Handgun Violence, and Michael Blanding wrote it.

In May of this year Blanding wrote another piece for Boston Magazine called “The Ways of the Gun”, in which he makes the case that Boston’s rising crime rate is the fault of other states with less restrictive gun laws. In that article Blanding describes Rosenthal as an “anti-gun activist”, but now he’s a pro-gun moderate alternative to the NRA. Why? Because Blanding didn’t write a TNR article about the need for more gun control, he wrote an article about liberals trying to woo gun-owners. To accurately portray Rosenthal as someone who helped pass Massachusetts’ Gun Control Act of 1998 does nothing to win the hearts and minds of gun owners.

Blanding commits the same sin of omission when describing AHSA’s Executive Director, Robert Ricker. Ricker is described as “a former NRA general counsel and lobbyist for the firearms industry”, which is incorrect. Ricker spent a brief period of time as one of the attorneys in the General Counsel’s office, but was never general counsel himself. Blanding fails to mention that Ricker switched sides, so to speak, back in the late 1990’s, and has since testified as an expert witness for those hoping to hold gun manufacturers and sellers responsible for the actions of criminals. Chris Cox, NRA-ILA’s Executive Director, wrote an article about AHSA (found here) in which he details testimony Ricker gave in a 2005 deposition. Ricker testified that his two biggest clients were the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence (part of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence) and the group Virginians for Public Safety. Ricker also testified that AHSA was another of his clients, and paid him $3,000 a month for his services. Again, Blanding apparently didn’t want to let his readers know Ricker’s entire background.

I realize that for Blanding, AHSA represents a new and exciting attempt to mislead gun owners (we’re talking about a writer who once penned a “Culture of Life Top Ten” wish list for the ultra-lefty Alternet, in which he expressed his desire that Congress would pass Massachusetts-style gun control laws). New or not, AHSA is trying to deceive gun owners into buying into an anti-gun movement and to give anti-gun politicians a bit of pro-gun cover. From the tens of thousands of dollars its leaders have donated to candidates like Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and Nancy Pelosi to the fact that the press contact for this supposedly non-partisan organization is also the head of the Fairfax City (Virginia) Democratic Committee, American Hunters and Shooters Association isn’t out to protect your rights. They’re out to deceive you, and Michael Blanding appears happy to help.

whew! thanks, I was not sure if I was posting right or if I should just jump in or not. I am kinda new to this computer posting thing but I have my battle honors being blocked by some liberal sites who I just did not see eye to eye with at all.
I believe that any politician who gets elected to uphold the Constitution then enacts or votes for anti-2nd ammendment bills should be thrown out and jailed for violating the oath.
Like I said my first awakening way back that I despised liberal ideology is when they went after the 2nd. I have been shooting responsibly and safely since I was four so I have about 46 years of experience to pretty much know what I am talking about. I am no expert but I do know that firearms ownership by resposible citizen's is NOT the problem. Anti- 2nd ammendment politicians are.
thanks for the welcome!

Sorry about that. I am reposting the John Lott URL directly from his site; I have just checked it in Preview mode and it is live. To save time I am posting the text below. If you search his archives for August 2005 he has several postings on AHSA starting on the thrid. The one below has the best info:

http://johnrlott.tripod.com/2005/08/democrats-change-registration-of-fake.html

8/6/2005
Democrats change registration of fake website used to support gun control policies.

On August 3rd I posted some information that appears to indicate that Democrats had set up what appears to be a gun owners website that advocates some of the Democrats favorite gun control regulations. In some ways this site reminds me of the fradulent website that gun control advocates set up during 2003 where they pretended to be me and send out emails under my name. A friend of mine has done some additional searching today about the www.huntersandshooters.com website and sent me an update indicating that some aspects of the site's registration have been changing:

"1. The web site huntersandshooters.com is presently (8-5-2005) registered
through GoDaddy.com to one Robert Ricker at a PO box in Frederick, MD. . . .

4. [This friend] can confirm that "the" Ricker has indeed shown up to give anti-gun
testimony before legislative committees in Annapolis, as recently as the
most recent session (which ended in April.) He has a Maryland connection.

5. . . . [This friend now finds] at least one anti-gun group link to huntersandshooters.com."

Ken Maurer writes me that:

"First, Bob Ricker is listed on the web site as one of their Executive Director, complete with a bio that reads as if he's one of the movers and shakers of "the gun lobby". Jody Powell (from Carter's White House staff) is also listed as one of their leaders, while Joe Rosenthal is listed as their Foundation Director. (This probably means that anyone trying to follow the money trail would discover he's the primary funder of the effort.) Finally, while both have been changed to Bob Ricker now as you indicated, when I checked their "whois" information on 8/1 the administrative and technical contacts for their site were listed as being DCCongressional."
posted by John Lott at 12:09 AM

More from John Lott on AHSA and DLC (Democrat Leadership Council relationships):

http://johnrlott.tripod.com/2005_08_01_johnrlott_archive.html

8/3/2005
Democrats set up fake organizations to support gun control policies

Below is some information that was sent to me. I haven't had time to check these claims out.

UPDATE: Other updated discussions on this misleading website can be found at here and here. The first link has information by Dan Z that, among other things, "American Hunters and Shooters Association's (AHSA) president, John E. Rosenthal, is also the founder of Stop Handgun Violence, Inc."

Democratic Leadership Council use PR firm to push more Gun Laws

A Washington based PR Firm called DCS - Internet Advocacy Group thats used by a list of who's who in the Democrat party as well as the official PR firm for the Democrat leadership Council (DLC) that Sen. Hillary Clinton is the 'Chair' member as well as reportedly hand pick DCS to do ALL of the DLC PR work.

DCS Has register a bogus 'Pro-Gun' sportsmen group in the attempt to make it appear as hunters and trap shooters are in favor of Assault weapon 'bans as well as other anti gun related issues.

By creating this made up group called The American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA), who will inevitably be used in future Democrat led anti gun campaigns in the near future as so called 'expert' witnesses or a 'sane' voice of sportsmen. just so the anti gun democrats can grandstand for gun control non-issues via their willing accomplishes in the press. I'd imagine the closer we get to the '08' presidential election the more (AHSA) will be in the news.

Dick Morris , former Clinton PR man has stated numerously how the Democrats and Sen. Hillary have personally created made up Internet based advocacy groups repeatedly in the past to drum up false public support to site at their press conferences and Senate hearings, just so the Democrats will get their names put out in the news. According to Morris, During the Clinton administration there was a brainstorming group under then first lady Hillary's oversight inside the white house who did this kind of fabricated PR all the time.

So who did DCS make as the head of their bogus gun group, well none other than John Rosenthal, Co founder of Stop Handgun Violence (SHV). SHV has supported every anti-second amendment rights bill since the organizations creation.The personal pet anti gun group of the anti-gun Democrats.

The following background on all involved was uncovered.

[1.] The bogus Pro gun group: The American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA) is located at: 600 Pennsylvania Ave SE, suite 200, Washington, District of Columbia 20003 As listed on their website and on their domain name registration.

Its domain name: http://www.huntersandshooters.com was registered on 25-Apr-05 by Registrant:DCS - Internet Advocacy Group, 600 Pennsylvania Ave SE,suite 200,Washington, District of Columbia

20003 As listed on DCS website and on their domain name registration.
DCS website is located here: http://dcscongressional.com/

[2.] The Democrat Leadership Council http://www.dlc.org/
is located at: 600 Pennsylvania Ave SE, suite 400, Washington, District of Columbia 20003 As listed on their website and on their domain name registration.

[3.] The PR Firm called DCS- Internet Advocacy Group http://dcscongressional.com/
is located at: 600 Pennsylvania Ave SE, suite 200, Washington, District of Columbia 20003

[4.] So ALL three groups:The Democrat leadership council (DLC) , DCS - Internet Advocacy Group and The American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA) Are located in the same building and all three groups are pushing to take away your rights via their made up causes for the sake of getting their faces in the news.

According to Bernstein Management Corp. the Property Managements website: http://www.bernsteinmgmt.com/
Location: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC,
Contact Number: (202) 363-6301 Austin Herndon

Please click through on the main link to get the original source for this.
posted by John Lott at 3:00 PM

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