Reader Ben D. writes:
I’ve forwarded you a response I received from Rob Portman, a Republican senator for the state of Ohio, where I live. Unfortunately, my original message to Mr. Portman is not included, as I used a form on his website to initially submit it.
His response interests me partly because of its cookie cutter tact and partly because he volunteers his support for a ban on “bump fire” stocks. Whether or not he supports a ban on “rate increasing devices” is undetermined. His response is particularly important because of Friday’s submission of OB 219 into the Senate, a potential ban on all rate increasing devices in Ohio.
Dear Benjamin,
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns following the tragedy in Las Vegas. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
While there are many facts that are still unknown about this horrific attack, we do know that the shooter utilized a firearm attachment known as a, “bump stock,” which is used to modify a semi-automatic firearm to mimic the rate of fire of a fully automatic firearm.
As you know, fully automatic firearms are already illegal (without a special license and rigorous background check process). I believe something that gets around these restrictions by taking a weapon that is not automatic and making it automatic should not be legal.
I support the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) re-examining the approval of bump stocks. I look forward to reviewing their decision closely, and am willing to consider, if necessary, legislation to make bump stocks illegal.
I continue to support efforts to genuinely reduce crime and make our society safer for all citizens. I have voted to increase prosecutions of those who knowingly bypass current law to get weapons in the hands of violent criminals, and in the 113th Congress, I supported legislation that would have addressed a current gap in the background check system by strengthening state reporting of individuals who courts have found to be mentally ill.
Until we get at the root causes of violence – no law, no ban, and no background check will completely ensure the safety and security of our communities.
I have supported efforts to get at the underlying problem of a culture of violence prevalent in our society by voting to authorize a study to look at the glorification of gun violence in popular culture, as well as risk factors that lead to mass shootings.
Furthermore, we must undertake a comprehensive review of the availability of current mental health services and examine the important role government agencies, community groups, and faith-based organizations can play to help provide the care and protection for those in need of services.
Thank you again for reaching out to my office. Please keep in touch and I hope you will continue to share your views on this issue and any other in the future.
Sincerely,Rob Portman
U.S. Senator
I’ve dropped plenty of hints that Santa should leave a big boy carbine with a large loop lever in 327 federal under the tree for me this year. I’ve been a good boy (so says I).
Reelected to screw us.
No “re” just elected to screw us.
This is why the NRA’s supposedly genius response to the vegas attack was actually so much fail.
Congress will now just use that as a crutch and reason to pass these things through, if not at the Federal level then surely at least in some States.
Pretty simple to combat this, just mass non compliance, but since everybody is already so willing to sacrifice bump stocks and prove that they don’t care about true freedom just “their rights” I don’t suspect that will be happening any time soon…
For an absolute beginner, start with The Four Rules, and then the basic principles of sight-picture, alignment, and follow through using a .22 or intermediate cartridge rifle. This then leads into “natural point of aim” and finding comfortable shooting positions.
Gotta get my machine gun license..
Yet another to add the list to be primaried.
Fow newbies, you need to limit what you teach. They can only absorb so much, and they don’t have te background experience to correlate new knowledge. Build a foundation of safety and safety. They need some basic terminology so they know what you mean by “get your finger out of the trigger guard,” “don’t cross your thumbs behind the slide,” and “watch where your muzzle is pointng.” Some basic operational theory so guns are magic. What ammois safe to put in your gun. Malfunctions and corrective actions, which should be safety, not speed, oriented. Finally, basic marksmanship of some sort, whether defensive, target, combat, or competitive. Leave drawing, moving and shooting, speed, tactics, etc until after safe gun handling has been internalized, and they can conciously think about something other than how not to kill themselves or their classmates.
In Illinois TODAY a quite similar bumpstock/ trigger ban in the Senate was DEFEATED! Thanks all who helped kill this BS. GSL especially…
So tired of this BS. As a nation we cannot stop shootings such as Las Vegas. We already have laws making murder and felonious assault crimes. Why do we need gun control laws? Gun control laws are political games to garner support from imbecile voters. The laws should be rewritten so that weapons, drunk driving are sentence multipliers for murder. Stop making laws that burden the law abiding. Someone intent on murder isn’t stopped by gun control laws any more than junkies are stopped by drug laws or drunk drivers are stopped by DWI laws.
He sounds like a democrat and an absolute idiot!
His statement is not a fact yet. That is purely his conclusion. Granted the hotel room had bump stock accessories, however, we still have not officially established if the actual gun fire came from Paddlock’s hotel windows. With all the video circulating of potential multiple shooters and how the sound signature doesn’t match the rate of fire for the bump fire, it’s all speculation at this point.
“While there are many facts that are still unknown about this horrific attack, we do know that the shooter utilized a firearm attachment known as a, “bump stock,” which is used to modify a semi-automatic firearm to mimic the rate of fire of a fully automatic firearm.”
I am a life member, but until the badly needed changes can be made my donation budget goes to GOA.
Ron Paul worked within the system to change it. The result: Obama then Trump.
To put it simply, the system is too entrenched to work from the inside to fix it. You have to tear it down or trigger it to fall apart. There isn’t enough people to turn the ship around.
Just what the word needed — another new caliber.
Next up, the 224 1/2 Medusa. It turns any target into stone, and pulverizes it!
Wellp I guess y’all jus haf ta spend more time harassin the “legal” owners then.
That’s a standard Portman response. He and his staff don’t care what you think. Every time I email him and criticize his position on an issue I get a long form letter back lecturing me about how I am wrong. Representative of the people my *ss.
It’s pretty simple, whether you believe in God or not, when the SHTF you will pray for someone with a gun to protect you or your family. It just makes sense that the faster and more reliable solution is to BE that person with a gun. God does do miracles, but he also expects you to be an active participant, not a helpless parasite.
Derringer Dave, Have you looked into Phil Murphy? He is going to turn us into an unarmed sanctuary state with double or triple tax bills. Guadagno is the only one who stands a chance of beating him IF we all go out and vote against HIM. If you vote for Murphy because of gun issues, you’re a moron.
I like “GVP” kind of reminds me of Texturized Vegetable Protein, perhaps without the soybean aftertaste.