Saturday, July 30, 2011

Jarrod Martin (R-OH) is the NRA

Jarrod Martin is a favorite of the NRA in the Buckeye State.  He's a state representative in Ohio whose two major political statces are gunloonery and the sanctity of life.

Seems Jarrod likes to have few as well.

On the side of the roadway, Martin refused to submit to field sobriety tests and a “chemical” test of his blood, breath or urine, Ralston said. As a result, he will automatically lose his driver’s license for one year. He was released at the scene with one of the adult passengers behind the wheel.
As two children were passengers in the vehicle, Martin also earned a child endangerment charge.


State Rep. Jerrod Martin was passed out drunk on then-GOP Minority Leader's William G. Batchelder's Chevy Suburban when Martin was discovered by Riffe Center security last year.

Update: There's more:
On May 16, 2010, the night manager at the Residence Inn in Beavercreek called police about guests yelling and fighting on the fifth floor at 4:30 a.m. Officers found Martin and six other men “highly intoxicated” at a bachelor party. The men said they weren’t fighting; just having a “friendly wrestling match in their hotel room,” a Beavercreek police report said.




Tucson FFL Gun Dealer Arrested

The Tucson Sentinal reports

A federally licensed firearms dealer was indicted Wednesday on nine counts relating to making fully automatic weapons and straw purchases, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
The indictment mentioned another thing besides the making of machine guns and the allowing of straw purchases by "losing" the paperwork.  Mr. Gesty also made a false statement on his FFL licence application that he does not use marijuana. It turns out he's an habitual user, at least according to the police.

Now, even though I fully support the legalization of marijuana, and strongly oppose the incarceration of pot users, I believe smoking dope should be a disqualifier to gun ownership and even more so to obtaining a Federal Firearms License.

I feel the same way about habitual alcohol use, even moderate daily drinking.

What's your opinion?  Is it possible for people to enjoy mood-altering substances and still be responsible gun owners?  Is anything wrong with requiring folks who claim to be responsible gun owners to maintain total abstinence from drugs including alcohol?

If we did that, do you think there's be fewer gun mishaps?

Please leave a comment.

CCW Permit Holder from Georgia Arrested at Airport in California

The Sacramento Bee reports

A Georgia man has been arrested after security officers say they found a loaded handgun in his luggage at Sacramento International Airport.

Sheriff's Deputy Jason Ramos says there is no indication Deon Turner intended to harm anyone. The 22-year-old was attempting to fly home to Waycross, Ga., when the weapon was discovered in his checked luggage shortly before 6 a.m. Thursday.

Weapons must be declared, unloaded and kept in a locked container before they can be transported on airlines, and then only in checked luggage.

Turner is being held in Sacramento County Jail on $10,000 bail while he awaits a Monday hearing. He was arrested on suspicion of carrying a loaded, concealed firearm and carrying a weapon in public.

Turner is licensed to carry a concealed weapon in Georgia.
What does that sound like to you? I figure it's one of two things. 1. He was an arrogant S.O.B. who felt the little pain-in-the-ass rules don't apply to him, or 2. his training and firearm's education had been so lacking that he honestly didn't know there was anything wrong with what he did.

What's your opinion? Is there another possible explanation?

Please leave a comment.

Gun Store Reports Suspicious Purchase


What do you think about that?  What if the suspicions had been unfounded?  Would it still be a good thing?

What percentage of gun shops report their suspicions to the police, do you think? 

Please leave a comment.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Guns and Kiddie Porn Figure in Recent Gun-Related Arrest

Thank goodness the staff of the store where the purchases were made wised up, after the last Fort Hood shooter (alleged) did his shopping there too.  I usually find that the local media tends to provide the best coverage of these stories.

from the Austin Texas Statesman:



By Jeremy Schwartz, Tony Plohetski and Miguel Liscano Updated: 6:33 a.m. Friday, July 29, 2011
Published: 10:08 p.m. Thursday, July 28, 2011


— An AWOL soldier fleeing child pornography charges was planning a potentially deadly attack on Fort Hood soldiers before he was arrested, investigators and officials said Thursday.
Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo, who was most recently posted at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, was expected to face federal explosives charges after Killeen police found explosive materials and other weapons inside his room at a budget motel just blocks from Fort Hood, according to federal and local authorities.
Abdo planned to detonate bombs at a popular downtown Killeen restaurant and then shoot survivors, according to law enforcement documents first reported by ABC News and confirmed by a military official with knowledge of the investigation.
Abdo was arrested Wednesday on the pornography charge and for being AWOL after a tip from a suspicious clerk at the Guns Galore firearms shop. The clerk alerted police after Abdo on Tuesday bought six one-pound containers of smokeless gunpowder, three boxes of 12-gauge shotgun shells and a spare magazine for a semi-automatic handgun.
"His questions suggested he really didn't know what he was buying," said clerk Greg Ebert, a former police officer.
Guns Galore is the same store where Maj. Nidal Hasan purchased the gun, ammunition and laser sights that witnesses testified he used during the Nov. 5, 2009, shooting massacre at Fort Hood that left 13 dead.
After Abdo paid in cash and left in a taxi, Ebert said he called Killeen police and gave them a description of Abdo, who did not need to provide identification for the items he bought.
Officials said Abdo planned to use the items to kill military personnel. An article on "how to make a bomb in your kitchen" from the English-language al Qaeda magazine Inspire was among the items found in Abdo's motel room, a law enforcement official told The New York Times.
"I would classify it as a terror plot," Killeen Police Chief Dennis Baldwin said. "We would probably be here today giving you a different briefing if he had not been stopped."

More Norway vs. the U.S.

via Democratic Underground, absolutely fascinating stats.

Wild West Show With Real Bullets


The Daily Mail reports

A gunman who injured three tourists when he fired live ammunition instead of blanks during a mock Wild West shoot-out show was a convicted criminal, it has emerged.

Paul Doering, 49, is now facing a federal weapons charge because he should not have been carrying a gun.
Enacters are pretty weird to begin with. But when you combine that weirdness with a criminal past and reckless stupidity, you have a formula for disaster.

What do you think? Please leave a comment.

U.S. Gun Regulation & the Norway Terrorist Massacre

Ever Want to Shoot the Alarm Clock?

Baldr tipped us off to this one.  Let no one say the Japanese have anything on our gun fetishism.

Milwaukee Man Asks Friend to Shoot Him


on the Milwaukee man who asked his friend to shoot him in order to win his girlfriend back. It didn't work.
The judge sentenced him to two years' probation and 100 hours of community service, and at a separate hearing this month, gave the same sentence to Anthony D. Woodall, 20, of South Milwaukee, a friend of Cardella who lined up Wezyk to do the shooting. Woodall was convicted of the same felony as party to a crime. If they both complete probation successfully, the court will consider a motion to expunge this offense from their records.
Sure, and after they get this one expunged, maybe Cardella can request that his gun rights be returned even though he did have one other felony. Of course by then Wezyk will be back in action, guns and all.

I think a little time in jail would have done these boys some good. But I feel much more strongly that losing their gun rights for life would have done them and everyone else around them more good.

What do you think. I would apply the one-strike-you're-out rule, or the MikeB is King rule, as it is sometimes known, even to people who drop a gun. I see that as the least offensive type of misuse, but one worthy of a severe response. When someone actually misuses a gun purposely, like these two did, they should never be allowed near guns again.

The reason for such severity, both in the case of negligence and in the case of wrong action, is based on the idea that anyone who does something like this once, is more likely to repeat it than someone who's never done it. I realize some people would be unfairly swept up in a policy like this, people who might have learned a lesson and never repeated the mistake, but just think of all the reckless and stupid people who would be helped.

Negligence and stupidity with guns would drop to an all time low after about ten years. What do you think?

Please leave a comment.

Farago in the Washington Times

That's the Washington Times not to be confused with the Washington Post.

It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the church. The Times is known for presenting socially and politically conservative views.

Robert Farago, of course, is the leader of that merry band of gun-rights warriors called the Armed Intelligentsia of TTAG.

There's only one place on the internet that exceeds Robert's zeal in attacking the ATF.  That's the Sipsey Street Irregulars. Mike V. has practically turned his blog into a dedicated propaganda machine, even some of his fanboys have complained.

Farago uses his usual linguistic gifts to make his points, "the Nixonian cover-up," "the simmering scandal," "ATF’s ideological corruption," "moral abyss," "bloated bureaucracy," and so on and so on.

He had this to say too:

Displaying its ongoing antipathy to the right to keep and bear arms, the ATF has just pushed through an executive order creating an unconstitutional long-gun registry. The agency says the new regulations will help it catch smugglers trying to secrete American weapons into Mexico - the same crime it enabled and encouraged under Operation Fast and Furious.
By "unconstitutional long-gun registry," is he referring to the law requiring that multiple sales of guns like AR-15s be reported? Wouldn't such a law be one of the best ways to identify gun smugglers and straw purchasers? Wouldn't investigating people who buy more than one of those items make sense?

Well, apparently not to Robert Farago and his friends. To them, misrepresenting these attempts as "creating an unconstitutional long-gun registry, is part of their strategy to resist common sense gun control regulations.

What's your opinion? Is Robert Farago one eloquent son-of-a-gun, or what? Do you think he does a bit of spinning though, is he guilty of manipulating?

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

U.S. vs Norway in Gun Deaths




There are some in America who will use this shooting to assert that Norway's strong gun laws don't work or to support the American gun lobby's campaign to make it easier to carry guns in public places.  That would be a tragedy. It should not be forgotten that, in a typical year, Norway loses fewer than 10 of its citizens to gun homicide; America loses an average of 12,000.

Since the Norway massacre, there have been at least four mass shootings in the U.S., leaving six dead at a roller rink in Texas, one dead and eight wounded in Stockton, CA, nine teens wounded at a party in Florida, and seven wounded at a Casino in Seattle.  Our hearts go out to these victims and their loved ones as well.

Whereas a mass shooting in Norway is an extraordinary event, it is a regular occurrence in America. Whereas 84 shooting deaths in a single day is a historic event in Norway, described by the nation's prime minister as a 'national disaster,'  84 dead is essentially the everyday toll of fatal gun violence in America.
I think we're on the same page with Mr. Henigan. What do you think?

Please leave a comment.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

I'm Always Correct; It's a Gift

The world's best beer.

Period.

Hitler on Glenn Beck

via Democratic Underground

Cenk on the Economy


The better he gets the more he reminds me of George Carlin.

Getting to Know Doc Holliday

via The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence where you'll find a wonderful interview with Mary Doria Russell author of Doc.


It turns out the famous participant in the shootout at the OK Corrall was not such a gunman after all.

In 1880, a year before the famous gunfight, he got into an argument with the gambler Johnny Tyler over who was allowed to run card games in which Tombstone saloons. Milt Joyce decided to end the argument by picking Doc up bodily and flinging him into the street. Infuriated, Doc obtained a gun (it was illegal to carry one in Tombstone), returned to the saloon and emptied the revolver, hitting Joyce in the palm and a bartender in the big toe. I'm not downplaying those injuries—Milt Joyce almost lost the hand, and the bartender was lamed—but they are hardly evidence of deadly accuracy.

The final question and answer of the interview I especially enjoyed.


Do you still own a gun or have one in your house?

My dad always wanted me to keep a pistol in the house “for protection.” I always told him, “I believe in statistics. Any bullet fired in the middle of the night by a startled, stupefied homeowner is more likely to hit a family member, a pet, or a neighbor in the house next door than an alert intruder.”

A few years ago, my father—an ex-Marine, career policeman, five-term sheriff—was showing a pistol to one of the grandkids. It went off and the bullet went through the sliding glass door and into the neighbor's back yard. Dad was stunned and said, as people always do, “I was sure the gun wasn't loaded.”

It was: Q.E.D.

So no guns in my house. But I have a very ferocious dachshund.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

15 Victories for the Good Guys

 via States United to Prevent Gun Violence

As most state legislature's sessions come to an end The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus reports that 15 states defeated guns on campus legislation. The biggest defeats came in Arizona, Louisiana, Nevada, and Texas. "For the most part our side prevailed, despite huge odds in places like Arizona and Texas" said Andy Pelosi, director of The Campaign.
You know what it is? It's the Peter Principle of gun-rights ascendancy.  I hope they've enjoyed themselves and stocked up enough, because it's all down hill from here.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Indianapolis Gun Shop Robbed


Police last week seized 485 guns and $107,000 in cash from Williams' home.

Investigators also found gun accessories in two storage units Williams used. Prosecutors say he had $200,000 stashed in several bank accounts.

Hilton estimated that Williams took more than $300,000 in guns and gun accessories and $1 million or more in cash.
Should the owner of the gun store be responsible for any of that? Yes, indeed.

How else can we expect gun shop owners to be properly careful about whom they hire? Some of them obviously are not sufficiently motivated by the potential losses, they need to be constrained by law to be more diligent.

It's the same with the home owner who leaves unsecured weapons around the house and then shrugs his shoulders when they're stolen, saying "It wasn't my fault."

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Domestic Murder in Maine

boston.com reports

A Massachusetts man fatally shot the mother of their four children and gravely wounded her companion before leading police on a chase that ended 50 miles away in Lyman, officials said Tuesday.

Joel Hayden, 29, of New Bedford, Mass., was arrested at gunpoint around 9 p.m. Monday after crashing his Cadillac, police said. He was under police guard in a Portland hospital.

There's a history of domestic violence between Hayden and Renee Sandora, 27, of New Gloucester, who died from her injuries Tuesday at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, said Stephen McCausland of the Maine Department of Public Safety. The other victim, Trevor Mills, 28, of New Bedford, Mass., remained in grave condition at the hospital.
Does anyone know Weer'd Beard's real name? He lives in Mass., has relatives in Maine, and believes the gun is the answer to all life's problems.

It's probably just a coincidence because unfortunately there are plenty of people like that up there.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Jon Stewart on the Norway Shooting

Mom Wounds Daughter with "Cigarette Lighter"

via The Banning-Beaumont Patch thanks to our Friend Jack Cluth



A 12-year-old girl was wounded by a ricocheting bullet Sunday evening in Banning, when her mother fired a tiny pistol she mistook for a cigarette lighter, police said.

Rachel Avila, 30, told police she and her 12-year-old daughter, both of Banning, were talking with friends in front of their mobile home in the 100 block of North Phillips Avenue when Avila found what she thought was a novelty cigarette lighter, police said.
Now wait a minute, did she say "FOUND what she thought was a novelty cigarette lighter?" And that was right in front of their trailer, right? And the police buy that explanation?

The police department advised caution to anyone who finds an object resembling a firearm or a suspicious device.

"Do not handle the object and call local law enforcement for assistance," Banning police said.

Banning police Sgt. Alex Diaz said, "We're tying to find out who the gun belongs to, so we're looking into that. At this point it is considered an accident."
I guess this could be another example of why they oppose registration of guns. One guy called it "plausible deniability." That's cute isn't it?

What's your opinion?.  Please leave a comment.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Stephen Colbert on the Norway Shooting


10 Ways to Tell if You're a Republican


8. If you think the Second Amendment gives you the right to own a machine gun (and the First Amendment allows you to threaten to use it).

You can probably guess what some of the others are.  I liked Number 1, too.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Dedicated to Stan, who loves butterflies, and depending on his age, can probably sing along with all the lyrics and tap along with the drum solo, like I can.



From Wikipedia

The song is considered significant in rock history because it marks the time period when psychedelic music began to form heavy metal. In 2009, it was named the 24th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.

A commonly related story says that the song's title was originally "In the Garden of Eden" but at one point in the course of rehearsing and recording, singer Doug Ingle became intoxicated and slurred the words, creating the mondegreen that stuck as the title.

13-Year Old Shot 8 Times by the Cops


According to FOX Chicago, police arrived at a park near the Piccolo Specialty School where Jimmell attends to respond to a call of shots fired. They claim Jimmell matched the description of the shooter, so they came after him. He appeared to be holding a weapon in his hand, police say, and when they asked him to lower it, he refused. When he pointed the weapon in the officers' direction, they opened fire. Apparently, eight rounds were required to subdue the 13-year-old.

The weapon they allege he was holding was a BB gun, but the Fraternal Order of Police says that officers handled the situation correctly because toy guns and real ones can be indistinguishable even to trained police officers.

That's the cops' side of the story.
What is that supposed to mean, the cops' side of the story? Either there was a BB gun or there wasn't. And even if there was, that's an excessive response with a shabby explanation. BB guns are usually distinguishable from real guns which makes the problem the cops' too-hasty reaction.

Here's the other side of the story.

When he was shot, according to family, Jimmell's hands were in the air. And he wasn't holding a gun of any kind, BB or otherwise.
Now, I can imagine family members might hate the cops for this and want to make it look worse than it was, but as I said, either there was a BB gun or there wasn't. Saying there wasn't if one was taken into custody as evidence doesn't make much sense. So, who's lying? Who's got more to lose or gain?

You know my idea? What's yours?

Please leave a comment.

Sweden Gets It

Swedish gun laws would have prevented Norwegian terrorism:
In Sweden, a person like Anders Behring Breivik wouldn't have been allowed an automatic weapon, according to Swedish police.

Sweden to review gun laws:
Several political parties want to see a review of Sweden's gun laws in the wake of the twin terror attacks in Norway.

People of the Gun(loon)


Aside from talking big and crazy and shooting up whole bunches of kids, gunloons really, really like to pose with guns.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Mass Shootings in Gun Free Zones

Over on TTAG, Brad was setting up his friends with a soft pitch.  Of course they all hit it out of the ball park.  Here's what I had to say.

First of all, they don't ALL happen in gun-free zones. We've seen the nuts do it in police stations, too.

But, to the question, are multiple murderers attracted to gun-free zones, they might be.  That sounds reasonable, especially for the crazy ones who plan the job and are not stupid.

But the solution is where we differ.  Doing away with gun free zones will cause more problems than it solves, just like guns do anywhere.  Even if it would prevent the big incidents like the ones you mentioned, let's not forget we have an equivalent of the Norway tragedy EVERY SINGLE DAY in the U.S., and that's largly due to gun availability (or partly due to it).

Here's the solution.  Every gun owner must be licensed. To qualify one would have to pass a battery of medical and psychological tests, in addition to the usual criminal background check.  The medical board appointed to conduct these tests would have a policy similar to may-issue. They would have the power to exclude the unfit.

Now, try to be objective.  I know how hard that is for you guys, but try.  Forgettinig for a moment how difficult it would be to implement, and how expensive and how even depressed people have a right to bear arms, forget all the objections for a moment and answer me this.

Do you think a requirement like that would screen out some of the problem cases and prevent some of the tragedies? Yes or no.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Glenn Beck is a Seriously Disturbed Human Being

For the Semper Paratus Guys


Wisconsin Gun Business is Booming

Area firearm instructors and gun dealers are seeing a steady increase in business since the concealed carry bill was signed into law.

The law requires gun owners to prove they have completed training to receive a permit allowing them to carry a concealed handgun, club or electric weapon, such as a TASER.

Training options include courses offered by certified firearm instructors, the state Department of Natural Resources or a law enforcement agency.
Naturally I was wondering just how inadequate that required training is. I suppose it's better than what's required in Arizona, but probably not much. To get an idea, the optional training, the one that people who really want to be responsible can take over and above what's required, is described here.
Training courses cost between $100 and $150 and last from three to eight hours. Topics covered include safety, firearm maintenance, shooting fundamentals, and liabilities and law.
Is it any wonder guns do more harm than good in our society. In Wisconsin, not only will we soon have many more insufficiently trained people owning and carrying guns, some who will actually misuse those guns, but the gun flow into criminal hands will increase. It's simple math.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Pawlenty - Big Gun Lover



Tim Pawlenty visited a handgun instruction facility here today, telling reporters the visit was in part to showcase his commitment to gun rights.

“It’s not government’s place to further limit or impinge upon those rights,” Pawlenty said of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees citizen rights to own guns.

Don't you hate it when politicians say things that are exactly what the people they're talking to want to hear? Don't you always wonder if they really mean it? I mean, if the former governor thought not owning guns and talking about gun control would get him elected president, do you think he'd still stick to his guns and spout off about the government impinging upon gun rights?

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

One Strike You're Out - Example

on a perfect example of what I'm always talking about. Removing guns from people who demonstrate this kind of behaviour is essential if we expect to improve things.

A Tulalip man was arrested early Wednesday morning on suspicion of first-degree assault after allegedly pointing a gun at a friend, police reported.

The pair had been at a Marysville bar. The suspect's friend told him he was too drunk to drive, according to police reports.

The suspect, 42, agreed to get a ride home from the friend, Marysville Police Cmdr. Robb Lamoureux said.

The suspect put his backpack in the trunk of his car and then pulled out a handgun. He allegedly pointed the weapon at his friend's chest, according to police reports.

A brief struggle occurred. The friend was able to run back into the bar. Police were called.

The suspect told officers that he'd placed the handgun back in the car. Officers seized the gun.

No shots were fired and there were no injuries, Lamoureux said.
What do you think? Please leave a comment.

Ooops?

from MSNBC:

United agent accidentally shot at New Orleans airport


So, here is a question for our blog readers: should there be some mechanism for taking guns away from people to old or senile to handle them safely? It's hard enough to get car keys away from the elderly who are no longer safe to drive. I can only imagine that taking away the guns of those suffering from senile dementia might be even more hazardous and difficult.  Should there be some sort of mandatory age check, like a driver's license renewal, after a certain age?

Insight into Violence and Mental Health Issues

This is a follow up story to one I posted awhile back.
From the STrib:

How did Michael Swanson get his hands on a gun?

Posted by: Jeremy Olson Updated: July 25, 2011 - 1:15
Reader reaction to the July 17 article on Michael Swanson -- and the failed attempts to help him before he shot and killed two convenience store clerks in Iowa -- has centered on two issues.
First, there's been frustration over the opportunities that were missed by mental health and county juvenile justice authorities to intervene more forcefully during the years when Swanson abused drugs and committed various thefts and other crimes. Swanson has now been sentenced to life in prison. His mother said she believes he should have been in residential mental health treatment on the night of the murders if earlier probation terms against him had been followed.
Second, how did a teen with a violent history get his hands on a gun? It's a question to which Swanson's mother, Kathy, is sensitive, because the family went to great measures to seal off firearms. So here are some more details, according to mother Kathy Swanson:
-- On the fateful November 2010 evening, her son stole her jeep and cash card from their home in St. Louis Park. His father's hunting rifles were in the house, but were locked in a safe. Normally, his father stored them in a separate, locked location, but they were at home because he had just returned from a hunting trip.
-- Swanson then drove 250 miles north to the family's cabin, where he encountered his grandfather (who is deaf) sleeping in a chair in the living room. Swanson then stole food and water from the refrigerator and found his uncle's loaded handgun and an unloaded rifle laying out in a bedroom. (Note: this is corrected information from the original story, which indicated that Swanson took a shotgun.) Normally, those weapons would be stored in a locked cabinet underneath the bed, but they were laid out to dry as the rifle had gotten wet during a snowy hunting outing.
Just prior to the Nov. 15 killings, there had been concern about Swanson's access to weapons. An official at the Hennepin County Home School, where Swanson had been detained until November 3 for prior offenses, had expressed concern after hearing that Swanson might be allowed to go on a hunting trip with his father, according to county records. Swanson's parents clarified prior to their son's discharge that he would not be allowed to go along.
Kathy Swanson later said in an interview that one of her other two sons would have been nervous being around Michael while he had a weapon. Because Michael had not been on the hunting trip, his uncle had felt safe leaving the guns out to dry.
Kathy Swanson said little to nothing to the press after his son's arrest and during his murder trial. She spoke to the Star Tribune, though, in the hopes that her son's story could motivate change.
"I think that people would be amazed at how many children are affected with mental illness, and how many families deal with these issues," she said. "To bring to light the problems in the system has to be a good thing – it’s the only way to make a change."

NRA Member, GOPer, Tea Partier Likes Killing Cops

Meet Jeff Mattox--NRA member, GOPer, Tea Partier:
A South Carolina Republican county co-chair is embroiled in a controversy over "liking" a Facebook article that advocated shooting law enforcement officers.
Jeff Mattox, who is also a tea party activist with the Kershaw County Patriots, gave digital plaudits to an article entitled "When Should You Shoot A Cop" posted on the Patriot's Facebook page.
"That’s what it means to have an unalienable right. If you have the unalienable right to speak your mind (a la the First Amendment), then you have the right to KILL “government” agents who try to shut you up. If you have the unalienable right to be armed, then you have the right to KILL ”government” agents who try to disarm you," argued a poster at copblock.org

As one commenter put it:
Golly, if I were a deputy sherriff down in them parts I might just have to pull Mr. Mattox over and make sure he isn't smuggling drugs or weapons into the county. I'd probably have to stick my 8 D cell Maglite into all of his cavities for a considerable distance to ensure that there wasn't any contraband or anything illegal in there. If he did happen to resist I am sure that the fellas down at HQ would probably like to have a look see too.

Update:  Since Jonathan Sullivan  (linoge) spends a lot of time here when he's not 'boycotting' us--it should be noted Jon is a Tea Partier, as well.

Finland Takes My Advice

Smart:
Acting National Police Chief Pentti Saira told YLE on Saturday that Friday's attacks in Norway have given new impetus to moving ahead with changes to gun laws.
"The programme of the new government includes a second package of firearms legislation which is now under preparation. There has not yet been a deep discussion of this package, but this will now be taken up by in a steering group meeting," said Saira.
The most recent changes in firearms legislation came into force at the beginning of June. The new regulations make it more difficult to acquire handguns, and raises the minimum age for handgun ownership to 20. Since the change, applicants for gun permits are also required to undergo testing for suitability for gun ownership.

Why You Should Never Send Your Kids to U. of Toledo

Brian Anse Patrick.

Any school that would hire someone like Patrick is, frankly, a school not worth attending.

Patrick believes Colin Goddard wasn't a victim--despite being shot four times during the Virginia Tech shooting.  He also believes Goddard is using (or misusing) his wounding for monetary gain.  The Virginia Tech shooter, Patrick maintains wasn't mentally ill--just a jerk.

Of course, Patrick isn't a medical professional.  Nor is he a mind reader capable of discerning the inner motivations of people he doesn't know.  But this hardly stops him from wildly opining about the guns he dearly loves.

And perhaps I'm too tough on the University of Toledo.  Maybe the faculty has a twisted sense of humor and keeps a few oddballs around in some sort of Dinner for Schmucks competition where each department has to bring a "talented" individual to faculty get togethers.

Monday, July 25, 2011

"I'll Take 'Stupid US Gun Laws' for $500, Alex"

Alex Trebek: "What does Al Qaeda, Anders Breivik, and the NRA have in common?"

What is......they all dislike gun laws?

Confirmed: Breivik Bought Guns Legally

Chris Brown reports

Reports about the manifesto of accused Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik indicate that he legally obtained the Ruger Mini-14 assault rifle believed to be the primary weapon used in the Utoya youth camp mass shooting. Breivik applied for the gun under the pretense of deer hunting.

Breivik can be seen with the Ruger Mini-14 in the end pages of the manifesto. Breivik reportedly said of the semi-automatic gun, "this is the most military-like gun that is allowed in Norway."

In the picture above Breivik holds the Ruger Mini-14, which can accept high-capacity magazines of up to 30 rounds. Breivik also legally obtained a Glock 17, which comes standard with a high-capacity magazine.  

Under Federal Assault Weapons Ban in place in the United States between 1994 and 2004, magazines of greater than ten rounds were banned. But as in Norway, they are currently legal in the United States.

Lesson for Climate Deniers

Well, well, well, look whom I found. via Outside the Interzone

Understanding Terrorism

via Monkey Muck and dedicated to Ann Barnhardt

George Carlin on War


Two Shot in Philly

When I saw this story, especially this long shot of the street, it had me wondering if this was an old western movie-style 'high noon' shootout. Were these two people shooting at each other, like some historic duel? Or was there a separate shooter, who shot both victims, with the surviving shooting victim trying to run away?

I'm betting instead that the gun and the shooter were neither of them legal.  Raising again the crucial question of how do these guns go from being legal at the time they leave the manufacturer, to being in the hands of people who use them illegally, and what can we do about this that we are not doing.

From NBC Philadelphia.com:

One man is dead and another injured after a shooting in West Philadelphia Sunday night.
It happened around 6 p.m. in the 5300 block of Chestnut Street. Investigators say a 20-year-old man was shot twice in the chest. He was rushed to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he died a short time later.
The other victim, also 20-years-old, was shot twice in the back and once in the arm.
He is listed in stable condition.
No arrest have been made in the shooting.

For Our Libertarian Friends


Indiana Children Dropping like Flies

TheINDYchannel.com reports on the disgraceful situation in the Hoosier State. Four dead kids in the last month. And what's the problem?  Well, here it is.
Guy Relford, president of Tactical Firearms Training, LLC, said Indianapolis recently privatized the firing range on weekends and asked TFT to help with the program.

"If (parents) are going to have firearms in their home, those kids need to be talked to. They need to be educated, and most importantly, the guns need to be inaccessible to anyone who's not trained with a firearm," Relford said.
The "most importantly" part always comes after the "kids need to be educated" part. What is wrong with these people? Two to five-year-old kids CANNOT BE EDUCATED. They cannot be "trained" in order to make them safe around guns.

There's only one single answer. Guns need to be inaccessible to kids, period. Mr. Relford needs to drop all the gun-rights and NRA bullshit about training the kids and get his priorities straight. Gun availability to kids, is killing kids.

Another shooter quoted in the video said you need to find "the balance between having your gun ready to use when you need it and having it safe when you have children around." Wrong. There is no balance here. Guns need to be absolutely totally, inaccessible to children. End of story.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

More on the Roller World Shooting

Although Dog Gone posted this story when it first broke, I found it to be like Joan Peterson said, practically obscured by the news from Norway.

Reuters reports on the horrible multiple-murder and suicide which, had it not been for the tremendous coverage of the story from Norway, probably would have been the at the top.

A man who opened fire on his estranged wife and her relatives at a family birthday party, killing five people and himself and wounding four others, had been having ongoing marital problems, police said on Sunday.

I suppose for a bit of comic relief, the reporter closed the story like this:

The couple's two children were unharmed.
What do you think? Was that 11-year-old boy whose birthday party ended this way really unharmed?

This is a good example of how the pro-gun voices downplay the damage caused by gun misuse. Often they talk only of deaths, and when they do speak of the wounded they'll give you the impression that they're mainly flesh wounds that heal. The reality is many people are left with brain or spinal cord damage. And what's always left out are the relatives, friends and loved ones who are left emotionally and psychologically damaged.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Tough Talk from Ann Barnhardt

I was curious to see what she might have had to say about Norway, since the crazy Anders and the crazy Ann have so much in common. In an interesting but natural take on it, she used the tragedy as a vehicle for espousing her peculiar brand of tough talk. When you encounter a shooter, says she, you run towards him even if you're unarmed. I suppose this is based on the self-sacrifice that Jesus Himself taught by example.

It's fascinatiing how she and the other pseudo-Christians overlook the part about love your enemies and forgive those who offend.
I have been told over and over again that the first thing one must do when a combat theater unfolds is to seek cover.

I'm sorry, but that is wrong. And yes, I realize that I am directly contradicting the near-unanimous advice of men who have training and experience that I lack. I realize that, but I still must disagree. If I EVER encounter a gunman or gunmen situation as we saw yesterday in Norway, or as in the Giffords shooter in Arizona, or as in musloid Mumbai-syle attacks I will NOT seek cover. The "seek cover" tactic completely hems YOU in and basically demands that the gunman move into a position such that YOU have a shot on him, but he doesn't have a shot on you. Guys, that's never going to happen. And it is completely pullusfimus. (she defines this as Latin for chicken-shit).

Any adult with any degree of physical capability, regardless of armament, upon seeing a shooter should immediately RUN AT THE S.O.B. as hard and as fast as possible. If you have a gun, you draw it and start shooting as soon as you can. If you have a knife, draw it and brandish it and then go for the face and neck as soon as you are in range. If you are unarmed you can still tackle him and beat him into submission or death, if necessary, or gouge his eyes out (ladies).
Absolutely fascinating. All that bluster and boasting, "if I EVER encounter..." Yet, not a word of sympathy for a disturbed man who has the same ideas she does about the threat of Islam.
On the American Jingoist there's an amusing correspondence between Ann and a nasty Islamist who attacked her with name calling and threats.  Her response:

Come and get it, Player. Anytime. I will never submit to islam. allah is satan and mohammed was a child-raping, cross-dressing, homosexual con-artist. If you want to get serious about jihad and take this deal to the next level, you come and see me. World War 3 will start on my front porch, guaran-fricking-teed.
Is she the toughest-talking li'l gal you ever did hear? She is for me.  Don't you love that use of "fricking?"  You know what that is, of course? That's what hate-spewing raving lunatic pseudo-Christians say instead of "fucking," because I suppose that offends the Lord.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Wayne La Pierre at the United Nations



Typically belligerant: "those working on this treaty have asked us to trust them... but they've proven to be unworthy of that trust."

Typically contentious: "our Bill of Rights, endowed by our Creator, and due to all Human Kind. therefore the NRA will fight with all of its strength."

In homage to his hero, Brad Kozak posted the entire text of the speech. Naturally, except for a couple of sons of "Blue Helmets" the commenters were right there with old Brad in slamming the UN and pretending the exaggerated claims of La Pierre are valid.

But I seem to recall other times when Brad's boss attempted to dispel the fear.  Robert posted several times about the fact that American civilian gun owners have nothing to worry about, for example this one entitled, The U.N. Small Arms Treaty is Not A Gun-Grabbing Conspiracy.

My opinion is that Wayne La Pierre is a well-paid showman. He's scamming the membership he claims to serve by pretending threats exist where none do. He did it with Obama's supposed gun banning. He and his organization duped the members out of tens of millions on that one. Now it's the Small Arms Treaty.

What's your opinion? What do you think the gun-rights folks would have said if Helmke had earned more than a million dollars a year as head of the leading gun control organization? Don't you think that would have generated a bit of criticism?

Yet, those same folks lay down for La Pierre's flim-flam game, or like Brad Kozak, they actually support and encourage it.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Pathetic Japanese Imitation of American Gun Culture

Ex-Cop, Wife Beater and Gun Thief


William Fowlkes, 47, was arrested in Suffolk County and charged with physically abusing his wife, an inspector with the New York Police Department. Pursuant to that arrest, an order of protection was issued to Fowlkes, in part directing him to turn over any and all firearms that he owned.

According to the district attorney, Nassau County Police recovered four unregistered handguns from his residence. Fowlkes was eventually convicted upon his plea to a misdemeanor count in the Suffolk County case.

One of the recovered guns, a Smith & Wesson 38 Special, was obtained during a controlled gun “buy” while Fowlkes was working as a detective in October 2001, Rice said. The gun should have been retained as evidence in the gun-selling investigation. Instead, Fowlkes falsely reported to the Nassau County Police Department in April 2002 that he had arrested an individual in connection with that buy. No such arrest ever actually took place.
What do you think? Do cops and ex-cops cut more corners than civilian gun owners? I think that's probably true, but I couldn't help noticing the similarity with this guy's conduct and the famous gun-rights motto, "bad laws be damned."

Please leave a comment.

Rest in Peace, Amy Winehouse

How Many Is Too Many?

We are, all of us, horrified at the number of people killed in the Norway terrorist attack; it is hard to take into our minds that one person killed so  many other people. 
Looking at the number of people killed in just this incident below, it struck me that we probably lose as many people in separate shootings in a single day in the United States, pretty much every day.  I couldn't find any data for gun deaths PER DAY in a quick check of available information; but with 50 states, DC, and assorted territories, whatever the number is, it adds up.  But in smaller, more distributed numbers, with more people committing the violence, it is easier for us to become immune to feeling shock or horror.

from MSNBC news:

Multiple people shot to death at Texas roller rink

Incident takes place during private birthday party in Dallas suburb

NBC News and msnbc.com
updated 2 hours 37 minutes ago 2011-07-24T03:31:07 BREAKING NEWS
Six people were shot to death and four others wounded Saturday at a roller rink in the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie, NBCDFW.com reported.
The shooting at Forum Roller World took place just after 7 p.m. when an argument during a party got out of hand and someone pulled a weapon and opened fire, Grand Prairie police told the NBC station.
In all, 10 people were shot, six of them fatally, including the gunman, NBCDFW.com reported.
The gunman died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. The condition, identities and ages of the survivors were not immediately known.
The Dallas Morning News said the shooting occurred during a birthday party.
Grand Prairie is about 15 miles west of downtown Dallas.