(July 16, 1997) -- Women's rights organizations, family and police groups, civil rights and gun organizations -- what do they all have in common? On Monday, representatives from this diverse coalition ascended Capitol Hill to denounce the Lautenberg gun ban passed last September.

Concerned Women for America, the largest women's organization in the country, came out strongly against the Lautenberg provision. Joining them were groups such as the Home School Legal Defense Association, Law Enforcement Alliance of America and Gun Owners of America -- all of which took part in a Women's Gun Rights press conference calling on Representatives to cosponsor H.R. 1009, which has more cosponsors (29) than any other bill to repeal Lautenberg.

Lautenberg ban disarming women

"This gun ban has disarmed millions of lawabiding citizens," said Kathleen Gennaro, Director of Women's Policy for Gun Owners of America. "Because of this law, a mere spanking a child or slapping a husband could result in a woman's being disarmed forever. And unfortunately for some women, -they already have been due to Lautenberg. This ban needs to be repealed."

Other events included Women Against Gun Control presenting Rep. Chenoweth, who was the lead speaker at Monday's press conference, with a huge stack of petitions. The petitions ask the Congress to pass H.R. 1009 and repeal the Lautenberg ban.

State Representative Suzanna Gratia-Hupp also warned Congress about the "unintended consequences of gun control." She then relayed her own experience when she lost both of her parents to a deranged assassin in 1991.

"I made the dumbest decision of my life when I decided to obey Texas' gun laws," Hupp said. She explained how easily she could have stopped the gunman who took her parents' lives in the Luby's Cafeteria where the three of them were having lunch. But Mrs. Hupp had

"I would much rather be sifting in jail for felony gun charges, and still have my parents alive today," she told the crowd in a moving speech. "Gun control prevents women from defending themselves. Please repeal the Lautenberg gun ban."

Finally, Safety for Women and Responsible Motherhood (SWARM) also threw its support behind H.R. 1009. "The Lautenberg gun ban is no law for women. We don't want it!" said Rebecca John Wyatt, President of SWARM. "It's ridiculous to think that a man who is stalking his ex-wife is not going to assault her because of Lautenberg. Safety for Women and Responsible Motherhood asks you, the Congress, to repeal the Lautenberg ban!"