----- Original Message ----- From: georgejmyersjr To: [log in to unmask] Cc: [log in to unmask] Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 2:23 PM Subject: Committees of Public Safety Jason Greer Director Public Affairs Bureau of Political-Military Affairs U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520 Dear Mr. Greer: I am writing to urge you to protect the public's safety by maintaining the current ban on the re-importation of military weapons. It has come to my attention that the Firearms Importers' Roundtable Trade Group, an organization representing gun dealers, wants to have access to millions of World War II era infantry weapons that were sold to foreign armies decades ago. The State Department should protect our safety by saying no to their petition. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms opposes changing the current policy saying that it could result in the importation of as many as 2.5 million weapons including 950,000 Garand rifles, more than 1.2 million M-1 carbines and nearly 300,000 M-1911 pistols. I am concerned about the prospect of so many guns, including rifles that can be easily converted into automatic weapons, flooding into this country. Some of these weapons can shoot ammunition designed to pierce the soft armor that police officers use for protection making them particularly attractive for use in crimes. The current policy banning the re-importation of military weapons should be maintained. The safety of Americans is more important than the profits of gun dealers. I realize one might argue Constitutionally a right to them, though in history that right developed from "Committees of Safety" on Long Island, NY that collected weapons, others cached them, during the American Revolution, what I found in research, I feel to reward the perhaps "black market" of these guns wrong. I look forward to hearing how you will address this very important issue. Sincerely,