From: googs@pravda.webo.dg.com (Joe Gugliemino)
Subject: Re: TIME is on the ropes, asks for forgive
Date: 06 Jan 93 17:16:32 GMT
Organization: NSDD/ONSD, Data General Corp., Westboro, MA

[] Regarding Re: TIME is on the ropes, asks for forgive;
[] andyw@meaddata.com (Andy Welter) writes:

 aw> How many people out there think a book series glamorizing serial
 aw> killers is is a pretty sick and irresponsible publishing decision?

 aw> How the hell can a company that publishes crap like that, and songs like 
 aw> Cop Killer get all high and mighty about firearms advertising???

I'm tired of it myself.  After seeing this disucssion on the newsgroup I
decided it was time to write my own letter.  It's in the mail today.
Here's a copy.  Feel free to make use of it yourself...

---  Included Letter ---

Reginald K. Brack Jr., Chairman and CEO
Time Inc.
Time & Life Building
Rockefeller Center
New York, NY.  10020-1393



Dear Mr. Brack,

I have recently learned of Time's anti-gun stance, and find it
unthinkable for several reasons.

First, additional gun control will only restrict 2nd ammendment rights
of law-abiding citizens.  More gun laws will not hinder criminal access
to guns, and will in fact increase black market demand for firearms.

Secondly, Time Life publishes a number of books and recordings whose
selling point is based to some degree on killing machines and the people
who use them.  Your book series on flight largely focuses on military
aircraft.  Your Civil War and World War II books and videos feature
battles, guns, and ruthless acts by military leaders.  Your Western
video series, military movies, and others glamorize gunslingers,
outlaws, gansters, and violence.  I find it absolutely hypocritical for
a corporation such as yours to take an anti-gun stance and make money on
an issue it publically opposes.

Lastly, I find it unacceptable that a "news" magazine such as TIME does
not present all sides of the gun control.  There are many pro-gun
arguments which the media, including TIME, does not pass on to its
audience:

  According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report firearms are used tens of
  thousands of times a year to successfully deter crimes.  Objective,
  independent studies estimate over a million such uses.

  Accidents, while sensational and headline grabbing, are declining and
  are already statistically insignificant when compared to either
  defensive uses or overall firearms ownership in America.

  Existing or proposed laws such as the Brady Bill would not have
  stopped sensationalist killers such as Hinkley, Hennard, or Chapman.
  Other criminals such as Purdy should have been stopped several times
  by existing laws before they commit their crimes.  Additional
  legislation will not avert these tragedies in the future.

It is time for rational examination and discussions, not unfounded
emotional outbursts about gun control.  Time, as a "news magazine,"
should be a source of information and a forum for these discussions.

As a result of your position on gun control I will no longer buy
Time/Life/Warner products.  If you have my sales history, you know that
I have been a frequent customer.  Please remove my name from any/all
mailing and telemarketing lists.  I will not purchase any of your
products until I see that you have abandonded your sensationalist
Politically Correct attitude in favor of a thorough, objective
examination of the ownership and use of guns in America.


Sincerely,

--- End included letter ---


P.S.  I sincerely hope that you will receive many more letters like this
from your customers.  I have distributed a copy of this to USENET, an
international computer network, and encouraged like minded individuals
to use it as a basis for their own correspondence.
--

                             Later,

                             Joe Gugliemino

(new address)
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googs@pravda.webo.dg.com             Voice: (508) 870-6318
Joe_Gugliemino@dg.com                      Phone messages routinely routed
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Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns