From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
NRA-ILA FAX ALERT
Vol. 7, No. 23 6/9/00
U.S. v. EMERSON ORAL ARGUMENTS BEGIN NEXT WEEK
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans will begin
to hear oral arguments next Tuesday, June 13, in the federal government's
appeal of U.S. v. Emerson. The original decision -- handed down on April
7, 1999, by U.S. District Court Judge Sam Cummings of the U. S. District
Court for the Northern District of Texas -- dismissed an indictment
against Dr. Timothy Joe Emerson based on the judge's opinion that the
federal law he was accused of violating (an obscure provision prohibiting
the possession of a firearm by anyone under a certain type of court
restraining order) represented an unconstitutional exercise of
congressional power that violated his individual rights protected by the
Second Amendment (see FAX Alert Vol. 6, Nos. 12 & 33). NRA filed a brief
in support of Judge Cummings' ruling on December 20, 1999. Also filing
briefs in support of the April ruling were the National Association of
Criminal Defense Lawyers and attorney Stephen Halbrook, who successfully
argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that certain aspects of the Brady Act
were unconstitutional. Rest assured that we will continue to follow this
case very closely, and we will report any updates. You can find a copy of
NRA's brief on-line, along with our Fact Sheet on U.S. v. Emerson, by
going to www.NRAILA.org, and selecting Research & Information.
VPC CONTINUES ATTACKS ON PROMOTING FIREARMS SAFETY
The Violence Policy Center (VPC), bent on furthering its extremist gun-ban
agenda, has shown yet again that it is virulently opposed to the promotion
of firearms safety practices. After it was announced that the National
Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and Fairfax (Va.) County Sheriff Stan
Barry (D) had agreed to distribute 5,000 free gun locks at the Fairfax
County Fair this weekend, the VPC issued a release condemning NSSF's
"Project HomeSafe" -- a program that hopes to distribute 500,000 gun locks
this year. NRA, of course, supports the use of these devices for securing
firearms as one option responsible gun owners can use to safely store
their firearms based on their own personal circumstances. In the release
attacking NSSF, VPC Executive Director Josh Sugarmann, stated, "The only
way to keep children safe is to keep handguns out of homes." Remember also
that VPC gained national notoriety in 1997, when it shamelessly attacked
NRA's award-winning Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program� -- an attack that was met
with firm rebukes from a variety of sources, including members of the
media who are anti-gun. Unfortunately, the VPC is so blinded by its
apparent hatred of law-abiding gun owners and lawful gun manufacturers
that it reflexively argues against even educational efforts to promote the
safe, responsible ownership of firearms. Local proponents of strict "gun
control," such as Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Kate Hanley
(D), support the program, which shows just how out of step VPC is even
with more "mainstream" advocates of "gun control." Fairfax County becomes
the 92nd locality to take part in "Project HomeSafe."
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