Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership, Inc.
P.O. Box 270143
Hartford, WI 53027
Phone (800) 869-1884
Fax (425) 451-3959
STAND FOR CHILDREN -- STOP GUN CONTROL!
This e-mail goes with another alert found at: http://www.jpfo.org/antigen4.htm Gran'pa Jack #1 -- "Gun Control" Kills Kids!
This little piece is a perfect example of what JPFO members should be doing on a regular basis with our many anti-genocide tools JPFO provides. Time to stop talking. There's work to be done. The journey of 1,000 miles starts with the first step. Don't expect the other guy to start the journey for you.
I just wonder how much better things would be if we all simply just did our part? Its a mind boggling thought! We certainly have nothing to lose!
-- Chris W. Stark
JPFO Director of Electronic Communications
It was all over the news, weeks beforehand. The Children's Defense Fund was planning a rally, called "Stand For Children", to be held June 1, 1996 at the Lincoln Memorial, with celebrity speakers and a six-figure crowd. They were going to rally against all the evils that society was perpetrating on children. Rah rah rah. How could anyone object to a cause like that?
Of course, that's exactly what the anti-gunners count on, when they convince organizations with noble overall goals to include their ideas. "How DARE anybody contradict the CDF's stand on gun control? After all, They're Doing It For The Children!", the latest impenetrable shield for any otherwise repugnant cause that can't wrap itself in the flag.
Or is it so impenetrable? Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO) has created a comic book, entitled "Gun Control Kills Kids!", featuring a lovable character called Gran'pa Jack. His grandchildren see him cleaning his rifle (an obvious "assault weapon"), and want to know what he's doing and why. He patiently explains to them (and their parents) exactly how gun control not only doesn't protect children (or in fact anybody) but rather puts them at greater risk of genocide and other government murder, and how we can't rely on the government for protection against ordinary crime either. They raise many of the questions and objections the "antis" and fence-sitters do, and he responds with fact and logic (the twin banes of the anti-self-defense lobby). Although the format is clearly aimed at the young, it includes enough "insider" humor to amuse older folks too. It is also jam-packed with facts, complete with source references. With that youth-appeal, title, and message, it was perfect for the occasion.
Paul W. Moog, Jr., Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Citizens' Defense League (NVCDL) (a grassroots civil rights group, right across the Potomac River from Washington DC), swung into action. Using the Paul Revere Net (a network of computer bulletin board systems, headed by Leroy Pyle of Chicago), he posed a challenge: if someone would cover the cost of the JPFO materials, the NVCDL would provide volunteers to distribute them at the Stand For Children rally. Wesley Jones of Moose Pass, Alaska (no kidding!) picked up the gauntlet, and arranged with Aaron Zelman, Executive Director of JPFO, to express ship a thousand copies of "Gran'pa Jack" in the nick of time.
Paul and Your Humble Writer, along with Jim Snyder, Val Finnell, and Tim Casey, hauled the comics down to the Memorial, where we met up with Chip Fettrow, Wayne Dougherty, and his two young daughters. We set up JPFO posters, plus handmade ones saying things like "Facts the gun-grabbers don't want you to know!", and of course "Gun control kills kids!", on the sides of the boxes, so people approaching from any angle could see them. We "dressed for success" (casual clothing, no NRA hats or cammies), and wore the heart-shaped "Stand for Children" stickers that the events organizer's were handing out.
We had surprisingly few negative (and surprisingly many positive) reactions. We thanked the few hostile people for the opinions and concentrated on our mission: getting these comics into the hands of children and open minded adults. Paul Moog said: "Every comic we got into the hands of a child was a victory for our side. Children still have open minds since they have not been infected with the dreaded disease of political correctness."
There were many anti-gun symbols on the banners (no pun intended!) of assorted child-welfare groups, but I don't recall seeing any groups whose names indicated that they were specifically lobbying for gun control. A few people from assorted other causes stopped by to chat, such as a Jewish lady from PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays), and a group against war toys (a cause some pro-gun people agree with, the theory being that toy guns can lead to lack of respect for the responsibility that comes with real guns). Media personnel (who of course were plentiful) stopped by to take pictures, get a comic (and an NVCDL press release), and interview some of us.
The participants' consensus was that our effort was a great success. All 1,000 comics were distributed rather quickly, in the sea of over 200,000 people. After informing JPFO, it was decided that we should plan an even larger public education effort at any similar events in the future. With enough funding and volunteers, we could distribute 50,000 comic books!
The NVCDL and JPFO are looking for individuals and companies that wish to sponsor future educational efforts. We would also like to thank Wesley Jones for his generous support, and the System Operators of the Paul Revere Net for their communications assistance.
For more information on JPFO or their Gran'pa Jack comic books, write to them at P.O. Box 270143, Hartford, WI 53027, call (800) 869-1884, or see their web page at http://www.jpfo.org/. Read more about Gran'pa Jack -- "Gun Control Kills Kids at: http://www.jpfo.org/antigen4.htm Contributions and membership dues to JPFO are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law, as it is a tax exempt educational organization.
For more information on NVCDL, send a SASE to PO Box 821, Alexandria, VA 22313, send email to nvcdl@erols.com, or see their web page at http://www.nvcdl.org/.
For more information on Paul Revere Net, use your modem to call the Air 'n Sun BBS at (703) 319-0714, send email to postmaster@airnsun.pcbuddy.com, or see the PRN home page at http://www.mcs.net/~lpyleprn/home1.htm.
The author is a charter member of both JPFO and NVCDL, and also belongs to the National Rifle Association (NRA), Gun Owners of America (GOA), and the Virginia Shooting Sports Association. He runs a computer bulletin board system (BBS), Air 'n Sun, at (703) 319-0714; it is in the Paul Revere Net, and has many forums of interest to firearm enthusiasts, Jews, and others. For more information, send Internet email to postmaster@AirNSun.pcbuddy.com.
© COPYRIGHT David J. Aronson, 1996. Permission is granted for all use by people or organizations supporting the right of ordinary citizens to keep and bear arms; all other rights reserved.
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