[cuchulainn]

off of USNewswire

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=137-11192003Gun Violence Prevention Groups Offer to Replace Assault Weapon Raffle Prize for Quad Cities Officers Memorial with a Hunting Rifle

11/19/03 1:58:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: Thom Mannard of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, 312-341-0939, or John Johnson of the Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence, 319-743-7823

CHICAGO, Nov. 19 /U.S. Newswire/ -- To raise money for a memorial to honor Quad Cities police officers killed in the line of duty, law enforcement organizations in the Quad Cities area are raffling off an AR15-type assault rifle. The raffle prize is a CAR UTE Elite .223-caliber rifle manufactured by Rock River Arms of Colona, Illinois. The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence and Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence offered to provide raffle organizers with a true hunting rifle or shotgun to use instead of AR-15 Semi-Automatic Assault Rifle. The formal offer was made in a letter addressed to the Quad Cities Law Enforcement Memorial Committee during a Nov. 18 press conference in Moline, Ill. Detective Gene Karzin who chairs the Memorial committee, said his group will consider the offer.

A recent report by the Violence Policy Center revealed that between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2001, one out of five law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty was killed with an assault weapon (Officer Down - Assault Weapons and the War on Law Enforcement, May 2003).

"The CAR UTE Elite .223-caliber semi-automatic assault rifle has been designed specifically to evade the federal assault weapons ban enacted by Congress in 1994," said John Johnson, Executive Director of Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence. "Unfortunately, the 1994 law contained loopholes in design, and unscrupulous gun manufacturers like Rock River Arms found and exploited them immediately."

Bryan Miller, spoke about his brother Mike Miller, who was a FBI special agent that was killed by a man with an assault weapon at a Washington D.C. police station in November of 1994. "I implore the Quad Cities Law Enforcement Memorial to raffle off a rifle or shotgun, and not an assault weapon that is designed to kill and overwhelm law enforcement officers. Building a law enforcement memorial is as worthy a cause as there is, but an AR-15 assault weapon as the prize is shocking."

Both Illinois and Iowa gun violence prevention groups announced they are donating money to the Quad Cities Memorial

[HankB]

The CAR UTE Elite .223-caliber semi-automatic assault rifle has been designed specifically to evade the federal assault weapons ban enacted by Congress in 1994Actually, it was designed to COMPLY WITH the ban. The man who made this statement is either incredibly ignorant of fact . . . or, more likely, a liar. And it would seem to me, that calling a manufacturer who obeys the law "unscrupulous" would cross the line into slander.

When I drive the speed limit, am I exploiting a loophole in the law to avoid speeding tickets?

When I file my 1040 form before April 15, am I using a loophole in the Federal tax code to avoid penalties?

[Mark Tyson]

A "hunting rifle" or "sporting rifle" or shotgun can kill you just as dead as a so-called "assault weapon". These people are catastrophically ignorant and should be ashamed of themselves.

[capt_happypants]

Oh, a shotgun is SO much better.

55 grain bullet at 3,000 fps versus 1 ounce of double-ought buck arriving at 1,500 fps.

They ought to send an inflatable sheep.

[TarpleyG]

A recent report by the Violence Policy Center revealed that between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2001, one out of five law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty was killed with an assault weapon (Officer Down - Assault Weapons and the War on Law Enforcement, May 2003).
I think this is a bogus claim. Although, with the VPC expanding their list daily of what they consider an "assault weapon" it may be entirely true.

GT

[ny32182]

Actually, it was designed to COMPLY WITH the ban. The man who made this statement is either incredibly ignorant of fact . . . or, more likely, a liar. And it would seem to me, that calling a manufacturer who obeys the law "unscrupulous" would cross the line into slander.

When I drive the speed limit, am I exploiting a loophole in the law to avoid speeding tickets?

When I file my 1040 form before April 15, am I using a loophole in the Federal tax code to avoid penalties?


EXACTLY!!

These idiots make me want to throw up.

How can they even call the post ban RRA's "assault weapons" in public without someone calling them out or sueing them? They are specifically designed to NOT be "assault weapons" by federal law, or else, the gun would be f-cking illegal, dumbasses!

These idiots take advantage of public ignorance and fear, and outright lie, in order to push their own BS agenda of denying every American their civil liberties. They are the lowest form of scum in my book.

[ny32182]

I think this is a bogus claim. Although, with the VPC expanding their list daily of what they consider an "assault weapon" it may be entirely true.

I believe that for their own "studies", the VPC expands their definition of "assault weapon" to include ANY autoloading rifle, handgun, or shotgun.

[foghornl]

I have NOT bought any tickets for this raffle, but if Ihad, and the prize was switched like that to appease the sheeple, I would be screaming for a refund.

[CZ 75 BD]

and raffle both rifles!

:D

[dtt]

Funny how they fail to acknowledge that 4 of 5 LEO's killed in the line of duty are NOT killed by "assault" rifles. I think they should replace the rifle w/a .308 Remington 700 PSS.

[Sleeping Dog]

Rock River Arms is unscrupulous? I've dealt with them and they've always been helpful, polite, and honest. They make a quality product, too. I'm saving up to do some more business with them.

That John Johnson is a moron.

Regards.

[Standing Wolf]

Goebbels would be so proud!

[7.62FullMetalJacket]

But it is a rifle. If it is not banned, then how can it be an "assualt weapon?":banghead:

[Don Gwinn]

1. Never heard of Johnson, but Mannard is a notorious liar.

2. He's not ignorant, he's lying. Also, no one who bothered to contact Rock River Arms would call them unscrupulous. Geez.

3. You didn't buy tickets? Shame on you! I did. :D

4. If you think this story is stupid, check out http://www.concealcarry.org and look at the blog. Concealed Carry Inc. has an FFL they use to do cheap transfers for members.
John has vowed that CC Inc. will do at-cost transfers for any organization anywhere in Illinois that would like to raffle off an AR-15, and that if ICHV manages to bully the Quad Cities police into replacing their price, CC Inc. will hold a similar raffle--maybe a bunch of 'em. Screw ICHV. :neener:

[Don Gwinn]

The raffle was supposed to last until February, but anti-gun violence activists are now offering a hunting rifle to raffle off instead.

OUR MESSAGE TO THE ANTI-GUNNERS - IN PARTICULAR THE ILLINOIS COUNCIL AGAINST HANDGUN VIOLENCE:

If you succeed in getting Detective Karzin to back off on the AR-15 raffle and substitute with a hunting rifle or shotgun, we will hold our own AR-15 raffle. In fact we will ask every gun club in Illinois to hold a raffle of an AR-15 for the Quad Cities Law Enforcement Memorial.

Concealed Carry, Inc. has a Federal Firearms License and we wield it to get AR-15's at COST for any organization wishing to raffle one off. We will also transfer the weapon to raffle winners with NO TRANSFER FEE.

Unless the Anti's back off I promise AR-15 Raffles in Illinois are going to be as common as Double Latte's at Starbuck's. Now you are on notice, YOU CANNOT AND WILL NOT WIN. It is just that simple.

Leave the Quad Cities Law Enforcement Memorial Raffle alone and understand we enter this fray with the intent to chew bubblegum or kick liberal ???. Note, we are running low on bubblegum.

Respectfully,

The friendly, local, members of Concealed Carry, Inc.

END OF MESSAGE

Want to buy a raffle ticket?

QC Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
316 16th Street
Rock Island, Il 61201-8626

$5 per ticket. Include your name, address and phone number. A stamped self-addressed return envelope would be nice, but not mandatory.