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Kenneth Cleaver Consumer Correspondent February 1, 2001 Mr. Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President National Rifle Association 11250 Waples Mill Road Fairfax, VA 22030 Dear Mr. LaPierre: The battle to claim the American political center finds the Republican Party undergoing a dramatic facelift. Part of this effort involves distancing itself from the religious right and welcoming people of color into the arms of the party, or at least to the podium of the national convention. The NRA should grab the torch from the GOP brain trust and ready the welcome wagon in an appeal for a new and diverse membership. My friend David is extremely homosexual and interested in familiarizing himself with high-powered rifles. He is a tenacious worker with strong computer skills and would make an excellent director of the Pink Holster Society: the official Gay & Lesbian Auxiliary of the NRA. The Pink Holster Society will provide a friendly environment for gays and lesbians to learn about and practice with firearms. The political necessity of organizing for the right to own, buy, sell, and discuss firearms ad nauseam will be the message hammered home through karaoke nights, potluck dinners, and drag shows. The more the NRA reflects in its membership the diversity of the American people, the stronger it will become. I hope you will give serious consideration to backing the Pink Holster Society and hiring David Melito as its provisional director. Sincerely, Kenneth H. Cleaver March 2, 2001 Mr. Kenneth H. Cleaver P.O. Box 810 Bedford, NY 10506 Dear Mr. Cleaver, Thank you for your recent letter addressed to NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre. Mr. LaPierre has asked me to respond on his behalf. We appreciate you taking the time to contact our office. Today we are faced with the most serious challenge to our Second Amendment rights in the history of our nation. The anti-gun forces in government and the media are determined to strip law-abiding Americans of their right to keep and bear arms, by eroding the value of the Second Amendment, and gradually limiting our rights. Their intention is not to repeal the Second Amendment, but to devalue it to a point where it is worthless. Thank you for your comments. We will be taking them into consideration as we work on our strategy to reverse the recent tide of anti-gun legislation, so as to secure our firearm freedoms well into the next century. If you have any questions, please call us at (800) 672-3888. Sincerely, Robert L. Boyd Member Information [ North Bay | MetroActive Central | Archives ]