Gun Rights – Page 404 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Centers of Gravity

Rightwingprof brought up the issue of urbanization and how it affects Pennsylvania in one of the comments. I thought I’d expand on the issue a bit in terms of how it relates to gun policy in the commonwealth.

According to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania:

2.8 million Pennsylvanians live in rural municipalities, or 24% of the population
64% of municipalities in Pennsylvania are rural.

No doubt that Pennsylvania is already heavy urbanized and suburbanized, but we’ve still maintained pro-gun policies. There is a reason for this.
The political center of gravity of the gun control movement in Pennsylvania is unquestionably Philadelphia. There might be some sympathies for it in some of the other cities, but in any movement you have to worry about it’s center of gravity. Pittsburgh is Pennsylvania’s other big city, and tends not to be as solidly anti-gun. The suburbs of Philadelphia have never been, and still aren’t solidly anti-gun. There are a lot of pro-gun legislators in the suburban districts, and even a few in Philadelphia.

The real danger is rooted in the suburbs going Democratic and becoming more solidly anti-gun, and following the lead of the city. My district recently switched from a pro-gun Republican to a pro-gun Democrat, so we’re safe in that vain, but I also live in the most pro-gun suburban county.

One of the things that really worries me is Delaware County, which is where I grew up. My state legislator there, Tom Gannon, was a long time NRA A rated politician. This past election year he was pushing an anti-gun bill. Granted it was less onerous than a lot of other measures pushed, but it still had the potential to penalize honest gun owners. He still lost his seat to an anti-gun Democrat. Delaware County is traditionally solidly Republican, but that’s changing, and it’s the fifth most populous county in the commonwealth. Reasonably pro-gun Curt Weldon, who represented most of Delaware County and some of Chester County, was also defeated by rabidly anti-gun Joe Sestak.

Is our state making the slow march toward being an anti-gun state? It all depends on whether the anti-gun movement’s center of gravity can grow to encompass the suburban counties. Pennsylvania has 12.3 million residents, and Philadelphia and the suburban counties contain 3.85 million of those, which would be a formidable force in state politics if they all voted in a single block.

Philadelphia has been losing population rather rapidly though, but they are moving to the suburbs, and continuing to vote like Philadelphians. For at least the next decade, our gun rights are safe. Beyond that, I wouldn’t want to place any bets.

The Answer is Gun Control

I wish more psychologists were like Dr. Helen rather than this guy.

The Virginia Tech shooter used a Glock 19 semi-automatic weapon and a Walther. In less than 10 minutes he fired approximately 170 bullets. In the face of such firepower, do even the most ardent technophiles really believe that quicker communication systems could deliver people to safety?

Never claimed that, but I certainly do think someone capable of returning fire sure could have.

Our nation’s strategy for securing peace in other parts of the world includes ridding violent societies, such as Afghanistan or Iraq, of the widespread weapons that undermine their peace.

Actually, we’re taking weapons from belligerents.Â Households are permitted to have a fully automatic AK-47 to defend themselves and their families.Â Want to talk about bringing that kind of “gun control” to our shores?

Love Hurts

You know it’s a slow news day in the gun blogosphere when I’m resorting to linking to college papers.Â This one tells us that love can hurt:

For those who carry guns to protect your family I think you probably love your family so much it hurtsâ€¦ hurts them and all of us in society. Real love is based not on fear but on hope. My high school journalism teacher was shot by an elementary school student who had access to a gun. I grieve for both since they are both the victims of a lack of gun control.

I’m pretty sure they were victims of a deranged murderer.Â Â And, you know, since people like that are out there, I’d really rather not depend on “hope” to protect me.Â That’s how you end up at these people’s mercy, and that’s not for me.

Three of my cousins graduated from Virginia Tech recently and I am thankful that guns are not allowed on the VT campus. Allowing students to carry guns on VT campus would have not prevented the massacre, rather only made more people victims and more people shooters. Cho would have been more successful if he had an opponent.

Do these people even stop for a moment to seriously consider what they are saying here?Â How stupid and incompetent do you have to think your fellow citizens are to even claim something this absurd?

I for one, am rather sick of the anti-gun people harping on Virginia Tech.Â We’re really not going to see a sea change in gun laws over this.Â That much is obvious now. Â A few states, and maybe the feds, are going to move to tinker with mental health data and the background check system, but that’s as far as it’s going to go. Â Get over it.Â I’m tired of talking and reading about it.

They didn’t ask us Pennsylvanians…

… if our ban on private sales actually works.Â From Wisconsin:

With all of the violence on Milwaukee streets, three mothers who lost their sons in a triple shooting are working to keep guns out of the wrong hands.The three are rallying behind a gun-control bill to be introduced to the state Assembly Tuesday which also has support from Milwaukee’s most prolific gun dealer.

Hey folks, we already did this in Pennsylvania. Guess what? It doesn’t work. Now Philadelphia says one-gun-a-month will solve the problem. What happens when that doesn’t work? There’s no gun control measure that will fail spectacularly enough that the politicians and anti-gun groups won’t call for more of the same.

You’d think a gun dealer would know better than this. I have to wonder if he’s willing to sell out other gun owners so he can get more business by forcing people into using FFLs for background checks.

He understands the issue…

… about well as he can act. Kevin Costner is following the pattern:

The Dances With Wolves star admits he loves to hunt and often heads out with his dogs and a shotgun passed down through generations of his family, but he’s the first to admit that America’s gun laws are too weak. And following the recent tragedy (Apr06) at Virginia Tech college, where English student Cho Seung-Hui killed 32 people in what was the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, Costner feels that legislators should get tough with firearms owners, who refuse to accept their practices could harm others.

Chalk up one more for the “I’m a gun owner but…” campaign.Â I’ll make Kevin Costner a deal. Â I’ll give up my guns when he learns how to friggin act.

From the Evil Twin

We learn that Tim Kaine is getting all Gun Control on the citizens of Virginia, and an appeal to Governor O’Malley.

Urban Renewal

With the City of Philadelphia wanting to take guns away from honest people, and certainly make it difficult if not impossible for them to carry them for self-defense, I’m always happy to highly Pro-Gun Progressive’s efforts to clean up his neighborhood in Baltimore:

All of this is risky, but itâ€™s what needs done. Unfortunately, my truck and a ballistic vest is all the protection Iâ€™m allowed in the State of Maryland. Why is it so hard to understand that people will find it a lot easier to fight for their own neighborhoods if the law doesnâ€™t make them do it empty handed? I donâ€™t want to be a vigilante; I just want to give the police the help they need in turning this neighborhood aroundâ€“and have a fighting chance if some miscreant decides to try to take my life for doing so.

I’m glad the other Sebastian wears body armor for his neighborhood cleanup effort, but I have to say, in a similar situation, there’s no law that’s going to keep me disarmed. Â I fail to understand why the Philadelphia politicians want to make sure the good people in their city are stuck in the same situation as Pro-Gun Progressive, unable to legally provide for their own self-defense.

Colorado Democrats Can Kiss My $$ Goodbye

The Democrats in Colorado just limited reciprocity to resident permits only.Â Â That means my Florida permit is now worthless in Colorado.Â Â Pennsylvania does not have reciprocity with Colorado.Â You can see the text of the bill here.

Clarifies that a person cannot use a permit to carry a concealed
handgun that is issued by another state if the person does not reside in the
issuing state.

I had plans to do a big hiking trip in Colorado.Â Â I will now take my business to a state that will allow me to defend myself while on the trail.Â Especially considering it’s Colorado that’s had problems with cougar attacks.

The general assembly hereby finds determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate23 preservation of the public peace, health, and safety.24

Any bets on whether the Colorado General Assembly can find even a single case of an out of state permit holder causing a problem?Â I’ll bet they can’t.Â Folks in Colorado, you have some politicians that need to be thrown out on their asses next election.

Hat Tip: Jeff SoyerÂ

Fool of the Day

Today’s fool is Thomas S. Markham, writing in the Walker County Register:

NRA advocates: You are simply either uniformed or misinformed about militias in the United States. I fully understand your desire to have the Second Amendment to the Constitution verify that you have the right to bear any type of weapon, at any time you choose, and in any place that you may desire, but it simply does not.

The collective rights view has been, at this point, thoroughly discredited among constitutional scholars, and the latest court rulings are merely reflecting that. Check out the literature. I think you’ll find it’s not us who are misinformed.

As many of you, Iâ€™m an old retired hunter. I own several guns. I want my grandsons to hunt, and I want them have the right to protect their homes and families. Iâ€™m probably more â€œon your teamâ€ than on the side of those who would ban every form of gun ownership.

You know, I’m hearing this so often now, I’m really starting to not believe it. No, you’re not on my team. I don’t hunt, and you know what? There plenty of lawful and legitimate reason to own a firearm that don’t involve hunting.

Tell me honestly, all you NRA hunters out there: â€œDid you ever seriously hunt any game with a pistol? Or, did you even ever know anyone who did?â€ If you think about it, pistols are only made to kill people, not game. Thatâ€™s a simple and tragic fact. And because of that fact, we must not stand by idle and let these lobbyists make the laws that keep these â€œDeath Weaponsâ€ on the streets. The NRA lobbyists represent the â€œgun runners,â€ and the rich pistol distributors, not us.

No, I’ve never hunted with a pistol, but I shoot them recreationally, collect them, and carry for self-defense.Â All legitimate an lawful reasons to have one.Â I’m seriously starting to wonder if these aren’t astroturfing campaigns, because the message always seems to follow the same format, and it’s one we know our opponents are trying to push. The old “NRA doesn’t represent hunters”, “NRA are extremists”, “I’m a hunter, and I support gun control”.

I have no doubt there are hunters out there who think this way, but you’d think a lot of varying people wouldn’t all sound the same. You’d also think they wouldn’t all seem to mention the same tired issues.Â Do we all sound the same?Â I’d like to think not.Â But I read a lot of these editorials, and I have to say, they sound rather contrived.Â I would think you’d get a broader range of views and writing styles.Â What do you think?

Getting Tired of The Fools

I’ve been largely ignoring editorials calling for more gun control in the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy, because, quite frankly, I can’t believe a month later they are still using this tragedy as a springboard to try to convince the public that all we need is more gun control. This one comes from Peter Durantine in the Philadelphia Daily News.

Do we fear doing something to change? Has the NRA convinced us more guns are the answer? Do we really value a firearm over life? Is a gun really essential to our freedom and way of life?

Regardless of what anyone says, this nation was not forged by firearms and blood – it was formed on ideas. And ideas and ideals are what make great nations.

How can you even take this stuff seriously? Let alone seriously enough to print it. How about this little exercise. Some street urchin decides to put a gun to your head and demand your wallet. Now, start thinking up the idea in your head that if you don’t turn over your wallet, even if the robber pulled the trigger, it won’t splatter your brains all over the sidewalk. Feel comfortable with the idea of risking him pulling the trigger? No? Congratulations, you’ve just learned how power works.

Our country is what is is not just because of ideas, but because men believed in those ideas so much that they were willing to fight and die for them. Ideas themselves mean nothing if people aren’t willing to fight for them. Whether that idea is that we want to live in a free constitutional republic, or that our lives and the lives of those around us are worth defending, those ideas have no meaning without men with guns willing to do violence to preserve them.