Your article regarding Representative Carolyn McCarthy's introduction of the Children's Gun Violence Act of 1998 ("NRA Calls McCarthy Bill Old Hat," June 26) lived up to its headline as a press release for the National Rifle Association.

Every aspect of this new bill strengthens penalties for irresponsible gun owners and gun dealers who allow children access to guns. General negligence laws frequently do not cover people who leave loaded guns where children may play with them, necessitating the Child Access Protection provision which specifically penalizes these contributors to tragedies. Guns also are the only major product completely exempt from consumer safety regulations; Congresswoman McCarthy's bill marks the first time the federal government will attempt to require basic, inexpensive, childproofing safety features on guns. And the idea that no gun education is required beyond the NRA's Eddie Eagle program is laughable. At best, Eddie Eagle is a nursery rhyme for pre-schoolers and, at worst, it teaches them to accept guns as a natural part of their surroundings and a future desirable purchase when they're "old enough" to use them.

Congresswoman McCarthy is using her national platform to help us prevent more tragedies like Jonesboro and Springfield. For that she deserves better than the old NRA bromides which attempt to conceal its belief that anyone should be able to get a gun at any time for just about any reason. And your readers deserve better than two pages of devoted reprinting of its arguments.

Sarah Brady, Chair, Handgun Control