The Brady Staff Recommends...

[gun-fucious]

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BRADY E-ACTION RESPONSE NETWORK ALERT
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Issue: 166 - 10/27/2003

See a Movie! Read a Book! The Brady Staff Recommends...

This month, a novel and a movie were both released that contain many themes and events that closely mirror the legal work of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Rarely does it happen that a fictional story would revolve around the current state of gun policy in this country. But both Richard North Patterson's novel Balance of Power and Dustin Hoffman's new film Runaway Jury depict fighting back against the enormous influence of the gun industry.

Coincidentally, both Mr. Patterson and Mr. Hoffman appeared on last Thursday's Today Show. Dustin Hoffman mentioned that Dennis Henigan, Director of our Legal Action Project was the prototype for his role in Runaway Jury. And Mr. Patterson discussed how he hoped his book would be a way of educating the public about how the gun control issues are dealt with in the political arena.

Runaway Jury

The powerful new courtroom drama Runaway Jury addresses the corrupting power of the gun industry and how it plays out in courtrooms across America.

Before filming, Dustin Hoffman, who plays a lawyer battling the gun industry in court, asked the studio to fly our own Mr. Henigan out to California to help in developing Hoffman' character. It was a great honor for Dennis to be in a position to help craft the script for this movie. The fictional lawsuit in the movie is based on real cases brought by the Legal Action Project.

We encourage you to go out this week with a friend or family member and see this movie!

Balance of Power

In his new novel Balance of Power, Richard North Patterson tackles the gun control issue head on. A current board member of the Brady Campaign and the Brady Center, author Richard North Patterson examines the gun industry's attempt to gain immunity from suits brought by victims of gun violence in Balance of Power. Patterson was in the midst of writing this novel when fantasy became reality and Congress introduced a bill in both the House and the Senate that would do just that. The Brady Campaign has been fighting the legislation ever since.

Patterson's exhaustive research into both sides of this issue included interviews with a former president, members of Congress, CEOs of gun companies, law enforcement officials, and survivors of gun violence. The result: a powerful and mesmerizing story that manages to educate about gun violence and entertain the reader simultaneously.

We highly recommend you read this novel. It provides great insight into the complicated debate on gun violence victims' rights in court.

"Thumbs up to all of you for your generous support! Together, we will build a safer America." - Jim "The BEAR" Brady

October 27, 2003

 

[gun-fucious]

RAJ is number 4 and falling:

http://movies.yahoo.com/boxoffice/latest/rank.html

 

[ny32182]

It will be a cold day in hell before I pay money to enjoy either of those two fine works of fiction....

 

[client32]

<snip>
Patterson's exhaustive research into both sides of this issue included interviews with a former president, members of Congress, CEOs of gun companies, law enforcement officials, and survivors of gun violence.
</snip>

I must reading this wrong. If there was exhaustive research into both sides of the issue, wouldn't people that have had their lives saved by a gun have been interviewed as well? Oh well.

 

[ny32182]

<snip>
Patterson's exhaustive research into both sides of this issue included interviews with a former president, members of Congress, CEOs of gun companies, law enforcement officials, and survivors of gun violence.
</snip>

I must reading this wrong. If there was exhaustive research into both sides of the issue, wouldn't people that have had their lives saved by a gun have been interviewed as well? Oh well.

NO. Absolutely not.

I bet the 'exhaustive research' went as follows:

former president = Bill Klinton.
members of congress = Fineswine, Hitlary.
CEOs = Bill Ruger.
LEOs = chiefs of major urban departments.
survivors of gun violence = Sarah Brady.

Notice that "gun owners and shooters", and John Lott are not anywhere to be found.

 

[DonP]

It's called results based research

I have clients that do it all the time.

The client says; "Here's what I want you to find out".

Then you design the questions, research sample and methodology to generate the result the client desires. I kind of have a feeling that a lot of stuff from the VPC works that way.

I haven't heard whether they responded to the CDC report that gun control has no measurable impact on gun related violence. D'ya think that one slipped through the cracks over there?

I won't hold my breath for the, "We have been wrong all these years announcement".

Don P.

 

[ScottS]

Jim "The BEAR" Brady

You gotta be kidding me.

Scott

 

[Standing Wolf]

Anti-Second Amendment bigots are never entertaining.

 

[Doug444]

My wife made an interesting comment to me about RAJ - "We should see it to know how to counter comments from our non-gun friends who see it." This was in response to my stating I'd never pay to see it, which was in response to her stating a girlfriend had seen it and recommended we see it because "it only goes after the guns that are only designed to kill people." Same sort of thing as seeing BFC, to "know thy enemy" so to speak. Perhaps when it hits the dollar theatres I'll go, as my wife often does have a good point.

 

[Langenator]

Doug-

Maybe a better idea would be to wait for the video and have a mass viewing, with pauses to discuss, at your local gun club or with a group of your shooting friends.

Then you can all write letters the movie studio, Mr Moore's publisher, etc telling them to stop publishing fiction and calling it "documentary"

 

[Sactown]

that crap movie is being dogged by Scary Movie!!!

 

[ReadyontheRight]

 

[standingbear]

if there was mass viewing,id think you better have lotsa buckets handy cause youre gonna need them.

 

[BluesBear]

Jim "The BEAR" Brady

Now the insults are getting PERSONAL!

 

[mainmech48]

If memory serves me, the original novel upon which the film is allegedly based was about the tobacco industry. Someone needs to have their "Artistic License" revoked.

 

[Bill Hook]

Maybe a better idea would be to wait for the video and have a mass viewing, with pauses to discuss, at your local gun club or with a group of your shooting friends.

Put the TV downrange, then.

 

[Jeff OTMG]

Looks like Runaway Jury had a $60 million budget, but has only pulled in $25.5 million worldwide, a little over $24 million domestically. That is after 2 weeks!!! It will be lucky to be in theaters for more than another 2 weeks with those figures and it sure won't make another $25 million in the second two weeks. Looks like this turkey may be a loss for the studio. Even if they break $60 million it will have been a poor investment and that might teach them a lesson.