geekWithA.45
Moderator Emeritus
Lookee what showed up in the mail today for geeketteWithA9mm.
After the guffaws subsided, We figured we'd share it all with you:
{note: this is transcribed as best I can. The underlines appear in the original. The bold face areas are highlighted by me}
After the guffaws subsided, We figured we'd share it all with you:
{note: this is transcribed as best I can. The underlines appear in the original. The bold face areas are highlighted by me}
Edward M. Kennedy
United States Senator
Dear Friend:
Thirty-four years ago, my brother Robert Kennedy was killed with a $29 pistol that Sirhan Sirhan bought from a local gun dealer.
He was gunned down after expressing his great optimism about ending gun violence in America.
Bobby told a crowd of his supporters in Los Angeles, California, "we are a great country, an unselfish country, a compassionate country." Minutes later he lay dying of an assassin's bullet.
The tragic irony of my brother's words still haunts my family, and his untimely death is why I'm so deeply committe to bringing an end to gun violence here in America.
Because, unfortunately, my family is not unique. And the recent sniper attacks in the Washington D.C. area have left new families-just like yours or mine-who must now cope with the loss caused by senseless gun violence...
...loss that might have otherwise been prevented through common sense firearms legislation.
And that's why I am such a strong and long-time supporter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Handgun Violence (formerly Handgun Control)
This organization has the courage and tenacity to take on pro-gun special interests like the National Rifle Association and the gun manufacturers' industry, who spend millions of lobbying dollars opposing sensible gun control legislation.
Currently, the Brady Campaign is locked in a life and death battle with Congress to reauthorize the Federal Ban on Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons--those deadly guns such as the AK-47 or the UZI, that can spew out dozens of bullets in seconds, without reloading.
They are manufactured with one and only one purpose in mind: to kill human beings!
As you may know, in 1994 President Clinton signed into law the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. But this ban expires in September of 2004, unless Congress and George W. Bush renew it
And tragically, Sarah Brady and I know--first hand-- of the overwhelming need for sensible gun control measures like the Assault Weapon Ban.
Sarah's involvement with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence was born of tragedy too, during the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan, when Sarah's husband, Jim, was grievously injured and his life was shattered forever.
As the result of that personal tragedy, Sarah courageously decided to take on the gun lobby and do as much as she could to end the epidemic of gun violence.
She said, "Enough is enough!" and gathered friends and supporters across the country to advance the work of the Brady Campaign.
Not long after Jim was wounded, Sarah was outraged all over again, when her son found what he thought was a toy gun in a relative's pickup truck.
In fact, it was a real gun, not a toy. It happened about 10:00 pm, and Sarah picked up the telephone right away and dialied the National Rifle Association and said, "This is Sarah Brady and I want you to know that I will be making it my life's work to put you out of business!"
Her determination has grown stronger every year, and so has the difference the Brady Campaign is making.
But the epidemic of killing with deadly firearms continues and that means we still have a long way to go to pass laws that will protect all of us, including our children, from senseless gun violence.
And, to carry on her work even more efficienctly, Sarah and the Brady Campaign urgently need to find new friends who will support their mission. The Brady Campaign needs you, and I urge you to sign on.
You may be aware that the Brady Law that Sarah and the Brady Campaign members introduced and convinced Congress to pass. It was a start. It was a strong beginning. It took seven long years to pass.
Since the Brady law has passed, background checks have stopped more than 840,000 prohibited purchasers, including tens of thousands of convicted felons, from buying a handgun.
But, as of today, there still exists and unbelievable legal loophole in the Brady Law that allows the gun industry to get away with the moral equivalent of murder....
..and allows criminals to purchase instruments of death -- without background checks---at gun shows.
By exploiting the gun show loophole, so called "private collectors" are even able to sell many of the weapons that were outlawed under the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban.
This is because thousands, perhaps millions of dangerous firearms that were in circulation at the time the legislation took effect, were not covered by the ban, and continue to be legally sold throughout the country.
So, why doesn't Congress take action and close this deadly loophole?
You tell me!
But what would you expect, given John Ashcroft's slavish devotion to the gun lobby? And it is no secret here on Capitol Hill that President Bush is not exactly a reliable ally of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Of course, we applaud our President and our Attorney General for their unrelenting determination to fight the war against terrorism. But why don't they close up once and for all these loopholes that are being exploited by terrorists and criminals?
This is why Sarah has announced the Brady Campaign's all-out citizens campaign to: Close the Gunshow Loophole Across America.
In reality, these gun shows are nothing more than arms bazaars that provide a haven for criminals, underage minors, and illegal gun dealers who want to skirt federal gun laws and buy or sell guns on a cash and carry, no questions asked basis.
Simply put, Sarah plans to require all those who purchase firearms at gun shows to pass the same background check they would have to pass if they purchased their weapon from a licensed firearms dealer
I don't think that's so revolutionary--it's just common sense, and it forces criminals to want to purchase deadly weapons to submit to a background check.
But you can be sure the NRA is already throwing roadblock after roadblock in the way of passing any such bill. You may recall that in the last presidential election, a vice president of the NRA claimed that if Bush won, "we would be working out of the white house"
Well, we will have to see how much influence the $20 million the NRA spent on helping to put a man in the White House buys them. Legislation closing the gun show loophole, which I am proud to have supported in the Senate, will work! It's comprehensive, it's bipartisan, and it's rooted in common sense!
How can one keep from admiring Sarah Brady and her determination to protect children and all of us from gun violence? And how can one deny her the support she requires to take this war over gun control right down to the community level?
I'm with her. How about you?
Write out a check. Send $20 to the Brady Campaign. Do it today.
And, by the way, along with this letter, I'm also sending you a little card that says, "We love you Jim!" on the outside. Then on the inside there's a note of appreciation to Jim Brady, along with a place for you to sign your name.
Do it for Jim. Ever since he was so severely injured in the assassination attempt on President Reagan, he's dreamed of the day Congress would finally triumph over the gun lobby and make our streets safer for everyone. So far his dream has not come true. The loopholes still exist that allow criminals, kids, and terrorists to get their hands on guns.
And Jim and Sarah Brady believe that our campaign to close the gun show loophole is going to start to ripple that will spread from community to community, to the U.S. Congress itself--and with the support of citizens like you across the country, I will do everything in my power to make sure that such a bill passes into law.
That's exactly the way American citizens rose up and attaacked the tobacco industry in the attempt to protect our children.
It will work for common sense gun control too, but it needs support from you.
So Here's what I'm asking you to do:
1)Sign your name on the card to Jim Brady. He'll love to hear from you!
2)Write a check for $20 (or maybe even $50 or $100!)
3)Make sure you have your name and address on the enclosed reply card
4) Put your card to Jim, your check and reply card in the enclosed envelope
5) Mail It!
Support Sarah and Jim, because, take it from me, Congress is not going to take action against the gun lobby--even to protect our kids!--unless folks like you force the issue.
Sincerely,
{signature}
Edward M. Kennedy,
United States Senator.
PS: I talk with Sarah and Jim quite often. I would be so delighted to learn that new friends like you have joined the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
I am surprised I was able to stomach reading it all.
