Employing tragedy as a policy lever

Josey1

Employing tragedy as a policy lever J. R. Labbe The Violence Policy Center has never seen a tragedy it won't attempt to exploit in its quest to demonize U.S. gun manufacturers.It happened after Columbine; it happened after Wedgwood. Now it has happened after Sept. 11.In an Oct. 9 news release, the VPC's senior policy analyst, Tom Diaz, contends that at least 25 .50-caliber "sniper" rifles were sold by an American manufacturer to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network.Diaz's proof? February court testimony by Essam Al-Ridi, a government witness in the trial of four bin Laden operatives accused of the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.Al-Ridi testified that while he was living in Texas in the 1980s, he made shipments of night-vision goggles and .50-caliber rifles to the mujahedeen.Remember that during the same time, CIA Director William Casey had convinced Congress to provide the mujahedeen in Afghanistan with Stinger anti-aircraft missiles so it could fight those nasty Soviets.Who'da thunk it? Yesterday's friendly mujahedeen is today's terrorist network.Diaz cautions that the .50-caliber is "an ideal tool for assassination and terrorism," citing its ability to attack and * aircraft and other transportation.Yeah, boy. That's exactly what we're hearing out of Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge, Attorney General John Ashcroft and the FBI's Robert Mueller: Forget the anthrax and the nuclear devices. Terrorists are going to use .50-caliber rifles to bring America to her knees.How could this happen, you ask? Diaz says it's because gun makers are the "only consumer product industry, with the ambiguous exception of tobacco, whose products are not subject to basic consumer health and safety regulation."News flash for you, Tom. The .50-caliber does precisely what it was designed to do - it delivers one hell of a punch at a very long distance."A devil's blend of long range and massive power," the VPC calls it. Of course, when it's in the hands of American military personnel, it's heaven-sent. If an American special forces member is able to destroy armored personnel carriers, radar dishes and communications vehicles from 1,000 yards away, this is exactly the firearm you want.In fact, shooting hobbyists - not the military - designed the .50-caliber."The rifle was developed by the Fifty Caliber Shooter's Association for sport competition," said John Burtt, chairman of the FCS Policy Institute. "The military saw its capabilities. It was introduced into military conflict for the first time in Iraq."But can it bring down airplanes, as Diaz warns?"Any high-velocity firearm with all circumstances just right could bring down an airliner. What are the odds of actually being successful? Not so good," said Ronald Nulph, an FAA-certified commercial pilot, flight instructor and aircraft mechanic in Washington state who is a member of the FCSA."I suppose that someone could argue that an African elephant could be brought down with a .22 long rifle; but why would anyone try?" Nulph said. "Dedicated terrorists would consider the .50 as a pretty wimpy round compared to the serious anti-aircraft materiel designed for the job. These people are maniacs, but they're not stupid. Why hunt elephant with a .22?"VPC claims that gun makers have willingly armed everyone from terrorists, both foreign and domestic, to the "common criminal" with these high-powered rifles.Please. My husband has been a police officer for 26 years, working every risky assignment available. He has never - I repeat, never - taken a .50-caliber off of a drug, gang or homicide suspect.The rifles are too large and too heavy for street use, and ammunition is difficult to find because it is not carried by normal retail outlets. Plus, the guns cost anywhere from $2,500 to $7,000. Bin Laden and al Qaeda may have that kind of scratch, but your average street thug? Doubtful.When, oh when, will Diaz and his ilk learn that the weapon is not the risk? It's the person pulling the trigger. But it's not a lesson he wants to learn, because the ultimate goal isn't just the demise of .50-caliber. Terror equals opportunity for the VPC."Diaz is using the .50-caliber as a back door to go after every gun," Burtt said. "The report clearly states he's concerned about the .40-cal, the .30-cal - down the line to the .22. You can tell by reading the report that it has been in the making for months. After the World Trade Center disaster, he put a news spin on it."Shameless.Jill "J.R." Labbe is a Star-Telegram senior editorial writer. (817) 390-7599 jrlabbe@star-telegram.com http://web.star-telegram.com/content/fortworth/2001/10/16/columnist/1956490318.htm?template=articleTemplateID.htm