(CHPV promotional mailing received February 22, 1993)

CENTER TO PREVENT HANDGUN VIOLENCE

Sarah Brady
CHAIR

Dear Handgun Control Supporter,

There are two major reasons why the cause of reducing gun violence 
in our communities and our neighborhoods is facing a tremendous 
uphill fight in the critical year ahead.

First, in spite of the fact that for 200 years the U.S. Supreme Court 
has consistently ruled that the Constitution grants only a very 
narrow right for citizens to be armed -- and only as part of an 
organized state militia! --62% of all Americans still believe the 
Second Amendment guarantees a broad individual right to "bear 
arms."

And until we completely shatter the gun lobby-perpetrated myth 
that gun control laws interfere with this imagined constitutionally 
protected liberty, lawmakers will continue to use this fraud as an 
easy excuse to oppose any and all gun control laws.

Second, even after a horrendous toll of 60,000 lives from gun 
violence in just the past two years -- and a terrifying increase in 
multiple murders involving combat-style assault weapons -- gun 
makers continue to promote the firepower of their products. And gun 
dealers still refuse to accept responsibility for the fatal results of 
selling guns to ineligible buyers -- such as underage minors, 
convicted felons or persons who are obviously distraught and have a 
history of mental instability.

Clearly, these are formidable obstacles for Handgun Control, Inc.'s 
sister organization, the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, to 
overcome. But we are determined to do so -- and, to succeed, we 
need your help.

You see, a citizen's lobby -- even one as strong and effective as HCI -
- is not enough by itself to combat the heavily financed 
litigation/propaganda machine of the gun lobby and its front 
organization, the National Rifle Association. That's why the Center 
was created. As the legal and educational arm of the gun control 
movement, we are a direct counterforce to the NRA's enormous 
influence in these areas.

Because you are a member of HCI, and therefore have helped pass 
some of the strongest state and local gun control laws on record, I 
wanted to alert you to the grave threat to both existing and future 
laws posed by this pro-gun influence peddling. But I also wanted you 
to know what the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence -- which I 
also chair -- is doing to confront the gun lobby and the NRA in the 
vitally important arenas of the courtroom and of public opinion.

This year, in an all-out effort to both protect gun control laws and to 
empower victims of gun violence, the Center's Legal Action Project 
has developed a LEGAL ACTION PLAN FOR 1993. I have enclosed 
your personal copy. It summarizes not only those legal initiatives 
that are essential to reducing gun violence in the coming year, but it 
also spells out the long-term goals we must reach if we are to stop 
the carnage that has now reached into every community in this 
country.

But to achieve these lifesaving goals, we will require the help of 
every committed gun control supporter, especially members of 
Handgun Control, Inc.

And that's why I'm asking you today to become an official supporter 
of the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence. Your help is urgently 
needed if we are to carry out our aggressive LEGAL ACTION PLAN to 
defeat -- once and for all -- the challenges to sane gun control laws 
as they arise in upcoming constitutional confrontations that are 
pending in a number of state courts . In fact, I'm asking you to 
respond with a generous contribution of support in the next crucial 
15 days if at all possible.

You see, right now our opponents in the gun industry -- led by the 
National Rifle Association (NRA) -- are redirecting the bulk of their 
false and misleading "right to bear arms" campaign from the national 
to the state level.

At this moment, NRA-supported state constitutional challenges to 
local assault weapon bans are awaiting court action in Ohio, Colorado 
and Oregon.

And at the same time, due to weaknesses in federal gun laws and in 
federal regulation of the industry, gun makers continue to put profits 
before people's lives and most gun dealers still have little fear of the 
consequences of engaging in irresponsible selling practices.

That's why, with your strong support, we will immediately set into 
motion three key elements of our LEGAL ACTION PLAN...

ONE, we will mount a massive nationwide public education and 
media effort targeted at influential columnists, reporters, lawmakers 
and the public to dispel the myth that the Second Amendment rules 
out sane and sensible gun control laws. This campaign will include 
opinion-editorial pieces as well as paid advertising.

TWO, we will defend gun control laws against legal challenges in 
state courts by persuading these courts to adopt interpretations of 
state "right to bear arms" provisions that will pose no threat to gun 
control.

THREE, we will maximize the number of lawsuits brought against 
irresponsible gun dealers on behalf of gun violence victims or their 
surviving families. We will make reckless behavior a "high-risk" 
operation for gun dealers who flout the law and public decency in 
their business practices.

When you look over our LEGAL ACTION PLAN, you will see why your 
immediate support is crucial if we are to meet the goals detailed in 
this document.

That's why I urge you as strongly as I know how to become a 
supporter of the Center and of this vital action plan with the most 
generous contribution you can afford to make at this time.

Sincerely
Sarah Brady
Chair

1225 Eye Street, N.W. / Suite 1100 / Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 289-7319

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LEGAL ACTION PLAN FOR 1993

For almost a decade the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence has 
been on the front lines of educating the public about the scope of gun 
violence in this country and the available means of preventing it. 
This mission is grounded in the Center's central belief that a 
fundamental change in public attitudes--based on an increased level 
of public outrage and on knowledge of the true meaning of the 
Second Amendment--is necessary to reduce significantly the 
escalating wave of gun violence that is plaguing every community in 
America.

Throughout this time, the few laws we have to control guns and 
reduce gun violence have been under constant attack from the gun 
industry and its front organization--the National Rifle Association.

As a result, since it was established in 1989, the Center's Legal 
Action Project has defended these hard-won legislative victories of 
our sister organization, Handgun Control, Inc. in courtrooms from 
coast to coast.

Despite the constant legal challenges from opponents of reasonable 
gun control, however, our work has helped to prevent the NRA from 
achieving a single significant courtroom victory. Consequently, we 
are now recognized as both the guardian of our nation's gun control 
laws and as the champion of the legal rights of victims of gun 
violence.

The following LEGAL ACTION PLAN FOR 1993 describes some of the 
most critical challenges in all of these areas that we face in the year 
ahead. It also details our meeting them. While no action plan could 
describe every single one of our efforts, this agenda amounts to a 
determined reaffirmation of our pledge to lead the fight for the 
fundamental right of people to live their lives free of the fear of gun 
violence. We ask for your strong support in this effort.

I. THE SECOND AMENDMENT:
FOCUSING THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

The Second Amendment has a profound influence on the entire gun 
control debate. That's because of an erroneous interpretation that the 
Second Amendment grants every American the "right to bear arms." 
And thus any gun control legislation would interfere with that 
supposed right. But the truth is the Second Amendment only grants 
the right to bear arms to Americans serving in a militia. And the 
Supreme Court has totally agreed with this interpretation for 200 
years! But lawmakers persistently have called upon this right-to-
bear-arms myth as an excuse to vote against sane gun controls.

Over the long term, we must transform the 62% of Americans who 
mistakenly believe this NRA-perpetuated invention into a solid 
majority that understands that the Constitution in no way precludes 
effective gun control.

Our 1993 agenda for this difficult Second Amendment goal includes:

Publicizing the NRA's Surrender in the California Assault Weapons 
Case: This past December the National Rifle Association stunned gun 
control advocates everywhere by abandoning its two-year effort in 
the federal courts to overturn California's ban on assault weapons. In 
allowing the deadline to pass for requesting Supreme Court review of 
a federal appeals court decision upholding the California law, the 
NRA left unchallenged a significant ruling that rejected the NRA's 
Second Amendment argument and which recognized that gun control 
laws are constitutional. In the immediate weeks ahead we will be 
distributing an opinion-editorial to newspapers in every major media 
market explaining how and why the NRA surrendered in this 
landmark Second Amendment case.

Expanding Our "Truth in Textbooks" Campaign: In a major victory for 
the Project, a leading textbook publisher recently corrected the 
misinformation about the Second Amendment previously included in 
its publications. And the newly written textbooks will soon be used 
in 11 state school systems. During this next year, we will be 
communicating with every major textbook publisher about the true 
meaning of the Second Amendment. We will provide textbook 
authors with this essential information as well, and we will continue 
to participate in textbook review proceedings in states where 
textbooks still need to be corrected. Eventually we will expand this 
campaign to include reference works, government publications and 
other materials.

Producing Public Service/Paid Advertising: A public 
education/media campaign that depends solely on the good will of 
the press will only go so far in delivering our vitally important 
message about the Second Amendment. It is critical that we also 
begin testing the effectiveness of paid advertising.

II. GUN CONTROL LITIGATION:
DEFENDING PEOPLE'S LIVES

The NRA's conspicuous lack of success in using the Second 
Amendment to overturn gun control laws has led the gun lobby to 
develop a new tactic that targets state constitutional provisions on 
the "right to bear arms." This strategy poses a significant threat 
because many state provisions are more broadly worded than the 
Second Amendment.

As the NRA tries to cover up its surrender at the U.S. Supreme Court 
by targeting test cases in some of the 43 states with "right to bear 
arms" constitutional provisions, we must ensure that state courts 
continue, without exception, to uphold local and state gun control 
laws.

In 1993 we are facing "right to bear arms" challenges in:

The Ohio Supreme Court: At the request of the City of Cleveland, our 
Project filed an amicus curiae brief this past December in the Ohio 
Supreme Court in support of the Cleveland assault weapon law, 
opposing a lawsuit filed by several gun owners and supported by the 
NRA. This ordinance, passed in February of 1989, was one of the first 
local ordinances banning possession and sale of these military-style 
firearms. The suit alleges that the law violates the "right to bear 
arms" in Ohio's state constitution.

Because the Cleveland case is the first assault weapons challenge to 
reach a state supreme court, the outcome is sure to have a far-
reaching impact on other cases. In fact, an adverse decision in Ohio 
would be used by the NRA as support for its challenges to gun 
control laws in other states and cause state legislators to hesitate 
even more to pass new gun laws.

We must do everything in our power to make certain the City of 
Cleveland wins this case.

The Denver County (Colorado) District Court: In this case, we are 
helping the City of Denver to defend its ordinance banning possession 
and sale of combat-style assault weapons. In February of 1990, a 
group of gun owners filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the 
ordinance, claiming that it violates the "right to keep and bear arms" 
in the Colorado constitution and that it is preempted by state law. 
The gun owners are being assisted both by the NRA's Firearms Civil 
Rights Legal Defense Fund and by the Colorado Attorney General. We 
are currently waiting on a decision by the court and, whatever the 
outcome, an appeal by the losing side is inevitable.

The fact that in this instance the resources of the Colorado Attorney 
General are being brought to bear against a city ordinance makes our 
Project's assistance even more essential.

The Oregon Court of Appeals: We filed a legal brief in defense of the 
Multnomah County (Portland) ordinance barring possession of an 
assault weapon in a public place. Similar to what is happening in Ohio 
and Colorado, this ordinance was challenged by pro-gun groups as a 
violation of the "right to keep and bear arms" provision of the Oregon 
constitution. In August of 1991, the local trial court upheld the 
ordinance, holding that the state constitution does not protect a right 
to bear military arms. This ruling was appealed and oral argument 
was held this past October. We are awaiting a ruling by the appeals 
court.

Again, the outcome in this case will determine who files the next 
appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court, but there will surely be one. 
Given the heavy involvement of the NRA in supporting the pro-gun 
forces, it is imperative that we continue to assist the county every 
step of the way in this important legal challenge.

But the NRA's strategy to preclude state and local gun control laws is 
not limited solely to legal tests involving "right to bear arms" 
provisions. This organization will attack any gun law under any legal 
ruse available.

And this astonishing fact was never clearer than when the NRA 
agreed to fund a challenge to several city ordinances in Arizona that 
require (minors under 18 years of age) to have written consent from 
their parents in order to carry firearms within city limits.

Whatever our differences with the NRA over gun control, one would 
think we could at least agree on the dangers of allowing youngsters 
to carry loaded handguns as readily as they carry personal radios. 
Yet, last November our Project lawyers found themselves in 
Maricopa County Superior Court filing an amicus curiae brief with 
several state and local police associations in support of parental 
consent ordinances passed in the cities of Phoenix, Glendale and 
Apache Junction. In this instance, the NRA and the minors they 
represent alleged the local laws conflict with Arizona state law.

In December, the superior court ruled in favor of the cities, holding 
that the possession of firearms by juveniles is a question of both 
state and local concern and that the ordinances at issue are not i 
conflict with state law.

By the time you receive this action plan, we will know if we are 
facing an appeal of this decision. If so, it is absolutely essential that 
we continue to assist in this case which could help stem the tide of 
juveniles charged with possessing or carrying weapons in this 
country.

III. GUN LIABILITY LITIGATION:
EMPOWERING VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE

Gun violence often is the direct result of irresponsible gun dealers 
engaging in retail transaction which they have every reason to 
believe will lead to tragedy: direct sales to minors or other ineligible 
buyers; sales to "straw purchasers" who then transfer the weapon to 
an ineligible buyer; sales to people exhibiting signs of mental 
instability; sales in violation of what few regulations there are, such 
as showing proper identification; and repeated multiple sales to 
people obviously engaged in gun trafficking.

Our liability litigation against irresponsible dealers helps fill the gap 
left by the government in a basically unregulated industry--but one 
that trades in the most dangerous consumer product on the market. 
By making real the threat of civil damages against gun dealers who 
engage in reckless conduct, we are starting to provide a powerful 
incentive for dealers to obey the law and to reevaluate the cost of 
doing business.

To date, we have seen a jury verdict of more than $100,000 against 
Guns Unlimited in Virginia Beach for selling a gun to a "straw buyer" 
for a minor who went on a rampage and killed a teacher. In Oakland, 
California a gun dealer paid a $400,000 settlement to the widow of a 
man killed in a drive-by shooting--after being sued for selling a gun 
to a suspected "straw buyer" who bought the gun for a drug dealer 
convicted in the killing. And in Los Angeles, The Grant Boys settled 
for $900,000 with the family of a man killed by a woman showing 
obvious signs of mental distress at the time she bought the gun.

in the critical years ahead we must continue to empower victims of 
gun violence to assert their legal rights and to ensure a lifesaving 
change in future gun dealer behavior by maximizing the number of 
winnable lawsuits brought in any given year.

Three of the most important cases we are involved in this year are:

Sage v. Guns Unlimited. This case involves the same Virginia Beach 
gun dealer discussed above. The new case stems from the random 
and fatal shooting of an insurance executive on a crowded 
Philadelphia street in April, 1991. The shooter was a man twice 
institutionalized for mental illness. He was sold the murder weapon 
by Guns Unlimited even though he refused to certify his eligibility to 
buy the gun by signing the required federal form. We are 
representing the victim's family.

Hoosier v. Randa. We are participating as amicus curiae in this case, 
urging the California Court of Appeals to reverse the trial court's 
dismissal of this "straw purchase" case. This suit arose from the 
shooting of a young man by his 19-year-old friend during an evening 
of drinking. It alleges that the dealer was negligent in selling a gun to 
the killer's grandmother when the gun merchant knew she was at 
the store acting as a "straw buyer" for her grandson.

Noi Douendy v. Ron Petersons-Guns. In this case we are assisting an 
Albuquerque, New Mexico attorney representing the family of a 20-
year-old Laotian refugee killed in a random shooting while sitting in 
a car. The suit seeks damages from a gun dealer who sold an AK-47 
assault rifle to a convicted felon without first checking the buyer's 
criminal record.

We encourage your comments on this Action Plan and, of course, 
urge you to support it as generously as you can.  This work cannot be 
done without you.  --Sarah

CENTER TO PREVENT HANDGUN VIOLENCE
1225 Eye Street, N.W. / Suite 1100 / Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 289-7319
