Clinton Orders Recall of "Pro Gun" Quarters

News/Current Events
Source: The Washington Post
Published: Monday, February 21, 2000
Author: Bob Woodward

President Clinton this morning will announce a total recall by the U.S. Mint of 400 million 25 cent pieces which feature an armed man on its reverse side.

The quarter was released earlier this year as part of a 10-year program of commemorating each state's entry into the Union with a specially designed reverse side denoting its date of entry and featuring designs approved by each state and the Mint.

Last year, five quarters were released without controversy. However, the first quarter in this year's batch, which honors Massachusetts, has drawn outrage from childrens groups, gun control advocates and others.

The reverse of the Massachusetts quarter features an engraving of the state with a Minuteman holding a flintlock rifle embossed over it.

Sarah Brady, out-going president of Hand Gun Control, Inc., said she was "livid" and "nearly had a stroke" the first time she saw the gun-toting man on the quarter. She said she felt betrayed by the Clinton administration, which recently re-named the White House press briefing room in honor of her husband James Brady, who was grievously wounded by gunfire in an assassination attempt on President Reagan. Brady added that the quarter brought back "horrible memories" of that day.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) who was promoted to the Senate two years ago from the House in part for his staunch gun-control advocacy, said he first saw the offensive quarter when he was playing "quarters" with Sen. Kennedy (D-Mass.) at a Capitol Hill watering hole.

Schumer says he was draining a pint of Rolling Rock after Kennedy had bounced a quarter into it and reacted in "horror" when he saw a man with a gun pointed at him through the bottom of the glass, causing him to drop it and dive under the table.

Kennedy joined him under the table, thinking Schumer had a waitress down there. Instead of a hotty, he found the quarter which frightened his colleague. Shumer says they both said at the same time, "That quarter is dangerous !"

Marianne Wright Edelman, head of the Children's Defense Fund says she is "upset" and "scared for the children" who will see the "bad man with a gun" on the quarter and get the message that "guns are cool." She says the quarter will undermine years of efforts to teach children that guns are dangerous and should only be owned by the government.

A chagrined President Clinton, responding quickly to head off an election-year snafu that could hurt his fellow Democrats, ordered every Massachusetts quarter taken out of circulation and destroyed. A design to replace the gun-toting militia man has not been chosen yet.

-- who, me? (not@home.now), February 29, 2000

Answers

GRAB A HUNDRED ROLLS QUICK!!

On a more sober note: What a f*cking idiot. Just like the ARTLESS DODGER to seek to further defame patriots, soldiers, war-heroes and real men. Must be something creative we could do with tose quarters ......

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.cellrelaytower), February 29, 2000.

waitaminnit .... is this from THE ONION?

-- mr underhill (prancing@pony.com), February 29, 2000.

Sounds like Bob Woodward was a little "tongue 'n cheek" here.

nancy

-- NH (new@mindspring.com), February 29, 2000.

This started out as a humor post on free republic and Bob Woodward wasn't the author. HOAX!

-- Y2kObserver (Y2kObserver@nowhere.com), February 29, 2000.

THere better be an Onion or sumthin attached to this.....

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), March 01, 2000.

Too bad Sarah Brady didn't have a stroke, she is a nuisance.

-- Daisy Jane (deeekstrand@access1.com), March 01, 2000.

Let's see, what's on this quarter? Looks like a picture of a normal guy who has had enough of the big central guv, and is willing to put his butt on the line to be left alone. In school, we learned these guys were heroes.

Exactly why is respect for these dudes being officially suppressed, just as the dudes themselves were?

-- Sampson (SR@barkworth.com), March 01, 2000.

I am surprised they haven't actually recalled them. I guess the thought hasn't occurred to them yet.

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), March 01, 2000.

Nicely done. One had to read at least 5 paragraphs of the article before getting to anything that tipped off the gag. Very nice test of reading comprehension and basic critical thinking.

-- DeeEmBee (macbeth1@pacbell.net), March 01, 2000.

hmmm..I think I'll run to the bank and get a whole bunch of rolls of them right now. I was proud to see the Minuteman with rifle at the ready on the quarters.

God Bless, Jay

-- J.Evans (caldwell5@hotmail.com), March 01, 2000.

Problem is, I had absolutely no problem envisioning Kennedy & Shumer playing quarters in some Boston tittie bar.

Jimmy

-- Jimmy Splinters (inthe@dark.com), March 01, 2000.

Ooops. I meant Washington tittie bar. Wuz thinkin' of Teddy's home state.

Jimmy

-- Jimmy Splinters (inthe@dark.com), March 01, 2000.

DMB, I bought it about half way through also. Heehee.

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), March 01, 2000.