Memo to Glenn Beck

The Canada Free Press published an incredible "memo to Glenn Beck" by Philip V. Brennan. The opening lines say it all.

There are few people who I admire more than Glenn Beck. As a latter day Paul Revere he is alerting the American people to the to the real perils inherent in the Obama Administration’s drive to deliberately wreck the economy and impose a Marxist regime upon the United States.

Remarkably, from there he goes on to urge Glenn to give Joe McCarthy another look, you know the misunderstood-due-to-a-lefty-conspiracy Joe McCarthy.

It's a wonderful read. Enjoy.

Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2009

On the web site of U.S. Senator from New York, Kristen Gillibrand, there's a wonderful explanation of the recently proposed Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2009.

A new measure aimed at eliminating the steady flow of illegal guns into New York is being advanced by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy who point out that nearly 90 percent of the guns used in gun crimes in New York City come from out of state, and approximately 90 percent of these guns are illegal.

Uh-oh, here we go with the 90% claims again. Do you think in this case the phrase "nearly 90% of the guns used in gun crimes in New York City come from out of state, and approximately 90 percent of these guns are illegal," will stand up to criticism? To me it doesn't seem couched in tricky language like the more famous claim that "90% of the guns traced in Mexico came from the U.S." What do you think?

By creating more options and providing flexibility for prosecutors and judges, we increase the tools that are available for prosecutors in the federal criminal justice system to appropriately crack down on individuals who are engaged in every aspect of gun trafficking.

I often hear the complaint that laws like this are unnecessary because the things they legislate are already illegal. This one, however does call for longer prison sentences for gun trafficking as well as increasing the focus on criminal gun dealers.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Gillibrand and McCarthy

The Daily News reports on the reconciliation which has taken place between Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. They've indeed come a long way since last January when we discussed them last.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is scheduled to appear tomorrow with another former House colleague and onetime political opponent, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy.

Gillibrand is to join the Long Island congresswoman, Mayor Bloomberg, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, the Brady Campaign and New Yorkers Against Gun Violence at John Jay College for a so-called "major announcement" (according to a press release) of a "new federal measure to combat gun violence."

When it was decided that Ms. Gillibrand would replace Hillary Clinton as N.Y. Senator, Gillibrand enjoyed a full endorsement from the NRA. This has changed dramatically.

Mayor Bloomberg, who has made getting illegal guns off the street a personal crusade, also expressed dismay over Gillibrand's selection last January by Gov. David Paterson to fill Hillary Clinton's US Senate seat.

But Gillibrand has worked assiduously since then to prove she has learned the error of her ways, starting with a visit early in her Senate tenure to a Brooklyn school after a 17-year-old student there was shot and killed by a stray bullet.

McCarthy, like her fellow would-be Gillibrand challengers in the House, has backed off her plans to challenge the junior senator when she runs in hopes of keeping her seat next year.

The congresswoman is a Bloomberg ally. She crossed party lines this summer to endorse the mayor for re-election, citing his gun control efforts and also appeared in a TV ad on his behalf.

What's your opinion? Did the NRA misunderstand the position of Gillibrand before or did the Senator actually change? Does changing one's position on gun control add to the credibility and strength of the newly acquired stance? I often hear that about Prof. Kleck, the fact that he supposedly moved from anti-gun to pro-gun means something. Would the same thing work for Senator Gillibrand?

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Hillary's Replacement Challenged

Yahoo News reports on the controversy surrounding the choice to replace Hillary Clinton in the New York Senate.

"I don't think someone with a 100 percent NRA rating should be the next senator from New York," said Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, who ran for Congress after her husband was killed and son wounded in the 1993 Long Island Rail Road shooting massacre. "The majority of New Yorkers believe in trying to reduce gun violence."

Even I find this kind of rhetoric difficult to take. When Gov. David Paterson announced the appointment of little-known upstate Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary, I don't believe for a second he wanted someone who does not "believe in trying to reduce gun violence." I find McCarthy's comments quite exaggerated, I suppose to make the point that I'm always trying to make: pro gun people are unintentionally part of the problem not part of the solution.

According to the Yahoo article, Mayor Bloomberg, who is a very strong proponent of gun control, agreed with McCarthy. They say that Gillibrand co-sponsored legislation to deny information to the police that would enable them to track illegal gun criminals. The legislation passed in the House but was never considered by the Senate. I suppose they're talking about blocking some kind of registration laws, but I get the feeling these anti-gun folks are twisting and spinning a good bit. Denying information to the police sounds crazy to me.

A group called New Yorkers Against Gun Violence also criticized Gillibrand. "In fact some of her gun control stances are detrimental to law enforcement and their efforts to prevent crime by going after illegal guns," the group said in a statement.

I suppose my only problem with this is the attempt to paint Gillibrand as someone who is not interested in the same things as everyone else. We all want safer streets, less crime, increased security. What's wrong with simply arguing about the differing ways of achieving these goals? To me, personal attacks aimed at the new pro-gun Senator seem useless. It would be better to question her policies regarding gun control.

What's your opinion? Do you think Ms. Gillibrand would agree with Bob S. when he says that more guns in the hands of the good guys would result in less crime on the streets? Is that what the controversy is all about? Or could it be something else, maybe some gun registration laws? What's a 100% NRA rating, anyway?

What do you think? Please let us know.