by Michael Ramirez is the political cartoonist for Investor’s Business Daily and his work is sheer brilliance. As an example see today’s cartoon which mixes pop culture with hoplophobe politics.
I think Ramirez nails it.
It’s A Contest And The American People Lose
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) seems to be in a contest with Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) to see who can make the most ignorant, most inane comment regarding firearms.
Rep. McCarthy is famous for response that a barrel shroud on a semi-automatic rifle or carbine is “a shoulder thing that goes up.” Yesterday at a public forum held by the Denver Post on gun control, Rep. DeGette launched into a disquisition on standard capacity magazine that illustrated merely one thing – she doesn’t have a clue about what she is talking about nor what legislation on which she is the lead co-sponsor would ban.
Asked how a ban on magazines holding more than 15 rounds would be effective in reducing gun violence, DeGette said:
“I will tell you these are ammunition, they’re bullets, so the people who have those now they’re going to shoot them, so if you ban them in the future, the number of these high capacity magazines is going to decrease dramatically over time because the bullets will have been shot and there won’t be any more available.”
It is a shame that Larimer County Sheriff Justin Justin Smith who was sitting next to her at the forum didn’t just take out a spare magazine, start unloading the cartridges, and then reload them. That would have said just about everything. As it was, the crowd just chuckled after her remarks.
David Codrea reports in the National Gun Rights Examiner that DeGette’s spokesperson doubled down on her boss’ ignorance.
A spokeswoman trying to deflect well-deserved ridicule and criticism made things worse in an issued statement, calling it “political gamesmanship” by “opponents of common-sense gun violence prevention trying to manipulate the facts to distract from the critical issue of keeping our children safe and keeping killing machines out of the hands of disturbed individuals.
“The Congresswoman has been working on a high-capacity assault magazine ban for years, and has been deeply involved in the issue,” Juliet Johnson said. “She simply misspoke in referring to ‘magazines’ when she should have referred to ‘clips,’ which cannot be reused because they don’t have a feeding mechanism.”
Of course, clips can be reloaded just like magazines.
SAF Wins Preliminary Injunction In New Mexico Case
The Second Amendment Foundation was granted a preliminary injunction in their case challenging the state of New Mexico’s requirement requiring US citizenship for the granting of a concealed carry permit. Chief Judge for the District of New Mexico M. Christina Armijo granted the preliminary injunction in Jackson et al v. King et al on Friday.
The decision published on Monday concluded:
The Court, applying the heightened standard applicable to disfavored injunctions,
finds that Plaintiffs have satisfied each of the requirements for obtaining preliminary
injunctive relief.Defendant Hubbard has failed to establish that a legal permanent resident alien
such as Mr. Jackson poses a greater risk of danger by virtue of his or her status alone,
than do citizens, with respect to the carrying of concealed weapons.The Court further concludes that the citizenship provision in Section 29-19-
14(A)(1) is severable from the remainder of the Concealed Handgun Carry Act.IT IS THEREFORE HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiffs’ Motion for
Preliminary Injunction is GRANTED and Defendant Hubbard is preliminarily enjoined
from enforcing the citizenship provision in Section 29-19-14(A)(1) of the Concealed
Handgun Carry Act pending resolution of this action.
In a separate order, Chief Judge Armijo dismissed the case against NM Attorney General Gary King for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted and for lack of standing. She did allow the case to continue against Bill Hubbard in his official capacity as Director of the Special Investigations Section of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. It was Mr. Hubbard that was enjoined in the above decision.
The Second Amendment Foundation released the following statement yesterday on the preliminary injunction:
BELLEVUE, WA — The Second Amendment Foundation has won a preliminary injunction against a part of the State of New Mexico’s concealed carry statute on the grounds that it violates the right of equal protection under the law.
The ruling, handed down by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, was signed by M. Christina Armijo, the chief district judge.
SAF filed the legal action on behalf of John Jackson, a permanent legal resident alien who could not obtain a concealed carry permit under existing New Mexico statute because he is not a U.S. citizen. SAF has challenged similar bans in other jurisdictions.
“We’re delighted with the outcome of this challenge,” said SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb. “The right of self-protection should not be denied to people who are active and productive members of the community simply because they do not meet the citizenship requirement of a state statute.”
In reaching its ruling, the court applied a heightened standard of scrutiny and concluded that the citizenship provision of New Mexico’s law is severable from the remainder of the state Concealed Handgun Carry Act.
“While the law allowed Mr. Jackson to openly carry a firearm,” Gottlieb noted, “there are certain areas and circumstances when doing so would be imprudent or potentially in violation of other legal restrictions. This ruling will make it possible for Mr. Jackson and other legal resident aliens to exercise their right to bear arms.”
There Is A Reason Congress Doesn’t Vote In Secret
Yesterday the Washington Post ran an article about how the push for gun control measures is running out of steam in Congress. It seems that those of us who believe in Constitutional rights and the Second Amendment have been pushing back.
Among the people interviewed for this article was Matt Bennett of Third Way. This “think tank” tries to portray itself as centrist which might be true in DC but not elsewhere. It says it seeks “principled solutions and pragmatic compromise.” Among the items on their agenda is more gun control or, as they call it, “gun safety laws.”
Speaking of the progress on gun control since Senators went home to their states for the Easter break where they have been hearing from their constituents, Mr. Bennett had this to say:
“If there was a secret-ballot vote it would pass overwhelmingly, because
from a substantive point of view most of these senators understand that
this is the right thing to do,” said Matt Bennett, a gun-control
advocate and senior vice president at Third Way, a centrist think tank.
“What’s holding them back is pure politics.”
Yes, and if we had star chambers then all those who opposed so-called progressive laws would be in prison or worse.
Mr. Bennett is the Senior VP for Public Affairs for Third Way. Previously, he worked as an assistant to Al Gore and then Bill Clinton. He was the Director of Public Affairs fro 2001-2004 for the gun control group Americans for Gun Safety among other jobs post-Clinton.
It is rather appalling to read of the anti-democratic principles espoused by gun control proponents. It is all too easy for them to denigrate the voice of those of us in the hinterlands as “pure politics” if we disagree with their “prescriptions”. They should remember that America is not some sort of technocratic autocracy where “our betters” rule. We still retain for now the vote and by God we will vote out those who think so little of our Second Amendment rights.
SAF Files Suit In Nebraska … Again
The Second Amendment Foundation has filed suit against Nebraska officials over the statutory prohibition against carry permits for permanent legal resident aliens. In 2011, the Second Amendment Foundation filed suit against the City of Omaha in Gonzalez v. Omaha over a city ordinance which prohibited permanent legal aliens from being able to register a handgun. In that case, the City of Omaha settled, changed their ordinance, and sent a check to SAF for legal fees.
Substantial case law exists regarding the civil rights of permanent legal aliens. They are a suspect class and any different treatment for them is held to strict scrutiny. Illegal aliens, non-resident aliens, and others such as those on student
or tourist visas are not considered part of a suspect class. There have been cases in Kentucky and South Dakota involving concealed carry for legal aliens and the courts have always found in their favor. I expect it will be no different here.
From the Second Amendment Foundation:
SAF SUES NEBRASKA OVER CARRY PROHIBITION FOR RESIDENT ALIENS
For Immediate Release: 4/1/2013
BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation today filed a motion for injunctive relief against Nebraska officials over a statutory prohibition that prevents non-citizens legally residing in the state from obtaining a concealed carry permit.
SAF filed the lawsuit on behalf of 68-year-old Carlos Nino De Rivera Lajous, a Mexican citizen who has been legally residing in Lincoln since 1990. SAF is joined in the action by the Nebraska Firearms Owners Association. Defendants in the lawsuit are Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning and David Sankey, superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, both in their official capacities.
“Mr. Lajous received a permanent resident visa in 1991, and he has earned three associated degrees from Central Community College in Hastings,” noted SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb. “He has certainly established himself as a productive member of his community over the past 22 years.
“Ironically,” Gottlieb continued, “Mr. Lajous is allowed to carry a firearm openly in Nebraska, except for certain locations where doing so is not allowed under state law. He is prohibited from obtaining a concealed carry permit by state statute, thus making open carry his only option for personal protection, and as a result, he is the victim of what might be called a ‘Catch 22’ in state law.
“There is no rationale for a system in which someone can legally carry openly for self-defense, but yet that person cannot obtain a concealed pistol permit because of nationality,” he said. “SAF has challenged similar problems in Washington, New Mexico and Iowa where non-citizen legal residents faced troublesome local gun laws, and when Mr. Lajous’ Nebraska problem came to our attention, we acted.”
The case was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska. Plaintiffs are represented by attorneys David G. Sigale of Glen Ellyn, Ill., and Bernie Glaser of Lincoln.
The complaint for the case of Lajous et al v. Bruning et al can be found here.
Another Company Leaving Colorado
In the lead story in both the Outdoor and Shooting Wires, it is reported that HiViz Shooting Systems is leaving Ft. Collins, Colorado due to the new gun control laws recently signed by Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO). HiViz makes fiber optic sights for rifles, shotguns, and pistols. The President and CEO of HiViz, Phillip Howe, said they were in discussions with officials in an undisclosed neighboring state to move operations to that state.
Mr. Howe comments, “I make this announcement with mixed emotions. Colorado is a beautiful state with great people, but we cannot in clear conscience support with our taxes a state that has proven through recent legislation a willingness to infringe upon the constitutional rights of our customer base.” Mr. Howe notes that prior to the changes in law in Colorado, he made several attempts to persuade state officials via emails and telephone calls to proceed slowly with gun control legislation that would impact individual shooters and the shooting industry as a whole.
HiViz will move their corporate headquarters first and then their other operations.
In the same issue of the Shooting Wire, it was announced that the Rocky Mountain Western States Regional IDPA Championship scheduled to be held in Montrose, Colorado in July was cancelled. The cancellation comes due, like the HiViz move, to the new Colorado gun control laws.
This is the second major shooting competition to be either cancelled or moved from Colorado. The 2013 Ruger Rimfire Challenge World Championship was scheduled to be held at the Colorado Rifle Club in Byers in July. It is being rescheduled and will be relocated to another state.
If I were a Colorado resident or even a potential Colorado visitor, I’d be reminding Gov. Hickenlooper that actions have consequences. Here is a link to his email page.
Sen. Jeff Flake – “A Bridge Too Far”
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) was a guest on NBC’s Meet The Press along with the odious Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Among the questions they discussed with Chuck Todd of NBC was gun control. Schumer gave the usual answers but as you can see in the video below, Flake called universal background checks “a bridge too far”.
Sen. Flake is one of the senators that is being targeted by Mayor Bloomberg’s Illegal Mayors in their $12 million ad campaign. MAIG was out front about hoping to influence Flake’s vote on gun control issues. That he has come out saying that universal background checks are a no-go for him is good news.
He is one of the co-sponsor’s of S. 480 – NICS Reporting Improvement Act of 2013. This bill aims to clarify the mental health exclusions to firearms ownership.
Ah, The Problems Of Love In The Modern World
I came across this video about love in the modern world on the KitUp! blog. It’s a song about a gun owner who is in love with an anti-gunner. That is just so sad! I just can’t imagine how hard that would be.
Checking out his YouTube channel which contains a number of other funny tunes and shooting videos, I think this story may have had a happy ending. Check out the rings fingers of those two as well. Looks like a wedding ring to me!
You can find the lyrics to “I’m In Love With An Anti-Gunner” by going here and clicking show more.
Second Amendment Rally In Boston On Wednesday
GOAL – the Gun Owner’s Action League – is the NRA state affiliate in Massachusetts. They will be holding a rally in support of the Second Amendment on Boston Commons this coming Wednesday. Included in the list of speakers is Alan Gottlieb of the Second Amendment Foundation and Richard Pearson of the Illinois State Rifle Association.
Support – Defend – Speak Out – Take a Stand!
This is your opportunity to make your voice heard to your state lawmakers! It is critical that you attend this important rally to show your support for our Second Amendment rights. If able, please schedule meetings with your state legislators in advance, and spend the day networking with other Second Amendment supporters.
Guest Speakers:
Jim Wallace Executive Director of GOAL
Steve Moysey V.P. of GOAL
Jay Beard President of GOAL
Second Amendment Foundation’s Alan Gottlieb
Illinois State Rifle Association’s Rich Pearson
Youtube sensation Yang Li and more!
Information:
Reminder: City of Boston Parks & Rec Commission has regualtion prohibiting CCW on the Boston Common which carries a fine of up to $50.00. Also, CCW is not allowed in the State House.
Date: Wednesday April 3, 2013
Time: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Start at Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common (see google map below) event will proceed to the Massachusetts State House.
Transportation: MBTA Park Street Station on the Green Line.
Driving: Directions, click on “directions” on the google map below.
Additional Information: Please email Angela Fisher
GOAL urges all affiliated clubs to organize a charter bus service to transport your membership to this rally!
Printable Flyer: Click here to open an 8.5×11 .pdf of the flyer, print it out and hang it at your club, town hall, etc…
DAY OF – PREPARATION
TALKING POINTS – Download and print this pdf featuring information which covers 6 separate bills and their affect on MA gun owners.
Who is your legislator? Find out by clicking here and entering your zip code. Don’t forget to contact them before the event, make sure that they will be able to meet with you on the day of the rally at approximately 2:00 pm. Contact/Invite your state representative and state senator.
ISRA – McCarthy Must Go
It was a hot night in the city last night. While the weather was just warm, the teen mob violence on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile became rather hot with 28 arrested. According to multiple reports, a mounted policeman was assaulted, passerbys were attacked, and a group of women were attacked on a Chicago Transit Authority train.
In response to this out of control mob, the Illinois State Rifle Association reiterated their calls for the firing of Chicago Police Superintendent Gerry McCarthy. They are calling it “one rampage too many.”
CHICAGO, March 31, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):
The ISRA is once again calling upon Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to fire Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy . This latest call for McCarthy’s ouster comes after a mob of young thugs – estimated to be in the hundreds – swarmed the Magnificent Mile shopping district Saturday night and began beating dozens of innocent shoppers. This latest mob action appears to be the most serious in a string of events over the past two years involving gangs of youths randomly attacking shoppers on North Michigan Avenue.
“Just like dyeing the Chicago River green on St. Patty’s Day, cracking tourists’ heads on North Michigan Avenue is becoming a Windy City tradition,” commented ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson . “The first warm night of the year, and all hell breaks loose in the city’s most tony shopping district. It should be clear to everybody by now that Supt. McCarthy has lost control of the city. What are things going to be like when the weather really heats up? What has to happen before Emanuel wakes up and gives the nod to a more effective top cop?”
“The ISRA has been cautioning folks against making Chicago a leisure time destination for a few years now,” continued Pearson. “Unless you’re the kind of person who wants to be terrorized, beaten, raped or robbed, then you should definitely find another place to vacation. For the law-abiding citizen, Chicago has become just too dangerous to visit.”
“While vicious mobs have been busily destroying Chicago’s tourism industry, Mayor Emanuel and Supt. McCarthy have been busy as well vilifying law abiding firearm owners,” said Pearson. “If they spent more time thwarting crime and less time trying to take guns away from hunters and sportsmen, then Chicago might be a better place in which to live and work.”
“The sad events of Saturday night will certainly bolster efforts to pass concealed carry legislation down in Springfield,” said Pearson. “Good people have a right to defend themselves against lawless thugs. I’m positive that the prospect of encountering armed citizens would make such flash mobs vaporize in a hurry.”
The ISRA is the state’s leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of millions of law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.