Intentionally missing the point

Laura Washington responded to my E-mail

Here was her reply:

Dear Mr. Thirdpower,

Thanks for your comments. This is not about the credibility of Jesse Jackson. We have to do everything we can to stop the killing.

Thanks again for writing.

Best, Laura Washington



I guess the truth hurt to much. I'm guessing "everything we can" only applies to the Tribe and not the alleged sweeps by the CPD in the housing projects.

Chicago Sun Times PSH on "Gun Control"

Laura Washington of the Chicago Sun Times kicks out the usual nonsense comparing legal owners and criminals:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/washington/507772,CST-EDT-LAURA13.article

Here's the letter I sent her:

MS. Washington,

I can answer your question. Others aren't "joining the call" because most realize that what is generally referred to as "gun control" has nothing to do w/ crime whatsoever. You mention the VT shooting where the state and judiciary failed to commit a recognizably violent individual. You mention the Newark shootings were an illegal immigrant was out on bail for raping a five year old. 25% of murders are committed by people out on bail or parole for another murder. Another 50% by people w/ a long history of crime behind them. No amount of "gun control" laws would have stopped people like these from committing the crimes they did.

Ask yourself why is it that 49% of murders are of and by African American? Is it the guns sending some signals into their brains or is it something else? Are the guns causing them to commit these crimes?

Mayor Daley has pushed for more "gun control" even though it's a complete failure in Chicago. The city accounts for half of crime in the state yet has only 1/4 the population. It has been the crime capitol of the US several times in the last decade. Firearms are effectively banned in the city. At the same time, we have over a dozen Chicago police officers indicted for violence and hundreds more on secret lists of numerous complaints against them.

Massachusetts has some of the strictest "gun control" laws in the country. It has seen a decrease in legal ownership of 25% over the last 6 years. It has also seen a spike in murders and violent crime.

Maybe if the judiciary would start doing their job, parents would actually start parenting, and Mayor Daley would stop protecting rogue cops, something might actually be done against crime and criminals instead of the 99%+ of legal firearm owners who actually follow the law.

Regards,

Thirdpower

UPDATE: Countertop sent a letter as well. Shall we place odds on the lack of response?

Smackdown on Laura Washington

At the LibertyZone.

Laura is back spouting her usual PC racism and blaming whitey for young Chicago gangbangers slaughtering eachother:

Black America should demand that Obama cease his shameless pandering to the People of the Gun and launch a full-throttle crusade for sensible gun control. While he has been out on the campaign trail, dozens of Chicago children have been slaughtered in the streets.

Does THIS sound like the guy is pandering to gun owners? SPARE ME! Obama is a gun banner. Laura just wants to ensure that he's loud and proud of it.

She doesn't care if Whitey is disarmed and vulnerable to disaffected urban youts. She just cares when they start gunning down one another. Screw anyone else who wants to protect their lives and those of their loved ones! BLACK children are being gunned down in the streets!

Read the rest.

Laura Washington at it again.

over at the Sun Times:

SaysUncle does a good fisking of it.

Here's the letter I sent:

Ms Washington,

I find it interesting that you refer to pro-firearm activists as "petulant" and "vitriolic" and then end your paper w/ "if I had my way, the gun lobby would be looking at three yards and a cloud of dust. Let's get organized and shove tougher gun policies right down their throats."

As for "gun control" support, here's a recent poll by Zogby:

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-21-2007/0004649357&EDATE=

as well as one from Pew:

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/443/the-nras-image-improves-as-support-for-gun-control-slips

So even though public opinion is against gun control and the evidence supporting it is weak or non-existent, you want to force it on the public. Would you say the same in regards to abortion?

You say that "many" tell you to go places. Well, since your support of gun control legislation is fervent even when the facts don't support it, do you blame them? What about all the e-mails that were sent that were polite? Why didn't you respond to any of their concerns or any of the questions they brought up?

Oh, right, nevermind.

-Thirdpower


I'm sure I'll get the same type of automated response as last time.

This is the kind of "debate" that is becoming more and more common amongst the hoplophobes. They ignore the actual facts and presented evidence in order to focus on a few cases of extremism. The same kind of "Reasoned Discourse" logic that the Brady Bunch used to shut down comments, Robyn Ringler uses to delete the majority of posts, and Alex uses to make rules for him to allow comments.

Gun control is more like a religion than anything else. New Earth Creationist Dr. Dino uses the same tactics to push his agenda and has about as much evidence to support himself. What does he do? He makes certain rules guiding anyone who debates against him, he uses "studies" from groups that are completely financed to support a particular goal and ignore the majority of evidence out there. They also demonize their opponents by making up facts about them .

Another Cultural Thing

PGP points to a cultural reason why crime increases and it has nothing to do w/ guns. The scum that produced the original "Stop Snitchin'" video, threatening violence and retaliation against those who try and stop crime in their neighborhood, have produced a sequel.

So, will we hear rails against this from Laura Washington, Jessi Jackson, or Al Sharpton? Or will they just continue to blame Rural White Males for all the crime? I'm betting the former.

Ms. Washington,

I have contacted you in the past over your attacks on firearm owners and your assertions over whose fault it is for the high crime levels in urban areas. I was wondering, then, what your reaction and response would be to the fact that the group that had previously released the "Stop Snitchin'" DVD, threatening violence and retribution to those who assist the police in solving crimes, has released a sequel which continues to glamorize and encourage violence? Are these the same "People of the Gun" from your earlier articles?

http://wbal.com/news/story.asp?articleid=67088

Regards,

Thirdpower
Peoples Soviet of Illinois

Her previous articles provide an interesting juxtaposition to another statement she made:

Thanks to Bill Cosby, more of us are saying the excuses just don’t cut it anymore.

You know that old saying about what the truth can do? Come on, people—set yourselves free.

Will she continue to provide her own excuses for urban crime levels or will she read her own article and set herself free with the truth?

"It's about time someone took on the People of the Gun."

According to Laura Washington's latest screed.

Why is that Ms. Washington? Are you're saying that it's all those rural white men that are going into these predominantly urban black neighborhoods and selling drugs, shooting people, and starting riots?

Handguns are already banned in all the places you mentioned. Why are you blaming people in the lowest crime areas for Chicago's crime?

Maybe Burns et al should try taking on the gang-bangers, absent fathers, out of control police, and parents who don't send their kids to school.

As for the "handgun loophole", would you accept non-ffl access to the background check system? The Brady Campaign opposes that. Maybe opposition to the current attempted legislation is because it requires the sales to go through a dealer while at the same time individuals like you and Jesse Jackson support trying to sue dealers out of business and "shoving laws down their throats".

Saysuncle has more.

Some people never learn

Laura Washington blames gun owners for more crimes.

So Laura, you lambast bloggers for allegedly being in the service of the NRA yet quote Hemenway who is bought and paid for by the Joyce Foundation.

The rest is just the usual anti-gun ad hominems and ad personams.


The Liberty Zone is less polite.

Gun Control Journalism In a Nutshell

From the keyboard of Laura Washington, long-time gun hater:

I write, often harshly, about The People of the Gun. I harbor a dim view of Second Amendment advocates. With each new shooting in Chicago, I have become more terrified of guns and the people who carry them.

It’s time I actually met one.

So years of hatred and vilification of firearm owners and, according to her, she's never actually talked to one until recently

There's words for that.... what are they again?

Zorn says we're winning...

and explains why:

Gun-control advocates are weak.

He's discovered the same thing as Laura Washington over in the Sun-Times. Not only are there less of them, but the majority of their arguments are based on emotion and often hypocritical. Basing your ideology on that wears thin to the public after time. You can only cry "the sky is falling" so many times before people stop listening. It also doesn't help when the majority of funding comes not from public supporters (aka grassroots) but from multi-millionaire advocacy organizations and individuals (Joyce Foundation, George Soros).

Hordes of pickup trucks invade Chicago.

Family Mourns 10-Year-Old Boy Caught In Crossfire

Arthur 'A.J.' Jones Lost Life To Shots In Fight By Rival Gangs

Man Shot, Killed In West Side Drive-By Shooting

Cops shut down West Pullman drug market

2nd man charged in gang shooting that killed Aurora boy

Can we find a connection here? (Hint: it has nothing to do w/ rural white men owning firearms)

Laura Washington still seems to think differently though.

Something about Fall...

That just makes people want to blog...

Breda had her 2 year blogiversary on Aug 27th, Uncle turned 6 on the 30th, and I had forgotten all about my one year on Aug 13th w/ a letter to our friend Laura Washington.

Where is the Outrage? @MediaDervish

After the recent spate of shootings, Laura Washington asks questions of the black leadership.  This however, is ironic as for years she's blamed 'Rural White Guys', the NRA, and legal firearm owners in general for Chicago's woes.  When I asked here where the black leadership was, my question was dismissed.

So I'll go through her latest questions w/ answers.  Ones that she's probably not going to like (or accept since I'm a RWG)

 But where is the black leadership in this town? Where are the moral voices? Where is their outrage? Where are their demands that the slaughter cease?

They're sitting in their comfortable houses, often w/ private/armed security, and reading the same articles you are.  You've already answered why: 'Black Lives' don’t matter to them.

But w/ a qualifier which we'll get to next.

 They know how to command the microphones, dominate the headlines, get up in our faces. Where are they?

See above.  Now for the qualifier.  The reason they 'know how to command the microphones and dominate the headlines' is THAT is what they care about.  Keeping the attention, the cameras, and the microphones on themselves.  They care about keeping themselves and THEIR lives comfortable, safe, and well funded.  You won't see those 'leaders' marching in the streets of Chicago unless there are hundreds of cameras on them, otherwise it's just not worth their well-paid time.  As for the political 'leaders', they're to busy getting lucrative jobs for their friends and raising taxes.

As for the 'script':

Why aren’t these war zones being flooded with cops?

Ferguson and Baltimore.  Thank BLM for that. Go watch videos of crime scenes in Chicago being mobbed by gang-banging thugs and locals trashing evidence, attacking the police, firefighters, and EMT's trying to do their jobs.  Then ask this question again. And the second the 'bangers and drug dealers start getting hauled in?  RACISM!!!!! THEN you'll see some of those 'leaders' show up, to disappear again as soon as the cameras are gone.  You'll also see the neighborhoods erupt in violence as they burn down their own city.

Why not put millions in tax dollars into crime fighting and gun control?

They have.  Most of it was completely useless and did nothing to 'fight crime'.  Instead all it did was try and restrict most of those RWG's/local citizens trying to defend their homes and end up in the pockets of those 'leaders' that are absent. 

Here's the results of what you want:

  If you favor strict gun control laws, laws that will punish people severely simply for possessing a gun or ammunition, then you will wind up throwing a lot more people in jail. And many of those people will be minorities.

  

When will black Chicago stop accepting its own self destruction?

 When the people stop voting for and enabling the ones allowing it along w/ the race politics and unsustainable handouts. When people like you stop pointing the fingers at everyone else but the people involved. When the families of the thugs, gang-bangers, and drug dealers start turning their baby boys in instead of screaming how they were 'good boys turning their lives around'. Look at the 9 yr old's family.  His 'dad' is not helping the police and is selling T-shirts.   'Mom' used the money she begged for his funeral to buy a new car. 

When will we admit that black lives don’t matter to us?

Because then too many won't be able to play the victim and race cards. They'll have to accept some level of accountability and responsibility.  Not going to happen.

When are we going to stop waiting for white people to beg us to change?

Anyone that does will be accused of racism so why should they bother? 
 
But I'm just a 'Rural White Guy', what do I know.

All Your Gun Lobby Belong To Us

In a comment thread regarding how to increase the percentage of firearm owners belonging to various firearm rights organizations, this comment was made:

That is because those organizations idealogy deal more than about guns, when that stops, I know a lof of people, including myself, that would consider.

Note it wasn't just the NRA that was mentioned but the SAF, etc.

I asked for a clarification on just what non-gun 'ideologies' were being dealt with.

Several days later, on a different thread discussing McDonald and Sotomayer, this same individual replied:

you asked about idealogy and the NRA, read the above comments...when talking about gun rights we should stick to gun rights.

Now note how the goalposts got moved to mentioning ONLY the NRA and claiming that the comments from a few individuals, some of whom were members, represented the 'ideology' of the entire organization.

We see this mentality fairly often. Anything even remotely associated with firearms is under the guise and control of the NRA. Laura Washington and her 'wheelbarrows full of cash' meme was a prime example. Back in June we had Snuffy protesting the NRA at an event that the NRA wasn't even present at nor affiliated with.

So are these alleged people just completely unaware of the dozens of other national and state groups that are also available to gun owners or are the arguments against gun ownership so weak that the only thing they can do is lump all of the groups together into one big ad hominem boogeyman? A little of both? Neither? What?

How can we inform the general gun owning public of their choices and encourage them to become members of (at least) the organization that fits their personal firearm ideology whether it be NRA or GOA?

Chicagoans are Irresponsible

That's the message anti-gun 'columnist' Laura Washington is sending as she laments that Chicago's crime is increasing w/ the heat. She projects her own fears that if CCW is allowed in the city, everyone and their neighbor will begin shooting eachother.

Oh, wait, the criminals are doing that now. As she types from the safety of her apt., she's promoting everyone else be as defenseless as she chooses to be. It's also telling that she refuses to distinguish between those who choose to defend themselves and own firearms for hobbies, etc. and the criminal element that commits the crimes rampant in this gun control haven.

And don't forget the fact she just HAS to play the race card.

Unorganized Militia: Propaganda Corps

TITLE 10 > Subtitle A > PART I > CHAPTER 13 > § 311

§ 311. Militia: composition and classes

(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are—
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.

PROPAGANDA:
prop�a�gan�da �audio� (prp-gnd) KEY �

NOUN:

1. The systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or of information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating such a doctrine or cause.
2. Material disseminated by the advocates or opponents of a doctrine or cause: wartime propaganda.

As George Mason stated " I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials. -- George Mason, 3 Elliot, Debates at 425-426." The militia consists of the entire populace. Not every aspect of that is toting a gun. The women who manned the factories during WWII were acting just as much in the defense of the country as were the men on the front lines.

One area that bloggers have become quite proficient at (as Laura Washington and others have discovered) is disseminating information about our cause and working together to do so. Our goal is not only to counter the misinformation put out by the 'mainstream media' but to educate and interest others in the founding principles of our nation.

In honor to those who work so diligently every day to do so, I put together a unit patch:

The coiled rattlesnake is from the Gadsen Flag, one of the earliest symbols of American independence. It is coiled around a quill pen, symbolizing its protection of our freedom of expression in all its forms. Underneath is the motto "Vltima Ratio Populo". The Final Word of the People. For We The People are the final word.

It is my honor and privilege to work alongside these folks for our cause.



As an aside, the image is available in several HTML formats (thanks to Robb Allen and Linoge) for adding to websites or blogs.

There are also patches available in color, tan, and green subdued, Stickers, Lapel Pins and other UM patches.


Feel free to contact me (thirdpower at hotmail.com ) if you are interested. If, however, your site advocates racist beliefs or illegal activities, it will behoove you to take a bath w/ a toaster beforehand.

Modern Militia Series

• Preface
• Part 1: The Uniform
• Part 2: Field Gear I
• Part 3: Firearms
• Part 4: Field Gear II
• Part 5: Vehicles
• Propaganda Corps

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Yeah, and this is new how?

Murder exposes flaws in parole system

Violent felon on parole for murder chokes girlfriend. Parole officer decides this doesn't warrant having it revoked when DA manages to get in contact w/ him several months later. GF gets restraining order. Violent felon gets gun, shoots her then himself.

30-40% percent of parolees are sent back to prison for violations while gangs, crime, and gov't
corruption are rampant, yet the likes of Josh Sugarmann and Laura Washington feel crime is due to the tens of millions of firearm owners in the US.

Paid shills for the NRA?

According to "Wendigo" in the comments at this post, numerous pro-2A scholars are "paid schills" for the NRA. That's similar to Laura Washington's that the numerous gun blogs are somehow organized and funded by the NRA.

This is in comparison to Hemenway, VPC, HSPH, Gonzo, and the IACP, etc. whose "reports" are all funded by the Joyce Foundation, and the Brady Campaign who puts out their own.

So tell me folks, which ones are funded by the NRA? I'll wait.

Update: Wendigo replies:

You probably want evidence that the sky is blue and that humans need air and water to survive.

What exactly does the NRA do? Can you tell me? Hmmmm? Or are you just the NRA's paid "fake skeptic" who roams the Internets Tube City for posts to pretend to "question" with some measure of fake gravitas?

As to the paid shills, apparently you don't get out much. That's not my problem either.

Go educate yourself. Please.

Yeah, that's what I thought. When the facts don't support your claims, resort to more logical fallacies and insults.

Blame Chicago crime on what again?

Maybe Laura Washington and Mayor Daley will blame Rural White Males for coming to Chicago and dragging 44% of the students out of school and keeping them from graduating.

Laura's back..

With the same meme's and ad hominems.

"The gun control issue is on the move, and the politicians want in."

Ms. Washington,

If you "can't vote against gun control" would you please tell me why 2/3rds of the House and Senate along w/ 31 state AG's have sided against Washington DC's gun ban along w/ numerous police organizations? Can you tell me why both Clinton and OBama have weakened their previous stances on gun control nor fought over a Brady Campaign endorsement? Why every mass shooting over the last few years has been in a Brady Endorsed "Gun Free Zone" w/ the only one stopped being by a private citizen w/ a firearm?

Who are doing the shootings that you decry in Chicago? It isn't the "National Rifle Association, fat-cat gun lobbyists and gun lovers" who you have categorized as "rural white guys". It's by disenfranchised youth, both black and white, who are being raised by televisions and career criminals repeatedly let out onto the streets by an incompetent judiciary.

Thank you.

Thirdpower

And Ms. Washington responds...

w/ little more than a what a automated generated reply would do. At least it's something.

Dear Mr. Thirdpower,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about my column on gun control. I appreciate you taking the time to write.

Best, Laura