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Control Act, to the chief law enforcement officer in the region. This 
officer would be directed to conduct a background check and if no 
record is found within seven days, the purchaser is entitled to the 
weapon. Unfortunately for the Brady Bill and its supporters, the 
Department of Justice recently issued a statement to the effect that 
due to the scattered systems of felony record accounts, a background 
check on a given individual whether seven days or seven months are 
allotted, is quite impossible. If the reader is interested in reading 
the actual text of the Brady Bill, it is printed in full as downloaded 
from the Combat Arms BBS in the appendix. The validity of its claims 
will be addressed in the next section.
      The Brady Bill, while forming the cornerstone of HCI's 
legislative wishes, is not the only goal. The membership drive 
pamphlet lists the rest of these goals as:
          Banning military-style assault weapons
          Prohibiting the manufacture, importation, and sale of 
          Saturday Night Specials
          Establishing registration requirements for the private sale 
          of concealable handguns at gun shows and by citizens
          Barring multiple sales of handguns
          Requiring stringent safety classes for those who buy handguns
          Mandating strict reporting requirements for the theft of 
          handguns from gun dealers and gun owners
          Establishing control over who can manufacture and sell 
          handguns with licensing procedures
          Creating GUN-FREE ZONES around all our schools
     Again, the validity of these goals will be discussed in the 
     following section.
METHODS AND PUBLICITY
     Rarely does HCI present evidence for its allegations. The group 
relies very heavily upon emotionalism and its members and supporters 
are very good at it. Called upon frequently to testify before Congress 
for gun control, Sarah Brady always pushes her wheelchaired husband 
before her, eliciting comments of sympathy for both. The figure of 
the once upright man begging Congress to prevent further wheelchaired 
victims is a pathetic one and pity runs high. When James S. Brady 
speaks, even the most rabidly pro-gun are moved to sympathy for the 
man's condition:
     BEFORE THE U.S. SENATE JUDICIARY SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CONSTITUTION, 
     NOVEMBER 21, 1989.
     "I am honored to be here, but it's not the honor that compelled 
me to appear today. It's the anger--anger at Congress that in 1988 
failed to pass a measure which would have reduced the handgun violence 
plaguing our nation."
     "I had no choice but to be here today because too many Members 
of Congress have been gutless on this issue. They have closed their 
eyes to tragedies like mine. They ignore the statistics. Well, this 
statistic has decided to break his silence."
    "Those Members of Congress who oppose a simple seven-day waiting 
period should try being in my shoes for just one day. I am not 
seeking sympathy. But I want you to really understand what being shot 
has done to me and my life."
    "There was a day when I walked the halls of this Senate and worked 
closely with many of you and your staffs. There was a wonderful day 
when I was fortunate enough to serve the President of the United States 
in a capacity I had dreamed of all my life. And for a time, I felt 
that people looked up to me. Today, I can tell you how hard it is to 
have people speaking down to me.  But nothing is harder than losing 
the independence and control we all so value in life. I need help 
getting out of bed, help taking a shower, and help getting dressed."
     "There are some who oppose a simple seven-day waiting period for
handgun purchases because it would inconvenience gun buyers. Well, 
I guess I am paying for their convenience. And I am one of the lucky 
ones. I survived being shot in the head. Other shooting victims are 
not so fortunate."
     "I am a Southern Illinois boy who grew up hunting and at home 
with guns. I don't question the rights of responsible gun owners. 
That's not the issue. The issue is whether the John Hinckleys of the 
world should be able to walk into gun stores and purchase handguns 
instantly."
     "I felt compelled to get involved because there are too many
cowardly lions walking the halls of Congress. I fight every day to
.  [ Continued In Next Message... ]
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