Bitter – Page 115 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Don’t Take the Election Results for Granted

Inspired by an ongoing general email conversation with reader Adam Z., I was inspired to look at the challenges we could still face here in Pennsylvania to pass a clean Castle Doctrine bill this term. I’ve seen more than a few comments from gun owners that assume pro-gun legislation is in the bag & anti-gun bills are no threat at all simply because the Republicans have control of the House, Senate, & Governor’s office.

The fact is that we ran out of time on the bill because opponents were building up support among Republican leaders for anti-gun amendments while the bill was in a Senate committee. The committee chair voted for one of those amendments out on the Senate floor. Guess what gun owners? That guy is still in charge. A new member of the committee had this to say about Castle Doctrine last year:

Yeah, we still have hurdles, folks. If you live in Pennsylvania & your Senator’s name isn’t on this page, then get on the phone. If your Senator’s name is on that page, make sure he/she knows that you want a clean bill & no anti-gun or anti-hunting amendments added to it. It’s time to get Castle Doctrine passed.

UPDATE: Well, that didn’t take long. Here’s the news from NRA on this final evening before the hearing:

Anti-gun groups are working to attach a laundry-list of bad amendments to SB 273 tomorrow. We already know F-rated state Senator Daylin Leach (D-17) will be offering the so-called â€œFlorida Loopholeâ€ amendment which would prohibit the use of out of state Right-to-Carry permits by Pennsylvania residents while inside the Commonwealth. Once again this is an attempt by anti-gun zealots to torpedo this much-needed reform and we cannot allow that to happen.

The Fine Line Between Fundraising Writing & BS

There’s an art to writing copy for an effective fundraising letter. It differs based on the medium, and it needs to stay within certain guidelines that I like to refer to as “reality.” There’s the kind of reality we talk about here to those of you who read and are relatively well informed about the issues. There’s also a kind of reality used in fundraising letters that’s often a bit on the scare tactic side, but it’s also meant to showcase very real threats that are technically on the horizon for those who don’t really pay attention to what’s happening in the various political debates. It’s not BS if the group is actually working on those issues. It is BS if a group is fundraising off of those issues and not actually in a position to do a damned thing about it.

So imagine my surprise when the National Association of Gun Rights started running Facebook ads with a petition to stop the UN from passing a small arms treaty. The ad linked to a fundraising appeal by a Congressman that says you must give to the “National Association for Gun Rights so [they] can fight for your gun rights and defeat the U.N. Small Arm’s Treaty.” Oh really? A Congressman who has no authority over treaties plans to work with a group that has no presence at the UN to stop unaccountable diplomats with an online petition? That is going to be some show.

Before you start in with rants about NRA fundraising using the UN as a basis for their appeals, I’ll point out one big freakin’ difference in the situations. The NRA is actually an official NGO at the UN so that they can work on this issue. They’ve been working that front for 15 years. In other words, when you respond to that appeal from NRA, your money is going to an organization that is actually able to fight it – with more than just an online petition & Congressman who has no authority over the issue.

Criminal Cartoons

I’m sorry, but this made me laugh out loud:

A wise reader wonders if the appearance of the PBS childrenâ€™s-series character â€œArthurâ€ at a press conference with House Democrats runs afoul of the Hatch Act. …

If the â€œArthurâ€ is a federal employee, the Hatch Act permits federal employees to â€œattend and be active at political rallies and meetings,â€ so that would seem to cover it. But the Hatch Act also prohibits â€engaging in political activity while in official uniform.â€ Obviously, this provision is most frequently applied to military personnel.

This sounds like the kind of discussion I would get into with friends after a few drinks. It’s silly to ponder on one hand, but as Geraghty points out, it still represents a problem of taxpayer-funded employees being used to lobby for more taxpayer funds. It happens all the time.

The Numbers Landscape for 2012

We have another US Senate race in Pennsylvania. With the incumbent Bob Casey being a fairly mild fellow, it could go either way. However, he should probably rethink his political brand just a bit with these numbers coming out today:

Sen. Bob Casey Jr. has a 44 – 24 percent approval rating, but even after four years in office, 31 percent of the state’s voters are undecided about him.

I guess the fact that nearly 1/3 of the electorate has no opinion on him after 4 years is not a completely bad thing. At the 7 month mark, not even his own staff knew if he was alive.

The True Cause of Gun Violence

It’s time for the Brady Campaign to close up shop. The Violence Policy Center can stop Googling their “research.” CeaseFire PA doesn’t need to put in the miles to drive to Harrisburg anymore. Why? Thanks to the insights of a teenager, we have identified the root problem of irresponsible & criminal behavior with guns.

A Super Bowl party being thrown by teenagers got out of hand in Brookline after fights broke out and a shot was fired, police said.

The juvenile who threw the party at his Creedmore Avenue home on Feb. 6 told Channel 11 News alcohol was being consumed at the party, but that it shouldnâ€™t have been there. …

â€œIf only the Steelers had won, none of this probably would have happened,â€ said the teen who threw the party.

That’s right, we can solve the problem of violence by making the Steelers win every single game. The shooting couldn’t possibly be blamed on teens who shouldn’t have been having a Super Bowl party with drinks to begin with. It’s also impossible to believe that the teen who fired the gun already had a warrant out for his arrest. A bunch of juvenile delinquents who won’t accept responsibility for any of their actions & view fighting as a reasonable solution to problems – nah, that couldn’t be to blame. It’s all on the Steelers.

In the Jury’s Hands

About an hour ago, the jury started deliberations in the Gerald Ung case.

The jury of six men and six women began their review shortly before noon after receiving instructions in the law from Judge Glynnis Hill on the charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and a gun charge.

I don’t even know what to think of this case anymore. When the prosecutor started advocating for warning shots in downtown Philly as a reasonable solution in the courtroom, it went beyond weird. It proves that there is no way for a lawful gun owner to win in that city while career violent criminals are allowed to roam the streets.

The New EBR

Abby Spangler’s new term for gun parts she doesn’t like is “MASS MURDER MAGAZINES.” The caps are mandatory. MANDATORY.

UPDATE [Sebastian]: Now with a visual

Warm Your Cold Heart

Feeling a little cynical with all the anti-gun bills introduced & discussed at the state & federal level lately? Well, here’s a story to warm your heart.

Kayla R. McMullen never fired a gun before signing up for Wilson High School’s newest sport.

But with a little practice and a steady hand, the 17-year-old junior has become the top shooter on the rifle team.

“I fell in love with it instantly,” she said of the marksmanship competitions. …

Some team members are hunters, but many never touched a gun before.

“We have people who are scholars, to those who are artists, to those who are struggling and we monitor their grades,” May said. “We reach people who would never play in an active sport, to those who fit this in between basketball.”

The principal reached out to the coach to start the team. They note that while other schools in the area are cutting sports, the principal thought it was a great addition to their program, and it doesn’t cost them much since they shoot in a former weight room and use air rifles.

Ignoring the Problems

It’s somehow appropriate that the Mayor of Philadelphia, Michael Nutter, was chosen to give the counterpoint to Chris Cox’s piece in US News. In his call for a magazine ban & “assault weapons” ban, he uses a Philly example to justify the bans.

Since May 2006, eight Philadelphia police officers have been killed in the line of duty, six by gunfire. One, Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, was felled by an assault weapon.

We’ve covered Liczbinski’s killers here before, and it’s time to hold Mayor Nutter accountable. Before becoming mayor, Nutter was part of the City Council since 1992. During the time he has been in office, these murderers were repeatedly put back out onto the streets even as they racked up an impressive 26 combined pages of criminal offenses, the most of which were Nolle Prossed. As shown in his criminal record, if the City of Philadelphia had put the trigger man behind bars for only the firearms charges, he never would have been on the streets to kill Liczbinski in the first place.

Of course, Nutter won’t answer for why Philadelphia keeps putting these killers back out on the street every single day under his leadership. Instead, he hopes some op-eds in favor of more gun control will keep his constituents from asking real questions about his record on crime.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Perhaps you need a little inspiration for sending your loved one an email to share your feelings. In that case, take a peek at the famous email inbox of Elizabeth Bennett. I suggest staying away from the emails of Romeo Montague.

For those of you who absolutely abhor the holiday, perhaps you might find more amusement in the inbox of Yoda.