Gun Control | Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion - Part 15
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Posted by Leslie Eastman on December 03, 2015 37 Comments
We reported on the San Bernardino mass shooting yesterday, during which 14 people were slaughtered and 17 others wounded while attending a holiday party. San Bernardino is about 90 miles north of where I live, and the first I heard about the incident was when a series of Facebook emails were sent inquiring if I was alright. I was on my way to my consulting firm, and once there, I discovered a colleague was listening to police scanners. When the reports being broadcast indicated that IED's had been found, we both said the same thing: Terrorism. This is life in the "new normal". While President Obama was patting climate change activists for their powerful rebuke to ISIS, Syed Rizwan Farook, and his wife Tashfeen Malik apparenlty were organizing an attack involving automatic weapons and tactical military gear. But officials won't speculate about a motive:
San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said investigators had not determined a motive for the shooting, in which 17 people were wounded. But an official at the FBI, which is working with local agencies, said he could not rule out terrorism as a motive.

Posted by Mike LaChance on November 19, 2015 56 Comments
As the world reacts to the terror attacks in Paris and French authorities continue to address new developments, some progressives are pushing the left's pet issue of gun control. In order to understand their point, you have to completely ignore the fact that France has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world and that the victims of the Paris attacks were completely unarmed. Jenn Jacques reports at Bearing Arms:
Liberals Push Gun Control, Ignorant Rhetoric Following Attacks in Paris I cannot imagine the horror the survivors of last night’s attack in Paris witnessed and I pray peace and comfort will embrace the family and friends of the victims. I watched the reports of the attacks unfold on HD, and like many Americans, sat in disbelief feeling helpless and dumbfounded...

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on October 26, 2015 30 Comments
In the twilight of his administration, President Obama is renewing his fight for stricter gun control laws. Tuesday, President Obama will travel to his hometown Chicago. But he's not there to visit family, the President is headed to Chicago for one reason -- to renew the fight for gun control. The LA Times reports President Obama will be speaking to the International Association of Chiefs of Police and there he will make his case for tougher gun laws.
Obama will talk about the need for tougher gun laws with police chiefs gathered in Chicago on Tuesday, aides say, as part of a broader conversation about violence and how police can work more effectively with their communities to combat it. He’s traveling to Chicago simply because that’s the site of the annual gathering of the International Assn. of Chiefs of Police, but advisors say he’s well aware of the symbolism in returning to his hometown amid this debate. Chicago has long been a battleground for both pro- and anti-gun forces. Three decades ago, in the wake of the assassination attempts on President Reagan and Pope John Paul II, the City Council banned new sales and registration of handguns in the city in 1982. Chicago was the first major city to take that step. Now, with Obama renewing his rhetoric about more gun control in the wake of massacres at a church in South Carolina and a community college in Oregon and considering imposing gun safety rules by executive order, critics once again are pointing to the president’s hometown for proof of the folly.

Posted by Mike LaChance on October 20, 2015 14 Comments
At a recent town hall event in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton said America should consider a mandatory gun buyback program like the one that took place in Australia in the 1990's. A former Republican member of the Texas house of representatives named Suzanna Hupp, who survived a mass shooting in 1991, appeared on The Kelly File last night and offered a response. The FOX News Insider has more:
Mass Shooting Survivor: You Never See These Attacks at Gun Shows, NRA Events Suzanna Hupp, a survivor of the 1991 mass shooting in Kileen, Texas, that left 24 people dead, said that there was a law against concealed carry in the state at the time, so she left her gun in her car. Hupp, who saw her parents murdered during the tragic incident, said that you never see mass shooting at gun shows or NRA events, places where there are hundreds or thousands of armed, law-abiding citizens.

Posted by Amy Miller on October 19, 2015 14 Comments
A Gallup poll released today shows that the vast majority of Americans do not believe that handgun ownership should be limited to "authorized" persons like police or other law enforcement officials. Only 27% of Americans say they support this type of ban (with 72% opposing); additionally, 43% of Americans say they have a gun somewhere in the home, with 28% saying they own one personally. gallup handgun possession october 2015 chart

Posted by Mike LaChance on October 15, 2015 10 Comments
There was plenty of talk about gun control and the NRA at the Democratic Party debate Tuesday night. These talking points make great fodder for a progressive audience but ignore the truth. Good people need to be able to defend themselves from bad people. A new ad from the NRA features a man who lived through the horror of World War II and ultimately made it to America. He reminds us of the importance of the Second Amendment in this new ad from the NRA.
Transcript via the NRA News website:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 10, 2015 42 Comments
There is not a single campus where the failure to ban lawfully-possessed concealed guns caused a mass shooting. In fact, almost all places where mass shootings have taken place are "gun-free zones." The results are predictable, as I explained in my viral column at USA Today, Time to talk about gun free zones:
In almost all mass shooting situations, particularly at schools, the common theme is a gun-free zone, with the shooter being the only one armed person in the building for minutes or longer. And in each case, the shooter couldn’t care less about the gun-free nature of the building, and if anything, was drawn to such a location. Gun-free zones presume the good intentions of those entering the zone. And the overwhelming majority have such good intentions. But for those who have bad intentions, gun-free zones turn schools and other locations into shooting galleries. The good people are unarmed, the evil person is armed.

Posted by Mike LaChance on October 10, 2015 23 Comments
In the newest edition of Afterburner, Bill Whittle examines the issue of gun control from a liberal perspective and follows it to its logical end. If it's guns that kill people, not people, then why do some guns kill while others don't? Whittle suggests that perhaps the problem has something to do with boys growing up without strong father figures as well as the left's continuing effort to water down masculinity into a version of femininity lite. He cites as an example, a recent New York Times article titled 27 Ways to be a Modern Man. As usual, Whittle shreds the progressive argument in the process.

Posted by Mike LaChance on October 04, 2015 57 Comments
After the shooting in Oregon this weekend, an angry Obama took to the airwaves and insisted that he would openly politicize gun control. The president cited Australia, a country with extremely strict gun control as a model. Would you believe bad guys can get guns even there? FOX News reports:
At least 2 dead in shooting outside police building in Australia, reports say At least two people are dead after a shooting outside a police headquarters in Australia on Friday, according to published reports. The Daily Telegraph Australia reports a lone gunman shot and killed a police IT expert outside New South Wales state Police headquarters in the Parramatta section of western Sydney The gunman was subsequently shot and killed by police, according to the newspaper. Police confirmed that a major operation was taking place between Hassall Street and Charles Street near the police headquarters. They advised the public to avoid the area. Sky News Australia helicopter footage spotted bodies covered in sheets near the police building.

Posted by Amy Miller on October 01, 2015 71 Comments
At least 10 people were murdered today when a gunman opened fire at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. According to authorities, the shooter was a 20 year old man. They haven't released his name, or any other information about him, but officials did confirm that he is dead. Now, investigators are looking at social media posts from as early as last night trying to figure out more about the shooter, and what motivated him to kill. More from CNN:
According to the source close to the investigation, authorities are looking at social media posts between a person they believe may have been the shooter, and others. The conversation happened Wednesday night on 4chan. In it, the writer talks about planning to carry out a shooting. Others egg him on, giving him suggestions on how to do it, and the type of weapons to use. The responses are mixed -- with some users characterizing the would-be gunman as a pathetic loser. Others called him a twisted hero. In the posts, there is a reference to the UC Santa Barbara shooter, who wrote a manifesto and videoed himself before opening fire a year ago. "This is the only time I'll ever be in the news. I'm so insignificant," reads an apparent post by the would-be Oregon gunman.
During a press conference, President Obama seized the opportunity to initiate another outright push for more gun control legislation, saying, "somehow, this has become routine." Watch:

Posted by Mike LaChance on August 31, 2015 7 Comments
Bernie Sanders is getting hit from his left on gun control. Vermont is a very blue state, but it's also rural and has plenty of gun owners. Yesterday on CNN, he assured Jake Tapper and, by extension, progressive Democratic primary voters that he strongly believes in greater gun control:
Bernie Sanders says he's 'strong' on gun control Bernie Sanders says he favors gun control measures just as strongly as his Democratic presidential rivals, touting his rural-state roots as key to his chances of enacting "real, constructive" legislation. In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper Sunday on "State of the Union," the Vermont senator touted his career "D-" rating from the National Rifle Association. Sanders also played up his differences on policy issues with Hillary Clinton and hit national Democrats for a debate calendar he said is too restrictive during the interview.

Posted by Mike LaChance on August 11, 2015 12 Comments
As a member of Generation X, I have a very clear memory of 1970's TV shows. In the days before cable, our choices were limited but the quality of many shows was much higher. Every week, my entire family would sit down together to watch certain programs and one of them was Little House on the Prairie, which was based on a classic series of books by real life settler Laura Ingalls Wilder. You've probably heard of the show and the books, but you may not have heard that Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls on TV, is running for congress in Michigan. From the Detroit Free Press:
Melissa Gilbert running for Congress Actress Melissa Gilbert, best known for her portrayal of Laura Ingalls Wilder on NBC’s “Little House on the Prairie” in the 1970s and ‘80s, said Monday she will run for Congress in Michigan’s 8th District -- though her campaign will have to tamp down questions about a tax bill. Gilbert, who lives in Livingston County with her husband, actor Timothy Busfield, is running as a Democrat in a district that has been a Republican stronghold in recent elections: U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, won the race to replace former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Howell, last year, beating Democrat Eric Schertzing, 54%-42%.

Posted by Amy Miller on August 03, 2015 18 Comments
Retailers including Wal-Mart, Amazon, and Sears have reached a $300K compromise with New York regulators who say that the outlets' sales of toy guns violate state law. Federal law requires that toy guns display an orange strip to indicate non functionality, but New York law goes further by banning the sale of black, blue, silver, or aluminum imitation guns. (New York City goes even further---your mock glock needs to be transparent or brightly colored in the Big Apple.) Officials also hit a total of 67 online third-party sellers with cease-and-desist letters in an attempt to prevent indirect sales from slipping across state lines. For their part, the New York AG's office is sticking to their guns (I'm so, so sorry) over the controversial crackdown; officials claim that their regulations work to keep citizens safe from mix-ups with law enforcement:
“There have been instances in states around the country in which police officers have mistaken toy guns for actual guns,” Eric T. Schneiderman, the attorney general, said in an interview. “It’s an absolutely unnecessary risk, because toy guns, as New York law requires, can be easily distinguishable.”

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 24, 2015 32 Comments
Ah yes, the media and gun control. Senator Cruz joined PBS host Tavis Smiley Tuesday. Smiley seized the opportunity to peg Sen. Cruz on gun control. "To me and to others who've seen this, it seemed in bad taste, but maybe that's my assessment," Smiley said. "We all know what happened in Charleston the other day, and you were on the campaign trail after this happened, here's what you said on the campaign trail." Smiley then showed Sen. Cruz a clip bearing a HuffPo watermark, dated June 19 when Cruz was addressing a crowd in Iowa. "We need a second amendment, the right to keep and bear arms. You know the great thing about the state of Iowa, I'm pretty sure y'all define 'gun control' the same way we do in Texas -- hittin' what you aim at," Cruz explained as the audience chuckled. "Gun control is hitting what you aim at. Those comments were made after this tragedy the other day in South Carolina the other day, was that in bad taste?" Smiley asked.

Posted by New Neo on June 23, 2015 53 Comments
Here's an interesting article about how it might have been a good thing if the attendees at the Bible study meeting in Charleston had been armed. That's not just a fanciful thought. Mass murders, even mass murders at churches, have been thwarted before by a good guy wielding a gun and stopping the bad guy (and here I use the word "guy" in the completely non-PC sense that includes "woman"):
Murray had already shot and killed two people in the parking lot when he burst into the New Life Church in Colorado Springs. Before he could pull the trigger again, however, the 24-year-old shooter was gunned down by Jeanne Assam, a volunteer security guard with a concealed-carry permit. That was eight years ago, but even though Ms. Assam was credited for saving as many as 100 lives that day, a dozen states continue to restrict the carrying of concealed firearms in churches — including South Carolina.
There have been quite a few similar cases of a law-abiding citizen with a gun (often an ex- or off-duty police officer, but not always) stopping or even preventing a mass shooting. A list of similar incidents can be found here. That there are not even more is probably due to the fact that mass shootings are actually quite rare to begin with---despite our perceptions that they are common, and despite the fact that even a single one is too many---and so it is not surprising that there are not so very many cases where a witness pulled a gun and even tried to stop such a shooting. Another reason is likely to be that mass murderers understand that they will be more likely to achieve their goals if they attack people in a gun-free zone, and so many attacks occur in such places. But the shoot-em-up fantasy of someone like MSNBC's Bob Shrum appears to lack any real-world precedent:

Posted by Mike LaChance on June 21, 2015 23 Comments
Gun control has never been a winning issue for Democrats but that hasn't stopped them from trying. In the wake of the Charleston shootings, Obama is pursuing the issue with renewed vigor. Edward-Isaac Dovere of Politico reports:
Obama: I'm not giving up on guns SAN FRANCISCO—Wrapping together his frustrations with the country’s continuing problems with racism and his own inability to make progress on gun control in the wake of the South Carolina church shooting, President Barack Obama stood before a bipartisan gathering of mayors here Friday and declared, “It is not good enough simply to show sympathy.” “The apparent motivations of the shooter remind us that racism remains a blight that we have to combat together. We have made great progress but we have to be vigilant because it still lingers,” Obama said. There must be a popular outcry for gun control, Obama said, to change the minds of a Congress that he said he knows right now won’t touch the issue. “I refuse to act as if this is the new normal or to pretend that it’s simply sufficient to grieve and that any mention of us doing something to stop it is somehow politicizing the problem,” he said.
FOX News pointed out Obama's political conundrum on Friday night:

Posted by Mike LaChance on June 07, 2015 19 Comments
Do you like the idea of tax dollars being used for research to support gun control? Two Democrats introduced legislation last week for that very purpose. The NRA's Institute for Legislative Action reported:
Legislation Proposes $60 Million for Anti-Gun Research On Monday, NRA F-rated Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) introduced legislation to authorize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to give $60 million of the taxpayers' money to anti-gun activists over the next six years, to conduct "research" promoting gun control. The two longtime anti-gun legislators say that their bill is necessary for two reasons, both of which are hokum: First, they say, Congress in 1996 "almost halted entirely" all funding of gun control research, the operative word being "almost." In 1996, Congress did stop the CDC from funneling millions of the taxpayers' dollars to anti-gunners to conduct "research"--pitiful by academic standards--designed from the get-go to promote a political agenda against a constitutionally-protected right. However, it didn't shut off the spigot through which millions of dollars flow to the same anti-gunners from leftwing philanthropic foundations. For example, the Joyce Foundation alone has given several million dollars to a variety of anti-gun groups and individuals every year since 1996.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on April 12, 2015 6 Comments
Hillary is set to announce her presidential run today. At the same time, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg is holding one of his anti-Second Amendment events and the NRA is holding its annual meeting.  Hot Air reports:
The well monied former New York mayor and head honcho of Everytown for Gun Safety is holding his own event in Tennessee to focus attention on politicians who aren’t willing to sign on to ever increasing restrictions of the rights of gun owners.
This is just the sort of attention that Democrats are not eager to bask in.  According to the Washington Times:
The near unity among Republicans on gun rights contrasts with the Democratic divide on the issue, underscoring how the politics appear to have swung in the GOP’s favor. “It is a loser for the Democrats and so they shy away from it — except in Washington, D.C., or New York, where they have a strong liberal constituency and where it is not going to cost them votingwise,” said Robert A. Levy, of the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute.