Gun ban referendum becomes model for american lobbyist

The victory of 'NO' in the referendum about the prohibition of gun sales in Brazil, which completes one year today, has been used internationally by the biggest pro-gun american lobbyist as a case of study. The powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) and World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities (WFSA) financed travels of a spokesman of the 'NO' to the United States and Europe to discuss the strategies used in the campaign to win the public opinion and convincing the population to vote against the disarmament.

'I became the 'NO' guy', says the colonel Paes de Lira, spokesman of the Parliamentarian Front for the Right to Self Defence, elected as a Congressman on october 1st with a plataform against the Disarmament Statute. Since the victory on the referendum, he has been in Germany and three american cities.

'I went to show the example of Brazil. Researchs said our position would be crushed by 8% to 15%. We changed this perspective because we sent a clear message to the population, of the right of self defense.' The motto of the 'NO' campaign on the brazilian referendum - where the prohibition of gun sales is put as a violation of a constitutional right - is the same used by the NRA, based on an interpretation of the Second Amendment of the American Constitution, which guarantees the right of the population to 'keep and bear arms, when the organization of armed citizens becomes necessary to the security of a free State'. ( )

The NRA sent one of it's main lobbyists, Charles Cunningham, for a meeting with defenders of the gun sales. The meeting was confirmed to the Estado by colonel Paes de Lira, who attented to the lecture about NRA's strategy. 'I learned a lot with him', says.

Used on the referendum, the strategy of the right of self defense caught by surprise the defendors of the disarmament and, on the voting day, made 64% of the population to opt for the 'NO'. How this turnaround happened is what Paes de Lira tells on the lectures he's been doing invited by american lobbyists.

In Milwaukee, at the headquater of the NRA, with 4 million associates between manufacturers and gun owners, the colonel was homaged after making a speech to the Political Committee of the organization. In Washington, after presenting the 'Brazil case', he received the St. Gabriel Possenti medal, the patron saint of Handgunners, 'in recognition of his fight against the disarmament of law abiding people'.

The amulet was given by John Snyder, director of Citizens Cmmittee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, who keeps lobbyists full time at the White House and a fund to finance pro-gun candidates in state and federal elections.

In Nuremberg, the colonel made a speech at the World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activitie, where he was applauded by american, canadian, australian and european shooters. The event was organized by WFSA, whose members include manufacturers and commerce associations of guns and ammunition.

Also invited by WFSA, Paes de Lira testified for commission agents of 120 nations at the United Nation's Small Arms Conference, in june, where he demanded 'respect for the decision taken by the brazilian people'. The message, according to him, was adressed to the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and to the brazilian commission agents who would 'be aligned in a strong stream inside the UN to the attainment of a international treaty (for disarmament)'.

Adriana Carranca

http://txt.estado.com.br/editorias/2006/10/23/cid-1.93.3.20061023.12.1.xml

The travels are good and I think pro-gun movements around the globe should work together. I voted for him. I'm barfing at their interpretation of the 2A.

I think the whole article is biased against guns (what a surprise). They talk about a gun lobby, formed by local gun owners and manufaturers, like it's a bad thing. It's obvious why these people are against a gun ban.
Anti gun NGOs receive donations from the British government, Ford Foundation, Soros etc, but they don't mention that. What's their interest in disarming the brazilian population and changing brazilian laws?

There was another article stating that the number of deaths related to firearm was recuded since the Disarmament Statute. They government says the number went down after the gun buy-back campaign. What they don't tell you is that the vast majority of the guns collected were old, useless crap. A few collectors gave away their guns too. Like 70 years old widows used to murder people with their husband's old 20GA shotgun. Plus, most people didn't received the promised payment for their guns. :banghead:

The UN also talks about an international treaty against illegal guns, and how they just want to control illegal guns, and are not against private gun ownership. This is crap. They didn't do a thing against illegal guns! The Statute Disarmament only deals with private gun ownership.
In order to import a gun to Brazil you need an authorization from the Army. A gun store from the USA, in order to send a gun to any other country, will need a lisence from the Department of State. It's not like guns are sold to anyone, no questions asked. There is no need for more international gun control.