NEAL KNOX REPORT Zero Tolerance' Dangers By NEAL KNOX WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 1) -- There was a most unusual gathering in Philadelphia last week: Mayor Edward Rendell (who first suggested that cities sue gun manufacturers), NRA President Charlton Heston and Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, both U.S. Senators, anti-gun Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham, the local U.S. Attorney, and state politicians from both sides of the gun debate. The purpose was to announce Philadelphia's plan to prosecute "armed criminals" by using the Federal gun laws, which usually carry more severe penalties than state laws for the same offense. They kicked it off by announcing 15 indictments of people initially charged with violating state statutes. Sen. Rick Santorum, who helped bring Federal money to the project, said Philadelphia had embarked on a campaign of "zero tolerance" for gun law violations. That makes me nervous. Just a week earlier, USA Today reported that in the first six weeks of the "Instant Check" the FBI had blocked over 13,000 gun sales -- "most of them convicted felons" -- out of 643,000 buyers checked. But the FBI referred only 2,200 to BATF for possible prosecution -- three-tenths of one percent. None of the 13,000 had been arrested for attempting an illegal firearms purchase, which NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre called "a major scandal." Be careful what you pray for, Wayne. Since over 80 percent of those 13,000 "mostly felons" who made an illegal attempt to buy a gun weren't recommended for prosecution, it's a reasonable bet that they aren't active criminals, and that their felony convictions are old white collar crimes. Preventing someone with an ancient income tax violation from buying a skeet gun isn't going to make this country one whit safer, and the chances of a U.S. Attorney accepting such a case are mighty slim. Most of them have more important things to do, and so do Federal judges. But if even half that 2,200 are really bad guys -- armed predatory criminals -- Wayne is right. It is a scandal that any such predators aren't prosecuted. Those reported criminals signed their names to a fraudulent gun purchase form, which is of itself a 5-year felony. It's an open and shut case. However, if FBI thinks so little of those cases of "mostly convicted felons" attempting a gun purchase that over 80 percent don't make the first cut of the prosecutorial weeding-out process, it's a certainty that most of the rejected buyers aren't active violent criminals. The point is: If the FBI declines to prosecute 80 percent of what it claims to be gun law violations, why should we be enthusiastic about "zero tolerance" campaigns. For decades we've seen the BATF and U.S. Attorneys ignore cases of convicted murderers and robbers committing crimes with sawed-off shotguns, full autos and other illegal guns -- while eagerly prosecuting gunowners for minor, non-violent firearms violations. Richmond's "Project Exile," on which the Philadelphia effort is based, has been credited by its supporters with radically reducing the violent crime rate by imprisoning 390 multi- convicted criminals caught using or carrying a gun during a violent or drug-dealing crime. So long as U.S. Attorneys in Philadelphia focus on violent criminals, I'll applaud. But given Mayor Rendell's long anti-gun record, I'll be surprised if we don't see "zero tolerance" quickly swing from violent criminals to prosecutions and draconian punishment by law-abiding citizens who violate some obscure gun law. --- Last week's NRA Board meetings were most notable for approval of a series of Bylaws amendments and other actions designed to restore total control of the association to the NRA hierarchy, and overturning the previous board's attempts to organize and strengthen the grass roots. One Director, who seldom votes with our Board minority any more, described it as "the centralization of power in Headquarters." If you haven't yet voted in the NRA Board election, I urge you to cast your ballot for the 14 petition nominees who recognize that the real strength of NRA is in its membership, not in Washington. That's why they're on the majority party's "Do Not Vote For" list. And please vote against the Bylaw amendment designed to give control of the makeup of future Boards to the Board-elected Nominating Committee. --- (You can cut your long distance phone charges to a dime per minute anytime and help support these Neal Knox Reports by signing up with Excel Communications through the Firearms Coalition, 7771 Sudley Rd. No. 44, Manassas, VA 20109, or our Web page, HTTP://www.NealKnox.com. For legislative updates call (900)225-3006 [89 cents per minute] or visit our web page.)