Posted on 07/23/2020 7:15:12 AM PDT by Kaslin
For years conservative groups and especially the National Rifle Association have been warning that the government would find a way to confiscate the guns of law-abiding Americans. Many dismissed what they regarded as a scare tactic designed to raise money.
What is happening in St. Louis should awaken us to the fact that those fears are well founded.
The top prosecutor in St. Louis has charged a married couple with "felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a racial injustice protest outside their mansion."
Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who the media identify as being "white," are in their 60s. Both are personal injury attorneys. Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner says their actions risked creating a violent situation during an otherwise "peaceful protest" last month.
Doesn't Gardner have it backwards?
The gun owners, who say protesters had trespassed on their property, claim they were protecting their home from what could have turned into a violent mob as they no doubt had seen happen on TV in other cities. A case could be made that their display of weapons prevented violence, which is one of the purposes of the Second Amendment. Having a gun for personal protection can be a deterrent without it ever being fired. The McCloskeys did not fire their guns, but only waved them at the protesters while yelling at them.
The McCloskeys have some powerful defenders, including President Trump and Missouri Governor Mike Parson, a Republican, who has said he will pardon the couple if they are convicted. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) is another supporter. Hawley has asked Attorney General William Barr to begin an investigation to determine whether the McCloskey's civil rights have been violated.
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is also on the side of the McCloskeys. Schmitt has filed a brief with the court that says in part, "The right to keep and bear arms is given the highest level of protection in our Constitution and our laws, including the Castle Doctrine." The Castle law was passed in 2017 and provides for "stand your ground" protection for citizens who feel threatened by others.
Police seized Mark McCloskey's semi-automatic weapon and Patricia McCloskey later voluntarily surrendered her pistol.
This case is not only important on its own but demonstrates what could happen if Joe Biden wins the presidency. In March, while the COVID-19 virus was beginning to overtake us, Biden said this about Beto O'Rourke after O'Rourke dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Biden: "You're going to take care of the gun problem with me. You're going to be the one who leads this effort. I'm counting on you. I'm counting on you." He then added, "We need you badly, the state needs you, the country needs you. You're the best."
Last year while still a candidate, O'Rourke said during a debate carried by ABC News: "Hell yes, we are going to take your AR-15." And after that, what? Having established a precedent that the government has a right to confiscate a weapon owned by a law-abiding citizen, what other guns would O'Rourke (and Biden) come for and on what grounds? What would stop them if more liberal judges are named to the courts and they ignore or re-interpret the Second Amendment?
Do any of the shooters in our major cities pay attention to anti-gun laws, or laws against murder? By definition they are lawbreakers and no one has been able to tell me how passing more laws will suddenly turn them into law-abiders.
By brandishing their weapons, the McCloskeys possibly deterred the marchers outside their home from engaging in actions far worse than their alleged trespassing. If they are convicted, they should be immediately pardoned by the governor. This should be a lesson learned about one of the many dangers of a Joe Biden presidency.
John Lott was on C2C last night with George Noory. Good interview.
Activist John Lott discussed gun control and the many varying viewpoints throughout the country. Lott began with warnings about the treatment of Patricia and Mark McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who were recently charged with unlawful use of a weapon. He lamented that the protestors who were in their neighborhood were not charged with trespassing or any other crimes, but that “St. Louis DA doesnt believe that people should be able to defend themselves.” He also spoke on what he said was a dangerous trend of defunding police departments, commenting, “if you want to deter crime you make it costly and risky for criminals to engage in that kind of behavior.”
Lott said that there are many myths about guns that he tries to counter with his own statistics, such as his contention that on a per capita basis both the UK and Canada have a 50% higher rate of violent crime than the U.S., and that some countries, such as France and Russia, have a much worse record of mass shootings than America. He also added that these shootings occur in countries where gun laws are much more restrictive, and that if the media would report on shootings that were prevented by those with concealed carry permits, attitudes and restrictive gun laws would change. Lott said that his group has found “dozens of cases over that last few years” where shootings were prevented.
Lott lamented what he sees as the complicated and expensive nature of background checks for gun purchases, saying that they are “a mess.” and tend to catch people with similar names and birthdays to criminals rather than people with actual criminal records. He also lamented the cost of the permits and paperwork, saying that they hit hardest against the disadvantaged who need the weapons to protect themselves in the worst neighborhoods. Lott sees a reckoning for gun ownership in the U.S. in the next election, where he believes that the “entire future of people being able to own guns is at stake.”
The DA is not totally immune. The Duke LaCrosse case demonstrated that a prosecutor can be sent up for criminal wrongdoing in relation to a prosecution.
Those rioters broke through the gates of the property, and were clearly threatening the couple, but, they get arrested, have their guns confiscated FOR DEFENDING THEMSELVES.
WAKE UP AMERICA!
Every single Democrat politician is a CORRUPT THUG.
Every single last one of them must be impeached, recalled, or voted out of office immediately.
The United States of America is at stake, and YOU HAVE EVERYTHING TO LOSE (including your very lives-Witness Democrat politicians emptying the jails-even VIOLENT offenders have been released- But they want to take away your ability to defend yourselves and your families, ON TOP OF DEFUNDING POLICE).
WAKE UP!!!
How many politicians and others in our government have taken money from him?
Aren't they compromised?
If, for some unknown and inconceivable reason, they are convicted and the Governor pardons them, then they get their rights back. All of them. It’s as if the conviction never happened.
If he commutes their sentence, if it comes to that, it just means their time is served.
“Getting ready” entails much. Not so sure local gun confiscations are on the horizon, but I do know attacks on ammo purchase, manufacture, availability is the easiest route for them to take. The recent ammo shortages ( and shortages during the Nobama rule) are proof our guns will not “ run” for long if one does not stock up on ammo while still available. Ammunition supply is critical.....reloading your own vital but sticky as powder, primers and bullets can dry up over nite if stocks are diverted to support our military if another conflict arises.
I will. But what I find interesting is, judges also enjoy that same immunity. They gave it to themselves. I would think that now that many states are looking to or have taken away qualified immunity from the cops, it’s time for legislatures to start looking at taking that away from the DAs.
I’m hoping that with all the things going on with Covid-19 that folks start really taking a look at what is happening at their local level. Stuff most don’t pay much attention to. They need to start looking at the dirty real estate deals, zoning decisions, tax incentives to get a “business” to move to their town, and most important of all.....what their school system and justice system is doing. Lots and lots of money being poured down that drain. Time for some accountability.
Interesting you mention Soros, as we all know he’s behind all of this. He helped get 3 radicals elected in Northern Virginia. Apparently, they are so radical that the Liberal Democrat Soft-On-Crime DAs that they replaced were warning voters about what they’re going to do. Much like the DA in Philly and the one in SanFran.
I get that, but I don’t see how one man and one woman can hold the state hostage, like they’re doing. Greitens did what he did. She won, in that he walked. But he should have went after her. He must have been doing some other shady sh*t to go that quietly.
I just can’t accept that the Governor and state legislature would be so cowed by the both of them.
I witnessed this during the 08,09 shortages. US plants diverted all manufacturing to support our military, us in the field saw Israeli headstamped ammo because US manufacturers could not supply enough to meet army demand. Point: ammo can ( did) dry up overnight in another conflict.
I have 42 theoretical thoughts should Biden be placed in the Oval Office. Only the wealthy would survive in a Biden American and that is not theoretical.
Those canoes are notoriously tippy, I have no clue why so many people use them to transport their firearms.
It’s about time to start the big push in every community for the election. Talk to your neighbors, conservatives! Do so tactfully and with much though in advance. Be subtle. Only say a little. Talk about freedoms—not about politicians. Talk about law and order.
The problem is we still have gun owners voting Democrat.
Drawing and quartering works, too.
The case against the investigator that Gardner hired is still ongoing. She’ll most likely be found of some wrongdoing but whether or not she’ll get ousted, who knows.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.