Category: Anti-Gun Folks

Jon Lowy, Senior Attorney for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Ownership:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGoML18GTXw[/youtube]

Courtesy of Jacob

Thirdpower takes the VPC to task for arguing that DC’s gun laws are a model for the nation.  VPC has never hidden the fact that their agenda is to end civilian ownership of firearms in this country.  One thing Thirdpower quoted:

Likewise, after 112 people were killed in 11 mass shootings in a decade, Australia collected and destroyed 700,000 firearms determined to be designed to kill many people quickly. Australia has not seen another mass shooting while its firearm homicide and firearm suicide rates have declined.

Of course, many of those firearms designed to kill as many people as possible were semi-automatic shotguns, commonly used in the shotgun sports, and the veritable Ruger 10/22, semi-automatic target rifle that fires a .22LR.  Australia did pass a firearms ban based on function; all semi-automatic firearms are illegal there.

Paul is calling the candidates to action. You have to figure after two mass shootings, if he can’t get even Hillary to talk about gun control, times are bleak indeed for the gun control movement.

Face is Paul, the Democrats have run from the issue. Don’t get me wrong, I still think Hillary is your best friend ever, but she knows that if the Parker decision goes the wrong way (i.e. the way you want it to) that gun owners will be very motivated, and very pissed. No Democrat is going to go out on that limb!

You also have to figure it’s probably frustrating as hell for them to not have a single legislative achievement at the federal level in 14 years. They try to push a bill, after the worst mass shooting in our nation’s history, that makes so many concessions to gun owners that the NRA doesn’t have any problem with it, and they still can’t get it through Congress because the Brady name and cause have become so politically poisonous that even a whiff of their involvement is enough to send Congress running.

It’s also frustrating that when a UPS employee raised concerns on September 13 about the “multiple boxes” of ammunition the Colorado shooter had delivered to his postal box, police officers said there was nothing illegal. No limits on the number of guns; no limits on ammunition; very minimal limits on the type of guns – no wonder we have problems.

Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke, Should The Public Be Able To Get The Types Of Guns We Use In Iraq?

How many of us here have multiple boxes of ammunition delivered to our front door when we buy in bulk? With implying he’s looking for limits on numbers of guns and ammunition people can buy, you’d almost think they are looking to revive Brady II. Face it Paul, it’s not happening. You might have help from your friends in the media spreading your organizations bullshit, and let’s face it, you’re trying to mislead the public.

UPDATE: Armed and Safe has more.

Looks like CeaseFire Pennsylvania is naming former spokesman for Mayor Street Joe Grace to their Executive Director post:

“We’re hiring Joe Grace because it’s time for CeaseFire PA to take its growing coalition in support of stronger handgun laws to the next level,” Goldsmith said. “As CeaseFire PA takes its campaign to communities across Pennsylvania, it needs an experienced campaign strategist who understands what it takes to achieve results. Joe is that person and we’re pleased to welcome him aboard.”

Joe succeeds Diane Edbril, who has served as part-time executive director.

“Diane has done a wonderful job. But our growth requires a full-time individual at the helm. I am delighted she will continue on a part-time basis to work with Joe as we further our mission to make communities safer,” Goldsmith said.

I’m not a professional political analyst or anything, but my take on this is that CeaseFire PA has decided they need someone a little more dedicated to be able to make any movement at all in Pennsylvania. Their defeat in the Judiciary Committee a few weeks ago clearly did not go unnoticed by the powers that be in the Pennsylvania gun ban movement.

Grace served for the last two and ½ years as communications director for Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street. In that role he interacted with mayors from across Pennsylvania on the issue of growing violence caused by illegal handguns, and with the national coalition of mayors focused on reducing gun violence headed by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Tom Menino.

I’m not sure I’d trust a guy that directed Street’s communication. I guess the FBI felt that Street communicated pretty well though, or they wouldn’t have bugged his office.

But what’s this growing crap? CeaseFire PA is growing? I mean, maybe 2007 is going to be a bumper year for them, but based on their IRS 990s (search “CeaseFire Pennsylvania”), I wouldn’t exactly brag. In 2004, they recorded total assets of $17,673, and in 2005 reported $24,201. My total assets exceeded that when I was living in an apartment in my mid 20s. Also for 2005, they list direct public support of about 31 large, which was down from 2004, listed at about 40 large.

Just for some comparison, in 2006, Allegheny County Sportsmens League had $186 grand in assets, and 43,267 in contributions.  That was up over 2005 with 180 grand in assets and 38 grand in contributions.

Of course, they are one of many Pennsylvania gun rights organizations.   Gun control in Pennsylvania growing?  I’m afraid only in Ed Rendell’s mind.  The numbers say otherwise.

I’m going to partly agree with a Brady Campaign person, on the issue of airsoft guns:

You see, Santa, many of these guns are nearly exact replicas of real handguns in both appearance and feel, even if they do fire cute little colored “pellets” instead of real bullets. I know you understand handguns aren’t toys and that they are lethal, hand-held machines made solely to kill another human. So why would you put a pellet-firing replica into the hands of a child as if it were a toy?

There’s a lot of gun hating rhetoric and fear mongering in this article, but I will say that some parents buy airsoft guns for their kids without enough proper instruction as to the safe handling of firearms and air guns, and without proper supervision.

While I wouldn’t support any laws restricting airsoft guns, I do think parents need to use common sense and make sure their kids are educated enough to know that airsoft guns are not toys.  They look like real guns, and they can injure if used improperly.

I think playing airsoft is fine for older kids under the proper supervision of adults, using proper safety equipment, and at a facility designated for that purpose.  It’s fine to expose children to both firearms and air guns, provided they are properly trained and educated on safe use by a responsible adult.  I not only think it’s fine, I think it’s something every parent should think about.

Tim Heyne might think it’s best for parents to never expose kids to guns, but guns are with us now, and always will be in some fashion.  It’s best if the kids aren’t ignorant, and know how to be safe.

Pennlive has some coverage of the Governor’s dog and pony show.  I see our friend Lynn Hoffman showed up to plug his book, which is a work of fiction where the protagonist engages in vandalism against  rights supporters.

This blogger seems to think the mall shooting is the NRA’s fault. I have to wonder who’s fault they think the thwarted church massacre was? Or who’s fault this is? But Europe has a lower violent crime rate than we do, so it must be the guns! I pointed out that some countries with gun prohibitions have very high violent crime rates, and that others that have a lot of gun possession are relatively crime free.

The thing is, I don’t deny that cultural factors influence violent crime rates. The American criminal culture can be remarkably violent, especially in cities. But it’s hard for me to agree that it’s the guns when states like Vermont are awash with them, and jurisdictions like Washington D.C., in theory, are supposed to be gun free.

I fully believe if you flooded Germany or the UK with firearms, they’d still have murder rates lower than the US. Culturally, their criminals murder less often. I don’t know why that is, but I’m not betting it’s because they end up saying “Damn, I’d kill this guy if I had a gun, but I can’t get one, so I guess he lives today.”

If you comment there, be polite.