We’ve known for years that many of the “antis” inflated their “gun violence statistics” by including criminals killed by intended victims in self-defense.  Now we see it starkly on the national stage as the Michael Bloomberg-funded Mayors Against Illegal Guns goes on a road trip.’

In Concord, New Hampshire, one of their minions was reading a list of “gun violence” victims and announced the name of the Boston Marathon terrorist bomber who died in a gunfight with police.  Calling a terrorist a victim does not go down well in a patriotic state whose motto is “Live Free or Die.”  Unpleasantness ensued:  http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2013/06/19/bloombergs-real-agenda-self-defense-is-gun-violence/

The MAIG people are ferociously attacking Republican Kelly Ayotte, US Senator from New Hampshire.  She voted – with good reason, I think – against the Manchin-Toomey universal background check bill that went down to defeat in Washington last April.  Ironic… a former state attorney general, Ayotte is more credible on criminal justice and public safety issues than virtually anyone else in the United States Senate.  But, those on the bus don’t seem to be looking very hard at logic or experience. http://www.unionleader.com/article/20130619/NEWS07/130619169

That’s a pretty large vehicle the MAIG crew is running around in, but judging by the intellectual horsepower on board, it’s still lookin’ like a “short bus” to me.

1 COMMENT

  1. I have noticed that many of the mayors that Bloomberg has recruited for his MAIG are much more likely statistically to commit serious crimes than gun permit holders. See http://www.stopillegalmayors.com/ for a funny but sobering look at the motley crew that took Bloomberg’s money.

    The inclusion of the perpetrators of crimes as “Victims” is also a well worn tactic employed by hoplophobes. For example, stretching the definition of children killed by gun violence even to the age of 26 and neglecting that many of these 18-26 year old children are violent gang bangers. Another is including suicides as gun victims to inflate victims of firearm violence by a factor of 3 times the amount of deaths by homicides. Last, but not least, the media often mentions the overall death toll in mass shootings to include the shooter(s) if they are killed in the process of mass murder. These people have no honor and have no shame.

  2. You could always try “speaking truth to power”…but they all seem to have armed bodyguards that won’t let you get close enough.

    Funny, that.

  3. The Illegal Mayors should be protesting and trying to halt the U.S. transfer of arms to the Syrian rebels. The rebels are/will be violating syrian laws against firearms ownership and use and should not be encouraged. Arming them would also violate the U.N. Small Arms Treaty that the current administration is trying to force down our throats.

  4. I wanted to throw this small observation out to see if others have thought about this. The “anti-gunners” say that universal background checks and registration will prevent straw purchases. How will they know if a purchase was legitiamte or for someone else. Will the ATF be making unannounced visits to inspeect and inventory our purchases? How else could their measures prevent straw purchases? Do they plan on waiting until a gun is collected as evidence in a crime to trace it back to the original purchaser, and who is maintaining those purchase recods. Mayor Bloomberg and the likes of Diane Feinstein seem to have a much more insiduous purpose than making the world a safe place. Didn’t we wage a world war against those who would send the state police to homes in the middle of the night to terrorize honest, law-abidding citizens? We seem to be dangerously close to something a lot of Americans died to irradicate not so very long ago.

  5. FYI, the Bloombergians claim(http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/06/mayors-against-illegal-guns-tamerlan-tsarnaev-slate/66413/) that they cribbed their list of “American gun deaths” from lefty-blog Slate – http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2012/12/gun_death_tally_every_american_gun_death_since_newtown_sandy_hook_shooting.html – which is the latest continuation of the pattern of cherry-picking factually-incorrect information from politically-correct sources to bolster their chosen thesis.

    In response, Slate has actually doubled-down and stood by their assertion(http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/06/19/tamerlan_tsarnaev_slate_interactive_of_course_the_boston_bombing_suspect.html) that, since their list is composed of “Americans killed by guns,” the inclusion of those killed justifiably in the course of self-defense, defense of others, or as a result of law enforcement action, is correct and accurate. In a particularly lame addendum, Slate editor Dan Kois states, “The list also includes other wrongdoers killed by law enforcement, people who committed suicide, people who died in accidents, and people killed by criminals. And it includes Sean Collier, the MIT cop allegedly murdered by the Tsarnaevs” – as if Ofc. Collier’s inclusion in their “gun-death list” somehow makes it proper to put both himself and his (alleged) killer in the same category…

    What Slate and MAIG have instead demonstrated is that they attach greater significance to the means(i.e. guns) by which people are killed, than to whether or not those deaths are justifiable – because their immediate goal is not justice per se, but the eradication of the guns which they believe are the root cause of violence, rather than ineradicable human depravity.

    This kind of intractable obtuseness makes me wish that Archie Bunker(ironically played by anti-gun liberal Carroll O’Connor) could bellow in their faces, “Would ya feel any better, little girl, if they was pushed outta windows?!?!?”

  6. I have worked personally with Kelly Ayotte for years, and she was an excellent A.G. The best in my book. She is honest, honorable, and and ethical beyond approach. I have been with her when she purchased gun stuff. She is on our side, and she needs your money and support. Jack

  7. I won’t insult the kids that ride the short bus by making that comparison. MAIG’s reasoning (raise the numbers by including everyone) might work for something like drunk driving where we might feel a very small twinge of sympathy for the drunk driver–after all, they were just stupid. However they will shoot themselves in the foot if they include recognizable, malevolent criminals in their lists.

  8. That pesky constitution gets in the way of disarming civilians, but the government can start today to disarm the government, if they count scum bag terrorists as “gun victims”. Start with their own body guards.

    And if AR-15’s, much less real M-4’s, “belong on foreign battle fields”, then Obama should have the secret service deposit these “foreign battle field” rifles into the next C-130 headed to Afghanistan. Give the secret service men double barrel shotguns, they can run outside and fire a warning shot if Hinkley Jr gets parole.

  9. Bloomberg is pumping BILLIONS of his own money to take our gun rights away while he walks around with armed bodyguards. Folks it is time we ban together at the polls and vote any anti gun politician out. I know we have herd that song before but this time we HAVE no choice but to stick together as sportsman’s, gun owners, retired law enforcement officers or whatever interest you have in firearms. They have waged war against lawful gun ownership and demonizing us as a whole. If not already please join the NRA and be a part of the fight for our future rights.

  10. Our U.S. Senator from North Dakota, Heidi Heitkamp, is also catching a lot of flack from the Bloomberg bunch. She is a Democrat, and also a former ND Attorney General, who voted against the gun bill. She said she won’t tell Bloomberg how to be a mayor of a large city, and he shouldn’t tell her what’s best for North Dakota. She said “it’s not about what’s in the hand, it’s about what’s in the mind.”

  11. Daily Digest: Indigestion Edition

    Posted on June 21, 2013 by Frank Williams

    We’re wrapping up the week by giving the award for the most indigestion-inducing item of the week to Mayor Mike Bloomberg. He’s pissed off the Democratic Party leadership by demanding big-bucks donors cut off candidates who don’t vote the way he wants them to, one of his former bodyguards was convicted of attempted murder for shooting his girlfriend’s ex, and his MAIG “Disarmament or Bust” Bus Tour listed a terrorist and other criminals killed by the police as victims of gun violence. Sometimes it just sucks to be a megalomaniacal billionaire bent on world domination who is surrounded by so much incompetence. Mikey, if you’ll send us a good shipping address, your case of Maalox will be on its way. And in other hard-to-swallow news . . .

    Senator Joe Manchin wants to help other senators understand and be comfortable with his background check legislation. He told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that “There’s so many things we can do, and I’m wide open to talking to all my friends — Republicans and Democrats — to see if they can find a comfort level.” He also wants “constituents throughout America” to know that “if you’re a law-abiding gun owner” you’ll like his bill. And you won’t like if “you’re a criminal or you’re criminally insane… [or] you’re a terrorist…” Or if you believe in the Constitution.

    New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is ready to sign the legislation to exempt retired police from the state’s mag-cap and “assault weapon” restrictions. The legislation would “apply to officers who bought or were issued restricted weapons in the course of their duties and who retired in good standing,” and they’d have to requalify after they retire and register the guns. Do they also have to pass a mental health check, too?

    Colorado has passed yet another gun-related law. This time they’ve closed an “Internet-era loophole they didn’t envision 10 years ago” by prohibiting all-online concealed-carry training courses. Up until now, you could complete the coursework and receive your concealed-carry certificate without ever leaving the comfort of your home. The new law, though, will require interaction with a firearms instructor to show you actually know something about gun safety before you get your permit. Six other states currently allow all-online permits: Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Iowa, Missouri and Virginia.

    Katie Couric wants women to feel safe. She put together a segment for her little-watched show titled “Protect Yourself! No-Nonsense Self-Defense.” In her “Katie’s Take” webcast, she talked with black belt Gabrielle Rubin, the founder of Female Awareness and self-defense expert. What did Gabby suggest women do to protect themselves? “Be aware of [your] surroundings… have safety devices on you [like] pepper spray… a kubotan… an alarm.” Also, every woman should be “familiar with at least two ‘go-to’ strikes” for fighting back. So who’s been paying attention? What very effective self-defense item is conspicuously absent from Katie’s list, hmmm?

  12. I’d like to see someone obtain the list in the format that MAIG is reading it, research the names, and distribute it to the gun rights community. That way, we could show up at these events and offer perspective and counterpoint to their list by stating the circumstances of the ‘death by gun violence’:

    MAIG astro-turfer: “Joe Schmuckatelli”
    Gun-rights supporter: “Rapist, killed in the act of assaulting a woman”

    Even just in a conversational tone in the middle of the crowd, this type of statement would garner the attention of those gathered, and show up the MAIG group for what they are really doing.

  13. NY Passes SAFE Act Cop Carve Out. At 2AM

    Posted on June 22, 2013 by Robert Farago

    “Without warning, the state Senate approved a bill early Friday morning that would exempt retired law enforcement officers from new ammunition restrictions in New York’s new gun control law, the SAFE Act,” blog.timesunion.com reports. “The measure sprang onto the chamber floor shortly before 2 a.m., and drew howls from some of the GOP’s Republican members . . .

    Roughly half of them — including Sens. Kathy Marchione, R-Halfmoon and Hugh Farley, R-Niskayuna — voted against the legislation, generally citing disgust with the process and a desire that the SAFE Act be repealed in its entirety.

    And where the Hell were all these indignant Republicans when the SAFE Act was passed, 20 minutes after it was introduced (and then immediately signed into law under the Governor’s emergency powers)? In fact, if you really want your blood to boil check out this quote from Republican Senator Marty Golden, “a retired NYPD officer from Brooklyn, said the change would affect 200,000 people around the state.”

    “After working 20 years or 30 years as a police officer, or a peace officer, or as a federal officer, they encounter people when they are with their families and when they are in their communities, and they act appropriately,” he said. “They’re not a separate class of people, ladies and gentleman, but they are an experience class of people. … They know how to deal with the criminal element, so if anybody deserves to have a 10-round magazine” it is them.

    If anybody deserves to have a 10-round magazine? I guess the Supreme Court’s McDonald decision, ruling the right to keep and bear arms is an individual right protected by the United States Constitution for all Americans that trumps local and state law, never made it to The Empire State. Nor, I suspect, did legislators contemplate my post Why New York Cops Don’t Deserve a SAFE Act Carve-Out.

    They say the people get the government they deserve. As an RI refugee I feel for the pro-gun residents of the New York slave state—who will not accept this clearly unconstitutional thuggery. Again, this will not end well.

  14. It must really be hard be cop in New York city Mass. You have mayor crack pot . You now live in city state saying if 10 rounds in your gun is enough your get job if not than your shit out luck. Oh buy way City Council legislation to widen and entrench anti-bias laws would prevent police from sufficiently describing a suspect. Indeed, the Community Safety Act would prohibit police from stopping someone solely based on those descriptive factors alone, and it widens the scope to include gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, immigration status, and housing status. “It will ban cops from identifying a suspect’s age, gender, color or disability,” Roy Richter, president of the Captain’s Endowment Association, told the tabloid. But if you actually read the legislation, you’re forced to come to a different conclusion. “It’s a flat out misrepresentation of the bill and everybody knows it,” the legislation’s co-sponsor, Councilmember Brad Lander said, referring to Richter’s comments. “The bill allows police officers to use all manner of descriptive information, including skin color, height, age, in suspect descriptions. It absolutely allows it and it’s a lie to say it doesn’t.” After reading all this crap I am glade my home in Arizona Mass.

  15. Mas,
    The owner of the company where I work is considering changing the current policy of ‘no concealed carry, even for permit holders’. He can’t prohibit people from having firearms in their vehicles (under Georgia state law) but he does not currently allow them inside the facility. As one of the permit holders who would like to see a change in policy, I’m the one presenting the ‘pro carry’ side of the debate, while the ‘no carry’ side is being presented by one of the upper management. The boss is giving us til Friday to come up with something in writing for/against changing the policy. He will make up his mind over the weekend and let us know his decision on Monday.

    Can you point me to any references that will help me show the benefits of changing the policy, or offer me any suggestions on how to approach this? You can email me directly, rather than address it in your blog, if you prefer.

    Thanks,
    Matt (in Georgia)

  17. Daily Digest: “The Mike and Joe Show” Edition

    Posted on July 4, 2013 by Frank Williams

    Senator Joe Manchin seems to be determined to give the voters in gun-friendly West Virginia more reasons to get rid of him. He’s made anti-NRA ads. He’s working on new gun control legislation. He’s claiming Beretta twisted his words when they said why they won’t consider relocating to the Mountain State. And now…the poster child for citizen disarmament and Manchin’s new BFF, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is hosting a fund-raiser for him at his upper East Side home on July 22. This affiliation is particularly interesting, as Manchin says he has never discussed gun control with Bloomberg. Yet, there they are. If you’re thinking about attending, better dig deep into your pockets. Tickets start at $1000 just to get in. If you want to shake hands, talk, or otherwise interact with the guest of honor, it’ll surely cost quite a lot more. But if you do go, please let us know what it’s like rubbing elbows with royalty (or at least, royal pains in the ass). Meanwhile, back on planet Earth . . .

    At the risk of further flagellating an expired equid, the Christian Science Monitor wants to know “Can Gabby Giffords win over gun owners by firing off some shots?” Hmmm… they must have gone to a different event than the one where the videos we all saw were made, as they show her firing off only ONE shot with hubby Mark immediately snatching the gun away from her. CSM says it was a risky move, but not because of her total lack of gun control. “[S]he did run the risk of alienating some gun control supporters who might have found the visual too much to take.” Not nearly as much as she’s further alienated gun supporters who saw it for what it was: pandering to the media to get more attention for their vacation road show.

    In May, the Australians printed a Liberator and freaked out over it. Now a team from the University of Toronto downloaded the plans and built “Canada’s first printed handgun” (that they know of). The Globe and Mail is quick to point out they “didn’t break any laws” because “the researchers changed the design of the pistol to make it impossible to fire.” The reason for the “experiment?” The “team built the weapon to better understand 3-D printing.” (Yeah. Sure.) Now team director Matt Ratto “worries that the government won’t take 3-D printing seriously before one of the undetectable pistols is used on Toronto’s streets.”

    What was Dudley Do-Right’s reaction to this? The RCMP “will continue to ‘monitor’ the development of 3-D printers” and “has no policies for 3-D printed handguns.” Montreal Police were “unfamiliar with the technology, having never come across a 3-D printed handgun. One constable was left wondering how a ‘photocopier’ could make a dangerous weapon.” Ratto offered to print a working Liberator for the Toronto police to test. They declined his offer. (And in case you missed, version 4.4 of Defense Distributed’s downloadable gun stuff is now available.)

    Indiana has a backlog of 45,000 handgun carry permit applications for both new permits and renewals. State Police are supposed to have 60 days to process an application; currently the wait is almost double that at 110 days. Historically they get about 5,200 applications per month. In January they were hit with 23,000 thanks to fear of anti-gun legislation and tighter controls. State Police have more than doubled their processing staff trying to clear the backlog. I’d feel sorry for them, but I’m still waiting to hear from a claim I filed with the VA two-and-a-half years ago.

    The Longview, Texas police department is offering free handgun safety courses and a hands-on day for women 18 years and older at the department’s shooting range. The course is “designed for women with various levels of firearm experience, from those who may have never fired a gun to those who just wish to refresh their skills.” KLTV has a link to download a registration form for the classes, which start July 8 or August 9. Perhaps we should all suggest our local PDs provide a similar program and see how they react.

    In the ABA Journal, Radley Balko asks “How did America’s police become a military force on the streets?” He traces the evolution of Federal law enforcement which leads to other questions: “Are cops constitutional?… How did we evolve from a country whose founding statesmen were adamant about the dangers of armed, standing government forces…to a country where it has become acceptable for armed government agents dressed in battle garb to storm private homes in the middle of the night—not to apprehend violent fugitives or thwart terrorist attacks, but to enforce laws against nonviolent, consensual activities?” It’s a long read, but well worth it.