Res. No. 11-A
Resolution calling upon the Republican National Committee to repudiate the irresponsible and dangerous policies of the National Rifle Association; and further calling upon the Republican National Committee to denounce the intolerant and inflammatory comments made by members of the National Rifle Association leadership that are offensive to many communities that bring to the City the diversity that ensures its vibrancy.
By Council Members Brewer, Boyland, Foster, Jackson, Quinn, Reed, Moskowitz, Martinez, Gerson, Gioia, Liu and Gonzalez
Whereas, The 2004 Republican National Convention, a meeting at which members of the Republican National Committee ("RNC") and other Republicans from across the country convene to discuss political strategies and to nominate the Party's Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates, will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City from August 30 through September 2, 2004; and
Whereas, Historically, one of the main supporters of the RNC and its Presidential, Vice-Presidential and Congressional candidates has been the National Rifle Association ("NRA"), which lobbies on behalf of the nation's gun industry, based on the belief that people have a right to bear arms; and
Whereas, The policies pursued by the NRA undermine the safety and welfare of Americans by ensuring that dangerous weapons are readily available without strict background checks and with few or no restrictions on the type of weaponry sold or transferred; and
Whereas, The NRA opposes renewal of Sections 1-5 of Subtitle A of Title XI of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, provisions that are set to expire on September 13, 2004 and that place restrictions on the manufacture, transfer and possession of certain semiautomatic assault weapons and bans large capacity ammunition feeding devices; and
Whereas, The NRA also opposes the Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2003 ("H.R. 2038" and "S. 1431"), which would help to keep assault weapons off our streets by strengthening the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and eliminating its sunset provision; and
Whereas, One of the NRA's high priorities is to urge the Senate to pass the Gun Industry Immunity bill ("S. 1805"), a bill that would bar city, county, state and individual lawsuits against the gun industry except in cases of knowing violation of federal law or creation of defective products; and
Whereas, The Gun Industry Immunity bill would also prohibit certain civil lawsuits, including those against manufacturers or dealers who negligently aid in the sales of guns to criminals or who sell guns without a background check, would prevent lawsuits in instances in which a child is killed by a gun without a load indicator or safety device, and would cause the dismissal of pending suits against the gun industry that result "from the misuse of their products by others;" and
Whereas, The FY 2004 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, passed by the Senate on January 23, 2004, includes provisions advocated by the NRA that would legislate the destruction of records pertaining to criminal background checks for gun purchases after only 24 hours, which would impede law enforcement's ability to share and analyze the data collected on guns involved in crimes; and
Whereas, Members of the NRA leadership have a history of making intolerant and inflammatory comments, including Wayne LaPierre, the Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the NRA, who has called anyone who supports gun control "an enemy of freedom and a political terrorist;" and
Whereas, In addition, Paul Blackman, a head NRA researcher, wrote that the deaths of homicide victims who are "criminals themselves and/or drug addicts or usersÂ… in terms of economic consequences to society, are net gains," and Jeff Cooper, a member of the NRA Board of Directors and part of its Executive Council since 2002, claimed that, "diversity, rather than being a goal to be sought, should be an obstacle to be circumvented;" now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Republican National Committee to repudiate the irresponsible and dangerous policies of the National Rifle Association; and, be it further
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the Republican National Committee to denounce the intolerant and inflammatory comments made by members of the National Rifle Association leadership that are offensive to many communities that bring to the City the diversity that ensures its vibrancy.
RA
Proposed Res. No. 11-A
3/2/2004