NRA OFFERS PROGRAMS TO END VIOLENCE

Group advocates building kids' self-esteem, teaching about gun safety, enforcing existing laws and bolstering police agencies.

The increase in teen violence has caused the National Rifle Association to set its sights on a new target. Guns do not cause kids to kill, according to Mary Sue Faulkner, media liaison for the National Rifle Association based in Washington, D.C. Rather, violence erupts when kids feel they have no future, she said.

"The enemy that we are trying to stop is the enemy of feeling hopeless, the enemy of being a victim, the enemy that I am someone who has to establish at every moment that I should be respected," said Faulkner in a recent telephone interview with Children's Express.

One way the NRA hopes to end violence by children is to offer programs that boost their self-esteem. Another is through a new program called CrimeStrike, a volunteer effort to strengthen law enforcement.

Federal law already prohibits people under 21 years old from purchasing handguns, and applicants must be 18 or older to buy rifles or shotguns. So kids who use guns have them illegally, and stricter gun-control laws would be pointless, Faulkner points out.

"We don't know how you make a prohibited action any more prohibited. There are already laws on the books to keep these kids from having firearms," she said.

Adults bear responsibility

Kids get guns illegally from adults, and the NRA hopes that by stopping those adults, it will stop the violence.

"We feel the criminal justice system just isn't working. . . . What we're saying is, `Let's get that element off the street and serving time; therefore they're not there influencing the younger kids.' "

That's where CrimeStrike comes in.

CrimeStrike volunteers work in various ways to bolster law enforcement. Some monitor courtrooms to see which judges and prosecutors allow plea bargains or low bail for criminal defendants accused of using guns. Others seek to keep criminals in jail by appearing at parole board hearings on behalf of crime victims, who aren't allowed to attend the hearings.

CrimeStrike volunteers also publicize the records of judges and politicians who they see as being soft on criminals. In addition, they lobby legislators across the country to support victims' rights and to increase resources for police departments and prisons.

CrimeStrike's influence

So far, CrimeStrike has more than 5,000 volunteers, and their impact is being felt, Faulkner said. For example, the NRA called on hundreds of CrimeStrike volunteers in the case of John Treadway, who was up for parole after serving half of his 20-year sentence for strangling a 16-year-old New Jersey girl. The volunteers successfully pleaded with the New Jersey State Parole Board and prosecutor not to recommend parole, and Treadway's request will be reviewed this fall.

Criminals give guns a bad name, Faulkner said. The NRA supports the use of guns for personal protection, hunting, competitive shooting and public safety, and it offers programs in all of these practices.

Some programs are geared for teens. One, the Youth Hunter Education Challenge, is a nationwide competition for youths 18 years and younger. About 18,000 kids participated this year after attending programs to help them polish their marksmanship, acquire shooting and archery skills, and learn about hunter responsibility, Faulkner said.

"We promote competitions throughout the country because that's one of the sporting uses of a firearm, one of the safe, healthy, responsible uses of a firearm, and that's one of our goals and objectives, to promote the shooting sports," she said.

An NRA member in Houston has started a program to teach inner-city youths about the beneficial uses of a gun. Glenn Miller started the Royal Bushmen Association to introduce city kids to the wilderness and teach them to hunt and fish.

"Basically, the program is there to teach kids that there is something to say `yes' to," Faulkner said. "They're opening up a whole new group of possibilities for these kids to enjoy."