SAF Warns Seattle Mayor to Heed Public Rejection of Gun Ban

BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Second Amendment
Foundation today warned Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels to heed the public
rejection of a proposed gun ban at city parks facilities or face the
consequences in court.

SAF obtained information from the mayor's office that the overwhelming
majority of citizens living both inside and outside the city turned thumbs
down on the mayor's plan to ban even legally-carried firearms in city parks
facilities. Nickels has already been advised by Attorney General Rob McKenna
that the city has no authority to enact such a ban, which would be illegal
under the state's preemption law.

Only 8 percent of Seattle residents commenting on the idea support it,
according to figures from the mayor's office. Ninety-two percent of
Seattleites who opined rejected the idea. Only 2 percent of respondents who
live outside the city support the proposed ban, and 98 percent oppose the
idea. Deadline for comments was last Sunday. SAF has learned that the city
received 1,088 comments via e-mail, and only 44 supported the mayor's
proposal. Ten more telephone comments were received, with only one favoring
the ban.

"This is a crushing defeat for Mayor Nickels," said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb.
"His office has argued that nobody would be prosecuted specifically for
violating the ban, but only be charged with criminal trespass if they refuse
to leave a facility after being told to do so. That is disingenuous. It is
still a ban and it is still a violation of state preemption."

SAF has also learned that the mayor's strategy now is apparently to have such
a ban enacted by order of the director of Parks and Recreation.

"This controversy began with Nickels threatening to issue an executive order
banning guns from all city property," Gottlieb recalled. "He has now backed
away from that, and apparently thinks he is being clever by having a surrogate
sign an order to post city parks off limits to firearms. If that is the case,
the chicken has, indeed, come home to roost."

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and
largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group
focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess
firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000
members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform
the public about the consequences of gun control.

SOURCE Second Amendment Foundation

Alan Gottlieb of the Second Amendment Foundation, +1-425-454-7012