7/12/22, 8:04 PM HANDGUNS | The New Yorker

A Reporter at Large July 26, 1976 Issue

HANDGUNS
By Richard Harris
July 18, 1976

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The New Yorker, July 26, 1976 P. 53

A REPORTER AT LARGE about the National Council to Control Handguns -

- established in January, 1974, thus setting up the first national handgun-control
lobby in Washington. Writer talks to the N.C.C.H.'s present director, Nelson T.
Shields III who was motivated to work for gun control when his son was
murdered by a handgun on Apr. 16,1974. Shields explains why the organization
concentrates solely on handguns, supporting his reasons with statistics concerning
the illegal use of handguns. Tells about how the National Rifle Association, the
most powerful lobby in Washington, operates and how the N.C.C.H. is working
for gun control in the face of the N.R.A. Cites poll taken by Louis Harris, at his
own expense, which indicates that a majority of Americans support gun control.
Tells about the N.C.C.H.'s finances and compares them with the huge budget the
N.R.A. works with. The H.C.C.H. has 4,000 members. It was selected, at a
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meeting of all state and local handgun-control lobbies, in June 1975, to lead a
national coalition to lobby for gun control, Tells about how the N.C.C.H. lobbies
for gun control when Congressmen are up for re-election. The N.C.C.H. has set

up several committees which fight for gun control in different professional groups,
i.e. a Business for Handgun Control Committee. Argues against the N.R.A.'s
claim that gun control would disarm the citizenry, leaving them open to
Communist attack. The N.C.C.H. supports the weak gun-control bill now being
considered in the House.

View Article

Published in the print edition of the July 26, 1976, issue.

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