cuchulainn
October 24, 2003, 01:08 PM
from the St. Joseph News-Press
http://www.stjoenews-press.com/Main.asp?SectionID=81&SubSectionID=272&ArticleID=46317Friday, October 24, 2003
Rep. Graves on target with gun enthusiasts
By KEN NEWTON
kenn@npgco.com
U.S. Rep. Sam Graves’ grandfather, a competitive marksman, taught him to strive for “accuracy, not precision” in his shooting. The lawmaker found his mark among some St. Joseph gun enthusiasts Thursday afternoon.
Not only did he speak to a friendly audience about Second Amendment issues at the St. Joseph Rifle and Pistol Club, the Northwest Missouri representative fired two tight five-shot groupings at a target 100 yards away.
When he inspected the results later, he found five bullet holes less than an inch apart on two separate targets.
The shooting earned him instant credibility with the 20 people gathered to hear him, though his views on gun issues preceded him.
Mr. Graves said he would continue to support individuals’ rights to keep and bear arms. And gun owners, he explained, get a friendly hearing in Washington these days.
“We’re finally in an offensive posture rather than a defensive posture when it comes to firearms,” he said. “We have a Justice Department that is more interested in prosecuting the laws that are on the books … than passing more laws on top of what we already have.”
He cited the work done by his brother, U.S. Attorney Todd Graves in Kansas City, in carrying out Operation Cease Fire, an effort to prosecute gun crimes, particularly those committed by lawbreakers with earlier felony convictions.
“For years and years and years, we heard more about how many new laws we had, and the laws we had on the books were not even being enforced,” he said.
The congressman spoke of his co-sponsorship of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which passed the U.S. House and aims to protect gun manufacturers from certain lawsuits.
The congressman said costs from these civil actions, usually filed after unlawful actions committed by third parties, threaten the livelihood of these gun makers.
Mr. Graves noted that the assault-weapons ban comes up for congressional reauthorization next year and will “expire quietly.”
The lawmaker said, “The assault-weapons ban never really accomplished anything. It was about aesthetics.”
Gary Davis of Kansas City, president emeritus of the Western Missouri Shooters Alliance, said expiration of the ban is important to gun owners in the state.
“There’s nothing more that we’d like to see than to just see it disappear, where President Bush wouldn’t even have to touch it,” he said.
Randy Herzog of St. Joseph added, “I can tell you quite honestly, as hunters and sportsmen and gun enthusiasts and Second Amendment supporters, we don’t have any better friend in Congress than Sam Graves.”
Content ©2003
http://www.stjoenews-press.com/Main.asp?SectionID=81&SubSectionID=272&ArticleID=46317Friday, October 24, 2003
Rep. Graves on target with gun enthusiasts
By KEN NEWTON
kenn@npgco.com
U.S. Rep. Sam Graves’ grandfather, a competitive marksman, taught him to strive for “accuracy, not precision” in his shooting. The lawmaker found his mark among some St. Joseph gun enthusiasts Thursday afternoon.
Not only did he speak to a friendly audience about Second Amendment issues at the St. Joseph Rifle and Pistol Club, the Northwest Missouri representative fired two tight five-shot groupings at a target 100 yards away.
When he inspected the results later, he found five bullet holes less than an inch apart on two separate targets.
The shooting earned him instant credibility with the 20 people gathered to hear him, though his views on gun issues preceded him.
Mr. Graves said he would continue to support individuals’ rights to keep and bear arms. And gun owners, he explained, get a friendly hearing in Washington these days.
“We’re finally in an offensive posture rather than a defensive posture when it comes to firearms,” he said. “We have a Justice Department that is more interested in prosecuting the laws that are on the books … than passing more laws on top of what we already have.”
He cited the work done by his brother, U.S. Attorney Todd Graves in Kansas City, in carrying out Operation Cease Fire, an effort to prosecute gun crimes, particularly those committed by lawbreakers with earlier felony convictions.
“For years and years and years, we heard more about how many new laws we had, and the laws we had on the books were not even being enforced,” he said.
The congressman spoke of his co-sponsorship of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which passed the U.S. House and aims to protect gun manufacturers from certain lawsuits.
The congressman said costs from these civil actions, usually filed after unlawful actions committed by third parties, threaten the livelihood of these gun makers.
Mr. Graves noted that the assault-weapons ban comes up for congressional reauthorization next year and will “expire quietly.”
The lawmaker said, “The assault-weapons ban never really accomplished anything. It was about aesthetics.”
Gary Davis of Kansas City, president emeritus of the Western Missouri Shooters Alliance, said expiration of the ban is important to gun owners in the state.
“There’s nothing more that we’d like to see than to just see it disappear, where President Bush wouldn’t even have to touch it,” he said.
Randy Herzog of St. Joseph added, “I can tell you quite honestly, as hunters and sportsmen and gun enthusiasts and Second Amendment supporters, we don’t have any better friend in Congress than Sam Graves.”
Content ©2003