It’s my state and I love it but Arizona does have the
largest gang of nincompoops in the country running the state government, and
that’s all the way from the Governor down to the Republican legislature. Jan Brewer, the finger waggin’ Gov. who has
been in office since 2003 still does not have a clue about what she is
doing. I have to admit she has lucked
into some good decisions—one was the sales tax measure to help Arizona’s
economy—but stupid moves like denying qualified illegal immigrants driver
licenses is more indicative of her style of bungling government.
![]() |
Jan Brewer |
She is supported by the biggest bunch of incompetent Republican
state legislators ever assembled in one state, a clique of gun loving cowboys
and cowgirls that have succeeded in passing the loosest gun control measures in
the country and which have made Arizona a laughing stock. The latest example is the reaction to a
voluntary gun buyback program organized by Tucson’s vice mayor, Steve Kozachik,
at the time a Republican. When the
National Rifle Assn. (NRA) had been successful in quelling any gun control
since Jared Loughner’s Tucson gun massacre, Kozachik jumped into action.
In the two weeks leading up to the gun buyback, Kozachik
received threats and was referred to as “Hitler,” just because he wanted to
take back firearms from people who no longer felt comfortable with them in
their house. Sounds simple enough, and
they were given in return a $50 gift card.
As an example of the program’s success, $10,000 in gift cards was
distributed during the event. Kozachik
was a Republican at the time but switched parties one week after the
buyback. His contention is that there
are some in the GOP who want to do right but the party is still being led by
the GOP far right.
During Kozachik’s gun buyback program success, the NRA
couldn’t stand the heat so in defiance of Kozachik, a group of gun nuts set up
a “cash for guns” firearms flea market close by and right on the boundary of
the police department where the buyback was taking place. Kozachik comments,
“In Arizona, it is legal for a person to walk up to another on a street corner,
hand him cash for a firearm and simply walk off with it, with no need for a
background check into his psychological or criminal history.” And that’s exactly what this brazen bunch of
gun worshippers did.
In talking further about his change
from Republican to Democrat, Kozachik said, “It is that rigid ideology that is
driving the party into irrelevancy.”
But Arizona’s gun culture could also mean that when the Obama/Biden
gun control laws start going on the books, it could be the hardest hit of all
the states. A state law has already been
proposed in Arizona saying it does not have to comply with any federal laws it chooses
not to. That’s my state, but I still
love it. Charles Heller, co-founder of the Tucson-based Arizona Citizens
Defense League, another gang of radical gun nuts, resurrected the now cliché 2nd
Amendment argument making a bizarre comment:
“The idea of the Second Amendment
was so we could shoot the cops and the soldiers ... who are trying to overthrow
the U.S. Constitution.” It’s like these
people are on another planet.
Dennis Wagner, in the ArizonaRepublic, says, “The National Rifle Association does not maintain a
ranking list for states, but its website shows Arizona conforming to nearly
every NRA barometer for Second Amendment support.” Arizona also gets an “F” in firearms safety
regulation by The California-based Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “Out of
50 states, Arizona came in 49th behind only South Dakota,” said Lindsay
Nichols, an attorney who worked on the report card. “It has some of the weakest
gun laws in the country.”
The Brady Campaign gives Arizona a “0” score, last along
with Utah and Alaska, for firearms safety provisions.
One can only try and imagine what goes through
the minds of such a group of nitwit state legislators who pass these laws and the
bonehead Governor who signs them into law.
The term double-digit IQs comes to mind.
All those 'loose and lax' gun control laws and what is it doing to Arizona's crime rate?
ReplyDeleteNot much !
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/azcrime.htm
seems that there is a little fluctuation but certainly isn't out of control nor anywhere near the highs it has been.
So how are those laws making Arizona a laughing stock? Other then watching people like you have a fit, not really too much I would hazard.
By the way...why don't you publish my comments?
You aren't afraid to discuss the issues are you?
Arizona is second in the country for gun violence with 15 gun deaths per 100,000 population. As an example, New York and California with their tough gun laws are 5.1 and 9 respectively. And if you don't know by now why Arizona gun laws make it a laughing stock, you need to get your head out of the sand.
DeleteI publish all meaningful comments that aren't anonymous, but I might have a new category to ignore in your senseless meandering.
Jack E. Dunning
Nasty Jack Blog
Nice selective use of statistics - why not look at violent crime in all, not just firearm related crimes?
DeleteBecause that would demolish your careful narrative -- the fact is, as the CDC First Report show, there is insufficient evidence to show gun control laws or any combination of gun control laws work to reduce violent outcomes.
Because we are talking about gun violence in a state with the loosest gun laws in the country. Duh?
DeleteAnd your 2003 CDC report is way out of date. This is 2013 or didn't you know?
Jack E. Dunning
Nasty Jack Blog
I love this post. It's time to expose this kind of ridiculous extremism that does not belong in any reasonable discussion about saving lives. Thanks for writing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joan. Gun sales on the street. What's next but you can bet if it applies to anything stupid re. guns, it will happen in Arizona.
DeleteJack E. Dunning
Nasty Jack Blog