Another "I'm a gun owner but..."

She doesn't like the NRA supporting pro-gun legislation. Fine. I can support that. Except when their reasons are based on complete ignorance. For example:

If I may, the NRA was very vocal in the fight concerning assault class weapons, such the M-16 and the AK-47. While these two weapons in particular are not the issue, the debate was that citizens had the right to hunt with assault class weapons.

I disagreed on the principle of the argument. Citizens do not need fully automatic assault class firearms to go hunting. The statement was absurd, but upheld by members of the NRA.

Or (Regarding the Thune amendment):

If a person unable to purchase a gun in one state, can simply skip to a state where he will pass the tests and receive a concealed carry license can then return to the original state, he is now in effect in violation of the original states law, designed with public safety in mind.

Assuming that this individual is really a gun owner, what this shows is that our biggest enemy is not the Brady Campaign or Josh Sugarmann but outright ignorance. Obviously they have not read a single thing about either issue beyond what they saw on TV or read from 'authorized journalists'.

"Assault Class Weapon" is right out of the gun banner lexicon.

Had she bothered to actually READ the amendment she would have noted that it specifically said:

to allow citizens who have concealed carry permits from the State in which they reside to carry concealed firearms in another State that grants concealed carry permits, if the individual complies with the laws of the State.

Now, when called on it, she's hopping around saying she 'remembers' the NRA pushing fully autos (those 'assault class weapons again) for hunting but that semi-autos are 'excessive' anyway.

Hopefully our continued discussion opened her eyes a little. She seemed to be basing her entire philosophy on firearms based upon her personal experiences and needs. She couldn't see the 'need' for a semi-auto rifle yet chose a semi-auto handgun for personal self defense. She couldn't see the 'need' for national reciprocity because she doesn't regularly travel, ignoring the choices or needs of those who do carry across states.

Eight Little Mayors, Sitting in Jail

Tryin' to get to Heaven by the end of their bail....

By the latest count.

Passaic, NJ Mayor Samuel Rivera
Frank Melton, of Jackson MS
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick
Birmingham, Al Mayor Larry Langford
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon
Jeremiah Healey of Jersey City
Racine, WI Mayor Gary Becker

Are joined in their fine club of indicted and/or convicted MAIG mayors by Bayonne, NJ Mayor Joseph Doria whose house was raided today in conjunction w/ numerous corruption arrests. Included in this was the Deputy Mayor of Jersey City, Leona Beldini, whose boss, Jerramiah Healy is a MAIG member.

I missed this one. Thanks to SIH for the heads up.

Spinning Thune

SIH notes that both the VPC and BC have issued press releases on the failing of the Thune amendment today in the Senate.

What neither presser notes however is that it received 58 votes in support out of 97 cast. A clear majority.

While they're praising this victory over a 'dangerous gun bill' they're secretly on their knees thanking whatever deity they believe in that this required 60 votes instead of a simple majority.

Update: Helmke's Huffpo gloat is even funnier. Still no mention of the 58 senators voting in support but he goes on and on about 'elections having consequences' and the 'diminished clout of the NRA'.

If this is 'diminished clout' then the gun banners are hurting even worse than is commonly thought.

Mandate on CCW Reciprocity

While the Thune Amendment failed to pass by 2 votes, it showed what kind of support it really had in the Senate. 58 Senators voted for it. That means that over 1/3 of the Democrats supported the measure. That's not just a couple of defectors like the few Republicans who voted against it. That's solid support.

This issue will come up again. We'll see what the trend is next time.

Only a few....

That's what we've been told about the heavy weapons used by Mexican drug cartels. They only have a 'few' grenades, RPG's, etc. Some idiots even argue that real assault rifles are to expensive for the Cartels to purchase.

Four months later, police discovered a training camp for the Zetas, one of Mexico's fiercest gangs, a few miles south of the Mexican border in Ixtcan. They also found 500 grenades and thousands of bullets believed stolen from the Guatemalan army

500 grenades in one camp. Stolen from the military. Odds are good those weren't the only items taken.

Yet anti-rights activists like Paul Helmke, Josh Sugarmann, and Bryan Miller are more concerned w/ semi-auto's and revolvers that they get from the US. They think giving MORE money, equipment and guns to the very gov'ts that the Cartels are getting their weapons from is a peachy-keen idea.

It's all those damn gun shows again.

Chicago Style Elections, Honduras Edition

Seems that the 'referendum' in Honduras may have been pre-decided:

Tegucigalpa -- The National Direction of Criminal Investigation confiscated computers in the Presidential House in which were registered the supposed results of the referendum on the reform of the Constitution that was planned by former President

So assuming this is true, will we hear a peep out of our dear leader and his spokes-critters for their support of Zelaya?

Was this a test case for '12?

"Broad Discretion" = Racism and Discrimination

Unsurprisingly, the Staten Island D.A. opposes the federal CCW reciprocity concept.

""The broad discretion afforded by the New York City Police Department to deny permits would be vitiated by this bill because those Mississippi permit holders could carry concealed firearms in New York City without any firearms training whatsoever," he wrote.

Yes, we all know what 'broad discretion' means. It means that unless you're politically connected and/or rich, you're not getting one.

So to justify his support of blatant discrimination, he has to lie:

The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009 would open the door for criminals to carry weapons in New York, Donovan said.

As if 'criminals' would bother w/ licensing.

And this is the way it always turns out and why we're winning. When a bill like this comes up, anti's start throwing out the anecdotes and nonsense fear mongering. We respond with logic and a presentation of the facts like the one that violations of any kind by CCW holders are less than by the 'average' citizen and exponentially less than by members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

H/T to NYSRPA

Where do the guns come from again?

MEXICO CITY – Mexican investigators have detained 10 police officers in the torture and killings of 12 federal agents whose bodies were found dumped along a highway in western Michoacan state...

Prosecutors also charged a former mayor of the town of La Huacana, where the bodies were found, for alleged links to organized crime.

Isn't it comforting to know we're sending millions of dollars in cash and equipment to help the Mexican Gov't fight crime?

Illinois Police support Concealed Carry

"If you're not sure if a guy has a gun, you may not try to do some things to him that you might otherwise try to get away with," said Peoria police Officer Troy Skaggs, president of the Peoria Police Benevolent Union. "It's the fear of the unknown."

In February, the Illinois Sheriffs' Association passed a resolution supporting a concealed-carry law in Illinois, with several conditions in place.

Then in May, Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis expressed public support for Peoria becoming a test city for statewide legislation that would allow people to carry guns in a responsible way.

During a recent 10-week stint at the FBI's National Academy, which brought 250 worldwide law-enforcement executives to Quantico, Va., Peoria Police Chief Steven Settingsgaard said, "Everyone I spoke to was in favor of concealed carry."

On July 9, the village of Bartonville and its police department passed a resolution in support of the ISA's recommendation for legalized concealed-carry accompanied by stringent regulation of the process.

"We're supporting the sheriff's association with mandated regulations if the Legislature decides to enact concealed- carry in the state," Bartonville Police Chief Brian Fengel said. "They're already out on the streets. The gangbangers already have guns. This would allow law-abiding citizens to have them with mandatory training and background checks."

Read the rest. The support just continues. This is what you get when a paper does something other than cut and paste Brady Campaign press releases.

HT to WOG