Saturday, February 16, 2013

Of Rights and Gunloons

So, I'm reading about NRA member Everett Basham who was arrested and charged with 12 felonies in connection with his threats against a California state senator.  NRA member Basham was upset that State Sen. Leland Yee was proposing legislation to tighten up California gun laws.  Remember this: Yee was proposing using a democratic process to possibly change certain gun laws.

NRA member Basham took umbrage and allegedly made specific threats involving assassination unless Yee ceased talking about any gun restrictions.

Gunloons often like to talk about their fetish in terms of rights; often, they will argue their gun fetish is no different than their First Amendment rights.  Of course, gunloons believe the Second Amendment is absolute and the First Amendment is not--especially when gun fetishism is criticized.

Case in point: Basham threatening to kill a California State Senator.  What's interesting is in the comments, our own Greggy Camp writes:

Since one American in three is a gun owner, you'd better stop talking if you're that afraid of us.
Unless you're endangering my life or the life of some other innocent person, I have no interest in doing anything to you. But since you live in constant fear of gun owners, don't you imagine that not taunting them is a good idea?

This is really what gunloons are about.  They could care less about rights, self-defense, tyranny, hunting or sport-shooting.  What they are religiously about is authoritarianism.  That is, they want to command fear which they mistake as respect.  Their fetishism lies in the fact most of them couldn't get respect in any other way.

Who Said It, Ted Nugent or Charles Manson?


Who said it: Ted Nugent or Charles Manson?  via Dangerous Minds

North Carolina Man Shoots Himself and Makes Up Story

Local news reports

Jon Michael Mauldwin, 21, was charged Wednesday with filing a false report with law enforcement and misuse of the 911 system, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office.

"We spent time looking for a suspect that never existed," said Debbie Tanna, a sheriff's spokeswoman.

Mauldwin called 911 on Sunday and reported that someone shot at him. He said he returned fire, striking the person, Tanna said.

Mauldwin told investigators that the shooter was in a grassy area behind his home, Tanna said. Investigators combed the area and were unable to find shell casings, she said.

One shot penetrated a bulletproof vest Mauldwin was wearing, Tanna said, but investigators determined it was fired by the man's own gun, a .380-caliber pistol.

Mauldwin was released on an unsecured bond, Tanna said.

Wayne La Pierre Marries Long-time Love Interest

The Borowitz Report

In what he called “the happiest day of my life,” National Rifle Association C.E.O. Wayne LaPierre marked Valentine’s Day by marrying his longtime gun, an AK-47 assault rifle. 

Mr. LaPierre grew emotional as he reminisced about meeting the firearm at a gun show in Alabama in 1991. 

“The chemistry between us was amazing,” he said. “Our first weekend together, all we did was shoot.” 

Marriage between a human and a gun is not legal in most states, a situation that Mr. LaPierre bemoans: “For a lot of N.R.A. members it’s the only intimate relationship they’re capable of.” 

The wedding ceremony was attended by twenty-five of Mr. LaPierre’s guns and over two hundred members of Congress.

Concealed Carry in Maine

Kennebec Journal

If you want a concealed-weapons permit from the Maine State Police, be ready to wait three or four months. There’s a 2,500-application backlog.

As gun sales nationwide and in Maine have skyrocketed in recent years, so has permit demand, said Lt. Scott Ireland, who runs the state police’s licensing division, which handles permit applications for more than 300 small, rural municipalities, along with unorganized territories and townships. Larger cities and towns handle their own.

With 100 to 150 applications coming to Ireland’s office daily, the four employees tasked with handling them — only one working on it full time — are stretched.

In 2008, Barack Obama was elected president. The Maine State Police issued 3,912 permits that year, Ireland said. In 2009, Obama took office. it issued 5,706 — nearly a 46 percent increase. And in 2012, the year of the president’s re-election, it issued 7,574. With that backlog, Ireland said, 2013 will be another record year.

Stop Taking Their Money

Friday, February 15, 2013

Wayne La Pierre on the State of the Union Speech

Wayne continues to teach by example. One of the most commonly used tricks of the pro-gun argument is to accuse the other side of that which they themselves are guilty of.  He said the president "displayed a level of public deception that simply cannot be ignored."  But Wayne is the master at this.

One deceptive item that he mentions quite frequently is that so few failed background checks end up in a prosecution for attempting to buy a gun illegally.  This is supposed to represent some kind of failure of the system, but what he overlooks is that every one of those people DID NOT GET THE GUN. At least they did not get the gun from that dealer.  They were forced to seek other sources or to simply do without.

In other words, the system works regardless of whether those folks are arrested for ATTEMPTING to buy a gun. It works because they were STOPPED from buying one.

Another deception, and for me the biggest one, is the "criminals won't submit to background checks therefore it can never be universal" nonsense.  Jon Stewart ridiculed it best.  This is based on the falsehood that all pro-gun folks like to perpetuate, that only already-convicted criminals do bad things with guns.  It also glosses over the fact that the success of the background check system in stopping millions of prohibited persons from buying guns every year would be improved drastically if background checks were required for private sales thereby eliminating one of the other major sources of guns for prohibited persons.

On TTAG, the sycophantic followers of Robert Farago are all ready to throw Wayne out of the boat.  That's simply because that's the tack Robert took after Sandy Hook, certainly not because they agree with anything I've had to say about the man.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.




Lawful Minnesota Gun Owner Goes Berserk

USA Today

A Minnesota man accused of standing in the street and firing at passing cars — killing a 9-year-old boy — had roughly 200 rounds of ammunition stuffed into his jacket pocket, a backpack and the fanny pack he was wearing when arrested, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Nhan Lap Tran, 34, was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder and other counts in Monday's shootings in the St. Paul suburb of Oakdale. Fourth-grader Devin Aryal died in the shootings, and his mother and another woman were wounded. Two other motorists escaped as they were being fired upon, according to the criminal complaint.

Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius Charged with Murder

Domestic Double Murder in North Carolina

Local news reports

The Robeson County Sheriff's Office is investigating a shooting Wednesday that left two people dead and two others injured, Sheriff Kenneth Sealey said.

Sealey said an unidentified woman called 911 at 5:30 p.m. and said her husband was threatening to shoot her. A few minutes later, the same woman called back and said shots had been fired, Sealey said.

When deputies arrived at the home, at 12156 N.C. 211 about two miles east of Red Springs, they found two women dead from gunshot wounds.

Two men also were injured, he said. One was taken to Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton. He was expected to be taken to Chapel Hill for treatment of his injuries, Sealey said. Information about the men's injuries was not available.

The shooting remains under investigation but appears to be a domestic incident, Sealey said.
Let me guess, another lawful gun owner who just got fed up.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

California Man, Everett Basham, Arrested for Threatening Sen. Leland Lee

 
SF Gate
Yee received a threat via e-mail four weeks ago that referred to his efforts to strengthen California's assault weapons ban. He did not say whether it came from Basham, citing a request from the CHP not to divulge details of the investigation.

Keigwin said the threat "was very specific on what the individual wanted to do."

The allegations came as a surprise to Basham's neighbors, who described him as an eccentric and reclusive engineer. Several tall antennas rise from his roof, and surveillance cameras are installed on the property.

Next-door neighbor Phillip Jamison called Basham a "quiet guy that we always thought that someday we'd see on TV. That was the inside joke. His was clearly not the best-kept house in the neighborhood. The antennas and all that stuff always bothered people."
Just another freedom-loving, rights-protecting patriot standing up for what's right. Someone's got to do it.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie Agrees

8 News NOW

Thursday, February 14, 2013

The NRA's New Toned-down Approach

Ohio Man Convicted in Son's Accidental Shooting Death


The Columbus Dispatch

A Knox County man has been found guilty in the Memorial Day death of his 3-year-old son.

Lucas Heagren found his father’s loaded .45-caliber handgun under a couch in the family home near Mount Vernon and accidentally shot himself in the head. He died hours later.

Two photos of Joshua E. Heagren, 25, showing his son how to shoot a gun proved crucial to the case, Knox County Prosecutor John Thatcher said yesterday.

“Lucas turned 3 at the end of January (2012),” Thatcher said. “His father gave him a .22 rifle for Christmas (2011) at age 2 years, 11 months. There was a Facebook picture of Joshua crouching in the snow showing his son how to the shoot the gun. There was another photo of Lucas holding an AR-15 assault rifle last spring.”

In Heagren’s trial before a judge lasty Tuesday, Dr. Daniel Coury, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, testified that toddlers cannot understand how dangerous guns can be, and it is not appropriate to try to teach gun safety to a toddler beyond the simple admonition, “Don’t touch.”

Licking County Common Pleas Judge David Branstool convicted Heagren of child endangering, a third-degree felony, and negligent homicide, a first-degree misdemeanor. He announced his verdict yesterday.

Thatcher said Heagren testified that he normally kept the .45-caliber handgun under his mattress. He had taken it out and slipped it under the couch because he was going to go shooting later, but he then got distracted, he testified.

What a sad, pathetic and TYPICAL gun lover.  Normally, you figure a guy like this has suffered so much already that going to jail would be superfluous. But you have to wonder about a guy who is so stupid as to testify that he usually kept the gun under the mattress. There's no tellin' what a guy like that thinks.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Shooter of Little Girl in Skunk Costume Gets a Slap on the Wrist


A Beaver County judge dismissed the most serious charge against a man who shot a costumed child, whom police said he mistook for a skunk. 


Common Pleas Judge John Dohanich ruled this week that prosecutors can't proceed with a charge of aggravated assault against Thomas Grant, according to Grant's lawyer, Steven Valsamidis. 


“That charge would have required a showing of malice. Mr. Grant now faces two misdemeanor charges — simple assault and reckless endangerment,” Valsamidis said. 


Dohanich ruled on Monday. 


Grant, 24, of Jackson Center, Mercer County, is accused of shooting an 8-year-old girl whom he apparently mistook for a skunk during a weekend Halloween bonfire at the New Sewickley home of his mother on Oct. 20.
Did I call it or what? "What do you predict, guilty to a lesser charge and keep the guns? That's my bet."

Here's our original post.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Proper Gun Control - Norwegian Style

via TTAG

State of the Union - Obama Saved the Best till Last

The New York Times full text

It has been two months since Newtown. I know this is not the first time this country has debated how to reduce gun violence. But this time is different. Overwhelming majorities of Americans – Americans who believe in the 2nd Amendment – have come together around commonsense reform – like background checks that will make it harder for criminals to get their hands on a gun. Senators of both parties are working together on tough new laws to prevent anyone from buying guns for resale to criminals. Police chiefs are asking our help to get weapons of war and massive ammunition magazines off our streets, because they are tired of being outgunned. 

Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. If you want to vote no, that’s your choice. But these proposals deserve a vote. Because in the two months since Newtown, more than a thousand birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun. 

One of those we lost was a young girl named Hadiya Pendleton. She was 15 years old. She loved Fig Newtons and lip gloss. She was a majorette. She was so good to her friends, they all thought they were her best friend. Just three weeks ago, she was here, in Washington, with her classmates, performing for her country at my inauguration. And a week later, she was shot and killed in a Chicago park after school, just a mile away from my house. 

Hadiya’s parents, Nate and Cleo, are in this chamber tonight, along with more than two dozen Americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence. They deserve a vote. 

Gabby Giffords deserves a vote. 

The families of Newtown deserve a vote. 

The families of Aurora deserve a vote. 

The families of Oak Creek, and Tucson, and Blacksburg, and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence – they deserve a simple vote. 

Our actions will not prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. Indeed, no laws, no initiatives, no administrative acts will perfectly solve all the challenges I’ve outlined tonight. But we were never sent here to be perfect. We were sent here to make what difference we can, to secure this nation, expand opportunity, and uphold our ideals through the hard, often frustrating, but absolutely necessary work of self-government.
We were sent here to look out for our fellow Americans the same way they look out for one another, every single day, usually without fanfare, all across this country. We should follow their example. 

We should follow the example of a New York City nurse named Menchu Sanchez. When Hurricane Sandy plunged her hospital into darkness, her thoughts were not with how her own home was faring – they were with the twenty precious newborns in her care and the rescue plan she devised that kept them all safe. 

We should follow the example of a North Miami woman named Desiline Victor. When she arrived at her polling place, she was told the wait to vote might be six hours. And as time ticked by, her concern was not with her tired body or aching feet, but whether folks like her would get to have their say. Hour after hour, a throng of people stayed in line in support of her. Because Desiline is 102 years old. And they erupted in cheers when she finally put on a sticker that read “I Voted.” 

We should follow the example of a police officer named Brian Murphy. When a gunman opened fire on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, and Brian was the first to arrive, he did not consider his own safety. He fought back until help arrived, and ordered his fellow officers to protect the safety of the Americans worshiping inside – even as he lay bleeding from twelve bullet wounds. 

When asked how he did that, Brian said, “That’s just the way we’re made.” 

That’s just the way we’re made. 

We may do different jobs, and wear different uniforms, and hold different views than the person beside us. But as Americans, we all share the same proud title: 

We are citizens. It’s a word that doesn’t just describe our nationality or legal status. It describes the way we’re made. It describes what we believe. It captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations; that our rights are wrapped up in the rights of others; and that well into our third century as a nation, it remains the task of us all, as citizens of these United States, to be the authors of the next great chapter in our American story. 

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

The Dorner Manhunt

 Los Angeles Times

Christopher Dorner was engaged in a shootout with federal authorities in the Big Bear area Tuesday, a law enforcement source told The Times.
The shooting occurred after Dorner burglarized a home, tied up a couple and stole their car, the source said. 

It was not immediately clear whether Dorner was in custody.

PHOTOS: Manhunt for ex-LAPD officer

A second source said there was an active crime scene but did not have details.
Law enforcement officials were swarming the area.

U.S. Marshal's officials said in court papers that Dorner could have fled to Mexico. In Tijuana, Dorner was listed as one of the most wanted fugitives. But LAPD Lt. Andy Neiman said that was only one of many locations authorities were considering.

DOCUMENT: Read the manifesto

Neiman said detectives were examining video that might show Dorner purchasing scuba gear at a Sport Chalet store in Torrance days before his alleged killing spree began.

Law enforcement sources told The Times that officials have confirmed the man in the video is Dorner. He spent $5 to $10 to fill up a scuba tank, the sources said. Investigators have also reviewed store receipts.

Officers have crisscrossed California pursuing tips about Dorner's possible whereabouts and serving warrants at homes in Las Vegas and Point Loma.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Why I Blame the NRA and Its Supporters

California Gun Control Leads the Nation

Mother Jones

California would ban the sale of all semiautomatic rifles that accept removable magazines, slap a hefty tax on ammo, and require every gun owner to take a yearly safety course under a new package of firearms laws that would give the Golden State the nation's strongest gun controls.

These and many other proposed firearms laws were announced late last week by leading state Democrats and the mayors of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Many of the laws are expected to pass, in part because the Democratic Party in California now controls the governor's mansion and a supermajority in the Legislature.

"As it is with many issues, California is out front on firearms regulations," said Mark Hedlund, a spokesman for California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. "We don't represent the NRA. We don't think that the NRA represents the majority of Californians, by a long shot."
California's newly proposed gun laws would:
  • Ban the possession of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds
  • Prevent the future sale, purchase, manufacture, importation, or transfer of any firearms that can accept detachable magazines
  • Close the "bullet button" loophole by banning tools that allow the quick changing of gun magazines
  • Regulate ammunition sales like the state regulates gun sales. Ammunition dealers would need to be licensed and anyone buying from them would need to obtain a permit and complete a background check.
  • Create a 5 cent tax on each bullet purchased, for the purpose of funding crime prevention
  • Prevent felons and other adults barred from gun ownership from living in a house that contains any guns
  • Prohibit the loaning or sale of a firearm between people who know each other personally
  • Take steps to phase out legal possession of assault weapons that were purchased before California outlawed their sale
  • Require all firearms owners to take an hours-long gun safety course every year, similar to what the state now requires for obtaining a concealed-weapon permit
  • Require gun owners to purchase insurance to cover damage they may inflict
  • Require CalPERS and CalSTRS, two of the nation's largest pension funds, to divest from companies that make, sell, or market firearms or ammunition

Celebrities Who Have Accidentally Shot Themselves

The Week

 2. Al Capone
Twelve bodyguards apparently weren't enough to keep the mobster safe from bullets — his own. In 1928, Capone actually shot himself in both legs and the groin. According to reports at the time, Capone had just finished a round of golf with a friend and was entering the car to head home when his gun discharged accidentally. But more recent reports tell a different story. As Capone rummaged through his bag for a club, a revolver in the bag reportedly fired. Either way, the lesson is clear: When hitting the links, it's probably better to leave the firearms at home.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Courthouse Shooting in Delaware - 3 Dead - 2 Wounded

Huffington Post

Two women, including the shooter's estranged wife, were fatally wounded in the incident. Two police officers were also transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Authorities say the shooter -- identified as 45-year-old David Matusiewicz -- is dead.

Matusiewicz opened fire around 8:00 a.m. inside the public lobby of the courthouse, a state police spokesperson said. He did not pass through the security perimeter located a few feet inside the front doors.
Authorities said that there are eight to 10 officers on the courthouse campus at any given time.

Matusiewicz was at the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington on Monday morning for a child support hearing involving his three kids. He has fought for custody since being convicted of abducting his children in 2007.

The two officers were struck in their bullet-proof vests, according to Sgt. Paul Shavack of the Delaware State Police.
Sounds like another guy who shouldn't have had a gun. What do you think?

Please leave a comment.

Cenk Uygur with Brendan “Dan” McKown, Tacoma Mall Shooting Survivor

Negligent Lawful Gun Owner Drops Her Gun - It Discharges and Hits Husband

Local news reports with video.

More women are carrying guns, which means more negligent and dangerous women are carrying them.

"Third degree assault and reckless endangering" doesn't sound like enough to lose gun rights over.  What do you think?

Please leave a comment.

Accidental Shooting in Kentucky - 3-Year-old Dead - Mom's Boyfriend Arrested

Local news reports.

Paducah police are investigating the apparent accidental shooting of a three-year-old child Saturday afternoon at a home in the 1500 block of North 12th Street. The child died at about 8:30 p.m. at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville. Detectives have charged, the mother's boyfriend, Nicholas D. Barbee, 21, with second-degree manslaughter. 

Police were called to a report of a "young male shot."  When officers arrived, the child was lying on his back on the floor with a single gunshot wound.  The child was taken to a local hospital, then airlifted to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.

Barbee admitted, after questioning, that he accidentally shot the child.  He was booked into McCracken County Regional Jail.
Now, what's so difficult about that? The responsible person is arrested without delay.

To my way of thinking, the 3-year-old isn't the only victim here.  Young Nicholas, who was a product of his father and uncles and all the other rednecks in Paducah didn't stand a chance.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Christopher Dorner - Good Guy gone Bad - Another One

The Inquisitr

The Charles Dorner manifesto has been dismissed by the Los Angeles Police Department as the self-serving ramblings of a murderer, but at least one of the claims of the rampage shooting suspect appears to check out.

Dorner is accused of going on a rampage after being fired for the LAPD. He claims that his firing is retribution for reporting an officer he believed abused a schizophrenic person. Police believe that Christopher Dorner killed two civilians, then later shooting two police officers, killing one.

Before going on the rampage, Dorner posted a manifesto on Facebook maintaining his innocence and listing officers he planned to target.

In the manifesto, Dorner claims that one of the officers involved in the Rodney King beating remains on the force more than 20 years later.

“Are you aware that an officer (a rookie/probationer at the time) seen on the Rodney King videotape striking Mr. King multiple times with a baton on 3/3/91 is still employed by the LAPD and is now a Captain on the police department?”
Christopher Dorner’s manifesto also promised more violence, saying that the former U.S. Navy sharpshooter would use all of his shooting and survival training to enact his revenge.
Some of our more antagonistic and conspiracy-minded commenters were suggesting that I was avoiding this story on purpose. I don't see why.  Do you?

Please leave a comment.

Mike Huckabee's Amazing Thinking

via Dog Gone

Gun Show Loophole Bill Advances in New Mexico




I'm all for symbolic victories, but what the hell good is a gun show loophole bill that doesn't require background checks on private sales.

This sounds more like a victory for the other side.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Accidental Shooting in Memphis

 Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee

Accidental Shooting in Utah

Local news reports
A man is in the hospital after he was shot accidentally by a friend who was cleaning out a handgun.

Police said the Riverton man was getting ready to clean his gun when he took a round out of the chamber, and the gun went off—shooting his 34-year-old friend.

The incident happened at around 2 p.m. on Saturday. Police said the man was taken to Intermountain Medical Center in critical condition, and he is expected to survive.
Is that even possible?  If he took a round out of the chamber, how could the gun be fired?

This guy's another double winner.  He should lose his gun rights for the negligent discharge AND for that cacameme explanation of how it happened.

Dropped Gun in Colorado Springs Responisble for Wounding

Local news reports 
A woman, who was accidentally shot early Saturday morning in downtown Colorado Springs, is expected to recover. 

Police say the victim checked into Memorial Hospital shortly after 2 a.m. with a gunshot wound to both of her legs. She initially told police she was shot by someone in the parking lot behind businesses on Pikes Peak Avenue and Tejon Street. 

When police interviewed witnesses in the area, they uncovered a different story. Police say the woman knocked a loaded handgun off the passenger seat of her boyfriend’s vehicle when she got into that vehicle. When the gun hit the floorboard, it discharged. 

The bullet passed through both of her calves. Police have not yet charged anyone in the shooting, but the boyfriend, who has not been identified, was taken to the county jail on an unrelated warrant.
What's wrong with those police investigators? Don't they know that modern handguns never discharge when dropped? At least that's what the gun fetishists keep telling us.

The ironic humor in it is that they accuse us of fearing inanimate objects, yet they go to elaborate means to defend the honor of those same inanimate objects. How dare we say the can discharge when dropped!

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

More on the Arkansas University Negligent Discharge

Local news reports  As we mentioned the other day, it was just an accident.
Matthew Williamson admitted to 40/29 news he didn't check to see if the gun was loaded.
Williamson was hit in the hand.

UAPD said Williamson's Taurus revolver was loaded with a small shotgun round.
The fragments of the ammunition could be seen in the wall near a fire alarm of the public radio station lobby.

Williamson told 40/29 news he did not have a conceal carry license.
Wen caught without a concealed carry license, they're always on the way to the range.  For me, that's too easy. This young man should lose his gun rights twice, once for the negligent discharge and once for carrying concealed.  Aren't firearms supposed to be unloaded while transporting them to the shooting range?

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.