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Posted: 1/17/2003 6:10:02 PM EDT
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As you can tell by my other posts, the Brady bunch’s lawsuit against Bushmaster Firearms has me all fired up. Some friends didn’t understand, and asked me to explain why. I sent this email (text below), and it opened a few eyes and gave some folks a new perspective. I share it with you because maybe there is an argument in there you can use beyond this forum. If you think it might do some good, please share it with others. Thanks. __________________________________ Bushmaster Firearms, maker of the rifle used by the DC Snipers, Malvo and Muhammed, to shoot several people in the Greater DC/Northern Virginia area, is being sued by the families of Malvo and Muhammed's victims. That bears repeating: Malvo and Muhammed's victims, NOT Bushmaster's victims. This lawsuit is more about an attempt to bankrupt the company, and thereby destroy a fine firearms manufacturer, than about compensating the victims. Note that the victim's families are being represented by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a gun-control outfit that seems to believe that a woman raped and strangled with her own pantyhose is better than a woman using a handgun to defend herself. (If you believe gun control works, ask yourself why Britain and Australia's successful drives to disarm law-abiding citizens have resulted in a surge of crime heretofore unseen in the civilized world). Bushmaster, an American-owned company whose products are proudly made in America, is not a large company, and will probably bankrupt itself defending against these lawsuits, even if they ultimately win in court. Regardless of whether or not you approve of such firearms being sold to the public at large, I'd ask you all to reflect upon why anybody would think it’s OK to propose that a company, manufacturing a perfectly legal product of the highest quality, which it sells to FEDERALLY LICENSED AND INSPECTED DEALERS who are the actual vendors to the public, can be held responsible for the deliberate and calculated criminal acts of two murderers. (For those who don't know, firearms manufacturers only sell their firearms to Federal Firearms License holders, not to the public at large -- and before the public can buy the firearm from an FFL-holding dealer, the buyer has to be OKed by the Federal National Instant Check Service.) "Well, fine," some might say. "Nobody should have such weapons -- they are inherently evil. Congress should BAN THEM!" I'd respond with "Think so? Did you know Congress established a nonprofit corporation that sells Bushmasters to the public, in the interests of promoting citizen marksmanship?" Read on. I just purchased a Bushmaster AR-15 (http://www.bushmaster.com/shopping/weapons/pcwa2s20.asp), for my wife and me to train with (we are both soldiers, and there's rarely enough training funds available anymore to send all soldiers to the rifle range regularly, unless you're infantry). In an era when most of what you buy has Made in China/Korea/Taiwan/etc. on it, Bushmaster, an American company whose rifles are made right here in the good ol' USA, has gained an impressive reputation as a manufacturer of civilian copies of the military's M-16 rifle of the highest quality and accuracy (the civilian version, semi-auto only, is generally called the AR-15, or in Bushmaster's case, the XM15-E2). I personally don't like the M-16 as a weapon system, but I'd take this Bushmaster to war in a heartbeat. Imagine that -- not enough defense $$ to send us soldiers to the rifle range to qualify with the weapon that is supposed to protect us in combat (after 3 years of active duty, my wife still has not had opportunity to qualify with the M-16), but the company that we bought a product from to train with on our own dime to save our butts in combat is now potentially going to be driven out of business by emotion and revenge, led by an agenda-driven civilian disarmament group. For those out there who detest those who own "assault rifles," they should learn that Bushmaster has never marketed its firearms to the junior Rambo set. While the major news media tried to terrify you with its bleatings about the "Sniper Subculture" in America during the sniper scare last fall, it paid little or no attention to the Match Rifle Subculture. You see, decades ago, during World War I, the government discovered that with the urbanization of American society, fewer kids were growing up with firearms experience. (If anyone ever tells you that teaching children to shoot is barbaric, ask them to read a biography of Audie Murphy or do a Google search for Alvin, York, squirrel). Marksmanship was becoming a disappearing art. So, Congress established what is today called the Civilian Marksmanship Program to train normal everyday Americans how to shoot. It still exists as a nonprofit corporation pursuant to public law (www.odcmp.com), and sells both surplus military rifles and civilian-manufactured copies of military rifles (semi-automatic only) to members of established and certified rifle clubs, with the proviso that they must compete in matches regularly. Bushmaster is one of two manufacturers that the Civilian Marksmanship Program selected for the AR-15 competition rifles that it sells at subsidized prices -- Bushmasters are that good. If you don't believe me, go check the facts yourself at http://www.odcmp.com/Services/Programs/AR15.htm. Folks use Bushmaster rifles to hone their precision shooting skills at matches all across the country, regularly, with discipline, courtesy, and friendly competition -- and the news media never tell you that. Why does this matter? You see, with Afghanistan, Iraq, North Korea (not to mention the ongoing Bosnia and Kosovo missions, and I'd bet $$ on Columbia within 5 years -- since supposedly the drug trade funds terrorism, once the Global War on Terrorism ends, I bet we see the Global War on Drugs), there is a greater and greater chance that we might be deployed to some hot spot in the world where our main defense against the Bad Guys is knowing how to operate, shoot, and maintain that M-16 rifle Uncle Sam issues us. But since Uncle Sam can't find the funds for my wife and I to qualify with that M-16, going to a civilian rifle range to practice with our privately owned Bushmaster M-16 copycat is the best we can do for now, and it might one day mean the difference between life and death for either or both of us. And we don't get paid your tax dollars to die -- you have too much of an investment in us and the rest of the US Military for us to let that happen. So, we use our own money to purchase ammunition, targets, cleaning supplies, and civilian range time for training, and hope that when the time comes to deploy, we are prepared. This nation once took seriously the concept that an armed populace is the best deterrent to both tyranny and crime. This nation once had great respect for firearms, marksmanship, and personal responsibility. People used to understand that an armed man is a citizen, an unarmed man is a subject, and a disarmed man is a slave. Is there any wonder that with the decline in understanding of those concepts, there has been a corresponding rise in crime, irresponsibility, pride in victimhood, and fear of strangers? You know, if I do get sent somewhere, and I have to use my M-16 to make some poor dumb sonsabitches die for their country (to quote General Patton), I hope I get interviewed by the news media afterward, because when they ask me how I survived, I'll tell them that though I may have fought the battle there, it was won on the rifle range here in America-- by Bushmaster. The Petition in support of Bushmaster here http://www.petitiononline.com/SaveXM15/petition.html |
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Well said. A couple of interesting, albeit related points in regards to the lawsuit against BM: 1) The dealer ([b]Bull's Eye[/b], in Tacoma, WA) was reportedly audited more than once by the BATF, & yet its license was never revoked despite having bookeeping "issues" during those times. 2) John Lee Malvo (the so-called "sniper" - an insult to the [i]real[/i] snipers), was caught by the INS attempting to cross into this country illegally, & yet was still released. ****** So, who [i]really[/i] dropped the ball here - Bushmaster or the feds? |
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Dude, that is one great letter. Yesterday before I ever read your letter I was trying to figure out what I can do to help support Bushmaster. I ordered a complete A2-20" upper and hopefully the profits will be used to help defeat the Bradey Bunch. If we don't support Bushmaster, the terrorist(BRADEY GOOBERS) win! BASE-RIGGER |
| A great letter. The Brady group has no concern about the victims or their surviving family members. In fact their legal action is a cold, calculated use of the grieving families to forward the political agenda of the Brady organization. Yet they will pass off their suit as something great done to save Americans from the violence of these “evil weapons”. I’ve signed the letter and I’m looking at buying another Bushmaster product just to show support for this business. |
| Spartacus2002, very well said and Master_Blaster, you hit the nail right on the head! Too bad the blame is not put on those really responsible: The BATF for not doing their job. Allowing Bulls Eye to continue to do business despite the fact that there were sufficient grounds for revocation of the FFL. The INS for letting an illegal immigrant, John Lee Malvo, go instead of deporting him back to his native country. |
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I'm #3066 on the petition..Rock on Bushmaster!!!!!!!!!! And thanks for all your hard work and dedication to saving our butts spartacus2002, With Americans like you and your wife...and the rest of us...This great nation SHALL NOT PERISH from this Earth!!!!! Long live the Constitution !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| I've signed the petition too, for what it's worth. Bushmaster is probably the best on the market right now, but even if they were the worst I would support them and their right to manufacture legal and constitutionally protected firearms for civilian ownership. ROCK ON BUSHMASTER! I'M BUYING FOR ANOTHER ONE SOON! |
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