More gun control, please – Part II

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Thursday, November 7, 2002 | Larry Elder

[JohnHuang2]

Maryland's Democrat Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend recently urged a ban on Saturday Night Specials and "assault weapons," while recommending a national ballistic-fingerprint database. The interviewer, CNN's Judy Woodruff, asked no difficult follow-up questions. We, therefore, again humbly offer suggestions for questions to our Second-Amendment-challenged colleagues in the media.

• Why do gun-control advocates point to Japan, a country with restrictive gun control, but fail to note the low per-capita murder rate of Japanese-Americans living in America, a country with "lax" gun control? In Japan, in 1996, the murder rate stood at 0.6 homicides per 100,000 citizens each year, with America overall at 9.4 per 100,000. According to criminologist Gary Kleck, "The homicide rate in Japan is 2.3 times greater than it is among Japanese-Americans (emphasis added) where firearms are plentiful and considerably easier to obtain."

• Why do gun-control advocates deride, as paranoid, the NRA's assertion that many gun-control "advocates" want an outright ban? Nelson Shields, the founder of the National Council to Control Handguns, which later became Handgun Control Inc., said in a 1976 New Yorker interview, "Our ultimate goal – total control of handguns in the United States – is going to take time. My estimate is from seven to 10 years. The first problem is to slow down the increasing number of handguns being produced and sold in this country. The second problem is to get handguns registered. And the final problem is to make the possession of all handguns and all handgun ammunition – except for the military, policemen, licensed security guards, licensed sporting clubs and licensed gun collectors – totally illegal."

• Why don't gun-control advocates note that in the 31 states where citizens may apply for permits to carry concealed weapons, the crime rate declined? In his book "More Guns, Less Crime," Professor John Lott contends that after more relaxed concealed-carry laws were enacted, murders fell an average of 8 percent, rapes 5 percent and aggravated assaults 7 percent. During the same time period, the national murder rate increased 24 percent, and rapes 71 percent.

• Why do the media refer to the "epidemic" of school shootings? In fact, the number of rampage killings since the mid-1970s has not been on an upward trend.

• Why did many in the media fail to report that, in at least three school shootings, Edinboro, Pa., Appalachian Law School and Pearl, Miss., someone used a firearm to halt the shooting?

  In the case of Pearl, Miss., where a teen wielding a gun killed two students, the vice principal, a gun holder, ran to his car, retrieved his weapon, and used it to halt the attack.

  In Edinboro, Pa., where a shooter killed one person, the owner of the banquet hall that hosted the school dance grabbed his shotgun from his office. He confronted the shooter, and helped to limit the toll to one slain teacher and two wounded students.

  In the case of Appalachian Law School in Grundy, Va., an off-duty sheriff/law student ran to get his gun and pointed it at the shooter who raised his hands, at which time other students tackled the suspect. But in a Lexis-Nexis search of 280 articles about the shootings at Appalachian Law School, only four accurately noted how the shooting spree ended. The Associated Press reported merely that the gunman "was tackled by students" – completely omitting that the tackle occurred only after the off-duty law enforcement student pointed his gun at the shooter.

  In other public-school shootings where citizens with guns stopped the attacks – like Pearl and Edinboro – rarely do more than 1 percent of the news stories mention that the good guys and their guns halted the carnage.

• Why doesn't the media note that in the case of criminal use of guns, only 12 percent of bad guys purchase the firearms from a gun store or pawn shop? According to a 1997 report by the U.S. Department of Justice, gun-store purchases account for 8.3 percent of criminal gun acquisitions, and pawnshops for 3.8 percent of guns obtained by criminals, who then use those guns.

Michael Moore, the director of the anti-gun film, "Bowling for Columbine," says that the shooting spree at Columbine High School inspired the film. Moore's film leaves out, however, the passionate congressional testimony of Darrell Scott, the father of slain 16-year-old Rachel Scott.

"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy," Mr. Scott said, "I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy – it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of that blame lies here in this room. Much of that blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves."

Hope this helps.

[JohnHuang2]

Thursday, November 7, 2002

Quote of the Day by leprechaun9

[demosthenes the elder]

It'd help, if real people like you and me and the general run of FReeps hereabouts ever actually got a chance to corner one of these photogenic glib-tongued liars and ASK these questions and DEMAND (with whatever is required to lend the needed authority) that the cough up some answers.
I have longed for YEARS to hammer these dimwits, but the opportunity never comes of itself, and I haven't the faintest idea of how to MAKE it come.

[RLK]

"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy," Mr. Scott said, "I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy – it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of that blame lies here in this room. Much of that blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves."

-------------------------

From a forthcoming analytical paper by RLK--We live in a society where a substantial proportion of the population is so warped as to not be able to be trusted with guns or anything else. It is this pathological substrate which must be examined. Gun control is a ploy in refusal to examine it. Any society that can't live with small arms in the hands of its population has an underlying problem far greater than those arms.

[SteveH]

bang

[GvMeLbty]

If laws worked; there would be no crime.

[Falcon4.0]

Japan's restrictive gun laws doesn't seem to stop their organized crime figures from getting guns, now does it?

[Lil'freeper]

You could talk to my, now former, office roomie. She spouts this kind of crap all the time, but when you hammer her on the facts, she practically cries. Very nice for stress relief, actually.

[apillar]

I think gun control is quickly becoming a "third rail" issue for Democrats. Even in the last election the issue was ignored by almost all Democrats -- even during the sniper shootings.

According to the NRA after the last election at least 230 members of congress have an A rating by the NRA. I think this bodes very well for overturning the assault weapons ban in 2004.

Remember we don't have to get anything through congress to end the ban, just run out the clock (September 14, 2004). It's up to the anti-gunners to push a renewal through a pro NRA republican congress and have it signed by a pro-NRA president. Quite a task!

I don't believe President Bush would sign it under any circumstances even if it did manage to clear all the legislative hurdles and reach his desk. I think he knows if he did it would probably cost him the election in 2004 as he would be handing states such as West Virgina, Tennessee, and Arkansas right back to the Dems because the normally pro-gunners in those states would stay home on election day.

[Shooter 2.5]

Here's the breakdown in case you missed it. I'm still looking for a list of governors so we can start working on changing the Carry laws.

Freedom First: America Votes Pro-Gun Rights

* Of the 24 candidates endorsed by the National Rifle Association for the U.S. Senate, the NRA-endorsed candidate won in 21 of the races - that's a net gain of two pro-gun seats in the U.S. Senate with wins in Georgia, Minnesota and Missouri and a loss in Arkansas (with South Dakota still uncertain).

* Of the 246 candidates endorsed by the National Rifle Association for the U.S. House of Representatives, the NRA-endorsed candidate won in 230 of these races with two (Colorado-7 and Texas-23) still uncertain - which is a net gain of at least eleven pro-gun seats in the U.S. House of Representatives

* The 108th Congress will begin with Members with the following ratings: 228 "A"-rated, 21 "B"-rated, 13 "C"-rated, 22 "D"-rated, 141 "F"-rated, 6 "?"-rated, and 2 uncertain

* Four of the five Senate candidates listed among the Brady bunch "Dangerous Dozen" won: Wayne Allard (CO), Norm Coleman (MN), Gordon Smith (OR) and Jim Talent (MO).

* Two of the three House candidates listed among the Brady bunch "Dangerous Dozen" won easily: Scott Garrett (NJ-5) and Joe Knollenberg (MI-9).

* Two of the three Republican congressmen defeated for reelection were endorsed by the Brady bunch - Connie Morella (MD-8) and Felix Grucci (NY-1).

* Pro-gun upgrades in Senate seats: anti-gun Senator Max Cleland was defeated by pro-gun candidate Saxby Chambliss; anti-gun Senator Paul Wellstone succeeded by pro-gun candidate Norm Coleman; and anti-gun Senator Jean Carnahan was defeated by pro-gun candidate Jim Talent.

* Pro-gun upgrades in House seats: anti-gun California Congressman Steve Horn was replaced by pro-gun candidate Devin Nunes, anti-gun Indiana Congressman Tim Roemer is succeeded by pro-gun candidate Chris Chocola, anti-gun Iowa Congressman Greg Ganske was replaced by pro-gun candidate Steve King, anti-gun Maine Congressman John Baldacci is succeeded by pro-gun candidate Mike Michaud, anti-gun Michigan Congressman David Bonior is succeeded by pro-gun candidate Candice Miller, anti-gun Minnesota Congressman Bill Luther was defeated by pro-gun candidate John Kline, anti-gun New Jersey Congressman Marge Roukema is succeeded by pro-gun candidate Scott Garrett, anti-gun Ohio Congressman Tony Hall is succeeded by pro-gun candidate Mike Turner and anti-gun Ohio Congressman Tom Sawyer was defeated by pro-gun candidate Tim Ryan

* Pro-gun freshmen in the Senate will include: Lamar Alexander (TN), Saxby Chambliss (GA), Norm Coleman (MN), John Cornyn (TX), Elizabeth Dole (NC), Lindsey Graham (SC), John Sununu (NH), and Jim Talent (MO). John Thune (SD) is pro-gun as well, but is expected to face a recount.

* Pro-gun freshmen in the House will include: Jo Bonner (AL-1), Mike Rogers (AL-3), Rick Renzi (AZ-1), Trent Franks (AZ-2), Devin Nunes (CA-21), Marilyn Musgrave (CO-4), Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-5), Katherine Harris (FL-13), Tom Feeney (FL-24), Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25), Jim Marshall (GA-3), Phil Gingrey (GA-11), Max Burns (GA-12), Chris Chocola (IN-2), Steve King (IA-5), Mike Michaud (ME-2), Candice Miller (MI-10), Thad McCotter (MI-11), John Kline (MN-2), Jon Porter (NV-3), Jeb Bradley (NH-1), Scott Garrett (NJ-5), Steve Pearce (NM-2), Mike Turner (OH-3), Tim Ryan (OH-17), Tom Cole (OK-4), Jim Gerlach (PA-6), Tim Murphy (PA-18), Gresham Barrett (SC-3), Bill Janklow (SD-AL), Lincoln Davis (TN-4), Marsha Blackburn (TN-7), Jeb Hensarling (TX-5), Mike Burgess (TX-26), John Carter (TX-31), Rob Bishop (UT-1).

[Atlas Sneezed]

This is my favorite tidbit:

Two of the three Republican congressmen defeated for reelection were endorsed by the Brady bunch - Connie Morella (MD-8) and Felix Grucci (NY-1).

A gun-grabbing RINO is more dangerous than a Hitlarry!

(Keep your eye on Liddy Dole.)

[Shooter 2.5]

I stood outside the polls for five hours handing out pamphlets for Jeb Hensarling (TX-5) and it was a real pleasure. I had a lot of people compliment him on what a gentleman he is.

He has an A rating from the NRA and there were two more NRA members who were campaigning for him. There may have been more but I was only introduced to those two while they wore their NRA buttons. I have been an NRA member for a long time and to tell the truth I always thought the NRA just donates money. I never realized when a candidate has a good rating from the NRA it inspires members to volunteer working the phones, handing out literature and helping in the offices of the candidates like I did.

[FreedomFriend]