The Gottlieb-Tartaro Report
Issue 040
April, 1998

The recent rash of school shootings - last month in Arkansas, last December in West Paducah, Kentucky, and last November in Pearl, Mississippi - has combined to create the perception that violence in American schools is increasing. A new government report says the perception is flat wrong.

And the report was requested by the nation's number one anti-gunner, President CLINTON. In an embarrassing surprise, the National Center for Education Statistics responded to CLINTON's request for a report on school safety with a finding that the incidence of crime in schools has not grown significantly over the last two decades.

That will make CLINTON's case for tighter gun control laws much weaker.

The report was the Department of Education's first-ever survey on crime in the public schools, and found that more than half the schools had experienced some crime during the 1996-97 school year, but only one in 10 had a serious violent crime like rape, robbery or fights with a weapon. There were no murders in the 1,234 schools sampled of the nation's 87,000 public schools.

Although the Department of Education has no earlier data of its own, it compared the new findings with similar studies by private groups in the past. There was very little difference in crime rates.

EDITH McARTHUR, one of the authors of the Department of Education study, said, "The numbers seem to be pretty flat. I'm a parent, too, and you get even one of these horrible shootings and it's scary. But it's such a rare event that they didn't show up at all in our study and as a statistician, I'd have to say that there's no data showing an increase."

There has only been one scientific study of violent deaths in schools, and that was conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, covering the period of 1992 to 1994. The CDCP study found 105 violent deaths in the two-year period, 85 of them murder and the rest suicides or accidents.

That is a far higher rate than in 1996 or 1997. The National School Safety Center, which tracks school deaths reported in the media, found 25 violent school deaths in 1996 and 26 last year. Violent deaths in schools have actually declined to less than one-half of the rate found in 1992-94.

School crime was more common in larger schools and city schools than in smaller school and rural schools.

The most commonly reported school crime was fights without a weapon, with about 190,000 incidents a year. Theft came next, with 116,000 incidents. In third place was vandalism at 98,000 incidents. Fights with a weapon showed up with 11,000 incidents per year, and the weapon was not specified. The actual count of gun use in schools was not reported in the New York Times story about the new study.

Only two percent of the schools surveyed had become so concerned about knives and guns that they started metal checks and hired guards.
GOVERNMENT FAKES GUN STATISTICS IN CANADA: CAN IT HAPPEN HERE?

Last July, J. P. R. MURRAY, the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police accused officials in the Canadian Department of Justice of misrepresenting RCMP firearms statistics by overstating the number of firearms involved in violent crimes. MURRAY also criticized the use of these false and misleading statistics during the debate of a controversial bill, C-68, the Firearms Act. But the accusation didn't become public until last month when Member of Parliament GARRY BREITKREUZ revealed it in a news release.
The Saskatchewan MP released copies of the Commissioner's July 21, 1997 letter to GEORGE THOMSON, Deputy Minister of the Department of Justice.

The letter said in part:

"I am writing to request that the Department of Justice correct its representation of the 1993 Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) statistics on firearms involved in crime.

"The RCMP became aware that there was a problem with the representation of the 1993 RCMP statistics on firearms involved in crime in February 1997, as a result of correspondence from Ms. Wendy Cukier of the Coalition for Gun Control, in which she requested an affidavit as to the accuracy of the data in Appendix "A", titled "RCMP (PIRS) Table 2. Firearms Involved in Crime: Type of Firearm Recovered According to Offence." The Firearms Control Task Group created Appendix "A" from the statistics obtained from the RCMP in 1994.

"Since the RCMP had not created Appendix "A", we extracted the 1993 data again and tabulated the number of firearms involved in a crime under the category of violent offences. We determined that our statistics showed that there were 73 firearms involved in a violent crime compared to the Department of Justice findings of 623 firearms involved in a violent crime.

"In order to mitigate damages, the Firearms Research Unit, the Department of Justice, and Ms. Cukier were notified that the RCMP could not provide an affidavit on the accuracy of the 1993 firearms statistics presented by the Department of Justice.

"It is of particular concern that the Minister of Justice and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police relied on these statistics while Bill C-68 was being processed in Parliament as evidenced by statements in the report, 'Illegal Firearm Use in Canada.'

"The Canadian Firearms Centre (CFC) staff were unwilling to meet to confirm where the problem occurred with the interpretation of the 1993 RCMP data. Their efforts were focused on producing a report on the 1995 firearms data. The CFC offered to make comparisons between the results of their current research project and other similar research conducted in the past. This proposal was not acceptable since there was no means to validate the 1993 data, only a possibility of some comments on differences between the findings of the two years. This would leave the 1993 data in circulation. The incorrect reporting of RCMP statistics could cause the wrong public policy or laws to be developed and cause researchers to draw erroneous conclusions. Considering the data is clearly marked as belonging to the RCMP, we must accept ownership and responsibility for the harm the data may cause. For these reasons, something must be done to remove it from circulation.

"I am, therefore, requesting your assistance to resolve this issue. In addition, you may wish to inform the Minister of Justice about this issue to ensure that she does not refer to the RCMP statistics quoted in the Department of Justice report."
MP BREITKREUZ commented, "We don't expect public servants to manipulate RCMP statistics to help politicians achieve questionable political objectives. How will we ever know when Justice Department officials are telling the truth? Justice Minister Anne McLellan has to tell us if she and her predecessor, Allan Rock, knew about and condoned the use of these false statistics by their officials."

Americans have learned from the aftermath of the Waco inferno and the Ruby Ridge incident that our agencies can hide and warp facts to suit their agendas, but we have not yet seen such outright fabrication of law enforcement statistics by our Department of Justice for political purposes. Perhaps the publicity surrounding this Canadian scandal will help the United States government keep its facts straight.

AROUND THE STATES

Arkansas. Residents holding permits to carry concealed handguns can now carry their weapons legally in Tennessee and Texas and vice versa. The reciprocal agreement is the fifth Arkansas has reached since allowing residents to apply for a concealed carry permit. Arkansas's first concealed carry reciprocity agreement was made with Utah, followed by agreements with Oklahoma and South Carolina. Arkansas state police have said they are trying to obtain reciprocal agreements with as many states as possible.
In Arkansas 15,500 people now hold concealed-handgun permits. All permit holders should check about legal provisions before traveling to another state.

California. By the time you read this, the Assembly should have considered AB 23, the bill that seeks to replace the Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control act with language defining so-called "assault weapons" rather than listing prohibited firearms by name. A definition rather than an exact list could be used to ban additional firearms. See related story on Page 6.

Colorado. HB 1170, a shooting range protection bill, passed the Senate unanimously and goes to the Governor for his signature.
Kansas. The State Senate unanimously approved a resolution sponsored by Senator TIM HUELSKAMP (R-38) encouraging school systems in Kansas to adopt the NRA's Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program. Also, HB 2886, range protection, passed the House 94 to 27. It now moves to the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee for consideration.

Kentucky. The Senate passed HB 318, a right to carry reform bill. It now heads back to the House for concurrence.
Washington. HB 1541 range protection legislation and HB 1408, which would allow Washington to recognize out-of-state carry permits, were vetoed by anti-gun governor GARY LOCKE (D). HB 2969, which provides an exemption from sales tax on the purchase of a gun safe, was approved by Governor Locke.

West Virginia. Three important bills are pending Governor CECIL UNDERWOOD's (R) signature. HB 4106, a shooting range protection bill; HB 2650, the Uniform Firearms Act, which preempts cities and counties from enacting their own gun control laws; and HB 4296, which gives the Governor the authority to enter into reciprocal agreements with other states to recognize their right to carry permits.

GOVERNOR BELIEVES WASHINGTON CEASEFIRE LIES
Governor GARY LOCKE repeated in a veto message flatly false statements promulgated by gun control advocate Washington Ceasefire. Gov. LOCKE struck down HB 1408, a bill with broad bipartisan support to allow people with out-of-state concealed carry licenses to carry in Washington State.

Washington Ceasefire, in an effort to defeat HB 1408, invented a list of seven states that they claimed do not have criminal or mental health background checks. They named the states of Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and West Virginia as having no checks. That's news to those states.

JOE WALDRON, executive director of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, said, "Gun grabbers have always believed that the end justifies the means. When the facts are not on their side, they simply lie and hope nobody dares to check their statements."

All seven states falsely attacked by Washington Ceasefire specifically prohibit felons from possessing guns and do conduct background checks. In addition, federal law prevents the ownership, possession or control of a firearm by all felons and some misdemeanor offenders, the mentally incompetent, and several other prohibited categories.

Washington Ceasefire's Initiative 676 to impose draconian gun control measures on Washington State was massively defeated at the ballot box last November. They lied then. They lied again to get HB 1408 vetoed.

IF A WEASEL CRAPS ON THE INTERNET, SHOULD YOU STEP IN IT?

An anonymous posting on the World Wide Web page of the Paul Revere Network was reposted in revised form on a Web page of The Committee for a Strong and Effective NRA (URL, http://www.nrawinningteam.com/csen4.html) and makes some serious accusations.
Normally such gossip would merit no reply. However, the charges are so outrageous that they require response. They deal with the ongoing strife within NRA.

The revised posting was titled, "WHAT DO NEAL KNOX, JOE TARTARO, ALAN GOTTLIEB, JEFF KNOX, STACEY KNOX, JOHN KRULL AND GLEN VOORHEES HAVE IN COMMON? FOLLOW THE MONEY!" and stated in part:
"Alan Gottlieb & Joe Tartaro tried to broker a deal with NRA for $450,000 in January 1997. They wanted NRA to give them $450,000. "In return they would hire NRA Executive Vice President [Wayne LaPierre] for $200,000 and use the remaining $250,000 to make LaPierre a "super-star radio talk show host" on Gottlieb's radio network. "What does this mean? It means that Gottlieb/Tartaro have been in the shadows trying to help Neal Knox remove Wayne LaPierre as NRA Executive Vice President and take control of NRA and NRA resources.

"This deal was supposed to stop the in-fighting because it would get Wayne LaPierre out of the picture and according to Tartaro, 'allow Neal to save face' since he had been unsuccessful in efforts to remove LaPierre."

The posting also contained a recitation of people with claimed connections to Gottlieb/Tartaro, most of which were inaccurate or mischaracterized.

The posting, according to Joe Tartaro, is a malicious distortion of a real event that took place at the 1997 SHOT show, before the recent conflicts within NRA. Tartaro said: "Glen Voorhees, a sitting director of the NRA Board, requested that Gottlieb and Tartaro act as honest brokers -- in an attempt to head off the internal warfare that subsequently erupted and is still ongoing -- in discussions with Wayne LaPierre.

"The proposal was revenue-neutral to the NRA, since it would redivide the amount the NRA was already paying to air LaPierre's radio show so that he would receive the same salary he received as executive vice president, and LaPierre would become a more visible talk radio host, where he could continue to promote the Second Amendment cause independently. The balance of the money would have been used to buy air time through Talk America Network, of which the Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms are minority stockholders.

"The proposal set no time limit for LaPierre's departure from NRA in order that both sides on the NRA board could create a search committee for his successor. As part of the peacemaking proposal, Gottlieb and Tartaro recommended that both LaPierre and Knox be among the members of the search committee in hopes that a successor agreeable to both could be found.
"The people who knew about this proposal were LaPierre, Gottlieb, Tartaro and Voorhees, plus NRA President Marion Hammer, Tanya Metaksa, executive director of NRA-ILA and Sue King, a member of the NRA Board and a leader of the anti-Knox faction. Neal Knox did not know.

"The proposal never got anywhere. The anti-Knox faction notified Gottlieb and Tartaro that any proposal which left Knox 'unbloodied' was unacceptable. That was the end of it. Someone privy to the discussions must have told a third party who distorted the truth and spread the distortions on the Internet.

"The accusations by the anonymous poster are false and malicious. It is false that either Gottlieb or Tartaro have ever sought to 'take control of NRA and NRA resources'. Nor have either Gottlieb or Tartaro ever sought to 'help Neal Knox remove Wayne LaPierre as NRA Executive Vice President'. Anyone who makes such accusations is acting in reckless disregard of the truth."
Joe Tartaro concluded, "The lesson then and now is: Don't try to be an honest broker for anyone you cannot trust."


A REAL PARTING SHOT: CITIZEN SHOOTS BANK ROBBER
It was one of those nightmares come true. A dozen people were in their local Bakersfield, California bank when two gun-wielding robbers wearing ski masks burst in and ordered everyone to get down on the floor. One of the robbers vaulted over the counter and grabbed handfuls of money, giving some to his accomplice. He jumped back into the lobby, viciously kicked a woman in the mouth, and fled with the second robber, who ran in a different direction.

Then it happened. A stern-faced 61-year-old man saw what had happened and chased the robber who had kicked the woman. When the robber refused to stop, the witness confronted him, calmly pulled out a handgun and shot him in the chest.
The shooter then raced to a nearby liquor store, shouted for the owner to call 911, and quickly returned to the robber, ordering him at gunpoint to remain on the ground until police arrived. A second man came up and helped keep the robber on the ground.
The robber had dropped a handful of $50, $20, $10, $5 and $1 bills which flew around the bank parking lot. Witnesses quickly came and gathered up the money, putting it in a bag to give to police.

Officers responded to the scene, splitting up to apprehend the downed suspect while others gave chase to the fleeing suspect. When officers heard that a private citizen shot the downed suspect, they cheered with remarks such as "good," "all right," and "let's go congratulate him."

The shooter had a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

The shooter's identity was withheld for his protection. Sheriff's Cmdr. PHIL CROSBY said, "There is nothing to indicate anything other than this was a justifiable shooting."

Paramedics rushed the wounded robber to the hospital, leaving a small pile of his clothes and a pool of blood in the parking lot. Paramedics also treated the woman who had been kicked in the mouth as well as a female bank employee who was hit in the back of the head with a gun by one the robbers.

The fleeing robber eluded police despite an intensive manhunt with dogs and a house-to-house search of the neighborhood.
KAREN POWELL, co-owner of a shop near the bank, who had also helped pick up the money blowing around in the parking lot, summed up the shooter:

"He was just another citizen like us who stopped to lend a hand."
The community would have been lucky to have another armed citizen with a concealed carry permit to halt the escaped robber.

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