Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2001 16:45:03 -0700
From: rsrchsoc@ionet.net ("John Wilde")
Subject: [lpaz-discuss] Re: GOA PURGE
To: ernesthancock@inficad.com ("Ernest Hancock")
Cc: lpaz-discuss@yahoogroups.com ("lpaz-discuss"), AZRKBA@asu.edu (" Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Arizona")
Reply-To: lpaz-discuss@yahoogroups.com
So it looks like another group of people that started out dedicated to principle
is once again compromised by pragmatism. It is almost as if the other side is
sending someone in to sound good in the beginning just to get into a leadership
position and then cause a shift in the association ideals. Quite frankly, I
have seen it happen too many times in nearly 20 years for it to be just a
"coincidence."
Am I paranoid? No, I know their out to get us!!!!!
I too will find it interesting to see what GOA will have to say. Arizona is
on the verge of introducing a no compromise citizens initiative dealing with a
citizen's right to defend himself or herself, because it has become apparent
that the Arizona Legislature has clearly abdicating its responsibilites to
protect individual fundamental liberties. Given the several defeats of
legislation this last 10 days, I think most self-defense activists now must
realize that there will not be enough support from the legislature in the near
future. If the GOA leadership is taking a shift towards pragmatism, well
.........
Only time will tell.
g'day
John Wilde
Ernest Hancock wrote:
> >Ernest Hancock wrote:
> >>
> >> Anyone know why GOA has turned,... or that they have?
>
> >There's two sides to every coin. I'm sure more will be forthcoming.
> >
> >Joe W
>
> I'm very interested as to the reasons. I know Dennis Fusaro also and know
> him to be a man of faith that would be very difficult to change when asked
> to compromise "for the good of,.....". I find the delay of an explination
> from GOA very,.... interesting. I've seen this kind of thing before. What we
> can expect is a week of silence followed by a round of insinuations of
> character flaws. The fact that there may have been tactical differences on
> the horizon will not be addressed in the first round from an organization
> that wants to change its direction.
>
> The longer the GOA takes to respond the less I am willing to take what they
> say at face value. Dennis was right-wing by most' definitions (abortion
> issue kept him from openly supporting Libertarians and he was very much a
> Christian {as I} and took a Republican slant on most things. I remember once
> when he came to Arizona and we were coordinating time schedules I offered to
> make sure he was entertained and feed by some nice ladies so he didn't feel
> too bad about being away from home and to show our appreciation for his
> efforts. He quickly made it clear that he was a man of God and didn't need
> such attention. I think he was a little embarrassed when I told him that I
> was talking about our wives volunteering to make him feel at home. He had a
> very typical view of Libertarians that I hope has evolved into a more
> accurate view) but he was very smart on how to have the greatest effect long
> term on legislators in the battle for gun rights. His commitment to
> no-compromise was obvious and for him to let up on that tactic would have
> taken away from the man that he is. With this perspective I await the
> communication from GOA.
>
> "Whenever you create an organization around an issue, sooner or later the
> needs of the organization will always overshadow the purpose for which the
> organization was created" Stieger's Law (rough quote from Sam Stieger - ex
> Az (R) Congressman, Libertarian candidate for Governor in 1992 and now Mayor
> of Prescott)
>
> I also Remember when SAFE had both Larry Pratt and Sheriff Richard Mack from
> Graham County come and be our featured speakers at a gathering at our HQ on
> Central in 1994. The internet was just starting up for real and we had just
> made contact with other freedom fighters around the country. At the same
> time that GOA was just starting to feel out the total "no-compromise"
> approach as an alternative to the "access lobbying" of the NRA, they had
> endorsed a compromise piece of legislation in New England (Conn. I think)
> and soft stepping the Brady law issue by trumping the NRA position with
> something a little more demanding, like "no waiting period,... but we'll
> still submit to a background check." Larry Pratt got a lot of heat at that
> meeting from the audience (Jeff Groscost and Scott Bundguard were there
> also,... but I think Scott punkedout and wouldn't speak. Jeff Groscost was
> our SAFE legislator at the time and was counted on to introduce the no
> restriction CCW bill for 4-5 years in row back then,... before he became
> speaker of the house and started to toe the Republican line :)
>
> What Larry Pratt was able to take back to GOA from that event was that the
> principled arguments were very much a part of Arizona's politics and that
> nothing in this country (or even the world ) could be done in secret
> anymore. The internet had opened up communications between individuals like
> never before and it was not rare that people across the country would know
> more about what the GOA was doing in Washington D.C. than their own
> operatives out in the fieldor maybe even their founder. This open
> communication had a great deal to do with the consistancy of the GOA
> message. The argument that "you're harming your own cause" may have taken
> hold in the GOA by those that have worked their way into a position to trade
> no-compromise freedom fighting for a place at the negotiating table with all
> of the perks and priviledge that go with that for a few at the top.
>
> If GOA goes down this road then they will leave a void to be filled once
> again and will begin their deevolution and purpose for their existance. I
> hope that this is not the case. I share my personal experience with these
> guys
> with you all so that you can see what it is that am personally looking for.
> JPFO has been the only one national group that has always taken the hard
> road as far as I know. The fact that Aaron Zelman (Founder of JPFO) has co
> written a book with the presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party
> here in Arizona puts a lot of value in their stock in addition to their
> history on 2nd Amendment activism.
>
> Sooooo, we'll see sooner or later,... but we _will_ see.
>
> Ernest Hancock
> Arizona Libertarian Activist
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