The anti-civil rights gun prohibitionists wasted little time in reacting to the news that the US Senate had confirmed Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court to succeed the late Antonin Scalia. Using terms like “NRA puppet masters”, “lapdogs”, and “radical position on the Second Amendment”, they vented their angst and anger due to the realization that the Second Amendment will not be marginalized as it would have been with a Justice Garland.
Oh, where to start with the whiny bitching, oh where to start. I might have started with the Everytown Mommies Demanding Illegal Mayors but they have posted no response. I guess Shannon Watts is still more worried about the dress code for people flying on United buddy passes than she is on the Supreme Court. Thus, I guess I should start with the Brady Campaign as they have been around the longest.
From Dan Gross at the Brady Campaign:
SENATE BENDS OVER BACKWARDS TO CONFIRM NRA’S SCOTUS PICK
WASHINGTON – Brady Campaign president Dan Gross issued the following statement after the Senate upended longstanding rules to force through Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation as Supreme Court Justice. The corporate gun industry spent millions to pressure senators to confirm Gorsuch by any means necessary.
“The gun industry spent big to ram their SCOTUS pick through the confirmation process, and the industry’s lapdogs in the Senate bent over backward to give the lobby its money’s worth. All eyes, especially ours, will be on this new justice. We’ll hold Gorsuch and the senators who sold out his seat accountable for any decision he makes that puts gun industry profits ahead of the right of all Americans not to be shot. We will continue to fight and be the voice of the 93 percent of Americans who demand sensible solutions to prevent gun violence.”
Moving on to Gabby Giffords and her Americans for Responsible Solutions (sic) where Peter Ambler released their statement:
“The United States Senate just voted to confirm a justice whose views do not reflect the values and priorities of the American people. Throughout the confirmation process, Judge Gorsuch avoided giving meaningful answers on a range of topics, including the Second Amendment. Despite persistent questioning, he refused to acknowledge that the Second Amendment, like all constitutional rights, was ‘not unlimited’—a point the landmark Heller decision made explicitly. This is serious cause for concern and suggests that he would be willing do the gun lobby’s bidding and prioritize his own political agenda over an open-minded, fair interpretation of the law. When a groundswell of opposition to Judge Gorsuch’s nomination surfaced, Senate Republicans changed rules—instead of the nominee—in order to make sure he was confirmed. Americans deserve better. We deserve justices on the Supreme Court who respect the Second Amendment while also recognizing that reasonable regulations that reduce gun violence do not violate anyone’s constitutional rights.”
Also from their coalition partners the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence (sic), Robyn Thomas had this to say:
“Anyone concerned about public safety in America should be concerned that today the Senate voted to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. More than once in his time on the Tenth Circuit, Gorsuch voted to weaken the federal law that has prohibited felons from possessing guns for the past 50 years, a law that has saved thousands of lives and enjoys near-unanimous support among Americans and elected officials on both sides of the aisle. Even Justice Scalia, arguably the most conservative Supreme Court justice in modern history, spoke out in favor of reasonable firearms regulation, including the prohibition on felons possessing guns. Gorsuch’s radical position on the Second Amendment is far outside the mainstream, and his presence on the Supreme Court demonstrates just how important it is that we stand up for the commonsense, proven solutions that we know save lives.”
Given it is Friday and you probably need a laugh, both Ambler and Thomas were referred to as “gun safety experts”. When I see their Range Safety Officer certifications, then I’ll believe that they are gun safety experts. In the meantime, I’ll just consider them charlatans pushing more gun bans and confiscations.
Finally, there is the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (sic). I see they haven’t really changed their rhetoric much since Ladd Everitt left them for greener pastures with George Takei and his group. Some things never change and CSGV’s statement shows that they are as pathetic as ever.
CSGV Statement: Senate Breaks the Rules to Confirm NRA’s Nominee
Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation is a low point in American legislative history
Washington, DC (April 6, 2017) — Today, the United States Senate paved the way for the confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch as Supreme Court justice by invoking the “nuclear option” — a move that blatantly disregards precedent and ends the ability to filibuster the confirmation of a Supreme Court justice.
This confirmation is legislators’ latest gift to the National Rifle Association (NRA), who played a significant role in Gorsuch’s nomination and spent $1 million in advertising to ensure his confirmation.
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Executive Director Josh Horwitz released the following statement:
“Trump and his NRA puppet-masters now have a reliable vote in Neil Gorsuch. This stolen seat was one that the gun lobby invested in, and NRA leaders now expect a return on that investment. Between their unprecedented obstruction of Merrick Garland and their willingness to fundamentally change the rules, Mitch McConnell and his unscrupulous colleagues have shown they will stop at nothing to give the NRA what they want.”
Given all this nonsensical rhetoric, I think it would be helpful to follow the advice of Kevin Creighton and Michael Bane to read Dan Gifford’s article “Rebranding the Gun Culture”. As much as I make fun of the gun prohibitionists, I know that there are many in the mainstream media and the Northeastern power elite that will give them the time of day. For this reason, we need to fight them smarter and more effectively. We need to come up with effective terms to combat their use of “gun lobby” and “NRA puppets”.
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