Wisconsin Tavern Shooting

Here's one of those shootings in places that serve alcohol which are never supposed to happen according to the gun advocates. Who in their right mind would think guns in taverns is a good thing?

On the right side of the JS Online link there's a nice run down of what's been happening in Milwaukee. Sounds like a nice place to visit.

The Destruction of a Family

The Boston Globe reports on the sentencing of Lakeisha Gadson, whom we've discussed before.

Closing a case that gripped the city, Lakeisha Gadson was sentenced yesterday to 2 1/2 years in jail for misleading authorities investigating the shooting death of her 8-year-old son in 2007.

Most of the sentence was suspended, and she will probably be released by the beginning of spring, prosecutors said.

I'm sorry she's going to jail at all. Something about this case makes me sympathetic, in spite of her criminal record and obvious irresponsibility as a parent and guardian.

The damage: 7-year-old nephew shot and killed the 8-year-old son. The older teenage boy went away for a year, now he's out. Lakeisha is going away for a few months after living through this nightmare.

That's what I call the total destruction of a family. But, what can we do. That's life in the ghetto, right.

Proper gun control laws, which we've never had as Laci always points out, would require that we question the last legitimate owner of that gun. That guy should be in jail right now explaining how he let a deadly weapon slip into the criminal world. It should be the primary mandate of every gun owner to not allow that to happen.

Proper registration and licensing can aid in this endeavor. Reporting theft immediately would have to be part of it, obviously. A combination of these requirements would take a major bite out of the gun flow which now goes unabated. Gun owners would have to start being extremely responsible.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Texas Man Suing Local Shooting Range

The Dallas Chronicle reports on the story.

A Dallas-area man with a bullet in his back is suing a mile-away shooting range.

Michael Domin of Rowlett lives 1.2 miles from the Garland Public Shooting Range. Domin on Thursday sued for damages, alleging a stray .22 caliber bullet struck him June 12 while he was in his yard.

I'm sure when the judge stops laughing he'll calmly dismiss the case pointing out that its merit would depend upon there being no .22 caliber guns between the man's front yard and the shooting range in question, over a mile away.

What's your opinion? Is that going to be a hard case to win? Is this just one of the disadvantages of living in a gun-friendly environment? And it's a small price to pay for all that freedom, isn't it. It doesn't happen all that often that one is hit by a stray bullet.

What's your opinion? Couldn't it be argued that living like that, however slight the chances are, is the opposite of freedom? Couldn't it be said that not knowing if the gun owner next to you is qualified and responsible enough to ensure your safety is anything but freedom?

All the pro-freedom talk we keep hearing from the gun advocates, it's quite the opposite isn't it?

Please leave a comment.

Four Dead in Chicago

Since criminals can't be expected to obey the rules, why don't we arrest the last legitimate owners of all those guns and find out from them exactly what went wrong?

Violence as Political Tool

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence published a statement in the aftermath of the Discovery Building incident. In tracing the life of Jame Jay Lee, it was clear that he'd crossed a line at a certain point after which he began "to embrace violence as a way to advance his political agenda." CSGV, and I would imagine all reasonable people, says that's bad.

“In our constitutional system, violence in furtherance of political goals is always illegitimate, no matter what views one holds,” said Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Executive Director Josh Horwitz. “Our democracy is only as strong as our citizens’ commitment to engage in the lawful redress of grievances.”

What's your opinion? Does it create problems when folks think of the threat of violence as a legitimate political tool? Isn't that what suicide bombers are all about? Are we grooming our own brand of that deranged phenomenon, guys who go on suicide missions to make a political point?

Are the lawful gun owners divided on this? Aren't some of them into self-defense and home protection and others, perhaps the more fanatical among them, into threatening gun violence to make changes? Obviously the 3%ers who spout such ridiculous nonsense about the government are into this, but aren't the open carry demonstrators an example of it too, a rather benign one I admit, but isn't there a tacit threat in insisting their guns be seen where they're not wanted?

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

A Question About Gun Ranges

I received this message from a commenter. It wasn't clear if he wanted to remain anonymous, so I'll leave that up to him. Any opinions?

Although the two gun ranges were in the same state and the same county, there were different rules when it came to the kind of ammunition you were allowed to shoot. I thought it was a scam by one of the gun ranges not to allow me to shoot a brand new box of ammo I bought from another gun store the day before.

Gun Range A.

Gun range A allowed me to use a box of Winchester - Full Metal Jacket , Flat Nose 165 weight ammunition that I had in storage for over five years. While I am no expert on the storing of ammunition, the ammunition looked in good condition and I believe the range steward asked to see my ammunition before allowing me onto the range.

After firing my box of Winchester cartridges, I packed up my weapon and proceeded to the check out area to pay for my range time and ear protection rental. Before leaving I bought a box of PMC Bronze cartridges in order to have ammunition for my fire arm. Like I told my girlfriend, what is the use of having a gun if you don’t have ammunition for it. She does not like guns so she was not happy when I bought another box of 50 cartridges.

Gun Range B

Arriving at Gun Range B, I was given the same type of release form by the gun steward which says that if you die by another shooter at the gun range the gun range can not be held responsible.

After the range steward gave me the type of target I requested, he then asked what kind of ammunition I wanted. When I told him that I had my own ammo he said that I had to buy their range ammo and I could not use the ammo from the other gun store. Even after showing him the brand new box of PMC 165 grain Full metal jacket flat point cartridges, the steward said I still had to buy their own ammo due to insurance rules. I balked at having to buy their ammo and told them that the other gun range in the area allows you to use your ammo, he said to go to their range, and I said I would and walked out.

Analysis

Gun range B is protecting itself from people using ammunition they made themselves in what I believe is called hot loading. While I can understand the range trying to eliminate people from using illegal or improperly manufactured ammunition, I believe the refusal by the range to allow me to shoot a box of ammo I bought a day earlier was a bit excessive.

Perhaps you can ask your readers what brand of ammunition is the best and if gun ranges should make people use the ammo provided by the range.

Salinas Boy Critical

Mercury News reports on the typical sad story with the typical closing sentence.

No arrests have been made in the case.

Of course this has nothing to do with the lawful gun owners who don't do stupid things with their guns, except for the fact that the parents of this boy were among you right up until the moment this happened. In fact, lawful gun owners are frequently doing stupid things with their guns and getting away with it. Then when something bad happens the rest of you say, "Well he was stupid," or "he was a criminal," or "that has nothing to do with me."

You're wrong. This has everything to do with you.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Seattle Cop Kills Man Who is Holding a Knife

It seems to be going around lately, San Jose, on the East Coast, and now Seattle.

Did this officer not consider any other way to deal with this situation other than shooting and killing a man? Did he call for backup? Were there any witnesses or perhaps a nearby camera that caught this on film? Do Seattle police officers complete any training in nonviolent conflict resolution? Do they get any sensitivity training? Was this particular officer on any type of prescribed medication? Did this officer ever serve in the military? Has this officer ever been reprimanded or written up, how often, and for what?

Good questions. What do you think? If the police fall short in some of these areas, the non-violent conflict resolution, the sensitivity training, etc., don't you think it would be even worse for civilian gun owners? Wouldn't the problems exhibited by the police be that much worse among regular gun owners?

Please leave a comment.

Laci on the Supreme Court

Our friend Laci wrote a very interesting piece about the Supreme Court, which touches on a number of our favorite angles. Here's the wrap up.

True supporters of the Constitution should be appalled at the Heller-McDonald decisions for what it did to the Second Amendment. The even more amusing part is that Scalia has trashed everything that he claimed to believe in by putting his name to this piece of shit, although one can truly question what type of biased hack he is to have not recused himself from this decision. Better yet, one must question what he is doing as a Supreme Court Justice as his presence on the bench does nothing to dignify the institution.

One must decide the law based upon the law, not one’s personal biases.

Anyway, the fix is in and everybody got fucked: especially the Constitution.

What's your opinion? Don't you think there was too little said about Justice Scalia's gun bias. I remember some scant references to the fact that he'd had a personal interest in the case which went beyond judicial experience.

What about the question of "individual rights?" The pro gun folks always said that was the proper interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, but isn't it true that these were the first Supreme Court rulings about that? And given the skin-of-the-teeth victory, don't you think it could have easily gone the other way, and probably will in the future?

Please leave a comment.

Christian Intolerance and the Framers

CNN has the incredible story. via Il Principe.

An armed Christian organization, Right Wing Extreme, will protect a church that is planning to host an "International Burn a Quran Day" on September 11, the church's pastor said Tuesday.

The Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, says it is hosting the event to remember 9/11 victims and to take a stand against Islam. With promotions on its website and Facebook page, the nondenominational church invites Christians to burn the Muslim holy book.

Dove's Facebook page, set up for the September event, has nearly 6,000 fans. The initiative has also drawn critics.

The Prince made the following comment.

When the framers of the Constitution gave the people the right to bear arms, I don't think they would agree with the idea of a religious sect using those weapons to intimidate another religious sect.

I wouldn't be so quick to say that. The framers of the constitution were inspired men in some ways, but completely backwards in others. They were slave owners and misogynists. They denied basic human rights to more than half the human population. Nothing they had in mind would surprise me, just like nothing surprises me from those modern day patriots who have made demigods of the "founding fathers."

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Bollywood Action - No Guns

via Titam.

Gun-Toting Granny Shoots Burglar

The incident happened in Decatur, Alabama and I'd call it one of the cleanest DGUs you could hope for. But it still brings up some questions.

The 69-year old lady kept a loaded gun under her pillow and finally got to use it on a burglar. In most cases, wouldn't the likelihood of accidentally shooting herself or some friend or relative be greater than what happened here? Isn't the chance of a burglar stealing her gun greater than what happened here? Where is the gun when she goes out to church or the market?

This young man was wounded quite seriously. He could easily have been killed. What if his intentions were not to rape and murder but just to steal the microwave and slip back out the door? In that case, and I know we can't know that and the lady was within her rights to defend herself, but if the kid wasn't really a lethal threat, the response was excessive. Am I right?

Wouldn't there be a middle-ground approach too? How about telling the burglar, "I've got a gun on you, turn around and get out." I know that offends all you letter-of-the-law guys who fantasize about just this kind of opportunity, but putting aside all that macho nonsense for a minute, wouldn't it have been better if granny had scared the kid away instead of shooting three times at center of mass?

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

CA Open Carry Ban Rejected

I guess this one is considered a big victory for the gun rights folks. What I never understood is why. Why would someone want to open carry in California, I mean besides annoying the customers at Starbucks? Is there a practical reason?

Gun Registry Saves Lives

The Province published an article lamenting the fact that the gun registry in Canada seems to be doomed.

Doctors, the police, women's groups, psychiatrists, public health and victims groups have all urged the government not to abandon the gun registry, but the Conservatives aren't listening and Jack Layton of the NDP seems prepared to let the registry die.

To these politicians this seems to be all about votes in rural communities. But ironically, these are the areas with the highest rates of gun deaths by suicide and domestic violence. As a rural psychiatrist I can tell you, without question, that in rural Canada, the registry saves lives. While vocal opponents may dominate the discussion, there are plenty of us in rural Canada who believe in the critical importance of this tool to prevent suicide and domestic violence.

She doesn't say exactly how it prevents suicide and domestic violence. Maybe it's so obvious we can figure it out for ourselves. What do you think?

Please leave a comment.

The Concealed Carry Charade

As mentioned by Jadegold and one of our Anonymous commenters on another thread, here's a wonderful description of what I call the "concealed carry charade."

The argument for allowing concealed-carry permit holders to cart loaded firearms everywhere, even to places of worship and college campuses, is based on the assumption that such gun owners are beyond reproach and pose no threat to anyone except criminals.

“We are dealing with the safest of the safe,” says state Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock).

“People who get these permits are extremely law-abiding citizens,” says state Senate Majority Whip Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg), who heads the Senate committee studying gun laws.

It turns out that neither of these two characters could back up their claims with proof or evidence. I guess they were just expressing their feelings.

When asked whether concealed-carry permit holders are indeed civic paragons who never break the law, GBI spokesman John Bankhead responded with the equivalent of a shrug:

“Nobody knows,” he said. “The state of Georgia doesn’t track it. I don’t know of any way to prove they are law-abiding or disprove it, because there’s no record to say one way or the other.”

“A blind person can get a permit in Georgia, since all you have to do is pass a background check,” says Bankhead. “And that person can be arrested the very next week for a felony, convicted of that felony the next month and still have that permit for the next five years.”

The article goes on to explain how in Georgia it's almost impossible for the police to check if a person has a valid gun permit. Georgia has no central database where an officer can check easily on whether a permit exists, says Bankhead. “All the records are kept within each of the 159 probate courts,” he says. “There is no way to check whether the permit is valid. Police would have to call the court in the county where the permit was issued to find out if it was valid.

Judges are also concerned that background checks may not catch applicants with mental health problems treated in private mental hospitals or those deemed to be not guilty by reason of insanity or incompetent to stand trial. Nor do checks always identify people who have been determined in guardianship hearings to be unable to handle their own affairs. While different information databases may contain bits of information, they don’t necessarily connect to provide a full picture, says state Department of Human Resources official Karen Bailey-Smith.

When you add all that up, the reality must be a far cry from the "extremely law-abiding citizens" the concealed carry folks are supposed to be. That's what I call a "charade."

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Interviews at the Rally

via One Utah. These are supposed to be your typical Glenn Back supporters.

Gun Assault in South Dakota

It's the same all over. Even in South Dakota gun-owning bullies abuse their ex-girlfriends. Israel David Suarez of Sioux Falls was arrested after pulling a gun on his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend.

Police found Suarez at his residence and, after obtaining a search warrant, also discovered a .32-caliber handgun there. Police also found other rifles, a shotgun that had its barrel partially sawed off, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

In addition to the two aggravated assault charges, Suarez faces one count of possession of a controlled weapon because of the sawed-off shotgun, as well as marijuana and paraphernalia charges, Clemens said.

Do you think this guy will lose his right to own guns? Do you think he should?

If this keeps up, the Dakotas will be right up there with the rest of the country. But, one thing for sure is you can't go by what stories make it into the main stream media. New Orleans for instance, is practically never in the news for gun incidents. Other than those Katrina shootings on the bridge by the cops, there's nothing. Yet, NOLA is one of the deadliest cities in the country.

Compare that to Chicago or Baltimore. Every single day you can read about their gun troubles. What do you think accounts for this disparity? It's odd, isn't it?

Please leave a comment.

The Next South Carolina Governor

The Augusta Chronicle reports on the governor's race in South Carolina.

South Carolinians can be sure of one thing as they assess the two major-party contenders for governor: They are not coming for your guns.

On Monday, Republican gubernatorial nominee Nikki Haley and Democratic nominee Vincent Sheheen jockeyed for dominance as the more pro-gun candidate.

I would imagine they mean what they say, but if they didn't they'd probably be saying it anyway. In South Carolina the voters love their guns.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

The Canadian Car Comparison

From Laci. The Montreal Gazette has a wonderful article utilizing word substitution. It should appeal to the gun crowd.

Attempted Murder over the Beer

The Charlotte Observer reports on the story.

A Rock Hill man who got mad that someone drank all his beer faces attempted murder charges after trying to shoot and cut two men inside his house, police say.

Henry Neal Barnes, Jr., 66, was charged with two counts of attempted murder Saturday.

One victim told officers Barnes woke up to find his beer had been consumed and he got mad, the report states. He ordered the people hanging out to leave.

After some people left, Barnes is accused of grabbing his .22-caliber rifle from his bedroom and trying to shoot one man with it, but it failed to fire, the report states.

Then Barnes pulled out a large knife and started coming after another man, swinging it back and forth, the report states.

No injuries were reported.

Isn't that a wonderful story to illustrate the difference between gun violence and knife violence? Doesn't that shoot all to hell the old argument that "if someone is determined they can kill with anything?" Doesn't this story show clearly what happens when no gun is available, or no gun that works?

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Thank You for Your Cervix

Mike Licht's incredible sense of humor.

Gun Theft in Australia

From our favorite Anonymous commenter we have this.

In Sydney Australia three shootings in one day prompted some serious questions.

While it is impossible to know just how many illegal guns there are in Australia, GunPolicy.org, a website run by the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney, estimates the figure to be between 400,000 and 700,000. The vast majority of those firearms are registered and have been stolen from a house or business. They are not guns that have been smuggled into the country.

Right off the top of my head, I'd say if not for their gun control laws there'd be three shootings every day in Sydney, or more. Interestingly, when the straw purchasing business is all but shut down, theft becomes the major source of guns used in crime, unlike Minneapolis.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Murder - Suicide in NC

The Local Eyewitness News reports on yet another murder - suicide. I know you'll find it hard to believe, but it was the ex-boyfriend who killed the woman and then shot himself.

Do you think it's possible the guy was a lawful gun owner, or that he may have had a concealed carry permit, but no one bothered to make those facts part of the story? Isn't it possible that when people are killed in such a shocking manner, some details about the victims are lost?

I say all that's more than possible. I say that's exactly what happens in many cases and that's why John Lott's claims are misleading at best.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

San Jose Cops Kill Man with Knife

The Mercury News reports on the latest incident of cop with gun vs. man with knife.

After entering the apartment, Sgt. Ronnie Lopez and his partner confronted the subject.

They found the man holding a knife, with a nail gun nearby.

When asked whether the man was moving toward the officers and was a threat to their safety, Lopez described him as "armed and confrontational." Three officers fired approximately six shots at the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

In Somerville MA the cops know how to describe it - key word: lunge.

What's your opinion? Are the San Jose cops too honest? Does "confrontational" merit six bullets? I don't think so.

What do you think? Please leave a comment.

Man Shoots ex-Girlfriend

This time it's South Salt Lake, Utah. It's just further proof, don't you think? Or is it better if I call it another example?

Please leave a comment.

Why Tennesseans Shouldn't Have Guns

Let's face it; Tennesseans shouldn't have guns. Heck, they really shouldn't have anything deadlier than a spork.

Tennesssee is a state where they riot because a college football coach left the state's university for a college where the average SAT score is higher than 400.

And Tennessee is a state where if you're something other than Southern Baptist...well, your house of worship gets burned down or shot up.

It's a state that's always threatening to secede but can't seem to wean itself from federal largesse. It also has a certain teabagger:



And these folks want to carry guns in bars???

For the Climate Change Deniers

Via TYWKIWDBI via Wunder Blog.

The Northeast Passage opened for the first time in recorded history in 2005, and the Northwest Passage in 2007. It now appears that the opening of one or both of these northern passages is the new norm, and business interests are taking note--commercial shipping in the Arctic is on the increase, and there is increasing interest in oil drilling.

What a Rally

Georgia Triple Shooting

This took place in that part of Georgia just a stone's throw from both Tennessee and Alabama.

The man who set off Thursday night’s deadly shooting spree in Whitfield County spent most of last week in jail.

David Hartline, of Summerville, Ga., was arrested Monday after failing to show up in court, where he was scheduled to be a witness in a case, according to Chattooga deputies.

He was released from the Chattooga County Jail about 2 p.m. Wednesday, 25 hours before showing up drunk and armed at a birthday party for his ex-girlfriend’s daughter.

Hartline, a registered sex offender, was turned away from the party but returned with a handgun and killed Chattanooga resident Edward “Buster” Manz III and Cleveland, Tenn., resident Kenneth Simonson, authorities said. Hartline’s ex-girlfriend Mindy Bullard, who is also Manz’s daughter and Simonson’s ex-wife, was shot but survived.

Doesn't it seem we have more of these kinds of incidents in places like this than, say, New Jersey or Hawaii. I think it has something to do with the availability of guns, not that that's the only factor, but that's a big part of it.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Brandon Barrett, Another War Casualty

From the Utah News.

The younger Barrett, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, was wearing full battle gear and carrying a loaded rifle when a police officer confronted him in downtown Salt Lake City on Friday afternoon. A police spokeswoman said Barrett opened fire, striking the officer in the leg. The officer returned fire, killing the 28-year-old soldier, whose bloodied body fell in a patch of grass behind the Grand America Hotel, near one of the city’s busiest intersections.

Sounds like suicide by cop to me. I blame the government. We should not be in Afghanistan.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Montana - 2 Dead, 1 Wounded

Montana, that libertarian paradise where guns abound, is the scene of a terrible shooting.

A man and a woman are dead in what police are investigating as a triple shooting in the Prospect Heights neighborhood.

The Great Falls Police Department responded to a call to a residence there Saturday evening and found a man dead and another injured.

They were led to the dead man's residence nearby where they found a woman who was also dead.

What do you think?

Alaska - 2 Cops Dead, Shooter Barracaded

Alaska, that libertarian paradise where guns abound, is the scene of a terrible shooting.

A standoff was under way Sunday in a tiny southeast Alaska village after a man fatally shot two of the village's four full-time police officers the night before, then barricaded himself in his home, local officials said.

We'll hopefully read more about this later.

Arizona Rampage - 6 Dead

In Lake Havasu, Arizona, a custody dispute turned into a bloodbath.

I can already hear the pro-gun side. The shooter already had a restraining order against him, what more could have been done? Criminals don't obey laws. What laws would have prevented this anyway? That's one of their favorites.

I know this much. There's no place in the country that's easier to get guns and more acceptable to carry them around with you than Arizona. I think that has something to do with this.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Australia's Gun Control Works Just Fine

The Sydney Morning Herald reports on the results of Australia's gun control, results that you'd expect using simple common sense. These improvements happened after they "cut the country's stock of firearms by 20 per cent and roughly halved the number of households with access to guns."

Thanks to TTAG for the link and their skeptical take on it.

What's your opinion? If the United States were to halve the number of households with access to guns, wouldn't you expect gun violence to decrease? Or would all those lost DGU opportunities outweigh the benefits?

Please leave a comment.

Masters Degree in Explosives Engineering

Mr. SnarkyBytes liked this one. I'll bet he would also like the anvil.

What is it with some men and blowing things up? Mud-Rake made it clear that enjoying this kind of thing does not always go hand in hand with loving guns. I tend to think that's the exception to the rule.

As a general rule, do you think the kind of guy who likes to blow things up, the one who never outgrew the adolescent fascination with firecrackers, is the same kind of guy who likes guns? Is this from some kind of mental or emotional inadequacy, some kind of insecurity? I think it is.

What's your opinion? Please tell us.

The Paris Hilton Roller Coaster

That's good.

That's bad.

What do you think?

Road Rage in Los Angeles - 1 Dead

CNN reports on the latest road rage killing. It's the same old story, really, but the reporter who wrote it up made this interesting observation.

Emergency crews transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His wife and children were not injured, police said.

Does that sound right to you? Maybe they weren't shot, but "not injured?" I don't think so.

This illustrates an interesting aspect of the gun violence debate. The statistics, which in my opinion are usually to be taken with a grain of salt anyway, are only a part of the picture. The damage goes far beyond one guy killed, in this case, for instance. The damage is literally incalculable.

For this reason something must be done about the gun availability. The way it is now, a too high percentage of people have guns, many of whom cannot responsibly handle them. Gun rights folks keep talking like the guns in criminal hands don't count, they never tire of lamenting that criminals don't obey laws. But, the point is those guns, like all of them, start out legally owned. Laws aimed at lawful gun owners are exactly what we need.

In spite of the other common lament, that there are 20,000 laws already on the books, we've never really had effective gun control, as Laci always says.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.