This comes from Joe Waldron of the Gun Owner’s Action League, WA:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/298561_guns05.html

DESPITE SHOOTINGS, GUN CONTROL UNLIKELY

Lawmakers reluctant to pass measures

“OLYMPIA — Heading into the 2007 Legislature, leading lawmakers are
reluctant to pass new gun-control measures despite last year’s mass
killing on Capitol Hill, a downtown office shooting and this week’s gun
slaying of a Tacoma high school student.

“Insiders and experts say the gun lobby’s influence may be too strong,
politicians’ courage too weak and the number of gun victims still too
low to prompt action.”

The lead-in to today’s Seattle P-I story about the future of proposed
gun control laws in Olympia sounds good for gun rights advocates. But is it?

The true intent of the P-I is to build pressure on legislators to pass
gun control legislation during the upcoming session DESPITE the fact
that none of the proposals would have prevents Wednesday’s shooting at
Foss High School or earlier high visibility shootings in King and Pierce
counties.

We can expect to see more news articles and editorials in the coming
weeks calling for passage of Seattle Mayor Nickels’ “reasonable gun
control” agenda, an agenda that was first announced last May and was
broadcast again the same day of the Foss HS shooting. Of course the
interesting this is that while the mayor’s four point program has
nothing to do with recent shooting incidents, it is identical to
Washington Ceasefire’s gun control agenda.

The mayor is calling for passage of four new laws:

Closing the non-existent “gun show loophole”

Banning so-called “assault weapons”

Mandating the use of locking devices on firearms

Creating a “crime gun tracing program”

Here’s the other side of the story on all of these proposals:

Gun shows

The “gun show loophole” is a myth, manufactured by the gun control lobby.

Fewer than 1% of felons get their guns at gun shows (US DOJ study).

All laws that apply to sales of guns, by dealers and by private
citizens, outside of gun shows, also apply at gun shows. There is no
“loophole.”

The only gun shows conducted in the greater Seattle area – those put on
by the Washington Arms Collectors – ALREADY require background checks
before a gun may be purchased. No background check, no membership; no
membership, no gun sales.

“Assault weapons”

These firearms are rarely used in crimes.

These firearms are in fact are less lethal than the common duck hunter’s
shotgun.

Contrary to popular belief, these firearms are NOT “readily convertible
to full automatic fire.”

Approximately 200 high power rifle matches are conducted in Washington
annually, matches where so-called “assault rifles” play a prominent part.

Mandatory “safe” storage

Washington’s existing reckless endangerment statute (RCW 9A.36.050) may
already be used to prosecute irresponsible gun owners.

Accidental shootings in Washington are rare. According to the CDC,
accidental shootings don’t even make the “top 10” causes of accidental
deaths among juveniles.

Personal security requirements vary widely; one state-mandated size does
not fit all.

Trigger locks and loaded firearms are an inherently unsafe combination,
something that all lock manufacturers caution against.

Trigger locks do not prevent theft of firearms.

“Crime gun” tracing

The BATF already runs the National Tracing Center, available to all law
enforcement agencies

The Washington Department of Licensing already maintains the state
pistol registry, where all handguns sold at retail are linked to the
purchaser

Tracing information is already available for criminal prosecution of
violators.

The true purpose for this so-called tracing scheme is to use the data to
sue gun dealers and distributors because federal law prohibits such use
of federal data.

The true root cause of so-called “gun violence” in Seattle and other
urban areas is the proliferation of gangs, of drug dealing, and of the
failure of the criminal justice system to keep dangerous criminals
incarcerated. All the gun control laws in the world won’t control these
activities… just look at the gang and drug problem in England.

I need you to do two things:

Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, using the talking
points above, to tell the truth about Mayor Nickels’ gun control scheme.
Pick one topic, keep the letter down to about two to three paragraphs to
increase the chance it will be published. Contact information (including
e-mail addresses normally) for letters to the editor is available on the
editorial page of your newspaper.

Write or call your state legislators (one Senator and two
Representatives) and ask them to keep you informed on proposed gun
control legislation. Make sure THEY know that Mayor Nickels’ (and
Washington Ceasefire’s) gun control agenda will have no impact on crime.
You can reach your legislators through the legislative hotline at (800)
562-6000.