Guns – Page 1104 – Shall Not Be Questioned

OK, I’ve Had It!

I’m generally pretty reluctant to bad mouth pro-gun groups, because we’re all on the same side, but I’m getting way too fed up by the crap some of the other groups are peddling.

I’m pointing this out as an example. I’m not going to mention who it’s coming from, because I don’t want to ruffle feathers by singling out any one group:

If we can slow this monster NRA anti-gun sell-out bill down we may have a chance to kill it like we did the NRA backed renewal of the Clinton Gun Ban in 2004.

The 20 state coalition of state-level gun lobbies that stopped the NRA from shoving the Clinton Gun Ban down our throats is swinging into action. The coalition that now goes under the name NAGR – National Association for Gun Rights. Some of you may have noticed that I sometimes mail non-profit under their banner for [name deleted].

Are you friggin kidding me? Can you show me the NRA backed bill that was to renew the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban that you defeated? If you mean the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act that got a renewal attached to it by some anti-gun Democrats, the NRA withdrew its support at that point and the bill died. Acting like the NRA was still pushing it is misleading. If you hate the NRA fine, but don’t try to dupe people. Promoting your own group is fine, promoting it at the expense of other gun rights organizations isn’t helping our cause any.

Right now, GOP Senators (except Vitter and Coburn) arenâ€™t going against the NRA. But if we can muscle a few of them we might be able to slow this thing down and have time for an all out fight and look at the issues. Possibly even kill [HR2640].

Slowing this thing down, when it doesn’t change any current federal gun laws (you read the bill right?), and gives us some ways to relieve disabilities, is not helping any. By slowing it down, you will give anti-gun senators a chance to tack on amendments during debate. We want this to sail through.

I just got off the phone with Senator Webbâ€™s office and told his staff an earful. The tack to take with Webb is to tell them you believe him to be pro-gun and that you expect him to join Vitter and Coburn to slow this thing down and look at the devil in the details. Tell him to filibuster this monster.

Does Webb really want to see Veterans disarmed when they come home?

This bill sets out clear rules for when veterans may and may not be considered to have a firearms disability and be entered into NICS. It also gives the 83,000 veterans screwed in 2000 a way to get their names out and have their disabilities removed. Mental health disabilities, if this bill passes, will no longer be life long disabilities, as they are currently. You guys read the bill right? By the way, yelling at politicians is a sure way to make sure they pay no attention to you at all. Their staff will put you on the “kook” list.

Look, I have no problems with people criticizing NRA or criticizing this bill. There are many ways of looking at things where it can be argued the bill hurts us politically. I’m not bashing people for criticizing NRA or this bill, but I want that criticism to be fair. I’ve seen some very good arguments for what the problems are with this bill from people like Syd over at Front Sight, Press and Joe Huffman at A View from North Central Idaho.

This group describes themselves as “no-compromise”, which sure does feel good. But in politics those that aren’t willing to compromise are ignored. It sucks that we have to do this with constitutional rights. The whole purpose of having it inserted as an enumerated right was to set it up as a right beyond the reach of the political process, but it’s not that way right now. The end goal is to have the second amendment treated as a right, as seriously as all the others. But until the courts step up and actually do it, we’re stuck playing this game.

J.C. Higgins Model 29 Assault Weapon

My friend Jason mentioned a .22LR semi automatic he used when he was a kid called the J.C. Higgins Model 29:

It’s got a 17 round tubular magazine. These were sold through Sears back in the days when Sears actually sold firearms. But “What?” You say, “That doesn’t look like an assault weapon.” Oh but it is! The State of New Jersey defines an assault weapon as any firearms with a magazine capacity greater than 15 rounds, or any detachable magazine that’s greater than 15 rounds. It’s not just a mere technicality. There have been people sent to prison in New Jersey for possessing one of these or similar firearms.

The powers that be in New Jersey are not kidding. They do not like gun owners, and do not believe you should own a gun. If my friend Jason were to take his model 29 over the river, they’d send him up the river. Next time The Brady Campaign, or anyone else tells you all they want are “reasonable gun control laws”, kick them in the nuts.

UPDATE: Thanks to Jason for providing a better picture than the one I was able to find online!

Quote of the Day

Front Sight, Press:

My real concern about this bill is that itâ€™s the â€œcamelâ€™s noseâ€ for a new round of gun control legislation. It is being heralded as a great victory for gun control. Itâ€™s hard to argue with and even the NRA has signed off on it, but it gives psychological momentum to the gun-grabbersâ€™ cause.

I think Syd’s right here, and it’s the one real problem with this deal. But I think if we remain vigilant, stand together, and not divide ourselves, we can deal with it. The NRA, with this deal, has a) gotten us something for our troubles, and b) averted a prolonged political battle over NICS improvement (which had been coming up even before Virginia Tech), which would have had a far greater chance of having more onerous new gun control, such as a new assault weapons ban, tacked onto it.

The other side may believe they are walking away with a victory, but realy they aren’t. It’s entirely hollow, and deep down I think they know that.

Picked Up New LTC

I picked up my new LTC at the local county government service center yesterday, after getting a call the day before it was ready. Time from application to issue was less than a week. The new cards are much much nicer than the old pieces of paper, and definitely nicer than the laminated almost-but-not-quite credit card sized pieces of paper that Chester County issued to me five years ago.Â The new card Bucks County is issuing even has security features and a magnetic strip on the back.

I’m good now until 6/06/2012.

It’s Smart Politics for Them

Ahab is pissed that the Brady Campaign got so much airtime last night on CBS.Â Their job is no doubt made much easier by a fawning media.Â They will definitely play down the NRA’s involvement in the bill, because if they have to go back to their donors and say “We can only pass things that the NRA signs off on.” it’ll be a serious problem for them.

But it does make some sense for them to play the NRA angle in regards to future controls, because it damages the NRA with its membership to even be seen to be working with the Brady’s. Â The prospect of the NRA “selling out” lives large among much of the NRA’s membership, and by the Brady’s offering up the possibility of more deals, it actually weakens the NRA.

The Brady organizations are many things, but they certainly aren’t stupid.

Bush Report Omits Gun Control

The President’s report on the Virginia Tech tragedy has largely omitted gun control.

Though the report said the government should do a better job ensuring data is entered into the federal database used to approve gun purchases, officials did not propose or study possible changes to gun control laws.

“That really wasn’t within the purview of what they decided that they’re going to look at,” White House spokesman Tony Snow said.

He said such questions are better left to state governments and noted that Virginia has its own inquiry into the shooting.

I’ve often been critical of the administration for not doing enough for us, particularly on getting control of federal agencies that deal with our issue.Â Â But probably the best thing Bush has been willing to do for us is by what he hasn’t done, which is use the bully pulpit of The White House to make calls for stricter gun regulations.Â Â We shouldn’t underestimate the benefit of that, and should underestimate how much it hurt the cause to have Clinton doing that after every tragedy.

The Spin is Making Me Dizzy

More spin on local New York media from McCarthy’s office.

“Rep. McCarthy supports what Bloomberg is doing with gun issues. It’s true the NRA supported today’s legislation, but for different reasons than we did. They wanted quicker access to guns for their members.”

The reason you supported it is because it’s all you could get, and when given the choice between not eating and gruel, you chose gruel.Â I suppose to someone who hasn’t seen a meal for quite some time, it’s easy to argue that gruel is pumpkin pie.

Working Together

The Brady’s seem to be playing up the working together angle on HR2640.

The Virginia Tech shootings tragically demonstrated the unnecessary gaps in the system that allowed a dangerous person to be armed. By supporting this legislation, the National Rifle Association, which fought the Brady Bill for so many years, now joins the Brady Campaign and the vast majority of Americans in affirming that effective background checks can help save lives.

I think effective background checks make people feel better.Â The truth is, they just created the straw purchasing problem that the Brady’s say they need more gun control legislation to stop.Â If they get those laws, then criminals will resort to more theft and smuggling, which will, of course, be used as evidence for the need for further restrictions.

We hope that Congress and the gun lobby will continue to support meaningful reforms that extend Brady background checks to all gun sales, not just those by the licensed dealers who are covered by current law. That would be a significant additional step to prevent guns from getting into the hands of dangerous people.

We already did that here in Pennsylvania, and it didn’t work.Â Now the various gun control organizations, including the Brady Campaign, are pushing for one-gun-per-month restrictions here in Pennsylvania to deal with the straw purchasing problem. Â Where does it stop?

I am not opposing HR2640 because it doesn’t change much, and give us a few things that I think are beneficial.Â I don’t believe the instant check system is serious infringement on the right-to-bear arms.Â But do I think it works?Â No, I don’t.Â I think gun laws are about as effective at keeping guns out of the hands of criminals as our drug laws are at keeping marijuana out of the hands of potheads.

The Correct Marching Orders

Looks like our buddy Gonzo got the correct marching orders now.Â He still doesn’t think it’s a good deal, but the language has been toned down quite a bit, and he’s added a few extra talking points about how we keep insistingÂ that mere suspicion isn’t reasonable grounds for stripping someone of their constitutional rights.

Now that this fun is over, I will go back to ignoring him.

H.R.2640 Passed House

Looks like the bill has passed on a voice vote. Now it’s on to the senate. Given the speed at which it moved through the house, I don’t expect the senate to take long on it at all.

The NRA did win some concessions in negotiating the final product.

It would automatically restore the purchasing rights of veterans who were diagnosed with mental problems as part of the process of obtaining disability benefits. LaPierre said the Clinton administration put about 80,000 such veterans into the background check system.

It also outlines an appeals process for those who feel they have been wrongfully included in the system and ensures that funds allocated to improve the NICS are not used for other gun control purposes.

“It was necessary to make some accommodations to address the concerns of gun owners,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., adding that he would be closely monitoring the provision on restoring gun rights to veterans judged to have mental disabilities.

Ron Paul, as would be expected, was the lone dissenter. Like I said, I would like to have gotten more out of this deal, but I’m not going to cry too much that it’s passing. In the big picture, it doesn’t really change much.