In response to a horrific series of shootings that has sown terror in our communities, victimized tens of thousands of Americans, and left one of its own bleeding and near death in a Tucson parking lot, Congress has done something quite extraordinary — nothing at all.
I was shot in the head while meeting with constituents two years ago today. Since then, my extensive rehabilitation has brought excitement and gratitude to our family. But time and time again, our joy has been diminished by new, all too familiar images of death on television: the breaking news alert, stunned witnesses blinking away tears over unspeakable carnage, another community in mourning. America has seen an astounding 11 mass shootings since a madman used a semiautomatic pistol with an extended ammunition clip to shoot me and kill six others. Gun violence kills more than 30,000 Americans annually.
Earlier, as in a few minutes ago, I had some rather nasty stuff in here. I changed my mind; it’s gone. This is just another example of exploiting a shooting victim, like Brady. It sucks, but it happens.
I have written in here before about how I am not a fan of Piers Morgan and I am not really. But this right here, did us no favors at all, those of us who believe in the second amendment:
If that was not bad enough, there is this:
http://youtu.be/v0sE9hAXXB4
Again, I am sympathetic to the second amendment cause as anyone; but putting Alex Jones on to rant about an American revolution is just not the way to fight for gun rights. I also notice that this story very quickly disappeared from Drudge’s front page and for good reason. I don’t believe we need Alex Jones as our spokesman for the second amendment.
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Update: I watched the second video. My impression is this, Alex Jones is either telling the truth or he is one hell of a good actor. Jones is not too far away from the truth about the Mafia and the New World Order stuff. Truth is, he did go into the belly of the beast there in New York.
As for Alex Jones himself, I believe that Morgan got the reaction he wanted from Jones and it suited his agenda well. It might have backfired against the gun defenders however, because toward the end, Jones sounded a bit like he was challenging Bloomberg to a duel or something. Again, it is not that I don’t support what the right believes in gun rights, I do. I still just do not believe that the purpose of gun rights was served well here.
It’s like criticizing a skeptic for inviting the “experts” from “Ancient Aliens” on and then not asking thoughtful questions about aerodynamics. Just wind ‘em up and let ‘em go.
Now that, is funny. Ha! AP also asks for followup question. So, here’s mine. Who the hell had the idiotic idea of allowing this idiot on to defend gun rights!?!?! 😯
You can get Alex Jones version of events here. I didn’t watch the video, I didn’t have the stomach.
Update #2: Mitch Berg is thinking along the same lines as me.
Why do I need an assault rifle you ask? I don’t need it for hunting. I don’t need it for home protection from a single invader, or even two. So I echo the sentiment of many gun control advocates; Why do I need an assault rifle, with a high capacity clip no less?
Here is why. I need an assault rifle because I live under the rule of a government who thinks it has the right to take away my assault rifle; a government who dictates who I can marry, what I can eat, drink, and smoke; a government who uses force to take my money away from me, who charges me rent (property tax) to live in my own home: a government who commits acts of war without the consent of the people, who murders it’s own citizens witout probable cause or due process; a government who has monopolized the currency with which I can trade my goods and services, then devalued that currency through inflation and taxation; a government which uses the tyranny of democracy rather than the freedom of a republic.
Interesting. I have no opinion one way or another on this one. Personally, I would only want to own a handgun for personal protection. But, I believe if one should want to own a firearm of this sort, they should be able to buy one and own it without some sort of hassle from the Government.
Lester Davis — Disagree with him and he’ll shoot your butt!
WENTZVILLE • A barbershop patron accused of firing three times at another customer discussing the Connecticut school shooting has been charged with three felonies.
Lester Davis, 57, of the 400 block of Highland Meadows Place, is facing charges of first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a weapon.
According to police, Davis was at the All Cuts Barber Shop, 102 West Pearce Boulevard, about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday with five other people.
One of the patrons was discussing last week’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown and commented that the incident “makes me want to murder the suspect,” police said.
For unknown reasons, Davis took the comment as a threat and asked, “You want to murder me?” Davis then walked out to his Volkswagen sedan, retrieved a loaded Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol and fired three times in the customer’s direction, police said.
Davis said, “I’ll let you slide,” walked out of the barbershop and drove off in his car, police said.
I will admit it, I have been a disagreeable sort in my day; but I never shot anybody or at anybody in the process! 😯 The really funny thing is, this didn’t happen on the east side of Detroit or anything, this happened in Missouri. But yet, we always how horrible the inner city of Detroit really is and such.
And yes, like Jeff said, Shall we ban barber shops now or maybe even angry black people? 😯 Just saying y’all, just saying… 😀
It figures, you can’t trust a neoconservative to maintain principles for anything. This is why I despise them so much:
Republicans need to “have a discussion on guns” in the wake of last week’s grade-school massacre in Newtown, Conn., Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told his conference Tuesday.
Speaking to his troops at a closed-door meeting in the Capitol, Boehner was mindful of conservatives’ traditional opposition to new gun restrictions, emphasizing that Republicans wouldn’t do “anything knee-jerk,” according to a lawmaker in the room.
But the Speaker also said he wants to “de-politicize” the issue of gun violence, which has been thrust dreadfully into the national spotlight following the murder of 26 people — 20 of them young school children — at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday.
Since the massacre, President Obama and a long list of congressional Democrats have urged tougher gun laws — including a reinstatement of the assault-weapons ban and the elimination of the gun-show loophole — but GOP leaders have remained largely silent about a violence-prevention strategy. The discrepancy has lent partisan undertones to the Sandy Hook response that Boehner clearly wants to eliminate.
Boehner said the GOP’s strategy would be to examine the reasons that the mass shootings of recent years have been carried out, almost exclusively, by young, white males with mental illnesses, according to the lawmaker in the room.
“We need to have a discussion about guns,” the lawmaker said, relaying Boehner’s remarks, “and that doesn’t mean that all of a sudden we abandon the Second Amendment or the NRA [National Rifle Association] or anything like that. But there needs to be a discussion and everybody needs to participate and we need to depoliticize it.”
Boehner also told Republicans that they need to be “circumspect” in their observations, the lawmaker said, warning that “it’s not helpful” for lawmakers to call for arming teachers as a way to prevent mass shootings.
Basically, that means, we’re screwed. They are going to pass a broad ban on all weapons that are not considered for personal protection. Which means that everyone needs to seriously look into buying that gun that you have wanted, before the ban goes into effect, and get your high-capacity magazines and ammo; before they outlaw you from buying it.
In my sidebars, I have two great places, one for ammo and one for guns. Please do check them out. I believe that everyone should be able to own a gun. This idea that guns were responsible for this tragic event is asinine. The only person responsible was the shooter’s mother, who was too stupid to not have her guns, where her mentally ill son could not get to them.
However, this will not stop this Marxist president; He and Hillary Clinton will not rest until there is a British-style gun ban in America. So, you know what means, don’t you?
NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — We were shocked and deeply saddened by the events that took place at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT on December 14, 2012. We cannot comprehend the losses suffered by the families and friends of those killed by the unthinkable crimes committed that day. No words or actions can lessen the enormity of this event or make a dent in the pain that was inflicted on so many.
In 2006 affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. made a financial investment in Freedom Group. Freedom Group does not sell weapons or ammunition directly to consumers, through gun shows or otherwise. Sales are made only to federally licensed firearms dealers and distributors in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. We do not believe that Freedom Group or any single company or individual can prevent senseless violence or the illegal use or procurement of firearms and ammunition.
It is apparent that the Sandy Hook tragedy was a watershed event that has raised the national debate on gun control to an unprecedented level. The debate essentially focuses on the balance between public safety and the scope of the Constitutional rights under the Second Amendment. As a Firm, we are investors, not statesmen or policy makers. Our role is to make investments on behalf of our clients who are comprised of the pension plans of firemen, teachers, policemen and other municipal workers and unions, endowments, and other institutions and individuals. It is not our role to take positions, or attempt to shape or influence the gun control policy debate. That is the job of our federal and state legislators.
There are, however, actions that we as a firm can take. Accordingly, we have determined to immediately engage in a formal process to sell our investment in Freedom Group. We will retain a financial advisor to design and execute a process to sell our interests in Freedom Group, and we will then return that capital to our investors. We believe that this decision allows us to meet our obligations to the investors whose interests we are entrusted to protect without being drawn into the national debate that is more properly pursued by those with the formal charter and public responsibility to do so.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and communities impacted by this tragic and devastating event.
Again, it is an overreaction to a sad situation. We already know why the guy did what he did. This move does nothing and I believe it is wrong-headed. Like I said before, the person to blame for this horrible tragic event is the man’s mother. She is the one who had the guns where this disturbed man could get them — and not every gun owner in America.
