The Brady Campaign says we’re just people who haven’t committed a crime, yet. And I suppose anyone with a bottle of whisky and a Ford is someone who hasn’t driven drunk, yet.
Category: Anti-Gun Folks
Sensible Gun Laws
Howard Nemerov debunks the Brady Campaign yet again:
Results from this survey were collated with Brady’s 2001 grades. After sorting by gun ownership levels, states were divided roughly into quartiles: under 30% gun ownership rates (12 states); 30-40% (14 states); 40-50% (15 states); and over 50% ownership rates (10 states). There is a clear correlation between low levels of gun ownership and higher Brady grades: Only the first quartile of states, incidentally with the lowest levels of gun ownership (average 16.5%), were rated well by Brady, averaging a grade of B+. Quartiles 2-4 had average grades of D+, D+, and D-, respectively. This indicates that Brady’s definition of “sensible†gun laws equates with laws which restrict or prohibit gun ownership.
Well, I guess they are indeed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership. I do believe that these regulations, especially those like Massachusetts, California, and New Jersey serve to discourage gun ownership. But I also wonder whether these state have historically lower rates of gun ownership that makes gun control more politically feasible. I suspect a combination of both.
New York Times: Shills for the Gun Lobby
The Hysterics Continue
Via Bitter, who links to this fine bit of hysterics on the part of Dennis Herrera, the San Francisco City Attorney:
“In their apparent effort to maximize publicity for their pending challenges, the NRA lawyers’ hastily drafted complaint made glaring legal errors, and asserted facts that are not simply unsupported — but actually contradicted by evidence contained in their own exhibits,†Herrera said. “Their factually slipshod complaint makes plain that this case is a publicity stunt and a frivolous waste of judicial time and resources, which rules of court specifically prohibit. It is clear to me, and I believe it will be clear to the Court, that the NRA has improperly named the City in this action, and that this case is simply an effort to publicly harass their ideological foes.â€
One of the great pleasures of the Heller decision is watching all these people who have thumbed their noses at us for the past two decades become absolutely unhinged over the ruling. It’s better than any freak show.
Mumbles & Bloomy Post-Heller
Looks pretty much like the same agenda they had pre-Heller. Just as a warning to gun owners, everything except the terrorist watch list that they propose probably would be upheld by the courts. And even the terrorist watch list issue I’m not sure about. There’s still a fight to be had.
Agenda Totally In Tact
The “slippery slope,” however, is now gone. The U.S. Supreme Court took it off the table yesterday in their D.C. v. Heller opinion. Government is now barred from “taking away” the guns of law-abiding Americans.
Because of this Court decision, proposals such as Brady background checks on all gun sales, limiting bulk sales of handguns, restricting access to military-style assault weapons, and strengthening the power of law enforcement to shut down corrupt gun dealers can now be debated on their merits without them being seen as a “first step on the road to gun confiscation.”
Yeah, except the slippery slope argument was only ancillary.  I’m still going to argue that you’re wrong, and that the laws are unconstitutional. This changes nothing for us, but it does change a lot for them. Now all these proposals have to answer to a very high level of scrutiny, because, you see, they infringe on fundamental constitutional rights. Time will reveal this.
Helmke Endorses Concealed Carry?
Did he really say that? Why, yes, he did say that. At American-Manifesto:
“Right to carry states are 48 of the 50 states right now…If there are clear restrictions on people [felons and the mentally ill] and to make sure that they know what they’re doing with the gun, that they pass the background checks, that the local police have signed off on it, that’s something that doesn’t cause that many problems.” [emphasis added]
Are the Brady’s retreating on concealed carry? Can you believe he even said that? I guess he was tired indeed, or maybe the Montezuma was getting to him.
Yay! We Lost!
Joe Grace, executive director of CeaseFire PA, continues his string of declaring victory while being devoured by the jaws of defeat.
Bias in the Media
Go see the video Jacob has up, and be outraged. He also has the Brady Campaign reaction.
Making Lemonade
Bryan Miller isn’t too displeased with the ruling. I don’t know why, because as the hottest selling target rifle in country today, it’s hard for me to see how the AR-15 doesn’t pass the “common use” test, but they are banned in New Jersey. Nor do I see how New Jersey’s licensing restrictions, which I do believe meet the definition of “arbitrary and capricious”.
Mr. Miller has won no victory here. You can bet that New Jersey’s licensing scheme will be under the gun in future cases. It’s “assault gun” ban definitely will be at some point. One has to imagine unless Justice Scalia penned the opinion “MACHINE GUNS FOR EVERYONE!” they’d be declaring victory, regardless of how much of a loss it actually is. We have lost no ground, and much of what the gun control movement has worked for is in jeapoardy. Sure, the Supreme Court is likely to uphold challenges to the instant check system, and restrictions on felons, but I don’t think any of us thought that The Court would go that far. Everything else is not decided. I would not be feeling so great if I were Bryan Miller.