Here:

Stop Exploiting Tragedy

It’s been more than a week now since a mass murderer struck on the campus of Virginia Tech, and as the NRA joins the debate on policies and laws, there are a few things I want to point out.

It wasn’t 24 hours after the horrific shootings that the politicians started flapping their lips. Congressman Jim Moran suggested that somehow the tragedy was the fault of Republicans and President Bush. Barack Obama compared the evil events in Blacksburg to outsourcing jobs overseas. Senator Dianne Feinstein called for a new dialogue on gun control. Mayor Bloomberg spoke of the events in Blacksburg as he pushed to stop the Tiahrt Amendment from being renewed. And that’s just the politicians.

Gun control advocates had a field day. Within hours, the Brady Campaign had a “Donate Now!” button on their website. The Violence Policy Center was blaming “lax gun laws” in Virginia for the murders, instead of placing the blame on the madman. John Rosenthal, head of Stop Handgun Violence in Massachusetts, even suggested that the gun laws in that state make it less likely for mass murder to occur there.

I’m a gun nut. And a pretty hardcore one at that. However, I’m about to lose some of my gun nut street cred. I’d like to touch on one of my rules for convincing others why I’m right. I’ve alluded to it before (here and here) but I don’t think I’ve ever written about it specifically. Are you ready? It’s real simple:

Don’t scare white people.

Uncle, you say, What the Hell are you talking about? Well, let me explain. Most people in this country fit a certain demographic. That demographic is the prototypical family with two cars, 2.4 kids, stability, owns a home, is in debt, have no issues with gay people other than they don’t want them to get married, etc., etc. Most decisions in this country in terms of legislation center around what these people think. So, when I say white people, that’s who I mean. Don’t scare them. If you scare them off by appearing excessively gun nutty, then you’re turning the people who politicians almost exclusively pander to against you. So, don’t go get a sign that says:

Rep. Cruz should be hung from the tree of liberty for treasonous acts against the Constitution

And show up at a protest. First of all, it’s hanged. Secondly, it’s not smart. Sure, your heart may be in the right place and all that other hippie tree hugging crap to make you feel better about yourself. But white people think you’re fucking nuts. And you’re not doing gun rights any favors. Don’t get me wrong, I think Rep. Cruz is a moron. His bill would require gun registration and a $10-a-gun annual fee. And, well, that’s probably unconstitutional. But that’s no excuse to out-moron him. See, I’ve come close to saying things like that before and then actually did a blog post about me thinking about saying it and then deciding it’s not something that should be said. And then saying it in a weasel way because I’d done fessed up to thinking it.

And, if it’s any consolation, his supporters don’t quite get the first amendment either when they say:

No one has the right to call for the lynching of another human being — no one

Sure they do. It’s not a smart thing and if they actually incite someone to do it, they should be held accountable. But we can say crazy shit like that. The issue, for me, is that it’s stupid to say stuff like that.

And here’s the other thing: The press loves to show off some right wing nut jobs and gun nuts. If some right winger or gun nut does something stupid, it’s all over the news. However, idiots at left wing protests rarely get press coverage. You’ll never see these photos or significant coverage of them in an AP story.

Others:

The Geek: Fight Hard, Fight Smart

Bitter: Dig Faster

David (who likely doesn’t agree with me – he does): it’s certainly not “just a figure of speech.”

Sebastian: Putting the “C” in Crazy and This is one for the “How Not to Win Column”

Well, the only surprise is that they’re admitting it now. They’ve been taking dictation from anti-gun groups for years. Says Newsbusters:

CBS Blogger: We Need More Gun Control Stories

In an April 25 post, CBS’s “Public Eye” editor Brian Montopoli worries that the media are not doing enough reporting on gun control, lamenting that the media are waiting for political players to gin up the issue.

There were reasons not to take up larger issues and assign blame in the immediate wake of the shootings – those first few days needed to be about how people were dealing with the horror of what had taken place. But some time has now passed, and I’m hard pressed to think of a better time for the media to focus on a huge issue that isn’t going away anytime soon.

I’m sorry, but where has this dude been?

Jeff says:

So what Montopoli appears to say is that since media thinks there’s a problem of gun availability in this country, it’s up to media to fan the flames of the people to demand more gun control laws.

I’m not that concerned. Sounds like business as usual to me.

The fact that presidential candidate Ron Paul is a regular guest on a radio show that talks about US government mind control conspiracies; or that, of the current field, he’s the one I’m more likely to vote for?

Looks like the house is trying to close it:

Since 1968, federal law has prohibited the sale of guns to anyone adjudged mentally ill. But more than half the states cannot — or will not — supply the necessary mental health records to the FBI database that is used to conduct background checks on would-be gun buyers.

That could change following last week’s massacre at Virginia Tech. The U.S. House is considering a bill that would encourage states to share mental health records with the federal government by giving them more than $1 billion in grants to help cover the costs.

Privacy laws and lack of technical ability now prevent 28 states from sharing such information with the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System based in Clarksburg, W.Va., according to a Justice Department report.

Privacy: It’s about more than abortions!

Mr. Completely has some room rates and codes. I tentatively plan on going. Who else is going?

Looks like the supreme court will take up the incumbent protection act err campaign finance reform. Again. Maybe they’ll get it right this time? Hell, even the bill’s supporters don’t much care for it these days, including Fred Thompson.

Dan Wesson 357.

Looks like Barney Frank will introduce a bill to repeal the ban on transfers of money to online gaming sites. More at The Politico. In other news, SayUncle agrees with a Democrat from Massachusetts.

Joe Huffman is having the 2007 Boomershoot in three days.

Seriously? One’s always there. I have several. But I also always have a cell phone to keep me abreast of the time. My office has a clock and a computer to let me know the time. I’m always in view of a clock at my house. My car has one. Any place I go has one.

So, why do I wear one?

My post over on KTB tells the Laura Cole story. It is yet another story of a hapless homeowner facing destruction of their property by the developer government complex of Knox County.

It is a story about greed, corruption, ineptness, incompetence, and the complete contempt of personal property rights. It is a story about wink, wink, don’t worry about the rules what can these people possibly do?

One man got a video camera and what he has done is very compelling. James McMillan took his video camera and has created a library of videos that have now appeared on YouTube. The narrative tells a story of some of the usual suspects of stormwater abuse.

Isn’t it ironic that both developers Victor Jernigan and Scott Davis are two of the worst offenders of stormwater runoff? Both are friends of Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale. Victor Jernigan funded R. Larry Smith in his successful Knox County Commission race against James McMillan.

Victor Jernigan is the “go to guy” on Knox County Commission for stormwater issues. Why would you pick the guy with one of the worst records of stormwater violations to be the “go to guy”? Scott Davis is famous for the impassioned speech he gave about ethics and getting along with people after it was very clear that Lee Tramel would be appointed to the District 4 seat he coveted in the January 31st appointment debacle in Knox County Commission.

Mr. McMillan is often referred to as “Farmer McMillan” because he is actually a farmer who became concerned about the stormwater issue after Mr. Jernigan built several subdivisions that caused stormwater runoff which hurt Mr. McMillan’s cattle.

These are the videos that tell the real story of personal property rights in Knox County:

The Laura Cole story via “Farmer” James McMillan and YouTube:

Part 1 and Part 2

The Knox County Commission meeting Public Forum featuring Laura Cole via Publius9 and Channel9 of YouTube:

Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV

What could be causing the decline in newspaper circulation? It just keeps going down.

Do you think that maybe since newspapers stopped reporting local news and became echo chambers of liberal blather that might have something to do with the decline?

Oh, and there is that Internet thing.

Do you find that blogs like Say Uncle reflect your thinking more than your local newspaper? Maybe there is a new publisher in town. And no trees must die for the story to be printed.

In an update to Chris Redford misrepresenting what assault weapons are, comes the latest:

KTBS can’t stand the attention. The article has disappeared but thanks to Google cache you can read it here in the extended entry:

Seems Chris Redford’s shoddy reporting isn’t even worth a correction. At least I couldn’t find one.

Police guns getting stolen. In Memphis:

Memphis police were looking Monday night for the thieves who stole seven weapons from a North Carolina SWAT team van parked in South Memphis.

Members of the SWAT team based in Raleigh, N.C., were eating at Interstate Bar-B-Que, 2265 S. Third, about 3:30 p.m. Monday when they realized their van had been broken into, said Lt. Jerry Gwyn of Memphis felony response.

Taken were three machine guns, two semi-automatic handguns, and two 12-gauge shot guns, Gwyn said.

My sooper seekrit sources say the machine guns are actually Sig 551s. And in Utah:

Thieves broke into a Utah County Sheriff’s vehicle early Tuesday morning in Lehi and stole two very dangerous assault weapons that authorities fear could be used in other crimes.

A couple of AKs.

The Star Bulletin:

The FBI arrested two veteran Halawa Correctional Facility prison guards over the weekend for allegedly arranging to obtain a device that can convert semiautomatic rifles into fully automatic machine guns.

Ronald Philip Lee Jr. was arrested Saturday when he accepted a mailed package containing the device, while Patrick H. Sonsona was arrested when he tried to get the device from Lee, the FBI said.

What sort of device? A shoestring? A rubberband?

No, I’m guessing they fell for the Pre 81 DIAS scam.

Update: I should be clear on the shoestring/rubberband thing. In light of the Akins Accelerator issue, why is it that a rubberband that facilitates bump-firing has not been ruled illegal? Same concepts. The shoestring is actually illegal and subject to regulation, which is a bit silly.

And it is also worth pointing out that if these guys did get a Pre 81 DIAS, then they have not broken the law unless they actually are also in possession of an AR-15, per current rulings.

Confusing, ain’t it? Try to keep up.

Uncle gets his copy and paste on.

Gallup Guru:

Two new polls conducted since the Virginia Tech shooting deaths report measures of Americans’ attitudes towards gun control. There is little evidence in either of a surge in support for gun control in the aftermath of the tragedy.

An ABC News poll conducted over one day, Sunday April 22, gives us the most specific information. ABC found 61% of Americans favor “stricter gun control laws in this country”, the same as last October. The longer-term trend in support for gun control is down since Sept. 11, at which time – as I noted here — support for gun control dropped in most polls. (This most probably reflected less interest on the part of Americans in restricting access to arms with the specter of terrorist attacks in their minds.)

A Pew Research Center poll released on Monday is a little more difficult to interpret. It included a question on banning the sale of handguns, but the last time this question had been asked before their current April 18-22 survey was in March 2000. The current Pew survey finds 37% support for a law banning the sale of handguns. This is lower than in March 2000. But that was to be expected given the 9/11 effect I’ve discussed above. We don’t know what may have happened to attitudes as measured by this Pew question in the intervening seven years.

Hume:

If you are wondering why the apparent popular support for gun control does not translate into legislative action — there is ample illustration in the latest ABC News poll taken after the Virginia Tech shootings. 61 percent of the respondents said they favor stronger gun control laws — but as to whether they would do any good – 49 percent said yes and 50 percent said no. By a 52-to-29 margin, respondents said they prefer enforcing existing gun laws to passing new ones.

ABC devoted nearly two minutes to the poll during last night’s evening newscast — but never mentioned one of the most interesting results. When asked the primary source of gun violence – 40 percent said popular culture, and 35 percent said the way parents raise their children. Only 18 percent blamed the availability of guns.

John M. Snyder:

A FOX News poll last week found that only 19 percent of Americans believe tougher gun laws can help stop shootings like the one at Virginia Tech. A 71 percent majority disagrees.

A Zogby poll indicated that 59 percent do not think stricter gun control policies would help prevent tragedies like the one at Virginia Tech, and only 36 percent believe they would help.

An AP-Ipsos poll showed that 49 percent think gun laws should remain as they are or be made less strict than they are now, and 47 percent that they should be more strict.

The AP:

Virginia’s governor said Tuesday he may be able to single-handedly close the loophole that allowed a mentally ill Seung-Hui Cho to buy the guns he used to kill 32 people at Virginia Tech.

Federal law bars the sale of guns to people who have been judged mentally defective. But it is up to states to report their legal proceedings to the federal government for inclusion in the database used to do background checks on prospective gun buyers.

In Cho’s case, a special justice ordered outpatient psychiatric counseling for him in 2005 after determining he was a danger to himself. But because Cho was never committed to a mental hospital, that order was never entered in the database.

Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said in a radio interview that he may be able to tighten that reporting requirement by issuing an executive order.

“This is the magnet we’re all really focusing on. This grabbed our attention,” Kaine said later in the day in an interview with The Associated Press.

Similarly, the chairman of a panel appointed by Kaine to review the massacre said the reporting requirement must be tightened.

“It’s pretty clear: He should not have been able to obtain a weapon,” said retired Virginia State Police Superintendent W. Gerald Massengill.

I don’t think there’s a loophole. There’s just not a provision in VA to get this info in the NICS since Cho was not committed. And that was how it was. Recognizing the effects of that now and doing something about it doesn’t make it a loophole. It represents, instead, a shortcoming of the state in its reporting. Loophole is apparently a synonym for Oops, didn’t think of that.

Good. It was a stupid idea. In other news, if the ads offend you, you can still turn off the TeeVee. See background here and here.

Publicola addresses the NRA’s support for expanding the NICS. The NRA has always supported the NICS. In the 1990s, they supported it so much that they did not stop the assault weapons ban because they wanted the NICS more.

I can’t fault the NRA too much, really. We’re going to have background checks so they may as well be done right. In the event said checks become an arbitrary system for removing gun rights, then all bets are off. But I don’t see that happening.

I’ve seen some pretty stupid media bits that misrepresent guns through ignorance (either willful or otherwise) but this one is completely retarded.

TN Representative Chris Crider:

Tennesseans, my constituents, have overpaid taxes by almost $1 billion. I don’t know about everyone else, but I know when I overpay a bill, I expect a refund.

There’s a push now to use the excess collections to offset taxes on food. Giving us our money back? Novel concept.

from Ahab.

Mourning Cho’s death. I share Jay’s sentiment. Also, this bit is disturbing. Seems people are concerned for the perpetrator’s of violence to an extent that I cannot comprehend. Sure, each incident is tragic but, of all that, the initiators of violence are not the people I mourn for or sympathize with.

Rivrdog notes some deals on 7.62X39 and 9MM.

My post on KTB of a local story that has made it to the Drudge Report.

As first reported on WATE news:

KNOXVILLE (WATE) — A father took extreme measures Wednesday to discipline his 14-year-old son, who he claims was abusing drugs.

Because the boy is a minor, 6 News won’t reveal his or his father’s identity.

The boy was forced to wear a large sandwich board sign that said “I abused & sold drugs,” while standing in front of Cedar Bluff Middle School.

“I would like to say that I’m not out here doing this to humiliate my son,’ the dad said. “I’m doing this because I love him. We do have an extreme drug problem in America, and maybe it’s time for extreme measures that parents need to take to monitor this problem that we have.”

The man says he recently learned after reading the boy’s MySpace page his son was involved with marijuana and OxyContin. That’s when he decided to take immediate action.

Chuck Canterbury:

Some of America’s mayors, led by Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City and Thomas M. Menino of Boston, would like you to believe that their Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition is about fighting illegal firearms in their cities and across the country.

It’s not.

The principal goal of this coalition is the repeal of language that has repeatedly been passed into law for the past several years that prevents information on gun traces collected by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from being given to mayors pursuing civil litigation suits against firearms dealers and manufacturers. The mayors would have you believe that law enforcement supports giving them the information on gun traces because many of their employees — namely police chiefs, who often serve at the pleasure of the mayor — have publicly backed their coalition.

But the officers in the field who are actually working illegal gun cases know that releasing sensitive information about pending cases can jeopardize the integrity of an investigation or even place the lives of undercover officers in danger. That is why the Fraternal Order of Police has always supported language protecting firearms trace data, now known as the “Tiahrt amendment.” For the men and women in uniform who are fighting illegal guns, it is a matter of officer safety and good police work.

ATF itself has repeatedly gone to court to fight the release of its data, because the release can have a negative effect on its efforts to investigate illegal gun trafficking and threaten the safety of officers and witnesses.

It’s a shame the FOP brass supported the assault weapons ban. This almost makes me want to donate to them again. Almost.

Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam is a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

In Kansas:

The CBS affiliate station in Wichita, Kan., is refusing to air a television advertisement that is part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s gun control campaign, saying the spot is misleading.

[…]

KWCH said the ad is misleading because the amendment allows law enforcement to have specific gun data for criminal investigations or prosecution.

The radical extremist gun lobby says we should improve the NICS:

With the Virginia Tech shootings resurrecting calls for tighter gun controls, the National Rifle Association has begun negotiations with senior Democrats over legislation to bolster the national background-check system and potentially block gun purchases by the mentally ill.

Rep. John D. Dingell (Mich.), a gun-rights Democrat who once served on the NRA’s board of directors, is leading talks with the powerful gun lobby in hopes of producing a deal by early next week, Democratic aides and lawmakers said.

Under the bill, states would be given money to help them supply the federal government with information on mental-illness adjudications and other run-ins with the law that are supposed to disqualify individuals from firearms purchases. For the first time, states would face penalties for not keeping the National Instant Criminal Background Check System current.

The bill is authored by Carolyn “Barrel Shroud” McCarthy. More:

Since 1968, individuals deemed mentally ill by the legal system are not supposed to be able to buy guns. A court’s ordering Cho into treatment in late 2005 should have been reported to the federal background check system, congressional aides said. Instead, his background check came up clean, and he legally bought the two handguns used to kill 32 students and teachers before he committed suicide.

“The states are not putting records into the system,” McCarthy said yesterday.

My thoughts on the bill are here.

Via David, who’s none too happy.