The uncomfortable truth about gun rights supporters – sometimes they are right
– Particularly uncomfortable given the source – the UK’s left-of-Bernie Guardian newspaper. “But these numbers have to be put in context. The number of self-defensive gun uses each year is fiercely debated, and the estimates vary widely. But there are roughly 300 million guns in civilian hands. Set 30,000 gun deaths, or even 500,000 gun victimizations, against 300 million. As incomplete and imprecise as much gun data is, the bigger picture is clear: most guns are not being used in crimes. Most gun owners are not committing crimes.” You know that had to hurt when she wrote that.
Winchester Varmint X® Line Now Includes a 12-Gauge Shotshell with Shot-Lok® Technology
EAST ALTON, Ill. – Since its introduction, Varmint X centerfire loads have been the ones savvy predator hunters turn to for accurate, dependable performance each time they head into the field. But not every predator chaser hunts the wide-open expanses common to western country. In fact, as coyotes and other varmints continue to expand and solidify their presence, predators are increasingly being hunted in heavily forested, brushy terrain where shots are often closer and must be made quickly on incoming or retreating targets. In these situations, a shotgun is the ideal choice.
Homeland Security employee caught with gun, knife at agency headquarters, officials say – “Jonathan Wienke, and analyst in the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, allegedly carried the weapons into the building on the morning of June 9. Court documents filed by the federal government state that investigators have probable cause to believe Wienke ‘was conspiring with another to commit workplace violence, and more particularly may have been conspiring or planning to commit violence against senior DHS officials in the building.'” Hmm. He could have been planning a man-caused disaster.
Union Chief Calls For More ‘Militarization’ Of Local Police In Wake Of Mass Shootings – “’Critics questioned whether the responses using such equipment ‘seemed’ heavy-handed and whether the Pentagon should continue providing surplus gear to local police departments for free,’ Hofstetter said. ‘The mass murder in Orlando, San Bernardino, and other incidents where local police had to engage and trade gunfire with heavily armed suspects should put a rest to those criticisms.'”
Equal-Opportunity Bullets – “I have a confession. I hate all guns. I hate every gun from an AR-15 to a B.B. gun to a SuperSoaker. I have even grown a slight disdain for my once-favorite video games like ‘Call of Duty’ or ‘Goldeneye.’ I am well aware that I’m an anomaly or a glitch in the Matrix. America’s “gun freedom” is worshiped and has become synonymous with other ‘freedom’ propaganda like ‘religious freedom.'” It takes real chutzpah to put scare quotes around ‘freedom’ and ‘religious freedom’ but Mr.
Second bear hunt could be approved today – “Bears are amazingly tolerant and shy around people for the most part,” said Thomas Eason, (Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission) director of habitat and species conservation. ‘It’s when food becomes readily available (that) they get lured into human use areas. First they show up as sightings and they stay in that area because they’re being rewarded.’ The state has been getting more than 6,000 bear calls a year recently, compared to a few hundred calls a year a decade ago.”
Well of course they want more soldier stuff. It worked SOOOO well in Orlando… an armed clubhopper coulda’ done the same.
At least those officers were all safe and tucked into bed after their shift. If they didn’t wait, they might have gotten hurt.
I wondered why the comments section on the anti gun article was empty. Then I tried to post one and found out all comments are ‘moderated’ (translation: agree or we don’t post it).
All the MRAPS in the world don’t make up for a three hour delay.
Speed. Surprise. Violence of action. It’s not just for DGUs.
So true . . . and so sad.
Yeah all the gear in the world doesn’t matter if the people behind it are useless as sparkplugs on a birthday cake.
In terms of equal opportunity bullets violence may be misrepresented considering that besides suicides there are demographics that are far more likely to be killed with a firearm than others.
“Sparkplugs on a birthday cake”? That’s good stuff…
I posted a rebuttal on the Jackson Free Press. I wonder if it will get through their moderators/censors:
As a lawyer, you should know to do your research.
First, the NRA does not represent the gun manufacturing industry, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) does. The NRA represents the interests of its 5 million members specifically, and the interests of gun owners generally.
Second “assault weapons” are a very small percentage of injuries and death caused by guns. At least the FBI says so, and it has collected those stats for years–and posts them on the internet for all to see. Do your research.
Third, with approximately 350,000,000 firearms in circulation in the US right now, if all manufacturers were forced to close tomorrow, there would be no appreciable effect on the availability of illegal (i.e., stolen) guns for at least decades, if not longer. A well-maintained firearm can remain in service for a century or more.
Fourth, the Second Amendment is not ” the right to bear arms against a “well-regulated militia,” as this is not even close to quoting the language of the Amendment. To rephrase in modern terms, “a well-trained militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people in their individual sovereign capacities to keep and bear arms so that they may effectuate this necessity shall not be limited.” As you should know (since it says so in the first line of the Constitution), the States and the People were the two sovereigns who formed the federal government; and the intent of the original governmental structure was that the feds were to be subservient to their creators. And yes, the federal government guaranteeing the right of the people to keep and bear arms was intended as a defense against governmental tyranny–the same type of tyranny the founding fathers had just defeated. You learned that in Con Law, didn’t you? I did. And it would seem that the entire US Supreme Court agreed with the basic premise that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual, not a collective right. Which you, as a lawyer, should also know if you’ve read D.C. v. Heller.
Fifth, and in closing, your contention that America’s “gun culture” is a culture of violence, which supports your belief that banning guns will reduce violence. That is just plain dreaming. Violence is as human as Adam and Even–or Cain if you prefer. The story of human history is an epic of warfare and slaughter, usually on much grander scale that the 10,000 or so gun murders in the US each year. Take as an example England; while it has little gun violence, because it has few illegal guns, it has a massive problem with physical assaults and knife crime. Even though Jolly Old England measures crime stats differently (basing them on convictions, not arrests as in the US) the violent crime rate is five times higher. Just check the annual stats maintained by the Home Office, and yes, they are on line too.
I may not have gone to as fancy a law school as you did, but I do know how to do my research. Nor I do allow my emotions to effect my analysis, as your fear of guns seems to have yours.
Don’t hold your breath.
I wasn’t planning to. In fact, I am pretty sure that it won’t. Emotion is so much more persuasive than facts, and these guys get all emotional if you show they have no facts.
Well, if the facts are in your favor, pound on the facts. If emotion is in your favor, pound on the emotions. If nothing is in your favor, pound on the table.
I see lots and lots of table pounding in the anti’s camp…
I didn’t find your comment until I had drafted my own response to that execrable Jackson Free Press article. Perhaps mine was more emotional than factual. Judge for yourself:
As an American, it’s hard to read screeds like this, especially coming from a fellow countryman.
The tone-deaf and self-righteous calling out of the infamous Gun Lobby (note the capitalization!) is one thing. The scare quotes around freedom and religious freedom is another. The preening pretentious virtue signaling of feigned concern for people under the banner of LGBT, when it the thing that would surely have saved the men in Orlando is effective, firearm-assisted self defense, is just icing on the cake.
I wonder if the author’s implacable disregard for those of us who rely upon force multipliers to protect ourselves and our loved ones from those intent on doing evil unto us is simply due to his reactionary and unthinking habit? Has he considered the woman who has saved herself from rape and assault by the use (often only display!) of firearms? What about the disabled, the old, and the infirm who have repelled armed home robbers, not with harsh language and appeals to the robber’s better nature, but with hot, flying lead? Many of these people are saved every day by their own self-governing impulse as protected, at least partially for now, by our Constitution.
The scorn that the author heaps upon those who still love liberty and, as inscribed on the flag of the great state of Virginia, firmly state sic semper tyrannis is deplorable. The bigoted hate that the author shows for his fellows is simply revolting. The indifference he shows to the natural rights of persons is frightful. Does he think that his right to speak these ludicrous and outlandish ideas is defended by nothing more than words? No, Mr. McLemore, your rights (at least those that are still recognized) are, in the end, protected by force; by men and women with firearms and the will to use them.
I, for one, fervently pray that Mr. McLemore man never finds himself in a position where he can lord his edicts over others and tyrannize them with his hateful disdain. A man (or woman) who so hates his neighbor that he would deny them their basic human rights is despicable and unworthy to be even a dog catcher or meter maid.
Mr. McLemore, there are still some people in the world who love liberty. Many of them are in the United States but there still many more the world over. The liberty to act in accordance with one’s conscience, the liberty to effectively defend one’s self when assaulted, and the liberty, nay, the “duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security”. These are just some of the liberties that people have braved sickness, death, and destruction to secure for us and many of us have not forgotten it.
I love liberty and I love my neighbors, Mr. McLemore and therefore I love the United States. I’m sorry that you don’t share these sentiments but I hope that you may come to value them and defend them before they are gone. Until then, those of us who still desire life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness must consider people like you as our dearly loved opponents, who must not be hated but pitied.
As is common with all these people, they want only one way speech, their speech no one else’s.
They blew away all the comments. Why even have a comment section?
::clapping:: (with the caveat that DC v. Heller was a 5-4 decision)
The entire court of 9 justices agreed that it was an individual right. The 4 just didn’t want to restrict the control of the government, and said as much.
An excellent rebuttal, except for “…the entire US Supreme Court agreed…” The correct figure is “56% of the Supreme Court”.
Others beat me to it, but I’ll still say it:
“Military” hardware for Police departments doesn’t do shit to help if it doesn’t get used in a quick, decisive manner when there’s a situation that necessitates it.
Bearcats/MRAPs are fine and dandy, but again, they aren’t much use to victims of a shooting if the cops operating them sit with their thumbs up their asses for hours.
Check the giant nerf gun. The thing shoots 100 yards!
Oh, yeah.
And does that on just 80 psi.
Imagine what it could do on a 3,000 psi scuba tank, like one of those small ‘Spare Air’ pony bottles…
An anti material nerf gun….
I think you just described the North Korean missile program.
The DHS employee had a 3 inch blade and a .22 revolver with deadly hollow point bullets. I’m glad they averted another major terrorist attack!
Mr. Colion Noir has a spectacular rebuttal to the Orlando anti-gun response.
https://youtu.be/_PFc_2z0buo
Worth your 5min
So the Guardian has a list of “1000 mass shootings in 1026 days.” I saw my town on there, and I didn’t remember the incident so I looked it up. April 29th in Ferguson, 4 shot. “Mass shooting” according to the chart, but I looked up the story here:
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2016/04/29/three-injured-in-drive-by-shooting-in-ferguson/
There was only one person shot, a “mother of four”. Her two daughters were also injured, but not by the gun fire, by “shrapnel”. Possibly from dry wall displaced by the drive by shooting. The article does not give details. Even if you count the two daughters that still makes only 3.
How many more are wrong? Half? More?
“Most gun owners are not committing crimes.” You know that had to hurt when she wrote that.
No, it didn’t hurt. The whole article was a condescending piece of shit.
Hahaha! Well tell us how you really feel.
Although the hoplophobe is technically correct with the statistics of more Americans being killed by guns since 1970 than all the wars combined it is not at all what it seems. Take into consideration that 50-60% of those deaths are suicides, then add to that the bodies of bad guys shot and killed and you get a much more realistic picture of “gun violence” in America. It is not an epidemic as the liberals want you to believe. Your chances of getting shot and killed by a bad guy are actually pretty low. On the other hand I believe that the chances of the US government becoming drunk on power and eventually trying to force it’s citizens to become subjects in my lifetime is very high. It’s happening now. I own pistols to fight off criminals. I own AR-15’s to fight off a corrupt government.
For every American murdered by a firearm, 25 to 40 are murdered by careless, incompetent and lazy “Healthcare Professionals”. Maybe the Guardian should write about that disaster.
I agree, the vast majority of guns are owned and cared for by responsible people. The super majority of people who own guns do not use them in crimes. That doesn’t preclude doing our level best as a society to keeping guns away from those who want to use them for crimes. The NRA said this weekend that terrorists should not be able to buy arms. The logical conclusion or maybe a tiny first step would be to ban those on the terrorism watch list from purchasing guns. I’m in total agreement that due process must be considered to protect from a tyrannical government. There is a middle ground. The 72 hour waiting period proposed for that is not reasonably doable. Just as the government needs has to go to court to for a search warrant, a citizen should have the right to question being labeled a terrorist in a court of law. Perhaps having a gun review court in each state to timely consider any violations of due process. To flatly say NO to any workable solution is senseless and irresponsible. We all must work together to reign in abuses and to protect our citizenry.
72 hours is plenty of time to produce probable cause against someone the feds supposedly already keep a dossier on. Haven’t you ever heard the expression “a grand jury would indict a ham sandwich?” They don’t say that because probable cause is a high bar.
Fifth Amendment: An Overview
The Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides, “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”
Amendment VI
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
Amendment XIV
Section 1.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Oh and democide has killed far more than “gun violence” has. Becareful what you wish for.
‘The mass murder in Orlando, San Bernardino, and other incidents where local police had to engage and trade gunfire with heavily armed suspects should put a rest to those criticisms.’”
The MRAP would not have helped in Orlando and even the cops think that some of the Pulse casualties were caused by the cops.
Not waiting 3 hours might have been more helpful.
One of my regular comments in silly Internet debates is “Just like yesterday, 300 million guns in the U.S. didn’t commit a crime today.”
Bingo. With over 300 million weapons and Lord knows how many rounds of ammo in this country, if guns were the problem, it would be abundantly clear!
Most federal employees are barred from being armed in their workplaces, under pain of some pretty nasty penalties. Generally leaving a firearm in their car is a non-starter too.
I have to wonder how many are quietly bringing them in anyway so as to not be completely defenseless when the next terrorist happens to choose their site to “make a statement.”
“It is defined as the right to bear arms against a “well-regulated militia,” a phrase that plays to the paranoia of a large amount of American citizens. It has led many reasonable Americans to believe their guns are the last line of defense between them and government tyranny.”
Wow, this guy doesn’t even have basic reading comprehension! I see he went to two law schools. I hope he didn’t pass the bar.
That picture of a bunch of T-Shirt wearing cops riding on the OUTSIDE of an armored vehicle is hillarious.
Have the government issue us all MRAPS and full auto and then we’ll talk.
Comments are closed.