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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