- Original Posting Of This Report: Wednesday, December 15, 1999 -
NOTICE:This report is currently "under construction" and will have
additional information added to it as time permits.
Last Updated: Thursday, February 10, 2000
|
OREGON GUN OWNERS
A Close Look At An Organization That Says
It's On The Side Of Gun Owners In Oregon.
It's Actions Reveal Quite A Different Story.
by Les Lemke
I'll get right to the point.
If you're looking for a gun rights organization that will stand up to the politicians
in Salem, Oregon and *NOT* compromise your rights away then stay away from the self-described
gun rights organization that calls itself Oregon Gun Owners.
During the 1999 Oregon Legislative Session Oregon
Gun Owners not only had Anti-Gun politicians on
its Advisory Council but it also helped Rep. Kevin
Mannix in creating House Bill 2535 by willingly
compromising your gun rights away in committee meetings
in Salem, Oregon.
And then there's the issue of money and the ANTI-GUN politicians Oregon Gun Owners
has contributed money to.
Between September 15, 1998 and September 30, 1999 Oregon Gun Owners
gave Rep. Kevin Mannix - the author of one major piece of gun control legislation -
$30,100 as a political contribution. It was Rep. Kevin Mannix that wrote House Bill
2535 in his House Judicary Committee on Criminal law during the 1999 Legislative
Session.
Would you believe that Oregon Gun Owners gave Rep. Kevin Mannix $20,000
*AFTER* Mannix had written, pushed for, and succeeded
in getting House Bill 2535 passed in the House? Luckily for all of us that bill failed in
the Senate, however, that does raise the question of WHY an organization which says
it is "Pro-Gun" would donate large sums of money to known "ANTI-GUN" politicians?
And there's more.
The organization that calls itself Oregon Gun Owners has contributed to
the political campaigns and political action committees of many ANTI-GUN politicians.
Would you like to see the proof for yourself? Well, read on for it's all right
here in black and white. Some of it is even in audio which I recorded when
the Oregon Legislature was in sesson in 1999..
My first eye opener to Oregon Gun Owners and what they were up to came in
the form of a newsletter an aquaintence of mine had received from that organization.
This person had told me over the phone that several Anti-Gun politicians were on
the Advisory Council of Oregon Gun Owners. I found that hard to believe
for I hadn't really heard anything bad about Oregon Gun Owners up until
that time. As I was to later find out the only reason I had not heard anything
bad about Oregon Gun Owners was because most of their dealings - their
bad dealings as far as gun owners in Oregon was concerned - were taking place
where most Oregonians couldn't see what was going on in normal day to day life.
I'm talking about political meetings in Salem, committee meetings, or money
being donated by a self-described gun rights organization to ANTI-GUN politicians.
Most folks had no idea this was going on.
The more I dug for information the angrier I got. But enough of me for now. You'll
see what I'm talking about as you read the documentation I have presented here
for you to view, read and listen to.
|
OREGON GUN OWNERS LISTS ANTI-GUN POLITICIANS ON ITS ADVISORY COUNCIL
|
As I said earlier, a friend of mine had sent me a newsletter from Oregon Gun
Owners as proof that Oregon Gun Owners had Anti-Gun politicians on its
Advisory Council. I present that documentation here as proof of what I'm talking
about.
If you click on the bottom of the right hand graphic you will see an enlargement
of what is shown at the bottom of that page. Please read the names of the individuals
next to the red dot. Those individuals are NOT for YOUR gun rights in Oregon. As a
matter of fact many of the people listed in the Advisory Council of Oregon Gun Owners
have openly spoken out in support of gun control legislation, supported and voted for gun
control legislation and even written Gun Control legislation so as to strip you and me
of more of our freedoms and liberties as it relates to gun ownership in Oregon. Click on the
bottom of the right hand graphic below and read the names for yourself.
|
Click on bottom of second page above!
Then click below where it says "CLICK HERE"
|
CLICK HERE!
For Information On Individuals Who Have A Red
Dot  Next To Their Names.
Individuals with a red dot next to their name have either:
(1) expressed opinions which were favorable to more gun control legislation,
(2) personally supported gun control legislation,
(3) voted for gun control legislation in committee, in the Oregon House or
Senate, and/or
(4) have actively participated in the creation or writing of gun control legislation.
|
|
OREGON GUN OWNER'S ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS HELP WRITE & VOTE FOR GUN CONTROL BILLS
|
 Oregon Senator Neil Bryant:
Oregon Senator Neil Bryant was a Anti-Gun politician who was on Oregon Gun Owner's Advisory
Council. In this section below you can listen as Senator Neil Bryant speaks in support of Senate Bill 700.
Senate Bill 700 was written by the legislature's MAIN Anti-Gun politician, Senator Ginny
Burdick *WITH* Neil Bryant's help and assistance.
In this next section you can listen to
Senator Ginny Burdick's closing speech on the Senate
floor just before the Senate voted on Senate Bill 700,
In her speech Senator Ginny Burdick thanks Senator Neil
Bryant for his help and assistance in getting the bill
to the Senate floor for a vote. Please note that not
only did Senator Neil Bryant assist Anti-Gun Senator
Ginny Burdick in writing Senate Bill 700 but he also
was on the Oregon Gun Owner's Advisory
Council during the time when he and Senator Ginny
Burdick were working on creating Senate Bill 700.
April 6, 1999. Anti-Gun Senator Ginny Burdick's Full Closing Senate Speech.
Senator Ginny Burdick Thanks Senator Neil Bryant on Senate floor for his help.
This is Anti-Gun Senator Ginny Burdick's closing speech just before the
Senate voted on her Gun Control bill, Senate Bill 700, on April 6, 1999. During this
speech she thanked Senator Neil Bryant for his help as Chairman of the Senate Juriciary
Committee, in helping her write the gun control bill.
Senator Neil Bryant was on Oregon Gun Owner's Advisory Council at this time.
Partial transcription of Senator Ginny Burdick closing speech thanking Senator Neil
Bryant for his help with Senate Bill 700.
"I do need to thank the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee for his wisdom
and courage and hard work in getting Senate Bill 700 to the floor. We would not
be here today without the committment and effort of the Senator from Central
Oregon. And it would not be as good a bill either. The Chairman of the Judicary
Committee has provided strong leadership and support through the drafting and
introduction of the bill, through the hearings, through the drafting and adoption
of amendments, and today, with his very, uh, powerful statement on the floor
of the Senate. I have learned a lot from him and feel lucky for the opportunity
to have worked with him in this way."
|
Oregon House Representative Kevin Mannix:
Rep. Kevin Mannix was one Anti-Gun politician who was on the Oregon Gun Owner's Advisory Council.
He wrote the gun control bill, H.B.2535, which was later to take up where Senate Bill 700 left off.
Kevin Mannix convinced Senator Ginny Burdick to drop her push to get Senate Bill 700 through the House and Senate
and passed into law. Instead, he convinced her to drop her bill and support HIS bill, House Bill 2535. She agreed
to this arrangement and went on to support Kevin Mannix's gun control bill, H.B.2535 which did pass in the House
but failed to pass the Senate.
June 22, 1999.
Rep. Kevin Mannix speaks on the House floor in favor of gun control bill H.B. 2535.
Rep. Kevin Mannix introduces H.B.2535 to House members and speaks FOR H.B.2535
During his speech Rep. Kevin Mannix slammed Gun Owners of America and Kevin Starrett of
Oregon Firearms Federation for *NOT* supporting his ATTACK on our gun rights in Oregon!
On the House floor he misrepresented the full LEGAL impact that H.B. 2535 could have had on
the rights and freedoms of law abiding gun owners in Oregon. He also accused Gun Owners
of America of having a problem with "truth and honesty" on the House floor. It would appear
that some politicians are quick to talk about that which they know nothing about.
June 29, 1999.
Rep. Kevin Mannix speaks at the Senate Judicary Committee meeting on H.B. 2535.
Rep. Kevin Mannix speaking at Senate Judiciary Committee Meeting on H.B.2535
* Senator Neil Bryant puts a question to Rep. Kevin Mannix in the
Senate Judiciary Committee meeting.
Referring to HOW Kevin Mannix went about creating House Bill 2535
he, Senator Neil Bryant asks Rep. Kevin Mannix the following
question:
"You mentioned the work group and that there were compromises made.
Would you tell us who the members of the work group were. What law
organizations [were involved]?"
Rep. Kevin Mannix replies:
"The Oregon State Police, the Oregon State Sheriff's association,
the Oregon Chief's of Police, the Oregon District Attorney's
Association, um...and the State Police I'd say too, representatives
of the governor, um..the Oregon Gun Owners and the National Rifle
Association. The Oregon Gun Owners support this legislation.
The National Rifle Association is neutral on this legislation.
There's another group called Gunowners of America who..uh..
vehemently oppose this legislation. They were not invited into
the work group because, as far as I was concerned, they were not
interested in a positive solution. And uh..So I think that pretty
well describes who was involved."
Please note that he said that "OREGON GUN OWNERS SUPPORT" House Bill 2535!
Rep. Kevin Mannix was on Oregon Gun Owner's Advisory Council
|
Oregon House Member Lynn Lundquist:
Rep. Lynn Lundquist was also on the Oregon Gun Owner's
Advisory Council. In this next section you can listen to House Member Lynn Lundquist
speak on the House Floor on June 22, 1999 in favor of gun control bill, House Bill 2535.
I've included a partial transcript from his speech on the House floor. The recording was
not very good but I've tried my best to be as accurate as possible.
June 22, 1999.
Anti-Gun House Member, Lynn Lundquist's full speech on the House floor..
Rep. Lynn Lundquist speaks in favor of Gun Control bill, H.B.2535
Rep. Lynn Lundquist was on Oregon Gun Owner's Advisory Council
Partial transcription of Rep. Lynn Lundquist's speech on the House floor in favor of
voting FOR House Bill 2535. I recorded this off of tape which I obtained from
the state. The audio on the tape was very, **VERY** bad.
"I'd like to start out by publically commending the Representative
from Salem [ Rep.Kevin Mannix ] for walking through a minefield and
coming out with a, uh, product [H.B.2535] in the end..." "What is good
for society?..." "There are those of us folks, that when they were
younger they had a loaded gun in the kitchen,uh, we had them in the,
in the pickup, and that's true. And when my grandfather homesteaded in
Fort Rock, near the turn of the century, society was different, but
collegues, the reality of it is we are not living ninety or one
hundred or fifty years ago. We cannot hide our head in the sand and
say that it does not exist. And we would like utopia, we would like
society to not have this [gun] problem. We would like to have stronger
families....but the fact of the matter is, we have a [gun] problem.
And I will not reiterate the reasons why this bill is appropriate from
the standpoint of simply it doesn't step over the line, simply treats
everybody the same at gun shows. We've heard all those arguments,
that's th, that's reality. I want to do what I can even though this is
not the single answer... and if we can make one little step that
helps, I believe the positive act...and it is not, it is not about
tearing down the 2nd Amendment. This is about preserving the 2nd
Amendment while at the same time helping our society to get just a
little bit better."
|
|
OREGON GUN OWNERS TURNS BELLY UP TO ANTI-GUN POLITICIANS
|
In this next section you can listen as
John Helen of Oregon Gun Owner's tells
Chairman Kevin Mannix of the House Juriciary Committee
on Criminal Law that if the Anti-Gun politicians are
determined to pass a gun control bill then Oregon
Gun Owners isn't going to fight these
infringements of the 2nd Amendment. In fact he tells
Kevin Mannix that this second major gun control bill of
the 1999 Oregon Legislative Session, House Bill 2535,
is a "better bill". If you listen to this audio file
you can practically hear John Hellen tell Mannix that
he'll go along with House Bill 2535.
May 12, 1999 meeting of the House Judiciary Committee on Criminal Law
John Helen, of Oregon Gun Owners Speaks In Committee in support of H.B.2535
* John Helen of Oregon Gunowners expressed his willingness to
compromise on the issue of background checks.
* He talks about H.B.2535 being the better bill.
He says:
"Now, with regards to [H.B.]2535. If the political will is
there, and I think it is, if the political will is there to
do something about background checks at gunshows, 2535 is by
far the better policy."
|
In this next section you can listen as
John Helen of Oregon Gun Owner's turns belly
up and surrenders any an all opposition to further infringements
of our 2nd Amendment Rights by the Anti-Gun politicians in Salem, Oregon.
In this recorded segment of a work session which was held in the House
Judiciary on Criminal Law committee meeting John Helen openly and
willingly compromises the 2nd Amendment Rights of it's membership
and even offers to *SUPPORT* the gun control bill, H.B. 2535, which the
Anti-Gun politicians were trying to push into law at the time.
May 13, 1999 meeting of the House Judiciary Committee on Criminal Law
Complete Second Statement In Committee
John Helen,"Oregon Gunowners" *COMPROMISE* .37 Minutes
* John Helen, discussing House Bill 2535 and background checks in committee:
He says:
"Thank you Chairman, Mannix, members of the committee. For the record,
John Helen of Oregon Gunowners. We concur that..uh..with the NRA that
the Administrative Rules of procedure does definately need to be in
there. That was a key aspect of insuring the integrity of the system.
In addition though we..uh..philosophically do not support background
checks in concept uh..if the will is there to do something we believe
that this is the best approach to do it and encourage it's passage."
|
Someone told me that they had heard that Oregon Gun Owners
had made a large contribution of money to one of Kevin Mannix's Political Action
Committees. To find out if this was true or not I ordered the public documents shown
below from the Oregon State Elections Division.
What I found was that not only did Oregon Gun Owners make a contribution
to Kevin Mannix's political action committees, but that Oregon Gun Owners had
actually made *TWO* large financial contributions to Rep. Kevin Mannix's political
action committees.
Copies of those public documents which I received from the State of Oregon are shown below.
|
OREGON GUN OWNER'S $30,100 CASH GIVEAWAY TO PACS HEADED BY ANTI-GUN KEVIN MANNIX
|
Cash Contributions, Loans Received And In-Kind
Oregon Gun Owners Contributed $30,100.00 To Rep. Kevin Mannix's Political Action
Committees between September 15, 1998 and September 30, 1999
|
PAGE 1
September 15, 1998
Oregon Gun Owners
$10,000 Cash
Contribution
to Kevin Mannix's Justice For All Political Action Committee.
|
PAGE 2
October 26, 1998
Oregon Gun Owners
$100 Cash
Contribution
to Kevin Mannix's Citizens For Mannix Political Action Committee.
|
PAGE 3
September 30, 1999
Oregon Gun Owners
$20,000 Cash
Contribution
to Kevin Mannix's Justice For All Political Action Committee.
|
|
OREGON GUN OWNER'S DISHES OUT CASH TO SOME ANTI-GUN POLITICIANS
|
|
Summary Report of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures
|
REPORT 1
1996
Primary Election,
May 21, 1996,
Page 188
Plain Text
|
REPORT 2
1996
General Election,
November 5, 1996
Page 177, 178
Plain Text
|
REPORT 3
1998
Primary Election,
May 19, 1998
Page 215, 216
Plain Text
|
RECORD 4
1998
General Election
November 3, 1998
Page 210
Plain Text
|
|
WHICH ONE IS 25 YEARS OLD ? "OREGON GUN OWNER'S" INC. OR "OREGON GUN OWNER'S" ?
|
Tuesday, December 21, 1999
PLEASE NOTE TWO THINGS:
Please note that the initial posting of this report was on December 15, 1999.
I also emailed several individuals information relating to where they could find
my report on December 15, 1999. I have copies of the email I sent out on the 15th,
with dates included, if anyone would like to see them.
AT THAT TIME, when I posted my report if you had gone to Oregon Gun Owner's web site
you would have seen that they mentioned that they were "twenty five years" old. What
you would NOT have seen would be those three words ("twenty five years") as a LINK to
ANOTHER page. That was changed after my posting of my report. When you go to Oregon
Gun Owner's web site NOW, you will see the words "twenty five years" set up as a
link to ANOTHER page which NOW starts off by saying:"Oregon Gun Owners began as an
ad hoc group of four gun rights activists in 1975." I noticed that change on
December 20, 1999.
|
If you go to Oregon Gun Owner's web page located here,
http://www.ogo.org/index.htm you will
see this claim being made:
|
"Oregon Gun Owners has been protecting firearms rights in Oregon for over twenty-five years."
|
If you want to look at the documents below you will see two different assumed
business names that have been registered with the state by John Nichols. One name is no
longer registered with the state. The second name is currently registered with the state.
Oregon Gun Owners Inc.
Assumed Business Name Registration
Articles of Incorporation Filed June 30, 1988
Articles of Dissolution Filed September 11, 1995
|
PAGE 1
Articles of Incorporation
|
PAGE 2
Articles of Amendment
|
PAGE 3
Articles of Dissolution
|
|
The assumed business name of Oregon Gun Owner's Inc.
was registered with the state by John Nichols on June 29, 1988. That assumed business name is no
longer registered with the state and ceased to exist on September 11, 1995.
|
Please note in the above documentation what is written on PAGE 1, next to
Article 4. I realize that the writing is hard to read. However, with the use of a
magnifying glass you can read where the following, duplicated here in blue, was
written in as the purpose of the organization:
Article 4: Purpose(s) for which the corporation is organized:
"Initiate & support legislation favorable to Firearms ownership.
Oppose legislation detrimental to Firearms ownership"
If that was the initial goal of Oregon Gun Owner's Inc. one
is left wondering why Oregon Gun Owner's has decided to support gun control
legislation as well as make cash contributions to ANTI-GUN politicians.
Below you will find documentation relating to when the name Oregon Gun Owner's
was registered with the state as an assumed business name or "Doing Business As" (DBA) business
name.
Oregon Gun Owners
Assumed Business Name Registration
Filed September 11, 1995
|
|
The second assumed business name of Oregon Gun Owner's was registered
with the state on September 11, 1995. That assumed business name is still active with the state registery and
is currently 4 YEARS and THREE MONTHS OLD as of this writing on Wednesday, December 15, 1999.
|
HELP! WE'RE LOST! WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!
Next, I would like to show you something which I find quite
unbelieveable. What it is, is a questionaire that Oregon Gun Owners sent out
to it's membership, asking its membership, basically, what it should do in response
to Senator Ginny Burdick's Anti-Gun Rights initiative. Mind you, this was a
questionaire sent out by an organization that has stated that it has been
"protecting firearms rights in Oregon for over twenty-five years". One would
think that after "twenty five years" Oregon Gun Owners would know what to do.
After Oregon Senator Ginny Burdick made public what was written in her Anti-Gun
initiative, Oregon Gun Owners sent out a questionaire to its membership in which
they asked the following questions:
|
1.
|
They asked their members if the members would to vote for or against
Senator Ginny Burdick's anti-gun initiative.
|
|
2.
|
Oregon Gun Owners told it's members that OGO had considered filing an
alternative to Senator Ginny Burdick's proposed initiative and asked
it's membership if they would vote "Yes" or "No" on this different
initiative.
|
|
3.
|
Lastly, Oregon Gun Owners asked it's membership if Oregon Gun Owners should
oppose Senator Burdick's initiative or remain neutral.
|
Think about what took place here! You have an organization that says that it stands
up for the gun rights of Oregonians, YET, in question number three, it wants to know
if its members want it to fight an anti-gun initiative?? ....OR....remain neutral???
|
OREGON GUN OWNER'S LETTER AND QUESTIONAIRE
|
TWO ANTI-GUN INITIATIVES PLAY GOOD COP/BAD COP GAMES WITH YOUR GUN RIGHTS
Below you will see two panels. In panel on the left is Senator Ginny Burdick's
Initiative which she is working to place on the Oregon ballot. Sen. Burdick is, to say
the least, an Anti-Gun fanatic. Throughout the 1999 Oregon Legislative session she fought
for more gun control legislation and voted against *ALL* legislation which would have
given Oregon gun owners more liberty and freedom in this state.
In the panel on the right you will see the initiative which Oregon Gun Owner's is
working to get on the Oregon ballot.
BOTH
ANTI-GUN, UNAMERICAN INITIATIVES
SEEK TO STRIP YOU OF RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES!
DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE
GOOD COP/BAD COP CON GAME
|
Senator Ginny Burdick's
Anti-Gun Initiative
"Gun Violence Prevention Act"
Burdick's Measure
|
John Nichols & Sen.Veral Tarno's
Anti-Gun Initiative
"FIREARMS ACT OF 2000"
Oregon Gun Owner's
|
OREGON GUN OWNERS SAYS ONE THING, WRITES ANOTHER
If you go to Oregon Gun Owners web site you can read
for yourself two different versions of how Oregon Gun Owners feels about law abiding
Oregonians who have Concealed Carry permits.
One statement which Oregon Gun Owners has made public supports Concealed
Carry Permit holders in Oregon and states, without question, the opinion that anyone
who has a Concealed Carry Permit shouldn't have to be forced to undergo additional
background checks. Oregon Gun Owners even goes so far as to say that
they have put this in their Initiative.
Here is what they say:
"We have asked that the Oregon State Police follow the federal
guidelines for allowing individuals who possess a concealed
handgun license (CHL) from being exempt from any background
check provisions. The federal law allows for such an exemption.
If the government says you are a good enough citizen to carry
concealed then you are most certainly a good enough citizen
to buy firearms without first acquiring MORE permission.
Therefore, our initiative will allow CHL holders to show their
license and not have to undergo a background check."
That sounds real nice, except for one thing:
NONE OF THIS IS IN OREGON GUN OWNERS OWN INITIATIVE!
In the panel on the LEFT you will find a link to the page on
Oregon Gun Owners own web site where they make the claim that Concealed Carry
permit holders shouldn't have to undergo additional background checks everytime
that they purchase a firearm. In the panel to the RIGHT you will find a link
to their own initiative which says NOTHING about allowing Concealed Carry
Permit holders to forgo the background checks - and background check fees - when
purchasing firearms.
|
OREGON GUN OWNERS SAYS ONE THING, WRITES ANOTHER
|
|
More information to be added as it comes in and time permits....
|
|
SOURCE
|
|
Summary Report of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures for Primary Election May 21, 1996,
|
|
Summary Report of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures for General Election November 5, 1996
|
|
Summary Report of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures for Primary Election May 19, 1998
|
|
Summary Report of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures for General Election, November 3, 1998
|
|
State of Oregon Elections Division * 141 State Capitol * Salem, Oregon 37310-0722
|
Oregon State Elections Division
141 State Capitol Building
Salem, Oregon 97310-0722
|
|
