Capital New York Quotes Anti-Gun Bloomberg
So how does New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg really see guns? We know he hates them, and last week he was quoted in Capital New York. Here is a sampling:
“There are too many loopholes in federal laws that let people buy guns when federal laws say they shouldn’t. Federal law says you cannot buy a gun if you have a criminal record, psychiatric problems, or a minor. Unfortunately, the gun background-check system that we have has some flaws in it. Too many people sell guns privately, and while they’re not supposed to sell to those who couldn’t pass a background check, they’re not required to do a background check. And it would be very easy to have reputable gun dealers do that background check for them.”
The question we would like to ask the Mayor is what is his point? Is this really a problem of “guns” or of the flawed medical system? Most gun sales do require a background check, and the background checks do keep guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t buy them. Further restrictions will only make it harder for the law-abiding – as the citizens of Chicago and Washington can attest. Those cities had even stricter laws than New York City and yet STILL had a gun violence problem.
Bloomberg later stated:
“I don’t think the founding fathers meant to have people to walk around with assault rifles in their hands. I don’t think the founding fathers meant to have people who are on the no fly list be able to go and buy guns.”
This is a common tactic used by anti-gun types. Did the founding fathers intend for reality TV? Did the founding fathers mean for people to have access to pornography on the Internet? It is certainly impossible for the founding fathers to have any opinion on no fly lists when the cutting edge technology in flight of the era of the 1780s was a hot air balloon!
Likewise, as we often state, the guns of the era were far deadlier given the medical treatment today. In the 1780s any musket wound was very likely to be fatal. So this nonsense that the guns are deadlier today is just that – nonsense.
And finally for good measure Bloomberg compares America to the Third World:
“There are more guns than there are people in America. And it’s only America that has this problem. A couple of third-world countries. But you go around the world and they look at us and say, ‘What are you people thinking?’”
No this isn’t true. There are mass shootings even in countries where there are far stricter gun laws. And yes, there are more guns than people in America. So what is the problem? This argument suggests that Bloomberg isn’t anti-illegal guns as he often tries to suggest, but truly ANTI-GUN in all respects. He is mad that people have guns because he doesn’t like guns.
But this is easy for a billionaire to say, one who has private security – who are likely armed. So are the guns really a danger? No, the danger is men like Bloomberg who will spend their vast fortunes to rewrite the laws as they see fit. Maybe he should at least change the name of his group from Mayors Against Illegal Guns to MAYORS AGAINST GUNS and stop the pretext and lying.
NRA News: Emily Miller from The Washington Times – I bought a gun, but…
Cam Edwards talks to Emily Miller from The Washington Times, who is writing a series on her efforts to get a gun in Washington, DC
Washington City Paper: Murder is Down in D.C., But Why?
“It’s not due to gentrification” is given as a reason why murder is down in D.C. says Washington City Paper this week, which notes that murder has “dropped to a 50-year-historic low in D.C.”
What the news site doesn’t suggest is that residents can now own hand guns. This isn’t reported at all in this story. Consider this citizens in the capital can now arm themselves and crime is down… and the media is mostly mum on it!
Altoona Mirror: Disarming all except criminals
Gun control zealots often say that if all guns were banned there would be no crime. But this week The Altoona Mirror offered an interesting editorial, titled “Disarming all except criminals.” It noted that Washington, D.C.’s sweep of illegal guns swept up a lot of guns!
Clearly, the criminal element in Washington is well armed. The city’s strict gun laws don’t seem to have even slowed violent thugs down.
Meanwhile, law-abiding citizens who want to protect themselves, their families and their homes are told they can own guns only under very narrow restrictions.
It is nice to see some in the media actually noting this point. Guns are not the problem, it is criminals. And no amount of gun bans or legislation is going to stop the criminals from getting guns. D.C. should be a proving ground for that fact!
NRA News: Emily Miller – The Washington Times – “D.C.’s only gun source”
Cam Edwards talks to Emily Miller from The Washington Times, who is writing a series on her efforts to get a gun in Washington, DC
Newsday: Gun control always under fire
Need more proof that New York editors see the world differently than the rest of the country? This week the editors of Newsday, which is now essentially a Long Island newspaper, offered an editorial titled, “Gun control always under fire.” It is a passion-based piece with little in the way of supporting evidence for its claims.
It isn’t mentioned that crime has fallen as gun rights have increased. It didn’t mention that Chicago and D.C. had high gun crime despite strict gun control.
Instead the editors offer this thought:
“But gun-control victories can be fragile. Supporters of irresponsible legislation to allow someone with a concealed-weapons permit from any other state to carry a gun here in New York are trying again. Congress should again reject this one-size-fits-all proposal. If it became law, it would mean lax requirements in some states — for instance issuing permits without gun training or to people with violent misdemeanor convictions — could become the de facto national standard.”
Once again we must ask, what is to stop a criminal from merely carrying a gun illegally? If someone is intent on breaking the law the right to carry is going to be the least of one’s concerns. Note too that this suggests that those with violent misdemeanor convictions could get a gun, but never address felony convictions – is this because the editors believe felons wouldn’t carry guns?
Typical view for those with strict gun control and who would only wish for more.
NRA Targets San Fran Gun Control Says The Informant
KALW News “The Informant” took aim at the NRA last week, noting:
“San Francisco currently faces two lawsuits by the National Rifle Association attacking its gun control laws. The lawsuits are part of a nationwide campaign targeting local measures that restrict gun ownership.”
The article also notes that the NRA’s efforts including District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago. While this is mostly straightforward reporting it fails to note, as our friend John Lott did in a piece for FoxNews, namely that crime is down in Chicago and D.C.
In other words “The Informant” didn’t offer that key bit of information.
John Lott: Media Silence Is Deafening About Important Gun News
Our friend John Lott wrote an excellent op-ed for FoxNews.com last Friday, titled, “Media Silence Is Deafening About Important Gun News.” He essentially notes, “murder and violent crime rates were supposed to soar after the Supreme Court struck down gun control laws in Chicago and Washington, D.C.”
And have you heard about the crime rates? Probably not, because as Lott notes… they have fallen. He writes:
“Not surprisingly, the national media have been completely silent about this news. One can only imagine the coverage if crime rates had risen. In the first six months of this year, there were 14% fewer murders in Chicago compared to the first six months of last year – back when owning handguns was illegal. It was the largest drop in Chicago’s murder rate since the handgun ban went into effect in 1982.”
The media likes news on guns… but only when it is bad. There is the saying, “if it bleeds, it leads.” Sad but very true.
National Rifle Association: ATF Rewards Agents Who Ran “Fast and Furious” & Then Helped Cover It Up
From the NRA:
In what can only be described as “Washington D.C. logic,” the three BATFE agents who were responsible for the “Fast and Furious” debacle in Phoenix have been promoted.
You read that right, promoted! Not reprimanded, not demoted and certainly not fired, but given bigger jobs with more responsibility and more pay.
Each of the agents now have high profile positions in D.C. Read more
Dennis Henigan: Actually, Guns Do Kill People
Writing for The Huffington Post this week, Dennis A. Henigan, acting president of the Brady Campaign offered an editorial titled, “Actually, Guns Do Kill People.” Henigan tries to suggest that America’s loose gun laws result in more murders, thus offering the thought that guns do kill people. He uses the recent tragic camp shooting in Norway to show how these events could happen here.
But he actually makes a statement that suggests otherwise. Henigan writes:
“Norway has a restrictive gun licensing system, with a requirement that a prospective gun owner provide a written statement justifying why he or she wants one and stiff restrictions on how guns are stored.”
Now we bring this up, because the shooting still occurred. Why wouldn’t we think the same thing could happen if the United States adopted “restrictive gun licensing?” Chicago and Washington, D.C. are examples that Henigan and other anti-gun types never really mention. Both have a lot of gun crime yet “restrictive gun licensing.” Doesn’t that fact show that criminals intent on doing harm will find a way to do so?
