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Incendiary Image of the Day: State of the Nation

Robert Farago - comments No comments

PBS’ Frontline has teamed-up with the Hartford Courant to promote civilian disarmament report on the progress of post-Newtownian gun control legislation throughout America. Notice how they use the word “mostly”; as if gun control is a matter of serious consideration in states like Utah, Texas and Arizona. If the map is heartening to supporters of firearms freedom, this statement isn’t: “Most of the movement on gun legislation has been at the state level . . .

Since Jan. 1, a raft of new bills has been introduced, with 574 proposed bills to strengthen gun controls, and 512 to bolster gun rights, according to a new [non-linked] analysis by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which tracks state gun laws. Connecticut alone has introduced more than 100 gun-control measures and as well as a handful of gun-rights bills since the shooting.

The battle continues. Click here for the latest state-by-state gun rights round-up from a more credible source: the NRA

 

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Robert Farago

Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns.

0 thoughts on “Incendiary Image of the Day: State of the Nation”

  1. The same thing happened last month with Long Island’s Newsday. First, they did a web poll. We local gun owners killed in that poll.
    http://www.newsday.com/what-do-you-think-about-cuomo-s-gun-control-bill-1.4451699

    Then, they published a local “scientific” survey by Siena College.
    http://www.newsday.com/long-island/survey-results-long-islanders-and-guns-1.4436742

    Web polls are not scientific, but from what I was able to find on the Siena methodology, it was at least somewhat bogus. There were tons of polls conducted nationally immediately after the Newtown shootings, when emotions certainly came into play. I have not heard any follow-up polls since.

    I call Bravo Sierra. Bravo Foxtrotting Sierra.

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  2. When it comes to shooting with others, especially strangers, there are fine lines between safe, stupid, and dangerous. That said, we all die of something. Be aware of the risks and choose your comfort level.

    I’m sympathetic to RF’s point here. Unless I knew those I was shooting with, I’d be uncomfortable with activities shown in this video. Of course, when highway driving in light traffic conditions, I try to avoid getting within 100 yards of any other vehicles – especially near on/off ramps. People do unpredictable and dumb things with both cars and firearms.

    Maybe I’m a little nuts – let me know.

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  3. Governance by Poll Results is the new way for politicians to justify their “mandates”. A very dangerous and unfair business because there are zero controls. See them crying when it bites them in the ASS?. Dead giveaway of the original intentions.

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  4. Haters gotta hate but, a grown (?) man ranting about a video game?
    I personally do prefer a non black gun as black tends to get very hot in the desert sun.

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  5. The Kentucky legislative session is in “veto” recess to see if the Governor veto’s any passed legislation. When they return it will be to consider over riding those he may have vetoed. While there were two anti gun bills proposed to the best of my knowledge they never made it to the floor for consideration so Kentucky really should be something other than blue.

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  6. Universal background checks would still make for a de facto gun registry. As for making it “against the law” for the govt to register/confiscate…what’s to stop them from declaring the laws null and void after, say, they win a super majority in the 2014 midterms? This is a bad idea and sets a bad precedent. NO compromise. No surrender. These arent just our rights we’re fighting for, its for everyone after us as well.

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  7. The entire bill needs to be tossed into the trash can forthwith, and started over with a blank slate. The ONLY thing I would propose is this: the ability for private sellers to access NICS and check a name on a driver’s license or state ID. All I want to know is simply if the buyer in question is or is not disqualified from purchasing a firearm, yes or no? This should be a technologically simple thing to do, seeing as just about all of us have a cell phone handy. If FFL’s are concerned about liability or making too much money, then the seller can make a debit card payment, not to exceed 15 or 20 dollars, to cover the cost of the NICS check. That’s all. Nothing more, nothing else. If the transaction is completed in violation of state or federal law, then the same penalties currently in effect for unlawful private sales shall apply. Take about five pages of legislation, at most. Maybe even three pages. So simple even a liberal child could live with it.

    Tom

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  8. Why is it that every time they want to compromise, my rights get further whittled away? If this was truly a compromise – then they would have to give something up to.

    No compromise. Not now. Not ever.

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  9. I much admire your sprit and agree that “universalism” is unfair and largely useless but I reluctantly conclude that it’s coming in one way or another so we may as well try to control it as best we can. How? Like the following – what do you think.

    1/ No general registration of gun or ammo buyers or positive background checks. Negative background checks – in the sense that a potential buyer can be checked against a “prohibited” list – may be OK but should be done by a third party and no permanent record kept. Whatever list is maintained has to be carefully monitored for mistakes, typos and the usual junk such lists are ‘er to.
    2/ No general registration of any legally purchased and kept for non NFA firearms – all FFL records to be destroyed in due time and any government violation of this rule to be held to strict account.
    3/ Although the idea of placing the mentally disturbed on a “no sell” list has it’s merits it must be carefully controlled by judicial review to prevent any “medical professional” – who may themselves be “disturbed”- or believe anyone owning or wanting to own a gun is “disturbed” – to have such an arbitrary power, a violation of due process. This can also have the undesirable effect of deterring some people who could use some help from seeking aid.
    In my humble opinion we should have a “mentally limited” or “low information” test for voting which would eliminate many of our present problems.
    4/ No restrictions or records of any temporary loans or within families.

    The bottom line is that the general public doesn’t care what we have or do as long as we’re “checked out” by somebody or other and I don’t think there’s any way to stop it. After a long time on the water I’ve learned that when you hit a large wave you work through it instead of getting flipped.
    This whole mess can be turned around at some future return of sanity in any case – just like the dopey registry of ammo sales was.

    PS: Just read the arrests of Schumer, Feinstein etc for violations of the “Registry Act” – that’s my dream.

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  10. Their goal is not to protect the children, but to disarm the parents of the children who need protecting. If they were intent on making the kids safer why, more than 3 months after Newtown and years after Stockton and Columbine is it still possible for a person to walk onto any campus in America and not be met by barriers and armed security?

    This fresh round of gun laws will do nothing to prevent the next tragedy from happening and those backing these laws know this. If the children are to be protected it’s up to us to do it. Our first step in that process is to stand firm against these new laws and the next step is at election time to punish the people backing them and their supporters.

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  11. It is no different than racism. Painting any “class” of people with a broad brush reflecting the evil deeds of a few of their own “members” is prejudicial and supposedly frowned-upon in our enlightened society.

    “Most crimes are committed by ______ people.
    Therefore I hate _____ people.
    _______ people should not be allowed to _________.

    Now insert any particular group of people… ANY class, race, ethnicity, religion… and see what that gets you. It will get you labeled as a racist, bigot, and small-minded.

    But, if you put “gun owners” in the blanks, it’s OK.

    I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit. I don’t like being discriminated against just because I own a gun.

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  12. They hit rock bottom a while ago.
    They’re going to continue to dance in the blood of innocent children, the victims of gun-free school until we’re totally disarmed.

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  13. After any type of national tragedy, especially a shooting like the one in Newtown, I turn for comfort, to the words of one of the greatest presidents in American history: Abraham Lincoln.

    “Dear Madam,

    I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

    Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
    A. Lincoln”

    That passage is the very embodyment of what American really means: freedom. There are many things we can, and should, do after a tragedy like the one in Newtown. One of them is not restrict the freedoms of law abiding Americans. The children of Newtown, just like the sons of Ms. Bixby, and those who died at Lexington and Concord, Gettysburg, Normandy, Iwo Jima, Ia Drang, and Fallujah, were, in the words of Lincoln, a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom. Our hearts pour out for them, and thier famlies. We bow our heads and mourn their deaths. But we do no undermide the founding principles of this nation to assuage our bereavement.

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    • I sympathize with your sentiments but I am afraid you have missed a key element. The sons and now daughters who die in battle died doing the nation’s business. There is meaning to that sacrifice. Newtown, Aurora etc, are meaningless acts of violence. Lincoln’s words don’t help here.

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  14. It is not at all surprising things like this are said. The anti-gun people a long time ago have formulated this political issue into a moral issue. When that happens one tends to demonize one’s opponents. Actually it is difficult not to do so when one feels that the moral rather than simple political right is on one’s side, the other side need be evil. Unfortunately I see gun rights people doing the same to the anti-gun crowd albeit not to the same degree.

    Really, “white supremacists” is mild compared to some of things individuals and the whole of the gun rights crowd are called by the anti-gunners.

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  15. In NJ, you don’t wanna dance with child services….I had a friend of mine, him and his wife where doing interior projects on their condo, cable came to do some work, called DYFS and said a child was living in squalor………

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  16. Our homeowners group has bylaws laws adjust that, which some old guy I don’t know (always where’s a hat with screaming eagles on it) who oversees the neighborhood watch. Anyway the American Legion club down the street.

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