From: cavasin@convex.com (Vince Cavasin)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns
Subject: NRA excludes libertarian party from american rifleman
Date: 8 Apr 92 20:29:04 GMT
Followup-To: talk.politics.guns
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA


I recently went on a letter-writing binge and one of the letters I wrote was
to the Managing Editor of the American Rifleman, asking him to include the LP
in any articles he did on candidates' positions on gun control.  I got a
sugar-coated response saying he was the wrong guy to talk to and he would
forward my request to the ILA for consideration.  The following letter is the
reply I received from the ILA.  Blame typo's on my OCR software; haven't got
time to go over it:

                          NATIONAL RJFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
                               INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION
                                 1600 RHODE ISLAND AVENUE.  N.W.
                                   WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036

                                      April 3, 1992



            Mr. Vince Cavasin
            xxxx xxxxxxxxxx
            xxxxx xx xxxxx

            Dear Mr. Cavasin:

                 Your letter concerning third-party candidates has been
            referred to me for response.

                 Certainly there are political parties (other than the two
            major ones) whose positions against gun control are in keeping with
            the Association's fight to preserve the Second Amendment.         
            The
            problem we have had in including Libertarian and other third party
            candidates in our election mailings has existed for some time now.

                 It is generally accepted that there are two major political
            parties.  Minor party candidates (Libertarian, Independent, etc.)
            have an extremely difficult time getting elected.  I can only think
            of two examples in recent history -- Senator Harry Byrd,
            Independent from Virginia; and Congressman Bill Carney of New York
            who was first elected on the Conservative ticket (with the backing
            of the Republican Party.)

                 At this time, it is reasonable to expect that a third party
            candidate (including Libertarians) will not win an election, at
            least at the federal level.        In addition to this, in most
            Congressional races there is at least one candidate of the two
            major parti"-es that is supportive of the NRA position on gun
            control.   If we have a situation where one of the candidates is
            'good, and one if 'bad', we will obviously support the pro-gun
            candidate.  By including the grades of Libertarian and other third
            party candidates, votes may be taken away from the pro-gun
            candidates and give the election to our opposition.

                 Political parties other than the Republicans and Democrats are
            beginning to gain nationwide acceptance.  When these parties gain
            the acceptance of their electorate, we will have to reevaluate our
            grading process.

                                          -2-

                I hope this answers the questions you had as to why we have
           not included third party candidates in our election material.

                                             With every best wish,



                                             Terri D. O'Grady
                                             PAC Director

          cc: James Jay Baker, Executive Director
               NRA-ILA

gag.

This sort of policy is EXACTLY what keeps Joe Average American ignorant of the
LP and its views.  And Joe Average American includes a hell of a lot of gun
owners who have never heard of the LP and would probably be quite enthusiastic
about our cause if they were exposed to it.

Anyway, I'm sending this to libernet and posting it to a bunch of newsgroups
in hopes that I can start a letter writing campaign to put pressure on Mr/s
O'Grady to give the current ILA policy a second thought.  If you have any
interest in seeing the LP get some exposure and/or seeing your second
amendment rights respected, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE join me in protesting this
policy of the NRA.  Even if you aren't a Libertarian, even if you're
pro-gun-control, this policy stinks.

thanks,
vince