GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA 8001 Forbes Place / Suite 102 / Springfield, VA 22151 / (703) 321-8585 / FAX (703) 321-8408 For Immediate Release Contact: Kathleen Gennaro December 6, 1995 (703)321-8585 GOA Opposes Government Terror Bills (Washington, D.C.) -- Gun Owners of America today joined several organizations in opposing the existing terror bills in the Congress. The groups included such diverse organizations as the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the National Rifle Association. "Representative Henry Hyde, sponsor of the House terrorism bill, has become the Mad Bomber of the Bill of Rights," said GOA Executive Director Larry Pratt. "His bill will give the Mark Fuhrman's of the world greater power and will ignore Constitutional safeguards. "Fuhrman displayed his contempt for the Constitution during the O.J. Simpson trial. We don't need to give his kind more power in the name of fighting terrorism," Pratt said. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on H.R. 1710 next week. The coalition to reform law enforcement is sending a letter to House Speaker Newt Gingrich today, expressing the group's opposition to any bill containing the following six points: * Defining terrorism so broadly that even a person like Bernie Goetz, who used a gun in self-defense, could be prosecuted as a "terrorist"; * Involvement of the military in law enforcement; * Depriving people of liberty based on secret evidence; * Designating disfavored groups as "terrorist" organizations; * FBI investigating individuals without evidence of criminality; and, * Government wiretapping and ignoring the exclusionary rule. Copies of the joint letter are available upon request.