Breadth of Blacklist Shows NRA is Out of Touch with Country; Are You On It? Visit www.nrablacklist.com to Find Out
NEW YORK--(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Oct 15, 2003--Britney Spears, Julia Roberts, Bruce Springsteen, Oprah, Jerry Seinfeld, Shania Twain, Uma Thurman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael Douglass & Catherine Zeta Jones, Drew Barrymore, New York Times, Levi Strauss Company, Hallmark Cards, American Jewish Congress, U.S. Catholic Conference, St. Louis Cardinals, etc.
An NRA blacklist targets a wide cross-section of America, a new Web site � nrablacklist.com � revealed today. The 19-page list, hidden in the belly of the NRA Web page, contains the names of major corporations, religious organizations, non-profits, writers, artists, journalists and even sports teams and police groups.
The list reads like a ``Who`s Who`` of contemporary America, reflecting different religions, ideologies, ethnicities, music styles, fashion sensibilities, and manufacturing bases. In fact, the list shows how out of step with America the NRA is � an organization that is so isolated that it keeps an enemies list with groups as diverse as the United States Catholic Conference and American Jewish Congress, the League of Women Voters and the National Urban League, the American Association of Retired Persons and the Children`s Defense Fund. In addition, the list includes major entertainers and celebrities, including those listed above, and corporations and sports teams. Yes, even sports teams. The news media is also represented with columnists from respected publications and even entire papers and networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS, New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post and Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine, among many others.
The NRA claims that the individuals and organizations on the list have ``anti-gun`` views or have supported ``anti-gun`` causes. If that`s the case, the list proves that everyone disagrees with the NRA and supports some form of gun control.
www.nrablacklist.com provides a direct link to the blacklist, which is otherwise difficult to locate on the NRA`s Web site, and also provides an opportunity to join the list and sign an online petition.
In addition, the site focuses on two critical NRA initiatives currently before Congress. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (S. 659/H.R. 1036), which already passed the House and will soon be up for a vote in the Senate, would provide blanket immunity to gun manufacturers, gun shops, dealers and distributors even in cases in which their negligence contributed to an injury or death. That would include the Bulls Eye Shooter Supply of Tacoma, Washington, the gun shop that ``lost`` the gun used by the Washington DC snipers. Never before has an American industry received such broad protection against a consumer`s right to hold companies accountable for the products they manufacture or sell.
Second, the Web site draws attention to the rapidly approaching expiration of the federal law banning the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons, known as the federal assault weapons ban, which was signed into law by President Clinton in 1994. If Congress fails to reauthorize the ban, which the NRA is advocating, then AK-47s and other semi-automatic assault weapons which are now illegal would be made legal and could soon again begin flooding our streets as the weapons of choice of gang members, drug dealers and other dangerous criminals.
Are you on the list? Find out. www.nrablacklist.com.
www.nrablacklist.com is an initiative of stopthenra.com, a new national campaign to expose the NRA�s influence in Washington. Stopthenra.com is also supporting the effort to renew the federal assault weapons ban, which expires in 2004, and opposing the move to provide immunity in civil cases for gun manufacturers, dealers and distributors.
Contact:
Wendy Katz
Candace McAdams
Brian Moriarty
212/685-4300
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