More…gun sense and nonsense

Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas

Since my last post on this subject I have been banned by the liberal blog Daily Kos for my views on gun rights fanatics, and vilified by a number of the blog’s pathetic commenters who ban together to oust anyone who writes about gun control.  And they even brag about this.  Normally I would reply to comments as I do on this blog, but early on it was obvious to me that the scourge of gun nuts on DK did not deserve a reply. 

You can see what I am talking about here in one of my earlier Daily Kos articles on gun control re. challenging the 2^nd Amendment.  Just scroll down to the comments and you will see the idle chatter of a gang of misfits, much like the conversations I remember from my elementary school days.  Distressing if your IQ is in the triple digits.  Normal these days when you challenge gun rights fanatics.  But now on to more gun sense and nonsense.

ARIZONA/CALIFORNIA/NEW MEXICO/TEXAS: The multiple rifle reporting rule that covers these four border states was upheld by U.S. Judge Rosemary Collyer saying it was “sufficiently narrowly tailored” to be rational enough in applying only to the states involved.  The gun industry claims it will only ‘burden” law-abiding retailers and not curb drug cartel sales.  The NRA filed the appeal.  Dealers must report multiple sales of semiautomatic rifles to the same person within 5 days.

The semiautomatic weapons, specifically assault rifles, should be re-banned in this country now, and, anyway, who the hell would need more than one even if they remain legal?

MEXICO: Mexican President Felipe Calderon is convinced that the United States is the major source of guns that end up in the hands of the drug cartels.  He blames it on weak American gun laws that are a fact throughout this country recently.  He also claims that in the U.S. criminals in states with strong gun laws go to states with weak laws, like Arizona, for their weapons. 

The Brady Campaign says that these weak gun law states, also including Utah and Florida, “export” crime guns to other states at a rate of nine times higher than states with stronger laws.  So the problem isn’t just across the Mexican border, the same situation exists right here in the U.S.  Brady feels that trafficking within and outside the country can only be curbed with stronger federal gun laws.

FLORIDA: The NRA backed bill, HB155, barring health care providers from asking about or talking to patients and their families about guns, was passed and signed into law in 2011.  The measure was later overturned by a federal judge because it violated doctors’ free speech rights as well as other things.  A new bill has been introduced in the Florida House, no doubt a product of the NRA, to revise the language in HB155 to gain passage. 

The hilarity of this whole issue is that the NRA will go to any length to pass legislation that will make it easier for their member gun nuts to carry their weapons any place they choose, even to the hospital’s emergency room.

ARIZONA: It’s about time this state surfaced, since its mission is “no gun control, nowhere, nohow.”  Arizona has copied “don’t ask, don’t tell,” but it has nothing to do with gay rights.  Disgraced state Sen. Russell Pearce started the trend for lawmakers to bring their guns on the Senate floor until he was ousted in a recall election.  New Senate President Steve Pierce doesn’t necessarily welcome weapons on the floor; rather, he just doesn’t want to know they are there.

Of course the NRA was there, lobbying for the new guns on campus bill, but there were no reports if these political suck-ups were armed.  This all happened only three days after the three students died in the Ohio school shooting.



Charlton Heston ranting NRA gun propaganda



MICHIGAN: Michigan has decided to boost its state’s revenue by encouraging youngsters under the age of ten to shoot a gun.  Another purpose for the young shooters program, says the state, is to teach kids how to hunt when they are young.  There is no age limit for hunting in Michigan, although some restriction apply.  The kids have to be supervised by a licensed adult, operating within arm’s length.  There was no mention of educational requirements other than mentoring.

I am going to go out on a limb here and hypothesize that the NRA is firmly behind this program in order to make sure that future membership rolls have adequate candidates.  Reminds me of the tobacco industry’s current concentration on luring young people to smoke.  That also kills people.