Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership, Inc.
P.O. Box 270143
Hartford, WI 53027
Phone (800) 869-1884
Fax (425) 451-3959
It Worked! JPFO Rattles HCI
JPFO’s March 6 national press release (archived on the web at http://www.jpfo.org/alert20000306.htm) showed that HCI provided misleading data to President Clinton to the effect that "13 kids die each day by gun violence." What resulted? HCI has gone into a tizzy. Facing HCI with the facts drives them nuts.
Leftish Colorado Radio Station KWAB talk host Gary Tessler contacted JPFO on March 14 to explain this charge and he brought on the research director of HCI to defend the statistic. Richard Stevens, JPFO Firearms Sentinel Editor, appeared for JPFO.
That was the first major accomplishment: putting HCI into a position of having to explain its misleading numbers. The March 6 press release succeeded in forcing HCI into the arena.
During the interview the host, Mr. Tessler, showed his strong hostility to firearms ownership and practically handed the air time over to the HCI rep. Based on the rep’s near monologue, we can see that HCI was upset by being questioned. Here is how HCI argues to escape the charge of misleading figures:
1. "The true figure for deaths is not 13 kids per day, but 11.56 youths per day."
Newer figures account for the lower number. Next, HCI argues that JPFO is quibbling about the difference between 11.5 and 13. Very clever argument and misleading in itself, because the number is not the issue -- the deceptive use of the number is the issue. Then, too, the "13 kids" number is posted on the HCI website. The President apparently has switched to the 11.5 figure in recent days, after the JPFO news release, presumably being advised by HCI to use the newer lower but still deceptive number.
2. "The term 'kids' includes people from age 0 to 19. Eighteen and nineteen year olds are typically considered 'kids.'"
Now the HCI rep has to sound like a Washington spinmeister, stretching the meaning of the word "kid." These so-called "kids" are voting age adults. They could be in the military, they could be repeat offenders serving time in an adult prison, they could be drug kingpins. HCI chooses to use its agenda-driven definition of "kids."
3. When confronted with their disingenuous use of the term "kids," the HCI rep turns it around to say "oh, so you don't care about the deaths of youths age 18-19." This is another rhetorical trick ... when nobody has mentioned anything about "caring" about deaths. Slick, inside the Beltway, lobbyist talk designed to help HCI squirm out and escape the spotlight.4. "HCI does not favor disarmament." This statement is standard HCI propaganda. When challenged that Josh Sugarman, head of the Violence Policy Center, had stated in the New York Times last November that banning all handguns is the only "solution," the HCI rep changes the subject again to ...
5. "Nobody is talking about disarmament. That is not the debate. No legislation is pending before Congress that would disarm anybody. I don't know where you get this idea that we are for disarming people." Of course, the HCI rep changes the subject to what HCI wants people think is the "true debate." As if we cannot discuss things unless they are pending before Congress.
6. When faced with the statistic of 5,500 defensive gun uses per day, the HCI rep jumps in without allowing you to finish your thought. HCI claims that the figure comes from Gary Kleck's research on defensive gun use and that it has been discredited. The HCI rep claiming that because he is HCI's research director he knows the facts cold. The fact that Kleck's analysis won a national award for criminology research means nothing to HCI. When, if ever, did HCI research win a credible award?
And so on it goes. Even on an anti-self defense radio program, HCI was forced to defend its statistics, and did so by trying desperately to change the subject and turn the tables again.
The fact remains: HCI gave the President a figure of 13 kids per day, then when challenged, HCI revised the figure downward slightly. To make the figures more shocking, HCI had to define "kids" to include full voting age adults ... and thus include in their statistics the violent youth and young adults who make up the nation's drug peddlers and gangs.
HCI needs death statistics to stay alive. The more dead people, especially young people, the better it is for HCI's fund raising efforts and propaganda campaign.
JPFO supporters can help keep pressuring HCI and the other gun prohibitionists by getting the March 6 press release into the hands of media people. Keep in mind just two points:
A. The "13 kids per day" statistic given by President Clinton misleads people by failing to state that "kids" include young adults.B. The term "kids" has to be stretched to the breaking point to include 18 and 19 year old voting age people -- and HCI shamelessly stretches the term to maximize its death counts for political purposes.
No other point needs to be made. We caught HCI misleading America, and they have their excuse and they're sticking to it. If someone brings up other HCI sourced statistics, then you must challenge them to produce the studies and the articles, because HCI has its agenda-driven way of defining terms. People have to go do their own research just to find out what HCI doesn't tell them. Don't be distracted by other quoted research -- the fact is simple. HCI played fast and loose with the facts to stampede people into "gun control" schemes. Don't lose track of that single key point.
This radio interview story and the insights from it show how important it is to actually use the information JPFO produces. The more people who see the information, the more people will question the victim disarmament rhetoric. You can get everything you need in JPFO Alerts (which you will find archived on the web at http://www.jpfo.org/alerts.htm), The Firearms Sentinel (more information at http://www.jpfo.org/jpfolist.htm), Gran'pa Jack booklets (see http://www.jpfo.org/books.htm), and Dial 911 and Die books and videos (see http://www.jpfo.org/alert20000312.htm and http://www.jpfo.org/dial911anddie.htm).
The one March 6 press release generated national interest. It was reprinted on the Boston Globe internet site. It stimulated both nationally-syndicated Catholic Family Radio and another local talk station to interview JPFO about the HCI fact bending. No telling how many other people were influenced to doubt HCI statements and stats.
You can still use the March 6 press release to spread further the seeds of doubt. It takes more than the JPFO Liberty Crew to do the job. You can send the press release to local media people. Even one well-placed letter or fax to a media person can really make a difference. Act today!
--From The Liberty Crew
This Alert archived at http://www.jpfo.org/alert20000314.htm
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