NRA’s Wishes Come Before the Voters’

The Orange County congressional delegation unanimously voted against President Bill Clinton’s crime bill, which outlaws assault rifles. No intelligent person could sanction the use of these weapons of war by anyone not in the military services of the United States. You may just as well advocate murder!

As a Marine Corps night fighter pilot in combat in three wars, I have fired more ordnance than most people have seen. As a federal prosecutor for five years, I am responsible for sending felons to prison for sentences totaling 1,000 years.

The cops, our front-line soldiers, who lay their lives on the line on every tour of duty, certainly deserve more than our delegation gave them. It does no good to talk against crime and then vote for unrestricted instruments of slaughter on our streets.

There is no lawful civilian use for an AK-47 or any of its progeny. Have they forgotten Stockton and the dead children?

The large contributions from the National Rifle Assn. and other right-wing military kook organizations should not direct legislation that encourages killing.

WILLIAM A. DOUGHERTY

Colonel, USMC (retired)

Villa Park

*

Do Orange County voters really need any further evidence that their representatives in Washington cater far more to the wishes of (demands of) the National Rifle Assn. than of the people they are supposed to represent? In spite of the fact that the overwhelming majority of the public, including those in Orange County, wanted the crime bill passed, they voted against it based on their lame excuse that it was loaded with pork.

The only pork that will come out of this crime bill will be the dollars that will be given to those who voted against it for their reelection campaigns. Wake up Orange County voters! Kick those rascals out of Congress once and for all!

JOHN M. CONCILIO

Garden Grove