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      Americans For Gun Safety Is A True Anti-Gun Group=20
      Recently a new anti-gun group has surfaced as a threat to gun =
ownership. Americans For Gun Safety bills itself as a "common sense" =
organization, but is really just as extreme as any other anti-gun group. =
Below is the text of a letter from ILA Executive Director James Jay =
Baker to members of Congress explaining this fact.=20
      February 15, 2001=20

      Dear Member of Congress:=20

      In the next few days you may see advertising from a new gun =
control activist group called "Americans for Gun Safety" (AGS). We would =
like to offer a little background information to keep their efforts in =
perspective.=20

      Despite the moderate rhetoric and flashy ads, as a "rose by any =
other name," AGS smells a lot like longtime gun ban lobby Handgun =
Control, Inc. (HCI). AGS is the brainchild of its principal donor, =
Andrew McKelvey, a former HCI board member who became disillusioned with =
his old organization's continued ineffectiveness. His strategy for =
building AGS is an old-fashioned hostile takeover: offer local anti-gun =
groups sorely needed funding for their operations, in return for their =
affiliation. So far, about 26 state groups-mostly longtime HCI =
affiliates-have joined.=20

      AGS is staffed, in turn, by Jonathan Cowan, former chief of staff =
to former HUD Secretary (and current New York gubernatorial candidate) =
Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo, of course, was the Clinton Administration's leading =
proponent of blackmailing the firearms industry into ill-advised =
"settlements" by threatening prolonged and expensive litigation over =
their design and marketing practices. Additionally, Cuomo hatched the =
plan to waste millions of taxpayer dollars on gun turn-in schemes, which =
had been found by the Administration's own Department of Justice to be =
ineffective in reducing crime. This ill-advised plan was also so clearly =
unauthorized by law that it drew a sharp rebuke from HUD's Inspector =
General.=20

      Personnel aside, AGS's claim to reflect a "third way" in the gun =
debate rings hollow upon analysis of materials distributed to their =
state affiliates. I have enclosed a few pages from the materials =
distributed at a recent AGS meeting which indicate their real "top =
national priority": "passage of licensing and/or registration in the =
next Congress."=20

      I hope this information is helpful to you in evaluating AGS and =
its proposals. Needless to say, the National Rifle Association remains =
committed to the same principles as always, promoting the safe and =
responsible use of firearms by law-abiding Americans and the swift and =
sure punishment of violent criminals.=20

      Sincerely,=20

      James Jay Baker=20
      Executive Director=20
    =20
      Posted: 2001-02-15 =20




-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
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Having difficulty finding ILA-related info?
Try our FAQ Sheet=20
NRAILA.org is maintained for the NRA by
Mainstream Electronic Information Services.

Homepage established 1994 by the NRA Institute for Legislative Action
11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030=20

Copyright 2001, National Rifle Association of America, Institute for =
Legislative Action
This may be reproduced. It may not be reproduced for commercial =
purposes.=20




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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.nraila.org/show.cgi?page=3D/federal/20010215-GeneralIn=
fo-002.shtml">http://www.nraila.org/show.cgi?page=3D/federal/20010215-Gen=
eralInfo-002.shtml</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>
<TABLE width=3D"100%" border=3D0>
  <TBODY>
  <TR>
    <TD align=3Dmiddle colSpan=3D2>
      <H3>Americans For Gun Safety Is A True Anti-Gun =
Group</H3></TD></TR>
  <TR>
    <TD colSpan=3D2><B>Recently a new anti-gun group has surfaced as a =
threat to=20
      gun ownership. Americans For Gun Safety bills itself as a "common =
sense"=20
      organization, but is really just as extreme as any other anti-gun =
group.=20
      Below is the text of a letter from ILA Executive Director James =
Jay Baker=20
      to members of Congress explaining this fact.</B>=20
      <P>February 15, 2001=20
      <P>Dear Member of Congress:=20
      <P>In the next few days you may see advertising from a new gun =
control=20
      activist group called "Americans for Gun Safety" (AGS). We would =
like to=20
      offer a little background information to keep their efforts in=20
      perspective.=20
      <P>Despite the moderate rhetoric and flashy ads, as a "rose by any =
other=20
      name," AGS smells a lot like longtime gun ban lobby Handgun =
Control, Inc.=20
      (HCI). AGS is the brainchild of its principal donor, Andrew =
McKelvey, a=20
      former HCI board member who became disillusioned with his old=20
      organization's continued ineffectiveness. His strategy for =
building AGS is=20
      an old-fashioned hostile takeover: offer local anti-gun groups =
sorely=20
      needed funding for their operations, in return for their =
affiliation. So=20
      far, about 26 state groups&#8212;mostly longtime HCI =
affiliates&#8212;have joined.=20
      <P>AGS is staffed, in turn, by Jonathan Cowan, former chief of =
staff to=20
      former HUD Secretary (and current New York gubernatorial =
candidate) Andrew=20
      Cuomo. Cuomo, of course, was the Clinton Administration's leading=20
      proponent of blackmailing the firearms industry into ill-advised=20
      "settlements" by threatening prolonged and expensive litigation =
over their=20
      design and marketing practices. Additionally, Cuomo hatched the =
plan to=20
      waste millions of taxpayer dollars on gun turn-in schemes, which =
had been=20
      found by the Administration's own Department of Justice to be =
ineffective=20
      in reducing crime. This ill-advised plan was also so clearly =
unauthorized=20
      by law that it drew a sharp rebuke from HUD's Inspector General.=20
      <P>Personnel aside, AGS's claim to reflect a "third way" in the =
gun debate=20
      rings hollow upon analysis of materials distributed to their state =

      affiliates. I have enclosed a few pages from the materials =
distributed at=20
      a recent AGS meeting which indicate their real "top national =
priority":=20
      "passage of licensing and/or registration in the next Congress."=20
      <P>I hope this information is helpful to you in evaluating AGS and =
its=20
      proposals. Needless to say, the National Rifle Association remains =

      committed to the same principles as always, promoting the safe and =

      responsible use of firearms by law-abiding Americans and the swift =
and=20
      sure punishment of violent criminals.=20
      <P>Sincerely,=20
      <P>James Jay Baker <BR>Executive Director </P></TD></TR>
  <TR>
    <TD><FONT size=3D-3>Posted: 2001-02-15</FONT></TD>
    <TD align=3Dright></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P></P>
<CENTER>
<P>
<HR noShade SIZE=3D1>
<FONT size=3D-2>Having difficulty finding ILA-related info?<BR>Try our =
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.nraila.org/grassroots/19990813-GeneralInfo-015.html">F=
AQ=20
Sheet</A>=20
<P>NRAILA.org is maintained for the NRA by<BR></FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://www.mainstream.net/"><FONT size=3D-2>Mainstream =
Electronic=20
Information Services</FONT></A><FONT size=3D-2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.nraila.org/archive.shtml">.</A></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D-2>Homepage established 1994 by the NRA Institute for =
Legislative=20
Action<BR>11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030=20
<P>Copyright 2001, National Rifle Association of America, Institute for=20
Legislative Action<BR>This may be reproduced. It may not be reproduced =
for=20
commercial purposes. </P>
<P></FONT>&nbsp;</P></CENTER></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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