Georgia Belle Sullivan of Clinton, La., will never know if her former employee, Arthur Sanford, came back for money, revenge or both. Sullivan was up late watching television when she heard a noise that caused her two dogs to start barking wildly. She took her pistol and went to investigate, but before she fully realized what was happening a shadowy figure lunged at her. Although she fired at the intruder, he kept coming and the two struggled for the gun. Sullivan said, "He beat me with his fists. He was trying to get the gun out of my hand, but he never did." Sanford continued to attack, saying that he wanted money, until his grip finally loosened and he died on the spot from the gunshot wound to his chest. Sanford had worked on Sullivan's cattle farm for years, but had been fired three years earlier because of suspected drug use. Sanford also had a history of arrests for armed robbery. (2theadvocate.com, Baton Rouge, LA, 02/17/05)

"It's not in my nature to even kill a mouse, but he forced it and I do not feel guilty of any wrongdoing," said an 84-year-old homeowner in Mishawaka, Ind. The local police agreed that this was a justifiable shooting. Robert Birtwhistle had been awakened about 1 a.m. to the sounds of his front door being kicked in. He took his pistol and went downstairs, warning the intruder to stop or "he was going to get what was coming to him." The intruder, however, kept trying to get in and eventually broke down the door. Birtwhistle fired once, and the intruder fell to the floor. When police arrived, the intruder was pronounced dead at the scene; he was later identified as James Rosebush, who lived only blocks away. Police commented that it was possible Birtwhistle was targeted because of his age, which would lead criminals to believe he was an "easy target." (The Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis, IN, 02/18/05)

For the second time in four days, a New Orleans, La., armed citizen turned the tables on would-be robbers. In this instance, according to authorities, two teenage brothers, Micah and Darius Adams, approached an unidentified man who was returning to his car late one night. Just as the man reached his car, Micah Adams drew a gun and demanded money. The man produced his own firearm and fired at Adams, hitting him several times in the torso. Although he tried to escape, Micah Adams was later found dead on a nearby street. Darius Adams was subsequently apprehended by police and was facing murder charges since he was accused of helping to commit a felony that resulted in a death. (The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA, 02/06/05)

A 24-year-old Long Beach, Calif., resident was sitting in his car at a fast-food restaurant when an armed man forced his way into the car. The carjacker, later identified as Maurice Adams, ordered the victim at gunpoint to drive to another neighborhood and then robbed him. While Adams was rooting through the trunk looking for more items, the victim grabbed his own gun, which was concealed in the glove compartment, and began to run. Adams opened fire on the victim, striking him; in turn, Adams was shot multiple times by the victim. Adams died shortly after arriving at the hospital. The victim, whose name was withheld for his own protection, was said to be recovering from his wounds. (Press-Telegram, Los Angeles, CA, 01/22/05)

"This is something you read about happening to someone else. You never think it will happen to you," said Linda Fixler of Bardonia, N.Y. Her husband was working alone in their jewelry store early one morning when two men came in asking to look at some engagement rings. After a few minutes both pulled out guns, aimed them at Fixler and threatened to kill him. During the course of the robbery, however, Fixler was able to retrieve his own handgun and shoot one of the robbers who fell to the floor seriously injured while the other fled on foot. The fleeing robber was later apprehended along with a third man who was in the "get-away" vehicle, but had driven off when he heard the gunshots. "It's a terrible feeling," said Fixler. "All you want to do is stay alive." (thejournalnews.com, White Plains, NY, 02/15/05)

Thanks to the quick thinking of a sub shop owner in Dayton, Ohio, a robbery attempt was quickly thwarted. The manager and his wife were working the morning shift when they spotted a man with a mask and sunglasses heading toward the store with a gun in hand. The owner triggered the security system and retrieved his gun. One employee described what happened next: "[The suspect] got up on the counter. I was scared. I just dropped to the floor." The robber, however, who was pointing his gun at the manager, did not even have time to speak because the manager pointed his gun and shot him in the arm. He fled and was later apprehended at his sister's house. He was expected to be charged with aggravated robbery. (Dayton Daily News, Dayton, OH, 01/15/05)

Any day now, gun rights leaders in the U.S. Senate will engage in a battle to determine whether the American firearm industry-our source, as consumers, for firearms and related products-will remain viable or will be bankrupted through endless predatory lawsuits that the enemies of Freedom predict will be a "death of a thousand cuts."

The watchword in this Senate battle must be "clean." The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act-S. 397- must be passed with no "gun control" amendments. No so called "assault weapons" ban-no breathing new life into the fraudulent Clinton gun ban. No gun show restrictions- no criminalizing of now-legal private sales between law-abiding Americans. No ban on rifles. No ban on small caliber pistols. No back-door gun registration by keeping National Instant Check System (NICS) records indefinitely.

Each of us must contact our senators and demand that S. 397 be passed with no "gun control" amendments solely designed to snuff out this long-needed legislative reform. And we must tell our fellow gun owners what this is really about-the future of all lawful commerce in firearms and the future of our ability to exercise our Second Amendment rights.

Introduced by U.S. Sens. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the legislation is co-sponsored by a majority of the Senate. It is the same bill that overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2003 by a 285-to-140 roll call vote.

And it is the same bill that was withdrawn in 2004 by Second Amendment leaders in the Senate following a series of "poison pill" amendments attached by gun-ban senators-some of whom, like then- Minority Leader and gun-rights chameleon Tom Daschle, didn't survive re-election because of this anti-gun duplicity.

The gun-ban crowd is already planning to repeat last year's strategy by adding new killer amendments-many wrapped in the media lie of the day-"terrorism." We will see amendments to close down gun shows and to bring back the Clinton gun ban that we worked so hard to see sunset into oblivion. But their biggest effort will be a ban on now-demonized rifles.

When the national media talks about banning what it calls ".50 caliber sniper rifles," they tout California, where mostly single-shot or bolt-action rifles were classified as prohibited "semi-automatic assault weapons."

Forget the caliber.

This is a rifle ban, and it spells the future.

Like any other "gun control," this is incremental-one step at a time. The Violence Policy Center is already calling for a ban on what it calls "intermediate sniper rifles"... which it defines as ".30 calibers" (see p.l4).

According to the VPC, if you own a bolt-action or semi- auto hunting rifle, you own an "intermediate sniper rifle." And the first step in this rifle ban-on the federal level- will be offered as an amendment to S. 397.

Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y), Hillary Clinton (D- N.Y.), Frank Lautenburg (D-N.J.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) will be screaming about "terrorism," but the real terror to be inflicted on America is their assault on our liberty.

When the enemies of Freedom try to defend their reckless lawsuits, they talk about victims. But when it comes to victims of genuine negligence or defective products, there is nothing in S. 397 to keep anyone from going to court and filing a legitimate claim. What will end are abusive claims against innocent third parties who violate no law and who have no connection with street criminals and violence. In all these suits, honest business people are supposed to pay a punitive price simply for being in the highly regulated federal firearm business.

The Washington Post summed this up with a concise description of a case involving the mother of a boy injured with a gun that was never found-a pistol that was the centerpiece of a years-long lawsuit against every element of the firearm industry, which cost tens of millions of dollars to successfully defend. "She does not blame ... the adult who bought it illegally or the gun trafficker who sold it out of a car trunk. Instead her rage is aimed at the firearms industry ... ."

That suit-a model for dozens filed in activist courts by big-city mayors and greedy trial lawyers-was heavily funded by globalist gun banner George Soros and supported by the Brady Campaign. "Rage aimed at the firearm industry" has cost consumers well over $200 million, and it will ultimately financially bleed out the industry ... if Congress doesn't move decisively.

As NBA members, we are in the vanguard of tens of millions of firearm owners-consumers all-who are directly harmed by these extortionary lawsuits. Remember the words of John Coale, Washington fat-cat trial lawyer: "The legal fees alone are enough to bankrupt the industry."

As we enlist the help of our family, coworkers and friends in contacting their senators, we must make it clear that this legislation-which protects all our rights-must pass the U.S. Senate with no anti-gun amendments. Call, write, e-mail today.