Saturday, March 8, 2014

Mobile, Alabama Man Arrested Trying to Avenge 7-year-old Son's Accidental Death

kenneth sims.jpg
Kenneth Kendrick Sims, 35, was arrested by Mobile police on Wednesday, March 5, 2014. (Courtesy of the Mobile County Sheriff's Office)


Still reeling from the news that his 7-year-old son had died after accidentally shooting himself in the head on Wednesday, a Mobile man was arrested after police said he attempted to take vengeance against a family member whom he held responsible for the child's death.

Kenneth Kendrick Sims, 35, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault following an altercation at the home where 7-year-old J'Daun Hill found a relative's gun and accidentally shot himself in the head on Wednesday, said MPD spokeswoman Ashley Rains.

J'Daun was transported to the University of South Alabama Medical Center, where he later died.

Around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, officers made their second journey in 24-hours to a home on the 2600 block of Wealthy Street, Rains said. Police were responding to a reported assault at the home. Officers learned Sims had walked into the home while armed with a large knife and a gun.

"He said he was looking for a specific family member who he felt was responsible for J'Daun's death," Rains said.

Two of his relatives sustained minor, superficial cuts while trying to get the grieving father outside of the home, Rains said. They were treated at the scene by members of the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department.

Once outside the home, a second altercation started, Rains said. Sims pulled out his gun and fired two shots, causing another superficial injury to a third person, she said.

On Thursday, police announced an investigation had revealed J'Daun had accidentally shot himself in the head after finding a gun which had been hidden in a spot believed to be safe by a family member. Police do not anticipate any charges will be filed in J'Daun's death.

Ohio Woman Accidentally Shot by her Son's Negligence - No Charges

Local news reports

A Dayton woman was hospitalized last week after a new gun her son was showing his father accidentally discharged. 

Lyon County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Bryan Parsons reported a 26-year-old man was showing a new gun to his father at about 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, and, as he was removing it from a holster, it discharged and hit his mother in the leg. 

On Friday, he said the investigation was still continuing, but to that point the sheriff’s office had found no evidence to show it was “anything but an accident,” so no charges had been filed.

Pennsylvania 3-Year-old Injured By Firing a Gun - No Charges

Local news reports

Authorities are investigating after a 3-year-old boy was injured in an accidental shooting over the weekend inside a Butler home. 

According to police, the incident was reported Saturday around 8:15 p.m. at a home on McKinley Avenue. 

Investigators told Channel 11’s Amy Marcinkiewicz that the boy suffered powder burns on the face when he accidentally fired the gun. Marcinkiewicz reported the gun was found in the armrest of a recliner. 

Investigators told her the child’s grandfather is a retired police officer, a veteran with more than 30 years on the force. He was not home when the shooting took place, Marcinkiewicz said. The boy was treated at an area hospital and released, officials said. At this time, no charges have been filed.

Connersville, Indiana Police Chief Involved in Accidental Shooting for Second Time in 15 Years - That We Know Of

Connersville, Indiana Police Chief David Counceller
Local news reports
The police chief's department-issue Glock 23 handgun accidentally fired, while he was shopping for a separate weapon.
"The store owner asked me if I was hit. I felt some burning," Counceller said.
He added, "I asked a paramedic to put a bandage on my wound, and I drove myself to the hospital. It was a superficial wound."
"I don't have to be in an accident. I get ribbed all the time. It's part of the job," Counceller said.
The shooting in January was the second time Counceller had to deal with an accidental shooting.
In January 1999, he shot his hand while repairing a .380 automatic handgun, which he says had a retaining pin that kept falling off. Counceller says he was unaware that there was a bullet in the weapon's chamber.
"I felt pretty stupid, but it was my fault. I was not paying attention," he said.
Counceller rose through the ranks of the Connersville Police Department, which he joined in 1980. He's been police chief for the past seven years.

Sunnyvale's Ban on High Capacity Magazines Upheld in Court

A federal judge on Wednesday allowed Sunnyvale to enforce a voter-approved ban on large-capacity gun magazines, saying it would have little impact on the constitutional right to possess firearms for self-defense. The ruling comes two weeks after another judge rejected gun advocates' attempt to block a similar law in San Francisco.
Although millions of Americans own guns with magazines carrying more than 10 cartridges, "it is rare that anyone will need to fire more than 10 rounds in self-defense," U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte of San Jose said in his ruling denying an injunction against the Sunnyvale ordinance, which is scheduled to take effect Thursday.
He cited a National Rifle Association report that found Americans who used their firearms to defend themselves fired an average of 2.1-2.2 shots.
Although opponents of the ordinance offered several anecdotes about people who needed high-capacity weapons to protect themselves, Whyte said the "burden on Second Amendment rights ... is relatively light" and was far outweighed by the "compelling government interest in public safety" that the new law promotes.
This was one of those laws our commenters told us was illegal and would not stand.

The NRA Statement on Facebook

NRA

The NRA enjoys 150 times more support on Facebook than Michael Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns. That’s why Bloomberg and the gun control groups he funds tried to pressure Facebook into shutting down discussion of Second Amendment issues on its social media platforms. Bloomberg failed. NRA members and our supporters will continue to have a platform to exercise their First Amendment rights in support of their Second Amendment freedoms. – Chris W. Cox, executive director, NRA Institute for Legislative Action.

Typical NRA bluster and lies. Their "support on Facebook" compared to Bloomberg's really has nothing to do with anything.  Besides, I doubt very much if it's "150 times more."

Plus, the changes in Facebook policy are not only about "First Amendment rights," they're about advertising guns for sale.  Isn't that right?

Friday, March 7, 2014

New Facebook Policy Will Not Do Enough to Prevent Unchecked Gun Sales According to the Brady Campaign


March 5, 2014 Jennifer Fuson 202-370-8128 Jfuson@bradymail.org
Statement from Dan Gross, Heidi Yewman, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
“This new policy is not a victory because Facebook continues to make it too easy for dangerous people to evade a background check when buying guns. A mere warning to follow the law and community-based reporting will not do enough to prevent unchecked gun sales to dangerous people,” says Daniel Gross, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “As we and thousands of others have told Facebook, unlicensed gun sales have no place on the social network. Facebook should prohibit all posts that advertise the unlicensed sale or transfer of firearms in the United States. Sadly, it’s only a matter of time before a gun purchased through Facebook without a background check is used in a terrible tragedy. ”
“Facebook and Instagram are great platforms to share opinions, memories and photos, but they shouldn’t be providing opportunities for criminals to evade background checks and get guns,” says Heidi Yewman, spokesperson for the Million Mom March and Brady Campaign Chapters. “As a parent, I’m disappointed that an industry leader like Facebook is way behind on such an important issue involving the safety and security of us all. I stand with moms across the country and ask that Facebook and Instagram join Craigslist, Google and eBay and prohibit unlicensed gun sales.”

Maryland Considers Confiscating Guns from 110k Felons and Violent Criminals

More than 100,000 individuals in Maryland could become disqualified from owning their registered gun under a bill currently under consideration by state lawmakers.
According to the Associated Press, the Maryland House of Delegates is debating a proposal that would link the state’s gun and criminal registries, enabling law enforcement officials to more effectively seize firearms in the possession of those convicted of felonies or violent crimes.
Under Maryland law, anyone convicted of such crimes is required to relinquish their firearms. However, the chief sponsor of the proposed bill, Delegate Luiz Simmons (D-Montgomery Couny), said the law is incapable of truly being enforced if police cannot use their database to pinpoint the individuals in question.
If passed into law, the new bill would require police to run a check twice a year in search of convicted felons with registered guns. Police, meanwhile, believe the linked systems would lead them to disqualify 10 percent of registered gun owners. That amounts to approximately 110,000 people.
As noted by the AP, California passed a similar law back in 2007. In a statement released by Simmons, the lawmaker said that since linking its registries, the California has collected more than 10,000 guns from convicted felons and is working on rounding up another 40,000.

5-Year-old California Boy Dead - Lengthy Investigation Underway to Determine if Foul Play or Negligence Played a Part

A 5-year-old boy who found a gun in his home appears to have accidentally shot and killed himself, a source within the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said Wednesday on the condition of anonymity.
The incident happened at 5:21 p.m. Tuesday in the 31000 block of Wolfskill Avenue in the rural Nuevo area of Riverside County, officials said.
"In this area, when something like this happens, it impacts the entire community," one Nuevo resident said of the tight-knit area.
Detectives and forensics investigators spent nearly a full 24 hours in rural Riverside County trying to determind whether any foul play or negligence was involved in his death.
The boy's grandfather was in the home at the time of the shooting and was being questioned Wednesday afternoon, but a Riverside County sheriff's official told NBC4 Wednesday morning the boy appears to have accidentally shot himself in the home.
In case you didn't catch the sarcasm in my title, I'll spell it out for you.  Whenever a 5-year-old gets his hands on a gun and kills himself there is ALWAYS foul play and negligence involved.

Philadelphia Man Gets 20 Years for Celebratory Gunfire

A 47-year-old Philadelphia man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for celebratory gunfire.
No one was hurt, but similar reckless and dangerous acts have cost lives — and ruined lives — over the years.
Francis Aponte was at an outdoor party near 4th and Indiana in June of 2012 when he was spotted by two Philadelphia police officers firing a gun into the air.  And that act, along with his significant criminal record that included at least one prior felony, has resulted in the 20-year sentence.

Why the Radical Right Has to LIE About Gun Confiscation - Because It Is Not Real

Dog Gone at Penigma

The only way for seizure of an illegal assault weapon is through a court-issued warrant, and then only after a court hearing has ruled on the legality/illegality of the weapon.  Simply receiving a letter that your request for registration was too late is NOT grounds for such a warrant, because there are multiple options for possible legal disposal of the now-illegal firearms, etc.  That means that while you clearly had an assault rifle, etc. AT ONE TIME, there is insufficient basis to issue a warrant, because there is absolutely no information that shows you still have that firearm after receiving the letter, and the state themselves provided you with the information to act legally.  The assumption has to be that you are legal and law abiding, not that you are guilty and unlawful. Otherwise you have grounds to dispute the legality of the warrant, and anything that results from it - or so I have been told.  I'm not a lawyer, nor do I claim to be.  However there does seem to be ample support for the basis and success of such a challenge in other contexts, in the form of what is in legal terminology, a motion to suppress  under the exclusionary rule,and the protections of the 4th Amendment against unlawful search and seizure, as well as possible protection under state Constitutions.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Facebook's Official Statement on the Policy Change

fb dot com

posted especially for Kurt's edification (check the date below, Kurt)

March 05, 2014
Monika Bickert, Head of Global Policy Management

Facebook, at its heart, is about helping people connect and communicate. Because of the diversity of people and cultures on our services, we know that people sometimes post or share things that may be controversial or objectionable. We work hard to find a balance between enabling people to express themselves about topics that are important to them, and creating an environment that is safe and respectful.

This balance is important to how we view commercial activity on Facebook or Instagram. We have strict rules about how businesses can use our advertising tools. For example, we do not permit advertising for illegal drugs, tobacco products, prescription pharmaceuticals, weapons, and several other products and services, and restrict advertising for products such as alcohol, adult products, and gaming. In all cases, we have systems in place to review and remove advertising that violates our policies, is false, deceptive, or misleading.

Of course, most of our tools are free to use, and many people and organizations use them to establish a presence on Facebook, including to promote commercial transactions. While people can't use our services to actually sell things to each other, they can set up a Page or make an occasional post to their Timeline to find a roommate, sell a home, or solicit contributions for a church or nonprofit organization. Just like posting on a bulletin board at a supermarket or community center, these activities may be considered commercial, but we treat this type of sharing like any other type of sharing on our services - and we respond to reports when something violates our Community Standards.

People sometimes use our free tools to discuss products that are regulated or controversial. In some cases they promote these products for sale or use, even though it's not possible to complete a sale on Facebook or Instagram. While we've recently heard specific concerns from people about offers for the private sales of firearms, this is one of many areas where we face a difficult challenge balancing individuals' desire to express themselves on our services, and recognizing that this speech may have consequences elsewhere.

Today, we are introducing a series of new educational and enforcement efforts for people discussing the private sale of regulated items:
  • Any time we receive a report on Facebook about a post promoting the private sale of a commonly regulated item, we will send a message to that person reminding him or her to comply with relevant laws and regulations. We will also limit access to that post to people over the age of 18.
  • We will require Pages that are primarily used by people to promote the private sale of commonly regulated goods or services to include language that clearly reminds people of the importance of understanding and complying with relevant laws and regulations, and limit access to people over the age of 18 or older if required by applicable law.
  • We will provide special in-app education on Instagram for those who search for sales or promotions of firearms.
  • We will not permit people to post offers to sell regulated items that indicate a willingness to evade or help others evade the law. For example, private sellers of firearms in the U.S. will not be permitted to specify “no background check required,” nor can they offer to transact across state lines without a licensed firearms dealer.
We have worked with a number of individuals and organizations on the development of these efforts, which will be implemented and enforced in the coming weeks. We are grateful in particular for the advice offered by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Americans for Responsible Solutions, Sandy Hook Promise, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and Moms Demand Action, which helped us develop an approach for the private sale of firearms. We also appreciate the feedback provided by the Facebook Safety Advisory Board.

As always, we encourage people who see anything that violates our policies to report it to us using the tools found throughout our services. Facebook and Instagram will continue to remove content, and notify law enforcement where appropriate, when we are notified about things shared on our services that suggest a direct, credible risk to others’ safety. We will also continue to strictly enforce our advertising policies.

We believe these collective efforts represent the right approach in balancing people's desire to express themselves while promoting a safe, responsible community.

Orange County Sheriff to Keep Issuing Concealed-weapon Permits

via ssgmarkcr

LINK

  I found this article interesting.  The 9th Circuit issued a stay of its own decision while it considered the request by the California AG to reconsider the decision.  The Orange County Sheriff is continuing to honor the original decision and is issuing carry permits.

"But some critics questioned why, with a stay in place, Sheriff Sandra Hutchens chose to adhere to the new, less-restrictive policy. The suspension, they argue, provides an opportunity to revert to the tougher permit requirements that Hutchens and other sheriffs in urban parts of California had maintained. Hutchens has said she would reconsider the new permit rules if a stay was issued."

“She has confused me completely,” said Charles Blek, president of the Orange County Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “There is … no reason for her to continue with the new policy.”

"Since Feb. 19, when Hutchens changed the local standard, Hallock said the Sheriff's Department has received more than 700 applications. But it is taking more than 90 days to issue permits, and Hallock said the department is hopeful a court decision will be rendered by then."

    My guess is that the Sheriff read the decision, understands it, and is in good faith following it.  Right now they are determining whether the AG even has legal standing to contest the decision. 

Arizona 3-Year-old Shoots Himself in the Stomach - No One Held Accountable Yet

Local news with video report

A 3-year-old boy is in the hospital having emergency surgery Monday after being shot in a home near Amado, Pima County Sheriffs deputies said.
He was flown to University of Arizona Medical Center where he has undergone surgery and remains in critical condition as of 5:30 p.m. Monday.
Deputies responded to the home in the 26900 block of S. Monarch Way Monday afternoon. Detectives with the Crimes Against Children and Homicide units are on scene, Pima County Sheriff's deputy Tracy Suitt said.
A search warrant is being served at the home, sources said.
Suitt says a call to 911 was made about an accidental shooting in the area.

Texas Concealed Carry Permit Holder Allows 5-Year-old Son to Access his Gun - Both Wounded - No Charges

News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | 

I realize they said any possible charges will be up to the DA, but I won't hold my breath for that.  Will you?

Colorado's Law Requiring Background Checks on Private Sales is Working Well

Fox News

Republicans are criticizing Colorado Bureau of Investigations data that tracks the number of background checks done on private gun sales since a new law expanded the number of reviews required.
The GOP failed last month in an effort to repeal the law that added online and private-seller transactions to a list of mandated checks.
During debate on the repeal attempt, CBI Director Ron Sloan said 6,200 checks were done on “private transfers that were covered under HB1229.”
Democrats sized on that figure in rejecting the repeal attempt, saying it showed that the law was working. Republicans, however, said the number was misleading.
According to CBI data released late Friday, 2,361 of the 6,199 private background checks done in the first six months of the law going into effect were conducted at gun shows. Background checks at gun shows have long been required under state law.
Republican Senate Leader Bill Cadman said Monday that he was “extremely concerned that such misleading information would be provided as factually based testimony by the senior law enforcement professional in Colorado.”
This is sort-of the opposite of Missouri. I wonder if the violent crime rate will go down in Colorado and perhaps someone will suggest it's due to the stricter laws.

As far as the nit-picking complaint that not all of the 6,000 private sale background checks were done outside of gun shows, big deal. Maybe they tried to pull a fast one, it would have been pretty stupid since it was so obvious, but the point remains.  There were still about 4,000 private sale background checks done in the first six months of the new law. That sounds like a winner to me.

Facebook Prohibits Gun Ads

Facebook dot com

Prohibited Content

Ads and Sponsored Stories may not contain content that is illegal or otherwise prohibited per Facebook's Advertising Guidelines. Prohibited content includes but is not limited to the examples listed below:
Weapons:
  • Ads and Sponsored Stories may not promote firearms, ammunition, paintball guns, bb guns, fireworks, explosives, pepper spray, knives, tasers, or weapons of any kind, including those used for self-defense. Ads and Sponsored Stories may not directly or indirectly link to landing pages where people can purchase any of these products.
  • Images of weapons are generally acceptable, as long as the weapon is not pointed directly at the person seeing it.
  • Ads and Sponsored Stories promoting blogs or groups that exist to help connect people whose interests are related to these products are allowed as long as the service does not lead to the sale of any weapons or explosives.
  • Acceptable: "Gun Exposition Today"
  • Unacceptable: "Get your ammo here"

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Dom Raso - Guns in Businesses


As usual with the gun-rights fanatics, the truth takes second place to the exaggerated rhetoric. Dom says there have been 2.5 million concealed carry permits issued in Florida. Then he says they're all potential customers for YOUR STORE.  In what he must think is a slick way, he's gone from all the permits ever issued, including I suppose renewals as well as those that have expired, making it sound like there are truly that many out there.  Well, this site says there are less than half that, at least when you count active permits.
I'm sure his other stat about how few have committed crimes is equally false.

Another interesting thing in this video is his insistence that all these concealed carry permit holders are continually on the lookout for lawbreakers. I've been told quite the opposite, but let's run with it. Dom Raso himself claims to be "trained, prepared, and always on the lookout for those preparing to do harm to others in this country." Does he think of himself as some kind of super-hero who's continually scouring the entire country for wrongdoers?

And the clincher, "Why would you want to keep guys like me out of your store or business?"

Well, one reason might be because guys like him are dangerous.  People who see themselves as judge, jury and executioner would not be welcome in any business of mine. And let's face it, even if Mr. Raso is as trained and prepared as he claims, but your average Florida permit holder is not. Many of those guys are inadequately trained and prepared, and sure to be a liability in any emergency.


Texas Man Accidentally Shoots 9-Year-old Neighbor in her Home

Cristian Manzano

Huffington Post

A man shooting at targets in his backyard was arrested after he accidentally hit a 9-year-old girl in the head, police in Texas say.

Cristian Manzano, 20, was firing a gun on Saturday morning when a bullet shattered his neighbor's kitchen window and struck the girl, the Dallas Morning News reports.
The victim, who was not named, remained in critical condition as of Sunday, according to the Dallas Observer. She was initially taken to Children's Medical Center in Dallas, NBC DFW reports.
Neighbors said they heard four to five gunshots, according to News 8.
Manzano has been charged with causing serious bodily injury to a child and discharging a firearm in city limits.

Georgia Gun Range Idiocy - No One Responsible for the Injuries

A Cleveland woman is recovering at a north Georgia hospital after being shot in the legs. It happened at a gun range in Whitfield County.
The woman's husband was also injured when investigators say a 12-year-old girl dropped a shot gun, causing it to fire.
Whitfield County detectives say a 12-year-old girl was at the range with three adults when she fired an Easter Arms double barrel shotgun. 
"When you shoot it, it's got to have somewhere for the energy to go and of course, it comes back on your shoulder," says Josh Land with Discount Sporting Goods.

The recoil was too much. The girl accidentally dropped the gun, causing the other shell to go off in the second barrel.

Land says some 12 year olds can handle a shot gun. "Depending on the caliber, you know, and then how familiar they are with firearms," says Land.

Whitfield County investigators couldn't say how familiar this 12-year-old girl is with guns, but the adults she was with won't likely face charges.

The gun range allows minors to shoot as long as they are with an adult.

Detectives are calling it a freak accident; one that Josh Land isn't sure could have been prevented.

"There may not have been anything to do to prevent that situation," Land says. "You've just always got to be careful."

Louisiana 5-Year-old Dead - No Charges

© 5-year-old Jon-Qualon Pitre
 Five-year-old Jon-Qualon Pitre, critically injured when he was shot in the head in an incident at his home Thursday, was taken off life support and died at our lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge Saturday. 
    Opelousas Police Chief Perry Gallow said the boy was shot in the head as he and his 7-year-old brother apparently were playing with a gun in the yard of his home in the 500 block of martin Luther king Dr.
     Police recovered the weapon, a .22-caliber, long-barrel revolver, at the scene.
     Gallow said "the best information they have is that only two people were in the yard at the time of the shooting, the 5-year-old and his 7-year-old brother".
     He adds no charges are currently being contemplated.

Kentucky Man Arrested After Accidentally Shooting his Friend

John B. Brown II  (Source: LMDC)
John B. Brown II (Source: LMDC)
A convicted felon has been arrested after shooting a man while showing off a handgun that he shouldn't have had.
John B. Brown II, 40, was arrested March 1 after the shooting in the 1200 block of Keswick Blvd. An arrest report says Brown shot a man in the foot while showing off one of the two handguns in his car.
Police found a loaded .38 caliber gun under the passenger seat and a loaded .22 caliber semi-automatic in the center armrest.
The shooting was ruled accidental, but Brown was charged  with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
Here's the thing.  Shooting someone unintentionally through stupidity and negligence should be as much a crime as possessing a gun as a felon.  Either one should result in immediate arrest.

Lawful Florida Gun Owner Finally Charged with Daughter's Death


Thomas Chambers


Local news reports with video

The father of a 3 year-old Lake Worth girl that shot and killed herself is now criminally charged with her death.

The tragic story unfolded last month when investigators say Thomas Chambers’ three year-old daughter, Zuri, accidentally fatally shot herself in the head with his gun inside their Lake Worth home.

Deputies arrested Chambers this past weekend and charged him with aggravated manslaughter of a child. 

No one answered the door at his home and a woman had no comment at his place of employment.

Court documents obtained Monday show the father told investigators that he left the loaded Kel-Tec 9 mm on the table while getting dressed for work so he would not forget it.

The father told investigators that his daughter shot herself while he got dressed for work in another room. The affidavit also revealed deputies found another loaded pistol adjacent to a play pen and a unloaded shotgun in a closet.

The information is redacted on the affidavit but mentions at least two incidents inside of the home with someone playing with a gun. 

A judge released chambers on his own recognizance.

MN GOP Stands for 'Mazingly Nutty, Gullible (&)/OR Paranoid!

by Dog Gone of Penigma

A Minnesota radical Right Wing blogger wrote up a rumor earlier today as if it were fact this morning that “Connecticut was a commin’ to confiscate yer guns”. The original story dates back to a claim by the utterly-unbelievable, totally-lacking-in-any-shred-of-credibility, Glenn “boo hoo” Beck and the Blaze. The local radical right wing-nuttery blogger was Mitch Berg, over at Shot in the dark/aka shot in the foot. Here is the original steaming fact-TURD from Beck, in his most recent blazing poop update: 
UPDATE: A spokesperson with the Special Licensing and Firearms Unit of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection told TheBlaze that a letter has been drafted to send to gun owners who are found to be in possession of unregistered semi-automatic rifles deemed illegal by the state’s new gun control law. However, “not a one” letter has been sent out so far. The spokesperson, who didn’t want to identify herself, refused to comment on the content of the draft letter. When we asked what other action the state plans to take against owners of unregistered so-called “assault rifles, the spokesperson said we should contact the governor’s office because that’s where they get their orders from. It’s not clear if the letter published by the Capitalism Institute is authentic, though we can confirm a draft letter does exist.
No, no such draft letters exist that in any way suggest confiscation or pre-confiscation, etc.  This is like claiming that getting a reminder to renew your drivers license is a threat the police are coming to arrest you, or that if you get the renewal notice for your license tabs, it means law enforcement is coming down the street to tow your car out of your garage - and keep it.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Facebook Considering Acquiescing to the Sensible Requests of the Moms

Facebook mulling policy changes on gun-themed pages (exclusive)

Venture Beat

Facebook may announce company policy changes for gun-related pages in the coming weeks, VentureBeat has learned.
The social network has been under pressure from the powerful Mayors Against Illegal Guns and the Moms Demand Action civic group to ban gun-themed fan pages on the site.
Sources close to the conversations told VentureBeat, “Talks are progressing. The discussions are ongoing; there have been positive developments.”
An extensive investigation by VentureBeat last week revealed that adults and children were making arrangements to buy, sell, and trade guns through the many Facebook fan pages devoted to guns and the people who use them, sometimes in violation of federal and state gun laws.

John Lott Claims the Johns Hopkins Missouri Study is Flawed

John R. Lott Jr.
John R. Lott Jr.
The economist, who is the leading expert on gun violence statistics, refuted a Johns Hopkins study that claims the repeal of Missouri’s “universal background checks” law is the cause of an increase in murder rates, in an exclusive Guns & Patriots interview.
“There is a lot of arbitrary cherry-picking of the data,” said John R. Lott Jr., president of Crime Prevention Research Center, a research and education organization that studies the relationship between laws regulating the ownership or use of guns, crime, and public safety.  “Other research that looked at all the states, not just one, comes to a different conclusion.”
Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health conducted a study that claimsMissouri’s murder rate increased by 16 percent after the state legislature in 2007 repealed its universal background checks law, which required all handgun purchasers to undergo a background check at the auspices of local law enforcement. 
Federal law already prohibits interstate firearm transfers, including handguns, except among licensed dealers who are required to conduct a federal background check of all purchasers through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, said Lott, who is a Fox News columnist.
Even though there are 19 states in the union with universal background checks or similar laws, researchers in the study chose only one state to look at, covering only one point-in-time, addressing murder rates alone, he said. “Simply looking at whether murder rates were higher after the law was rescinded than before misses much of what was going on.”
Does that even make sense? Yes, 19 other states have universal background checks, but the study was about Missouri because "the state legislature in 2007 repealed its universal background checks law." 
This is what we have to contend with. Double-talking nonsense from the guys who claim to have "right" on their side
By the way, please notice how even a radical pro-gun site like Guns and Patriots will abbreviate the name of the school to "Johns Hopkins." Yet, when we do it some folks accuse us of purposely leaving out the "Bloomberg" part for effect.

Kentucky Baptists Use Gun Giveaways to Lure Unchurched to Christ

Monday, March 3, 2014

Indiana 12-Year-old Shoots Himself with Granddad's Gun - No Charges

A 12-year-old buy is recovering after accidentally firing a gun and injuring himself.
Police were called to Community East Hospital just before 10:30 Friday night after family members took the boy to the emergency room. 
The mother of the boy told police she arrived at her father’s home to pick up the child when she saw he was bleeding. 
The grandfather of the boy told police that he was running an errand and left the boy and five other children in his car unattended. When he got back to the car, he found out that his grandson had accidentally shot himself. The boy told police he found the gun in the car and thinking it was  BB gun, started playing with it. He then accidentally discharged the gun and shot himself. None of the other children were hurt. 
The boy’s condition is unknown at this time. 

Ohio Boy 8-Years-old Dead - No Charges (Yet?)

Authorities say an 8-year-old Cincinnati boy playing with a gun that he and his two brothers thought was a BB gun has been shot in the chest and killed.
Cincinnati Police Lt. Don Luck tells the Cincinnati Enquirer (http://cin.ci/MEPmM3 ) that the three boys were visiting an uncle when one pulled the trigger of a handgun that they thought was a BB gun and hit Sammy Lorenzo in the chest Saturday afternoon.
The boy was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital and rushed into surgery, but later died.
Luck says that no charges are expected against the children and that it's too early to tell whether charges will be filed against any adults.

Georgia Man Charged in Accidental Shooting Death of his Cousin

Dominick Kantrel Howell Sr
Dominick Kantrel Howell Sr. (Photo: Bibb County Sheriff's Office)


Local news reports

A man is charged with involuntary manslaughter after accidentally shooting his cousin in the back and killing him, according to a Bibb County sheriff's news release citing witness accounts. 

The victim, Cedric Recardo Patrick Jr., 21 years old, was shot Friday night at 10:15 p.m. while sitting in the front seat of a car in a Taco Bell restaurant parking lot at 1090 Eisenhower Parkway. 

According to others in the car, the suspect, Dominick Kantrel Howell Sr., 27, was sitting in the back seat with a pistol in his lap. When the pistol fell, he tried to catch it and the gun accidentally fired, shooting his cousin in the back. 

Howell turned himself in to investigators after Patrick was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead around 11 p.m. Howell is being held without bond at the Bibb County jail.

No special treatment for black guys in Georgia, that's for sure.

California 12-Year-old Son of Police Officers Shoots Himself by Accident - Special Treatment All Around

The 12-year-old son of two Oakland police officers accidentally shot himself in the arm at his Danville home, authorities said Friday.
A woman who works as an Oakland police officer called 911, saying her 12-year-old son had "accidentally shot himself in the arm."
"RP's (reporting party) an off-duty officer," a dispatcher told responding officers. "She has secured the gun. Son's 12 years of age. It's an accidental shooting. He's awake and breathing."
Shields would not say who the gun belonged to, how the boy got the weapon or whether the firearm was issued by the Oakland police. The boy's father is an Oakland police sergeant.
But Shields said police "investigated all aspects, including whether the weapon was properly stored, and based on that we determined there was no safety concern to the public."
The incident is being reviewed by the Contra Costa County district attorney's office.

Bumbling Florida Gun Owner Shoots Himself and a 12-Year-old - Special Treatment Follows


Orlando police say two people were injured in an accidental shooting, including a 12-year-old girl.

Police say a man was at a home handling a firearm when it accidentally went off and shot the man in the thigh.

Police say a 12-year-old girl who was a passenger in a car traveling on the same street was also shot in the arm.

Both victims were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police are still investigating.