As Irving Kristol once quipped, a conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged by reality. Well, reality made an appearance on the streets of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania last night when two state House members — Rep. Marty Flynn, (D) Lackawanna, and the delightfully named Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, (D) Erie — were walking home after a late dinner. As post-gazette.com reports, “(T)hey were approached by a man who pointed a gun at them and demanded their wallets” . . .
“Neither lawmaker handed over anything,” the statement said. “Flynn drew a handgun that he is licensed to carry and exchanged shots with the first male, at which time both attackers and victims ran in different directions.”
No one was struck by gunfire, said Harrisburg police Officer Paula Trovy.
To be fair, despite his party affiliation, Flynn represents Lackawanna county which is in the northeast part of the Keystone State, a more rural area with, no doubt, stronger gun rights support than is found around the urban centers of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. And the former prison guard has recently taken pro-gun rights positions recently, voting to strengthen the state’s preemption law and against an amendment that would have required background checks on the private sale of long guns.
Four yoots were subsequently arrested for the stick-up attempt.
Harrisburg police arrested four suspects, identified as Jamani Ellison, 17; Jyair Leonard, 15; Derek Anderson, 17; and Zha-quan McGhee, 15.
They’ve been charged with criminal attempted homicide, conspiracy, robbery, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and carrying a firearm without a license.
This is why we have to stop doing the Pepsi vs Coke thing with Repubs vs Dems. There are folks in both parties on both sides of the issue. I’ll take a dem supporting civil rights over a repub who doesn’t any day.
Two words: State level
But if the only civil right they support is the 2A, it’s not
much of a trade off.
Isn’t it said that the 2nd amendment protects all the rest?
The differences between R’s and D’s on gun control is very stark and real.
http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/113/senate/1/97
This particular post is an example of the rare “flying pig” phenomena.
Agree
Never forget.
Feinstein has concealed carry license.
And whole leftist “gun control” BS is not about gun, nor about control. It`s about equal rights.
About right for full citizen to have same gun, that government officials, bank security and militarized police have.
Demand tanks, or else they will go Ukraine on you.
Party affiliations are brand names, and branding’s purpose is to convey established qualities about the product/service. It’s how you know that a Big Mac tastes the same from Baltimore to Bangkok. Now, a brand’s credibility ultimately depends upon how well each franchise adheres to the standards. Some, sometimes, falter. Ok.
Politicians are individuals, of course, and more differentiation is to be expected. Continuing the analogy, from one Republucan to the next, you should at the very least still expect to get a burger, not be surprised with sushi.
Given that, you don’t have the time and expertise to evaluate each and every officeholder individually. You’re not going to know for certain what their positions and record are. Likewise you don’t want to risk installing someone in office with zero assessment of any kind. So you have to resort to the party affiliation name brand to make a decision on whom to support.
No guarantees, but you’re more likely to vote right going by party affiliation, than not. If you know something specific and contradictory about one candidate, then by all means override the default support that party would provide. Just be honest that you’re not going to have that specificity in any but a few cases overall.
Vote Republican, vote against Democrats. You’ll be right far more often than not.
Yes, rural Democrats in Pa are for the most part pro gun. They are D’s due to pro labor steel and coal industry of past. I live 2 blocks from incident. Very dark, bad lighting and ripe for robbery. Throw in 2 guys in suits, yep. Area has reputation of robbery/assaults. The Rep in pic is a former prison guard, mixed martial arts fighter.
“Pragmatic” libtard that wants to be elected so comes out as progun while voting the dem party line on everything else. How cute and honorable..
Having gun is not the same thing as voting for gun liberties.
What actually is pretty bothering, is that people forgot about things like feinstein concealed carry license, or about armed bodyguards of obamas and jims carrys.
Leftists willingly defend themself with guns. They dont want you to have equal opportunity to have one. And for society to have enough to overthrow corrupt government.
In moment they achieve this goal, they will have so much financial opportunities in corporate raiding, govenment monopolies and voting fraud – 1984 will look like disney films.
Damn, that’s good. Thank you.
The Rep in pic is a former prison guard, mixed martial arts fighter.
Does he want to run for Prez? Tell him to switch parties, I might vote for him NOW!
Jamani, Jyair, and Zha-quan….If Obama had triplets…
wonder if Zha-quan has a younger brother named Zha-ktu…
“Zha-quan McGhee, 15”
Irish. Shoulda known.
Damn them south equitorial irish!
You do realize that in 1800s they described Irish as “White Naggers” . Or maybe I am misspelling something.
They’re all really good kids. They just didn’t have anything to do and were bored so it’s not really their fault. Besides, those white guys in suits shouldn’t even have been there.
Really strange names for a couple of Amish kids out for a walk,
What does your comment have to do with 2A?
When our next Pres is a white male are you going to make jokes about his kids named Sally, Todd & Matt?
If you don’t like his policies or how he’s doing his job stick to that.
It is apparent that some Americans are afraid of Black males.
You should be afraid of some Black males! It does make you a wimp to be afraid of all Black males when like dogs there are good ones and bad ones.
You, I presume are a gun owner and it peeves you that you are considered, irresponsible, dangerous and unworthy of expressing your Constitutional Rights.
They are saying it in response to the Zimmerman/Trayvon trial where Obama said if he had a son it would be Trayvon. Trayvon was obviously a hood. Therefore the ongoing meme is based on Obama’s statement that if someone is a hood then he would glad to be his father.
“Harrisburg police arrested four suspects, identified as Jamani Ellison, 17; Jyair Leonard, 15; Derek Anderson, 17; and Zha-quan McGhee, 15
-Ah, the tender, “teenage” years of yoot violence.
But aren’t they considered “children” when it comes to FBI gun statistics?
Heart’s is in the right place. Should get a little more range time after this if he’s going to be sending lead around in the city, that’s all.
His police training shows with his marksmanship.
Graduate of the Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy.
But who shot first?
Han Solo shot first.
He would never!
Maybe you have been in his situation before, I haven’t so I can’t say much about that. I spend as much time as I can at the range, and I’m counting on it not to fail me, but range targets don’t shoot back.
“Harrisburg police arrested four suspects, identified as Jamani Ellison, 17; Jyair Leonard, 15; Derek Anderson, 17; and Zha-quan McGhee, 15.”
And MDA were able to claim four more children as victims of gun violence. Were they close to any schools too when this happened? I’d hate for them to miss out on claiming that this was also a school shooting.
Make that “child victims”…
Maybe, I wonder if Al Sharpton is going to claim that the state reps were racist?
Nah. None of them are in the fridge.
Mmmmm, not quite. Turns out the choir boys were part of a successful mugging the night before. Caught me by surprise. I thought for sure they were upstanding young men. Who would have thunk it?
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/10/harrisburg_flynn_shootout.html#incart_related_stories
They’re young…
When out of jail next week their friends are gonna give them a ton of grief for their lack of marksmanship…
Seriously where do these people come up with the names for their children…
Ah the irony of the pro gun control party members who carry guns.
Not really ironic.
Their major position is background checks which this Rep could presumably pass.
They should have named the kid Bubba.
Come-on, these upstanding young men were only trying to get directions to the local Wednesday night youth in church meeting to turn their lives around.
So was this staged?
There isn’t enough to be gained for this event to be staged. It’s a big deal to us but in the grand scheme, especially since no one got hit, it’s not worth a media feeding frenzy. If he had hit or killed his attacker with gunfire then that would be breaking news and setting up that event would be worth it as it would be more than merely symbolic, as is the case here.
I am not big into conspiracy theories but deconstruction of them is always a useful skill.
I wonder if our tax dollars will ever fund a study on the coincidence of homemade names and criminal behavior.
Doubt NIH/CDC is in a position to throw out money at this time.
I’m in for Fiddy-Cent, though.
P-diddly for me, my taxes are high enough already.
I’d donate, but I make less than a Soulja Boy.
If the mods will allow–it’s already been done!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128113244.htm
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/29/study-links-unusual-surnames-to-criminality/?page=all
http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1874955,00.html
Now you can save your tax dollars for mopping up after open-borders Ebola.
give that pa state rep a can of wasp spray.
Oooohhh … zing!!!!!
Those nice young men should also be charged with violation of the curfew seeing as how they’re underage. On a school night of all things! 😉
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/04/enforcement_of_curfew_for_harr.html
Instead of celebrating the fact that a good guy with a gun stopped a crime, or the fact that there are four criminals off the streets, there’s a local radio talk show host (liberal) in northeast Pa that’s more worried if Rep Flynn was carrying his firearm when he was in the capital building. There’s a lock-up area when you enter the state capital. You fill out paper work, get a receipt and then get your firearm back when you leave the building. At the end of the day, the records of who checked in a firearm is destroyed. This yahoo radio host feels he’s entitled to a list of those who checked in a firearm. F!_!CK OFF CORBETT! (Corbett, the radio host, not the state governor)
The attempted armed robbery by four yoots doesn’t fit out narrative.
There’s got to be a way to spin this to make Flynn the bad guy.
What the hell kind of name is Derek?
I guess Reverend Al would say he’s not “Authentic”
The reporter must have spelled it wrong. It’s probably something more like “D’airiq”.
Made me laugh out loud!
They was just playn joke on those overstuffed suits who didn’t blong in da hood no way. No way that feller shoulda been poppin caps at a little boy armed with nuttin but a cap gun. They are good boys going to meet their mother for dinner – family reunion time for the four half brothers, don’t ya know!
Wonder how they feel about Gun Control? Next time they’ll use both hands?!
Perp pics
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/10/four_teens_charged_with_attemp.html
Real smart looking bunch there.
Nice mug shots… The one on the right looks like an adolescent Kobe Bryant.
Did you say… yoots?
Oh, excuse me, your honor. Four YOOTHS.
“You were serious about dat?”
Hey guys! Guys! Hey guys! The robbers- GUYS! Listen. Guys, hey. The robbers were black. Guys! Listen. The robbers, the ones in the article- Hey! They were black. Guys, they had funny names. Listen. Guys.
“…and carrying a firearm without a license.”
Second Amendment support my rear end. A license… for a right?
Until the license SCHEME is repealed, he’s just a demo-hypocrite.
Shoulda been one of these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KvO-8IvoCI
(Sorry, that’s just one of my favorite moments in TV)!
It’s not even safe to mug democrats anymore. What’s this world coming to?
I live 20 minutes from Harrisburg and work there sometimes. The place is crime ridden. The local news covered it this way……because the local police flooded the area immediately, the robbers were apprehended quickly. I wonder how quickly the area would have been flooded with police if the victim had been me or you…..lol.
I wonder how the victim without the gun felt when his pal drew and started shooting. That would be a good follow up story.
I stay out of downtown Harrisburg at night personally.
The rapid response only occurred because the same four had pulled a robbery on some Capitol staffers the night before and they beefed up the patrols.
I work just a mile south of Harrisburg. It’s a dangerous town. It’s a good idea to be carrying if you have to go there. It’s a better idea just to stay out of the place, especially at night.
“a conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged by reality.”
Actually both are incapable of individual thought and instead of a devotion to facts and reality they have a devotion to groupthink and partisanship.