Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!gargoyle!shallit From: shallit@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP (Jeff Shallit) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: The NRA and Moynihan-Biaggi (Part II) Message-ID: <277@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> Date: Sun, 6-Jan-85 11:48:16 EST Article-I.D.: gargoyle.277 Posted: Sun Jan 6 11:48:16 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 7-Jan-85 03:24:24 EST Reply-To: shallit@gargoyle.UUCP (Jeff ) Organization: U. Chicago - Computer Science Lines: 48 Summary: In a previous posting, we saw how the NRA, which Karl Kleinpaste portrayed as being wholeheartedly against the Moynihan-Biaggi Bill, gave in on June 15, 1984, and came out IN SUPPORT of the bill. The story becomes even more interesting. First, an editorial from the Baltimore Sun, July 6, 1984, entitled "Cop-Killer Bullets": "Persistence does pay off. Recently the Reagan administration and the National Rifle Association caved in on the volatile issue of armor-piercing bullets. After three years of strenuously objecting to legislation that would outlaw ammunition that can (and has) penetrated even the bullet-proof vests of law-enforcement officers, the conservative president and gun lobby *agreed to support* [italics mine] legislation that forbids the manufacture and importation of armor-piercing bullets, except those intended for use by the U. S. military and state and local government agencies. "The legislation should quickly become law. There is strong support in Congress for it. "Probably the leading heroes in this drama are Representative Mario Biaggi and Senator Daniel P. Moynihan, both New York Democrats. Mr. Biaggi, a former policeman, has been especially dedicated to the effort to get cop-killer bullets out of the pistols of criminals. Handgun Control, Inc., a relatively new lobbying and public information organization, also deserves applause. "This demonstrates that private organizations and public opinion really can get things done. The administration and the NRA would probably still be effectively stonewalling this legislation if four leading law-enforcement groups had not banned together in demanding a law that would protect their members. They are the Police Executives Reserve Force, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriffs Association, and the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives. "We get exasperated with single-issue interest groups from time to time. However, here is an example of such groups exerting pressure on an issue that is of paramount importance to them--and also of importance to society. It is extremely unlikely that the efforts of the single-interest group on the other side of this issue--the NRA--could have been overcome except for Handgun Control, Inc., and the police organizations." More about this in my next posting. Stay tuned. Jeff Shallit University of Chicago