Brady Campaign: NRA Magazine Contains Distortions and Outright Fabrications About California Gun Bill and Gun Sales

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LOS ANGELES, July 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In the face of being marginalized in the nation's most populous state, the National Rifle Association has resorted to outright lies about gun issues in California. The July 2001 issue of the NRA magazine, America's First Freedom, includes two brief articles about California -- both of which contain a remarkable number of distortions and falsehoods about pending handgun safety legislation and about gun sales in California.
"Once again, the NRA is trying to use fear and deception to block common-sense gun laws and drive up gun sales," said Luis Tolley, Director of the Western Region for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "We will not let these lies go unanswered."

The first article, "California Licensing Bill on the Move," on page 15, sounds an ominous warning about Assembly Bill 35 and Senate Bill 52, the California Handgun Safety Bill. The article makes the following false statements:

-- "Under Scott's bill...A license would be required for each handgun owned...and would have to be renewed every five years." This is FALSE. SB 52 has never applied to handguns already owned and there is no requirement that license holders renew their licenses unless they choose to buy additional handguns. Incredibly, the NRA knows this is not true since they were rebuked for using this same lie last year in mailings to its members."

-- "Assembly Bill 35...would mandate that all handgun purchase applicants...undergo a written test administered by the local law enforcement agency...It's likely that officers currently assigned to patrol California streets would have to be pulled from duty to administer the test to law-abiding citizens." Again, this is FALSE. Neither AB 35 nor SB 52 propose that local law enforcement administer the written test. Note the NRA's fear-mongering when it raises the specter of police officers being pulled off the streets because of this bill."

-- "Gov. Davis has publicly declared that he would not sign any major new gun control bills this year." Yet again, this is FALSE. Gov. Davis made that statement about the year 2000, not 2001."

-- The NRA claims that, "many predict (the bill) will cost law agencies more than $100 million to enforce." The "many" is the NRA, which has completely fabricated this figure.

On page 16 of the magazine, an article "Guns Up, Crime Down" contains shameless distortions about gun sales in California.

-- The NRA crows, " 'Californians (are) arming themselves against the prospect that rolling blackouts will spark riots,' reports the Los Angeles Times. 'The trend (in gun ownership) is absolutely up, absolutely.' " Incredibly, this statement -- which the NRA treats as reportage from the Los Angeles Times -- is in fact an amalgamation of claims made by two pro-gun advocates who appear in the April 11 Times story. In reality, the Times story reads:

And (firearms instructor Greg) Block has seen a recent surge of Californians arming themselves against the prospect that rolling blackouts will spark riots. The trend is "absolutely up, absolutely," says Bill Poole of the National Rifle Assn.

Surely, even writers and editors from the NRA know the difference between opinions from partisan sources within a news story, and the story itself.

-- The NRA article then denounces major newspapers for failing to link increasing gun sales with record decreases in crime. However, even the premise of its complaint is wrong. Crime has plummeted nationwide since 1994, but gun sales have also decreased nationally, not increased. In early April, the Associated Press reported that "the American handgun market has dropped off so steeply that some industry experts worry it may never fully recover." According to an Associated Press analysis of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms data, production for domestic and overseas handgun sales plummeted by 52 percent between 1993 and 1999.

-- Furthermore, the numbers belie NRA claims that gun ownership is increasing in California. According to the latest report on handgun sales from California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, long gun sales are about average but handgun sales are near the lowest point since the California Department of Justice (DOJ) began keeping records in 1972. California remains the only state in the nation that gathers comprehensive statewide gun sales data.

-- California DOJ records show that in the first six months of 2001, there were only 63,858 handgun sales in the state. That compares to annual sales of about 200,000 last year, 254,626 in 1995, a high of 433,822 in 1993 and 330,295 in 1990.

-- The gun lobby claim that handgun sales have jumped in California due to fear of blackouts is false -- sales have actually gone down dramatically. In the first three months of 2001, sales were at a relatively low 41,605, but that figure dropped even further to only 22,253 in the second three months of this year. As the summer began, the trend continued downward.

"The NRA's reliance on distortion and fabrication is nothing new," said Tolley, "but it has reached a level in these two articles that borders on desperation. This year, even the NRA's fear campaign is failing."
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How many people who sit on the fence will actually take the time to look up the statistics for themselves?    not many....

More lies, fear, and uncertainty

Well, Geee, maybe if more handguns were LEGAL FOR SALE people might buy some more. [-!-!-]

[b]Surely, even writers and editors from the NRA know the difference between opinions from partisan sources within a news story, and the story itself. [/b]  LMAO [rolleyes] [spank]

Kharn

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black...

I'm sorry, but doesn't that report indicate that there are 63,858 NEW HANDGUNS in circulation in California this year alone?  And 200,000 new ones last year?  And crime has gone DOWN?  

Plus, as Kharn pointed out, if you can't have one where you live, wouldn't you expect the rate of sales to fall?  Notice that long gun sales haven't been affected.

However, without doing the research, I'm more inclined to believe the NRA than Sara.  If, however, the NRA is propagandizing I'm not happy about it.  Using your enemies worst tactic is never a good idea.

Even if only ONE gun is sold, that is an increase in gun ownership.

These idiots can't think logically.  Even if the sales numbers are down, that is still an increase in gun ownership.  Duh.

Also, if gun sales have fallen off SO MUCH, why even pass more gun laws?  

Their goal is less gun sales, and according to this article gun sales are way down and unlikely to rise.  So "they" have won.  Fold up the tents and go home.  Stop trying to restrict guns, since nobody is buying them anyway.

Now is the time to buy guns, when sales are down.  If you are in the market for a new gun now is the time, because now probably some retailers are willing to make some good deals.  Don't wait until the next gun law is passed, or event, then you are paying sky-high prices.

-- "Under Scott's bill...A license would be required for each handgun owned...and would have to be renewed every five years." This
                          is FALSE. SB 52 has never applied to handguns already owned and there is no requirement that license holders renew their licenses
                          unless they choose to buy additional handguns. Incredibly, the NRA knows this is not true since they were rebuked for using this
                          same lie last year in mailings to its members."

                          -- "Assembly Bill 35...would mandate that all handgun purchase applicants...undergo a written test administered by the local law
                          enforcement agency...It's likely that officers currently assigned to patrol California streets would have to be pulled from duty to
                          administer the test to law-abiding citizens." Again, this is FALSE. Neither AB 35 nor SB 52 propose that local law enforcement
                          administer the written test. Note the NRA's fear-mongering when it raises the specter of police officers being pulled off the streets
                          because of this bill."

These bull-shit laws are not sensible.  These SOBs write laws without thinking.  Why the F*ck are there 2 bills of the same law?

I have to agree that the NRA mags do not exactly give you the straight skinny.  Their articles on political issues are sometimes intentionally misleading.  But the media does the same thing, so how can they complain?

I consider the source, these people distort all the time. The NRA did not grow to over four million members because of lies,it signed up new members because the truth about these devils and their unrighteous anti-freedom,anti-gun,anti-Constitution agenda is on the wall for all the world to see. If they were successful taking away everyone's guns,who are the people going to call for help,the Bradys,the police. Check out what is happening in South Africa and then tell me about the ability of the police to protect you. I'll take care of myself thank you. What freedom looters know but do not like to admit is gun owners can defend themselves, but their sissy asses only options are to take off their clothes and blow hard before they get killed,and robbed. Except if you are a rich liberal of course , than you can afford armed bodyguards and fancy alarm systems.