Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership, Inc.
P.O. Box 270143
Hartford, WI 53027
Phone (800) 869-1884
Fax (425) 451-3959
FORMAL OBJECTION TO BATF
On January 6, 1998, JPFO alerted its members and e-mail subscribers of the letter we sent to the BATF regarding Sporting Suitability of Modified Semi-Automatic Assault Rifles. You can find this letter on the JPFO web site at:
On April 6, 1998, the Clinton Adminstration announced a broader ban on the importation of certain semi-automatic rifles because they did not meet the requirements for "sporting use." These rifles weren't for "sporting use," according to the administration, because they could be fitted with "large" magazines or clips.
We pointed out in an alert dated April 7, 1998, and found on the JPFO web site at:
.....that "sporting use" strategy was used before. The Nazi Weapons Law (18 March 1938) forbade importation of weapons under substantially the same test.
To understand how the "sporting use" definition led to the Holocaust, how the same language was imported into the U.S. Gun Control Act of 1968, and how that language is bearing its vicious fruit now, get and read "Gun Control:" Gateway to Tyranny, available from JPFO at:
We now reply to the ""Comments Provided by Interest Groups" that BATF has published at:
We encourage our members to write a follow-up letter to the BATF, regarding the content of the letter below.
Our letter to Mr. John Magaw, Director of the BATF, follows: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 17, 1998
Mr. John W. Magaw Director, BATF
650 Massachusetts Ave.,
Room 8000
N.W. Washington, D.C. 20226
Re:Formal Objection to Study on the Sporting Suitability of Modified Semi-Automatic Assault Rifles (April 1998)
Dear Director Magaw:
The Study on the Sporting Suitability of Modified Semi-Automatic Assault Rifles ("Study Report"), under "Comments Provided by Interest Groups", mentions our January 5, 1998 Comment Letter by stating as follows, in full:
(8) Identical comments were received from five members of JPFO. They are against any form of gun control or restriction regardless of the type of firearm. References are made comparing gun control to Nazi Germany.
This brief response characterized but did not communicate our points. As a result, the decision makers were not fully informed about the opposition to the proposed rulemaking.
We strongly object to our organization's being referred to by only its four-letter acronym. JPFO stands for Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership. The name and emphasis of our organization is unique. To reduce us to a largely unfamiliar acronym is to effectively dismiss our input.
For our organization and many of its members, "Nazi Germany" and "the Holocaust" are not mere clichés or metaphors. These terms vividly recall destruction, disappearance, and death to friends and family members. Frankly, our organization takes offense at any casual reference to these subjects.
To dismiss our input into the decision process, the Study Report does treat the subject of Nazi Germany quite casually . By saying only that "References are made comparing gun control to Nazi Germany," the Report completely ignores the substance of our comment. Our comment did not compare "gun control" to Nazi Germany. Our comment was far more specific.
Our research shows that the statutory authority for BATF's regulation of the importation of semi-automatic firearms comes directly from the Nazi Weapons Law of 1938. With this letter we are providing you with a copy of our book, Gateway to Tyranny, which proves this connection by showing:
(1)Senator Thomas Dodd obtained a copy of the Nazi Weapons Law of 1938 and had it translated into English just before the U.S. Gun Control Act of 1968 was drafted (see pp. 130-132);
(2)The 1968 Gun Control Act is structured and patterned after the Nazi Weapons Law of 1938 (see pp. 54-63);
(3)The "sporting use" criteria for importing firearms, as developed in the 1968 Gun Control Act, comes directly from the Nazi Weapons Law and its implementing regulations (see pp. 60, 61, 88, 89, 90, 91, 102); and
(4)The Nazi Weapons Law (augmenting the pre-existing "gun control" laws) granted nearly unlimited power to government agents to deny to Jews (and others) all access to firearms, and once unarmed, the Jews were helpless against the well-armed police and soldiers (see pp. 7-11, 14, 52, 83, 113-121).
Our January 5 Comment Letter also pointed out the lack of constitutional authority for a federal agency to define and regulate "sports." In fact, the language of the Second Amendment expressly forbids the federal government to enact regulations which would "infringe" on the "right of the people to keep and bear arms." The Study Report should have squarely addressed these objections, because our government and your agency are subject to the Constitution, not above it.
Our organization's leaders and members ask that you review Gateway to Tyranny, and we would appreciate the favor of your reply to this letter. We would be particularly interested in any facts you have that would refute the points made in our book.
Very truly yours,
Aaron Zelman
Enclosure
To become a JPFO member, go to: http://www.jpfo.org/member.htm There you will see a printable member application, along with info on membership. If you wish, you can become a member using our on-line application as well. Membership IS open to ALL Law abiding citizens.
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