Firing Back: Gun Control That Actually Makes Sense
Normally we are against the notion of gun control. But there are cases where it makes sense and where the Second Amendment does not and should not provide a right to keep and bear arms. One example is obviously criminals. But this week came word that the courts have ruled that illegal immigrants should not be able to own guns.
The Wall Street Journal reported:
A three-judge panel in Denver federal appeals court upheld a Wyoming federal judge’s decision to impose a prison sentence on an illegal immigrant in possession of firearms, Reuters reported.
According to the court, illegal immigrants can be prohibited from owning guns, as well as non-citizens in the U.S. for legitimate reasons, barring a special waiver, Reuters noted.
While this particular case is very unique, given that the illegal immigrant in question has lived in the United States most of his life, we agree that it just doesn’t make sense that illegal immigrant be allowed to have guns.
Firing Back: Bill Maher on Liberals and Guns
Last week on his program on HBO, not very funny comedian Bill Maher suggested that George Zimmerman is a liar – suggesting that a man who hasn’t been yet charged with anything was lying about the circumstances in his shooting of Trayvon Martin. But surprising Maher also blamed liberals as well. Maher noted:
We can go on and on about hoodies and the neighborhood watch guy who looks like Chaz Bono, but it’s not really a discussion until you save some blame for the liberal politicians who unconditionally surrendered in the fight for sensible gun laws. When are they going to stand their ground?
Yet again this guy, who by the way rallies for legalized drugs and other narcotics, somehow manages to pin the blame for a lack of “sensible gun laws.”
We’d like to respond to Mr. Maher and say there are plenty of sensible gun laws. You have to be 21-years old in most state to own a gun. Machine guns are tightly controlled through the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA),and there is also the Gun Control Act of 1968 to be considered.
Today we have a national background check system in place. Some communities require EVERY gun to be registered with the police, some communities have waiting period, some states (California for one) limits the size of magazines, some cities such as New York City have bans on whole types of firearms, some communities (Chicago and Washington) have in the past banned private ownership of firearms, some states (Michigan for one) require a purchase permit for handguns. The list goes on and on.
To us these aren’t even sensible. These are actually unreasonable laws. So what does Maher want? Like most he probably wants a ban on all guns! But what should we expect from a profane admitted drug user who shows little respect for women or those who disagree with his narrow world view.
Firing Back: Marina Thompson Should Get Guns Back
This week the media has been reporting that Marina Thompson, widow of Terry Thompson, has to fight to get her guns back. Terry Thompson committed suicide and released numerous animals in Ohio last year, but we don’t feel that warrants any reason for ATF or anyone else to continue to keep the 100+ firearms that were confiscated during an execution of a search warrant.
It was during this warrant that Terry Thompson was found to illegally possess an illegal machine gun and a firearm without a serial number. But as Terry Thompson’s widow, the other items should be returned to her.
She could likely face lawsuits over actions committed by her husband including the release of the animals, and these firearms could be legally sold to offset those costs. There is no reason the ATF should not return those guns in our opinion.
Firing Back: Mexico’s President Should be Told NO MORE DRUGS OR ILLEGALS!
This week several outlets reported the same basic story; here reported by Canada.com:
Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Thursday unveiled a large sign with the English message “No more weapons!” on a bridge facing the U.S. border town of El Paso, Texas.
He called on Americans to support a law that would ban sales of high-powered weapons, many of which make their way south of the border and end up in the hands of Mexico’s brutal drug cartels.
US lawmakers angered Mexican officials in 2004 when they declined to approve the “Federal Assault Weapons Ban” that would have prohibited the sale of high-powered semi-automatic rifles.
The criminals have become more and more vicious in their eagerness to spark fear and anxiety in society,” President Felipe Calderon said. “One of the main factors that allows criminals to strengthen themselves is the unlimited access to high-powered weapons, which are sold freely, and also indiscriminately, in the United States of America.”
First, a note to all these outlets and to President Felipe Calderon, notably these are not “high-powered” firearms. As we’ve reported time and time again, the firearms are actually intermediate. How can this issue be seriously addressed when out of the gate there is misinformation and lack of understanding.
But we also want to “fire back” and ask given the information that is out there, isn’t it clear a lot of the firearms in Mexico are military grade and it isn’t American gun shops that are fueling this war? This fact has been made clear over and over as well, but Calderon is clearly playing the politician and he’s trying to blame his problems elsewhere.
And moreover how long has America had to endure illegal immigrants and drugs flowing in from Mexico? If he could stop the latter issue of drugs, surely that would reduce the money the cartels have and in essence stop the violence.
Yet here is the situation, the Mexicans never really complained when the drugs flowed north before because in a way it bolstered their economy and Americans dealt with the problem. Now that the cartels are fighting one another the Mexican government is finally feeling the heat.
Finally, why should law-abiding American citizens have their rights stripped away because Felipe says so?
Firing Back: How Gun Control Failed in Jamaica
If you ban the guns the world will be a safer place say the gun-control advocates. “Guns are the problem and we must keep guns out of the hands of the bad guy” cry the anti-gun zealots. More laws, more restrictions, more background checks, etc., etc. That is the answer from those who hate guns, those who would strip away our Second Amendment rights.
Let’s consider the island nation of Jamaica, and gun ownership there. The nation’s Firearms Act, which was first passed in 1967 and has been amended over the years, regulates the ownership and use of firearms and ammunition. This sounds like something that American gun control types would like to see in America. The law requires gun licenses on ALL firearms, and a yearly registration fee of $6,000 and for a rather poor nation this is an outrageous amount of money.
The nation even has a Gun Court, which was established in 197, to try criminal cases involving firearms. In other words Jamaica is an example to the world where gun control is a very serious deal. But is it working?
In a word… no.
Guns are reportedly smuggled into the country from places such as Haiti where firearms are traded for drugs. The BBC reported that recently 2,000 guns were melted down, and in the coverage of this story noted:
The BBC’s Nick Davis in Kingston says that although gun crime has long been a problem in Jamaica, the murder rate has been falling. However, the authorities want to do more. Between 70-80% of fatal shootings have been linked to criminal gangs whose firepower equals that of the police, our correspondent adds.
So has gun control done its job? Clearly it has not. And while we know that some anti-gun zealots will blame American guns, suggesting that if America cracked down our neighbors in Mexico and Jamaica wouldn’t have a source of guns – we need to remember that it is vintage Soviet and even modern Russian and Chinese firearms that are used in Asia and Africa by insurgents and criminals alike.
Basically, Jamaica should serve as an example of why gun control will always fail as long as there are criminals around. And until the drug and crime problem can be solved, gun control only makes it harder for the law-abiding gun owner.
Firing Back: Why Have Guns Been Selling?
The mainstream media has spent the last two months reporting on record gun sales, and time and time again it has made sure to include commentary from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence or some other anti-gun group to “explain it.”
But what needs to be explained? We’re coming into an election year and despite the resounding statement from the anti-gun crowd that President Obama hasn’t done much with gun control, he hasn’t exactly been pro-gun either. Likewise, there is uncertainty with the economy, but there have been other factors.
First, women are picking up guns; to defend themselves and to hunt, or just take part in shooting sports. Is there anything wrong with this? And young people are once again showing interest in firearms.
But instead the media continues to ask why? And for reasons that make no sense in business related stories, ask for commentary from anti-gun types as if this will provide the answer.
The truth is that gun ownership is on the rise, crime is down. What is wrong with that?
And here is another point to consider, why would the media root against sales? Doesn’t the economy need to pick up? Imagine if this were any other product and the media tried to paint it as bad? The media wants strong consumer good sales, as it indicates a good economy. The media likes to report on strong housing or automobile sales, so why wouldn’t the media want strong firearms sales?
These are criminals buying guns, but to many in the media anyone with a gun should be deemed a potential outlaw.
Firing Back: Will Holder Face Impeachment?
Hell no, Eric Holder won’t go! That’s pretty much how the embattled Attorney General is playing it, even after last Thursday’s hearing over Fast and Furious.
The irony of this is that Holder by holding on as it were could actually make matters worse (for him) – not that they could get any better. Holder is hanging on and if impeachment is considered it would bring Fast and Furious into the spotlight.
The truth is that the media has been mostly mum on this, as it makes the Department of Justice look bad, and in turn makes President Obama look bad. By hanging on, instead of leaving silently, Holder’s hold out could shed light. So while it could make matters worse for him, it could bring due attention to Fast and Furious and the Obama administration’s culpability for this whole operation to light.
Of course, the media will likely try to trump that with the “Blame Bush” card, which various outlets have already played. But either way, this is slowly going from a sideshow to a main event. Let’s hope voters see this and remember, remember come next November.
Firing Back: More on Fast and Furious – and Defense of ATF
This week we noted that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) defended the ATF and pointed the finger of blame for the Fast and Furious debacle on lax American gun laws. This is an outrageous turn of events. To put it bluntly this is no better than blaming a rape on the fact that the woman was dressed in a way that was “asking for.”
Why should law-abiding American gun owners suffer because of the ATF debacle? Why should law-abiding American gun owners have to face bans of certain firearms because of problems in another country?
What makes this worse is that Feinstein, along with her co-conspirators Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) are calling for a reinstatement of the assault weapon ban in part because of the ongoing cartel war in Mexico! In other words, American gun owners may be the real victims in this debacle and yet Feinstein says that the Republicans are unfairly targeting the ATF and Attorney General Eric Holder.
There have been suggestions that this is a conspiracy aimed at destroying our Second Amendment rights, and frankly we don’t think it is such a wild theory. This is a subtle move that is drawing attention away from the scandal and suggesting the cause of Mexico’s woes is our freedoms, our rights to own guns. This is certainly an issue to watch closely, and to keep in mind as the 2012 elections approach. President Obama has stayed out of this, but he let his true intentions be known when he suggested he was working on gun control, but “under the radar.”
Don’t be fooled. The 2012 election will likely decide the future of the Second Amendment.
Firing Back: Cries for Gun Control When Tragedy Strikes
Last week it might have seemed all too familiar. A high profile shooting, people questioning why it happened and then outrage that included calls for gun control. This happens every time there is a shooting, and the cycle begins anew.
We do find these tragedies to be disturbing. We do find these events to be horrific. But let’s consider a few things. Is gun control the answer? If there was gun control and citizens didn’t have guns we’d have no mass shootings. By that logic if we had no alcohol, we’d have no drunk drivers.
But wait, we tried that and it didn’t work. It actually made the problem worse. It created an era of gangsters, smugglers and bootleggers. And while it might make for good TV and movies, it was a dark time in our country. Prohibition doesn’t work.
Now let’s consider an airplane crash. These happen too, but no one says, “let’s stop flying. Think of the children.” The truth is that tragedies happen in life, and while we don’t intend to belittle the shootings, any shootings for that matter, the fact is the vast majority of law-abiding gun owners will never fire their guns in self-defense, they’ll never commit a crime with them, they’ll never have an accident. All of those scenarios are the exception to the rule.
And yet, the cries will continue. Because the news loves to show the blood. The news loves to cover these stories and ask “why did this happen.” How often the media report stories of hunters safely doing their thing, another safe but loud day at the range, or gun collectors flock to collectibles show. That’s not news, but it happens. And that’s the final problem. Tragedies are news, news gets attention and then the cries for gun control start anew.
Firing Back: Historically Minorities Denied 2nd Amendment Rights
It shouldn’t be a surprise that the first gun control laws were targeted against minorities. The white power structure, especially in the south, wanted to maintain control even if it meant embracing such groups as the KKK. Today, people of color are being denied their 2ndAmendment Rights by the power structure of large cities, like New York and Chicago. In some neighborhoods of America’s largest cities, law-abiding citizens must fear armed criminals while being unable to legally arm themselves.
Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO) has produced a 20 minute documentary, “No Guns for Negros,” that exposes the racist history of gun control and its impact on minority communities today. The movie can be downloaded free at http://jpfo.org/filegen-a-m/movieplay-ngn-swf.htm and the organization wants as many people as possible to distribute their production as long as it isn’t done for profit.
So spread the word. Distribute copies to your friends and community organizations. Let’s make all of America safe by returning 2nd Amendment Rights to all neighborhoods.
Video after the jump
