-=Continued from previous post=- 
              NRA...IT KEEPS WINNING AND WINNING...
Journalist Jeffrey Birnbaum seems to have figured out what many
of his colleagues have never been able to NRA's political
strength is not determined by our financial statement, but by the
statement our members make when they go to the polls.  In a
report in the December 8 edition of Fortune magazine, Birnbaum
ranked NRA sixth on what he calls Washington's Power 25, the most
influential special interest groups in America today. But unlike
others who have grudgingly admitted NRA's ability to represent
our members' interests, Birnbaum did not reach his conclusion by
simply examining the amount of money spent in the legislative and
political arenas. Instead, he talked with the policy makers in
Washington members of Congress, their staffs, and White House
officials and asked them what worked, what didn't, and to which
organizations they listened. What these insiders told Birnbaum
will undoubtedly surprise many NRA critics who always seem to
write off our successes as a direct result of the size of our
bank account. Among the lobbying tactics that work: delivering
the straight facts to lawmakers, mobilizing grassroots action,
and getting along with legislators and their staffs. In fact,
five of the 10 most influential groups on the list were propelled
there on the strength of their long-established grassroots
networks. Interestingly, Fortune also found that NRA didn't make
the most loved or most hated list of either political party,
which is a clear rebuke to those who have claimed NRA has become
too friendly with one party at the expense of the other. Handgun
Control, Incorporated (HCI), on the other hand, was found to be
loved by Democrats in general and hated by members of the GOP.
Maybe we should send a copy of the Fortune article to journalists
who covered the recent anti-gun ballot initiative in Washington
state I-676. In an article on the editorial page of a recent
issue of the Wall Street Journal, Brent Bozell and Tim Graham of
the Alexandria, Virginia-based Media Research Center looked back
at the strange difference between the media's pre- and
post-election coverage of I-676. For instance, the New York Times
said I-676 would test the NRA, and there was no bigger battle in
1997 for NRA. Tom Brokaw of NBC News called I-676 the result of
grassroots anger. And ABC's Judy Mueller echoed the hopes of
anti-gunners everywhere when she claimed just days before
election day that If this measure wins in this gun friendly
state, it could spell trouble for the NRA elsewhere. But when the
votes were tallied and it was clear that the people of Washington
had overwhelmingly rejected I-676 (71%- 29%), the press was
nowhere to be found. And those reporters who did bother to
mention the defeat of I-676 claimed, not surprisingly, that NRA
had somehow bought the election. No credit at all was given to
the hard work of the thousands of volunteer activists who led the
fight against I-676. In their post-election briefs, wrote Bozell
and Graham, the national media gave no emphasis to the NRA's
stunning come from behind victory. Bozell and Graham hit the nail
right on the head when they wrote of the lack of post-election
coverage: after spending years labeling a group as  'extreme,'  
'radical' and the like how to explain a 71% landslide?...Backed
by majority support in just about every region of the country,
the NRA is just like the Energizer Bunny...it keeps going and
going, and winning and winning.  
It is always nice when our activities are recognized, but we
cannot become complacent. While we know our strengths, and have
demonstrated our effectiveness, we cannot rest on our laurels.
The fight for freedom will wage on, and the fight will be
exceptionally intense as long as the Clinton-Gore Administration
continues its endless attacks on our rights. With the 1998
elections being the next major national battleground, your
continued financial support and grassroots activism will be
integral to our continued success!
            FIREARMS OWNED BY CIVILIANS ARE THE TARGET
The United Nations recently wrapped up its second regional
workshop on firearms regulation in Africa, and from all
indications, the UN is becoming even more brazen about its
commitment to global gun control. Not surprisingly, the Japanese
government appears to be directly responsible for this increased
enthusiasm for worldwide restrictions on firearms ownership. In
fact, through the UN, the government of Japan actually paid the
expenses for 23 of the 28 governments who sent representatives to
the Africa conference! While the meeting was dominated by
anti-gun governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of
the UN, NRA-ILA was able to secure a place at the table to
monitor the workshop, and make known our objections to any UN
interference in the United States' domestic firearms policies.
Unfortunately, what our representative in Africa discovered is
not very good news. It has become obvious that the various gun
control groups from around the world are working more closely
together now than ever before. They are actively exchanging
intelligence and information on how to advance their gun ban
agenda, sharing the secrets to their recent successes in places
like Australia and Great Britain. Making matters even worse is
the fact that the anti-gun movement also appears to be extremely
well-funded. The anti-gunners' new-found confidence was reflected
in the address by UN official Eric Kibuka, Director of the UN's
African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of
Offenders, who labeled civilian-owned firearms the target, and
declared that the international community has decided that
firearms regulation is at the core of democracy and good
government. NRA-ILA will continue to monitor events on the
international stage and keep you informed.
       U.S. ORIGIN HISTORIC ARMS IMPORT FIX REMAINS UNFIXED
The first session of the 105th Congress ended without resolution
to the problem of the U.S. State Department denying import
permits for such firearms as M-1s and M-1 Carbines eagerly sought
by collectors. In the closing days of the session, Representative
Alan Mollohan (D-W.V.), ranking Member of the Commerce, State,
and Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, tirelessly worked to
insert language into the final bill requiring the State
Department to stop impeding lawful imports of U.S. origin
firearms. Unfortunately, a workable agreement wasn't reached,
although the final bill does direct the State Department to
report to Congress regarding their non-approval of firearm import
permits. Please continue to contact your Representative and ask
him to urge the State Department to obey the law. Also, call
Congressman Mollohan at (202) 225-4172 to let him know gun owners
appreciate and support his continued efforts on our behalf.
Representative Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) also deserves thanks, as he too
was very supportive throughout the process.   
                 ARMY MARKSMANSHIP UNIT PRESERVED
Just weeks before press time, informed sources notified the NRA
that a letter was sitting on the U.S. Army Chief of Staff's desk
to deactivate the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) as of
December 1, 1997. Thankfully, the U.S. Army informed us that the
action to kill the USAMU has since been rescinded. This quick
turn-around was due, in part, to NRA members, who came through in
this crisis with flying colors, sending hundreds of e-mails and
making phone calls to the Army. NRA wishes to thank its members
for their assistance in preserving this unit, that has
historically undertaken missions that no one else could. It is
the only reservoir of marksmanship knowledge in the Army and is
the home of some of the world's greatest shooters.
             LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR A FREE FUTURE
With the academic season in full swing, the NRA-ILA Grassroots
Division has been working with students at a number of colleges
and universities to promote our Second Amendment freedoms, by
running ads in student publications, speaking on campuses, and
working with existing student groups to promote our rights. If we
don't educate and train tomorrow's leaders on the importance of
the Second Amendment, we run the risk of allowing the gun
grabbers to run roughshod over our rights in the future.
-=Continued in next post=-
...          ******** NOTE: THIS IS A FORWARDED MESSAGE ********
--- FMail 1.22
---------------