George Bush Sr. on Gun Control President of the U.S., 1989-1993; Former Republican Rep. (TX)

1995: Ripped up NRA card for calling feds jack-booted thugs

Bush exacted his revenge in May 1995, when he read about an NRA fund-raising letter that described federal agents as "jack-booted thugs". Ripping up his NRA membership card, Bush wrote a letter of resignation, which his office made public. He accused the NRA of slandering dedicated officials "who are out there day and night laying their lives on the line for all of us."

Bush's act of principle received national publicity but not national respect. Gun-control advocates were unhappy that he had not resigned from the NRA when he could have made a difference, and the gun lobby dismissed his resignation as an act of pique, nothing more than petty payback.

1995: Resigned from NRA after NRA called feds "thugs"

In the solicitation letter, LaPierre wrote, "If you have a badge you have the government's go-ahead to harass, intimidate, even murder law-abiding citizens." He also referred to the ATF: "Not long ago, it was unthinkable for federal agents wearing Nazi bucket helmets and black storm trooper uniforms to attack law-abiding citizens."

"Your broadside against federal agents deeply offends my concept of service to country," wrote an uncharacteristically angry Bush, who as president and political candidate, frequently had praised the NRA. "I am outraged. Please remove my name from your membership list."

In a brief statement, LaPierre refused to apologize.

Ban semi-automatic imports; but committed to gunowner rights

Although my commitment to the rights of sportsmen and others who own guns legitimately remains firm, I'm eager to do anything within reason to keep these weapons out of the hands of criminals.

Opposes gun control because it does not work

A law controlling firearms would be no different. What we in this country have is a human problem, infinitely complex in composition and certainly in solution.

When a person intends to kill another, he or she will proceed to do so with whatever tool is at hand. It can be a knife, a shovel, or a firepoker. Yet no one seriously proposes outlawing every sharp or blunt instrument within the reach of a possible murderer.

I do not oppose gun control because I am insensitive to the sort of brutality that [hospital staff] see every day. I do so because I believe gun control does not work. The actual solution lies far beyond the power of lawmakers, in the vast territory of the human mind. There it is either adopted in moments of anger or thrust aside in the impulse to kill.