----- 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,