The N.R.A. Is Naming Names

The New York Times ^ | 10-13-03 | BOB HERBERT

[johnny7]

The National Rifle Association doesn't call it an enemies list, but deep in the recesses of the organization's Web site is a long, long compilation of the names of groups and individuals that the N.R.A. considers unfriendly.

I'm happy to report that I'm on the list, but my name is truly one among very many. The A.F.L.-C.I.O. is there, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Children's Defense Fund and the Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs are there. The United States Catholic Conference, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Y.W.C.A. of the U.S.A. are all there.

Among the celebrities on the list are Dr. Joyce Brothers, Candice Bergen, Walter Cronkite, Doug Flutie, Michelle Pfeiffer, Vinny Testaverde, Moon Zappa and the Temptations. Also on the list are the Kansas City Chiefs, Hallmark Cards, the Sara Lee Corporation, Ben & Jerry's, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. I'm sure there's a method to the N.R.A. madness, but to tell you the truth, all I can see is the madness.

All of the groups and individuals listed are supposed to be anti-gun. I can't speak for the Kansas City Chiefs or Moon Zappa, but I'm not anti-gun. I think soldiers, the police and certain other law enforcement officials should have guns. Civilians, however, should be required to demonstrate a good reason for having firearms. We should go to great lengths to keep guns out of the hands of children, criminals and insane people. All guns should be registered. And all gun owners should be properly trained and licensed. The N.R.A. sees this as a radical, even lunatic position. So I guess we're at odds.

I asked Andrew Arulanandam, the N.R.A.'s director of public affairs, why the list had been compiled and displayed on the Web site. He said, "We put the list together in response to many requests by our members wanting to know which organizations support the rights of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms, and which organizations didn't." I asked what he thought his members would do with the information. He said, "How they use the information is at their own discretion."

I recently read Jules Witcover's book "The Year the Dream Died: Revisiting 1968 in America." The murders that year of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were among the great tragedies of U.S. history. Both were killed by freaks with guns. What is not so well known now is that President Lyndon Johnson tried, in the aftermath of the murders, to get Congress to pass legislation requiring the registration of guns and the licensing of owners. The gun lobby fought and killed that effort, and it continues to fight to the death any attempt to bring sanity to the manufacture, sale and possession of guns. Between 1968, the year of Johnson's failure to get his legislation passed, and 2001, the last year for which complete statistics are available, more than one million Americans were killed by firearms.

No number of gun-related fatalities or serious injuries is sufficient to deter the N.R.A. from its fanatical course. A former N.R.A. lawyer has admitted in an affidavit in a lawsuit that distributors and gun dealers have for years been illegally diverting guns that end up in the hands of criminals, and that the industry has closed its eyes to the practice.

Instead of fighting to end this threat to the public's safety, the gun lobby and its allies in Congress are pushing legislation that would protect the practice by granting special immunity from liability to gun manufacturers and sellers.

The big item on the legislative agenda next year is the federal assault-weapons ban signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994. Because of a sunset provision, the law will expire next September if it is not renewed by Congress and the president. The gun lobby has made it clear that it will do all in its power to bury the ban. The plan is to not even let the issue come up for a vote.

The N.R.A. Web site and its enemies list (which looks like nothing so much as a broad cross-section of America) has led inevitably to a counter Web site, nrablacklist.com, created by a group called stopthenra.com. In addition to facing off against the gun lobby on legislative matters, the new group and its site are inviting people to volunteer for a spot on the N.R.A. enemies list. Ah, free expression. 

[bitcon]

Ya I think it was said by Jefferson. I did a search of the quote and the results were mostly Jefferson, only one I saw said Paine.

I guess the paper made a mistake.

This is why you should keep your college texts.

[FreedomPoster]

Nice.

It is worth reminding everyone that Levi-Strauss makes the Dockers line of clothing as well.

[xzins]

Civilians, however, should be required to demonstrate a good reason for having firearms.

My good reason is my right of self-defense granted me by God and spelled out in the 2nd amendment.

The author's an idiot.

[johnny7]

Yea... but in the primary, I'm voting for Dean.

[GiovannaNicoletta]

keep

[Joe Brower]

[nightdriver]

I wonder how many of these anti-gunners have guns themselves.

I also wonder how many of those movie actors have just signed on to the anti-gun list in order to please some subversive socialist movie producer.

[FreePaul]

I'm not anti-first amendment.
I do think that anyone who writes for public consumption should have to demonstrate that there is a need for their writing, that they are trained in the art of communication and have only lawful intentions.
They should be required to demonstrate their abilities and qualifications to the federal government, state government and any other municipal authority which wants to become involved.
The license to write should only be issued to those free of any criminal convictions, charges or suspicions.
Any writing materials should be available only to holders of a federal writers license.
In order to transmit any written material the writer must have a concealed carry license from local authorities if so required.

These would not infringe upon the rights guaranteed by the first amendment but would act to protect the citizens, especially the children, from injury caused by exposure to dangerous writing.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Civilians, however, should be required to demonstrate a good reason for having firearms.

On his way back to mainland China, Bob Herbert said he wipes his butt with the US Constitution.

[556x45]

What he said:
"but I'm not anti-gun. I think soldiers, the police and certain other law enforcement officials should have guns. Civilians, however, should be required to demonstrate a good reason for having firearms."

really means:
I'm not antigun. I think various govt agencies that can be politically controlled should have them. I also think I should have them as well. However, the guy next door shouldn't. He can't be trusted. I'm completely trustworthy though b/c I'm morally superior.

What he said:
"We should go to great lengths to keep guns out of the hands of children, criminals and insane people. All guns should be registered. And all gun owners should be properly trained and licensed."

really means:
We should kill or permanently imprison anyone who doesn't think 'gun control' is right. We should have the power to snoop in their everyday affairs w/o restraint. This is reasonable b/c these are dangerous people. Further more children should be indoctrinated w/ the anti-gun message early. Then, later in life, they'll follow the party line w/o question or thought. Those very few squeaky clean who can still qualify to own a gun should be registered and required to continue to jump thru endless hoops. If this doesn't discourage them then we'll make more laws to make them criminals. Those of us who are morally superior should be allowed to own guns w/o restriction. After all we're very important people.

What he said:
"No number of gun-related fatalities or serious injuries is sufficient to deter the N.R.A. from its fanatical course."

really means:
Any gun related injury or fatality is an excuse to make sure common people are prohibited from owning guns.

What he said:
"Instead of fighting to end this threat to the public's safety, the gun lobby and its allies in Congress are pushing legislation that would protect the practice by granting special immunity from liability to gun manufacturers and sellers."

really means:
I have no facts to back my position so I'll write amorphous feel good tripe to make those doing the right thing look bad. If I were in charge I would do the right thing for myself b/c I'm morally superior and more important.

What he said:
"The N.R.A. Web site and its enemies list (which looks like nothing so much as a broad cross-section of America)"

really means:
Only commies and enemies of the US are on this list. How insensitive of them. Why can't the commoners see the error of their ways and join us of superior ideology?

What he said:
"the new group and its site are inviting people to volunteer for a spot on the N.R.A. enemies list. Ah, free expression."

really means:
I think the NRA and its agents should be outlawed b/c they've making me look bad. I agree w/ Bill Clinton that the avg American has too many freedoms. We should limit them severely. What they really need is a ruling class to guide them thru life. We, the liberals, are the right choice to be that ruling class b/c we're mroally superior.

[johnny7]

Absolutely! I'm not for taking the right to vote away from women either.

I do think that anyone who wears a bra and panties should be able to name our 3 branches of federal government, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate before entering the voting booth.

[556x45]

LOL! Thats a tough one. Likely nearly all either own guns and/or employ armed guards. After all, they're really important....and youre not.

[sport]

bump

[Mo1]

All of the groups and individuals listed are supposed to be anti-gun. I can't speak for the Kansas City Chiefs or Moon Zappa, but I'm not anti-gun. I think soldiers, the police and certain other law enforcement officials should have guns. Civilians, however, should be required to demonstrate a good reason for having firearms. We should go to great lengths to keep guns out of the hands of children, criminals and insane people. All guns should be registered

Sorry .. but he IS anti-guns

And when did we start selling guns to children??

[PuNcH]

The National Rifle Association doesn't call it an enemies list, but deep in the recesses of the organization's Web site is a long, long compilation of the names of groups and individuals that the N.R.A. considers unfriendly.

I'm sure there's a method to the N.R.A. madness, but to tell you the truth, all I can see is the madness.

All of the groups and individuals listed are supposed to be anti-gun. I can't speak for the Kansas City Chiefs or Moon Zappa, but I'm not anti-gun. - blithers Bob Herbert

You are anti 2nd amendment. What the list is for, dumbass, is to avoid supporting or spending money towards those that would like to attack our constitutional rights. So you can stop boggling over the obvious now.

[Blueflag]

When guns are outlawed only the government will have (legal) guns. And THAT is the reason individuals MUST, per the Constitution, be allowed to have guns.

[Kudsman]

YAAG. I fear that your satire will go unheeded by the author however. Buying into the agenda purchases him exemption as one of the elite doesn't it? After all I'm sure he would be right in line to become a Government registered writer, therefore an integral part of any good dictatorial certain other law enforcement officials.

Very important that he make that distinction between the police and certain other law enforcement officials

BTW love your 'spotlight'. KUTGW.

[ccmay]

That is 28,571 people per year. I don't believe that for a second.

Homicides, no. Counting suicides, he may be right.

-ccm

[Blueflag]

xzins -- u ever show up on other genre as "x_sin" ?

If that's you, then "HOOAA!"

[Kudsman]

Levi Strauss & Co. Robert D. Haas, Chairman Philip Marineau, CEO Peter A. Jacobi, President and COO 1155 Battery St. San Francisco, CA 94111 (415) 501-6000 FAX (415) 501-3939 www.levistraus.com Clothing

Oh man. You had to go and do that! My little world is going to be all messed up today. Tanks alot! Those 501's were real comfortable. And now someone from the VOA will be wearing darn good Dockers. Navy and Khaki. I hope you are happy. I-)