That's right, I said extortion. What other name could apply, when a privately-owned company being threatened with crippling (though based on flawed logic) lawsuits is approached by top-level government officials, who offer (partial) amnesty in exchange for certain provisions? Extortion, blackmail, call it what you will. It all reeks with the same offensive odor.

Consider, if you will, a President of the United States of America who will stoop so low as to use the murder of a little girl to advance his political agenda. A President who, already an acknowledged and well-known liar, tries to use the tragedy of shootings on school grounds to solidify a strong anti-gun position. A President who, with Vice-President at his side, spouts outright lies about gun owners and the NRA on national television. Kinda makes the stomach turn, doesn't it? But it also helps bring this extortion issue into focus. It's not the lowest they'll go, by any means.

Opportunistic Distortion, Outright Lies

America's most vociferous and strongest pro-gun force, the National Rifle Association (NRA), was recently berated by Bill Clinton and Al Gore on NBC's Today Show. Attempting to play on U.S. citizens' emotions regarding children and guns, Clinton said the NRA is "basically against anything that requires anybody to do anything as a member of society that makes it safer." Lying seems to come awfully easily to our nation's "leader."

The fact is, in the past five years alone, the NRA (which includes myself) has spent twenty million dollars on gun safety, while Bill Clinton and his fellow anti-gunners haven't spent a dime! In fact, thanks to the efforts of the NRA (again, including members like myself), children's firearms accidents are at the lowest levels ever recorded in U.S. history.

I've heard it said that figures never lie, but liars sometimes figure. The latter is obviously the case when the largest part of the number cited by Clinton as "children who die from guns" actually represents gang violence and other crimes committed by violent juveniles up to 20 years old! These are the "children who die from guns?" Would trigger locks stop this?

Danger!

One of the most alarming laws being put forth for passage (other than gun registration) is the push for the locking up of guns in one's home. Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a fantasy world where we could ask home invaders for a time-out while we unlocked and loaded our guns, to better defend ourselves against them?

On the heels of this supreme lack of logic comes another issue: enforcement. Although we're seeing a marked lack of enforcement of existing gun laws, if a trigger lock or registration law were passed, I'll bet the farm that enforcement of that law (which would by necessity include unlawful search and seizure, yet another Constitutional Amendment gutted) would proceed in earnest.

Non-Enforcement of Existing Laws

The underlying theme in the Clinton-Gore assault on gun owners seems to be a combination of blatantly refusing to enforce existing laws, while showcasing and exploiting individual tragedies. By doing this, they are attempting to terrorize voters into believing that we, the gun-owning, law-abiding public, are to blame for each and every death and injury relating to guns.

The NRA has long been in favor of strong sentencing for crimes involving guns. If a criminal uses a gun in say, a robbery, then tack a mandatory sentence (ten years, for example) on to any resulting robbery sentence, just because a gun was used. Will Clinton and his Federales enforce such laws? They have shown that they will not. The result? More criminals are realizing that they can freely use guns in crimes, and if caught face only minimal penalties. This has led to more widespread use of guns by criminals, increasing anxiety and fear among the public. Perfect for anyone planning to strip the public of gun rights!

The media appears to be playing right along with the anti-gun agenda. Besides the seemingly few journalists whose concerns are obviously for the public safety, we're seeing an alarming increase in strongly biased, "take all the guns away, that oughta fix it" coverage of gun-related crimes. This serves to further panic and confuse the uninformed public, who only want to live safe, secure lives, and are often unsure of the best way to attain that goal.

Intended Results

Quite obviously, the intended end result of all of this is the removal of guns from the hands of law-abiding citizens in the U.S. Through poorly-disguised, unconstitutional means such as trigger locks and gun registration, our current leaders are leading the voters of the U.S. down the garden path of dictatorship and destruction.

Do a little research on our Founding Fathers and their respective schools of thought, and you will find that their intention was clear: Armed people are citizens, while unarmed people are subjects. This has been proven many times in history... must it be repeated at this time and place? How could our own country have won its independence without armed citizens to stand up against the oppression of the Crown? Are we not approaching a similarly oppressed state of the nation?

What You Can Do

Do what you can, and do it now! Do it repeatedly and often. Do what? Contact your Senators and Congressmen. This is easily done, given a proper source of info. Fortunately for us, a friend alerted me to a great site, Contacting the Congress, which provides contact info for all fifty states and then some. Send an Email, make a phone call, send a letter. Then, do it again every time you see or hear about an anti-gun scheme being hailed as a cure-all for criminal violence.

Deliver your message in simple terms - No new gun control! Demand the prosecution of violent criminals and drug dealers with guns. Let them know you've had it with Clinton-Gore's extortion and lies. Demand that congress stand by our rights and vote down anti-gun legislation. And let them know that you'll remember what they do, when the November elections roll around.

Votes are taking place in congress now, and they need to know that we care! Don't hesitate! You're not alone in this! The members of the NRA and the NRA-ILA are writing and calling also, as are those of many other groups. I just joined the Gun Owner's Task Force yesterday due to a call from Rep. Tom DeLay (R) (TX) and there are many other grassroots groups working against the anti-gun movement.

Ignorance and fear are our worst enemy! Help educate your friends and co-workers. Ask them, and everyone you know, to join us in the fight to retain our rights to freedom and self-defense!

Russ Chastain