Irresponsible Gun Owner of the Day

That's the title Robert Farago meant to give this post. It happened at about the 1:00 minute mark.

Jon Stewart on Glenn Beck - Again

Glenn Beck has become so powerful that his wise words can now be acted upon retroactively.

Glenn Beck Airs Israeli Raid Footage

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John Lott on the UN Small Arms Treaty

Biggovernment.com presented a wonderful article by Prof. John Lott. He makes a case for the dangers of the UN Small Arms Treaty recently endorsed by the U.S. Pointing out that the treaty would disarm legitimate freedom fighters such as the French Resistance heroes during World War II, he makes a clear and succinct argument against the treaty. Of course his main concern is this:

The Small Arms Treaty is just a back door way for the Obama administration trying to force through gun control regulations. With the huge standing ovation that House and Senate Democrats recently gave Mexican President Calderon for his advocacy of a new so-called “Assault Weapons Ban,” Americans who care about self-defense have been put on notice. The threats to gun ownership are as real as ever.

Now, I don't know about you, but I don't buy that one. To me it sounds like Prof. Lott is operating as the mouthpiece for the gun manufacturers of America, attempting to keep sales and paranoia as high as possible. But, maybe he's just concerned.

There was one other part of the article that I really enjoyed.

Americans have seen the increase in murder rates in DC and Chicago after their bans, and the sudden 25 percent drop in DC’s murder rates last year after their ban was removed. But as recent research shows, gun bans have consistently lead to higher murder rates around the world.

The "recent research" is his own book. Isn't that a riot?

What's your opinion? Is John Lott serious about the need to continue worrying about Obama as an enemy of gun rights? Sarah Palin said the same thing at the convention recently, after all. Are they right? Or, are these tireless doomsayers acting on some agenda of their own?

Is he on the right track about the UN Small Arms Treaty? Or, is there a bit of distortion there applying it to such laudable movements as the French Resistance?

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Guns Stolen in Iowa

The Sioux City Journal reports on the latest multiple gun theft.

VAIL, Iowa -- Authorities are offering a $4,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for stealing approximately 40 guns from a dealer in Crawford County, Iowa.

Crawford County Sheriff James R. Steinkuehler said the guns were stolen during a burglary some time between 3 p.m. Sunday and 11 a.m. Monday at Pete's Gun Shop in Vail, a city about 10 miles northeast of Denison.

Officials believe the suspect or suspects entered the business through a vent in the back of the building.

I know, I know, only the thief is responsible for stealing something. You can never blame the victim. But let me ask you this, all you individual-responsibility guys, all you don't-blame-the-victim guys. If you owned a gun shop, do you think it would be very difficult to render the "vent in the back" of the building inaccessible from the outside? I'd say it wouldn't take much to do that, not much brainpower to think of it and not much labor to do it. I'd go so far as to say, a gun store owner has a responsibility to do exactly that. We're not talking about international master thieves like you see in the movies. These are local hoodlums trying to make an easy buck. How hard would it be to prevent them?

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

In England They Get It

The Daily Mirror published an article that summed up the gun control position in Great Britain.

Gun crime is thankfully rare in Britain. That's because we have very tight laws on firearms, not because we are less barmy than Americans.

If we had Yankee-style "right to bear arms," there would be many more homicides and mass shootings.

The horrific massacre in Cumbria is a powerful reminder of why we need such legislation, born out of bitter experience that you can't trust men (it's always men) with lethal weapons.

The shooting lobby invariably reacts against the possibility of further restrictions on gun ownership, arguing that people kill people, not guns. Well, it's a lot harder without guns.

What's so difficult about that? Fewer guns, fewer gun crimes. I especially liked this line: "born out of bitter experience that you can't trust men (it's always men) with lethal weapons."

What do you think? Please leave a comment.

The Terrible Gun Sickness in Houston

ABClocal.com has the story.

Police say the incident started when the husband followed his wife to the home. As the wife met another man, who police say is her boyfriend, the husband got his weapon and shot the boyfriend. At the same time, the boyfriend pulled his weapon and shot the husband. The wife was caught in the crossfire and shot in the arm.

Do you think that's normal? I certainly don't.

Please leave a comment.

Where Were the Parents?

KansasCity.com reports on the tragic shooting.

SALINA, Kan. A 14-year-old boy has been charged with fatally shooting his 9-year-old stepbrother at their rural Kansas home.

Saline County Attorney Ellen Mitchell said the 14-year-old was charged today as a juvenile with one count of first-degree premeditated murder in the death of his stepbrother.

She says she is awaiting investigative reports and doesn't know whether she will seek adult charges. A hearing is planned for 9 a.m. Thursday.

County sheriff's Capt. Brian Shea says the older boy called 911 Tuesday afternoon and said he shot his brother accidentally. The two boys were home alone while their parents worked.

But Shea says the investigation revealed the shooting was no accident.

I can see that a 14-year-old should know better, but when Saline County Attorney Ellen Mitchell says she may want to try him as an adult, I say that's ridiculous.

I know the article said the parents were working, but I still want to ask, in a more figurative sense, "WHERE WERE THE PARENTS?"

What's your opinion? Is there something wrong with leaving two kids home alone with access to a gun? I say yes.

Please leave a comment.