Tuesday, November 07, 2006

"Bill Brown-Asked and Answered"

I received the following forwarded email reply by NRA-ILA regarding Bill Brown from a friend in Santa Barbara:
Thank you for your email. Our lobbyist has carefully evaluated Bill Brown's stand on the Second Amendment. In fact Bill Brown has worked with the NRA to defeat anti-gun legislation at the State Capitol. As for his opponent Sheriff Anderson, he never returned the questionnaire that the NRA-PVF sent to him. We assume that is because he is hostile to gun rights.
Well, NRA's lobbyist wouldn't return my call on the matter, nor would their PR department. Incidentally, what do they mean by "Brown...worked with the NRA...at the State Capitol"?

Which bills? What did he actually do?

As for Anderson not returning a questionnaire, the implication is that Brown did.

Did he? Why won't NRA tell us how he responded?

Why won't NRA tell its voting members, who are being asked to support Brown, what his stances are on specific issues, such as concealed carry, the semiauto ban, the .50 ban, and other "anti-gun legislation"?

Why should we believe that Bill Brown's A-rating is a credible assessment of his "stand on the Second Amendment," when NRA is deliberately withholding this information, and refuses to explain Brown's documented position on the bearing of arms:
"With regard to CCWs, I don't believe in a blanket policy, i.e. I feel that Sheriffs and Police Chiefs need to have and should exercise discretion in issuing CCWs. Circumstances vary. What works in a rural setting may not be appropriate in an urbanized area. I would continue my current policy, which is to issue CCWs sparingly if there is a valid reason (such as a credible threat against life, requirement due to profession, or similar circumstance)."
This is what it takes to get an "A", and these people only gave Ron Paul a "B"?

Don't look for these questions to be answered. But do look at that evasion when assessing the credibility of NRA political ratings.

1 comment:

E. David Quammen said...

"With regard to CCWs, I don't believe in a blanket policy, i.e. I feel that Sheriffs and Police Chiefs need to have and should exercise discretion in issuing CCWs."

Yeah, believe that's called 'arbitrary rule'. It was one of the main causes of the Revolution.....(the first American Revolution that is). We are, and have been going through, the same type of scenario(s) that caused it.