Millions March Again: Gun Control Advocates Plan To Take To The Streets (Barf)

Long Island Press ^ | 4/22/04 | Maureen Ledden Rossi

[lowbridge]

Millions March Again: After Women's Rights Rally In D.C., Gun Control Advocates Plan To Take To The Streets

By Maureen Ledden Rossi

Found among the mounds of rubble in Kabul after the U.S.-led assault was an al Qaeda manual entitled, "How Can I Train Myself for Jihad," which singles out the United States for its easy availability of firearms. Any al Qaeda member living in the U.S., according to the book, should "obtain an assault weapon legally, preferably AK-47 or variations."

"If there ever was a threat report that clearly spelled out the dangers of failing to renew the assault weapons ban, it was al Qaeda's own manual," says Eric Howard, a spokesman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the largest national nonpartisan grassroots organization working for gun control.

There are around 4,000 gun shows a year in America where criminals, terrorists and the deranged can load up their vans with countless weapons—no questions asked, he adds. What has become doctrine to al Qaeda has long been known to criminals in the U.S. and abroad: The United States is the Great Gun Bazaar.

That's why the Million Mom March is on the move again. This Mother's Day, May 9, the organization plans a "Halt the Assault" march on Washington, D.C. The gun control march will follow on the heels of the "March for Women's Lives," an abortion rights event sponsored by a coalition of groups that expects to fill the Washington Mall with more than 1 million pro-choice demonstrators this Sunday, April 25. Marching on Washington, it seems, is back in vogue.

The Million Mom March (MMM) is an organization dedicated to gun control. The demonstration has been sparked by the upcoming expiration of the federal assault weapons ban, on Sept. 13. The MMM protestors are demanding that Congress renew and strengthen the law, which makes AK-47s, Uzis and other powerful weapons hard to obtain.

Truly a movement of the people, the MMM tied itself to the heartstrings of many parents in America and drew more than 750,000 followers to Washington on Mother's Day back in 2000. The inaugural event attracted mothers of all races from all places. Columbine mothers came by the dozens, along with LI Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola), whose husband was killed by a gunman on the Long Island Rail Road, and LI-bred gun control advocate Rosie O'Donnell addressed the crowd. Organizers say it was one of the largest protests in the history of the nation.

"Since our last march [in 2000], 120,000 Americans, almost 14,000 of them children, have died from gun violence," says Mary Leigh Blek, president emeritus of the Million Mom March (MMM). Blek belongs to a heart-wrenching subgroup of the MMM that no mother wants to be in: She lost her 15-year-old son by gun violence during a robbery in 1994. According to statistics gathered by the MMM research team, there are between 1 and 2 million semiautomatic assault weapons currently in circulation.

In a press conference earlier this week in Huntington Village, Congressman Steve Israel (D-Huntington) and McCarthy announced LI's commitment to marching on Washington on May 9. As co-sponsor of legislation for a permanent—and stronger—assault weapons ban, McCarthy spoke about its significance and proven effectiveness.

Partly through McCarthy's high-profile involvement and activism, Long Island—where, in 1872, the National Rifle Association (NRA) was established on the site of Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital—is a hotbed of gun control activity.

"A lot of progress has been made since the first march. In New York we have some of the strongest gun laws," says Donna Managipan, Suffolk County chapter president of the MMM and a mother of three. "When we started, 10 children a day were being killed by guns in our country. We've reduced that number by 30 percent. We need to continue to lower that number."

Another hot topic this year is gun manufacturer accountability and liability. Publicity from the Washington sniper case helped put these issues front and center. John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo killed 10 people and injured three more with a post-ban Bushmaster .223-caliber assault rifle, made by Bushmaster Firearms, Inc., and allegedly shoplifted from Bull's Eye Shooter Supply in Tacoma. Numerous investigations show that over a three-year period, 238 guns were unaccounted for in Bull's Eye's inventory. Relatives of the D.C. sniper victims are suing Bushmaster and Bull's Eye.

Victims of gun violence want to hold the gun manufacturers and gun storeowners accountable for their negligence. But the gun-manufacturing industry has convinced Congress to consider absolving all manufacturers of criminal liability. Groups like MMM are fighting to ensure that the public keeps its right to sue those who trade in weapons of destruction. That angers gun store owners.

"I think it is unjust," says Andrew Chernoff, who owns and operates Coliseum Gun Traders in Uniondale. "How many times do drunk drivers kill someone and we don't hold the liquor store responsible? It should be handled by a case-by-case [basis], not on a blanket, basis." He says that in the 25 years his Uniondale gun shop has been open, Coliseum has never made a single claim on liability insurance. "Most gun store owners are pretty responsible people, because we are held to certain standards by the law and we have to answer for our mistakes," Chernoff adds. A concern for many gun manufacturers and store owners is that their insurance rates will become too costly.

But gun control advocates point out that they are not targeting all gun store owners, just the few who cause serious problems.

"The worst gun dealers have to go: They are the main crux of the problem," says Howard of the Brady Campaign, which merged with the MMM in 2001. "One percent of gun dealers are responsible for 60 percent of American crime guns."

MMM claims that every major national law enforcement organization in the country supports a ban on semiautomatic assault weapons, including the Fraternal Order of Police, International Association of Chiefs of Police and National Association of Police Organizations. In more than 20 press conferences held nationwide in the last few weeks, hundreds of police chiefs called attention to the assault weapon problem, letting their politicians know that they don't want to be outgunned by criminals, says MMM.

"Law enforcement put enormous pressure on their politicians," Howard says.

And there are plenty of civilian conservatives who support gun control. A survey by Marttila Communications found a majority of self-described conservatives and moderates disagree with the NRA on the most basic gun safety issues: 62 percent of conservatives and 75 percent of moderates believe the assault weapon ban should be renewed; 55 percent of conservatives and 64 percent of moderates "identify with gun control supporters and believe they want to stop gun violence and make our children, schools and communities safer," the report found.

"The lobby for the NRA in D.C. doesn't represent the majority of American or the majority of gun owners," Howard says. "The gun lobby is doing a good job of misinforming the people. People want common-sense gun laws."

For more information click on www.mmm2004.com or call Ali Gordon 631-642-0776.

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[lowbridge]

Truly a movement of the people,

Actualy a movement of the politically connected Donna Dees Thomases

the MMM tied itself to the heartstrings of many parents in America and drew more than 750,000 followers to Washington on Mother's Day back in 2000.

Long ago exposed lie.

http://www.alamanceind.com/nation/nation_28.html

http://www.smartcarry.com/mmm.htm

MMM organizers caught lying about crowd size

[lowbridge]

bump

[tet68]

These lunatics are going to get Americans killed.

They want to apply their "criminal" labels to terrorists
and in so doing disarm the rest of us.

Rather like Clinton and Kerry.

Claire Wolfe's time of indecision slowly draws to a close.

[lowbridge]

This is an aerial photo taken from an ABC News flyover of the May 14, 2000 crowd at the Million Mom March at the Mall in Washington, DC. Note that the crowd stops at the uppermost white tent, and green grass (unobscured by people) and a white sidewalk are clearly visible at the top of the picture. The stage for the MMM is at the lower part of the picture, and the photo shows the entire crowd, which, by no means extends from "one end of the mall to the other". The only way you could fit 750,000 people into an area this size would be if you buried them five deep underground.

---

                  The photo on the left is an aerial photo of the crowd of the Promise Keepers march at the same mall in Washington, DC. The official estimate of the size of this crowd (not rally-originated) was put at over one million, for real. The photo on the right is the Promise Keepers march photo with the landmarks from the MMM superimposed on the Promise Keepers photo. The green line marks the position of the sidewalk that appears in the upper portion of the MMM photo. You can see the breaks in the trees where it enters and leaves the mall, and bits of it on the right and left sides. The yellow outline therefore marks the area that the MMM crowd would have filled if viewed from the same angle as this Promise-Keepers aerial photo.

The ABC site, unfortunately, calls it variously "almost 750,000", "over 750,000", and "thousands". ABC also begrudgingly called the SAS-AIM crowd "over a thousand". Of course, twelve billion is "over a thousand" as well, so that's a marvelously misleading way of downplaying any number you care not to deal with.

---

Is anyone surprised that the media is lying about the size of the MMM and downplaying the Second Amendment Sisters' Armed Informed Mother's March?

The above information and graphics were taken from a post by a Mr. Dan Day on the Free Republic website and the URL was in an e-mail from Neil Knox. All credit should go to Mr. Day, and his original post can be viewed at the Free Republic website.

[Starve The Beast]

Victims of gun violence want to hold the gun manufacturers and gun storeowners accountable for their negligence.

Bias alert!

[TYVets]

When they are not marching, why don't the mmms put signs in their front yards,,,,,,,, no guns in this house ?

[Oztrich Boy]

Found among the mounds of rubble in Kabul after the U.S.-led assault was an al Qaeda manual entitled, "How Can I Train Myself for Jihad," which singles out the United States for its easy availability of firearms

Please. The origins of HCITMFJ are murkier than "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

And although it can Found on Islamic sites, I'm not convinced it originated there.

I'm bet before that (beer money only) on:
a hoax that got out of hand,
CIA, HSA, or Russian Intel "black op" disinformation,
creation of US gun "safety" group.

And even if it's genuine "an al Qaeda manual" it's mostly harmless.
Part posturing, part bleeding obvious, part Baden Powell "Scouting for Boys" good advice.

I mean,
Under NO circumstances should you play or experiment with firearms. NEVER EVER point a firearm at anyone for a joke, whether loaded or unloaded. Keep firearms unloaded and out of reach of children. If you feel that you will be unable to control a firearm or your temper, do not purchase one.
, what kind of jessie terrorists are these?

[lowbridge]

And there are plenty of civilian conservatives who support gun control. A survey by Marttila Communications found a majority of self-described conservatives and moderates disagree with the NRA on the most basic gun safety issues:

Basic gun safety issues?

62 percent of conservatives and 75 percent of moderates believe the assault weapon ban should be renewed; 55 percent of conservatives and 64 percent of moderates "identify with gun control supporters and believe they want to stop gun violence and make our children, schools and communities safer," the report found.

Here's an article on the bias of one of Marttila Communications surveys:

Anti-Semitism or a Poorly Worded Question?

So one wonders about the accuracy of their poll on guns.

[lowbridge]

bump

[Oztrich Boy]

majority of self-described conservatives and moderates disagree with the NRA on the most basic gun safety issues:
Basic gun safety issues?

"Gun Safety" is the latest codeword for "gun elimination" (aka "gun control"). It doesn't have any thing to do with the NRA's "basic gun safety rules", which noone can rationally disagree with.

Frilly Heck, I actually agree with "al Qaeda"'s (if that's who they are) basic gun safety issues, as in post #7.

[Sender]

This year it's going to be the Hundred Hag Hike.

There are around 4,000 gun shows a year in America where criminals, terrorists and the deranged can load up their vans with countless weapons—no questions asked

Not true. I tried to load up my van with countless weapons at one of them gun shows, and my wife started asking questions. I had'ta put most of'em back.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Found among the mounds of rubble in Kabul after the U.S.-led assault was an al Qaeda manual entitled, "How Can I Train Myself for Jihad," which singles out the United States for its easy availability of firearms....

"If there ever was a threat report that clearly spelled out the dangers of failing to renew the assault weapons ban, it was al Qaeda's own manual,"

Wow.

Honestly, that's the most perfect Red Herring I've ever seen.

I don't see how anyone could possibly top it.

[Victor K]

"Assault weapon" is a meaningless term the anti-second amendment fear-mongers lust to throw out whenever they want to whip the uninformed into a frothing lather to better manipulate them for their twisted purposes. There is NO functional difference between the firearms the Kerrys, Chucky Schumers, Diane Feinsteins and Barbara Boxers claim are the "evil assault weapons" and semi-auto varmint rifles. Expect that in many cases the later are somewhat plain in appearance and more accurate.

George Bush is getting very bad advice from Karl Rov or whoever is telling him to support this extension. It was a stupid law when it was rammed through under the demagogue in the White House of the 90's. It would be continue to be a stupid law, if extended in the future.

[AF68]

These overhyped annual marches by the MMM, NOW, NARAL, et al., are nothing more than carpet munching marathons for left-wing extremist hags and harpies.

[F.J. Mitchell]

The only time a million people will fit into a single phone booth and have room to spare, is when those million people are pro-abortion, anti-gun, anti-war,anti-constitution, pro-homosexual, anti-Bush or anti-America.

Everything is relative to the media-depending upon it's own agenda.

[randog]

I'm actually glad to see this crap happening--the upcoming abortion rally, now this. The dems are retreatring and fighting the issues of the last election, which means that they have nothing to offer in the way of solutions to today's problems. The whole economy thing went bust on them now that it's in full recovery; they know they're weak on defense and can't speak about it without getting laughed at; gay marriage is a major loser for them and it's suddenly became a non-issue. So what's left? Drag out the ol' accordion and start sawin' away at the ol' Commie Campfire tunes.

[Imal]

I'm not sure, as the falsely named Million Mom March and this article claim, that Al Qaeda prefers that Americans remain armed and capable of defending themselves.

Does that claim make sense to anyone?

As for the Great Gun Bazaar, that would be in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Lies such as those spread by Marxists to disarm citizens are not the calling cards of righteousness. Rather, they are the historic precursors to genocide.

Don't take my word for it, just take a look at the consequences of citizen disarmament in the last century. America's criminals would not be able to duplicate the scale of such murders if they worked overtime for a thousand years.

I tire of the relentless drumbeat of the agents of evil calling for us to join the victims of socialist genocide. To hell with them all.

[VeniVidiVici]

Truly a movement of the people...

Truly a movement of the people proletariat

[Still Thinking]

62 percent of conservatives and 75 percent of moderates believe the assault weapon ban should be renewed; 55 percent of conservatives and 64 percent of moderates "identify with gun control supporters and believe they want to stop gun violence and make our children, schools and communities safer," the report found.

Nice debate trick. I always thought the opposite end of the spectrum from moderate was socialist rights grabbers like the Several Sucker Stroll.

[Warlord David]

The liberals have gone over board. This is the most serious case of brain washing. The liberals have added way to much soap on this.

If they do succeed in disarming America. I for one will go down fighting. Better to die fighting being, armed to the teeth, than die under genocide, unarmed.

I agree with Imal, post #17 on this.

Hell was created for the liberals, that why they try to re-created, here on earth.