Guns for Felons: How the NRA Works to Rearm Criminals

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

As I always say, the NRA is strongest supporter of convicted felons. They love criminals and want to make sure that those criminals are armed.

Guns for Felons How the NRA Works to Rearm Criminals

Introduction

The National Rifle Association (NRA) claims that it supports vigorous enforcement of our nation's gun laws and efforts to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. Yet the NRA has actually worked to put guns back into criminals' hands. Following is the saga of the federal "relief from disability" program. The NRA has worked to expand and protect this guns-for-felons program that has rearmed thousands of convicted—and often violent—felons.

Creation of the "Relief" Program

Under federal law, those convicted of a felony are forbidden from purchasing or possessing firearms and explosives. Yet as the result of a 1965 amendment to the Federal Firearms Act of 1938, convicted felons were allowed to apply to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) for "relief" from the "disability" of not being able to buy and possess guns. The "relief from disability" program was established as a favor to firearms manufacturer Winchester, then a division of Olin Mathieson Corporation.¹ In 1962 Olin Mathieson pleaded guilty to felony counts stemming from a kickback scheme involving Vietnamese and Cambodian pharmaceutical importers. Under the law as it existed at the time, Winchester could no longer be licensed as a firearm manufacturer. The "relief from disability" program allowed Winchester to stay in business.

"Relief" Program Becomes Felons' Second-Chance Club

Although created to benefit one corporation, the program quickly became a mechanism by which thousands of individuals with felony convictions had their gun privileges restored. In the 10-year period from1982 until 1992, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms processed more than 22,000 applications. Between 1985 and 1990 ATF granted "relief" in approximately one third of those cases. (ATF estimated that approximately one third of those not granted "relief" chose to drop out of the process, while the remaining one third were denied "relief.")

The crimes committed by those individuals granted "relief" were not limited to non-violent, "white collar" crimes like those committed by Olin. Through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) the Violence Policy Center obtained 100 randomly selected files of felons granted "relief." Among those 100 cases were: five convictions for felony sexual assault; 11 burglary convictions; 13 convictions for distribution of narcotics; and, four homicide convictions. In fact, of the 100 sample cases, one third involved either violent crimes (16 percent) or drug-related crimes (17 percent). [Please see Appendix I for a chart of offenses.]

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NRA Expands the Program to Include Gun Criminals

For 20 years, however, felons convicted of crimes "involving the use of a firearm or other weapon" or of violations of federal firearm laws were ineligible to apply for "relief." This changed in 1986, when a law backed by the National Rifle Association took effect. The Firearm Owners' Protection Act (also known as FOPA or McClure/Volkmer for the bills' Senate and House sponsors) expanded the program to allow felons convicted of gun crimes to obtain "relief."³ And gun criminals certainly took advantage of the program. Of the 100 sample cases obtained by the Violence Policy Center, eight were for firearm violations, including two convictions for illegal sales of machine guns.

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Taxpayers Foot the Bill to Rearm Felons

Running the "relief from disability" program cost taxpayers in excess of $21 million between 1985 and 1991, requiring the manpower of roughly 40 full-time staffers.

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"Relief" Program De-Funded

In 1992, after the Violence Policy Center publicized the details of the program, Congress added language to ATF's annual appropriations bill prohibiting the agency from using federal funds to review "relief" applications from felons (such spending prohibitions must be renewed every year). The NRA opposed efforts to close down the program, testifying before Congress in support of it and defending the program in the press. "There is no reason why a person who has demonstrated they are now a good citizen should be deprived of their right to own a firearm....We ought to recognize that some people can change," the NRA told the Washington Post in 1991. The congressional funding bar, however, is far from the end of the story of the "relief from disability" program. The gun lobby has made several attempts, and resorted to outrageous means to revive this guns-for-felons program.

Republicans and NRA Try to Revive "Relief" Program

The funding ban was renewed each year until 1995 when Republicans on the subcommittee overseeing ATF's budget voted to lift the spending ban. The Republicans put forward a plan that would have charged applicants a fee—with the National Rifle Association championing Republican efforts. The NRA's usual tough-on-crime rhetoric softened substantially when talking about felons eligible to apply to the "relief" program. "We're talking about individuals who may have run afoul of federal law but paid their debt to society," the NRA's spokesman stated to the Washington Post in 1995. The Republicans backed down when the proposal was heavily criticized by law enforcement organizations, gun control advocates, and congressional Democrats.

NRA Launches Second Attempt to Resuscitate "Relief" Program

In 1996, there was yet another attempt by the NRA to revive the "relief" program, this time for "non-violent" felons. This effort was undertaken despite plentiful examples of felons who had been granted "relief" for non-violent felonies who then went on to be re-arrested and convicted of violent crimes.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

More guns --> More paranoia-->More guns

It is a vicious cycle the NRA loves to feed, and the tinfoil wearing nutters love to suck it up. Psychologically speaking, these individuals already have a sense of inadequacy, and the NRA and other groups are reinforcing that delusion with images of black helicopters and jackbooted thugs coming to take away their manhood,

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

More guns --> More paranoia-->More guns

That is the essence of what the gun manufacturers lobby works for: increase gun sales. So they fight to arm the bad guys to support their argument that good guys need more guns. More guns to protect themselves from the bad guys with guns. The same bad guys, of course, that they worked so hard to arm in the first place.

[RGinWA 816]

If it wasn't for the huge profits made by manufactures this issue wouldn't be so emotional. When Reagan was shot I do not remember the NRA being a vocal opposition to the Brady bill, but maybe I was not paying as much attention then.

It seems to me that this feverish pitch on making people think their rights are being stripped by "background checks" is way way overblown.

I don't think the NRA has a limit on weapons they'd stop at. Its a profit driven quest for 2nd amendment freedom, nothing more.

[Harsh_77 718]

As I always say, the NRA is strongest supporter of convicted felons. They love criminals and want to make sure that those criminals are armed.

VPC is a lobbying group what you expect from them?

I don't think lobbying group would publish anything that goes against their interest.

Big Dog - sometimes your logic is completely out of whack if NRA (lobbying group) says something they are bad but VPC (another lobbying group) says something and their words are golden.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

VPC is a lobbying group what you expect from them?

I don't think lobbying group would publish anything that goes against their interest.

Big Dog - sometimes your logic is completely out of whack if NRA (lobbying group) says something they are bad but VPC (another lobbying group) says something and their words are golden.

Let's start here: What of the information provided in the OP is factually wrong?

And let it be said for the record that naturally lobbying groups do just that - lobbying. The difference between the VPC and the NRA is that VPC is open about what they're lobbying for. No secrets. And what they lobby for is a worthy cause in my book. Should be a worthy cause in the book of any person that wants to see violence reduced. The NRA, on the other hand, is pretending to support keeping firearms out of the hands of felons while actively and aggressively lobbying for the exact opposite. The NRA is in fact supporting and fighting for felons to be armed. And that is what this thread is about.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

VPC is a lobbying group what you expect from them?

I don't think lobbying group would publish anything that goes against their interest.

Big Dog - sometimes your logic is completely out of whack if NRA (lobbying group) says something they are bad but VPC (another lobbying group) says something and their words are golden.

Sometimes. LOL The NRA working to arm criminals. Oh dear god is comical. God forbid a mod change that idiotic title

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Sometimes. LOL The NRA working to arm criminals. Oh dear god is comical. God forbid a mod change that idiotic title

That title happens to be the title of the OP quoted. Just as the rules require. If that wasn't the case, the title would have been changed at 9:05am. I am sure there were about 100 reports from our sissy NRA serfs within seconds of me posting the thread. The NRA working hard to arm felons is not comical, it's the sad truth. Nicely explained in the OP if only could read.