Politicians Attack First Amendment Rights of Gun Owners

For Immediate Release
March 30, 2000
For Further Information Contact John Velleco 703-321-8585
 

Several state attorneys general, including NY, CT and MD, are threatening anti-trust action against the firearms industry. They suspect a concerted effort to economically punish Smith & Wesson for having signed an agreement with the Department of HUD.

“The idea that the firearms industry does anything in concert is a joke. They can barely agree on where to hold a trade fair,” said Larry Pratt, GOA’s Executive Director.

“The action that is concerted is that of the politicians who have conspired to suppress the First Amendment rights of the politically incorrect members of the firearms industry and their customers. What is needed is to close the loophole in the Anti-Trust law that exempts politicians.

“The politicians have been frustrated in their quest for violating the Second Amendment rights of Americans in the legislative arena so they have moved their efforts to the unaccountable, undemocratic arena of the courts.

“The cost of many lawsuits, none of which are likely to prevail, has become the tool of extortion to get Smith & Wesson to agree to an outrageous contract with HUD. In exchange for not getting sued, Smith agreed to be the agency to implement virtually all of the anti-gun agenda of President Clinton, Maryland Attorney General Joseph Curran and the others. For a dealer to sell a Smith and Wesson, he has to agree, subject to a contempt of court citation, to implement this anti-gun agenda.

“President Clinton has found a way to get guns out of the hands of Americans more effectively than anything ever attempted by King George III’s General Henry Clinton during the War for Independence.

“Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal would like to loose the Speech Police against the businesses and buyers involved in the Second Amendment. Mr. Blumenthal is displeased with criticism on internet sites as well as industry meetings. So much for the freedoms of speech and assembly. So much for the Second Amendment as well.”

— GOA —

———————–
Gun Owners of America is a national grassroots lobbying organization of over 200,000 members located at 8001 Forbes Place in Springfield, Virginia 22151.