The Gun Store courtesy myspace.com

This was the closing item in yesterday’s Daily Digest but many of you felt it was so important it should have been the first item listed. So in case some of you fell asleep before getting to it last night, here it is again:  GUN CONTROL ACTION ALERT!!! The Gov of Nevada has set up a hotline asking whether or not he should veto a proposed gun control bill….he has opened it up to out of state callers since it would impact everyone…Mayor Bloomberg has asked his minions to call in supporting the legislation we need to call in opposing it 775-684-5670 press #2 to ask for the veto…it takes 15 seconds…just make the call!!  The hotline has caught the attention of both The Examiner and The Huffington Post, with each putting their on special spin on it. Meanwhile . . .

NBC tells us “a New Jersey police officer is being held on $1 million bail after he was charged with shooting and killing a man on a Maryland highway in an alleged road rage incident.” The two got into an altercation while driving, both pulled over, the victim got out of his car and walked toward the off-duty cop, who pulled out a .45 GLOCK and shot him. Allegedly. Keep in mind that most states that are instituting stricter gun control laws want to exempt police officers (both active and retired) from those laws.

The New York Times is lauding the Chicago PD for “tamping down retaliatory shootings between gang factions …[and] focusing on more than 400 people they have identified as having associations that make them the most likely to be involved in a murder, as a victim or an offender. ” Homicides are down 34 percent in Chi-town so far this year (a decrease of 76 over the same time last year).  They say this is because “in recent months, as many as 400 officers a day, working overtime, have been dispatched to just 20 small zones deemed the city’s most dangerous.” It’s amazing how the crime rate drops when police actually do their job and pay attention to high-crime areas.  “[I]t is unclear whether the months of lessened violence will generate a lasting trend, particularly given a spring of rainy, chilly weather here that some experts say may have kept people off the streets and contributed to the relative calm.” Yes, there is that.

UCLA Law Professor Adam Winkler says gun laws will never stop people like Adam Lanza or John Zawahiri from going on shooting sprees. He told KNX news radio, “I don’t think there’s any gun control law we can adopt that’s gonna stop a crazed madman from killing a lot of people.” And as far as gun rights supporters saying the more people who have guns, the safer the public will be particularly in “gun-free zones,” he says, “There’s certainly some logic to it…if more people are armed, there’s likely to be someone who might stand up and defend themselves.” Of course, then he equivocates, saying the more people who have guns, the more likely there will be accidental shootings or confusion when the police show up at a crime scene and we need to take steps to “reduce the daily death toll from firearms violence.”

The MSM and the Justice Department apparently aren’t the only people interested in getting their hands on lists of concealed gun permit holders. The Republican Party of Virginia has requested the personal information of permit holders from circuit courts across the Commonwealth. They say they just want the information “to send campaign materials to like-minded voters.” Sorry dudes, but if it’s not OK to request this kind of information to publish it, it shouldn’t be OK to use it to build a junk mail list that could easily be copied and/or sold.

Strobridge Elementary School in Hayward, California held their big toy gun “buyback” on Saturday. Students who turned in their “dangerous toys” were given a book and a chance to win a bicycle. Interestingly, the news story that touts the program omits how many (or few) toys were actually turned in. Their attitude toward these toys has to make you wonder how my generation, brought up on Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Cisco Kid and other shoot-’em-up westerns, and for whom getting toy cap guns or BB guns was a highlight of every Christmas, managed to make it this far without going on rampages and killing off large parts of the population.  (Warning: Watching the video at the link may trigger an extreme gag reflex and could result in throwing up in your mouth a little.)

On the other hand, Dr. Leonard Sax , a Pennsylvania psychologist and family physician told Fox News that “These zero-tolerance [gun] policies [in schools] are psychotic, in the strict sense of the word: psychotic means ‘out of touch with reality.’” He explains further:  “Out-of-touch policies such as these, which criminalize behaviors which have always been common among young kids, are contributing to the growing proportion of American kids, especially boys, who regard school as a stupid waste of time and who can’t wait to get out of school so that they can get back to playing their video games.”

And in Washington State, the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility and other advocates of more background checks are working to bypass the legislative process and make the issue a state ballot initiative. They have to collect about 246,000 valid signatures before Jan. 3 in order to qualify. If they get enough signatures, lawmakers will have the option of adopting the measure; otherwise it will be on the ballot in November 2014 for the voters to decide. This bears watching because if it succeeds there, you can bet it’ll be tried elsewhere.

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43 COMMENTS

  1. Mercury News reports:

    “More than 200 people attended Saturday’s safety fair at Strobridge. Students turned in an estimated 50 to 75 toy guns in exchange for a chance to win one of four bicycles, and everyone who attended received a book.”

      • How much did the gun store pay to have their logo placed here? It is one of the Worst places for a local to go to. The staff is arrogant, NO ONE can have more knowledge than they have, yet they CANNOT answer simple questions about what they have in stock.

        I was sold the wrong item, when I went back to return it, I was told to get out, and they denied even selling me the item, even after seeing the reciept. Bunch of punk kids that think.

    • One chance in 20 to win a bike, for that I could find a cheep toy gun. Maybe half a dozen to increase the chance to win.

    • “a chance to win…” Gasp!!!! =:-O They’re training the kids to gamble! This Must Be Stopped!!!!!
      (end sarcasm)

  2. Is it wrong to vote more than once? I have OCD, and I just had to call five times. It’s cathartic. Actually it’s a medical condition, so it’s ok.

  3. “Interestingly, the news story that touts the program omits how many (or few) toys were actually turned in.”

    Did they get any toy hand grenades or bazookas? I mean thats a big deal at these buy backs isnt it? lol

  4. Just because a majority of (Washington state) voters approve a gun-control bill does not make it any less unconstitutional. This country is a not a democracy; it is a constitutional republic. The Constitution and the Bill Of Rights were written to establish the kind of government that would protect the god given rights of individuals from the overbearing desires/fears/etc. of the majority. Let me say that another way – In this country, the will of the majority does not override the rights of the individual. The SCOTUS has overruled when it determined that the results of a general election violated the Constitution, and should do so in this case if necessary.

  5. As I told my wife in January after a disappointing trip to the local gun store, “Homicides will plummet in Chicago this year. There’s no freaking ammo, and the ammo that exists is being hoarded by suburban gun guys (like me). But, of course, CPD will take credit for it.”. Fast forward a few months ….

    • + 100

      Only place with decent amount of ammo I’ve seen is mega sport in Plainfield, still was half as much as last year this time.

      • GAT in East Dundee is also a decent source. GAT and Mega are about it though. And you have to be there on a good day if you want 9mm or .22 lr. Cabelas or Bass Pro? Nothing but the occasional 10 mm or .45. Everywhere else? Range ammo only. I have taken to buying range ammo, using half of what I buy, and then stashing the leftovers and heading home. Sad.

    • And if you are right then that is a great argument for ammo restrictions.

      And gun control in general… the idea being that you can never stop a determined premeditated killer, but if you put enough restrictions on something then the half-hearted or lazy or spur-of-the-moment killers won’t complete their plans. And that could possibly count for a majority.

      • That notion didn’t escape me. Which is why I am glad that the Chicago politicians will never allow a reduction in homicides to be credited to anything except for their brilliant police strategies.

      • And I do expect any decline in homicides that can be attributed to the ammo shortage to be temporary in nature. When a good becomes scarce, be it due to market forces or government regulation, a profit margin is created that will eventually lead to a secondary market.

        • I shudder to think of the ethical implications of teaching gang bangers how to load ammunition on a press, and yet I wonder what they might pay for such a ‘miracle in the basement’. . .

        • Gang members probably wouldn’t reload, unless they’re using revolvers. Can you imagine hanging out after a shootout policing brass?

  6. There were more bike related deaths involving a child than firearms. Does that mean the Principal is actually putting her students in danger?

  7. The cop from Jersey should have killed his victim with a 9mm. Then the bail would only be $500,000.

  9. And in Washington State, the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility and other advocates of more background checks are working to bypass the legislative process and make the issue a state ballot initiative. They have to collect about 246,000 valid signatures before Jan. 3 in order to qualify. If they get enough signatures, lawmakers will have the option of adopting the measure; otherwise it will be on the ballot in November 2014 for the voters to decide. This bears watching because if it succeeds there, you can bet it’ll be tried elsewhere.

    I’ll be watching this. I wouldn’t be too surprised if it got 246,000 signatures – there are ~ 600k people in Seattle alone, and a lot of those people are Democrats. However given the political climate in Olympia right now, and the demise of previous gun control legislation, I doubt it will pass.

    If they don’t make 246,000 signatures, it’s safe to say it will probably die.

    Still, I’ll be watching, very carefully.

    • It’s pretty much guaranteed they’ll get the signatures. They’re extremely well funded and there will be a big push in the Seattle area for it. Then it’s on to main event. We can’t be complacent about this because they will push hard and dump huge amounts of cash.

        • And the award for most ignoring their own name goes to MoveOn. I bet they still bash Bush over there.

      • You’re probably right – I wouldn’t be surprised if, with their funding, they got the signatures. What this means is, we need to flood Olympia with letters and phone calls when this legislation goes to the Capital.

        We need to kill this bill, now.

  10. Sorry dudes, but if it’s not OK to request this kind of information to publish it, it shouldn’t be OK to use it to build a junk mail list that could easily be copied and/or sold.

    It’s funny how people who think we’re friends and thus they should get a pass get petulant when I tell them no.

  11. From the Strobridge Elementary toy gun buyback video:

    “As they get older, it becomes just a natural thing. If they have a real gun in their hand they’ll pull the trigger just as quick. I mean they don’t fear it.” – Principal Charles Hill

    Actually, they do “fear” it due to people’s screaming overreactions. You’re teaching them to fear it. The proper course of action is to teach them to respect guns, not fear them. Fear leads to panicked phone calls about umbrellas and shotgun mics. Respect leads to people acting like grownups.

    • No… Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to the dark side. It doesn’t get any darker than the hearts of the grabber!

      • I must object. Fear leads to Anger. anger leads to hate. hate leads to suffering. that is the dark side.

      • Fear only turns to anger when it receives denial from the spirit rather than loving understanding. Fear is your Friend. Fear is the Divine Protection that our Creator provided us with. Fear is part of your sensory system, sort of a DEW line for not-quite-imminent danger.

        It’s wired in. The cave-guy around the campfire who wasn’t afraid of the unknown went wandering into the forest in the dark and got eaten, so didn’t reproduce.

        But don’t just “dispel” your fear. The way to “conquer” fear of the unknown is to make the unknown known.

    • “As they get older, it becomes just a natural thing. If they have a real gun in their hand they’ll pull the trigger just as quick. I mean they don’t fear it.” – Principal Charles Hill

      This is psychotic. No, really, this man should not be free in society without medication.

      I had toy guns as a child. I’ve been in the military where a rifle was my constant companion. I don’t fear guns, but fear of guns isn’t what keeps people from pulling the trigger. It’s a desire not to destroy whatever the gun happens to be pointed at. I’ve lived with my hands all my life, and I don’t fear them, but that doesn’t mean I can’t stop myself from punching everyone and everything in sight.

  13. Re: Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility
    Questions for the adult age males:
    Are you aware that it’s your personal Moral obligation and Duty as a Citizen to provide yourself with, and to keep and bear arms for defense of self, family, other persons, property, possession and State and Nation as required?
    Do you own a firearm, ammunition for it, know how to safely handle and shoot it, and keep and bear your firearm as part of your own Moral obligation and Duty as a Citizen?
    If not, please state your excuse.

    Questions for adult males as proponents of the initiative:
    Are you aware that the form of government established in these United States is that of a Constitutional Republic?
    Are you aware that embodied within your State Constitution and the Constitution of the United States are declarations and enumerations of specific ‘Rights’, which all persons in government are Morally, ethically and legally bound by Constitutional Contract to Secure for the Citizens?
    And within this Compact between those in government and the Citizens, are you aware of the Moral, legal and ethical duty of persons in government to avoid any interference with Citizens in fulfilling their Obligations and Duties to provide, and to keep and bear arms for defense?
    Are you aware, remotely or otherwise, of the consistent value to society of an armed Citizenry as a constant deterrent to both potential and actual criminal activity?

    Please define the word ‘Rights’ in the context of the following statement from the Constitution of Washington State:
    “The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.” Art. I, § 24 (enacted 1889).
    Please explain how a reasonable person would not view this state ballot initiative as any less than an overt act of intentionally attempting to circumvent the legally-binding principles of a Constitutional Republic, and is not clearly a violation of the declared ‘Rights’ of your fellow Citizens.
    Do you believe strongly enough in the necessity of the laws you’ve proposed that you’d be willing to enforce them yourself?

    Final points of consideration:
    Are the gun control laws currently in place being enforced?
    If you were an armed criminal, would you support or oppose this initiative?

  14. The Arizona Governor seeks the opinion of people who don’t live in AZ (possibly not even citizens) to help decide whether to veto a gun bill? What am I doing in this handbasket and where are you taking me?

  15. How Timely!(/sarc) I called, was on hold long enough to read down to the part about the mailing lists, and the nice young lady kindly informed me that the governor vetoed the bill last Thursday. 🙂 That would be 6/13/13.

    I asked her to give the governor my best wishes and congratulations and have a nice day etc. 🙂

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