The PROponent Peoples Rights Organization 5 E. Long St., Suite 412; Columbus, OH 43215; (614) 268-0122 Volume 6 March, 1994 Number 3 (Headline) A Good First Step! "BRADY" KICKS IN ... While Slick Willie lies about almost everything, he was right when he said he would create more jobs. Sure, his jobs plan didn't pass, but "Brady" did and firearms sales went through the roof. More recent anti-gun efforts by administration cohorts and Democrats in Congress seem designed to continue the trend. So the day before (Sunday) handgun buyers are required to turn their names and addresses into police, all the cutesy talking heads were dutifully filming the huge crowds at gun stores. They made me sick. They all were acting so innocent, pretending to be nothing more than impartial reporters. There was little hint of the critical role they all played in creating this drama. It was as if some nightclub had caught fire and all the TV reporters were there getting those nice tight shots of dirty faces blubbering with emotion that sell the news so well, but nobody dared point out that it was these "impartial" reporters who gave the guy who did it the matches. Here in Ohio we are so lucky to have an attorney general who as far as we know is still the only elected official on the board of Handgun Control Inc. While around the country many police departments are planning to just ignore doing background checks because of the severe overload that would be placed on their already swamped staff, Ohio Attorney General, Lee Fisher took the bull by the horns to make sure that no Ohio gun buyer gets away unregistered. Without any legislation being passed, he simply commandeered the background check system so that a handgun buyer's name is not just sent to the local "chief law enforcement official" as required by the "Brady" bill, but instead has set up a Central 900 number for gun stores to call. This way a local sheriff cannot just ignore the checks and furthermore, it saves him going to all local jurisdictions to (illegally) gather up names of gun buyers. Now all he needs are the computer transaction logs. He doesn't even have to type in the names. Also without any tax legislation being passed and at the encouragement of the BATF Lee Fisher simply slapped a fifteen dollar charge on gun buyers for doing the check. No study to determine real costs. No legislative oversight. Just old plain and simple taxation without representation. The worst thing is gun owners seem to be buying this because it eliminates the waiting period and is soooo convenient. Meanwhile, the gun grabbers are on a massive campaign to make sure only criminals (both in and out of government) are armed. Jim Brady is now calling for outright registration of gun owners and banning of all constitutionally protected firearms. All are calling "Brady" just a good first step. Meanwhile, University of New Hampshire computer nerd and Fulbright Scholar, Richard Lyczak has invented a "trickle down" theory of gun control. He says, "There are two kinds of guns - legal ones and illegal ones. The legal ones are going to trickle down and become illegal ones." And you didn't think that guns in law-abiding hands were a problem. Of course, it's also pretty clear that all criminals start life as law-abiding babies and later "trickle down" into a life of crime. Just think how wonderful it would be if all these kids were born into a life in a socialist-fascist police state. Why, a good strong government program of "life control" would completely eliminate all "trickle down" crime ... (everyone pause here for a moment and give a big, rosy, liberal, thinking-about-a-utopian-future sigh.) CON-CON; SJR 6 and SJR 7 ... They never give up. Once again a Constitutional Convention resolution has passed the Ohio Senate. SJR 7 which calls for Congress to pass a balanced budget amendment and failing that calls for a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con). SJR 6, on the other hand, also calls for a balanced budget amendment but does NOT call for a Constitutional Convention. What with the Balanced Budget Amendment recently failing in the U.S. Senate by just 4 votes, you can be sure that the National Taxpayers Union will be pressing hard on their Con-Con agenda. If you look at these votes and the one for the Penny-Kasich modest deficit reduction bill you will notice that the same people who want your guns are the same ones who want a huge deficit and who want a Constitutional convention. It's all about control. They want to control you through debt and at the same time plan to use the pressure that the debt creates to force a constitutional convention. A convention then opens the door for a return to the kind of government the rest of the world lives under which I might add is the kind of government our European ancestors risked everything to leave behind and come here. Keep the pressure on now. Write your Ohio Representatives and tell them that you favor a balanced budget BUT you in no way support a Constitutional Convention of which both legal opinion and precedent agree cannot be limited to a single topic no matter what SJR 7 may say. You can also write the members of the Ohio House State Government Committee and voice your opposition to a Con-Con. DOLE SELLS OUT ... PRO is non-partisan and if the back-stabbing gun owners got from George Bush wasn't reason enough for this position, we now have a couple more from the Senate Republican leader Bob Dole. The Feb 21, The Gun Owners newsletter give a sordid account of how he buckled on the "Brady" bill saying that he got the best deal he could considering some Republican senators were about to defect. Some deal. The Dems agreed only to "consider" a few amendments to the "Brady" bill in the next session. The Democratic leadership made clear they were NOT agreeing to support any such amendments. Maybe Dole could learn a thing or two from across the aisle. When Clinton's big votes came up, the Democratic leadership was cracking the whip, threatening to take away committee positions and other dire consequences if the party members didn't fall into line. For that matter, Dole also did the same thing on the budget vote. But apparently your gun rights weren't important enough for him to call in party markers on the vote. Dole himself had it within his power to stop the "Brady" bill. The filibuster was working, and "Brady" seemed dead. Even after the voice of gun owners had spoken in the November election, Dole "agreed to hurry up procedures for considering all the gun control bills." One senator told Gun Owners of America that "The NRA asked us not to filibuster." The NRA said the decision was based on Dole's vote count. When "Brady" seemed dead from early filibusters, Dole revived it by a willingness to "compromise." The "compromise" was that pro-gunners gave up their insistence that longer waiting periods be shortened to seven days and got a five year sunset changed to four years with a one year extension by the Attorney General. In other words we gave up our position and got NOTHING. Even at the bitter end when all but three senators had left town and Al Gore asked if there was any objection to a suspension of the rules (which would end the filibuster), had any ONE of the senators present objected, Brady would not have passed. No one objected. Dole could by a simple objection have made all the anti-gunners come back to town for a vote ... after all, they were the ones wanting this passed so badly. But instead he chose to take it easy on them and join in this conspiracy to overthrow and usurp the Constitution of the United States of America. Why? The real sad thing about this is that Bob Dole should have been the perfect pro-gun politician. He is a war hero with a real understanding of what America is supposed to be all about. But supposed to and how things really work in Washington are often quite different. It seems that too many years in the nation's capital and too many political shenanigans have taken their toll on Dole just as they have on John Glenn. It has been rumored that Senator Dole is thinking about trying for "President Dole", so Bob Dole is playing the power game that gets you the stamp of approval from the levels of power above the president who decide who shall and shall not be permitted to run for the office. It seems he is already beginning to play the games that get you the vast sums of money needed to run for president. So the real "Brady" compromise seems to be that by helping to pass the "Brady" bill Bob Dole gets considered as a potential Republican presidential candidate, the gun-grabbers get your name, address, guns, rights, and freedoms; and you, well you get to do exactly as Big Brother says. No wonder after counting the "sell-out" votes Metzenbaum could puff his chest and predict during the hearings, "Whether you like it or not you are going to have a Brady Bill." So now that "Brady" is passed, Bob Dole has fallen into line by proposing that $30 million of your dollars be spent to obstruct justice further than it already is by funding stupid "buy-back" programs. He has thus fallen into line with rabid anti-libertarians Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) who are also proposing buy-back legislation. The only arguments between R's and D's seems to be the method of payment. Schumer says lets do it as a "tax break" which delays the payment till tax time, while Dole says we should just hand out the money to get 1 million guns "off the street." Of course, I am sure you understand that the phrase "off the street" is their phrase which means "getting guns out of law-abiding homes." This whole buy-back thing is nothing more than a big psychological "lesson" designed to train those with less than normal brains that the way a "good citizen" behaves is to turn in his or her guns to his or her government. Then once you are helpless, they will "protect" you. But even Dole isn't dishonest enough to lie about these programs stopping crime. He said his $30 million buy-back, "will not stop crime, not by a long shot." In fact, the only thing that no-questions-asked buy back programs do is make a life of drugs and crime pay just a little bit more. The effectiveness of these no-questions-asked gun turn-in programs can be judged from a story told by a caller from Utah to the G. Gordon Liddy Show. It seems there was a turn-in program out there and someone turned in a boxed, matched set of antique dueling pistols. As usual, it was no-questions asked ... not even in this unusual case. And I am sure you will not be surprised to learn that the pistols had been stolen from a museum and had once belonged to Brigham Young! Needless to say, the police had no idea who the guy was they had fenced the pistols for. He was eventually caught, but only because he was arrested later for another crime and was recognized. And where does this money to give to criminals come from? Why, Bob Dole says it should come from the few honest hard-working tax-paying Americans left in this country. As G. Gordon Liddy says, "Oh, ye suckers!" ____________________________________________________________ "The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws" Tacitus, Roman Historian, 55-117 A.D. ____________________________________________________________ LENNY "THE HEAT" KELLER ... Look at how the "gun control" people view honest citizens and then how they wish to treat criminals and you will discover which side they are on. If some law-abiding family man wants to own a gun for protection against criminals he needs to swear he is qualified, must show picture ID, give his citizen identification number, must give his name and address to police who check him out to make sure he is OK and finally wait up to a week or more to get the firearm. On the other hand, criminals who wish to "fence" stolen guns to the "gun control" people, get none of this. Their identities must be "protected." They have rights. It's "no questions asked." In the old days if you knocked over a house and grabbed a stereo, camera, VCRs and guns, a hood could just fence them at some pawn shop. But then the police got strict about pawn brokers receiving stolen property and forced them to start being careful and taking names. So what's a dis-honest guy to do? You could, visit someone with a name like Sammy "the snake" or the like but if he gets busted, you never know when he just might "drop a dime" (squeal) on you. But Now there is a new fence in town. It is Columbus Safety Director Lenny "the heat" Keller. Columbus has the "Stop the Tears" gun turn-in campaign, but it was not no-questions-asked. So movers and shakers were upset that criminals might be compromised. Cowtown HAD to have a program that fenced stolen property and obstructed justice through the melting down of possible murder weapons just like other BIG-TIME cities. So Lenny "the heat" Keller gets with Kroger to produce what obviously seemed to them a very cheap media advertising blitz in a "food for guns" program. So the Kroger Company of central Ohio and TV Channel 4 (WCMH), along with the sheriff and police departments are sponsoring a gun buy-back program. A $75.00 certificate will be given for every working pistol and $100.00 for every fully automatic firearm. These certificates will be given for Kroger store items. It has been suggested that one get soaps and toilet paper because that costs Kroger more money. Understandably, Sheriff Karnes and Chief Jackson have not been very cooperative in blocking possible criminal investigations. Both City police and the County Sheriff's Office will be checking serial numbers of turn-in guns to make sure they are not stolen. Stolen guns will be returned to owners or insurance companies. Sheriff Karnes says he may do ballistics test on some of the firearms. Such a check on any turned-in fully automatic gun would certainly be prudent. Such a test on firearms matching a description of one used in a crime (especially murder) would also be a good idea... Police will come to your house to pick up guns, but that will NOT be an anonymous donation said police. But Lenny "the heat" really wants a program to fence "hot" firearms for the underworld. Thus, there will be an anonymous drop-off spot March 13-14 at a place yet to be determined. If you have a gun you wish to exchange for food, do not take guns to the Kroger store. They have liquor licenses, and you will be in violation of the law as well as scaring the hell out of the clerks. Program rules say guns must be functional to get the cash certificate. The PRO Hotline has been ringing off the wall in support of a boycott or demonstration against Kroger. However, PRO is an educational organization and cannot organize a political activity like this. We do not wish to overstep our bounds. However, you can write to Kroger indicating that you think that THEY have overstepped their bounds by engaging in this clearly political issue. You can also indicate your disgust with Kroger's support of criminal activities by doing your shopping at the Big Bear or Meijers stores. Show them you mean it by saving the receipt slips and sending them to: Mary Jo Crumley Customer Service Complaints The Kroger Company 4111 Executive Parkway Westerville, Ohio 43081 While PRO can't turn out a sign-bearing crowd to show our disgust with this Channel 4 propaganda ploy, individual members can feel free to express themselves at the anonymous turn-in location. None of us think that obstruction of justice is a proper way for WCMH and Kroger to demonstrate good corporate citizenship. GUN POLICE... We all know the drill: It's a dark rainy alley with dingy buildings lining both sides. Suddenly out of nowhere special government police appear. They are suspicious and demand to see your papers and then threaten to have you arrested for no reason and demand that you submit to a search for "contraband." You know that if you do not submit to these demands you could disappear into the bowels of some hell-hole jail for a long time and no one might be able to get you out. Is this a scene from WWII Nazi Germany? Is it a tale from the Moscow underground or the Berlin wall before the fall of the Soviet empire? Or perhaps it's a modern tale from Tiananmen Square in The People's Republic of China? No. It's a tale of a totalitarian regime all right, but this one runs Washington D.C. The Associated Press recently reported that the District of Columbia police have created a new unit whose sole mission is to randomly stop and search any person on the street they suspect of carrying firearms. The unit was created by Inspector Charles Collins who says that "desperate times call for desperate measures." The officers will look for "telltale appearance or movements" that lead them to believe the person is armed. While the instructions to this new unit have not quite reached the random stops done for drugs and drunk driving based on a "profile" of a typical offender, that can't be far off. The one thing I find very interesting is that the crime issue is always being used as an excuse to a variety of far-fetched measures on the excuse that "desperate" things need to be tried because "you have to do something" because presumably doing something incredibly stupid is somehow supposed to be better than doing nothing at all. Needless to say, any person with half a brain can come up with at least a thousand things you can do that are MUCH WORSE than doing nothing. I'd suggest that if "desperate times call for desperate measures" then let's try something really desperate like repealing all the "gun control" measures in Washington. There is certainly more real data that seems to indicate such an effort would produce better results than going to the "desperate" systems of Hitler and Stalin which historically produced world records in "gun deaths." A MORE EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT ... With the Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) rearing its ugly head in Ohio again, we think it's time we took a little closer look at exactly what it means to make our form of government "more European." We have run across an old article called "The Key to Peace" written in 1951 by Clarence Manion of the Heritage Foundation that clearly explains that it is the American form of government that is the ideal to be copied by the rest of the world rather than for us to reduce ourselves to the mistaken concepts that have kept the people of Europe under the thumbs of their governments for centuries. Considering the wondrous state of American achievement in 1951, if Mr. Manion is still alive he must certainly be grossed out by the changes that are being forced upon our American ideals and if he has passed on, our daily headlines must certainly have him spinning in his grave. We quote some pertinent paragraphs from his piece: "The American Revolution had produced a workable common denominator for people of many races, many creeds and widely separated economic circumstances. Through this magical and mysterious force the American Union slowly but surely became 'more perfect.' "It was soon evident that this unique American formula was no mere temporary makeshift. On the contrary it quickly developed dynamic qualities and magnetic influences that spread abroad and tugged at the hearts of men all over the world. Great waves of immigration surged toward the new and rapidly expanding United States. The sharp diversities of the American Revolutionary population were multiplied ten thousand times in hundreds of American communities that spread steadily from coast to coast. "Gradually it became evident that in and by the American Revolution the United States had achieved something far more important than mere independence. The Revolution had brought forth and moved into action on this continent, and for the first time in Human History, a genuine cure for the social cancer of class-consciousness and group antagonism. "Our immigration statistics reveal a widespread and continuous state of dissatisfaction with living conditions and opportunities in all European countries between 1790 and 1921. They likewise show a striking unanimity of opinion as to the place where living conditions and opportunities were good enough to justify the great effort and sacrifice entailed in pulling up stakes and going there. "What does this prove? It proves first of all that the political and economic system of Europe is now and has always been radically different from the political and economic system of the United States. It proves that in the estimation of Europeans themselves the American system is incomparably superior to that of Europe. It proves finally that we as citizens and residents of the United States exercise one of the highest and most closely held privileges obtainable in this world. "In America today the grinding noise of the turning European wheel is ever more and more audible. Sparks from its materialistic engine fall constantly on all parts of the United States. Here on our very own soil fanatical firebrands of Europeanism are constantly directing these sparks to the more inflammable portions of our American social order; to "minority groups," to "labor," to "capital," to "consumers," and to "producers," to the "little fellows," to the "special interests," to the "haves" and to the "have nots." "Government cannot make men good; neither can it make them prosperous and happy. The evils in society are directly traceable to the vices of individual human beings. At its best government may simply attack the secondary manifestations of these vices. When government goes far beyond this simple duty deploys its forces along a broad complicated front, under a unified command, it invariably propagates the very evils it is designed to reduce. "Whatever significance may have been attached to it in the ancient past, the term "democracy" is not now a dependable key to the secret of a free society. Its continued use simply serves to make existing "confusion worse confounded" by giving notoriously tyrannical despotisms a distorted false face which seems to resemble American freedom. "By their perennial harvest of bitter fruits these foreign governmental systems are shown to be fatally wrong. Since the time that America was discovered the power of these systems has shifted from autocratic kings to political or parliamentary ministers. At the moment all the governing politicians, premiers, ministers and magistrates of Europe pretend to be devoted to "popular" government and some of them hold office as a result of popular elections. Nevertheless, from the autocratic kings to the conscienceless commissars, European political science has always held consistently to the proposition that government, once installed, is unlimited in its power over its subjects. The continuing and controlling principle of European politics has thus been BIG AND ALL POWERFUL GOVERNMENT which does not recognize and consequently need not respect any such thing as an inalienable right in the individual citizen. "More than one hundred years before the French Revolution, the then ruling royal autocrat of France, Louis XIV declared "I am the State." His BIG AND ALL POWERFUL GOVERNMENT was thus entirely personal and the individual Frenchman could expect only such "liberty" as King Louis chose to extend to him. Two hundred years later, the European Karl Marx, prophet of the modern Socialist-Communist political and economic dispensation, disposed of the individual citizen in these words: 'The democratic concept of man is false, because it is Christian. The democratic concept holds that each man is a sovereign being. This is the illusion, dream and postulate of Christianity.' "One hundred years after Karl Marx thus wrote off the importance of the individual human personality in that derisive condemnation of Christianity, Adolf Hitler made his decisive bid for the control of Europe on what he represented to be a drive against Communism. Nevertheless this is what Hitler said about the unalienable rights of the individual man: 'To the Christian doctrine of infinite significance of the individual human soul, I oppose with icy clarity the saving doctrine of the nothingness and insignificance of the human being.' "Students of political science would probably be hard pressed to find a recognized modern 'authority' who puts Louis XIV, Karl Marx and Adolf Hitler into the same political bed. Nevertheless, on the vital principle of BIG AND ALL POWERFUL GOVERNMENT with no inherent responsibility for or duty toward the individual human being, these important European characters were in perfect accord. "The disappearance of Hitler has brought no observable change in European political ideals. Since the end of the war, England has moved officially into the orbit of the all-powerful States, while on the European Continent, both East and West of the "Iron Curtain," the "nothingness and insignificance of the human being" is everything that Adolph Hitler could have wished for. "If BIG AND ALL POWERFUL GOVERNMENT was the secret of general popular welfare, Europe would have always been the land of milk and honey, while the history of the United States would be a story of general misery, poverty and destitution. The facts are the other way round. Europe's record proves that BIG AND ALL POWERFUL GOVERNMENT, whether its sanction be royal, "democratic" or revolutionary, produces general warfare instead of general welfare and promotes penury and pestilence rather than progress and prosperity. "The all-time record discloses that wheresoever government gets bigger and bigger and more and more powerful it moves at the same time and at the same speed toward the hellish goal of Adolph Hitler, namely the "nothingness and insignificance" of the individual human being. Modern English history shows that "democracy" is no inherent and absolute defense against the pernicious increase of governmental strength. "Seen in perspective, this constitutional system, which is our American form of government, is a veritable lattice-work of barbed wire entanglements thrown around every governmental official in the land. It is a pattern of slow motion and inefficiency which no "expediter" would tolerate for five minutes in any private business organization. Is it any wonder therefore that the eager-beavers of modern jurisprudence chafe under these impediments to prompt and efficient public service? What possible answer can be made to the ever swelling chorus which demands that our antiquated form of government be streamlined toward centralized authority and sharpened responsibility? There is no answer--except one. That answer is drawn from the substance which this complicated form was built to hold safe and secure. "The men who fashioned this form of government were thinking of John Doe's life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Their principal concern was not with the efficiency of government, but with the safety of the God-created human personality. The Founding Fathers knew that the most efficient government on earth is that of an absolute and unrestricted despotism. They had learned their political science the hard way. In their own experience they had discovered that the God-given liberty of the individual citizen inevitably withers and disappears under the tender ministrations of an unrestricted government. Between the disorders of anarchy and the inevitable despotic development of the best-intentioned un-limited government they chose the golden mean. The resulting American form is a series of servant-governments all charged with the duty of protecting personal rights and enforcing personal duties. "This representative system is the essence of the Republican Form of government to which all of the Founding Fathers were so enthusiastically devoted. In State and Federal constitutions they deliberately withheld from the people the right to directly and "democratically" decide governmental questions for themselves. "Those who do not share the Founding Fathers' devotion to the unalienable sacredness of the human personality will regard this form of government as a crazy quilt of cross purposes. These advocates of the "democratic process" maintain that in such a streamlined system society would have the only protection to which it is logically entitled, namely, frequent and free elections. This is the system that prevailed in England at the time of the American Revolution, and it is exactly the kind of government that Socialist England has today. From the separate inventories of their respective accomplishments, you may take your ultimate choice. "The tyranny of a majority can be even more terrible than the tyranny of an individual despot. Personal despotisms are sometimes benevolent, but benevolence is never a characteristic of a mob. If we are ready to settle for unrestricted majority rule in America today we must prepare for even worse ordeals than those now being suffered by our English brethren in the land where Magna Carta is still officially revered, even though its basic principle is no longer respected. "Despotism never advertises itself as such. Invariably it is a wolf in sheep's clothing. By its own definition it will be "democratic," "progressive," "liberal," "humanitarian" and "fraternal." Those who oppose it will be called reactionaries, fascists and other currently bad names. It is not by its name, therefore, that you shall know Absolutism, but by what it proposes to do. Whenever relaxation of existing limits upon the power of government is suggested, you are upon notice that your liberty is threatened. Unless you counterattack swiftly and sharply you are likely to be denatured. "In recent years we have been educated to believe that the general welfare requires a strong centralized government with practically unlimited powers. Of course this attitude violates the logic of our own glorious history and ignores the tragic failures of centralized governments elsewhere in the world. "All over the world there is an immediate demand for enormous quantities of pure Americanism, but unfortunately, the demand comes at a time when we are experiencing a critical shortage right here in the United States. PRO asks if you still think America needs to be made "more European?" Shall we institute "One World Government" by lowering America to the failed despotic and autocratic standards of most of the rest of the world or should we seek to raise those systems that have fallen short of the mark to the achievement that has been historically demonstrated in ours? This choice is now yours ... and don't forget whatever system you choose though your elected representatives, you and I will have to live with it. SELF-EATING WATERMELON ... I was watching the Channel 4 Seven o'clock "news" just before the February PRO meeting and saw one of the most egregious examples of child abuse in quite some time. No, I am not talking about some ex-con being let out to prey upon young children. I am talking about a propaganda press that scares children out of their wits with incessant reports of mayhem, murder and drive-by shootings and then puts these same kids on television to make propaganda points about how scared all our children are about crime. First of all let me say that if crime here in Columbus was as bad as the media implies it is, I would always be walking around armed. I do not (usually) walk around armed and I am not afraid. On the other hand, I don't use or deal drugs either. But what do children know. They see and hear all these reports implying that innocent "people" are being "gunned down" at random and they believe them. They can't figure out that a great many of these murders and "drive-by" shootings that the media are implying are innocent people just walking down the street minding their own business are not killed at random but are drug dealers and drug users and other criminals who are in disputes over money, drugs and territory. So in reporting on Slick Willie's anti-crime visit to Ohio, Channel 4 gets an interview from this cute little girl who describes how she is living in paralyzing fear of being randomly gunned down. Tsk, tsk, go the talking heads. But then the interviewer asks the girl why she is so scared. She answers why because of the shootings and killings you see every day on television. "You mean in programs?" he asks. No, she says, in "real life" on the television news. And then the talking heads go into a big emotional pitch about how "wonderful" this kid is and how "heart wrenching" is her story. Just look at what we've got here. First, the media generates a bunch of lies and propaganda about how bad crime is in our town (often by using stories from other cities). Their lies scare a bunch of innocent kids who aren't experienced enough to figure out what is truth and what is politics. Then they diabolically put the kids they have just abused through unjustified fear on television to generate still more fear among schoolkids. It goes round and round just like the proverbial self-eating watermelon that once started just eats itself until it is gone. Except in this case it is our whole country that they are attempting to get started eating itself. One cannot but be struck by the similarity here to the use of children for propaganda by Hitler and Stalin. New day, same old trick. You mislead the children because that is easy to do and then having done that, you use their ignorance as an emotional propaganda appeal for your agenda. How do these media people sleep at night. BYLAWS ... Each year PRO distributes a copy of our current bylaws to all members. What follows are our current bylaws reflecting all the recent changes that have been voted by the members. BYLAWS OF THE PEOPLE'S RIGHTS ORGANIZATION Amended January 15, 1991 Amended September 15, 1992 Amended November 16, 1993 Amended February 15, 1994 ARTICLE I NAME The name of the corporation shall be the PEOPLE'S RIGHTS ORGANIZATION, INC.; herein after known as PRO. ARTICLE II PURPOSE AND POLICY A) To protect and foster those individual rights defined and set forth in the constitutions of the several states and of the United States of America. B) To educate the public regarding the importance of the individual rights set forth above and to inform the public of any attempts, governmental or otherwise, to limit the nature or expression of these rights. C) PRO is organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes and other non-profit purposes, and no part of any net earnings shall enure to the benefit of any private member or shareholder. ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP A) Eligibility. any person who subscribes to the purposes and policy of PRO shall be eligible for membership. B) Types of membership. 1) Voting member. Residents of the United States of America, at least eighteen (18) years of age, who join PRO shall be voting members, after sixty (60) days of joining. 2) Associate Members. All others who join PRO shall be associate members. 3) Family Memberships. Family memberships shall be for the immediate family, living in the same household. Husband, wife, children and/or parents residing in the same dwelling. 4) All past presidents of PRO shall be, after successfully completing their elected term or terms of office, awarded a Lifetime Membership in PRO or PRO-Central C) Dues. Individual dues shall be sixteen (16) dollars for a calendar year starting in January and ending in December. 1) Family dues shall be 1 1/2 times that for a General Membership for a calendar year starting in January and ending in December. 2) [Members voted to end pro-rating of dues temporarily. A new pro-rating scheme is still under debate.] New memberships initiated between September 30th. and December 31st. shall be good for the following year. D) Non-Payment of Dues. Non-payment of dues by the beginning of the third month of the calendar year by a member of PRO, Shall cause them to be dropped from the organization. E) Resignation. Any member, or officer, who so wishes, may send a letter of resignation to PRO informing PRO of the desire to withdraw from their elected or appointed position, and/or the organization. Said resignation becomes effective immediately upon receipt of said Letter of Resignation. F) All members of PRO shall be provided a copy of the bylaws. ARTICLE IV BOARD OF TRUSTEES A) Members. The Board of trustees shall consist of a: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sergeant-at-Arms, Membership Secretary, and Heads of Committees as appointed by the Chairman. 1) These officers shall perform all duties prescribed by these Bylaws, And by the parliamentary authority adopted by PRO. 2) The Chairman shall preside at all meetings, Board or General, and is to perform all executive functions as set forth in Ohio Corporate Law. 3) The vice-Chairman shall act in the absence of the Chairman, and fulfill all said duties of the Chairman. 4) The Secretary shall keep minutes of all Board and General meetings, and Shall keep all minute books and all non-financial records of the corporation. 5) The Treasurer shall keep all funds of the corporation, and shall keep proper books of accounts; recording receipts and expenditures of same, and shall keep all financial records. 6) The Chairman shall appoint a Membership Secretary to serve in one-year increments. The Membership Secretary shall keep all Membership Records of PRO and all Mailing Lists of PRO. The Membership Secretary shall also provide upon request labels for any and all mailings of PRO. 7) The Chairman shall appoint a Sergeant-at-Arms, whose duties shall be to maintain order at all Board and General Meetings. Other duties shall consist of verifying membership of attendees, and identification of all guests at all meetings. B) Nomination of Officers. The officers shall be nominated at the first meeting of the calendar year by a member of PRO that is in good standing for at least six (6) months. C) Elections. The election of officers shall take place at the second meeting of the calendar year, by members of PRO who are in good standing and are voting members of PRO. D) Balloting. A majority vote by written ballot of a quorum of members, and any Absentee Ballots shall elect the nominated candidates to office. Voting Members may vote by Absentee Ballot by requesting an Absentee Ballot in writing, accompanied by a photo copy of their PRO Membership Card. Request must be submitted in sufficient time to complete the Ballot and return it to the PRO office prior to noon of the day of the Election. ARTICLE V, SECTION D) E) Term of Office. Elected officers shall take office at the end of the meeting at which they are elected into office. Officers shall hold office for one (1) year, but not longer than two (2) consecutive years in the same office, excepting Secretary and Treasurer. The Secretary shall not hold office for more than five (5) consecutive years, and the Treasurer shall not hold office for more then four (4) consecutive years. F) No member shall hold more than one office at a time. G) Eligibility of Officers. All officers of PRO, either elected or appointed, shall have been a Voting Member in good standing for at least three (3) months. H) Death or Resignation of an Officer. In the event of the death or resignation of an officer, a replacement shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees, and voted on by the general membership within thirty (30) days of said death or resignation. I) Removal of an Officer, Board Member or General Member of PRO. For the good of PRO, upon presentation of due cause, any Member of PRO, or any elected Officer, or any seated Board Member of PRO, may be removed from their Office or from General Membership by, first, a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Board of Trustees, and then by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the General membership at the next scheduled meeting. ARTICLE V MEETINGS. A) Meetings of PRO shall be on the third Tuesday of each month at seven-thirty (7:30) P.M. 1) Special meetings. Special meetings may be called upon a majority vote of the Board of Trustees; or by written request of fifteen (15) members of good standing, with a three (3) day notice to all other members. B) Board Meetings. The Board of Trustees shall meet on the first Wednesday of each month at Seven (7:00) P.M. 1) Special Meetings of the Board of Trustees may be called by the Chairman with notice to all other Board Members. C) Meeting may be changed by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees. D) Quorum. A quorum shall consist of ten members in good standing. ARTICLE VI COMMITTEES A) Finance Committee. A Finance committee shall be appointed by the Chairman; consisting of the Treasurer and three (3) other members of the Board of Trustees, promptly after he is elected to office. B) Standing Committees. Other such committees shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees as deemed necessary to carry on the work of PRO. The new head of said committee shall be voted upon within thirty (30) days by the membership, after formation of said committee. C) The Chairman shall serve as ex-officio of all committees, except for a nominating committee. ARTICLE VII PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY. A) The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order (Newly Revised) shall govern PRO in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules or orders that PRO may adopt. ARTICLE VIII AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS. A) These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of a quorum of members, at any meeting, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting. SALERNO VS STINZIANO ... The Franklin County Republican party has selected Amy Salerno to challenge incumbent State Representative Mike Stinziano (D-23). There seems to be little doubt that her impressively strong showing in the recent City Council race despite ho-hum support by her own party and a virtual endorsement of the Democratic Candidates by our mayor got some attention of party leaders. Of course we know that it was strong grassroots support by PRO members and others that made up for the lack of advertising money. Many observers think that a challenge to well-entrenched Stinziano is yet another lost cause. The Columbus Guardian averred that, "her chances of knocking off Stinziano are about as good as Rush Limbaugh dating Gloria Steinem." But stranger things have happened and the Democrat is particularly vulnerable right now because of the ethics questions surrounding his acting as a real estate agent for state lobbyists. You can tell he is worried because even as we speak, he has been trying to patch up a rift with the gay and lesbian community that he generated back in his 1992 campaign. I guess he figures what worked for Slick Willie may work for him. The key here for PRO has to be continued strong support for Amy. She is going to need your help on the campaign trail this fall. We are going to need lots of volunteers to sign up for lit drops and other help. Amy has been a very good friend of PRO and PRO has returned the favor. If we continue to return the favor this cannot help but eventually place the strong pro-rights, pro-gun candidate that Amy is in some office somewhere. PRO needs to make sure that Amy Salerno makes a strong showing. If we write her off because she "can't win", then all the political momentum we gained by her strong showing in the Council race will be lost. If we keep it going, then win or lose, you can be sure that sooner or later we will have this strong pro-gunner elected to office and one more strong voice and vote on our side. ELECTIONS... During the PRO General meeting of February 15, 1994 a full slate of candidates was nominated for the March 15th election. There are at least two nominees for each position. All candidates are listed in alphabetical order. Following the complete list of candidates, there will be brief statements from each of the candidates as to why they want to be elected to their nominated office. Chairman: Roy D. McBride Michael T. Regan V. Chairman: Ron Herman Bill Johnson Todd Kohler Secretary: Pat Johnson Dennis Walker Treasurer: Sherry Herman Pat Johnson Comments from the prospective candidates beginning with the Chairman and continuing on to the Treasurer. Chairman: Roy D. McBride: I have been a member of P.R.O. since 1992, serving as Sergeant-at-Arms since 1993. If elected, I will do my best to fulfill the duties required of the chairman. I will make every attempt to uphold the reputation and integrity of the People's Rights Organization. Michael T. Regan, Architect: We are living in a day when the Second Amendment is needed more than any other time in American history. Our streets are filled with murderers with no consciences. Certain people are without any moral restraint in their desire to kill, to gang beat men, or batter women. I have been gang beaten and my shotgun prevented further damage, my brother's life was saved by a caring neighbor with a 9mm handgun, and I am writing this just four hours after stopping a man from beating a woman to death at South High and Woodrow, (if I had a carry permit he would be dead and we would not be spending tax payer's money to prosecute and jail this multiple felon with several warrants against him). But the worse threat is the one our founding fathers feared most, that is a government that promises peace and safety if you turn over your incomes and rights. 1994 is a year I want to be the most active and outspoken in our vigilant struggle for freedom. I want us to enthusiastically help organize a protest march and rally on the state house and hopefully D.C. I want to push every member of P.R.O. to give his or her time and money to back candidates that are faithful to the Bill of Rights. Vice-Chairman Ron Herman: I am the past chairman of PRO, having served two terms, and am currently the vice-chairman of PRO. I am the chief NRA instructor for PRO's firearm classes. I have appeared on TV and many radio shows in support of PRO and the Second Amendment. I believe in PRO and the Second Amendment and that we must all do our utmost to defend our right to keep and bear arms. Bill Johnson: I have been an active member of the People's Rights Organization, Inc. since the city of Columbus passed it's controversial gun control bill early in 1989. During the past four years I have been the treasurer of P.R.O. I have served under all three of P.R.O.'s chairmen, including the current chairman Richard Hale. I have also been Co-chair of the fundraising committee and currently hold the position as P.R.O.'s legislative liaison. I was one of the two representatives selected by P.R.O. to serve on the board of the Ohio Constitution Defense Council (O.C.D.C.). I was from there elected to be the treasurer of O.C.D.C. and I am currently in my second term. I am the treasurer of P.R.O.'s political action committee, PRO-Gun/PAC, and have been since its inception, dealing with the Ohio Secretary of State office and filing the Committee finance reports as required under Ohio law. I have also been actively involved with P.R.O.'s personal protection classes as a N.R.A. certified instructor. I help in the preparation of P.R.O.'s mailings, some of which are over 10,000 pieces. I appreciate the trust and faith the membership has put in me, as their treasurer, over the past four years and I am looking forward to serving P.R.O. over the next year as vice-chairman. The fight is far from over and I would like to encourage all of the membership to look toward the future as you select P.R.O.'s new leadership. Thanks. Todd Kohler: My name is Todd Kohler and I have been nominated to run for Vice-Chairmanship of the Peoples Rights Organization. Seeing as how I'm relatively unknown to most people reading this, I'll tell you a little about myself. I'm 28, have been happily married for over 3 years, and have a 13 month old son and another child due in June. I work in downtown Columbus as a Drafting Technician with a large engineering consulting firm. Having been a member of PRO now for going on 2 years, I feel that you should vote for me for these reasons: 1. Unfailing belief in ALL of the Constitution, especially the Second Amendment. 2. Ability to be diplomatic, even to people who may be hostile to our cause. 3. If elected I will work ceaselessly to further the fight for our Second Amendment rights. Even if you feel that you cannot vote for me, I would encourage you to come to the next meeting and cast your vote for the candidate of your choice. And as the Bartles and Jaymes ad says....Thank You For Your Support. Secretary: Pat Johnson: I am Pat Johnson. I have been a member of Peoples Rights Organization since shortly after the group was organized. I have worked on mailings, work the PRO table at all but one of the gun shows, and generally do anything I can to help. I am better qualified to be Treasurer than I am to be Secretary. I have done bookkeeping and accounting work for forty plus years as I started working for my father, who was an accountant, while I was attending Crestview Junior High here in Columbus. I am treasurer of the Citizens Against Crime PAC. I am also currently membership secretary which I enjoy. I take any responsibilities I have very seriously and have always done my best to fulfill any duties I have . I have on occasion taken our current Treasurers place when he has been unable to attend board or general meetings when he has had to work. I am also one of PRO's representatives to the Ohio Constitution Defense Council. I can only guarantee that I will do my best if I am elected to Office. Dennis Walker: April will be the beginning of the fifth year of PRO's existence. I, nor anyone else suspected that when we began in the spring of 1989 that we would have a membership of over 1,000 members and a mailing list of almost 11,000 people. During that time I have done my best to see that PRO grew and prospered, both financially and in influence in Ohio and the nation. If re-elected as secretary, I will continue my efforts to stage another rally in Columbus and to hold one in Washington D.C. I will continue to work for the good of PRO and for the preservation of our cherished Second Amendment! I will also continue to speak out against those that are of the gun culture, but not of the defenders of the Constitution and of the Bill of Rights, with special emphasis on the Second Amendment. Treasurer: Sherry Herman: The People's Rights Organization has grown in its efforts, which means it has also grown financially. As a member of PRO I have an interest in the continuance of the organization and its cause. Being a professional, I understand the need for accurate financial records and the recourse they can have in the future of the organization. As treasurer of PRO, I would do my best at keeping the financial records accurate and current; which would be an asset to both the board members and general members. Pat Johnson (See comments above under secretary) DINNERBELL... I always wanted to do that for a headline, but the dinner bell will be ringing on June 14, 1994 for the first Central Ohio Friends of the NRA Dinner. The dinner will be at the Villa Milano on Schrock Road in Columbus, Ohio. The planned dinner will be tossed salad, roast prime rib with baked potato and green beans almandine, and apple or cherry pie for desert. The cost of the dinner is just $25.00 per person. If you have dietary requirements, please let the ticket seller know, or contact Gail at the Villa Milano. Her number is 614-882-2058. All other inquiries should be taken care of through the PRO Hot Line: 614-268-0122. The evening will start at 6:00 pm with a cash bar and social hour. During this time, you will have time to browse the auction items, participate in the raffles and join in the silent auctions. June 14 is Flag Day, a fitting day to have a Friends of the NRA dinner. We hope to see you there. Let's make this the best Friends of the NRA ever. ____________________________________________________________ "...but if circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude, that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people, while there is a large body of citizens, little if at all inferior to them in discipline and use of arms, who stand ready to defend their rights..." Alexander Hamilton, (speaking of standing armies in Federalist 29.) ____________________________________________________________ BUYBACK FAILURE... A handgun used to murder a 31-year old Camden, New Jersey man on January 28, 1994 was apparently purchased with $50 received in a Camden County gun buyback two days earlier according to the Philadelphia Inquirer of Feb. 11, 1994. One of the three teen-agers charged in the murder told police that the $50 used to buy a .25-cal. pistol from a stranger on the street was money that had been received from authorities when a "possibly inoperable" old shotgun was turned in during Camden's January 10-day amnesty gun buyback program. (Editor's Note: The preceding article was taken from the Feb. 25 issue of the New GunWeek) HUEY, DEWEY AND LOUIE... Huey and Louie were in a quandary. They needed a candidate to replace Jack Foulk as Franklin County Commissioner. It seems that Jack had fallen from grace due to his having been involved in a hit/skip accident, leaving the scene and impersonating a police officer. Foulk also had a loaded firearm in his vehicle, along with his honorary sheriff's badge from a neighboring county. One should note that a honorary sheriff's badge in Ohio does not allow the holder to act like a real sheriff, carry a loaded firearm in their car or any other special privileges. Terry Casey and Michael Colley, republican back-room deal makers, sought out Dewey Stokes to run against Foulk. No real republican would have run against Foulk. Stokes said that he was a reformed democrat and that he had been a good republican since 1988. Why then did he endorse Lee Fisher for the Attorney General's race in 1990? Running against Stokes for the Franklin County Commissioner's seat was Rep. Bill Schuck and Carol Ann Carroll, a member of the Franklin County Board of Elections. Schuck and Carroll sought the commissioner's seat after Foulk announced that he would not seek another term, but it was already too late. Stokes was in the race. The Franklin County Republican screening committee voted to endorse Schuck for the commissioner's seat. On that fateful night, Carroll was bumped on the first ballot. On the second ballot, Stokes edged Schuck by one vote. How often do we need to tell you how important it is to run for your party's Central Committee. Our mayor Greg Lashutka spoke in favor of Stokes, as Did Rep. John Kasich. Even Deborah Pryce spoke in his favor. Stokes was even lauded for being a 26 year veteran of the police force, in which he never passed the rank of patrolman. Politics makes strange bed-fellows. Pryce and Kasich were paying the FOP union back for their support in previous elections, as were Lashutka and Dawson. That is why Stokes got their support. Though one wonders how people that voted against the Brady Bill can support one of its main supporters? What is bad for Franklin County is good for the country. As of the day that Stokes filed to run for public office, he had to resign as a Columbus police officer. According to Stokes, he will have to stop being the FOP union president in January 1995. One wonders what use HCI and the Bradys will have for a lowly county commissioner. Not much. It will, however, most likely be a case of the miseries for us and the county job could be a launching spot for higher office. What would be totally wonderful is the defeat of Stokes in the May primary election by Carol Ann Carroll. Carroll is running against Stokes in that election. She too, is fed up with the cartoon antics of Huey and Louie. Oops. I meant Colley and Casey. URBAN LEGENDS ... There have been a couple of rumors circulating among pro-gunners that are making gun owners paranoid about the possible use of troops to round up our guns. Under normal circumstances the use of military troops for law enforcement is strictly prohibited by the Posse Comitatus Act unless martial law is declared. Of course our king (president) with a simple signature can sign a decree (executive order) suspending the constitution and all civilian law by declaring a state of emergency. Executive orders already in place give the king totalitarian powers including confiscation of all property, forced movements of citizens and forced labor from them. But in the absence of that decree, troops cannot be used for law enforcement except in certain specified drug cases. The rumors are that recruits have been asked if they would have any qualms about firing on U.S. civilians if ordered to do so when collecting firearms. One rumor says the question was asked of Navy Seals (Sea-Air-Land) the other was that the Ohio National Guard troops were also asked the same question. PRO used its connections and we can say that as far as we have been able to determine, the Guard rumors are completely false. Ohio commanders know of no such questionnaires asking about firing on civilians being given out to Guard troops. They speculated that the stories might have come from the Michigan Guard which has had the drug problems of Detroit on its hands, but no one could confirm that this was true. Nevertheless, I believe that for Ohio, the firing on civilians question was clearly answered in the affirmative at Kent State some years ago. The Navy Seals story, on the other hand, appears to have real confirmation. Not only has the Spotlight, Gun Owners of America, and the editor of a popular shooting magazine all been receiving reports from Seals saying they had been asked the question, a letter of confirmation has appeared on the computer bulletin boards from a Navy Seal (ret) who defends the question: "As for the stated questionnaire it is true we were given the question to find out if we would follow the orders of commanding officers without question. But also consider this: We mostly deal with groups or units of larger size, and we will succeed in accomplishing objectives at the loss of civilian life. But also remember, we are a unit designed to be covert in nature. If we were to take the weapons of civilians they would have no chance to react or counter our actions. Also do not consider us the bad guys we joined the seals to help our country in ways conventional warfare is inept at. "If you wish to find out how I answered, I said yes, I would fire and kill all persons attempting to resist. This may seem heartless but we aren't around to be good guys we're just around to be the best covert fighting force in the world. By the way you didn't seem too pissed about the fact that we went to other countries and eliminated possible threats to your safety. Why don't you give us the credit that we deserve instead of making statements of a unit you know nothing about." Petty Officer 2nd class W. Kelly (ret) U.S. Navy special warfare team 6 Sea Air Land forces "US Navy Seals - when you care enough to send the very best." I think that ninja Kelly has given you fair warning of what to expect "when the time comes" to take your guns. (Elitists always like to use that phrase because it makes the success of their plans sound inevitable.) And anyway, once the seals "click on" you won't stand a chance (according to Kelly), so you might as well turn in your guns and ammo to Secretary Bentsen right now. Let me say a couple of things here. First of all in spite of the current popularity of Japanese "ninja" with the public, they have never been well regarded within the martial arts community. Why? Simply because traditionally they are nothing but political assassins. In high martial arts circles, if one were to use the skills taught you to take advantage of the weak, or the vulnerable, your teacher would likely find you and kill you himself. As a master he is duty-bound not to allow his advanced teachings to fall to those who will not also be duty-bound to respect that power. Those who find pride in the use of their fighting skills to kill the weak, the old, the infirm, women, and children I fear are in for a rude awakening someday soon. While there may be more than enough justification to have a team ready to go behind enemy lines and "take out" the officers of Saddam Hussein, every military man or woman needs to understand that the excuse "I was just following orders" ended with the Nuremburg war crimes trials. Every soldier today has the duty to determine whether an order is legal. Those in power play "Catch 22" with the military as well as civilians. If an officer tells you to kill that group of people and you say that they look like unarmed women and children to you, it is your duty to refuse that unlawful order. If you fire, later at your court martial that duty will be explained to you. Following orders will be no excuse. On the other hand, the officer may explain that those people only look like innocent women and children, but that in fact they are all terrorists and insurgents. If you refuse the order at best you will face a court martial where you must prove the order was illegal or at worst you will be killed on the spot. However, in either case, obey or refuse, the responsibility for the act will be yours. Needless to say, those directing operations (illegal or otherwise) from behind the scenes never take any blame ... especially if things go wrong. Back in the peak of Roman power a centurion commanded a hundred men. He was an officer and a leader. He didn't sit back in an air conditioned office and say "go kill those guys for me." He led. To be a leader of men then, was to be out front chopping away at the head of the pack. It wasn't "do this for me" and if it goes wrong, you, not I will take the blame. It was "follow me." When that ideal changed, Rome changed ... and fell. America too has had the same great military tradition when men like General Patton fearlessly wandered the battlefield with his men. Leaders like that can say "follow me" and his men would follow him into hell. But now what has this proud tradition become? Are our "leaders" reduced to a race of sniveling bureaucrats who hide behind desks and regulations, who take no blame and do not lead, but nevertheless demand absolute loyalty? Have our police and soldiers become so immoral that they stand ready to use tanks against women and children and practice ninja assassinations by creeping into a burning church compound and putting a single bullet through the forehead of gun owners? Is this something of which we can be proud? Is this something that makes America "best?" I think not. ____________________________________________________________ PRO will hold a meet the candidates night at our April 19 meeting. Scheduled to appear and answer your questions is Dewey Stokes, Candidate for Franklin County Commissioner. ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ The PROponent is published by: Peoples Rights Organization; 5 E. Long St., Suite 412; Columbus, OH 43215; Tel (614) 268-0122 Fax (614) 275-0092 EMAIL: 73427.1615@compuserve.com Richard Hale, Chairman; Ron Herman, Vice Chairman Dennis Walker, Secretary; Bill Johnson, Treasurer Editors: Dennis Walker and Frank Jacoby Contributions, either written or financial are gladly accepted. Anyone wishing to reprint all or part of an article from the PROponent may do so. Please mention the PROponent and the issue that the article was in, and send a copy of your publication to our PRO office. (We like to know what your organization is doing too.) Also, PRO will exchange newsletters with any pro-gun, pro-rights, pro-hunting, etc. group to further grass-roots communication. Put us on your newsletter mailing list and we will put your club on ours. PRO general meetings are held the third Tuesday of every month at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, W. Broad St. Columbus, Ohio. _________________________________________________________________