Four Madison Award Winners
The Second Amendment Foundation is proud to announce four Madison Award winners for pro-gun owner editorials and commentaries on ‘Junk Gun’ bans, concealed carry reform and guns for self-protection. Madison Awards are given in the spirit of James Madison, Fourth U.S. President and author of the Second Amendment.
Our first two Madison Awards go to co-authors Chuck Michel and Steven Silver for their article entitled, "Prohibition Misfires: Bar Groups Are Wrong To Support Local Bans On Handguns." Their compelling piece ran in the May 29, 1997 edition of the Daily Journal out of San Francisco, California.
Attorneys Michel and Silver began by discussing how so-called ‘Saturday Night Special’ Bans have passed in around 30 cities, "Before firearms civil-rights activists got the facts out. Since then, dozens of cities have rejected it."
Michel and Silver point out that they presented to the bar strong evidences that the, "Targeted firearms are neither disproportionately used in crime nor unsafe, defective products. People buy them because they are economical home-defense guns."
The author’s point out that the bar still endorsed the ban because the, "Bar’s written goal of eliminating the private possession of all concealable weapons." In addition, the bar will support any laws to further that agenda, even if law-abiding gun owners are injured. The authors contend that, "In fact, gun owners’ suffering discourages others from buying a gun, so it furthers the prohibition agenda."
Michel and Silver go on to point out that gun control is doomed to fail and that criminals will always be able to acquire the weapon of their choice, because many criminals need a weapon to instill fear in their victims. However, Michel and Silver conclude by reminding readers that, "Fear works both ways. The lesson from states with liberalized concealed weapon licensing laws is that we are all a lot safer when criminals must guess whether a possible victim is armed."
Our third Madison Award goes to the Review Journal from Las Vegas, Nevada for not one, but two insightful editorials in just one week. The first editorial dated June 2, 1997 was entitled "Another Gun Grab: Californians Seek More Oppressive Laws."
The editorial begin with a short history lesson in California gun control. Several years ago, so-called "‘Assault weapons’ were the guns of choice among criminal gangs. Big, expensive, accurate rifles were the problem, and a ban was the answer."
"The anti-gun crowd now contends the problem is -- small, inexpensive, inaccurate pistols, and a ban is the answer," continues the editorial. And then something very prophetic is revealed. "Next, of course, the problem will be medium sized, mid-priced, fairly accurate weapons." Leading to a complete ban on guns.
Upon returning the current proposal, banning affordable guns, the editorial then reported about the outcome of a press conference by local politicians. An African-American leader named Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, "Head of a central Los Angeles self-help group called the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny, asked the gun snatching officials how many of them lived in the inner city. No on raised a hand."
The Review Journal praised Rev. Peterson for scolding officials by informing them that, "We are good citizens, and we cannot protect ourselves because you allow criminals to run wild. I’d like you to come to the inner city for a week and see the importance of a weapon."
The editorial concluded with another great history lesson involving the need for guns during the LA riots in 1992 and how the NRA, "Chartered gun clubs for Blacks in the South at a time when the Ku Klux Klan waged war against integration and burned homes. Strangely enough, the KKK didn’t mess with blacks who were armed."
The Review Journal had another editorial dated June 6, 1997 entitled, "Concealed Weapons: Nevada Should Heed Its Constitution." The editorial began by discussing the issue of whether the names of concealed-weapons permit-holders should be made public or not. However, the editorial then switched to a bigger issue of supporting the state constitution and advocated a Vermont-style concealed carry law.
Imagine having the Review Journal as your hometown paper!
Our fourth and last recipient is David L. Adametz for his pro-gun portion of "Pro & Con: Are You Safer With A Gun In Your Home?" The two part editorial ran in the Hartford Connecticut Currant on June 21, 1997.
The article began with a detailed summary of a recent self-defense shooting involving a home invader choosing the wrong 71-year-old lady in a wheelchair. The Henrico County, VA woman fired at the criminal and sent him fleeing out the broken window of her home.
"Thanks to the right of people to keep firearms for self-defense, incidents such as this one prove that it has become a dangerous shell game for the criminal to determine who is armed and who isn’t."
Mr. Adametz went on describe how firearms are used every 15 seconds for self protection and that over 98% of the time, the victim does not even injure the attacker.
The author dismissed the idea that guns ‘cause’ violence when he stated that, "To say. . . that firearms are a cause of violence is like saying flies cause garbage."
Adametz continued by reminding readers that, "The worst mass murder in U.S. history was not even caused by firearms, but instead was caused when a political radical destroyed a government building" using fertilizer and fuel oil.
"As with firearms, there is nothing inherently sinister or dangerous about having these items until they are used by evil people with evil intent," concluded Mr. Adametz.