Well their claiming that they are gaining momentum. Are they really? Are we doing enough to counter their attacks?
Less Than Two Weeks
to Stop the NRA's Immunity Bill
We have less than two weeks left to stop the NRA from giving legal immunity to Bull's Eye Shooter Supply, the gun dealer that "lost" the assault rifle used by the D.C. snipers. Don't let it happen.
Look below to see the New York Times story on what the NRA is trying to do to protect one of the country's most reckless dealers, Bull's Eye.
We're making major progress. Momentum is building. Our advertising campaign began with a full-page ad in the Washington Post last week and there's more to come. TV ads will begin running at the end of this week.
There's still more to do. Here's how you can help:
Contribute to the campaign
And if you have already given please consider giving again. click here
Sign the petition we are sending to Congress click here
Forward this e-mail to a friend click here
Stay tuned for more details.
Published in the New York Times: February 16, 2004
Police Chiefs Campaign to Fight Senate Bill That Would Protect Gun Dealers
By FOX BUTTERFIELD
A large number of police chiefs and other law enforcement officials have joined gun control advocates in a campaign to defeat a Senate bill that would grant gun makers and dealers almost total immunity from lawsuits.
The bill, which is strongly supported by the National Rifle Association, is scheduled for a Senate vote in early March but could come up for a vote even sooner. As many as 59 senators have signed on as sponsors, only one vote shy of the number needed to defeat any attempt at a filibuster. A similar bill passed easily in the House last fall.
The police officials' campaign began last week when Chief William J. Bratton of the Los Angeles Police Department held a news conference there denouncing the bill. Chief Bratton and 80 other police officials then signed a letter to the Senate expressing their opposition. At the same time, a full-page advertisement featuring a photograph of Chief Bratton and paid for by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence appeared in The Washington Post.
The advertisement is expected to appear soon in other major newspapers and on television, and Chief Bratton, the former New York City police commissioner, said he would go to Washington to lobby senators.
The campaign is supported by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, which represents the chiefs of police in the 50 largest cities.
"To give gun manufacturers and dealers immunity from lawsuits is crazy," Chief Bratton said in a telephone interview.
"If you give them immunity," he added, "what incentive do they have to make guns with safer designs, or what incentive do the handful of bad dealers have to follow the law when they sell guns?"
"This is not about doing away with guns, but about trying to ensure the safety of police officers and the American public," said Chief Bratton, who was police commissioner in New York City in the early 1990's when there was a sharp drop in homicides, as there was last year in Los Angeles under Chief Bratton.
But a spokesman for the N.R.A., Andrew Arulanandam, said most rank-and-file police officers supported the bill, and he dismissed Chief Bratton's criticism as ill informed.
"My response is, Chief Bratton ought to hire better lawyers," Mr. Arulanandam said.
Mr. Arulanandam said the bill "would not grant blanket immunity to every dealer and manufacturer," because in cases where a dealer or gun maker violated a state or federal law, a person could still sue.
Both Chief Bratton and lawyers familiar with the bill challenged Mr. Arulanandam's interpretation of the legislation, saying it does bestow immunity on the gun industry.
The wording is important, because the N.R.A. began pushing the bill to thwart lawsuits against the gun industry brought by nearly two dozen cities and counties. Of the 23 original lawsuits, 14 have been dismissed by courts, but 9 are pending, including suits in Cleveland; Chicago; Gary, Ind.; St. Louis; New York; Los Angeles; and San Francisco.
One lawsuit that could be jeopardized by the immunity bill has been brought by the families of eight of the people killed in the Washington-area sniper shootings. That suit, filed against Bull's Eye Shooter Supply, the gun shop in Tacoma, Wash., where the snipers' Bushmaster XM-15 rifle originated, and against the manufacturer, is scheduled for trial this fall.
According to an opinion written by Lloyd N. Cutler, a Washington lawyer who was just named by President Bush to the panel that will investigate intelligence failures before the war in Iraq, "The bill, if enacted, would require dismissal."
Mr. Cutler's opinion was sought by the Brady Campaign and a copy of it was provided to The New York Times.
Mr. Cutler said the bill would lead to dismissal of the suit because neither Bull's Eye nor Bushmaster violated a federal or state law in connection with the rifle, as would be required by the immunity bill. Although Bull's Eye was found by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to have lost 238 guns from its inventory, with no record of them being sold, the only evidence about how the snipers got the rifle was a statement by one, Lee Malvo, that he shoplifted the gun.
Both snipers, John A. Muhammad and Mr. Malvo, were prohibited by law from buying the gun "” Mr. Muhammad because he was under a domestic restraining order and Mr. Malvo because he was a juvenile. But since there was no record the store sold them the gun, it cannot be charged with a violation of the gun laws, Mr. Cutler said.
Instead of charging the store with a legal violation, the lawsuit alleges negligence in the store's handling of its inventory, a claim made under common law doctrine, Mr. Cutler said. Yet negligence is not a violation of law, so the bill would force dismissal of the suit, he said.
Click here to read the entire New York Times article (registration required)
If the Senate passes this bill, the families of D.C. sniper victims would have their cases against Bull's Eye thrown out of court. Voting yes on this bill means letting Bull's Eye off the hook. Voting no on this bill means holding Bull's Eye accountable for its negligence and misconduct.
With your help, we can stop this reckless bill from becoming a reality. We have less than two weeks to accomplish our goal, so time is of the essence.
Contribute to the campaign
Our efforts include print and television ads, major news coverage, and mobilization of grass-roots supporters. click here
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Thanks for your support.
MillionMomMarch.com
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i hate to bash on MMM because the heart is in the right place they are trying to save lives children etc..
but there problem is the are letting there emotions run there campaign instead of there brains so they spout usless BS that quite franky is annoying to many
if they are so worried about gun safety why are they not funding just that GUN EDUCATION and PROJECT CHILDSAFE
instead they are trying to put the screws to some ma and pop gun store because it is where some f#$%head bought a gun and used it in a crime
i do my best to educate people about these types of organizations i just wish there were more people that would listen
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I just love animals, they taste great.
i hate to bash on MMM because the heart is in the right place they are trying to save lives children etc..
Not me! I don't believe that they give a Rats behind about childrens safety. I will say that some of their followers or supporters surely have this in mind, but not the leaders of the organization. It was started by a good friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton to try to gain support for the 2000 election of Al Gore and it backfired. NOTHING they have EVER done lends itself to EDUCATING KIDS about gun safety. Actually NO anti-gun or"gun safety"organization has.And the one organization that does promote gun safety they try to destroy.The NRA!If they want to save the lives of kids maybe they should start telling parents to spend time with their kids and do things with their kids instead of using Nintendo or Sega or X-Box as built in baby sitters.
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Hoyt Carbon Element RKT Blackout
Axcel Armourtech HD Sights
Easton Arrows
United Bowhunters of Pa. Member
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
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