Printed in the USA.
The Gottlieb-Tartaro Report
Issue 042
June, 1998
Playing Silly Putty with Polling Questions
Everybody remembers the fun of Silly-Putty, a brand of clay stuff that would take whatever shape you gave it - and then slowly melt into a blob. That's not too different from a recent Harris Poll showing the popularity of gun control: The anti-gun numbers took the shape the pollster gave them, but later, upon thoughtful reflection, they melted into insignificance. The headlines read: "Stricter gun laws popular with Americans, poll indicates." A majority of Americans, including more than half of the country's gun owners, want stricter gun control laws, the poll said.
The poll, conducted recently by Louis Harris and Associates, found that 69 percent of all adults favor "stricter gun control" compared to 23 percent that want "less strict gun control." Among gun owners, 57 percent want tighter gun laws while 32 percent want an easing of gun restrictions, the poll said. An even larger number of Americans, 76 percent, were in favor of creating more restrictions on hand gun ownership, the poll said. Two-thirds of gun owners want stricter hand gun laws.
We've all seen these pollster claims, which fly in the face of common sense: if Americans are so fond of gun control, why do we keep seeing election results such as those from last year's Washington State Initiative 676? That was the one that trounced proposed mandatory trigger locks and other gun control measures by a whopping margin. The answer is that poll results are largely determined by what questions you ask, how you ask them - and when you ask. The recent poll was taken about a month after the shooting at a Jonesboro, Arkansas, middle school that killed four students and one teacher and wounded 10 others. Two boys, ages 11 and 13, were charged in the shooting.
Suppose you got this question from a caller who wanted to know if you had guns in your home: "In light of the recent school shootings, do you think that children should bring guns to school?" Or "Do you believe that current law effectively stops determined teenagers from procuring a firearm?" Or "Would you favor stricter gun controls designed to keep loaded handguns out of the hands of children?"
The Harris poll data was complied from telephone interviews of 1,011 adults. It probably reflects short-term reaction, not strongly held views.Louis Harris is well known as being no friend of gun owners, and his polls show it. Harris generally does not publicize the exact questions his polling callers ask. We can be sure they didn't say: "With more than 20,000 gun laws already on the books today, do you feel we need additional gun laws?" A poll asking that question would undoubtedly get a far different response than Harris's recent effort.
FBI REPORTS DECLINE IN VIOLENT CRIME - SIX YEARS IN A ROW
The latest FBI report for the year 1997 shows a decline in violent crime - murder, rape, robbery and assault - for the sixth year in a row. Preliminary figures suggest that the violent crime rate fell five percent from last year, and a full report is due out this fall to confirm these results.The overall crime rate fell in every region of the country. The largest decrease, 6 percent, came from the Northeast, followed by a 4 percent drop in the South, and a decrease of 3 percent in the West and Midwest. Nationwide figures show that the murder and robbery rate have gone down 9 percent, while aggravated assault and forcible rape have declined 2 and 1 percent respectively. This is mainly due to new concealed carry laws.
Attorney General JANET RENO was encouraged by the numbers, but stressed that the American people must stay "vigilant" in their fight against crime. New York City led the country in the four categories that constitute violent crime: 770 murders, 44,707 robberies, 2,517 forcible rapes, and 45,229 aggravated assaults. Maybe New York needs a better concealed carry law.
MORE KNIVES, FEWER GUNS FOUND AT SCHOOLS
A state report found that Washington State children brought weapons to school last year in greater numbers than the previous year, but still far fewer that in 1993, the year officials started keeping track. Youngsters brought fewer guns to school last year than in 1996, but there was an increase in the number of knives found on school children, the report said.In its annual "Weapons in Schools" report to the Legislature, the office of public instruction said 1997 showed a 6.8 percent increase over 1996 in the number of incidents of children bringing weapons to school. Even with the increase, though, there has been a 27.3 percent drop in weapons brought to school since the Legislature ordered school districts to start keeping track of the incidents beginning with the 1993 school year. In 1993, there were 3,018 incidents of weapons brought to school. Last year there were 2,302.
The report noted a 14 percent increase in knife-related incidents across the state last year from the previous year. A total of 1,411 knives were confiscated last year compared with 1,211 in 1996.An incident is defined as a weapon found at school, whether used to threaten someone or stuffed in a backpack.
But incidents involving guns fell by 16 percent, to 143 from 171 the previous year, the report said. "Things are getting better, and I think it is that schools really are working hard to keep them safe for the kids," said DENISE FITCH, who heads the state's Safe and Drug-Free Schools program.
NRA-RECOMMENDED CANDIDATES SWEEP BOARD ELECTION
Despite an insider lawsuit challenging ballot procedures, results of the National Rifle Association directors election were announced just before press time. The "Winning Team" candidates who received the NRA Nominating Committee recommendation took every contested seat on the board. None of the candidates was elected who brought the lawsuit against the NRA's publication on the ballot of the names of those recommended by the committee.Elected for a three-year term ending in 2001: Michael P. Baker; M. Carol Bambury; Rep. Bob Barr; Rep. Bill Brewster; David G. Coy; Sen. Larry Craig; William Dailey; Sandra Froman; Marion P. Hammer; Charlton Heston; Susan Howard; Brian A. Johnson; David C. Jones; Sue King; Michael Lee; John Milius; Jim Nicholson; Oliver North; Ted Nugent; Lance Olson; James Porter; Harold Schroeder; Dwight Van Horn; Rep. Harold Volkmer; Rep. Don Young.
Elected for a one-year term ending in 1999 was Alfred Ockenfels.
NEW FBI INSTANT CHECK SYSTEM TRIES TO SNEAK IN A GUN TAX
It isn't even up and running yet and already the FBI has announced that the National Instant Check System (NICS) will involve a "user fee" for all purchases of firearms from Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders. NICS is a sophisticated computerized background checking system that is scheduled to go online this November 30 to replace the Brady act's original five-day waiting period on the purchase of handguns from FFLs.The language of the Brady Act does not call for a fee for this check. Rumors put the proposed fee as high as $30.00. What authority the FBI has for imposing any fee is not clear. Such a "user fee" would technically be a gun sales tax.
The CLINTON administration, however, has been noted for its use of "Presidential initiatives" to impose various regulatory schemes not authorized by Congress, such as "ecosystem management" projects that really amount to federal land use zoning. This NICS fee may simply be another such "initiative."It gets worse. The FBI also announced that they will retain firearms transfer information for 18 months. Current law requires the information be destroyed immediately once the transaction for the background check has been completed.
Pro-gun-rights Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA) has introduced H.R. 3949, a bill to prohibit any fee for NICS background checks and require that firearms transfer information be destroyed within two hours from receipt of the information. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) is set to introduce similar legislation in the Senate.
REP. TOM LANTOS AND THE CHINESE CONNECTION
California Rep. TOM LANTOS and his New Hampshire son-in-law DICK SWETT have received numerous donations to their political campaigns from LINDA and VICTOR HUANG. Linda Huang was arrested in 1996 in a plot to smuggle 2,000 Chinese AK-47s into the United States in violation of the federal ban on assault weapons. Arrested with her were seven Chinese-American residents of the Bay Area.In addition, federal prosecutors requested China for help in prosecuting seven high-ranking Chinese officials in the weapons smuggling conspiracy. The Chinese officials were all part of the state-run Norinco and Poly Technologies arms companies, both implicated by U.S. intelligence in the export of missiles to Pakistan and Iran. The head of Poly Technologies, WANG JUN, met in the White House with President BILL CLINTON before the arrests. A man named CHARLIE TRIE was instrumental in arranging the meeting.
Rep. TOM LANTOS has used his position on the House Government Oversight and Reform Committee to block the investigation into illegal Chinese donations to the Democratic National Committee and to the White House. Rep. LANTOS has prevented the committee from granting immunity to witnesses with knowledge of illegal money transfers. Rep. LANTOS has also questioned the credibility of veteran FBI agent JACK WICKMAN, who retired rather than comply with an outrageous Department of Justice demand that he name a secret China source on illegal donations.
Rep. LANTOS made press headlines by attacking Chairman DAN BURTON as well as witnesses before the committee.
The White House has appointed LANTOS' son-in-law DICK SWETT as ambassador to Denmark. Senate confirmation seems unlikely, however, given the furor surrounding the accused gun smuggler, LINDA HUANG, who donated to the political campaigns of both LANTOS and SWETT.
AROUND THE STATES
Arizona: Governor HULL (R) signed House Bill 2041, which establishes right to carry reciprocity with states that have similar requirements for carry permit issuance.California: The California State Supreme Court has unanimously agreed to review the March ruling of a lower court which struck down a key part of California's Assault Weapons Control Act and ordered a review of the constitutionality of the entire law. The acceptance of the case does not mean that the law will necessarily be upheld: the California Supreme Court has reviewed similar cases before where a lower court has ruled a law unconstitutional and has agreed with the ruling.
AB23: Assemblyman DON PERATA's bill that seeks to replace the current semi-automatic gun ban has been stalled in the Assembly since it failed by one vote in early April. PERATA went to negotiate with Governor WILSON, who had strong objections to the measure in its current form. PERATA came out of the sessions saying he will soon introduce another version including WILSON's suggested changes. AB2022: Assemblyman ROD WRIGHT's right to carry reform measure passed the Assembly by a vote of 54-6 and now heads to the Senate Public Safety Committee.Florida: Governor CHILES vetoed HB 909, which was right to carry reciprocity legislation that would have allowed Florida to recognize out-of-state carry license and allowed Florida license holders to carry for self-protection in certain other states.
Tennessee: The statewide 15-day waiting period on the purchase of handguns will no longer encumber Tennessee gun owners. Governor SUNDQUIST (R) signed House Bill 2410, when means that as of November 1, 1998 gun owners will be able to walk into a gun store and fill out the usual paperwork, wait just seconds for the clerk to check your background and then walk out with your new purchase. This will be done through an instant check system operation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Previously, the law required both dealers and individuals to get a certificate of good moral character signed by the chief of police or sheriff of their county and submit it to the Commissioner of Revenue for a permit to engage in the selling of any firearm. Both these onerous sections were deleted. In addition, House Bill 2410 eliminated the requirement of reporting to local authorities any secondary sales of firearms.
Washington: Backers of a vetoed law that would have made Washington honor out-of-state concealed handgun permits will ask lawmakers next year to pass it, and failing that, will ask the state's voters. ALAN GOTTLIEB, head of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, filed an initiative petition with the secretary of state's office. It would require the state to recognize concealed weapons permits from other states. A similar proposal was vetoed recently by Gov. GARY LOCKE.
The sponsors have until December 31 to gather the required 179,248 signatures of registered voters in order to get the initiative before the 1999 Legislature.
Initiatives cannot be vetoed, so legislative passage would turn the proposal into law. If the Legislature failed to pass the proposal, it would go to voters the following November.
Democrat LOCKE vetoed a similar bill passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature partly on grounds it would force the state to recognize permits from states that use different standards than Washington's in issuing permits. LOCKE was influenced by anti-gun advocates in Washington Ceasefire.
FLORIDA GUN SWAP NEARLY TURNS INTO FLORIDA GANG SUPPLY FESTIVAL
A guns-for-sneakers swap organized by a radio station sounded to Russ Rollins like it would be a wonderful anti-gun statement.
Rollins, host of the Russ & Bo Show on WTKS-FM in Orlando, persuaded local stores and athletes to donate high-priced sports shoes for the "Kicks for Guns" swap. "Kicks" is street talk for these fancy shoes. So the radio folks set up shop at the Florida Citrus Bowl, with police officers standing at the ready to accept turned-in weapons for the swap.Soon they had some takers.
A fifteen-year-old decided to trade in his gang lifestyle for a pair of Nikes. (You believe the kid really quit the gang for some kicks, don't you?) Then a man brought in four guns that belonged to his girlfriend. He told the radio folks, "She got attacked a few months ago and kind of went off the deep end." The girlfriend was not the one turning in her guns, but no one seemed to notice that. The guy went away with his shoes. A youth brought in a rusty sawed-off shotgun he said he found while diving in a lake. Police raised an eyebrow about that. Sawed-off shotguns are only good for -- how shall we say this delicately? -- "social work." An underworld favorite. The murder weapon of choice for the discriminating hit man who wants to be sure.
Everything was going fine for the gun control crowd.
Until some other people interested in guns set up shop a block away from the cops. Only they weren't offering Kicks for Guns, they were offering Cash for Guns. "Hey, kid," one of the new guys said to a 14-year-old named Shawn. "Give you fifty bucks for that .38-caliber revolver you got there." "Hey, kid," chimed in another guy at the new swap shop. "Give you $70."
"Hey, kid," said another. "Give you $80." The first guy squinted and said to Shawn, "You seen any 'Doc Martins' around?" [A 'Doc Martin' is a boot favored by the youth culture.] "Give you $120 for a 'Doc Martin.'"The competition stayed in business for some time before the cops got wise and scared off the gang gun supply shop.
Orlando Police Chief Will Kennedy said, "This was a pretty relaxed afternoon until we heard people were trying to buy the guns."
The radio swap fest scorecard at end of day? 73 guns and no arrests. As all too usual, the law got the guns but not the crooks.
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