By now, you’ve all heard about Mark Kelly, former astronaut and the husband of Gabby Giffords, who was grievously brain-damaged in the mass murder spree by the madman Loughner in Tucson.  After establishing his territory as a high-profile opponent of “assault rifles” and “high capacity magazines,” he was observed and photographed buying an AR15 to go with his new 1911 .45 pistol.

As soon as he was “outed,” he claimed he was doing it to show how easily such armament could be acquired. (Like it wasn’t already legal for law-abiding people to buy those guns.) He added that he planned to give it to the Tucson Police.

This strikes me as right up there with, “Your Honor, I only bought that heroin and cocaine to get it off the street and show the world the scope of our drug problem…and then I was gonna turn it over to the DEA.”

David Codrea, one of our most indefatigable fighters for gun owners’ civil rights, deconstructs Kelly’s lame excuse here.

And of course, the gun control propaganda machine mainstream media comes to Kelly’s aid. For him, it’s not an “assault weapon,” it’s just a different kind of rifle. Dissected by Dave Workman, here.

Whew.  It’s chilly out today, but I feel an urge to go to the shooting range nonetheless.

It should be at least one place that’s free from blatant hypocrisy.

1 COMMENT

  1. In a world gone mad, it may seem ironic to some that we find peace and solitude (if not quiet) at the range. My bag is packed with fresh handloads, anxious to be sacrificed tomorrow to sooth my abused mind.
    Regarding Mark Kelly’s “defense” of his purchase of his AR-15…he should have his picture inserted in the dictionary under the word “Lame”.

  2. Got trip to the range planned tomorrow with a really good friend and his wife and my daughter. My friend whom I talked into carrying concealed has finally talked his wife into the life style. I’m taking a few of my handgun for her to try. Still working on my wife who loves to shoot but doesn’t believe she could ever shoot anybody. But with the thing going on these day I believe she is changing her mind. And I forgot to mention my friend is a second degree black belt and is working on his third. Now he never leaves home without carry a handgun. The only time I don’t carry is when I’m in the shower. Should be a good day.

  4. You got that title right! Mr. Ayoob I hope your health is better these days. Thank you for your tireless work.

  5. Let’s not forget “Elitism”to go along with the hypocrisy. The kind of elitism that says “but I’m smarter and better than everyone else”. The govt can trust him, but not common people like us.

  6. We should only congratulate this captain, an ex navy fighter pilot and the former NASA astronaut to be way ahead of his masters in the anti gun lobby wanting to forcibly disarm the lawful American gun owners. The least you could do Sir Kelley is to at least to keep your honor. Not to your navy colleagues, not to the law abiding American gun owners but to the constitution that your took the oath to defend it. Maybe I am asking too much here sir captain. How can someone keep his honor when the same person lies and so openly about the reason behind his USED AR15 PURCHASE from an FFL dealer. Sir, did you turn in your purchased 45 to the Tuscan PD as well? Who’s money was used to purchase these weapons? Was it the campaign money? Your own money? Please captain, your navy colleagues have died and still are giving their lives on a daily basis to protect the constitution of the USA. The least you can do is to honor them.

  7. At least he found an AR-15. I got a reasonably priced lower before the “run”. Maybe I’ll get to put it together and shoot it in a year or so. Oh, my defense is that I want one.

  9. So if I understand this article and the two links correctly, everything Mr. Kelly did was LEGAL. The only problem he has is that IT WAS TOO EASY FOR A PERSON TO PASS A BACKGROUND CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK to purchase a legal, federally regulated product (much like milk is), in the retail market? And he somehow believes that it should made harder for perfectly legal, responsible citizens, as determined by the criminal history background check, to purchase a retail product? Heck! Using that logic, the new Pope couldn’t pass muster!

    The argument that only the police need these types of firearms is faulty logic as well. The law enforcement officer and myself are two of the same thing – citizens. The only difference is the law enforcement officer has the authority of the state, and implied immunity, to kick my ass in the street if he thought it was necessary to accomplish his job. But we start from the same stock. Yet somehow only the LEO is capable of utilizing such firepower? Why? Whom is he assaulting with that assault rifle?

  10. i almost sprayed orange juice out of my nose at the “i only bought the drugs part” i think i’ll share this with americans for responsible solutions for no reason.

  14. “Whew. It’s chilly out today, but I feel an urge to go to the shooting range nonetheless.

    It should be at least one place that’s free from blatant hypocrisy.”

    That’s assuming Mark Kelly isn’t there breaking in his new AR.

  15. TAKE 2 – NOW WITH THE SAID FACEBOOK LINK

    Can someone please explain the chronological account in David Cordrea’s article for me? I don’t see how it adds up:

    David Cordrea’s article is at http://www.examiner.com/article/mark-kelly-s-story-on-ar-15-purchase-prompts-skeptical-open-letter?CID=examiner_alerts_article%20

    Specifically, there are two hyperlinks in his article:

    1) The first few words of David Cordrea’s sentence “You say as you were leaving the gun store, you noticed a used AR-15 and bought that, too.” are hyperlinked to the photo on Mark Kelly’s Facebook page published March 9th at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=474203615968235&set=a.215073368547929.71130.163148530407080&type=1

    2) Then, there is another hyperlink in David Cordrea’s subsequent sentence
    “The most troubling thing is, you didn’t “admit” that was your intent until after your purchase had been reported by alternative media and people were commenting on what appears to be hypocrisy of the highest order, compounded with implausible excuse-making. ” But this hyperlink is to http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/03/09/Gabby-Giffords-Husband-Buys-AR-15-Announces-He-s-Not-Keeping-It-After-News-Leaks-Out, published on March 9th.

    In other words, David Cordrea cites a source published on March 9th to accuse Mark Kelly’s disclosure of March 8th of reacting to the March 9th source. How does this work?

  16. CANCEL THAT – I see a reference to March 7th “Breitbart News received a tip on this when Neil McCabe, editor of Guns & Patriots newsletter, contacted us on March 7 and said:
    Mark E. Kelly, made purchases which included an AR-15–sometimes described as an “assault rifle”–at 3:30 pm on the afternoon of March 5 at Diamondback Police Supply, 170 S. Kolb Street, Tucson, AZ.” at http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/03/09/Gabby-Giffords-Husband-Buys-AR-15-Announces-He-s-Not-Keeping-It-After-News-Leaks-Out

    It’s been a long day 🙂

    Thanks for this blog, Mas. I enjoy reading your stuff, as always.

  17. Well Mas, Kelly only did what any good liberal would do when he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar…..LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  19. I’m willing to cut the guy a lot of slack. His wife got shot by a crazy guy. He may not have hated guns before, but is now trapped in a political position opposing many types of firearms for most people. Maybe he wanted to buy some guns for himself, and got caught by the media.

    He has every right to buy his own guns, and if he or his wife say crazy things after a traumatic event like her being shot in the head and nearly killed, it’s at least understandable. Also an AR and a 1911 shows he has good taste.

    I’d be happy to pay for a nice Nighthawk or something for him if he’s seriously interested in owning and shooting.

  21. This article/action by an extremely public person, dedicated to severely restricting 2A rights for all lesser law-abiding firearms owners reminds me of the statement:

    “The AR-15 is a military weapon of war and does not belong in the hands of civilians on the streets of America.” reportedly uttered by Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Cuomo. But in the hands of police officers, the same AR-15 is “a lifesaving tool”. OK, which is it really? The same AR-15, I may add.

  22. Ryan Lackey, I don’t care if he owns 1, 10, 100, 200 or more guns, any or all being AR’s or AK’s or anything else….. it’s the HYPOCRISY. You don’t get any slack for HYPOCRISY.

  23. I am sure that Mr Kelly’s democrap credentials will be enable him to overcome the siren-song of the AR-15: “Use me to assault the innocent…”, and therefore, for him, it is not an “assault rifle” but just “another kind” of rifle.

    As for the rest of us benighted bozos it is still a hideous, humanity rendering, innocent slaughtering black as satan’s heart weapon of mass destruction.

    It is also my understanding (and I may be off base) that he bought a used Sig variant that is both very high-end and, because it is used, in Arizona he has to wait thirty days to take possession. (The purpose of THAT law is really beyond me.) So what he really showed is how difficult it can be to make a firearms purchase in the first place, and what a hypocrite he is in the second.

    Which brings us full circle.

  24. Noah, the purpose of the wait on used fire arms is to ensure they are not stolen. Lets say you go on vacation for a week or two, coe back and find your house has been looted. You get your info together for the police and they send out a watch list.
    The bad guy wants to sell it for drug money. He takes it to the local pawn shop because he is stupid and desperate. They send the ID info to the local PD who cross reference it, and the sale is complete.
    With the wait in place, when you return home and report the theft, they can cross check it and get your gun back before it is back out on the street and never recovered.
    Thasts the pipe dream in a perfect world where crooks would never sell the gun on a street corner to some faceless fellow for a fist full of cash. Its a well meaning law that accomplishes nada.
    As for Mr Zoomie, comgratulatons on your excellent purchase and on your joining the ranks of democrats who wouldn’t know the truth if it was their mother.
    The only question I have for you is will blabby be proud enough of you now to take your last name?

  25. I am so angry with people like Gabby Giffords and Diane Feinstein. Both have experienced the trauma of gun violence in an up close and personal way and both seem to want to force laws on all of us as a way to help heal the trauma they went thru. That is plain wrong. Giffords was not the first politician to be shot and she knew the risks before going into politics. Feinstein knew also, as did Harvey Milk, the man who’s assassination traumatized Feinstein. Brady knew also. Yet they all want us to give up our rights so that they can “feel better”. How pathetic the way people are. Their trauma becomes yours and mine.

  26. Supposedly Kelly was trying to show how “easy” it is to go thru a background check – as if it would somehow be “better” for the check to take longer. It SHOULD be easy and fast if its a computerized and efficient system!

  27. If you fire an AR15 in space, and NO ONE IDIOT whose named Mark Kelly is there to hear it…well…you all know the rest…..LOL!!!

    Kindest Regards…
    In God WE Trust…

  28. JeremyR: I understand the purpose but, as you yourself say: “Thasts the pipe dream in a perfect world where crooks would never sell the gun on a street corner to some faceless fellow for a fist full of cash. Its a well meaning law that accomplishes nada.”

    That’s my point.

  29. Randall:
    Kelly’s disingenuous explanation is itself absurd as he had no disqualifying reasons to be refused. If he had wanted to show how easy buying the rifle is he’d have chosen a new one he could have walked out with.

    He chose a high-end used rifle that he had to wait an additional period for BECAUSE HE WANTED THE/THAT RIFLE.(period)

    It was his own choice to get a weapon at odds with the supposed (read ‘lying’) reason he later expressed.

  30. What disgust me even more is the proprietor of the store that sold Mr. Kelly the rifle.

    He, the proprietor, knew who Mr. Kelly was and that Kelly was against the Second Amendment. I’d have a lot more respect for that store if they had refused to sell to him based on his political beliefs. As it is I’ve bought my last firearm, or ammo, from Diamondback Police Supply because of this.

    The proprietor chose greed over principle. I see no difference between him and Gun Runners selling arms to the Indians in the 1800’s while crying to the Army about the savages running wild.

    Vince