Saturday, May 22, 2010

Dennis Henigan on the Calderon Speech

The Brady Blog contained a wonderful post by Dennis Henigan. As if in response to the pro-gun reaction to the Mexican president's speech, Henigan makes a case for the gun control side.

Unlike many of our own political leaders, President Calderon understands that the American people have as much at stake on this issue as the Mexican people. He told Congress: “Today, these weapons are aimed by the criminals not only at rival gangs but also at Mexican civilians and authorities. And with all due respect, if you do not regulate the sale of these weapons in the right way, nothing guarantees that criminals here in the United States with access to the same power of weapons will not decide to challenge the American authorities and civilians.”

The Mexican President was being diplomatic. Criminals with assault weapons challenging American police and civilians represent not a future prospect, but today’s continuing and tragic reality. As Congress listened to Calderon’s words, two Arkansas police officers lay fatally wounded. What more justification for action does Congress need?

What do you think? Are there probably some handguns going south of the border too? I guess the gun dealers and manufacturers are making out like bandits, eh? And, of course, the NRA and gun owners at large have their own stake in the game. But, it's bad news and something should be done.

And then there is President Obama. He should be profoundly embarrassed that it took the President of another country to call on Congress to take action on guns, while he and his Administration cower in fear of the gun lobby. If our President ever summons the courage to ask Congress to do the right thing on guns, he need look no further than the words of President Calderon: “I admire the American Constitution, and I understand that the purpose of the Second Amendment is to guarantee good American citizens the ability to defend themselves and their Nation. But believe me, many of these guns are not going to honest American hands.”

President Calderon understands that it does no damage to the Second Amendment to protect police officers from assault weapons. Thank you, Mr. President, for speaking for our people, as well as your own.

Are you listening, President Obama?

It is still a bit of a mystery to me that Obama has failed so badly in this. I'm hoping Sarah Palin was right at the NRA Convention and that we'll see the results in Obama's second term.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

14 comments:

  1. I think you already know my opinion Mike.

    Calderon should go deal with his own third world cesspool before he presumes to be able to tell us how to do anything.

    Calderon is a failure as a national leader and he can go pound sand in his ass. The fact that anyone in Congress stoop up and clapped for his rhetoric is disgusting.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Spoken like a true white jingoist, FWM.

    So, when the US demands countries like Mexico, like Columbia, like Afghanistan stop producing drugs that are largely consumed by US customers--these country's leaders should tell us to pound sand.

    Of course, FWM being the good white Xtian that he is, fails to note he is harming his own self interests. First, as Mexico deteriorates, that crime tends to make it its way to the US--both in terms of crime and terorism. Second, illegal immigration to this country is going to increase because Mexico is unstable and businesses have no security. Third, unstable countries tend not towards democratic institutions but totalitarian ones--want another Cuba?

    FWM isn't a deep thinker.

    --JadeGold

    ReplyDelete
  3. WRT to my sage third point--it should be noted Mexico is the second leading supplier of oil to the US. Mexico is also our second largest purchaser of US exports.

    But, hey, FWM--GOd-lovin' Xtian--will sacrifice anything for his guns.

    --JadeGold

    ReplyDelete
  4. Henigan: “In his extraordinary speech, President Calderon told Congress that Mexico has seized 75,000 assault weapons and other guns and over 80% of those traced originated with American gun shops. “

    Oh, so were down to 80% now?

    Henigan: “He said the escalation in Mexican drug violence “coincides with the lifting of the assault weapons ban in 2004,” powerful support for the impact of gun laws in reducing the supply of guns to violent criminals. “

    No, it coincided with Calderon assuming office and declaring war on the cartels. And if this has been going on since 2004, why did he wait till Obama was in office to bitch about it?

    Henigan: “As Congress listened to Calderon’s words, two Arkansas police officers lay fatally wounded. What more justification for action does Congress need?”

    …But we’re not a gun ban organization, we just want to ban the type of guns that have been used to kill people.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jade, so tell me. With Mexico in the piss-poor shape they are in, why would you want to take advice from the leader of failure? What makes anything that loser has to say, wise?

    Basically Calderon said "Mexico sucks so you should too, it's only fair."

    "So, when the US demands countries like Mexico, like Columbia, like Afghanistan stop producing drugs that are largely consumed by US customers--these country's leaders should tell us to pound sand."

    No, they should say yes sir and do what they are told.

    ReplyDelete
  6. TS: "Oh, so were down to 80% now?"

    Hmm...did it just drop 10% without gun bans?

    Or is this a case of deceivers who are unable to keep their deceits straight?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Henigan: “He said the escalation in Mexican drug violence “coincides with the lifting of the assault weapons ban in 2004,” powerful support for the impact of gun laws in reducing the supply of guns to violent criminals. “

    Has anyone ever told us just how permitting flash suppressors and bayonet lugs on guns resulted in "the escalation in Mexican drug violence"?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Note TS and FJ have nothing really to add so they resort to nitpicking whether 90% is similar to "over 80%."

    FWM asks Mexico in the piss-poor shape they are in, why would you want to take advice from the leader of failure?

    It's not so much advice as asking for help.

    Let's look at your situation: you say you're fat, hypertensive and diabetic. IOW: a mess. But I bet you know how to fix most of that--such as diet, exercise, etc. Should we discount the fact that you know how to fix your problems?

    --JadeGold

    ReplyDelete
  9. "Let's look at your situation: you say you're fat, hypertensive and diabetic. IOW: a mess. But I bet you know how to fix most of that--such as diet, exercise, etc. Should we discount the fact that you know how to fix your problems?"

    I do know how to fix my problem: stop eating Mexican food. Should I then appeal to Calderon to enforce his own laws and create more laws so that not as many illegal aliens come into the U.S. and cook mass quantities of good Mexican food for me?

    Wouldn't the real solution be for me to take it upon myself to watch what I eat rather than demand some foreign government stop the temptation?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Note that Jadegold has nothing really to add so he resorts to nitpicking my 80% comment. Yes Jadegold, whether they use 80% BS or 90% BS, it is still a big stinking pile of BS and it is nitpicking. But that was the least significant thing I said, and hardly “nothing really to add”. How about the fact that Calderon does not want to admit he started this war and underestimated the power of the cartel so he blames his problems on US policies- but only after an administration took office that would not tell him to “go pound sand”? How about Brady’s spouting this stuff while claiming to not be a gun ban organization? How about what Fishy Jay added questioning how allowing flash suppressors and bayonet lugs in 2004 will cause Mexican drug related murders to double in 2008 and then again in 2009? We have nothing to add, or you just have nothing to say?

    ReplyDelete
  11. TS brings the silly.

    How about the fact that Calderon does not want to admit he started this war

    Bad Calderon! Muy bad! Imagine the President of a country wanting to stop lawlessness such as drug trafficking, corruption, and murder? According to TS, Calderon should have just pretended nothing was amiss.

    Reality check: in point of fact, the US has long been after Mexico to do what Calderon has begun.

    --JadeGold

    ReplyDelete
  12. Calderon’s “blame game” was what I was criticizing (but, I do believe the correct solution would be to legalize drugs and run the cartel out of business). My point was that Calderon’s war on drugs has been a failure by under estimating the cartel’s strength and the level of corruption in Mexican law enforcement. Then he blames his failures on US gun policy. Muy Bad!

    Jadegold: “Reality check: in point of fact, the US has long been after Mexico to do what Calderon has begun.”

    Sure, and we helped them out by shipping them a bunch of full-auto M16s which then end up in the hands of the cartel, and Calderon goes and blames US gun policy again…

    Now regarding Fishy Jay’s “nothing really to add” I would like your explanation for how the 2004 AWB sunset, which allowed AR-15s (the alleged weapon of choice for southbound smugglers) to be purchased with a bayonet lug and flash suppressor, is responsible for the increased level of drug violence. Please go into detail about how the ARs smuggled from 1994-2004 without these stationary solid pieces of metal at the end of the gun, prevented the cartels from this achieving this level of murder. Go ahead and turn on "full fabrication mode" and makeup whatever story you like too- I just want to hear any kind of explanation.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Let's look at your situation: you say you're fat, hypertensive and diabetic. IOW: a mess. But I bet you know how to fix most of that--such as diet, exercise, etc. Should we discount the fact that you know how to fix your problems?

    LMAO! Hey Guy, I have seen your Facebook photo. People who live in glass houses shouldn't be throwing stones. Why don't you lose that tire you got around your waist before you start criticizing FWM about his dietary habits, mmmkay?

    ReplyDelete
  14. RR - It's projection (well that and Jade's just a nasty troll).

    Why else do you think he keeps personally attacking me? Low self-esteem and the realization that he's easily bested at the intellectual level.

    What choice does he have but personal attacks?

    ReplyDelete