This article was printed from KeepAndBearArms.com.
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Why does NRA's
Spokesperson Evade the "Repeal" Issue? May 12, 2002 Transcript excerpts below are taken from: KeepAndBearArms.com -- The Justice Department's recent statement supporting
the Second Amendment as an individual right "to possess and bear"
firearms sparked a 48-minute segment on National Public Radio's "Talk of
the Nation" program. Called "The Second Amendment" and hosted by
NPR's Steve Inskeep, the segment featured Eugene Volokh (Law Professor at UCLA),
Akhil Amar (Constitutional Law Professor at Yale) and two other guests. One
guest was Matt Nosanchuk -- Litigation Director of the radical gun
prohibitionist Violence Policy Center. The other was Trish Gregory, introduced
and invited to the show as a Spokesperson for the National Rifle Association. The segment with NRA's spokesperson, Trish Gregory, begins at 33:05 into the above-linked
audio file. Partway into that interview, the host, Mr. Inskeep, mentioned the
thousands of gun laws that might be subject to legal scrutiny under DOJ's
"individual right" position. He then asked Mrs. Gregory the following question: "Would you go farther than this administration has gone so far --
would you repeal some of these gun laws if you had your way?" [34:58 into
audio file linked above] Having just been introduced as "an NRA Spokesperson, from her office in
Fairfax, Virginia," Mrs. Gregory's response was: "Me personally? I mean, because I can't speak for the whole
organization, but NO. Now, ask me the question again, could you please?" Mr. Inskeep responded: "You would not repeal the Brady Law if you had a chance? You would not
repeal bans on machineguns?" Mrs. Gregory replied: "You know what, you know what, I wouldn't take like this sweeping
approach. If somebody was advocating repealing a particular law, I think that
we'd be willing to hear them out and take it one step at a time." Mr. Inskeep punctuated her answer with: "OK. Trish is a spokesperson for the National Rifle Association." COMMENTARY Given the fact that the Justice Department, via their Solicitor General, has
just informed the United States Supreme court that the Second Amendment does in
fact address an individual right to keep and bear arms, and given the fact that
there are thousands of gun laws that flatly usurp this individual right -- a
right to which NRA leadership proudly professes undying loyalty -- one would
think that the National Rifle Association's spokesperson would speak directly to
that issue when handed a national audience and the perfect opportunity to do so. One must also wonder why someone invited to National Public Radio as an NRA
Spokesperson would immediately disavow her authority as an NRA Spokesperson when
asked a simple question. NRA surely didn't send Trish Gregory to a national
radio broadcast merely to share her personal opinions, nor would she have been
invited to the show merely as a relatively unknown individual. Mrs. Gregory's
evasion of the issue and of her responsibility and authority as a spokesperson
for the NRA is at least very odd. And her "NO" answer to the question
of whether or not to repeal rights-infringing gun laws is out of step with many
of NRA's own members. New York City NRA members, and members in Missouri, New
Jersey, D.C., Kansas, Iowa, California and many other states are crystal clear
that gun laws need to be repealed immediately -- why is NRA's spokesperson so
unclear on this vital issue? Any statement resembling the following, in my opinion, would have been
appropriate from the NRA spokesperson: "The Justice Department's position calling the Second Amendment an
individual right is historically, technically, logically and Constitutionally
accurate. But there are gun laws that effectively ban a woman's right to
protect herself from a violent sexual predator. Such a law is repugnant to the
Constitution, abhorrent to the natural right of self-defense that supersedes
even the Constitution itself, and wholly inhumane. As an NRA Spokesperson, as
an American, and as a woman who considers my safety and human dignity superior
to the sport of rapists, here is my very clear answer to your very clear
question: YES -- the repeal of anti-self-defense, anti-woman, pro-rapist gun
laws is long overdue." |
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